A corridor filled with hundreds of floating balloons refusing to pop; a spray that made portraits talk in high pitched voices for days; pellets that when put in water made a mist that stuck all who passed through it to the walls and ceiling for a minute at a time; a rushing river down the marble staircase complete with magical rafts.

Harry really had to hand it to Snape. He could open his own prank shop. Harry had been making mental notes all week to ask Snape where he got all the ideas, and what he did during his school years to end up with such a bag of excellent tricks. Pretty much all of them had been made by Snape, and all the pranks had gone smoothly. As intended, chaos reigned throughout the school, and Harry was loving every second of it. Fred and George were beside themselves trying to figure out who was doing it and how, spending long hours observing the scenes trying to figure out how they were done, and insisting to anyone who congratulated them that they only wished they had done them.

The only trouble with that was that by now, the Professors seemed to know it wasn't the Weasely twins. Fred and George had come back to the common room two days ago, exhausted and irritated. Apparently they'd been called down to a full staff room of Professors trying to get them to admit they were behind it, until Dumbledore had pointed out that there was no amusement involved with their denial.

Harry felt bad about it, but he reminded himself that the twins thought the pranks were awesome, and would be one hundred percent behind Harry if they knew it was him and why he did it. After all, the Weasleys had once had some mysterious gifts show up under their tree when their parents claimed they couldn't afford anything for Christmas.

Now only were the pranks setting Fred's and George's brains churning, but it seemed that the Christmas pranking spree had inspired others too. Pranks of other kinds sprouted everywhere as others joined the bandwagon, though none as elaborate. The staff were being run ragged, naturally, including Snape. Snape's exhaustion was for entirely different reasons, of course. Standing in the workshop during lunch break, Harry couldn't help but marvel at how hard he was working.

"I think the staff are starting to get suspicious about the house elves," Snape said hastily as he checked off a long list he'd wound around a clip-board before getting back up on the ladder.

Harry had to run to keep up with Snape, who was sliding back and forth on an enormous ladder on rollers, which accessed a hundred or so wide, giant shelves on the workshop wall, all stacked with gifts.

"This is a brilliant system, sir - we should do this in the real workshop," Harry said, gasping as he ran after Snape once again, who was sliding from the R shelf to the S shelf in one smooth glide.

Snape made sure the clip of the clipboard was secure, then slung it over his shoulder with a piece of rope he'd attached to the clip. He put his hands on the sides of the ladder, making sure his palms were covered with his sleeves, then slid down the two metres to the floor. He landed gracefully, removed the clipboard from around his shoulder, and put a few more checkmarks on the paper. He didn't seem to have heard Harry's comment.

"I have to say, the pranks are going well, Potter," he said curtly, on the move again as he wound through the busy elves with ease, dodging their movements expertly as they darted through the aisles with various tools and items. "However, I heard Minerva in the staff room complaining about the laundry being slow. I doubt there is anymore that can be done to prevent the staff from getting suspicious - careful with that, Floppy, it's fragile - and so it is only a matter of time before someone triggers the defence I have set up near the kitchens.

"I think we need another protective measure to avoid loss of working time, which is why I am giving you this," Snape pulled something from his pocket. It turned out to be a simple silver sickle. "It's charmed to heat up and vibrate in your pocket the moment that someone gets close to the kitchens and laundry. That means there will be only a few seconds until my defensive measures trigger. The first line of defence triggered on the way to the kitchen will stall them long enough for me to get the Hogwarts elves to return to their posts for the person's visit to the kitchens or laundry. But the person can't keep all the Hogwarts elves there long, or work will fall behind. So at the moment you feel the sickle heat up in your pocket, I need you to find a way to get to the Entrance Hall or another highly visible place and pull another very noisy, very large prank to draw them away as quickly as possible so we can resume work. Right now, minutes could make the different between us getting done or not."

"Alright," Harry said, taking the sickle Snape had waved at him.

"Keep the sickle with you at all times - I don't care if you're taking a bath, you need to have it one you no matter what."

"Yes sir," Harry said gravely.

"Good. Now get out of here before someone suspects something. I have some matters to discuss with Merry before I have to leave for class."

