Kat lead the way to the library, where they headed to the magical creatures section in search of books. Kat pulled out a few and took them to a table where Niki, Winifred and Dylan were sitting.

"Hi guys." She dumped the books on the table. "You want to see what we were given in CoMC! They are really cute. We get to look after them for a week and have to write an essay on what they do."

She reaches into her pocket to pull out her tribble, but the one that comes out is much smaller and a plain cream colour.

"Oh! This isn't the one I picked up." She looks confused for a minute as she pulls out another one. "This one is mine. You haven't lost your's have you Nimue?"

She puts the two tribbles on the table. "They are called Tribbles"

"No, I've still got mine" said Nimue pulling hers out and comparing with Kat's, "Maybe it snuck into your pocket while you weren't looking".

Niki giggles. "I've read about these things," she says, trying to stop laughing, but she's overcome with another fit of giggling. Getting some very nasty looks from older students studying for OWLs and NEWTs, she tries to smother the giggles. "They... they..." she stops, gasping for breath, grinning. "I'll let you work it out for yourself, shall I?" she asks, with an evil grin. "I've got Transfiguration and Arithmancy still to do."

"Do they, er, do anything?" Winifred looked at the tribble uneasily. She was glad she didn't sign up for that class.

"I guess you might be right." Kat replied to Nimue.

She turned to Winifred, "Well they make this really mesmerising sound." Kat hums at her Tribble. It starts to fill the room with its singing. It is such a beautiful noise that those hearing it can't help feeling pulled by it. "You can have this extra one if you want."

Kat stops humming and asks Niki, "What book did you read? Only we got this essay to do on them."

An extremely large and thick book lying open suddenly moves, as if someone had turned a page, but there was no one to be seen. Slowly, Elia fades into view, hunched over the book. "Tribbles, tribbles..." she muses, staring down at the tome. She appears to be unaware that she is now visible. Suddenly, she looks up. "Oh! I didn't see any of you." She looks very embarrassed. "I've got to write this essay, you see." She shows the cover, which reads 'Magical Creatures of the Northern Himalayas.' "I'm sure they're in here..."

Randal could not believe it! He was on his way back from CoMC when he saw it. He had put the strange tribble in his bag and headed for the library. He had spotted the message about the detention on the notice board.

He wandered into the library and spotted Dylan. He wandered over. "Hey, Dylan. I'm sorry about earlier. My sister can be such a pain at times. But I guess you would understand if you had a little sister that you have to stand up for them." He doubted this would be enough to calm Dylan's impression of him. Especially given the next thing he was going to say...

"And I thought you'd like to know that Grimalkin has decided on our detention. Apparently we are to clean the Owlery tomorrow afternoon! I'm really gonna kill my sister when I see her!" He glowered at the thought of it.

Dylan stood, and walked from the table full of girls to Randal. He was oddly calm and spoke softly, but his voice was as hard as his glittering eyes. "Fer your information, I have younger sisters. An' brothers. An' I do understan' you defendin' your sister. But if'n she throws herself a' me one more time, s' help me God, neither you, nor Grimalkin will stop me. I'm tired o' these games you people here seem t' think y' have a right t' play wi' other people." He met Randal's gaze evenly. "Tomorrow after class in th' owlery. Fine."

Dylan really didn't give Randal a chance to respond as he headed back to the table.

Randal glowered at the back of Dylan. "Maybe I feel the same way. I bet you never considered that. But maybe I intend to try and stop her." He was talking to himself of course, but that didn't matter.

He wandered off into the restricted section. He had some books to find and wasn't going to waste his time on getting along with people.

Kat watched as Randal skulked off, completely ignoring Elia. She smiles pulls a face at Elia, "He doesn't seem in a good mood today, does he? So you think these tribbles come from the Himalayas? I have never heard of them before today. Do you think Hagrid really knows anything about them himself?"

"I guess it must be hard having a sister like Arcadia. He's pretty nice himself though..." Nimue remembered something Marvo had said in his letter but thought it prudent not to mention it in front of others. She'd wait to talk with Kat alone.

Nimue continued to examine her tribble. "They do look like they could come from a cold climate but I agree with Kat I don't think Hagrid knows much about them, else he would know what we are to feed them."

"Here it is," Elia whispers. Turning the book so that Nimue and Kat can see it, she points at a line of text. The pages were mouldy and crinkled, and she read in a soft voice, "Thee tribble, beeing a moste curyous beast, will produce offspringe at a rapidd pase." She grins. "So that's why there are so many more."

