I assumed Penelope meant to meet me at the end of the day when all the students would have completed their classes, and just before dinner. I felt unusually yet pleasantly bouncy as I hurried through several corridors and ascended several staircases. The seventh floor took a substantial time to reach, but I was grateful for this as it provided me with some minutes to gather myself together and appear calm and cool, congenial and appreciative of her invitation to meet me privately.
Yes, I thought, privately. Penelope had specially requested me to meet her in the spare History of Magic classroom, which, I knew, was rarely used. It was a deserted place, despite Peeves' customary lurking of the place. It was his best hide out from the Bloody Baron, as all the vacant desks formed a perfect place to take refuge under. I came to the top of one last staircase and moved quietly down the hall. I studied a piece of blank wall which I puzzled on for a moment, curious why no picture had been put up, before I stopped with butterflies fluttering around in my stomach as I stared at the door to the classroom. Penelope was in there. Well, no point to keep her waiting! I strode forwards and entered.
The sight that met me was dramatically eventful. Penelope stood in a corner, being rudely confronted by Peeves who was throwing ink pellets at her along with chalk, water balloons, and pencils. I stood there, frozen with fury for a moment, before I withdrew my wand and pointed it threateningly at the poltergeist. He noticed me and pulled a face. So angry now I was close to exploding with anger, I yelled the incantation ("Expelliarmus!") so loudly and such emotion went into my spell that Peeves was thrown backwards so hard that he broke the blackboard in two. He sat up, eyed me angrily for a moment, and swept out the door, slamming it behind him.
"And that's for messing with us!" I shouted. I turned to Penelope. She was a mess. Her hair was bedraggled, her face stained with ink, and she was soaked with water. I immediately took off my cloak and wrapped it around her. "I'll escort you to the prefect's bathroom," I told her reassuringly.
She smiled weakly.
"Thanks," she said gratefully. "You're so heroic, Percy."
I snorted, then instantly regretted doing so as I was afraid snot might have come out of my nostrils. "It's just Peeves," I said, shrugging. "But anyway, let's get you cleaned up."
And we departed. Our meeting might not have been the best, but, I confess, I was satisfactorily pleased with myself.