Chapter 1

Hermione Granger stood for many things – education, friendship, loyalty, equal rights, truth and even love. But there was one thing she certainly did not stand for, and that was complete pandemonium.

And this was the exact sight that met her eyes one morning in the Great Hall when it was discovered that all the teachers and staff, every single one, had mysteriously disappeared. Not even Filch and Mrs. Norris were to be found handing out punishments for all the unruly behaviour being displayed left right and centre.

A food fight had broken out at the Slytherin table, and the nearby floor was slippery with scrambled eggs and milk, as were many of the students. Luna Lovegood, joined by many other Ravenclaws, was dancing erratically on the table, kicking breakfast dishes to the floor to make more room. Gold and silver sparks were erupting in clouds over the Hufflepuff table to shouts and squeals of laughter. Broomsticks zoomed overhead, revealing the Gryffindor Quidditch team who had started a game with a large melon.

Hermione spotted Draco Malfoy, her Head Boy counterpart, at the opposite end of the Hall, shielding himself with a huge silver tray against the onslaught of his fellow Slytherins. He was trying to reason with them over the top of the over-size piece of serving ware, but had so far got no further than getting more students to join in.

Enough is enough, Hermione thought to herself. She pulled out her wand from within the folds of her robes and sent a bolt of blue light towards the roof where it exploded with the noise of a canon and showered the room in sparks. Silence immediately fell.

"I know we're all excited about this sudden and new found freedom, but could everyone please hold it in for a few minutes while I figure out what on earth is going on!" The angry tone in Hermione's voice that no one had heard before coupled with the if-looks-could-kill death stare she was beaming at them all were enough to subdue the crowd.

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team landed, somewhat sheepishly, and took their seats at the table.

"Malfoy," Hermione growled, "a word?"

Draco dropped the silver tray he was still holding protectively in front of his torso with a clang and strode the length of the Great Hall. As he walked, he wiped a sliver of egg from his cheek with a sleeve.

"What were you doing?" Hermione whispered angrily as soon as Draco reached her. She seized his arm and pulled him closer to the open doors to avoid being overheard.

"I was trying to recall some sort of order before you came barging in!" Draco whispered back, a hint of defensiveness in his voice.

"Oh yeah, and that was really working for you."

"Well, Mrs. High-and-Mighty, I'm sorry I couldn't just pull out my wand and stop everyone in their tracks with an overdramatic bang."

"Why not?"

For the first time in their whispered argument, Draco faltered and actually blushed. "I, uh, I sort of left my wand in my dorm this morning," he mumbled, running a hand embarrassedly through his blonde hair. His eyes directed to the ground, the flush in his cheeks deepened.

Hermione closed her eyes and sighed as one who is defeated. "Great."

The rest of the school was starting to become restless; a low murmur had arisen, indicating that the students were also whispering amongst themselves. The risk of another outburst grew with every second that passed.

"We have to do something," Draco muttered, clearly in an effort to change the subject. He glanced nervously over his shoulder. "What do you think happened anyway? I can't imagine that the teachers would just up and leave without even saying anything."

"You're right," Hermione said, her sense of claiming authority and responsibility overcoming her exasperation at Draco's stupidity. "First, we'll send everyone back to their common rooms and put the Prefects in charge, then we'll go to the staff room and try to figure this out."

At a nod from Draco, Hermione turned back to the school. She cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention once again; they were, after all, eager for any information.

"Given the circumstances," she said in a clear voice, "all classes will be cancelled until further notice."

The students erupted in a torrent of noise; cheering, clapping, and screaming filled their ears, making it impossible to hear anything else. Hermione waved her hands in an effort to control the school, but to no avail. It seemed that the prospect of so much free time had sent the students utterly mad.

Just when it appeared that the Head's had lost all semblance of control, Draco stepped up to the plate. He put his fingers in his mouth and blew one hard long whistle that echoed shrilly in the cavernous Great Hall. Silence fell yet again, many students putting their hands to their ears in an effort to drown out the sound.

"Alright!" he shouted, his customary arrogant façade in place once more, "Listen up! Could the Prefects please escort their houses back to their common rooms in an orderly fashion – and make sure they stay there! Hermione and I will be in touch when we have more answers. Now move it, people!"