Kat giggled. "You mean that these things are just going to multiply really quickly? I really do think Hagrid had no idea." She looked at the table where there are now another Tribble next to her original two. "I guess that is the reason I now have three! Does it say anything else, like how we stop them reproducing?"

***********

Looking to Niki, Dylan asked, "Are we goin' t' work on Transfiguration or no?"

"Yes, let's," Niki says, picking up her bag and moving it to another table a little ways away. She smiles at Kat and Nimue. "I don't remember which book it was, it was several years ago. I think it may have been 'Small Furry Animals that Make Noise when You Step on Them...'" She shakes her head. "No, it wasn't. I don't remember." She smiles apologetically, then goes to sit at the other table, pulling a toad out of her bag. "I borrowed it from Prof. McGonagall," she explains to Dylan.

"Great," he replies with a noticeable lack of enthusiasm. "Changin' it t' a teacup again, I s'ppose?" He pulled out his oaken wand, frowning a bit. It needed a polish, and looked a little worse for the wear, but Dylan didn't seem to mind, really. "D'you want t' go first?"

Niki shakes her head. "No, I don't want to, but I will..." She pulls out her wand, which seems much larger than its seven and a half inches in her small hand. She points it at the toad, which is watching her with bemused good will, and with a little 'POP' it turns into a cup. However, it still had eyes, and was still watching her. Sighing, she pushes it towards Dylan. "I can never seem to get it quite right."

Dylan stared at the teacup with eyes for a long moment, fingering his wand with apprehension. What other disaster could ensue? He'd already proven his complete ineptitude for this subject. The teacup stared at him, almost daring him to do something. Dylan scowled, pointed his long oaken wand at the thing, and practically spat the spell, bracing himself for the worst.

As usual, the puff of smoke heralded his disaster. He coughed and cleared away the smoke with his free hand. The seemingly ever present scowl on Dylan's face deepened as he regarded the now shattered frog/teacup, the bits of china and frog eyes scattered across the table. "Go'dammit," he muttered, letting his wand fall to the table. "Tha's th' third frog this week."

Just then, Madison headed past with her Tribble. "Hi Niki! Hi Dylan..." she greeted. "Heard about the detention thing...Sorry 'bout that..." She noticed the shattered teacup/frog. "Working on Transfiguration?"

"It looks," Niki says shyly, "like you're trying a bit too hard. Like you're trying to force the change. If you try to... oh, I can't explain!" she exclaims. "Try to sort of nudge it?" She sighs. "I can't really explain... Like this," she says gently pushing on her Transfiguration book. "I'm probably not the best person to help," she admits with a small smile, "but Dylan, try again." She pulls another toad from her bag. "I brought a few extras."

Dylan nodded, unwilling to look at her, his cheeks burning with his humiliation. He trained his eyes on the frog, picking up his wand. Nudge it? How did one nudge magic? Dylan closed his eyes for a minute, perpetually scowling. This had to work.

Pointing his wand at the small amphibian, Dylan tried again, shoving whatever he had at the problem, muttering the words to the spell through tight lips. The table shook a little, and the acrid stench of smoke filled his nostrils as Dylan opened his eyes. A pile of ash greeted his gaze, much like the attempt in Transfiguration class the day before. "This is ne'er goin' t' work!" he exclaimed, frustrated, putting his head in his hands. "I'm some kind o' idiot or somethin'."

Nimue came over to where they were practising. Recalling her recent conversations with Professor Grimalkin, she wondered if it this kind of lack of confidence was typical in the Welsh. She was glad to see that despite the recent additions to Slytherin House who seemed keen to revive the tension between the Houses that Niki and Dylan were getting on well.

"Hi, Niki, Dylan." she said. Looking at the pile of ash she commented, "Dylan, I am sure you are not an idiot. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Maybe your inner power is a little too strong for the exercise? Perhaps you should either try holding back a little more as Niki said 'nudge' it or try something bigger, less delicate."

"Of course you're not an idiot, Dylan!" Niki says irritably. "Not being wonderful at one branch of magic does not make you an idiot." Glancinc around, she admits, "I'm absolutely horrible at Herbology. I can't seem to keep plants alive." Looking back over her shoulder at Nimue and Kat, she grins. "Tribbles reproduce *very* rapidly. I wonder if the groundskeeper... what's his name? I wonder if he knew."

She grins even more widely, then looks back at the table where a pile of ash still sits. "Do you want to keep trying, Dylan?" She knows that he's probably very embarrassed right now, seeing his reddening face, and isn't sure she wants to push it.

