Marion glided back to the front of the class, her smile wide and proud as she watched her students scurry from their desks to the closet and back to their desks, ping pong balls in hand and THUS far without accident.

Spoke too soon.

"NOOOOOOOOT to worry, Miss Joshi. Leave the mess for now. We'll clean up at the end of class."

While there was still some hustling and bustling happening, Marion trusted them all to multitask and thus her eyes sparkled with excitement as she began her instructions.

“And nooOOOOOOooooOOOOow here comes the FUN part — enchanting these little orbs into their proper orbital rhythm! As you settle in, listen closely, my briiiiiiiiiilliant little stars. You’ll each be enchanting your ping pong balls, one at a time, using a charm created by none other than the magnificent Professor Simran Sandhu. For those of you unfortunate enough NOT to know who she is, Professor Sandhu is yet another one of the brilliant minds in astronomy to grace the halls of Hogwarts once as a student and then AGAIN as a professor. Her intellect was as vast as the universe itself, and her insights into magical orbits were nothing short of revolutionary. Truly, I DOOOOOOOOOOOO love to speak of her. Her spell, the Orbit-Focusing Charm, is what we’ll use today.”

She drifted over to one of the desks, her translucent form trailing a soft, shimmering glow as her finger moved through the air. It was as if she were conducting an invisible symphony following no melody but the rhythm of the students as they gathered their ping pong balls when, in ACTUALITY, she was performing the accompanying wand movement — to no one's knowledge but her own.

“To cast the spell, you’ll say ‘creare orbis’—that’s ‘kre-ah-re OR-bis,’ and it will focus the gravitational energy needed to set your ping pong ball into orbit. Simple enough, yes? But—ah, the wand movement!" she chortled, NOW remembering to explain why she was conducting her finger the way she was. "That’s where things get a biiiiiiiiiiiit more delicate. You'll start by tracing the first focus of the ellipse vertically with your wand — imagine drawing a line from top to bottom through the very center of an elliptical shape that will become the desired size of your orbit. Once you’ve traced that, tap the ping pong ball lightly and with purpose to set it into orbit around you. Breathe in the magic. Doooooooooooon’t rush it. You are, after all, acting as the sun to your PERSONAL solar system, and your ping pong ball will be the first little planet to circle you. ”



"Now, don’t get toooooooooo bogged down by the mathematical doodle on the board! It's simply here to give you a little taste of where and what a focus is in an orbit. All that numbery business is a bit too advanced for today’s cosmic adventure, but feel free to dive into chapter 5 of your textbook after class for a bit of extra stargazing on the topic. Who knows? That knowledge miiiiiiiiiiiight just come in handy for a surprise POP quiz sometime soon!” She twinkled with a sly grin, clearly enjoying the thought of teasing her students with the idea of a surprise challenge. Marion paused yet again, allowing all THAT to sink in, while floating back to the front of the class with a gleam in her eye.

“Now, take your time with this first ball. Let it orbit steadily around you before you even THINK about adding a second, yes? It’s important that the orbit is smooth and consistent. You don’t want your planets crashing into each other and making a mess before it is time to do so! Once you’re confident that the first ball is in a good, stable orbit, go ahead and try adding a second. Aaaaaaaaaaaaand if you’re feeling PARTICULARLY ambitious, I’d looooooooooooooooove to see you manage four or five orbiting at once — oh ho ho HO HO ho ho, how spectacular that would be!” Marion smiled fondly at her students and offered a cheeky little wink to any who seemed apprehensive. “Of cooooooourse, there’s NO shame in starting with just one or two, my dears. We all have to start somewhere! And if a ping pong ball or two or TEEEEN happens to explode — no judgment! Just retrieve another from the closet. The box is well-stocked for such oopsie dasies — AHEM, Miss Joshi . And I dooooo recommend, my dear stars, that you stay standing for this little practice, finding your very own space around the room — at least three arms' length away from your fellow celestial beings, juuuuust in case your orbits get a bit... exuberant!” She gave a playful wink, her voice twinkling with mischief. "We wouldn't want any MORE premature cosmic collisions, now would we?"

