CHAPTER THREE

Fred and Nimah's prank war was nothing short of legendary, leaving chaos in its wake and poor Argus Filch stuck with the aftermath. The destruction they left behind was so elaborate that Filch, in his usual grumbling fury, had no idea the culprits were two students. Instead, he squarely blamed the entire mess on Peeves, Hogwarts' resident poltergeist.

For once, the students didn't feel much sympathy for Peeves. After all, the mischievous spirit had long terrorized them with his own pranks, and between the Bloody Baron keeping him in line and now being wrongly accused of Fred and Nimah's antics, many students found themselves secretly enjoying the irony.

"It's about time Peeves got a taste of his own medicine," one Ravenclaw remarked after seeing Filch muttering about enchanted paint splatters on the walls.

"It's almost like poetic justice," a Hufflepuff agreed, though they both kept their distance as Filch stomped past, muttering about "that wretched menace of a poltergeist."

Meanwhile, Fred and Nimah were quietly revelling in their success, knowing their antics had gone undetected. Each saw the other as both an opponent and a co-conspirator in chaos, even if their prank war was, by nature, competitive. To the rest of the school, it was as if they were fighting fire with fire—an endless cycle of chaos that spared the other students, for once, from Peeves' usual torment.

Little did Filch realize that the true masterminds of the mayhem were none other than two of Hogwarts' brightest—and most mischievous—Quidditch captains.

Nimah let out a startled yelp, jumping back just in time to avoid Fred's cleverly hidden trap. She grinned in triumph, feeling victorious—for all of five seconds. As she congratulated herself on dodging the exploding dungbombs, she failed to notice the trigger for the real trap: a cascade of stink pellets. 

The hallway filled with a pungent, gut-wrenching stench that assaulted her senses. Quickly covering her nose, Nimah managed to escape before the smell clung to her robes. She muttered a string of curses under her breath as laughter echoed down the corridor. Her head snapped toward the sound, finding none other than Fred Weasley doubled over, thoroughly enjoying her misfortune. 

"Oh, you think that's funny, do you?" Nimah muttered, narrowing her eyes. 

Fred's laughter slowed as he noticed the sly smirk spreading across her face. His amusement quickly shifted to confusion. "What are you—" 

Before he could finish, a bucket of cold, foul-smelling liquid tipped over from above, drenching him. The rancid stench of rotting stew hit his nose immediately, making him gag. 

Nimah doubled over, howling with laughter. She clutched her stomach, tears forming at the corners of her eyes as Fred staggered back, trying and failing to escape the smell. 

"That's ten points for Nimah!" she called after him, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice as Fred bolted down the hall, retching dramatically. 

But Nimah's victory was short-lived. Barely a few hours later, Fred got his revenge. 

Sitting at her usual spot in the Great Hall, Nimah's dinner suddenly exploded, sending mashed potatoes and pumpkin juice flying all over her. Her face, hair, and robes were drenched in a sticky mess. Gasps and laughter erupted around her, including from her own housemates. 

Fred, lounging at the Gryffindor table, raised his hand in triumph and silently mouthed, "That's eleven points for Fred." 

Nimah huffed in irritation but refused to let him see her lose her cool. With a flick of her wand, she cleaned herself up in a single swipe and locked eyes with Fred. Slowly, she brought two fingers to her eyes and then pointed them at him, mouthing, "You better watch yourself, Weasley."

Fred only snickered, turning to high-five James, who was laughing so hard he nearly fell off the bench. Across from them, Roxanne rolled her eyes, visibly exasperated. 

"Honestly, how long do you think they can keep this up?" she muttered to James, who only shrugged. 

Fred's and Nimah's rivalry was well-known, but even Roxanne—and most of their family—feared the day they pushed each other too far. The pair had one dangerous trait in common: an unmatched ability to hold a grudge. If their prank war ever escalated beyond control, everyone knew the results would be absolute mayhem. 

For now, though, the chaos teetered on the edge of outright destruction—and yet, for the rest of the school, it was nothing short of prime entertainment. Students eagerly watched the back-and-forth between the two captains, treating each prank like a highly anticipated Quidditch match.

Whispers of "Did you see what Nimah did in the library yesterday?" or "Fred's latest trap in the Slytherin common room was genius!" echoed through the hallways. Bets were placed on who would outsmart the other next, and even some professors couldn't help but be amused—though they carefully masked their smiles behind stern reprimands when things got out of hand.

It was as if the entire school had silently agreed to let the prank war play out, so long as it didn't cause permanent damage or—worse—bring down the wrath of Headmistress McGonagall.

For Fred and Nimah, however, it was more than just a game. Every prank was a calculated move in a battle of wits, and neither was willing to back down or admit defeat.

Each new scheme raised the stakes higher, turning the halls of Hogwarts into a battlefield of wits and creativity. The line between playful rivalry and outright chaos grew thinner with every prank, leaving students and staff alike both on edge and thoroughly entertained.

Classrooms buzzed with speculation about what the next stunt would be, while the corridors were often the site of impromptu debates over who was currently "winning." Even the ghosts began weighing in, with Nearly Headless Nick staunchly Team Weasley and the Grey Lady showing a surprising fondness for Nimah's cunning tactics.

For better or worse, the rivalry brought an energy to Hogwarts that hadn't been felt in years. The air seemed charged with excitement, as if at any moment the walls themselves might burst with laughter—or dodge another round of enchanted fireworks.

What made it all the more remarkable was the grudging respect that Fred and Nimah held for each other beneath their endless scheming. Their war wasn't born of malice but of a shared drive to outdo one another, a competition that pushed both of them to new heights of ingenuity.

In the end, one thing was certain: no matter the collateral damage, Hogwarts hadn't been this lively, this vibrant, or this much fun in decades. And though their antics drove Filch to new levels of exasperation, even he couldn't deny that the school felt more alive than ever.