Dylan shrugged, glancing up at Nimue and Niki, then dropping his gaze again. "If'n you want t' keep tryin', go ahead. I don't want t' make anythin' else explode," he replied quietly. He appreciated the fact that the two girls were trying to make him feel better, but it was hard to explain to them that most kinds of magic were out of his reach. Potions was just as disastrous, and he didn't want to think about Charms, if last year was an indication of either. He sighed, tucking his wand away and staring at the pile of ash in front of him.

Niki shrugs. "Okay, if you don't want to." She pulls her Defence Against the Dark Arts notes out of her bag. "I'll get to work on this, I think. Would you like to stay and work here too?" She sympathises with Dylan's embarrassment, but she doesn't want to chase him away.

**********

Arcadia is not in a happy mood. She didn't like they way the half Giant had looked at her, and singled her out. And this 'fuzz ball' was starting to annoy her, a couple of time as she was walking from CoMC it had started to make it's annoying 'sing-song' sound. But a couple of swift slaps at her robe had shut it up. And it was starting to feel heavy in her pocket now.

Then she saw the notice regarding detention. " This will not do" She says to herself, going slightly red with anger (only slightly because her makeup hid most of the blush). She looks down at Pantalaimon who growls

"Yes Pan, Something will have to be done..... But... well he is the cutest Teacher.. maybe, just maybe I'll give him one more chance....Come on., Lets go to the Library, maybe someone has found a book on these thing and can tell us how to shut it up."

With that she gives her robe pocket another whack and starts to the Library.

She dose not notice as she walks, first one, then another.. then Another small Tribble fall from her robe behind her and roll into the dark corners and under tables.

Arcadia enter the Library and goes straight up to Madam Pince the Librarian. " What do you know about Tribbles!" It was more a demand for information than a question, and the word 'tribble' was said with a hint of disgust.

" You'll find everything you need in the Library" Said Madam Pince, not at all pleased with the attitude of this young, overly made up 'girl'

" This IS a Library isn't it? They haven't changing it into a 'We will tell you everything without you doing any work' room without telling me have they?" She raises an eyebrow at Arcadia, as if daring her to make some snide comment she could report to her house teacher.

Arcadia 'huffs' and turns sharply, knocking a pile of books over and storms off to the Restricted Section of the Library. Again she fails to notice two more small balls of fluff drop from her robe and scurry into the darkness.

Randal watched from the shadows as his no-good sister appeared. "Why does SHE have to come and disturb me," he growled to himself. He watched quietly bristling to see if she would notice him.

Arcadia sees Randal and looks very cross with him. She walks over and whispers: " Well? What have you got to say for yourself? Dumping me like that!" Pantalaimon sits beside Arcadia, his ears flat.

A house Elf, helping the Librarian pick up the books Arcadia knocked over looks over to the table where Kat's Tribbles are. With a small 'Eeek!' it drops the books and scurries away, very fast.

Randal bristled. "Me dumping you?" He growled in a rather loud whisper. "If you hadn't been behaving like a complete slut in the first place there would have been no need. Dylan was fully justified in what he said, and the only reason I defended you was because you are of the same blood! When are you going to start behaving like the young lady you are supposed to be? Don't you remember your training?"

The entire Library hears a resounding SLAP as Arcadia slaps Randal across the face.

Elia jumps as if she had been slapped, and stares at Arcadia and Randal until she realises that the others may notice her. She returns her gaze to the ancient book, her face flushed under her dark skin. "They... they eat..." her voice trails off, and her fingernails dig into her palms.

Randal raised his hand to his face. It stung and was starting to go red. "So, taking to violence as well as verbal harassment now?" he asked.

Arcadia looks about to explode, then, it seems, realises where they are. " Oh... What else am I supposed to do! A girl has to protect herself!" She looks around to see if anyone is listening. assuming they are not. " And I do remember 'our' training, and I remember a lot of other things to... Don't I Pan?" She rubs Pantalaimon's fur then does the same to Randal's head.

" Now be a good boy and tell me what you know about this fuzzy ball, before I really get annoyed"

***********

Andy had been walking for what seemed like hours. He was tiered, but he wouldn't let it show. He was so confused. You can't concentrate very well when you have WiBs questioning you every second. He was feeling awful.

Missing two classes and having to catch up wasn't adding any happiness to his aura. Only one thing could make him completely happy again: everything turning back to the way it was. But he had a feeling that nothing would ever be normal around Hogwarts. With a quill in one hand and a white fluff of ball in the other, he walked up to Nimue and Kat. They noticed instantly the rings under his eyes.