With a soft giggle, Marion floated to the side, her eyes scanning the room. “Remember, this isn’t just about magic — it’s about balance, focus, aaaaaaaaaaand patience. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your little planets come to life ... but take it step by step, and REMEMBER this! The universe, much like our own classroom, can get a bit chaotic if we don’t mind the details. Now, unless there are any questions — in which case DO ask — let’s see those orbits!”

With that, she gave them all an encouraging smile before hovering just out of the way.

Alaric's heart raced with excitement as he grabbed his wand and set one of the ping pong balls gently on the desk. He rolled it slightly with his fingertips, imagining it as a tiny planet about to orbit around him.

"Creare orbis..." he whispered under his breath, practicing the incantation. "Kre-ah-re OR-bis..." He repeated it a few more times until the words felt smooth on his tongue. Satisfied, he raised his wand and traced the vertical line in front of him, just as Professor Burbage had shown.

"Creare orbis!" he said with confidence, tapping the ball lightly.

For a brief, magical moment, it wobbled and lifted slightly—only to drop straight back onto the desk with a dull plunk. Alaric blinked in surprise, then frowned. Okay, maybe I was too quick with the wand movement.

He picked the ball up and tried again, taking a slower breath this time. "Creare orbis!" He traced the line again and tapped the ball.

Alaric blinked as the ball shot off the desk and landed on the floor with a soft pop! A cloud of bright blue dust erupted, and he bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from laughing. The sight of the colorful explosion was undeniably funny.

For a moment, a mischievous thought crossed his mind. What if I "accidentally" caused another one? He imagined puffs of different colors lighting up the room like a miniature fireworks display. The idea was tempting, and he could feel the tug of mischief in his chest.

But he shook his head and took a steadying breath. No. I want to get this right, he reminded himself. The thought of successfully creating a smooth orbit was far more exciting than a momentary burst of chaos.

He set another ping pong ball on the desk and mouthed the incantation again, "Creare orbis..." making sure the words felt natural. He traced the vertical line carefully with his wand, keeping his mind focused on the shape of the orbit.

"Creare orbis," he said, tapping the ball with purpose.

The ball shimmered, hesitated for a second, then began to lift. Alaric’s eyes followed it intently as it started a slow, steady circle. A wide grin spread across his face as it completed a full, smooth loop.

He took a step back, watching the ball float gently around him, its path precise and steady. It was almost hypnotic, the way it moved as though drawn by an invisible string. "My own little planet," he thought, pride swelling in his chest as he let the rhythm of the orbit sink in.

Krittika was DISAPPOINTED.

Not because she had caused such a mess and possibly inconvenience to her classmates and professor but because there was absolutely no pink in the mix of colours. What a crime! Pouting slightly, she swatted at the air in an attempt to clear the air of the colours that floated about before her. “I sincerely apologise, professor! I promise I’ll help you clean up.” It was only fair.

Kritti did not know who this Simran Sandhu was {was she related to famous fashion designer Anita Sandhu? Kritti was a big fan of Anita’s work} but the Ravenclaw could appreciate anyone who made contributions towards Astronomy. Okay, so the Orbit-Focusing Charm… while professor Burbage did her finger movement thing, Krittika dashed back to the box to collect another ball. Five in total again were in her careful possession.

Of course there needed to be detailed notes about the spell so those were made. Though the entire spell seemed somewhat complicated, the sixth year student was quite confident in her ability to master it, hopefully before the end of the class. Could she make her little planets orbit Dio, just for the fun of it? She also knew she would practice and focus better as usual if he were nearby so she made a proper attempt to be standing right next to his tall frame. Well, not exactly next to, since Burbage specified some bit of distance between those closest. Perhaps she and Dio could even have their planets eventually merge? She’d ask him later.

Kritti had the decency to grin sheepishly when her name was called but since the professor wasn’t mad about the oopsie daisy, there was no need for her to feel embarrassed. In any case, there wasn’t time to be wasted on such a feeling for there were ‘planets’ to send into orbit! “Kre-ah-re OR-bis. Kre-ah-re OR-bis. Creare Orbis. Creare Orbis. Creare Orbis!” Perfect! With that out of the way, Kritti traced her wand in a lengthy vertical shape, which would mean that she’d have a big enough orbit for her planets, but not as big to get in anyone’s way. “Creare Orbis!’’ Though she had practiced verbally, she now switched to trying the spell non verbally. The first ball was tapped lightly and with intent.

