Missing or Disappearing?

‘Now that was really good,’ Isabell said as they were having lunch after finishing their morning lessons. 

‘Yes it was! I can’t believe I will be a dragon!’ Olivia said excitedly.

‘Role playing, Dragonheart?’ said a voice. 

‘Draco…’ whispered Isabell to Amelia, rolling her eyes.

It was indeed Draco approaching them, followed by his ‘bodyguards’.

‘What do you want now?’ Olivia said, reaching for her wand, but Amelia stopped her. 

‘No! I may stand up for you, Olivia, but it doesn’t mean I can’t stand up for him…’ Amelia turned to look at him. ‘Draco, get out of here, I think you’re pretty much blind… this is the Ravenclaw table, I think the Slytherin one is way over there and look! Professor Mcgonagall is coming!’

Draco looked worried as he sped off to his table.

‘His weakness is Professor Mcgonagall? Wow,’ grinned Isabell.

Olivia had noticed that Cho wasn’t sitting at the table and so felt suspicious.

‘Hey, does anyone know where Cho went?’ asked Olivia as she tried to scan the table for her. 

The girls also looked around but didn’t find her.

‘She wasn’t in any of the classes…’ Amelia said.

‘She was by the lake in the morning,’ Hermione said as she approached them, looking worried. 

They spent the rest of their lunch time eating, yet thinking where Cho might be. They made suggestions that someone or something got her.

‘I don’t know…’ Olivia said, thinking hard.

The next few days, more Ravenclaws were missing, and word spread across the other houses as fast as the speed of light. Other students kept making predictions that there would be no other Ravenclaw anymore. Students avoided the lake as they realised that students who go near the lake disappear. March had come as the weather got warmer. Spring was approaching quickly. Now not a lot of people were disappearing, because they were too scared to go near the lake now. No one was allowed to even go out on the Grounds. Even teachers made sure nobody came near the river. Some older students thought the giant squid was up to something.

‘But how can the thing get out of the water?’ asked a 7th year Hufflepuff. ‘If it lives there?’ 

‘Good morning students!’ Dumbledore was saying, the next day at breakfast. ‘I am certain that you have noticed some disappearances of students from Ravenclaw.’

The hall buzzed with excitement and talk, some younger students looked scared. The Slytherins were delighted that Ravenclaws were disappearing, but they tried to act sympathetic as Dumbledore was watching them closely. 

‘I wish they’re ok,’ whispered Draco sarcastically.

‘Me too,’ laughed Pansy. 

Amelia was glaring at them.

‘WELL, PANSY, I WISH THAT THING WOULD TAKE YOU!’ yelled Amelia to the Slytherin table. ‘But that would be hard, you know… thinking it’s eating a pug. Anyways, you’d probably taste awful.’

Isabell laughed. Pansy opened her mouth to fight back but when Dumbledore started talking, she shut it and acted to pay attention. 

‘Now, as we teachers can’t investigate this case,’ Dumbledore announced, ‘We would like some volunteers to find who or what is causing these disappearances.’

Nobody’s hand was up, nobody was breathing. Albert looked worriedly around him, then he raised his shaking arm.

‘Wonderful! Who else?’ 

Some students started to cheer as Olivia, Amelia and Isabell 

raised their arms confidently. 

‘Show-offs, Olivia and Isabell are. Amelia’s just copying them,’ Draco said loudly as some Slytherins agreed.

Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were cheering them on. Some other people such as Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred and George raised their hands.

‘Perfect! How brave and selfless you are. Now, I will send a letter to each of you to know where you should meet me to prepare,’ said Dumbledore as he smiled and his eyes twinkled.

‘Prepare?’ gulped Olivia. ‘But I thought we would just investigate?’

‘No, also fight,’ Dumbledore said simply.

‘But sir! We-we can’t duel yet!’ replied Albert.

‘As I said, I will send a letter to the place where we will prepare.’

Albert, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred and George and the three girls stared at each other worriedly, each lacking confidence. As Dumbledore explained that he would train them almost everything he knows, Olivia, Amelia and Isabell felt a stroke of calmness since Dumbledore was a great well-known and powerful wizard. The next day (when they were having breakfast) the usual swarm of owls swooped in and delivered the packages and letters. Albert, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred and George, Olivia, Amelia and Isabell had received the letter from Dumbledore. In the usual thin and slanting handwriting it said:

In the Room of Requirement. Isabell, Amelia and Olivia, tell Albert and the Gryffindors where it is. I’m sure you remember. 

