Near the border of the Forbidden Forest

"Making them cross-dress completely would have been going too far," Shelby said. "The point wasn't to humiliate students completely. It was to embarrass them enough that they wouldn't get into trouble again."

She nodded in agreement at the mention of Professor Hunt. "I really liked the lesson on Protego," she said, fondly remembering watching Will Black get an injury.

"That's true. I guess that kind of disciplinary measure might have been more suited for military reform schools or some institute designed to turn delinquents into productive citizens." Indiana remarked.

"Amen to the Shield Charm lesson through a simple game of dodge-ball." he replied, thinking about the dodgeball battle he had against Theresa.

Shelby was a little taken aback. "Do military reform schools really make male students wear girl's clothing?"

"I figured you enjoyed that one as well. Resa said that you were quite amusing," she said, remembering what her friend had told her, wishing that she could have seen it for herself, though she supposed she'd gotten at least a glimpse when they'd had their water balloon battle.

"I wouldn't put it past them in breaking their pride by public humiliation, especially when dealing with juvenile delinquents that have no regard for social order. But that's what a teacher at primary school once told a few others and I when we misbehaved real badly once." Indiana replied, thinking on how he had been humbled somewhat by being told that piece of information.

"I'm sure Theresa had quite a time trying to pelt me." the youth remarked.

Shelby wasn't sure that she liked the sound of these Muggle schools and their excessively humiliating punishments, but the thought was lost when Indiana mentioned getting in trouble for misbehaving. "What did you do?" she asked curiously, wondering if the experience had been part of the reason that he was so weary of Professor Williams and her punishments.

"Nothing serious. I was only guilty by association." Indiana replied, trying to downplay what he had done to warrant such a talk about a military reform. "Of course, that's my case when hanging around with a group of kids that enjoy writing on the walls, climb high trees that we're not suppose to climb during recess, or throw paper airplanes around in class. I may have done some of those things but I can't really remember."

He said the last sentence while trying to scratch his head innocently.

"Indiana, I think you're forgetting that I have a little brother. I hate to break it to you, but your little 'innocent' act isn't going to work on me," Shelby crossed her arms and gave Indiana her best big sister 'I don't believe you' stare.

"Plus, you're lying to royalty. You're lucky this isn't the middle ages or I could have you beheaded," she teased.

Indiana grimaced amid seeing that look on Shelby's face. He wasn't a stranger to such looks since May had given him a good number of them whenever he tried to hide something that he did while acting innocent. His older sister never fell for it and knew that Shelby wouldn't either judging by her expression.

"Well, it never worked on May, no matter how hard I try to make that facade authentic and legitimate." Indiana replied sheepishly before pretending to pale. "I beg you to stay thy hand, Your Highness! I just have trouble remembering things!"

"If your little act of innocence doesn't work on May, what made you think it would work on me?" Shelby asked, grinning. "It's okay though, I forgive you. Just don't let it happen again," she mock-threatened. "Princess Shelby doesn't like being lied to."

She pulled her hair over one shoulder and started to braid it. "Did you really do those things?" she asked, biting her lip to hold back her laughter.

"Well, I needed to confirm whether May could easily read me or if my acting skills on acting innocent is terrible. Thanks to your reaction, I think it's the latter." Indiana replied before noticing Elise flash her headlights as though agreeing to that assessment such that he rolled his eyes.

"I climbed a lot of high trees more often than I do writing and drawing random things on the walls and throwing paper airplanes put together. Nothing really special unless I reached the highest part of the tree such that everyone is yelling at me to get back down or throw an airplane that gets caught in the teacher's hair."

Shelby shrugged. "Maybe it just doesn't work on older sisters, but you'd have to test it out on someone who is either a younger sibling or an only child to be sure," she suggested. "Though I have to say, it was some pretty bad acting," she teased.

"Was climbing trees against the rules?" she asked. She wasn't familiar with Muggle schools, but climbing trees hardly seemed like it could get someone in trouble.

Indiana sighed, conceding to the point. "Yeah, I guess so or perhaps you've gotten used to seeing it that there really is no way to pull a fast one."

"It wasn't written out or verbally expressed. I guess the teachers expected the kids to know about the dangers of tall heights. It's just that the kids I played with were more focused on the largest and tallest set of trees. It was only after I left that I found that the primary school didn't want any lawsuits thrown at them by parents that have children ending up in the hospitals for injuries caused by falling off the taller trees, though none of us ever fell."

Indiana then asked. "Before you came to Hogwarts, did you ever go to any primary school whatsoever?"

Shelby shook her head. "No, my parents told all of our Muggle neighbors that I was home schooled, which I guess I was so they weren't really lying. My mum taught me how to read and write and all that stuff," she explained. "But I got to skip all of the Muggle history and boring things like that," she said jokingly. She didn't really think that Muggle history was boring, but she was glad that she hadn't been forced to learn any of it.