Would it be set into orbit?

Perhaps Dio was taking in all the information with the subject that left him on the quiet side? Or perhaps his eyes were too focused on one of the many wonderful sights in the room, who just happened to be sitting next to him? Whatever the case, he did keep notes and went up to get the ping pong balls.

Dio helped Kritti reach hers with his taller height. BWoops, accidents happen as he fought the urge to chuckle. Maybe he should've offered to carry them for her. "I'll help, as well with the cleaning." So it can be done even faster and they won't have to risk less time with study period. Dio heard of Simran Sandhu, though her teaching was way after his parents graduated and he was still in diapers when she supposed taught at this school. So it was through casual mentions in his Apapa's home lectures.

"You know... this spell sounds like a tasty candy. Don't you think?" He asked Kritti before he attempted himself. "Kre-ah-re OR-bis....Creare Orbis." He repeated. Then he practiced tracing the wand movement. The wand movement he spent more time on practicing. He could feel his Apapa watching him from behind with his arms crossed consciously telling him, Go again... and again. Until he perfected it, his brows crossed in concentration before he felt confident. He was able to see Kritti's work, "That looks wonderful!"

Dio then traced the line over one of the ping pong balls, "Creare Orbis." Carefully reenacting the wand movement and... we have lift off. As one slowly began to orbit around him. He had to do it slowly so, he examined the next one. "Professor, how far would you guestimate it being the habitable zone in this experiment?" He would love to try to have one represent Earth in some fashion. Or maybe multiple ones.

Maddox watched as Professor Burbage demonstrated how to perform the spell. Hm. So just...floating ping pong balls? That was the lesson? Well. Alright.

He lifted up one of the balls, guesstimating how far out he should send it. Once he felt like he had a good judgement, he traced the line and tapped the ball with his wand. "Creare orbis." The ball floated up, for a moment, wiggling a bit in the air. He furrowed his brow as he watched it shakily floated up, up, and...fell back down to the table. He closed his eyes and winced, the ball exploding with purple powder. Dust washed over his front and the top of the table, and he sputtered a bit to get some away from his mouth. He looked down to his newly purple robe, and back up to the professor. "I don't like this," he said coolly.

If Kritti hadn’t been so wrapped up in her thoughts of Justus and how annoyed she was at him {which, there was no way she was going to admit out aloud} and her enthusiasm for the lesson {which was certainly not a bad thing}, then she just would have noticed the extra attention Dio was paying her, had been giving her for quite a bit now. Him helping her at the box or volunteering to help clean up after class were not unexpected though she did appreciate him immensely for both. His fathers had raised such a gentleman.

At the mention of candy, the sixth year giggled. “It does! Want to grab some at Honeydukes with me when next we’re allowed to go to Hogsmeade?” Oh no, her asking Dio to hang with her in the little village had nothing to do with Justus’ change in behaviour towards her. Absolutely nothing. “Thank you, Dio! Not bad yourself, as usual.” The seventh year’s brilliance was one of his best traits. And boy, did he make the spell look so easy! Kritti watched with fascination as Dio made the ball orbit him. Her gaze moved from it to his face and in that moment, she felt as though she really saw him. There was also that puzzling moment when her heart skipped a beat. Frowning slightly, Kritti tore her gaze away from him.

She willed herself to instead focus on getting that first ball into orbit. But she was way too distracted by her sudden overwhelming feelings and the nonverbal spell she cast did nothing to help her goal. So much for having gathered all that intent a minute ago. “Creare Orbis!’’ There was one light tap. However, the ball refused to budge. “Creare Orbis!’’ Tap! This time, it began to rise. Kritti felt her hopes lift but as though sensing that positivity, the ball lost its will to continue rising. She managed to snag it as it fell.

Okay, she needed to breathe, refocus and try again.

Krittika inhaled deeply, breathed out slowly and tried not to let her mind wander back to her earlier feelings - or the guy beside her - before trying once more. “Creare Orbis!’’ Tap! This time, the ball rose; eyes following it, she set it into orbit. Her gaze lingered upon it still though that slight frown had crept back onto her face.