"Hi," he said. "I'm back. I had to stop by Professor Grimalkin's office and get my assignment. Even with a thousand apologies, he's still rather upset. I wouldn't blame him. Elements? Why would we have to learn about elements?"

He paused looking over the notes the Professor made him take. Looks like he had to work alone since he wasn't there to pair up with anyone. Another occurrence that made him less than happy. "Then I had to run over to Hagrid who wasn't too pleased about seeing me late either. But then I explained and...he let me off the hook. He gave me this."

He held up his hand and showed them the white fluff. He looked at it confusingly, but then heard it sing. He cuddled it softly to his cheek, hummed to it, and put it back into his pocket.

"What are we supposed to be doing with it?" he asked. "Take care of it? I can't really understand his accent. Not when he rambles. All I got out of him was that we have to hum to it to keep it happy. By the way, how are you guys? Everything okay? Hope nothing exciting happened while I was away."

He gave them a wink. He looked around and saw some familiar faces. He was glad he was back at Hogwarts. He took in a deep breath. He was home.

"Hi Andy." Said Kat, "Good to see you got away from those WiBs. Do you remember anything about it? I still can't remember anything about my time with them."

Nimue was concerned about Andy's appearance. Responding to his question about Professor Grimalkin's lesson she said, "I think Andy that the Professor wants us to understand more of the theory of why there is magic in the first place rather than just taking it for granted as most of us do. As elemental magic is very basic physical magic it makes sense that we understand how the elements combine and contrast with each other so that we can emmm ..." she realised she was rambling on somewhat, "appreciate that they are neutral energies in their own spheres but that it is the intention of the witch or wizard behind their use that determines whether the magic is dark arts or not."

She decided she'd said enough on the subject and changed it. She was glad to see Andy had a tribble. "I think yes we are suppose to pet them and take care of them. Pretty song isn't it? Maybe that's what they are. Some kind of musical magical creature."

"As for other things" she dropped her voice. "Marvo has written both to the gang but it was heavily censored by the Ministry people and also to me which wasn't." she turned to Kat, "I only got mine because I went back to Gryffindor Tower to get my cloak for outdoors, I'll bet he has written to you as well."

Kat didn't say much to this. Trust Nimue to get an owl first. "Maybe." Kat also knew that her cats would never let a letter say on her bed where anyone could get to it. If she did have a letter one of them would turn up with it soon.

"I'm sure" whispered Nimue and winked at Kat, "we'll have to 'talk' before I sent a reply though. Your input needed. Can you imagine he actually tried to talk to 'mad eye Moody' about the betrothal, Moody said he shouldn't worry he'd probably not live that long - what a thing to say!"

Kat stared wide-eyed at Nimue. "He talked to Mad Eye Moody about it? I don't know he doesn't really have any idea about this people thing does he? I mean first he never realised he was my boyfriend and now this?"

As if on some sort of cue, Scully came into the library with an envelope in her mouth. She walked up to her mistress, jumped on the table and dropped the envelope in front of her. Kat looked at it, but she wasn't going to read it here. She gave Scully a scratch of the ears and put the letter into her pocket for later.

Scully, meanwhile had spotted the tribbles, and was just patting one across the table when she realised she was being watched. She stopped and washed one paw nonchalantly.

Kat chuckled a little at her. "So what was it you need my input to?"

Nimue was relived to see Scully come up with the letter. What a clever cat she was!

"I know!" commented Nimue, "I could have told him Mad-eye was completely the wrong person to talk to. As for input - he seemed pretty happy that you were his girlfriend now that the penny's finally dropped on the subject but he doesn't really know what that means - how he's expected to act or anything so he asked me to advise as he can't exactly ask anyone there. So this shows that he's happy with things between you and that he really does just think of me like a sister. So basically we can give him some nudges in the right direction."

Kat laughed openly at this. "I might have known! I knew he had no idea that we were behaving like girlfriend and boyfriend. Oooo, we could be really mean with that. Tell him that he is supposed to send me flowers everyday or something." She winked at Nimue.

"I guess if you want my input then I can help when you write it. But I guess we need to work on these tribbles right now..."

"Well I think flowers everyday is a little extravagant as I don't know what sort of allowance he has, but perhaps twice a month." said Nimue sensibly working out the approximate life of a bunch of flowers,, "poetry is out as he'd be useless, but certainly he needs to tell you how he feels - even if it's confused and somewhat hesitant. Plus, he should try to get to know you and share stuff about himself -write as often as he can to you."