"Hmmm, I see." Indiana nodded. "It was just something that had me wondering on what the children from magical families tend to do before going to Hogwarts or any other institution. I thought it was either home-schooling or perhaps they was some magical version of the primary school before they start their actual magical education."

"Find any secret passageways in the school yet?" Indiana asked.

"Well, it's different for different children depending on who their parents are. Mine chose to home-school me but I've known children from magical families who attend Muggle schools until they're of age to come to Hogwarts," Shelby said. "I think some of the richer families even hire actual tutors to teach their children before they go off to school," she finished braiding her hair and secured it with an elastic band she found in her pocket.

She shook her head again. "I haven't found any and, to be honest, I'm kind of glad that I haven't. It would make me feel like I'm up to something, even if I'm not. Have you found any?" she asked, though she knew he probably had.

Indiana shook his head negatively. He wished he had the time and opportunity to look.

"I didn't put any time aside to explore the castle in detail to find any. The professors are just like the mythical Grigori when it comes to keeping things in the castle under their order and I doubt saying that I'm doing a little exploring is going to be a good excuse."

Shelby shrugged. "Who knows? Saying you're just exploring might be enough to pacify them. I highly doubt that none of them tried to find the secret passageways when they were students here," she said. "As long as you're not actually using them to get out of the castle, then I don't think that you'll get into trouble."

"A lot easier said than done." Indiana replied, smiling at the thought of trying to say that to a professor. "I think they have a guilty-until-proven-innocent criteria to run on in regards to catching students red-handed for trivial rule-breaking. But I have seven years to look for them or subtly keep an eye out while walking normally through the walls."

He then looked at Elise for a moment before looking back at Shelby. "I think I remember hearing that Weasley Wizarding Wheezes sold certain items that had Shield Charms enchanted into them. Even though Professor Williams and Professor Hunt had left, think they might know how to enchant Shield Charms into items?"

Shelby had to agree with Indiana's guilty-until-proven-innocent comment, especially since she'd seen it in action when Hilary and Lauren were punished along with herself and Resa for 'dangerous activity' in the Astronomy tower.

She had almost forgotten about Elise, even though they were right by her. She gave the car a loving pat before responding, "Probably. If people who run a joke shop can do it, then teachers probably could as well."

((Happy 1000th post to me! ))

Indiana nodded. "I was thinking of some windows and a windshield made of a stronger glass and then enchanted with a strong Shield Charm. I doubt anything physical will be able to break through since Professor Hunt said that Shield Charms can repel all physical objects regardless of their velocity."

He then grinned. "Since you tried making Elise the princess of the forest with your tiara, ever thought of just painting a tiara on her hood?"

Shelby's eyes lit up in excitement. "Can we?" she looked from Indiana to Elise. "Elise, would you mind if we painted a tiara on you? Just a little one, mind you."

Elise's engine revved softly. "That sounds like a yes to me," she turned back at Indiana. "Can we? Or rather, since I have no artistic ability whatsoever, will you do it and I can just watch?" she looked at him with her best puppy-dog eyes. "Pretty please?"

Indiana grimaced a bit in seeing Shelby with that look before chuckling a bit.

"After seeing that, I wonder on how many people were swayed enough to oblige." Indiana remarked. "Unfortunately, I didn't bring any art supplies or equipment to paint a tiara on Elise. And Shelby, don't say that you don't have artistic ability. Everyone has the potential. Just think of art like Transfiguration, both require the image in the mind before bringing it to life for everyone to see."

"Fine, I have artistic ability. It's just limited to drawing stick people," Shelby amended. "Very lovely stick people."

She glanced at Elise, then back at Indiana. "You don't have to do it right now, and we can get whatever we need from the Room of Requirement. So, will you do it?" she gave him the look again.

Indiana grimaced once more at the look on Shelby's face.

The youth gave a sigh before deciding to make an overture of sorts regarding the task. Indiana may oblige to Shelby's demands but he won't make it easy.

"Alright, I'll paint a tiara on Elise's hood BUT ONLY if you first paint different tiara designs on separate sheets of parchment for prototype consideration. That way, we can present different tiara designs that Elise can look at and choose from. Once she makes her choice selection, I'll modify it with better detail and paint the final design onto her hood."

Indiana then looked at both Elise and Shelby. "Do you both accept this approach?"

Shelby wasn't used to having to compromise. She sighed dramatically, then smiled. "You know, usually people just give in. They don't make deals and have stipulations in order for me to get my way. But if that's what I have to do to get Elise to have her very own tiara that's with her all the time, then I'll do it," she smiled again.

"Is this alright with you, Elise?" The headlights flashed.