Marion watched Mr. Ashcombe from a distance tiny distance, her heart swelling with pride as she observed his careful, focused movements. With her hands clasped behind her back and shimmying just a little as she floated in place. She felt as though kneeeeeeeeeeeeew exactly what he was feeling—the way the charm teetered on the edge of success, so tantalizingly close, just like a star about to be born. Ah, to be young and not see through your own fingers down to the floor…

Oops.

Well, that little burst of blue was nothing to fret too much about but siiiiiiiiiiiimply a reminder to breathe and focus—something Mr. Ashcombe did peeeeeeeeeerfectly moments later. “Positively briiiiiiiiiiillant, Mr. Ashcombre, you brilliant little astronomer you!" she exclaimed, her voice as buoyant as ever. “Keep up the outstanding effort, my dear!”


When he asked about the habitable zone, Marion couldn’t help but chuckle softly, her voice light and full of warmth. "Ah, always thinking beyond the stars, my dear! Well, let’s see..." She floated closer, her translucent hands clasped in thought. "In this little experiment of ours, I’d say the habitable zone could be... well, hmmmmm," she said, gesturing to the space around the orbiting ball. "Well, if we are to presuuuuuuume that yooooou are the Sun then…hmmm…what is your arm length, my dear? Around one meter, perhaps? Hmm…assuuuuming such and the distance from the Sun to the Earth 150 million kilometers…AND if 1 meter therefore represents the distance from the Sun to Earth…" Marion fell silent as she began to perform the calculations in her head, her fingers extended and dancing in the air. “The inner boundary of the habitable zone would therefore be… 0.95 meters…outer boundary 1.37 meters…Oh YES. Marvelous. Well, my dear, I’d say at the closest the length of the top of the desk where the chair hits it to the other end would be about right as would your full wingspan.”



Marion, her ghostly form glowing with a mix of amusement and understanding, drifted toward Mr. Robicheaux and his melancholy posture. "Oh, my dear," she said warmly, her voice full of encouragement. "Not quite what we were aiming for, but a lovely color nonetheless.” She looked at his despondent features and her heart went out to him. "Chin up, darling! The stars don’t always get it right on the first try, and neither will we!" She floated in a little circle around him. "Such a promising start, and now—well, let’s call it a little cosmic detour! The universe does like to keep us on our toes, after all."


Indeed! Oh, the tragedy of a missing pink!

"No need to apologize, my darling," she called warmly, her voice meant to be a soothing balm to Miss Joshi’s self-imposed guilt. "A little burst of color here and there is just the universe's way of giving us a spark of surprise!" Her eyes twinkled. "Besides, if I had a galleon for every time a student’s spell or actions didn’t quite go as intended well…hmm…well I am not sure what need I would have for galleons now but I would certainly have a hefty sum at my disposal!"

Marion floated around a bit more, offering appropriate encouragement and guidance to students as required, and her attention eventually came back around to Miss Joshi and the ball that was currently lifting ever so slightly. Marion leaned forward, her lips parting in quiet anticipation, as the ping pong ball began its orbit. Well, there certainly was SOMETHING elegant in Miss Joshi’s precision, wasn't there? She could feel the Ravenclaw’s concentration—her focus on getting it just right—and the universe seemed to be listening. "Ah! Look at that! A perfect little orbit!" She beamed brightly, moving toward Krittika’s side with hands clasped in approval. "Oh ho ho ho ho hoooo, a BOLD astronomer," Marion’s voice echoed, her tone warm and encouraging as she observed the nonverbal attempt. “A most tricky spell as it is combining multiple elements as opposed to a singular focus. Neither simple levitation nor movement, but a precise and decided aerial movement…so your concentration and intent must be tenfold at leeeaaaaaaaaast! But fret not, perfect or not during our time today, the universe listens.”






Marion floated across the room, beaming with pride as she surveyed the class’s progress. "Well done, everyone! You’ve made wonderful strides with the spell—smooth orbits here and there, determination on nearly everyone’s face, and a touch of magical finesse in every movement!" She clapped her hands together, a soft ripple of light following the motion as she passed through another ray of sun dripping in from the window. "Now, just a little more practice to refine those movements, and then... then we’ll get to the real fun!"