Nimue finished and looked at her friend, "Does that about cover it?"

**************

Katia leans over the old newspapers that Madam Pince obligingly told her where to locate. Moving her index finger down the page, she suddenly stops, smiles slightly, and reads.

'Quidditch Round Up - Watch out world, Wales have arrived!

Yesterday's much anticipated Wales/Greece match was something that may well go down in the Quidditch history books as a complete turn around of fortunes for the flagging Welsh team. Buoyed up by new blood, in the shape of the ex Cardiff Charges Seeker Anders Grimalkin (21), Wales beat the Greek favourites into an embarrassed pulp.

{there followed much boring sports-page style drivel on the match}

Grimalkin flies with a peculiar blend of grace and what can only be described as channelled anger. There is something almost malevolent on his face when he dives, sending shivers down the spine. That he is a Seeker for the new generation cannot, however, be argued, and this looks like one young man with a long and glorious career to come.

Wales' next game is against the cup favourites Norway, and will pit Grimalkin against the notoriously over-enthusiastic Olaf Peterssen. There are bound to be sparks flying when these two meet.

Watch this space.'

Katia makes a face. "What rubbish," she mutters and turns to another newspaper, then another, looking for more information. Finally, she stops, and settles herself more comfortably in her chair to keep reading.

'Quidditch Death-Plunge Horror

Yesterday's Norway - Wales international ended in a scene of horrific tragedy, following the untimely death of Norway's star Seeker, Olaf Peterssen. But this was no terrible accident. This was a calculated attack on the part of the psychotic Welsh Seeker, Anders Grimalkin.

Thousands watched in horror as Grimalkin, to our shame once a favourite of this column, suddenly veered off course, and, without any provocation or apparent reason, lunged at Peterssen in a crashing move that sent both players diving to the ground.

It is a great tragedy that only Peterssen died, but fortunately for him, his death was a quick and probably painless one. The unconscious Grimalkin was taken from the Quidditch field and taken to the medical tent, where his injuries of a broken wrist and several cracked ribs were pronounced not serious. In a scene of absolute horror, the Dementors arrived soon after and accompanied Grimalkin to Azkaban, where he will be held, pending his trial.

Given that the whole of the Quidditch-loving world was aware that Grimalkin had a temper, and that Norway were in the lead, AND the fact that we all saw him do this cowardly, malicious thing, we say to the Dementors of Azkaban - throw away the key!'

Katia smirks, and smothers a giggle with her tribble. "Now," she murmurs, "what was I looking for? Ah, yes..." She flips through a few more papers before she finds it. The paper is yellow with age, and the date reads February 28th, 1993.

'Greek Ambassador's Wife Found Guilty

Maryam Pheidippides, a native Moroccan and wife of Greek ambassador to Morocco Christos Pheidippides, was yesterday found guilty of being a Death Eater.

Mrs. Pheidippides, born Maryam Augier, was convicted on the evidence of Olaf Peterssen, a Norwegian ex-Death Eater who testified that he had seen her torture and murder countless Muggles. The most damning evidence, however, is the testimony Peterssen gave on her murder of Auror Alberto Concinni.

"They found him at his house," Peterssen told the jury, "and Maryam stunned him. Then they covered his body with an invisibility cloak, and took him to a hideout. They tied him to a chair, then Maryam brought him back to consciousness. He tried to get away, and she just laughed at him. Then she pulled out her wand, and told him to beg for his life. He spat at her, and she used the Cruciatus curse on him.

When she stopped, he still wouldn't beg, so she used it again. For about five minutes, he didn't do anything, just tried to hang on, and finally he started to scream, and scream. Maryam didn't care, she just laughed and laughed. When she stopped again, he did beg. Not for himself, but for his daughter. Maryam laughed again, and put the Curse on him again. Finally, after about an hour, he just broke down, and went mad. She finished him off with the Avada Kedavra curse."

Mr. Pheidippides grew suspicious of his wife's disappearances, and ordered an official investigation. When Peterssen, who turned himself in earlier this year and has been let off to help the Ministry, stepped forward, Mrs. Pheidippides was put on trial.

Mrs. Pheidippides, a stunning woman with long dark hair and olive skin, is the mother of two. Her children, six-year-old Hadrian and five-year-old Nicola, are reportedly unaware of their mother's criminal activities.

Maryam Pheidippides is serving a life sentence in Azkaban. Mr. Pheidippides has declined to give any statement to the Daily Prophet, but his secretary reports, "Mr. Pheidippides loved his wife very much, but he has not been able to forgive her for her crimes."'