Meet me there by the end of breakfast please.

‘Umm...ok,’ Isabell said.

Olivia spent the rest of breakfast explaining to Albert what and where the Room of Requirement is, while Isabell and Amelia explained the Room of Requirement to the Gryffindors. 

‘Wow, a hidden room in Hogwarts?’ Hermione exclaimed when Amelia and Isabell finished explaining.

‘Yup,’ they both replied.

‘Guys! Breakfast has ended! Come on!’ Olivia said as she rushed to the Gryffindor table. 

They all nodded and followed the three witches to the Room of Requirement. There they found Dumbledore humming to himself, apparently waiting for them.

‘Ah, there you all are, wonderful. Now…’

He faced the wall and was whispering until the same ancient wooden door revealed itself. They all came in. There were bathrooms in the corner, more books than usual, some obstacles and tables (Dumbledore’s desk was included) and similar cushions like last time. Only this time there were more. 

‘I have told all the teachers you will not be in their lessons today.’ 

‘YES! No Snape!’ Isabell whisper-shouted.

‘I will be teaching you almost everything I know. Will you try to cope? Remember there is a lot at risk here.’

‘Yes,’ everyone in the room said in unison.

‘Good, now the first spell I need you to know is: Stupefy.’

‘Sir? What does Stu-pi-fy do?’ asked Harry, glaring at Hermione, as though daring her not to talk.

‘It’s Stupefy,’ Hermione said as Harry rolled his eyes. ‘And it stuns your opponent. I read about it in All spells needed to exceed in Defence-’

‘Who cares?’ whispered Ron.

 She stopped talking, looking offended and taken aback. 

‘Exactly Ms. Granger,’ Dumbledore said, smiling. ‘Oh and, Mr. Weasley, please apologise to Ms. Granger.’ 

Ron’s ears turned red and he looked very embarrassed.

‘Sorry,’ Ron whispered, not looking at Dumbledore or Hermione.  

Hermione looked away and the corners of her mouth began to form a grin. 

‘Stop Hermione,’ Harry glared at her. 

‘What happened?’ whispered Amelia. ‘I thought they were really good friends.’ 

Isabell raised an eyebrow.

‘Umm… We fought too, even though we were really good friends,’ she said in a sarcastic tone. 

Olivia laughed, but Amelia crossed her arms.

‘It wasn’t like that… It was just because I almost- and I mean almost joined him!’ yelled Amelia. 

‘Joined who?’ asked Fred and George.

‘No one…’ Amelia said quickly. ‘Wait, I know Albert, Harry, Ron and Hermione know-’ 

‘Joined who, Amelia?’ Dumbledore asked calmly, interrupting her.  

‘I-I-oh… well it-it’s a thing- a-a small- little game we-we-’ Amelia hesitated, not completing her sentence. 

‘Amelia, meet me in my office tomorrow night,’ sighed Dumbledore, closing his eyes for a while. ‘I am one of the most powerful wizards, Amelia, do not think that you can lie to me, please.’ 

Olivia and Isabell stared at Amelia in shock and fear. 

‘I-I am sorry…’ she started, ‘I just-’

‘Not now,’ he snapped suddenly, making them all jump in surprise. ‘I will hear it in my office. Now, as I was saying, we will learn a complex spell. The incantation is Stupefy, and as Ms. Granger explained, it stuns your opponent,’ 

His eyes lost all of their twinkles and started to look serious.

‘You will have to perfect it in two hours.’

Everyone spread out across the room trying to learn the spell in their preferred way. Amelia was trying to cast it straight away, Olivia and Hermione were looking for the right book, Isabell was taking notes from a book she got about Stupefy earlier and Harry and Ron were discussing the spell and soon enough trying it. Fred and George watched everyone for a while, laughing, then started trying to cast the spell when Dumbledore looked up at them. The time passed quickly as everyone tried. Olivia and Hermione were casting it at each other, Harry and Ron were. Fred and George were and Isabell and Amelia were. And Albert was with Dumbledore. There was a lot of noise since everyone was trying to cast a spell so Amelia, Isabell and Olivia found it hard to concentrate but soon enough they got it.

‘STUPEFY!’

‘STUPEFY!’