She glided back to the front of the class, her expression thoughtful and her voice steady as she passed right through the rounded tables, and offered one last tidbit of encouragement. "The reason we mimic the movement with magic is to gain a deeper understanding of how orbits actually work. Think of it like this: when you're learning to ride a broom, it's not just about the broom itself—it’s about learning how to balance your weight, how to shift your body to control the speed and direction. In the same way, mimicking the movement of an orbit helps you understand the balance between gravitational pull and inertia." She gestured with finger, tracing a smooth arc through the air. "An orbit is a delicate dance between two forces. Gravity pulls the object inward, while the object's inertia keeps it moving in a straight line. If you don’t have the correct movement, the object won’t follow a smooth path—it could spiral off or fall back down, much like if you weren’t properly controlling your broomstick."

Marion floated closer to the students, hands clasped in front of her. "By practicing this movement, you’re engaging with the forces that control real orbits, not just casting a charm. You’re learning how to guide an object along a precise, steady path—just as planets and moons do in the universe. That’s why the way we move our wands is so important. It helps you feel the balance of those forces and understand the physics of orbits on a much deeper level. PLuuuuuuuuus, we all get to have a bit of fun together with it. Ho ho hoho ho"

She resumed her floating, praising students jovially as she went, until her keen ears picked up an unsettling series of thumps from the corner, followed by a low, unmistakable cackle that would have sent a chill down her spine should she still capable of having a proper one. Her ghostly form stiffened for a moment, and she narrowed her eyes as a mischievous giggle echoed through the air. "Ah, it seems the forces of chaos are stirring again," she muttered, showing her first bit of true agitation all lesson.

Krittika didn’t think this was one of her best works when it came to spells used during an Astronomy lesson. But she would certainly appreciate professor Burbage thought of her precision as elegant. The frown disappeared for now and was replaced by a smile of gratitude at the words. “I try, professor,’’ she said modestly. Kritti enjoyed the challenge of performing non verbals and was lowkey pleased that as time went along, she managed to master most of the spells she tried. She nodded, latching onto every word of advice. “Tenfold concentration and intent. I’ll certainly remember that.” Which meant the last thing that this young woman needed was anyone distracting her.

With that in mind, she returned to the task at hand. “Creare Orbis!’’ With everything - and everyone - temporarily put out of her mind, the second ball was tapped. As with the first, her gaze followed it all the way until it joined its peer to orbit her. Krittika felt a sort of calm and peace watching them.

By the time Burbage had moved back to the front of the room, there were four balls orbiting Kritti. The explanation given about mimicking gravitational pull and inertia gave her a greater appreciation for the spell. But just what was this bit of fun the class was about to have? And what was that eerie cackle all about? Was it Peeves? Truly though... Kritti was far more concerned about Professor Burbage’s reaction, which did not at all suit the ghost’s otherwise charming demeanour.

You raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang?

Seemingly out of nowhere, as he so did like to appear, Peeves zipped through the air, his wild, echoing voice reverberating off the gaudy walls. Time for some redecorating!

“HELLO, HELLO, HELLO!” he shouted, his laughter filling the room like an explosion of mischief. "Tut tut tut! HOW UTTERLY BORING! A bit of fun, just for you lot!" He swooped down over a group of students, sending their ping pong balls careening into each other with a loud CRACK and POOF of oranges, blues, and pinks!

“Ooooh, look at that!” Peeves cackled, zooming over to the storage closet. The door slammed open with a force that rattled the windows. “What’s this? A WHOLE basket of em?! Perfect!”

He reappeared with an armful and FLUNG them into the air. “More BANG for your knut!” Peeves whooped, his voice rising in excitement as the balls began bouncing off walls, colliding mid-air, and erupting in blinding flashes.

“Oh, the fun! But ooooooh look at poor sorry Marion Berrion, floating around all moody and BORING. Is this what passes for stellar teaching these days? BOOOOOOOORIIIIIIIING.” He spiraled around, laughing maniacally, as he sought to knock more ping pong balls out of orbit and towards their casters. “BOOM! POOF! POW! Not a single boring moment in this class anymore, eh?!”

