Ladybug or Ladybird?

Hunger had struck Philippa around half-past eight, only a few hours after having eaten a substantial amount at the Hufflepuff table. It wasn’t until quarter to ten, over an hour later, that she decided to act on her hunger and find the kitchens that students whispered excitedly about in the halls. She’d ventured out at ten to ten, passing through the common room where people were still studying. She got a few weary yet curiously looks from some of them and tugged her jumper down over her backside. She’d stolen her brother’s jumper before returning to Hogwarts. It had been her gift to him and she’d liked herself it so she’d decided to take it. The hat was hers, naturally, as well as the socks but the underwear was a different story. She had her sister to thank for that one.

After trying and failing to find the kitchens, Philippa found herself up on the Seventh Floor, wandering the hallways there. Anxious to get back to the common room, Philippa picked up pace and jogged down one of the internal staircases which would, providing she took the right turning, take her onto the first floor. Pippa felt a draught tickle the backs of her legs and she jumped, a small squeal leaving her mouth. She grabbed hold of the windowsill above her, preventing her fall, and looked about herself in the dim light aided by the torch on the wall.

Philippa lowered herself back onto the stair. She took her wand out from behind her ear and mumbled, ‘Lumos’ before continuing on her way. She jumped off of the last stair and emerged in the First Floor corridor, the one she’d travelled down that morning. She’d succeeded in losing her ladybird pin too. This seemed as good a time as any to find it again.

It hadn’t occurred to her to use ‘Accio’ at all. Blessed with magic or not, Philippa still loved the Muggle world and the way Muggles held themselves. Her brother couldn’t wait for her to be of age though. He wanted her to find his iPod for him. It had been gone’ for years but apparently it was important. Philippa doubted that.

“Come here little pin,” Philippa cooed, bending over slightly to point the light closer to the ground. “I miss you!”

He had just finished his round through the upper floors when he arrived on his floor. Basically, he rummaged only through the upper floors, avoiding to go any lower than his own classroom. Although he had the obligation to do so, upon arriving on his own floor, he just turned to his room and located his bed. This night hadn't been an exception.

It was rather chilly so he had, above his suit, his navy blue robe. Although he avoided robes since his graduation, during these cold days, he was forced to wear it. Walking through the empty hallway of the first floor, nodding to the portraits that were still awake, Wilson had heard a sound about 20 meters in front of him. Accompanying the sound was a light, although he could not determine what it was, since the hall wasn't straight, meaning he had to turn around the corner to see who or what created the light.

He approached slowly, holding his wand to his chest, and, when he turned around the corner, pointed the wand at the person he had seen. ''Lumos!'', he said. There was a small girl, a Hufflepuff, in front of him, chanting something about a pin. He lit some of the torches with his hand - he hated Lumos. Although some of the portraits complained, Wilson just stood, looking at the small Hufflepuff. He had seen her before, probably, but he did not know her name. He hardly knew anybody' s name. ''I presume you are going to amaze me with your excuse for not being in your room at this time?'', he asked, raising his eyebrow.

It was a futile attempt, Pippa knew, but she’d never know if she could have found the pin if she hadn’t tried. It matched her ladybird hairgrip too and it was meant to pin onto her robes. It would never do that again if she didn’t find it though. Perhaps Peeves stole it. Maybe he was like a magpie and hoarded shiny things. He was annoying enough to do everything else. Why not hoard shiny things? It made sense didn’t it? It probably didn’t, thinking about it. He was a being made up entirely of chaos; why would he feel compelled to hoard like humans did? Maybe it was a new phase for Peeves to go through. Philippa didn’t doubt that, if he did have a stash, he had a lot of it.

A voice made the Hufflepuff snap to attention and she whirled around, her hands going to the sides of her brother’s jumper. She felt her face burn as her cheeks flooded with blood and she battled with trying to hold onto her wand as she furiously tried to pull down the jumper that usually hung around her thighs. Tonight though, it seemed to be against anything she tried to make it do. Thinking up an excuse would be idiotic to do now. So, Philippa left her brother’s jumper to do whatever the bloody hell it wanted to do and waved her wand, mumbling ‘Nox’ as she did so. The light went out and she lifted the flap of the bear-hat so she could tuck her wand behind her ear.

“I am sorry to disappoint you, sir,” Pippa murmured, dropping her gaze to her sock-clad feet, “But I don’t have an excuse. I was hungry and I wanted to find the kitchens but I didn’t have much luck you see, so I came back. I decided to linger here to see if I could find the pin I lost this morning and then you arrived, sir. That’s it, really. No excuses,” Not that she would lie to him but even if she did, it would be useless to have done. He could probably see right through her. “Out on patrol?” Pippa asked.

Wilson sighed. This was unexpected to say the least. Usually, the brats would lie, trying to use the name of some his colleagues, but they wold, of course, get only several weeks of detention and, finally, deduced points. When he was working in Scotland, such a quarrel resulted in the student being expelled. He looked at the strange girl, positioning his glasses to see her better.

