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Do not get caught.
This was the first rule of the Unprincipled Code. It was a rule followed by many others ranging from: "don't bother the mudbloods without a valid reason" (written in black and underlined two time), to: "make sure we always have enough fairy absinthe" (which was also underlined with strangely more vigor than the other one).
The Unprincipled Code was a big brown book, protected by many spells and a silver chain (which was completely useless when faced to someone who had a wand or wasn't a clumsy werewolf). If the first pages of the book were written carefully, listing the rules in a beautiful green calligraphy, things started going down at the fifth page where the first doodles started to appear, the first crossings-out, and about twenty pages later would be glued the first photos.
In the book, six different hand writings were noticeable, one for each member of the friend group.
At the beginning of their sixth year the owners of the Unprincipled Code had a problem. As much as being in a near death situation could be considered "a problem". To be honest, Wilhelm Wilkes will later advocate, how could he know that trying to steal a dragon egg from a highly protected secret dragon farm in France by illegally apparating through the borders without alerting anyone or having legal paper proving their identity was a bad idea ?
At least he had the presence of mind not to say this when they were chased by three angry french wizards, ready to burn them alive, because Edmund Avery Jr. would have killed him on the spot, before the farmers could.
At this very moment, the first rule of their Code couldn't seem more impossible to comply to.
Even if most of the group wouldn't be expelled from Hogwarts because of that ("thank you mom and dad or generational wealth and influence") Severus Snape would not only be expelled but his father would break his neck. Literally. So as much as he hated running, he put all his stamina in that last run the brooms, still holding the egg against his chest.
Bruce Mulciber was right behind him with Edmund on his back. He had given up the idea of reasoning with the farmer with his broken French and heavy Italian accent. Charity Burbage and Aurora Sinistra who both spoke fluent French were supposed to keep an eye out when the other stole the egg but where not to be found for the moment. They probably ran to other side or — knowing Charity's temper — started hexing the French. Whatever they were doing they better be doing it fast because as Severus finally got out of the secret dragon farm and jumped on Wilhelm's broom he saw the sun slowing rising behind the Alpes. They had about two hours to get back to Hogwarts since it was the beginning of winter and the nights started stretching on longer.
Wilhelm was about to faint when he got behind his friend on the broom, none of them had the strength to apparate. They took off at the same time as Edmund and Bruce who seemed just as exhausted as they were. As they flew a few dozen meters up, they heard an explosion and Aurora and Charity literally came out of the earth before jumping on their brooms and joining the rest of the group. No question were asked and they flew as fast as possible through the cold winds.
When they finally stopped on a field far enough from the farm, they lied down on the frozen grass and Severus took the warm egg from underneath his sweater to take a closer look. This thing almost got them killed so he hopped it was actually worth it. The egg had a purplish color and seemed to be slowly pulsating. Edmund looked at it with much less fascination than the half-blood.
"So?" he spat, "What is it?"
Charity took a peak above Severus' shoulder, her eyebrows frowned.
"I've never seen something like this," she said, her voice trembling parly due to the cold and partly to the lack of sleep.
"Great," Edmund sneered, "So we did all this to have some kind of worthless giant egg? Who's great idea was that again?"
He shot Whilhelm an accusingly look which the blond ignored with an angelic smile.
"At least we got out there alive," he simply stated.
"Yeah, that's cool and all but how are we going to make it back to Hogwarts?" Bruce asked with a scowl.
Now that everybody was tired and angry there was no chance they could apparate back in one piece. But if they stayed there the French dragon farmers and authorities would soon find them.
They all looked at each other, defeated (except Edmund who never looked anything but mad). Next to them the sky took a beautiful pink teint and they watched the sun rising, trying not to think about their impending doom.
"Bruce, don't you have the portkey to one of you holiday mansion in Italy?" Aurora suddenly asked striken by an epiphany.
Bruce lost his frown as he accio'ed a silver statuet of what seemed to be a bear and shared a mischievous grin with the rest of the friend group. With some groans they all got up and held hands before dissapearing and reappearing almost immediately in a luxurious living room, thousands of miles away, crossing borders for the second time.
As they arrived in his manor, the young Mulciber immediately got up and made a fire appear magically in the chimney. He then shook an beautiful funerary urn to make sure it was still full of floo powder (Severus didn't point out the morbid sens of humor of his family and just hoped they were the only one in the mansion).
"Who has the strength to hack Hogwarts' floo network?"
Bruce shot a quick look at the beautiful wooden clock that hanged above the fire place.
"You have about ten minutes and we are already late for breakfast."
Edmund mumbled what seemed to be an insult as he and a very grumpy Severus started charming the chimney with the little energy they still had. It should have taken them way longer then a few minutes as Hogwarts took pride in being a very secure school but what could a bunch of old spells do against young fearless geniuses? The first time they had hacked the floo network it took them two months and they had to all put their magical knowledge and strength into it. But as the years passed, it became only easier and soon enough they appeared in the Slytherin's chimney.
Lucky for them the common room was almost empty and the only students who noticed them couldn't care less about them — they could have arrived covered in blood with Dumbledore's head on a stick that they wouldn't have received anything more than midly curious and annoyed looks from the other Slytherins.
Charity and Aurora quickly left the room for their respective ones and Severus, followed by his other friends, went up to their dorms and put the egg under some covers to keep it warm. If they weren't so exhausted he would've rushed to the library to get a book on the different types of dragon eggs but it would have to wait. He quickly changed into his uniform and swallowed some energetic potion he had brewed a few weeks before.
Edmund and Wilhelm had already left when he came back downstairs and Bruce was the only one waiting for him.
"You got the book?"
He nodded.
At the end of the day, a new page a the Unprincipled Code was covered by the different hand writings (and what seemed to be Pumpkins
Juice). The words "Never listen to Wil again" were carved into the paper, going through it and ruining the next page yet a few month later they would be scribbled over and a purple ink would reluctantly write under "Except for that one time".