Hogwarts Chapter 12

"Is that them?" James asked as he pointed to a oddly large group of people walking through the halls. Marry looked over and recognized the unmistakable pointed tip of Caroline's hat.
"CAROLINE!" She trilled her voice like a songbird as she ran over to her, arms outstretched, ready to embrace her. Just in the nick of time Caroline dodged and Marry was headed straight for a face plant on the marble floor. Thankfully, a tall Slytherin was able to catch her just in time.
"Oh um, thanks." Marry told him a bit flustered from her fall. He looked at her with a slightly smug expression in his eyes.
"And you should be. Don't expect me to forget this, you'll owe me later you know." With that he walked away towards the front of the group to where Zeph, Alice, and Joyclen were standing.
What's with that guy?" Marry asked angrily. So much for a dashing hero in glowing armor. James merely shook his head and walked up to announce their arrival to Zephyrus.
"Slytherins," He muttered. As soon as he tapped Zeph's shoulder she spun around and gave him a crushing hug.
"James I missed you! It's like I haven't seen you since yesterday!"
"Y-You did see me yesterday…" He managed to choke out. Marry sighed. Some year this was turning out to be.


"Hey Sabbas wait up!" Donna called. Christopher and Sabbas both turned around unanimously to face her as she caught up with them.
"You're looking for Zephyrus right? I know where they are!" She told them all in one breath.  Christopher suddenly gave one of his rare smiles and took both of their hands and started to drag them to the stairs.
"Well come on then! What are we waiting for?" Although everyone knew Christopher refrained from most physical activities, no one knew how fast he could run. The two of them were dragged up the stairs to the third floor.
"Wait how did you-" Donna started but Christopher interrupted her.
"Zeph and I planned the whole thing! As soon as you came along I had to take you guys up here."
"Wait where's 'here'?" Sabbas asked when they finally stopped for breath.
"That's what I was trying to tell you! In the library I heard them talking about Crescent Tower." Donna informed them. Unlike Sabbas or Christopher she wasn't out of breath.
"You mean the one that exploded?" Sabbas asked both of them who nodded in unison.
"But why?" He continued questioning.
"For Christmas of course!" And with that Christopher ran down the halls, searching for Charlie and Emily.


They're once little group was not so little anymore. Just as she had planned, Christopher was gathering more and more people as she led them through the maze of corridors in circles to buy time. Now of course, no one else knew this except Alice and Joyclen, her fellow comrades in this plot.
"Hey when are we going to get there?" Simon Rader asked the three of them in his usual snobby manner. Zeph silently touched Joyclen's hand in a manner that made it look almost invisible. Of all the things on her mind at the moment he was the last one. Simon always got on her nerves and of all the things she wanted right now, she really just wanted him to disappear. This was her personal signal to the two Hufflepuffs that there were other things on her mind and she didn't want to deal with any other issues that came up.
"Honestly we don't know, the entrance is most likely hidden and our records aren't very efficient." She replied in a convincing tone. Although the of them didn't know each other very well, she was glad to know such a clever person.
"Of course…" He simply muttered and continued walking a couple of paces behind them. Zeph dug her nails into the palm of her hand trying to contain her anger. He was just so irritating.


"Charlie!" Christopher panted as he rushed in the Slytherin common room once more.
"We found Zeph, but she's in trouble!" Charlie instantly sprang into action and grabbed an object that looked like a pocket watch.
"What kind of trouble?" She asked hurriedly as she took her wand out from the inside of her robes. Christopher watched in wonder as she tapped the watch's surface and the hands rearranged themselves in a mysterious pattern.
"Umm.. I think Filch has gotten her." He responded as he watched her stow the watch back in her robes as well as her wand. He blushed slightly when she took his hand and ran out the door with him.
"Where?" She asked simply.
"Third floor."

Emily was roused from her sleep as she felt a warmth spread from within her robes. She took out a silver pocket watch, identical to Charlie's in everything but metal. The large dark purple hand had moved into the "trouble" section of the watch while the small purple hand was in the "third floor" section. Trouble? Emily thought.
"Hey Maggie I've got some news about Yomiko and Zephyrus." She told her in a worried tone that you would expect to hear from a mother.
"What happened?" Maggie asked trying to see what was in her hand. Emily quickly stashed it away in her pocket and stood up.
"They're in trouble, somewhere on the third floor."

Zachary Griffin was staring doubtfully at the present he had wrapped so very neatly. On the white tag it read, to Emily, from Zach. Inside was an enchanted locket in the shape of a star. Every time it was opened the wearer would be granted over an hour of luck. He sighed, already knowing he was too shy to give it too her alone.
"Well don't stare at it!" Ariana suddenly snapped. "It took me days to make that Felix Felices and then dry it into powder."
"I know, but I just can't." He fell back onto the bed with the gift still in his hands. Joseph chuckled slightly.
"Well we're going to give it to her okay? Let's go." Ariana grabbed hi hand and dragged him out to the winding stairs that led to the common room.
"You too sweetheart!" She called over to Joseph. He sighed and walked after them, leaving his book open on the bed directly across from Zach's. When they were all gathered downstairs they were able to catch a fleeting glimpse of Emily leaving the common room with Maggie. Zach groaned and ran after her.
"Nothing changes." Joseph winked at Ariana as the chased after him.


"Charlie!" Emily shouted to her as soon as she saw her and Christopher on the top of the stairs.
"Where is she?" She panted. Charlie pointed to Christopher.
"Chrissy knows." If the nickname bothered him at all he showed no sign of it.
"It's this way." He gestured and ran down the hall. Emily grabbed Maggie's hand and led her after him. They failed to notice Zach, Ariana, and Joseph trailing them not far behind.

"They're here! They're here!"  Mella yelled from the back of the crowd. Zeph quickly hoisted Alice up onto her shoulders.
"EVERYONE FOLLOW THE HUFFLEPUFF!" She practically deafened all of the students near her. She sprinted away, following a different route that confused everyone slightly. At this time the clock began to strike midnight.
"Have we really been out this long?" Joyclen laughed as she ran beside Zephyrus. Exactly as planned… She thought.
And then there it was. Something that hadn't been there a few seconds ago. A silver gate decorated with golden vines.
"KIDS CHRISTMAS IS COMING!"