She was one of those strange types. Intelligent but strange. He observed her, her dark hair and interesting stature, her attractive face and peculiar eyes. She had that specific look that just drew your attention. He observed her a little and then continued to examine the hall and the portraits. This is one of the reasons he disliked patrolling.... whenever he'd turn on a light, the Methusalems on the portraits would sound their destroyed throats and complain, continuing the discussion with a reminiscence of the times past, times which were, accidentally or not, the times of the Spanish Inquisition.

''No, I'm fishing'', he commented when the girl asked him what he did. ''I dare say I am a tad disappointed by you not telling a lie. You're making things easy, and that is never interesting when you're out on patrol at night. But, never mind. Why did you do it? Why did you... tell the truth?'', he asked. ''Also, your pin? Accio pin'', he said and a pin landed in his arm. ''Here it is! Now, I hope that is all...'', he said.

A drought danced up the hallway and tickled the back of Philippa’s knees, making her jump. A squeal of surprise left her mouth and she hurriedly covered it with her hand. The air tickled her again and she spun around, expecting to see a ghost but instead she saw nothing. Philippa dropped her hand from her mouth and crossed her arms over her chest. Stephan’s jumper rose up once more and she gasped. Her hands went to the front and she pushed the jumper down. It was in vain though because as soon as she released her hold on the material, it jumped and, the Hello Kitty underwear was put on show once more. Philippa’s cheeks reddened in embarrassment and she decided, in a bid to keep whatever was left of her dignity, to just let it do whatever it wanted to.

Pippa pursed her lips thoughtfully but a smile pulled at them soon enough. “Peeves can make paper fish,” she told the Professor, “He likes to have people animate them and he fishes in the Astronomy Tower. He told me that they bit the most at night....before dumping custard over me,” Philippa touched her hair as she relived that mortifying moment and she shook her head, “He’s an arse. I think you need to use a Hoover on him. Then again, Poltergeists can walk through objects can’t they? But I suppose if he’s forced through then maybe he wouldn’t be able to get out. Oh but Muggle technology doesn’t work on the grounds.” Pippa sighed but smiled none the less, “Oh well!”

Philippa cast a look over at the portraits that were beginning to stir. She smiled at them and looked back over at the Professor who had summoned her pin. Philippa stepped towards him and looked at her Professor curiously, wondering how she should answer the questions he’d asked her. “People lie to benefit themselves most of the time don’t they? If I had lied it would have been to prevent myself from receiving a detention. That would have all been in vain, though wouldn’t it? I didn’t lie because it would have been stupid and besides, why would I want to lie to you?” she smiled before smirking, “Besides, I thought you’d been fishing. Surely, in that case, you wouldn’t need me to entertain you?”

(I really am sorry for the delay...)

''You're smart. I like that'', he commented shortly. He observed all the portraits once more, grumping at all of them and their Jabberwocky. Whispering old men in ancient robes really did sound like like some nonsense poetry, especially at this time. He observed the little girl, positioning his glasses once more. She was interesting, one of those smart ones that he could enjoy talking with.

''Peeves is a brainless idiot. He always used to snatch my glasses until I found a way to get rid of him for good. Since I was blind as a bat without them, I needed to find a way to get rid of him. That idiot would always wear that pajama of his and irritate the hell out of me. That grotesque visage used to, until that one point when I managed to push him away. He still hates me, though'', he commented. Peeves was an interesting decoration to the school walls but strangely irritating.

''Follow me'', he said. ''And to keep your clothes on. I know I am tall, blond and handsome, but I am too old for you. Trust me, it just wouldn't work'', he said, sarcastically. ''Why are you so peculiar?'', he saked.

The observation of her intelligence caught Philippa off guard. She blinked at her professor in surprise before her lips parted in a smile. She didn’t know what to say in response to his words so she decided to remain silent. Because if there was nothing to say, why say anything at all? Philippa liked to try and exercise that. Pippa’s eyes drifted back over to the paintings and she smiled at the old witch grumbling about being woken up. Pippa bit her lip and averted her eyes, her cheeks darkening with colour. She pulled the sleeves of her jumper down over her hands and reached up to poke her wand behind her ear. When she dropped her arms back down, she pushed the sleeves down again as they’d risen when she’d moved her arms.

Pippa lifted her head, blowing some hair out of her eyes. With the little titbit of personal experience with Peeves expressed, Pippa couldn’t help but feel a little closer to her professor. Her eyes drifted away from him again and fell on the woman that had been mumbling before. Said woman was now asleep against the frame of her portrait, loud snores leaving her mouth. Pippa giggled and quickly covered her mouth to help stifle the laughter. She swallowed the giggles and shook her head.

Her head snapped up once more when he instructed her to follow him. Pippa smiled and walked behind him, listening to his words. Her eyebrows came together in thought and before she had control over her voice and/or mouth, “Why?” left her lips. She flushed crimson and averted her eyes so she didn’t have to meet his gaze. “Never mind.” She mumbled. “And I don’t know....why I am so peculiar. I don’t know. I didn’t think I was. I thought I was just...me.”

