Hogwarts's Little Liars

Chapter One

WhAt ReAlly HAppened

Hogwarts was supposed to be a safe place for witches and wizards. It wasn't supposed to make you feel like you were being watched every twenty seconds. It wasn't supposed to make you look behind you every five seconds. It was supposed to be a nice getaway from the lives at home—Muggleborn, half-blood, or pure-blood; no matter what, you had your problems.

So let's go to the night Alison DiLaurentis went missing.

"Ali! Wait!"

First year Alison DiLaurentis and her friends, Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, Emily Fields, and Spencer Hastings, stopped in the middle of the corridor. Ali—blond, heart-shaped face, blue eyes—turned around and saw none other than Cho Chang—a second year Ravenclaw, who, by the looks of it, wanted to be in Ali's little group.

"Maybe if you ignore it," Ali said, back facing the rest of the group, "it'll go away."

Cho stopped running. Ali cackled a laugh and turned to her friends. "Wait for it . . . wait for it . . ."

The group heard sobs and feet stomping—they were the only ones in the corridor.

Spencer said, "Um . . . Ali, if we don't move, we'll be late for Potions with Snape." ("We'll being Spencer, Aria, and Emily.)

"Shut it, Ravenclaw," Ali snapped.

Spencer—brown hair, brown eyes, round face, and a noticeable ching—went silent instantly. This was happening a lot: Ali would say something to one of the girls, and, they used to laugh, but now they don't.

"So . . . Gryffindor," Ali directed to Hanna, "how's the common room? Red like your cheeks?"

Hanna—blond, beautiful if it weren't for all the weight, and gray eyes—grew even redder. "Not funny, Alison."

"Are you feeling red?" Alison kept on teasing.

"Stop it."

"No!"

"Ali!" Aria squeaked. "Stop. Please. I think I hear someone coming."

"No one's coming, stupid Hufflepuff," Ali said.

"Hey! Hufflepuff's aren't stupid!" Emily said.

Aria—black hair with a pink stripe, brown eyes, and a little geeky—looked furious. Emily—brown hair, brown face, a tan, and so shy—looked down at the floor of the corridor.

"And what's it to you, Slytherin?" Spencer asked. "What's it to you that Ravenclaws are smart, Gryffindors are proud to be themselves, and Hufflepuffs are shy and geeky. . . . Why'd you even pick us to be your friends?"

"You have plenty in Slytherin," Aria answered.

"Do you guys want to be my friend or not? Because it's sounding like you don't." Everyone was silent. "Whatever, losers. I'm going to the bathroom."

And Ali ran off.

"Ugh. Don't you wanna kill her sometimes?" Spencer asked.

No one said anything. "C'mon, Spence. Em. Let's go to Potions and get the detention we've been waiting for. See you at lunch, Han."

"Right," Hanna said. "Lunch."

And they walked their separate ways.

At lunch, there was no sign of Ali. Emily was freaking out the most. "Where is she? Did she go to flying lessons? She might be in the bathroom. What happens if she left Hogwarts? Is that even possible? Where was she? Did she Disapparate? At this level? We're only first years!" And she went on and on.

After lessons, there still was no sign of Ali. They asked everyone but no one knew where she was. So, Hanna decided they needed to see Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Don't we need permission from our Head of Houses?" Emily asked.

"Yeah . . . We'll ask Professor Sprout—she's understanding, right?" Spencer asked.

"I don't know," Aria asked.

"Let's just ask Professor McGonagall," Hanna said.

They walked to Professor McGonagall's office, knocked, waited for the welcome, and walked in. Professor McGonagall was sitting behind her desk, and, when she heard the door open, looked up. "Ah," she said. "Girls. What is it?"

"We request to see Professor Dumbledore!" Aria said.

"And why is that?" Professor McGonagall said.

"Alison is missing!" Emily squeaked.

"Alison?"

"DiLaurentis!"

"The Slytherin?" Professor McGonagall asked. "I shall report this to Professor Snape. He'll gather all the Slytherins, and—if she's missing—shall go to Dumbledore with the news. You girls will wait in your common rooms until dinner."

And so dinner came, and Dumbledore walked to the podium, cleared his throat, put his wand to his throat, muttered an incantation, and began:

"I have been informed that fellow Slytherin Alison DiLaurentis has gone missing. If anyone has seen her today, come forward."

Spencer, Emily, Aria, and Hanna stood up and walked to Dumbledore, but they weren't the only ones. Cho had stood up and so did a boy named Harry Potter—brown hair, first First Year Seeker, and blue eyes—Ron Weasley—ginger, green eyes, and apparently good at wizard's chess—and Hermione Granger—smartest witch in the year, brown, frizzy hair, brown eyes, and a Muggleborn. That was a shock that sent gasps throughout the whole Great Hall.

Dumbledore put his wand to his throat, muttered another incantation, and lowered down to the children. "My office. Now."

And so they went to Dumbledore's office where they waited for Dumbledore himself. Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer did not question the fact why Harry, Hermione, and Ron were there—they would find out soon enough.

After about ten minutes of agonizing waiting and silence, the office door opened, and Dumbledore walked in. "You four"—he pointed at Spencer, Hanna, Emily, and Aria—"story please." It was scary how calm he was.

And they retold the story of the corridor incident.

"Good. Now," Dumbledore continued, "you three"—he pointed at Harry, Ron, and Hermione—"story please."

"Well . . . us three were in the broken bathroom where Moaning Myrtle hands out because Alison told us to meet her there," Ron explained. "She came. Told us she had to go out with some boy, and left."

"No explanation," Hermione said.

"It was strange," Harry agreed.

Suddenly, a snowy owl flew into the room through the open window. Everyone gasped—they knew who that belonged to.

"Is that . . . Is that Neville Longbottom's owl, Hedwig?" Ron asked. "Blimey."

"Yes it is." Dumbledore grabbed the note sticking from Hedwig's foot. He read it, got up, and walked to the door. "You may leave. I have to go to Hogsmeade."

Dumbledore left.

Hermione asked, "What's Hogsmeade?"

And that's the story of how Alison DiLaurentis, the witch from Slytherin House, vanished from the Marauder's Map.