NOVEL NEXT Peeves
...
The students of Slytherin were in high spirits as they descended the moving staircases of Hogwarts Castle.
Their excitement wasn't solely because of Dyroth earning extra points in class, but more so due to the unexpected scene of several Gryffindors—Slytherin's age-old rivals—seeking Dyroth's advice.
And it wasn't just one Gryffindor; there were several!
This filled the Slytherin students with pride. They strutted ahead of the Gryffindors with an air of arrogance.
"Alright, let's stop talking about it now," Dyroth reminded them, sounding a little tired.
Draco, however, was on his third retelling of how awkward the Gryffindors had looked earlier. "Come on, Dyroth, you should have seen their faces! They were dying to say thank you but just couldn't! Hilarious!"
Draco was just about to go into more detail when suddenly, a strange figure appeared overhead, making him jump.
"Hehehe! What do we have here? Gryffindors and Slytherins walking together? Hahaha!"
It was Peeves, the castle's mischievous poltergeist, floating above their heads in his brightly colored clothes and hat. His tattered slippers flapped as he moved, revealing his grimy toes. Laughing maniacally, Peeves hurled a water balloon straight at the group.
"Shield!" Dyroth reacted instantly, casting a protective barrier that blocked the incoming splash. The Slytherins were safe, but the Gryffindors behind them weren't so lucky.
Seeing that his prank hadn't landed on the Slytherins, Peeves cackled and turned his attention to the Gryffindors, bombarding them with more water balloons. The Gryffindors yelped and cursed at Peeves.
"Get lost, Peeves!"
"I'm telling Professor McGonagall about this!"
Dyroth frowned slightly. Peeves, as recorded in Hogwarts: A History, was impossible to deal with. Attempts had been made in the past to get rid of him, but they had failed miserably. Peeves had even stolen a cannon at one point, causing havoc. In the end, the headmaster had reluctantly given Peeves the freedom to continue his antics, as long as they didn't go too far.
Dyroth sighed, knowing Peeves wasn't worth the trouble. "Let's keep moving. Once we get to the Potions classroom, he won't dare cause any more problems." He stretched the barrier above them to cover as many students as possible.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air.
At the back of the Gryffindor group, a girl had lost her balance while dodging a water balloon and had slipped on the moving staircase. The stairs had shifted without her noticing, and now she was plummeting toward the ground.
"Help!" Another Gryffindor girl tried to grab her, but her strength alone wasn't enough. The girl was falling fast!
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Dyroth's voice rang out. (it's The Levitation Charm)
An invisible force caught the girl mid-fall, and she began to float gently back up to the staircase. Dyroth dashed forward, controlling her descent until he caught her safely in his arms as the spell wore off.
"Are you hurt?" he asked.
The girl, who had squeezed her eyes shut in fear, opened them slowly and realized she was safe. Overcome with relief, she slumped to the ground, her legs too weak to support her.
"Parvati!" The girl who had tried to help rushed over, tears streaming down her face, and hugged Parvati tightly.
Only then did Dyroth recognize the two girls—twins, nearly identical. One of them was Parvati Patil, the Gryffindor student from the Harry Potter books.
Dyroth's eyes narrowed slightly. Parvati Patil... the future Triwizard Tournament ball partner of Harry Potter himself. He found himself wondering if saving her today might affect things between them in the future.
"Padma, I'm fine," Parvati reassured her sister, standing shakily before bowing to Dyroth. "Thank you, Mr. Grindelwald. You saved my life!"
Padma hugged him tightly as well, her voice trembling with gratitude. "If my sister had died, I wouldn't have wanted to live either. I'll never forget what you've done, Mr. Grindelwald!"
Dyroth smiled slightly and patted her back. "It was nothing. I couldn't let a beautiful young lady fall to her death right in front of me."
The other Gryffindors were buzzing with praise.
"Did you see how fast Dyroth reacted? I couldn't even see who was falling before his spell saved her!"
"Yeah! If he wasn't here, Parvati would've definitely gotten hurt!"
"If she fell from that height... it wouldn't just be a few bruises. She'd be in serious trouble!"
First, Dyroth had gone out of his way to help them in Transfiguration class, ignoring the usual rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Now, he had saved one of their own. It was becoming impossible for the Gryffindors not to admire the Slytherin prefect.
"Oh no! Peeves, what have you done?" came Professor McGonagall's sharp voice. The Gryffindor Head of House had arrived, and she was furious. Pointing her wand at Peeves, she prepared to chase him off, but Peeves, realizing he was in trouble, disappeared into the nearest wall with a cackle.
Seeing Parvati still shaken, Professor McGonagall rushed over. "Miss Patil, are you alright? I think we should get you to Madam Pomfrey, just to be sure."
Peeves had gone too far this time. Professor McGonagall was livid. "I'm going straight to Professor Dumbledore about this!"
"I'm fine, Professor," Parvati said, calming herself down. "Mr. Grindelwald saved me."
Professor McGonagall turned to Dyroth, her face softening with gratitude. "Mr. Grindelwald, thank you for your bravery. On behalf of Gryffindor, I'm deeply grateful." She paused for a moment, then continued, "For your actions, I'm awarding Slytherin twenty points."
Twenty points!
Gasps of surprise rippled through the students. Winning a Quidditch match only awarded 150 points, and that was a team effort after an entire school year of practice. Yet Dyroth had earned Slytherin twenty points in just one class!
But no one objected. Dyroth clearly deserved it.
"Alright, young wizards, you'd better get to class. You wouldn't want Professor Snape to get angry with you for being late," Professor McGonagall said, her voice stern again.
She glanced at Parvati once more, and though the girl claimed to be fine, McGonagall still insisted on taking her to the hospital wing. Parvati threw a last glance at Dyroth as she and her twin walked away, clearly reluctant to leave.
As the group continued to the Potions classroom, their thoughts were still filled with admiration for Dyroth Grindelwald—the Slytherin who had not only impressed them in class but had also saved a life.
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