After a full hour of trying to show Gawain how exactly to do a wandless levitation charm, a fruitless affair, Eudora began to head back to her house. It wasn't surprising that he didn't manage it yet, magic could be hard, and wandless magic even harder. Eudora herself had spent several days figuring it out years ago.

It was as she walked down a staircase that her eyes caught on a scene. From above it was clear what was going on, the caretaker, an ancient and angry looking man had cornered the boy she'd met this morning. Acanthus was there, back to a metaphorical, and literal wall, and nearby a cage full of small glowing lights tucked around the edge of a statue. The curled up dragon was massive enough that the elder hadn't seen them yet, but it looked like that would soon end.

The girl was stunned, he'd actually managed it. To pull off a heist of magical creatures on his first day was not unimpressive, but it looked like his time might be up. The elderly cleaner was poking him, poking around, and while he'd not looked behind the statue it was clear he'd get there eventually.

She had a choice, she could leave him to his fate, both here and with the older girls, or she could do something. The caretaker had a badly bowed back, and if she wanted she might be able to lift the little beasts out of his line of view. For a moment she considered, considered the things she wanted, the things it could cost her, the things it could get her, and made her decision.

“Wingarium Leviosa” she whispered behind her hand, wand swishing and flicking just in time.

As the caretaker turned the corner around the statue the cage floated to the far side, when he circled so did it, when he looked up and down he found nothing. Deciding that something had happened he turned to the boy, poking him in the chest.

“I know you're up to something, you little monsters always are, and when I find out what you'll regret it.” With his piece said he turned on his heel and stomped down a hallway.

As soon as he was gone the still confused looking Acanthus went over to his prize, scratching his head. He'd watched it all, and thankfully kept quiet about the moving cage.

“Having fun down there?” Eudora called, leaning over the banister.

“Did you?” he said, grabbing up the cage and heading to the door they'd both need to use to get back to the common room.

“Keep you from losing all the house points I made this morning? Make sure I got to see the purpose off all these tasks tonight? Yes, yes I did,” she answered, not mentioning the fact that he'd owe her for saving his hide.

“Thanks.”

“How'd you manage it anyway?” she asked curiously, it couldn't have been easy.

“Skipped meals and a bit of luck. When everyone's stuffing their faces it's easy to get into places you're not supposed to be.” That was an interesting idea, using normal distractions.

“Propriety” she said after a few moments of thinking on it, causing the wall to open for the two first years. They got a few looks as they entered the common room, particularly as one of them had a cage of fairies

Acanthus walked right over to Nicola and her friends and put down the cage on the table before them. A few laughed, some of the older students nearby grumbled as they passed coins to one another. It seemed a few had been taking bets on the whole endeavor. Eudora briefly wondered what the odds had been and if she'd missed out on a good payday.

“Good job, now shoo,” Nicola said after regaining her composure. The boy didn't have to be told twice, retreating quickly.

It only took a look to call Eudora and Julia to join the third years in heading towards their room, and nobody seemed to care at all what they were up to. That might have seemed odd in other common rooms, but as it stood without major rule-breaking or something that would cause problems for the house the prefects had better things to do.

“You helped him,” Nicola said as they entered the dormitory, it was a fact, not an observation.

“At the end I kept him from getting caught. It's good to have someone like that in your debt,” the younger girl replied.

“Awww, they grow up so fast!” one of the other third-years said from the side as she set up.

“Told you I knew how to pick them Sasha. We have everything now?”

“All good!” Sasha was peppy and bright to Nicola's cool and control, but even as they spoke she was pulling out a cauldron and ingredients.

Soon about half of this dorm and the two first-years found themselves seated around a bubbling pot, a book open and to the side as the older girls began prepping the potion.

“Everyone has skills,” Nicola said as she pulled a fairy from the cage and pulled off it's wings, tossing the little buzzing humanoid to the side where it immediately was set upon by someone's cat. “Sasha here gets nothing but O's in charms.” The girl in question smiled and laughed. “Andromeda over there has the inhuman ability to stay awake in History of Magic.” She motioned to a redhead who made a rude gesture in return. “Do you know what I do?”

Two more fairies were stripped of their flight and joined in the war against the feline while Eudora thought.

“Organize?” Julia asked from the side, looking unsure.

“Find people?” Eudora added, thinking back to what she'd said earlier.

“Yes, but where I really excel is potions. I don't like to brag,” half the room snorted at that. “But I'm the best when it comes to them. What we're making today is a Beautification Potion, tricky, terrible if you get it wrong, and worth a lot to the right person. If you want a date, or want to wow the boy this is just the stuff.”

“Not a love potion?” Julia asked curiously as she watched the brewing.

“My aunt said never to use those. They look fun, but sometimes people go all weird,” Eudora answered. “They also get really mad afterwards.”

“Right you are. Love potions make people obsessed with you, which sounds great, until they get too into it,” this time it was Andromeda who spoke, looking up from the side. “I once saw a boy trying to claw his way into the dorms just to see a girl who'd slipped him one before dinner, it was a whole thing.”

Before long Nicola was done, and she got two small spoons, filling each with her potion and extending it towards one of the first years. Immediately Eudora realized why they were invited, as testers. Sure, the older girls might play it off as teaching them, but they didn't want to risk things going wrong on themselves.

Fortune belonged to those who grasped it, and while Julia was waffling Eudora took the spoonful of brew, swallowing it without second thought. If it turned out to be poison she still had the bezoar she'd been carrying for years, and the matron could probably sort her out. She was betting that she wouldn't need that though, a bet which paid off.

As she looked in the mirror Eudora felt slightly odd, and then a ripple ran through her. Her hair shone brighter, lips plumped just a bit, her skin, normally pale and sallow seemed no less light, but now like fine porcelain, a small blush forming on her cheeks. Upon seeing the results the other first year eagerly took the offer, getting a similar change. Both were clearly still themselves, but both looked like they'd gone through a galleon's worth of cosmetics and an hour of time to make themselves look their best.

“That should last for an hour or two,” Nicola said as she looked them over. As she began portioning out her brew into vials she held one in each hand. “Don't you two want to do your homework in the common room?”

The offer was clear, testers and walking advertisements. Julia was the first to snatch it, but both agreed. That night one after another older girls looked at them, nodded, and went off to purchase their own dose. It seemed Nicola had a reputation, and if the coins she was seeing passed by every now and then were any indication, one that made her a lot of pocket money.

As she went to bed Eudora noted the small group of fairies fleeing, aiming for the door out of the common room. It seemed they'd managed to drive off their furred enemy and were making their bid for escape. With a sigh she opened the door for the pitiful creatures, beaten and bruised as they were they would at least get a chance on the grounds, something the pets of the Slytherin students wouldn't give them.