Of course it was Peeves.

When was it not ever the Poltergeist ready to cause some chaos? Krittika shot him a look of utter disdain at the ‘boring’ comment. Astronomy was far from boring but what would he know? He knew how to start chaos, that’s what he knew. With colours exploding all around {and there was so much pink!}, Kritti could hardly figure out who was whom in the room. Especially when Peeves found the stash in the box from the closet.

Her own ping pong balls were knocked out of orbit - whether it was due to Peeves or by her own lack of focus, she wasn't sure. Her blue robes were soon splashed in colours, as were her hair and face. Still, rather than stand there, she acted. "Protego!" A swift Shield Charm was thrown up around herself, Dio and anyone else in the close vicinity.

That should help in preventing any balls falling from orbit colliding with those under the Charm's protection.

Dio was happy about that offer to go to Hogsmeade. He resisted asking if Justus would be okay with that, since he usually was there. Probably would've taken her to see the Shrieking Shack or the tea shop from her previous accounts. "Sure. You're buying, right?" Before chuckling, "I'm joking, I can cover your drink if you want." Nothing like a nice cup of butterbeer in the winter. "Thanks!" He really wanted to do his best.

As for his question, Dio's eyes glazed over as he took in all the information. "Amazing, thank you Professor!" So he went to get started on his Earth-like ball orbit. Before that though, he couldn't help watching Kritti attempt hers. She really had a knack for it and how concentrated she was. It comforted him.... but of course, all good things came to a full stop.

Peeves.

"Stop it Peeves!" Dio said, joining her on casting Protego to help shield his and Kritti's area. Before he went to provide a shield for some of the younger classmates nearby.

Alaric’s head shot up as Peeves burst into the room, his loud, chaotic laughter echoing off the walls. He instinctively ducked as a pink-splattered ping pong ball whizzed past his ear and exploded into a puff of orange dust a few feet away. His first thought was to dive under a table, but then his curiosity and love for mischief got the better of him.

Scooting a few steps back from the center of the chaos, he positioned himself near the edge of the room, far enough to avoid becoming a target but still close enough to watch the pandemonium unfold. He couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face as more enchanted balls collided mid-air, leaving bursts of colors and streaks of dust in their wake.

"This is absolutely mental," he thought, his gray eyes wide with a mix of caution and amusement. He clutched his wand tightly, ready to deflect any stray balls that might come too close, but secretly enjoying the spectacle Peeves had unleashed. "Glad it’s not my balls he’s going after... yet."

His gaze flicked toward Professor Burbage, wondering how she might handle this colorful disruption. For now, though, he stayed put, both thrilled and wary of what might happen next.

"Now THIS is what I call CHAOS THEORY! HEHEHEHEHEHE."

Peeves continued to zip around, returning to the closet and sending ping pong balls scattering in every direction. With each explosion, the room filled with flashes of red, blue, green, and yellow, ricocheting off the golden constellations on the walls and the shimmering stained-glass windows. "THIS kid knows what I'm talking about!" he hooted, corkscrewing in the air around the first year boy oogling at Peevsie in wonderment. "It all started with a big bang, BANG!"

Peeves twisted mid-air, a mischievous grin plastered across his face as he blew a raspberry at the pair of complete party POOPERS. "Join the fun, why don’t you?" Peeves taunted, swooping low over a group of students now ducking behind their desks. "Marion Barrion SAAAAAAAAID you were all about to have fun and you two are about as fun as a pair of flobberworms in a sock!"

Zipping ONE last time towards the closet, in one swift motion, Peeves upended the basket, sending the last batch of colorful, explosive orbs spilling out in all directions. The ping balls tumbled across the floor, bouncing wildly off desks, the orrery, and the wooden tables, before bursting into brilliant flashes of color with each collision. BOOM! POP! BAM!

With a final, triumphant laugh, Peeves zipped through the air, doing a loop-de-loop around a startled student, before throwing in one last taunt. “You’re welcome!”

And with that, he vanished in a blur of color and laughter, leaving behind a classroom in a disarray, like a mangled rainbow.