''Why? It's late, you're already out of your Dormitory, you've broken the rules, I am deliriously bored and you're interesting enough to socialize with'', Wilson said as he continued walking through the hallway. ''I hope that's enough, but if you still need a reason I am a brilliant liar'', he added. He walked forth, illuminating all the halls and waking all the portraits (it seemed symptomatic, their grumbling). He never liked these rounds through the castle, but it was something he would do for Doyle.

''Of course you're... you, it would be silly if you were... Mahatma Gandhi! But, you know that you are different than the other buggers filling my classroom, you haver that certain charisma that is the blend of a child and a rational adult and you seem to cope with it perfectly. Peculiar people still deny that they are different in your age, but you'll see, later, you will be proud of it. And yes, you still haven't avoided my question'', he finished. ''Also, what interests me is your opinion on the idiots roaming the school pretending to be licensed staff members?'', he asked.

Philippa smiled to herself. That wasn’t the ‘why’ to which she was referring but it was good enough – it was also a question she wondered about. It surprised Pippa that she wasn’t in trouble. The man clearly was deliriously bored if he was attempting to socialise with the oddity of Hufflepuff house. She was the type to talk to things that wouldn’t reply, or animals that could but wouldn’t and just needed a friend. Philippa adored animals. It was truly a wonder why she didn’t take Care of Magical Creatures. Perhaps she would take it up again. To her knowledge, it wasn’t too late to do so.

“...Thank-you, sir?” Philippa replied slowly, unsure as to how she was supposed to reply to the half-compliment. Interesting was good; interest piqued a need further investigation.

When the Professor began to move, Pippa quickly followed behind him, her long legs for once struggling to keep up with someone. Short she was but slow she was not and her eyebrows came together in frustration as she fought back a need to jog just to fall into step beside the man. When the Professor spoke again, Philippa took her concentration off of trying to keep up with him and instead focused on what he was saying.

“He was an incredibly smart man.” Philippa said, slowing slightly. “To be him would not be such a misfortune,” Pippa smiled before adding, “As it is, I rather like being me.” She laughed lightly and hopped from tile to tile, deciding that that was more fun than just walking. “Being peculiar isn’t bad per say,” Pippa continued, hopping to another tile. “It’s just lonely I suppose.” Pippa took her eyes off of the tiles and frowned slightly.

“The Death Eaters?” she questioned. “I...I don’t know. They don’t like people like me do they; people from Muggle families I mean? I tend to avoid them. I don’t really want to be hurt if I can avoid it. If I stay away from them, they can’t hurt me right? I don’t think they’d like to go out of their way to be in the presence of a, um, Muggleborn...even if it was to apply the Cruciatus Curse.” Pippa sighed.

''If you reply to everything like you did right now, you won't get further than any of these fossils on the walls'' , Wilson said. He walked through the hallway using his normal rythm, but he slowed down once he saw the young girl struggling. They really seemed like an odd couple. Him, a tall man with a quick pace, really did seem exceptionally odd when compared to a small girl from the house of Hufflepuff. Wilson had always stood out in the company of people, but the height difference was never that obvious. Now... he remembered Hagrid and how some of his former colleagues seemed tiny when compared to the benevolent half-giant.

''What I was trying to say is... you stand firm behind what you have said... or what you are thinking. The words you proclaim represent you and your state of mind and if you are certain of who you are, you need to be certain of what you say. There was no need for insecurity, especially when speaking with a person like myself'', Wilson explained.

''He was an exceptionally smart man... but the tragedy of his life was that he was honest... he was a human being... tragic'', he said. ''Of course it is not bad per say, it would be silly... Being peculiar is a special way of saying you're human. Personally, I prefer those that are peculiar... they add some sort of magic to the world. I like bright colors... to speak metaphorically, never liked grey, black or white that much... I like blue, red, yellow... and all the blends... But yes, it does tend to get lonely. But, you have to learn how to cope with the loneliness. Exceptional individuals have to be smart in life and they have to cope with those who are beneath them... sadly, you will have to be the one making exceptions in life, but remember this - making exceptions when needed is a sign of intelligence, being stubborn only makes you stupid. Also, do remember not to lose yourself while making those exceptions. It would be a pity'', he said, smiled and tapped her on the head.

He stopped after he had heard her little digression. ''You're... Muggleborn?'', he asked, in shock. ''Oh bloody hell... we do need to find you some protection. Sadly... my dear, I do know how it is when you're not pureblooded... luckily, I have learned how to defend myself. Now, when the Dark Army has both its members and cooperatives inside the school... you need protection'', he said firmly. ''They haven't hurt you, have they? If they have... just be sure to report them, especially if they are students... also, if you ever have any problems... you do know where my office is... I am usually there or in the classroom... you will be able to find me...'', he said. ''You still qualify as a basic level student, but... would you be interested in learning some advanced DADA?'', he asked.