Cogs whir, and evil plans come to mind.

[Avadia Price]

Avadia was feeling particually evil today. The Ravenclaw girl needed to oull a prank, somthing no-one had ever attempted, something that Lorraine would be proud of. She paced her dorm room, deep in thought. Suddenly she had an idea. Smiling slyly, she made her way down to the greenhouses. One of them was unlocked, some idiot had forgot to lock the greenhouse door, which suited Avadia fine. She walked in, and looked around. She picked up a pair of earmuffs, and put them on; she would need them later.

There were mandrakes sleeping. Avadia grinned, and carefully placed two in her bag. Her bag was giant, it could fit anything. Allison was excellent at charms! If her sisters hadn't helped, this prank would be nothing. With the sleeping mandrakes in her bag, she grabbed a few handfuls of various plants, and put them in her bag, careful not to wake the mandrakes. She stepped outside, and placed one of the mandrake beside the greenhouse door. If anyone walked past, it would start screaming for sure!

And that was only plan A.

Avadia dropped a few pieces of plants, as she walked. She made her way up to the sixth floor, glad it was empty; she had almost run out of plants to make a trail. She reached into her bag, and found what she was looking for. Clear, sticky glue. Her mind was working hard, Lorraine would be proud at this idea.

She found a rope and a large bag of feathers in her bag. All she needed was a bucket of some sort. She took of her sunhat, smirking. She usually didn't wear that hat, it went over her eyes, and hat an annoying string. Perfect for this though. She looked at a beam, and threw the rope around it. She squirted a tiny bit of glue on the ground, and put the mandrake pot on top of it. She then pulled out a bag of marbles, a birthday present from years ago.

She placed the bag of marbles back onto her bag, and peered inside. She had the bag of feathers, the giant bottle of glue, and a bolt of black material. She secured the rope onto the beam, and climbed up, pulling the rope up with her. From the ceiling she could see if anyone came, and hopefully Professor Styx came. She hated the Herbology professor, most people did too.

When the professor came, she would tip the glue on him, then the feathers. By then the mandrake would be screaming. Then she could make her getaway. Avadia secured her earmuffs, and sat, waiting.

 

[Professor Kalif Styx]

Kalif stepped out of the shadows, and stared up at the girl on the beam. He saw what she was planning on doing, and narrowed his eyes. He folded his arms, and made sure he was out of the girl's reach with her foolish plan to prank someone. Kalif had put a silencing charm on the baby mandrakes, so their cry would be almost inaudible, before he left.

Kalif demanded in his usual tone, "What are you doing up there, girl?" Kalif was getting sick and tired of these pranks the first years were pulling. It was one thing to mess with him, and another to mess with the mandrakes. Messing with mandrakes can be dangerous, if full grown. Without the proper environment, they could also die. Kalif, however, doubted this girl even thought about the well-being of the plants. "I suggest you get down from there, and explain to me why the mandrake is here, and one outside the greenhouse, in the sun?"

 

[Avadia Price]

Avadia saw the professor enter, and paniked. Her things were still in her bag, and it would be too late to get them. The professor looked at her, and she was suddenly glad she hadn't gotten the things ready. Laziness was not always bad. She looked innocent enough, apart from the fact she was on a beam in the celing, and there was a mandrake on the floor. She opted to play dumb. "Exuse me sir?" she said, in a puzzled tone. Years of acting class had done her good.

She blinked at the professor, a perfect mask of confusion etched upon her face. "I find it easier to think up high." she answered calmly. True enough, she climbed up trees when she needed to think. She looked down down at the mandrake, then back at the professor, stalling for a second. "I dunno, I saw it, then came up here." she said, a flicker of faux fear in her eyes. "I'm afraid of mandrakes." she whispered convincingly. She looked at Professor Styx in acted confusion. "What mandrake...?" she asked, a hint of curiousity in her tone.

She was a brillient actress, but could she fool the professor?