Harry did as told, and left to hunt through his back of tricks, now considerably lighter than it was a few days ago. He would select the prank now, so he didn't have to rush. In the privacy of an empty classroom he sifted through the remaining items, looking for the perfect prank.

The Ultimate Exploding Noisemaker, Harry read at last. This was something Snape had to have bought somewhere. He flipped over the box and read the back.

Foghorns! Squealing pig noises! Flameless, heatless pyrotechnics bright enough to make you see stars! Just snap the Ultimate Exploding Noisemaker stick in half, plug your ears, and find a place to watch the thirty minutes of chaotic fun!

Harry paused for a moment, trying to decide how to make it easy to find this particular box among the others in a rush. He scratched his nose thoughtfully. Harry pulled off his sock, stuffed the box inside of it, then shoved the socked box inside the trick bag.

There, all he would have to do would be to grope around for something fuzzy.

He made sure the sickle was in his pocket, and then left the classroom to go meet Ron and Hermione for Herbology class.

"You know," Hermione began as they focused on adding fertilizer to the pots, "whoever is doing these pranks is going to be in some serious trouble."

"I doubt they'll catch them though," Harry said, trying to ignore the smell of dragon dung as he packed the dark fertilizer mix into the nearest pot with a trowel. "I mean, tons of people are pulling pranks now."

"That's exactly it," said Hermione, wide-eyed. "Whoever started this got all those other people to start pulling pranks. I was talking with McGonagall this morning, and she said they were talking about drastic measures for the initiator. She said it would definitely be more than just a week of detention."

"Well, let's hope they don't catch them, then," Ron said. Harry made a mental note to allow Ron to borrow his homework more often.

Still, despite Ron's words Harry's stomach squirmed slightly, Hermione's statements echoing in his mind. He was pretty sure the flip-flopping in his guts he was experiencing had nothing to do with the smell of dragon dung.

He forced the feeling away. Everything would be fine. Besides, Snape was a genius. He'd figure out a way to help Harry if he got into trouble.

***

It was early morning. Severus stumbled down the hallways, exhausted after having spent most of the night overseeing gift-making. If they kept with this pace, there was a chance everything would be made for Christmas. The students were due to go home tomorrow morning, and then there were only three days until Christmas.

  Severus's thoughts stopped immediately, for the sickle Severus kept in his pocket grew warm. It was identical to Potter's.

"Master Severus!" said Toffee, popping into view in the corridor the moment Snape noticed the sickle. "Professor McGonagall is trying to go to the kitchens!"

Severus felt as though he had missed a step going downstairs. "Have you alerted the Hogwarts elves?"

"Yes sir, they is apparating to their posts now."

"Make sure Potter knows - now," said Severus.

"I cannot - at this time he will be in his dorm and the others will be too. House elves is not to be seen! Toffee could give Master Harry away."

Severus' chest got tight, but he nodded. He had told Potter to keep it on him at all times, had he not? Surely the boy would wake up with the vibrations and heat of the sickle.

Toffee disappeared with a pop, and Severus walked through the corridors with baited breath.

Knowing Minerva she could be down there talking over the decline in quality of work with the elves for at least twenty minutes in the laundry, and it would be even worse if she had breakfast in the kitchens as she sometimes did. That could take forty minutes depending on whether she'd brought the paper and how much peace away from students she desired. One hundred Hogwarts elves had come along to help the project, so that was a hundred elves missing for the duration Minerva was in the way. That was a lot of gifts not being made.

Severus could picture the detour signs with Filch's sloppy writing right now, materializing on the way to the kitchen. Minerva would be forced to go the long way around to her destination. It was the only thing Severus could come up with that didn't interfere with the House Elves cleaning and movement in that area of the school. Hopefully all the elves would be there when she arrived. And even more so, Severus hoped that Potter would answer the call, or Severus could be forced to do something drastic. On top of it all, the other students would be moving around the school now, making Potter's job harder.

Severus jumped badly, for there came a distant cacophony of explosions, animal noises, and what Severus supposed must be a foghorn. He never thought he would be more relieved to hear such an awful array of noises. Teachers all around would come running, and Toffee would do his duty and find Minerva, alerting her to the commotion.

