Harry Potter: Echoes of Mischief

The first rays of sunlight filtered through the Hufflepuff dormitory, gilding the golden trim of my bed's canopy with a soft glow. Halloween morning—the perfect canvas for mischief. I stretched lazily, my yellow tassel earrings swaying like tiny pendulums as I turned to survey my unsuspecting roommates.

Finnian was sprawled across his bed, limbs akimbo like a scarecrow toppled by the wind, snoring with the serenity of someone utterly unprepared for chaos. Marlowe, in stark contrast, was cocooned in his blanket, clutching it with the desperation of someone fending off nightmares. Oh, the poor, naïve fools. They should've known better than to sleep so soundly with me around.

My fingers brushed the small vial of enchanted dust tucked in my pocket, and a grin crept across my face. This was going to be legendary.

Finnian first—his snore had a smug quality that demanded intervention. Leaning in, I whispered a charm and let a pinch of the dust drift onto his pillow. Within seconds, his hair poofed into a glorious halo of fluffy pink feathers, so vibrant and cotton-candy-like I had to clap a hand over my mouth to stifle my laugh.

For Marlowe, I went for subtlety. A shrinking spell on his beloved blanket, programmed to contract just a little more each time he tugged on it. Deliciously maddening.

And Ellie, of course, would be the pièce de résistance. The moment she came charging in to investigate the inevitable uproar, she'd trigger the spell I'd placed on the doorway. A flurry of harmless, glowing bats would swarm her, their tiny wings making just enough commotion to cause delightful chaos.

The room was primed. I returned to my bed, lounging with exaggerated nonchalance, and waited for the show to begin.

Finnian stirred first, yawning so loudly I wondered if he might swallow a pumpkin whole. His hand drifted up to scratch his head, then froze. Slowly, he sat up and stared into the mirror opposite his bed.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF MERLIN—?!" His shriek could've shattered glass.

"Marlowe!" he howled, scrambling to the next bed and shaking the human-shaped lump under the covers. "Marlowe, look at me!"

Marlowe grumbled something incoherent, pulling his blanket tighter—only to discover it was no longer long enough. He sat up, bleary-eyed, and stared at the fabric now barely covering his knees. "What the—? Solace!"

"Good morning, gentlemen!" I called brightly, hands clasped behind my head. "Lovely day for a prank, don't you think?"

Finnian glared at me, his pink-feathered hair bouncing indignantly as he jabbed a finger in my direction. "Do you ever take a day off?"

"Only on boring days," I replied with an unapologetic grin.

Before he could throw a hex—or worse, his pillow—the dormitory door banged open. Ellie stormed in, her fiery red hair ablaze with sunlight. "What is going on in—AAAHH!"

Right on cue, the bats burst to life, their glowing forms flitting around her head like a halo of mischievous chaos. One particularly bold bat dove into her hair, eliciting a string of curses I was sure would make even Peeves blush.

"Solace Antigonus!" she bellowed, swiping at the air.

"Yes, Ellie?" I asked innocently, twirling my wand like a conductor's baton.

"You're impossible!" she huffed, her freckled face glowing as brightly as the bats.

"And yet, here I am," I said, flicking my wand to dispel the swarm. "Happy Halloween, Ellie."

Her mock-glare was betrayed by the grin tugging at her lips. "One of these days, your pranks are going to backfire, and I won't save you."

"I'd never ask you to," I replied with a wink.

As the room calmed, I turned to the window. Outside, autumn leaves swirled in the crisp morning air, their colors blending with the sunlight in a way that felt impossibly magical. For a fleeting moment, I caught my reflection in the glass—blonde hair tousled, golden eyes alight with amusement. And yet, beneath it all, a strange emptiness lingered, like a whisper I couldn't quite hear.

Before I could dwell, a pillow smacked me square in the face. "Costumes!" Finnian barked, his pink feathers trembling with indignation. "And you're fixing this!"

Laughing, I hopped off the bed. "Come on, let's see if the headmaster's candy stash is worth the trouble."

Ellie groaned, falling in step behind me. "This better not turn into another one of your wild schemes."

"Ellie," I said, feigning hurt, "I would never drag you into chaos."

Her eyeroll was dramatic, but the grin she tried to hide made me laugh as we filed out of the dormitory, the spirit of Halloween guiding our every step.