Gathered in the Great Hall
before dinner later that afternoon, Rae and the others recounted their
adventures with much amusement.

“Well, that went swimmingly,” Rae said with a grin.

Rune laughed in agreement, “Despite Ashley's attempts to
get us in detention.”

Rae smiled wryly. “Yeah, Ashley is never going to win at
that,” she laughed, “I am a detention deflector. Well, except for that one time
with Darkstorm, but lets not speak of that.” A dark look passed over Rae’s face
for a brief moment before she suddenly brightened, “Although, I do wonder what
revenge Prof. Polgara has in mind….”

“I'm not sure,” Rune giggle, “but
I'm kinda excited for it!” 

“At least Professor Wolfe didn’t seem too mad; you heard
what she said: ‘well done ladies, but if you try this again…’” 

“I'm glad they made her happy,”
Rune smiled.

“Oh! Prof Wolfe is so nice,” Apolline said, joining Rae and
Rune. “I'm glad she liked it after all.”

“You know, Rae
pointed out, “everyone is now going to be wishing that they had thought of
this... I think we made for an entertaining afternoon!”

Apolline shrugged, “But no one could have pulled it off
like us. Well we got away with one teacher...we'll see what the others have to
say about this.”

Rae wasn’t worried. “But they love us!”

“They do! We're good students that helps, I think.”

A sudden shadow fell over them. All three girls looked up
in surprise to see Professor Wolfe standing there.

“Hello Professor!”

“Bonsoir Professor!”

“Hello dears.” The look on
Professor Wolfe’s face was hard to read.

Rae resorted to her usual attempts at humor, “Festive
evening, yes?”

“Something like that,” the
professor said, although the look on her face seemed to indicate otherwise. “You
will all be pleased to know I have located my detention slips.”

“Oh?” Rae asked, her
mind spinning with where this was going. “But not for us, of course?”

“Most definitely for you. You
have broken over 10 school rules just in my office!”

“Now, now, Professor... no taksie
backsies...” A growing sense of panic was making Rae speak without thinking as
she mentally computed what 10 rules times every professor's office added up to.

“You will not receive detention
for the fireworks ladies.”

Rae started to smile, only to have it die on her lips as
Professor Wolfe continued, “However the breaking and entering of my office, after hours
without my permission, the destroying of one of my cauldrons and the state your
devices have left my animals in.As you all know, I have a very old and delicate owl who resides in
my office who now refuses to come down from the ceiling, will not eat and is
crying pitifully.”

“It was all done in love,
Professor!Rune, Addie,
Apolline? Back me up!” But her friends remained silent, to terrified of
Professor Wolfe to speak up.

Professor Wolfe remained fixated on Rae, regardless. “Not to mention an Albanian boiled bullfrog who managed to pop his
own boils in surprise.”

“Ah... well... unfortunate side
effects?”

“You call the traumatising of my
animals 'unfortunate side effects?”

“No, no... not that…Well,
it is unfortunate, but…” 

“You are also a
potions PA miss Elliott.”

Now thoroughly panicked at the direction this was going,
Rae starts contemplating somewhere to hide.

“I expected more respect from you
with such animals, ingredients and equipment,” Professor Wolfe continued.

“Hmmm... yes... but... the PA
guidelines don't say anything about fireworks....”

“They say you should provide an
exemplary role model, the professor said sternly. “This is not role model
behaviour. My entire stock of leeches will have to be thrown away.”

Apparently completely out of her senses, Rae half grinned,
“Well, I was a role model... to Addie, Rune, and Apolline... “

“Cheek? Miss Elliott? Two
detention slips for you then.”

“Rather, I mean... um... Two???“

“Two,” Professor Wolfe said
dryly.

Rae was horrified. “You said we
wouldn't even get one!”

“Not for the fireworks, no.”

“But...”

Professor Wolfe leveled her glare on Rae, ignoring the
girl’s continued protestations. “Your other actions tonight however…”

“But...”

“I hope that you realise that as
well as recovering from being in hospital, I now have to comfort my animals,
tidy my office, and catalogue everything that was broken? “

Rae looked dejectedly down at the floor, fighting an
ever-increasing sense of doom.

“Miss Elliot. As you are my PA I
will deal with you myself. The others are the responsibility of their own professors.They will receive their punishment
slips tomorrow.”

Despite her growing dread, Rae just couldn’t find the off
button for her mouth. “What if I comfort
your animals, clean your cauldron, and... make a picture on the wall for you?”

“No.”

Undeterred, Rae tried again. “What if I clean EVERYTHING up... and... bake you a cake?”

“No.”

“What if... what if... I...” Rae
stopped, out of ideas. “I give up... I'm not Slytherin enough to get out of this,
apparently... and I do feel rather bad for your owl... What can I do to
get back in your good graces?” 

Professor Wolfe frowned, then sighed and put her head in
her hands. “I would like you all to behave.”

“So... if I promise
to behave from here on out, and never, ever do anything like this again...
then...?”

“Then I am sure you
will not receive any further detentions.”

 “Guilt may be a worse punishment than detention,” Rae said to
herself, sighing dejectedly.

“Well miss Elliot I am sure you
are feeling you actions.”

Rae nodded, “Yes… quite.”

 Rae really did
feel quite guilty over the mess they had made without realizing it. “So... everyone feels badly,” she said. “Let us help you clean up,
and move on from this bit of fun-gone-wrong. Then you can rest easy. To be
fair, Professor... we didn't know you had animals in your office.”

“I believe you helped me set up
my office, Miss Elliott.”

Rae cringed, and was about to protest, but the professor
turned to the other girls who had, until this time, been sitting silently,
hoping to escape notice.

“Miss Asman? Miss Phoenix and Miss Tabourot?

“Yes, Professor?”

“You will also receive detention
in the morning.”

The girls all nodded. Rae was doing enough talking for all
of them.

“But, Professor,” Rae said hesitantly, “Didn’t we make you
laugh?”

“Well, that wolf did
make me smile.” 

“It was a nice wolf,
yes?”

“Yes, Miss Elliott.”

“We only wanted to make everyone
smile… A bit of levity for the holiday?” 

“Yes I know that.” Professor
Wolfe looked at Rae half smiling, half frowning. I am not a heartless
professor.” 

Rae looked up, hopefully, and Professor Wolfe let out a
great sigh. “All right, Rae. I have a proposition for you. If you clean up my
ENTIRE office, put everything back, and comfort my animals – you will have to
keep them in your dorm with you overnight – I will reconsider the severity of
your consequences.”

“So… if I do all of that, then that’s it? All is forgiven?”

“It is already forgiven, Miss Elliott. That doesn’t mean
there aren’t consequences. I expect an owl in the morning, detailing everything
you did to clean my office. What I get from you will determine the severity of
the consequences I give you.”

“What about the others?” Rae asked, indicating her friends.

“That is entirely dependent on what you send me in the owl,
Miss Elliott. Any of them who help you will also receive reduced consequences.”

“We’ll help clean your office, absolutely Professor,” Rune
said, speaking up for the first time since the professor came in. “Can we leave
the wolf, though?”

“You can leave the wolf. Now, I really must get some sleep.
I shall expect you to spend the next several hours cleaning, and at least an
hour writing that report, Miss Elliott. I shall expect it by the time I wake up
in the morning.”

“What time is that, Professor?”

“5:30 am.”

Rae groaned.