Katia looks up from the article to Niki, sitting across the room, and grins.

"What are you smirking about?" Niki demands irritably, catching Katia's eye. Katia merely looks superior and says patronisingly, "Reading some old articles about some Azkaban-rats... like, for example, Anders Grimalkin and Maryam Pheidippides."

Madison glared at Katia. "Don't listen, Niki," she said, not taking her eyes off Katia. "The only rat I see around here is her...." She gave her Tribble a little squeeze and turned away.

**************

After a long debate between Mr and Mrs Lagrand it was decided that both Morticia and Nathan are allowed to come back to Hogwarts. According to rumours, this was mostly due to the fact that Nathan is not welcome in Beauxbatons (it seems he was... asked to leave and that was the true reason why he came to Hogwarts in the first place!) and Mrs Lagrand refused to allow the kids being sent away to Durmstrang "because they wouldn't understand the language and it's so cold there!"

So Morticia and Nathan happily re-join their comrades at Hogwarts. Morticia went to the library and sat herself with the others.

In a secluded corner of the library, Fiona's pink face was even more troubled than usual as she scurried around after the increasing number of tribbles that she had gathered in her arms.

"Oh, dear, McTavish," she said to her familiar, who sat, amused, on the windowsill. "This doesnae bode at all well, does it? These wee creatures are getting out of control!"

There was a soft thump from behind her that made her jump, and she turned, with considerable alarm, to see a group of very small tribbles attempting what could only be described as a group lemming throw from the top of the bookcase. Rushing over, Fiona caught them as they fell, by holding out her robes.

"Out of control," she repeated. The haggis snickered. One of the advantages of being the last of a species is that there's plenty of attention to go around.

Anders crashed in through the door of the library, obviously on a buzz of some sort. His young face was aglow with enthusiasm as he leaned over the desk to speak to Madam Pince. She nodded at his rambled requests, and pointed him in a particular direction.

This was an Anders that hadn't seen the light of day - quite literally - for some time. This was an Anders who had found courage and strength following the success of his first lesson, and his dig at Snape, and an Anders who was keen to do the best he could to repay the debt he felt he owed Dumbledore for giving him a chance.

He disappeared for a while into the shadows of the bookcases, and when he came out, had an armful of heavy spell books. He beamed his thanks to Madam Pince, who seemed quite flustered by his charm and enthusiasm, and began to leave the library. His eye fell on the assembled third years and a cheeky grin flashed across his face. "Miss Hawkwood," he called across the space that separated him from the students. With his spare hand, he held it out flat. "EARTH!"

Nimue was caught by surprise by the Professor's challenge - but she thought quickly and responded holding her hand up fingers splayed out: "Air" she responded to him with confidence. "Air can exist inside and around Earth". She stopped and slightly blushed with her boldness, "though Sir, you gave the sign for Water" she demonstrated that he'd held his hand flat not in a fist, "though still air can be absorbed into water and water can be absorbed in air. Draw?"

"Good girl," he said, that same cheeky grin on his face. "You're paying close attention - and that, everyone, is another important rule when dealing with elementals. Never let your guard down."

The grin faded from his face, however, as he picked up on the end of Katia's sentence, about 'Azkaban-rats'. He turned to look at her, his expression now one of abject guilt and impending doom. He opened his mouth to speak.

And then he sneezed. "What the..."

The lemming-leaping tribbles that Fiona was desperately trying to keep up with were throwing themselves off bookcases with gay abandon, and one had landed on Anders' pile of books. "Not...tribbles," he moaned, sneezing again. "I'm must be allergic to these guys..." He swept the small bundle of fluff off the top of the book pile, and it sailed happily to the floor, before rolling along like a tumbleweed and coming to rest by the table, where it purred contentedly.

His eyes watering a little, Anders left the library. He could be heard sneezing down the corridor, and the occasional expletive was mixed in with the sound.

Dylan looked up startled as Grimalkin burst through the door, his cheeks all ready red form his perceived failure at Transfiguration. He dropped his gaze again to the pile of ash on the table before him, and silently prayed that Grimalkin wouldn't look his way. Having his humiliation compounded by giving Grimalkin a chance to see his weakness wouldn't do at all. Dylan grimaced at the thought. He pulled an Arithmancy book from his satchel then dropped it on the table. The ash from his botched frog flew up in his face, leaving him to cough and sputter, his hair streaked with the charred grey.

No, thought Dylan, this wasn't a good day at all.