Severus had been fairly far from the scene so he was not the only teacher to arrive in the Entrance Hall at that moment. Students were crowding around before breakfast, holding their hands over their ears and watching the spectacular firework show. Severus narrowly dodged a sparkler, crashing into a wall with his shoulder in his efforts. A gaggle of students held back laughter, and he glared at them. They stopped.

"WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON?" Minerva bellowed over the racket from where she was standing, having arrived the same time as Severus. Her hair coming undone from her bun and her face red. She must have sprinted all the way here, much to Severus' glee.

The elves would be working again. Excellent.

"INTO THE GREAT HALL, ALL OF YOU -" Severus shouted, doing his part.

Students hesitated, but as Severus began to march toward them, they scattered and left. Pomona had arrived on the scene with a pair of pink earmuffs. She pulled a few more out of her pocket, and tossed them toward Severus and Minerva, who put them on gratefully. Dumbledore motioned to Severus, Minerva, and Pomona, asking silently if they were on it. They nodded to him, so he closed the Great Hall doors to keep the students in.

The three of them shouted back and forth, trying to decide if there was a counter spell that would work. Severus had no trouble going along, relief making his legs and arms like rubber.

Finally, Minerva opted for a very strong silencing spell.

"The prank should wear off," Minerva said hoarsely, watching the fireworks exploding over and over in complete silence. She frowned half-heartedly, as though she was too tired to do so with more heart.

Severus, who was returning his set of earmuffs to Pomona, did not notice Minerva bending over to pick something up. It was a sock.

"I know who did this," Minerva said, eyes looking suddenly damp. "I can't believe it ... Harry Potter."

"POTTER?" Severus barked, but thankfully his shock was mistaken for rage.

"I thought you were just being biased, Severus," Minerva said, looking crestfallen. "You've been saying it all week, but I didn't listen." Severus felt a twinge of guilt inside. But he'd known he would have to go ranting to Dumbledore about Potter being to blame. It wasn't supposed to lead to Potter being found guilty - the complexity of the pranks would exonerate him immediately!

"How can you tell it was Potter?" Severus said, trying to sound gleeful like he used to when Potter was found guilty of things.

"Every piece of clothing has last names on it, if you recall," Minerva said, passing the sock. Severus felt as though he was trying to swallow a rock as he examined the tiny label inside the sock, which spelt out quite resolutely, Potter.

"But please, these pranks are way too advanced for a second year," Pomona said. "Someone might be trying to frame him."

"Perhaps you are right, Pomona," said Minerva.

"Sprout's got doubt - hee she shouldn't - not one bit!" said a cackling voice above.

"Peeves," Severus growled, looking upward.

"Guess who I saw, poking out of that fancy cloak of his?" said Peeves, laughing raucously. "Invisible too under it, just like Peeves!"

"Who?" Minerva said, irritated.

"None other than a teenie second year whose name rhymes with otter!"

"You saw Potter?"

"I saw Potter!" Peeves spat. "Taking that nasty prank out of a sock he'd hidden in his bag - ooh nasty Potter!"

Peeves gave a cackle, then zoomed away.

Severus felt the ground disappear beneath his feet, and Minerva's lips grew so thin they just about disappeared.

"I am going to go talk to that boy right now," she said stiffly, the sock stuffed in her grip.

"I could interrogate him instead -" Severus began, "the damage he's caused -"

"No. He is in my house. I will punish him."

By the stiffness in her walk, Severus knew there was no way to argue. He leaned up against the wall, and shut his eyes.

This was all his fault. Every last bit of it, his fault.

***

Harry's eyes were blotchy, and his nose was stuffed up, and his bag had been thoroughly searched. The bag of tricks was hidden in his dorm, and had so far escaped. But there had been a sticker from the balloon prank he'd forgotten to throw away.

"So, what's my punishment?" he asked, sinking miserable into the chair as McGonagall stared at him with a look so disappointed his eyes welled up every time he looked at her.

She'd been silent for a good five minutes thinking.

"I'm sending you home to your family for Christmas break," she said quietly. She sighed. "I'm writing them a letter as well. There aren't enough of us professors to supervise you given your current behaviour."

Harry leaned into the top her desk and placed his head in his arms, and started to cry.

McGonagall was silent.