The room was filled with the dull scraping of wood on stone as the students got to their feet and filed out of the Great Hall behind their allocated Prefects. The low murmur had arisen again, mostly complaints at being confined in the dormitories. Draco leaned back against the heavy oak doors, trademark smirk on his face, watching his orders being followed.

"I suppose you think you're a bit of hero," Hermione said, her arms folded across her chest also watching the students leave.

Draco's smirk grew wider, "You can't argue with the results."

The last of the students disappeared up the staircase or down one of the passageways leading to the dungeons or the kitchens with Prefects following to make sure there were no dawdlers. Hermione also made a move towards the doors, a sly smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"Go get your wand, Superman," she said, patting Draco a couple of times on the shoulder. She sauntered out of the Great Hall and up the staircase. "I'll meet you in the staff room," she called over her shoulder before she disappeared.

Mentally punching himself, Draco jogged across the Entrance Hall and down the stairs leading towards the dungeons. He could still hear the echoes of the other Slytherin students who had not yet reached the common room. He reached the concealed doorway just behind the last students and their ushering Prefect, Malcolm Baddock, who Draco knew well.

Once he had collected his wand and disentangled himself from the students demanding answers and, for some, the freedom to roam the school regardless of what 'that Granger' said, Draco almost ran to the main part of the castle and up what felt like hundreds of flights of stairs. He finally skidded to a halt outside the staff room and took a moment to readjust himself and catch his breath before opening the door.

Hermione was perched on a corner of the huge wooden table with her legs crossed, twirling her wand absentmindedly in her fingers. Waiting.

"Sorry I took so long," Draco said, suddenly becoming very aware of how flustered and ruffled he must look. He remembered the wand clutched in his hand and half lifted it, indicating that he had it before quickly stuffing it inside his robes, feeling a bit of a fool.

Hermione laughed. "Well, while you've been running around all over the castle looking for your wand, I've been doing some work of my own." She slipped off the table and produced a sleeve of parchment that unraveled down to the floor on which she had written a list.

"What's that?" Draco asked apprehensively, knowing full well Hermione's tendency to over prepare. He reached out a hand and took the paper, scanning the first item listed – 1. Notify parents of the situation.

"It's just a list of all the things we need to do," Hermione answered matter-of-factly. "I thought if we wrote them out it would be easier to follow."

"Of course you did," Draco muttered under his breath. His view of Hermione was obscured by the parchment he held in front of his face, but if he had have looked up he would have seen the hurt expression that momentarily crossed Hermione's face that meant she had heard what he said.

After a pause, in which Draco shook his head and raised his eyebrows numerous times, he tossed the parchment carelessly onto the table. "Notify everyone's parents? The Ministry of Magic? Granger, come on, we have to be smart about this."

"And what, exactly is unintelligent about sending everyone home? They can't stay here - the teacher's are missing if you hadn't noticed," Hermione snapped, snatching up her meticulous list and hugging it to her chest.

"If we tell the parents, and the Ministry, there'll be an investigation."

"And so there should be!" Hermione exclaimed, "This is serious, Malfoy; why would every Hogwarts staff member just disappear for no apparent reason? There's obvious foul play involved and something needs to be done about it now!"

"I'm not saying something won't be done – just hear me out, ok?" Draco's tone had changed from argumentative to reasoning. "We tell the school not to tell anyone on the outside what's happened, and then we try and get to the bottom of this. I mean, for all we know, they're on some teaching retreat in the Forbidden Forest and they'll be back by dinner. If nothing's turned up in a few days, then we'll get the Ministry involved, ok?"

Every fibre of Hermione's being screamed that this was a bad idea. When they finally got the Ministry involved there was sure to be questions about why it took the Head Girl and Boy, the leaders of the school, so long to tell anyone. Maybe they'd even be suspected of being involved…

"Jesus, Granger," Draco broke through Hermione's thoughts. "I know you don't trust me, but just live a little. If not to satisfy my own curiosities, do it for yourself."

In a moment of definite insanity, Hermione pushed all of the little voices in her head telling her not to be stupid into a tiny compartment of her mind and locked it. She looked up, resolve in her eyes.

"Ok."