‘STUPEFY!’

‘STUPEFY!’

‘Ok ok,’ said Dumbledore as he gestured to them to stop, ‘Thirty minutes are over now. So, would anyone like to try it?’ 

Unusually, Hermione’s hand wasn’t up but Harry, Amelia, Olivia and Isabell’s were.

‘Yes Ms. Clearwater? I hope this helps relieve me of what you said earlier,’ he said, eyeing Amelia with no expression on his face.

‘O-of course Professor,’ she said, looking down as she got up.

It was obvious that she was thinking about what happened earlier as she got up. 

‘Now, Ms. Bluesky, would you like to help her demonstrate?’

‘M-me? Wh-why me? O-ok.’ 

‘Now, whenever you’re ready.’

Amelia took a deep breath, looked at the slightly nervous Isabell pointed her wand at her and said the spell.

‘STUPEFY!’

She cast it correctly, and stunned Isabell perfectly. 

Maybe, she thought. Dumbledore won’t give me that bad of a punishment when I tell him.’

‘Well done,’ said Dumbledore. ‘So, Ms. Bluesky, would you like to swap places with Ms. Clearwater?’

Isabell didn’t answer him because she was lying on the floor, stunned. 

‘Ah, sorry, let me fix that,’ said Dumbledore, ‘Rennervate.’ 

‘Thanks sir,’ Isabell said as she removed bits of dust from her skirt.

‘So, Ms. Bluesky, would you like to swap places with Ms. Clearwater?’ he repeated.

‘Yes, I would like to.’ 

‘Ok, now swap places.’

‘STUPEFY!’  Isabell yelled her spell, and it was so strong that it made Amelia hit the cupboard, fall on the floor and became unconscious. 

‘Rennervate!’ said Dumbledore once more. 

‘W-what happened?’ said Amelia touching her forehead and getting up. ‘Ouch!’

‘Sorry... I stunned you and you went unconscious…’ Isabell said, looking sympathetic. 

‘Wow Isabell, that is some very strong magic. I think you can already cast that on the mysterious thing in the lake,’ said Olivia, looking at Isabell to Amelia.

Harry was next.

‘STUPEFY! ‘ Harry had done it, but it wasn’t as strong as Isabell’s spell. 

‘Well done, Harry,’ said Dumbledore.

‘Thanks.’

Ron high-fived Harry and the twins patted Harry on the back.

Hermione crossed her arm again and looked angry for some reason.

‘What?’ Ron asked.

‘You cheated,’ Hermione said simply.

‘No I didn’t!’ Harry said.

‘Fine, you only did it correctly because I told you how to do it!’ Hermione snapped.

‘Well why didn’t you volunteer?’ Harry asked, raising his eyebrows.

‘Blimey,’ Ron whispered to Harry. 

‘I- well I’m-I’m just not in the mood I guess,’ Hermione went pink.

‘Ms. Dragonheart, your turn.’ Dumbledore interrupted their conversation.

‘STUPEFY! ‘ Olivia had done it on Albert, who fell on his back hardly.

‘Oh! Sorry George!’ Olivia said as she clapped her hands on her mouth.

‘I-It’s alright, we’re learning…’ George said weakly.

‘Exactly, Mr. Weasley.’ 

Dumbledore did a simple spell on George which made his back better. George nodded at Dumbledore as a thank you. 

‘Mr. Weasley? Your turn,’ Dumbledore said. 

George did it but it was a little bit weak because he was still badly hurt; this made Olivia feel guilty.

Next was Fred (who didn’t concentrate, but still did it correctly on Ron), then Ron who did a very good job when he stunned Harry, after him was Albert who did very well stunning Amelia and finally was Hermione who didn’t surprise anyone when she did an amazing job on stunning Olivia, but still not as powerful as Isabell. 

‘Wonderful, wonderful,’ said Dumbledore as a smile was stuck across his ancient, wrinkled face. 

Everyone looked proud as Dumbledore complimented them. (George looked sad, as he didn’t do well like Fred).

‘Now we will learn a new jinx next week, the jinx is very handy in duells, I shall see you soon, off you go then!’ As everyone started packing and getting up, Dumbledore eyed Amelia in suspicion.

 ‘Ahh...Remember Ms. Clearwater! Come to my office tomorrow night.’

‘Will do,’ Amelia called out as she was the last one to exit the room.