An hour or so and several
hundred galleons worth of fireworks later, their mischief was managed.
Gleefully, the girls began to skip their way back to the Room of Requirement,
but the sudden presence of Professor Wolfe barred their way.

“I would like an
explanation for all of this running through the halls. Miss Phoenix. Miss Asman.
Miss Tabourot. Miss Elliot. Now!”

“I'm sorry, Professor!”
Adelaide said, looking at the others, “I'm sorry that I can't speedwalk as fast
as I can and still keep the same pace as the others!”

“What on earth are you all
running for?” the professor demanded.

Rune deflected the
question with an apology, “We're sorry for running, Professor. We'll walk from
now on...”

“ I do not want apologies!
I want a FULL description of what is going on. Right now!”

Apolline shuffled her
feet, looking slightly off to the side. “There is a very simple and logic
explanation Professor...euh...We were...running from Peeves!”

“Professor Wolfe,” Rachael
said, joining the group in the cooridor, “how do you feel about clowns?”

“Well... Professor...
um... “ Rae mumbled something about Prof. Wolfe's office before trying to slip
away.

Professor Wolfe’s face
went stone-like. “I hate clowns. ALL OF YOU, My office. Now. No excuses.”

“Yes, Professor,” Adelaide
said, seemingly resigned to their fate.

As they approached the
professor’s office, she turned to face the girls with her hands on her hips. “I
would like a full explanation of what on earth is going on. And I would like it
right this second.”

Several students were
passing by, taking in the scene with great interest. “I think they were running
away from the same fireworks that scared Prof. Polgara,” one of them remarked.

Professor
Wolfe turned on the girls. “Is this true? Have you set off FIREWORKS in my
office?!”

“As I said,” Apolline
explained, “it was because of Peeves, professor! We caught him trying to pull
some prank in your office and he has been chasing us since then!” She smiled
angelically, “we just managed to lose him just now!”

“Apolline you are a
horrible liar.”

Professor Wolfe walked
worriedly to her office door and began to open it hesitantly.

“Professor Wolfe,” Rachael
cautioned, “don't mind the giant life sized clown that cackles when you go near
it...I swear I don't know who put it in your office…”

“Ugh. Clowns,” the
professor said, opening her door; despite the warning, she jumped, startled,
before waving her wand at clown, causing it to explode.  Hesitantly, she walked further into
office, eyeing the girls suspiciously.

“You know, Professor,” Rae
attempted,  “You know, deep down inside,
you love the fireworks…”

Professor Wolfe gasped, “MERLINS
BEARD what have you done to my office!” She watched fireworks disapprovingly
for a moment, then waved her wand. “Silencio!” The fireworks immediately
stopped making any sort of noise. “That's a little better at least. And what is
the purpose of this?”

Rune smiled, “Happy 4th!”

“What Rune said!” Rae added
quickly,  “Just a little harmless
fun, Professor! After all, we have nothing better to do...”

“Happy... Fourth...?”
Professor Wolfe blinked, staring at the girl’s in confusion.

“Rae,” Adelaide laughed, “The
Fourth of July is Independence Day for America!”

“I do hope you all know I
am British ladies,” Professor Wolfe pointed out.

Rae shrugged, “Well,
without England, we wouldn't even have this holiday...”

PrProfessor Wolfe
continued to stare at the fireworks, seeming to relax a little. “Well, I
suppose.. They are quite pretty.”

“Happy Fourth Professor,”
Apolline said with a smile. “Independance and freedom is always something to
celebrate, no matter which country you are from.”

Rune handed the professor
a new set of phials and stoppers with the words "Happy 4th!" written
on them, tied with a bow.

“To be fair,” Rae pointed
out, “you were not the sole recipient of today's endeavors... “

“Thank you very much
ladies, I suppose you won't be wanting detention for the many, many rules you
have broken tonight?” Professor Wolfe asked, raiing an eyebrow.

“Of course not,” Rae
laughed, “What a silly suggestion... who would want to give us detention for
such beautiful and festive decorations, anyway?”

“I made you a wolf,
Professor,” Rune said, trying to deflect attention away from Rae.

The professor looked
around at the fireworks again and gasped as a giant Wolf erupted out of one of
them.

Taking advantage of the
distraction, Rae waved to the Professor and started to tiptoe out of her
office, keeping her bag well out of site. “Hey, Rune... meet me down the
hall...”

But
Professor Wolfe was having none of it. “Miss Elliott what is in that bag? You
had better tell me that it is your potions club submission!”

“Ummm... nothing much...”
Rae replied, Oh… the Potions Club submission will be much more fun than all
these fireworks!” With that, she renewed her attempt to slip out the door.

 “I also left you a note, professor, apologizing for any
inconvenience.” Rune made inched toward Rae.

Professor Wolfe held out a
blackened, charred, smouldering piece of paper. “I hope you don't mean this, Miss
Phoenix?”

“Ah…”

Apolline just stood in
front of the office, trying to look angelic as she slowly started to
strategically withdraw.

Professor Wolfe sighed and
stared up at the red Wolf.  “Alright
ladies I am sure I won't be able to find those detention slips tonight…Thank
you ladies. Very sweet.” With an expert wave of wand, the professor cleared the
remaining fireworks from the room, leaving only the wolf emblazoned on the
ceiling.

“Thank you, Professor!”  Rune slipped out of the office and began
to walk happily down the hallway.

“Are we free to go then?”
Rae asked, inching ever closer to the door.

“Bonne nuit professeur!”
Apolline waved, joining Rae.

“Yes ladies you are free
to go.”  Professor Wolfe shook her
head,  “I shall return to sleeping
off my hospital trip - you are lucky I am not myself today! Else your dorm
rooms would be ringing with detentions!”

“Thank you, Professor!”
Adelaide joined the other girls in the hallway, and they quickly made their way
far from the Professor’s office.