 

[Professor Kalif Styx]

Kalif noticed the panic in her eyes, and knew that she was busted. His patience grew short as the girl stared at him. His expression remained stern, cold. He showed no anger, but rather irritation, as she stalled for an explanation. His eyes darkened a bit as each second ticked by. Once she explained herself, Kalif stared at her in disbelief. It was hard to fool this man. He, too, was in the whole "fooling people" situation right now.

Kalif narrowed his eyes. He replied coolly, "First you say it is easier to think up high, and now you say you are afraid of mandrakes." He smirked slightly, "Which is it?" He decided to 'play' along with this girl. Kalif flicked out his wand, and waved it toward the window. The mandrake outside in the sun retreated back into the greenhouse. Kalif put his wand away and folded his arms back on his chest. "I expect nothing but the truth."

 

[Avadia Price]

Avadia looked at the professor, and knew she was going to be busted, if not already. She knew what Allison would do: tell the truth. She knew what Lorraine would do: lie. And Sandra.... she would probably tell the truth, but only when asked.

Avadia figured she wouldn't get away with it, but she might as well get busted in style. She carefully opened her bag, and fished the bag of marbles out. A string on the bag suddenly broke, making a giant hole, and Avadia watched as the marbles leaked out, spilling onto the floor. There were marbles everywhere! Of course, she had done this on purpose, but she didn't show that. A look of shock appeared on her face, as she knocked her bag, spilling the bottle of glue, and the feathers all over the floor.

She looked, wide-eyed at the mess. She hadn't meant for that to happen! She gasped, and foorced herself to look at the professor, acting as if nothing had happened. She raised an eyebrow, at his question. "Both, I like heights, mainly trees, and I am afraid of madrakes." she said truthfully. "One bit me last year in detention." she added. It was the truth, a stupid mandrake had bitten her when she didn't have gloves on.

She sighed, the truth was hard to tell. But Allie would kill her if she lied. Thought Lorraine would bail her out.... No. She would tell the truth, even if it killed her. Avadia had been brought up knowing the truth was good, lieing was not.

"I did it." she said simply, staring at the professor, afraid to look, yet afriaid to look away.

 

[Professor Kalif Styx]

Kalif stepped back, making sure he was not hit by the marbles, and also the glue and feathers. Kalif did not appear shocked, for he had predicted something like this. Kalif shook his head at the mess. He heard her admit it, even though he had already known. Kalif did not say a word. Instead, he bent down and picked up the mandrake pot, and his strength easily snapped the glue keeping the pot on the ground.

Kalif turned his attention back to the girl, and nodded at her. He wasn't in the best of moods, however, he wasn't in the worst either. He did not appear upset, or angry. If she had denied further, then his mood would have changed. Compared to his previous behavior with the first years, he seemed civil as of right now. Kalif simply said, "Clean this mess up. I won't punish you, for you were honest. However, I will retreat back to the greenhouses."

Kalif turned to leave, when he spotted a trail of plant pieces. He added, "All the mess should be clean. I won't supervise you, however, I would advise you to hurry, before another professor punishes you severely." With that, Kalif left, with the mandrake in his arms, the girl to carry on with her cleaning duty. He thought about coming back up here to check up, however, he decided against it. Kalif found himself caring for the mandrakes, before returning to his office.

 

[Avadia Price]

Avadia blinked, rather amused she hadn't gotten detention. "Stupid Allie." she muttered, climbing down, but leaving the rope. She would use it some other time, it seemed a good place to hide.

She watched as the professor left, cursing under her breath. This prank didn't work, next time she had to think of something better. The would be a next time. Avadia sighed, and began to pick up all the marbles, and put them back into her bag. Then she started on the feathers. As she walked up to them, they blew away, scattered around the corridor.

"Damn!" she said, diving onto the ground. She made a grab for some feathers, the glue sticking to her clothes. She stood up, feathers dotted around in her clothes. She wished she knew a cleaning spell, but so far she hadn't learnt one.

Avadia cleaned up most of the feathers, and looked at the glue. Most of it was on her clothes, and in her hair now, so it wouldn't be visible when it dried. She shoved her things in her bag, and walked back to her common room to have a shower, already plotting her revenge.