Goodness gracious HEAVENS above!

A look of sheer horror crossed Marion’s face as Peeves zoomed around the classroom, scattering ping pong balls like confetti. She let out an exasperated sigh as Peeves zipped past her with another round of insults and disruptions. Her ghostly form twitched in irritation as the poltergeist's laughter rang through the room, making the golden constellations on the walls flicker. She glanced at her students, most of whom were scrambling to avoid the exploding balls of color. But there, to her slight relief, two students—Miss Joshi and Mr. Laramore—we at least making some effort to preserve the sanctity of her lesson! But it wasn’t enough. More balls whizzed past, more colorful explosions powdered the air, and Marion’s head spun with frustration. She could feel her usual patience being stretched thinner than a gossamer thread.

“PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVES!” she bellowed, her voice sharp and cutting through the noise. “This is exactly why we can’t have nice things!”

The poltergeist’s antics were making it positively IMPOSSIBLE to concentrate. The classroom was in shambles now, each ping pong ball leaving a trail of PREMATURE colorful destruction in its wake. The walls, once adorned with shimmering celestial constellations, now looked as if a storm had torn through them, their gleam obscured beneath layers of splattered color—like when her daughter had decided to turn herself into a walking masterpiece with the entirety of Marion’s own makeup collection. The golden orrery had shifted out of alignment, and the BEAUTIFUL stained-glass windows—oh, how they had once gleamed in the daylight not five minutes ago—were now coated in a dusting of powdered color, their intricate designs all but hidden.

“That's IT,” Marion muttered, half to herself, half to the students still trying to shield themselves. “I’ve had MOOOOOOOOOOOORE than enough!”

The calm, encouraging voice that usually defined her teaching had evaporated entirely. “Alright, EVERYONE, that’s enough for today! If there are no more ping pong balls left to explode, there’s no point in continuing this madness!” She threw up her hands, exasperated, as the colorful dust began to settle in Peeves’ wake. “This was supposed to be a color-tag game, where your enchanted ping pong balls orbited you in a neat little dance of theory and precision—not a one-sided battlefield!” She sighed, shaking her head as she looked at the students, a touch of sympathy in her voice. “Well, Peeves has certainly robbed you of that today, hasn’t he? Perhaps we’ll try again next time.” She sighed, her spectral form sinking slightly in defeat. “Miss Joshi and Mr. Laramore, for your efforts in the face of absolute pandemonium, I’m awarding you both five points each.” For a fleeting moment, Marion looked just like Moaning Myrtle might, her pale form flickering as though she might dissolve into a wail of frustration—but instead, she gave her head a sharp shake, pulling herself together. Though, she mused with a sigh, perhaps a little visit to Myrtle later wouldn't be so terrible—after all, wailing away her woes alongside a fellow ghost did have its certain appeal.

“Class di—dismissed,” she called, her tone warm despite her frustration.

It was just too bad for Peeves that they all knew how it all started so saying the lyrics to The Big Bang Theory’s theme yelling those words at the top of his lungs served no purpose. Or so Krittika felt over her annoyance at the lesson being rudely disrupted. Her annoyance went up a notch when the poltergeist tried goading her and Dio into joining him in spreading chaos. “And you’re as annoying as rat entrails getting stuck under one’s fingernails,” she muttered. It was something she would have shouted but with all the balls bouncing and exploding, plus Peeves’ presence, Kritti didn’t want to add more negative energy to the mix. She could already mentally hear Aunty Sarika admonishing her for getting so worked up, encouraging her to take deep breaths and think of serene things. The Ravenclaw instead glanced over to Dio who had added a Shield Charm to protect the other students as well. Her annoyance vanished in a heartbeat as she offered him a warm smile.

There went Peeves. Finally.

As much as there was concern about the state of the room, Krittika was far more concerned for Professor Burbage. The effort it must have taken to plan all the lesson and now it was all ruined. The silver lining was that she and Dio may have managed to make a difference. “Thank you for the points, professor. I’m sorry the lesson and the place is ruined. Dio and I would like to help you clean up still.” Kritti knew her friend would want to help, which was why she offered on his behalf despite it being more than he anticipated from her earlier accident with the ball.