CHAPTER 4: The Halloween Party

After classes ended the next day, Albus and Scorpius got their packages and went searching for the Room of Requirement. They went down endless halls and finally ended up on the seventh floor. They walked down the hall and nothing happened. Both were getting tired and frustrated.

"We just have to keep looking," Scorpius said, laying a hand on Albus' shoulder.

"Looking for what?" A familiar voice said.

"Rose!" Albus turned and walked down the hall and stood in front of her. Scorpius followed, thinking of the Halloween party. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She crossed her arms.

"It's none of your concern," he snapped at her.

"Of course it is. I am your cousin and we used to be friends!"

"Yeah, until I got sorted in Slytherin. You couldn't stand the thought."

"Of course not. They're evil! And your friends with the enemy. A Malfoy!"

"Don't talk about Scorpius like that!" Albus yelled. "He is my friend and the only nice person in this entire school."

"How can you say that?"

"Like this. Scorpius is my best friend and he has been here for me all year. Don't ever say anything like that again or else."

"Or else what?" She yelled back.

"I'll hurt you," he said in a low, dangerous voice.

The statement hung in the air. All that was heard was gasping from the two parties. Finally, Scorpius pulled on Albus' sleeve. The anger seemed to melt from the boy. He turned to his friend, who gestured over his shoulder. Rose walked away, leaving the boys to think about what just happened.

"Thanks for defending me," Scorpius mumbled.

"No problem. She shouldn't have said those things about you. Rose is being stupid," Albus said.

"I guess. Did you seriously mean what you said? That you'd hurt her," The boy wondered.

"Not really. I would have said hex, but I'm no good at magic. I just wanted her to stop being mean to you."

"Yeah, but I don't like to see you fight with your family because of me," Scorpius said.

"Well, if it is a comfort, we would fight anyways. You just happened to be the topic." Albus smiled.

"No, it doesn't."

Both boys started to laugh and walked back down the hall.

"Where do you suppose this room is?" Scorpius asked.

"I don't know. We really need it for our Halloween party."

Right after he said that a door manifested itself. It was ornate and huge. Looking at each with wide eyes, they nodded. Slowly they pushed open the doors and were amazed by what they saw. The whole room was decorated beautifully.

The room was dimly lit with purple and green lights, making the place look creepy. There were spider webs all over the ceiling and walls. Black veins were around the doorway and seemed to crawl outwards. There was a huge area in the middle of the floor that was solid black, reminding them of a dark lake at night. Of to the side, there was a black velvet couch and a huge table. On the table were more spider webs, with skulls, candy, and drink. On the other side, fake skeletons and ghosts appeared to be playing the instruments.

"Wow," Scorpius said, staring.

"That is a word for it."

"I guess our decorations aren't needed," Scorpius said, looking at their boxes.

"We can still put them up." Albus shrugged.

The boys used the sticky cobwebs to hang up the tablecloth behind the couch, added the spiders to the webs, and laid the fake skull and the candy on the table. In the corner on the far side, there was a curtained area. Scorpius pulled back the cloth and saw a bench, a mirror, and a hook. It must be the changing room. He walked in and closed the curtain behind him. He put in his cowboy outfit and looked in the mirror. He wore a brown cowboy hat, a tan shirt, a brown vest, jeans, and cowboy boots. He even had a gun holster with a plastic gun sewed in. Scorpius walked out and saw Albus standing there, wearing his pirate outfit.

He had on a white puffy shirt, with a black vest, a long black jacket, black pants, and black boots. He also had a belt with a fake sword and a compass. On his head, he had a bandana and a black pirate hat.

"How do I look?" He stood straighter.

"Amazing. What about me?"

"Great, like a gun-slinging cowboy."

"Why thank you, rich and powerful pirate."

"Any time."

"What do we do first?"

"I suggest we eat candy."

"Good idea, mate."

The dung through the bowl on the table. The first was filled with wizard candy, like Chocolate Frogs, Pumpkin Pasties, and Pepper Imps. The only ones they didn't eat was Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. After finished with that, they moved on to the Muggle candy.

"Let's start with the Chocolate Buttons. They don't sound too bad," Scorpius said.

"Yeah."

They ripped open the bag and poured some into their hands.

"On three. One, two, three."

Both popped them into their mouths and waited.

"Well that was boring," Albus said. "I expected there to be something nasty in the middle."

"Me too. Let's try the Jelly Babies. They sound weird enough."

Albus opened the bag and grabbed a handful. They were various colours, a little transparent, and were in the shape of babies. Feeling a little odd, they ate some. Albus wriggled his nose. Scorpius looked at him with a similar expression.

"These are kind of sour."

"Yeah. I don't know if I like them."

"They have normal flavors. I got orange, cherry, and lemon. You?" Scorpius asked.

"Orange, blueberry, and watermelon."

"It might be boring, but at least it isn't nasty."

"Good point. What about Flake?"

"It kind of looks like bark," Scorpius frowned at it.

"Well, let's just eat it."

They bit into it and were disappointed to find that it was just candy, with no filling. It tasted good though, but it wasn't very interesting. Then, they moved on to Wine Gums. They were weird colours and shapes.

"I don't like them."

"Yeah. What about Sherbet Foundation?"

They tried it and liked it the least. Neither like the sourness or fizziness.

"Let's eat some dinner," Scorpius said.

"Alright."

They ate some chicken, potatoes, green beans, rolls, and some other things. Both finished eating and sat on the couch. Albus stared at the decorations and felt content. This was the happiest evening he'd had since coming to Hogwarts, and he shared that with his best friend.

"Let's dance," Scorpius said suddenly, getting up.

"What? I don't know how to dance."

"Being a Malfoy has its perks. I had dance lessons." He held out his hand. "Come on, I'll teach you."

"Fine." Albus took his hand.

"Stand in front of me. One hand on my shoulder. The other in my hand. I'll lead."

"Whatever."

"Now, step forward," Scorpius instructed.

Albus tried but ended up stepping on his foot.

"Oi."

"Sorry, Scorpius."

"It's fine. Let's try again."

After a few more tries, Albus was ready to give up.

"I keep stepping on your toes. Let's drop it. I'm no good." His shoulders slumped.

"No, it's fine. This is your first time. And we are waltzing to a fast-paced song. I am not diverse in my skills. We can just feel the music and dance. No one is watching. It's only us two."

"Okay."

The boys waved their arms around, spun, and laughed. After an hour of dancing, the boys were tired and a little sore. They flopped back on the couch and caught their breaths.

"I guess it's time to go back," Scorpius said.

"Yeah, it probably is. It was fun while it lasted."

"It was. I had a great time tonight."

"Same. It's the most fun I had since getting here."

"Me too. Maybe we can do it again sometime."

"Sure, maybe for Christmas."

The boys changed out of their costumes, put on their robes, and packed up their things. Albus and Scorpius left the Room started down the hallway.

"I wish I could remember it forever," Scorpius said, smiling as they turned the corner.

"What is you want to remember forever, Mr. Malfoy?" Headmistress McGonagall said.

"Oh, um, nothing."

"Really? Come with me, Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy."

"Okay. Why?" Albus wondered.

"Well, you two are out past curfew and didn't come to the feast. Ms. Granger-We…"

"Rose!" Albus exclaimed, angry.

"Yes." The stern woman quickly recovered from her shock. "She was concerned."

"Sure she was." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, let's go to my office."

"Yes ma'am," Scorpius mumbled.

The boys followed after her and were panicking. Scorpius was worried about Albus, the consequences, and what his father would say. Albus, on the other, was furious at Rose. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't leave him alone. He forgot his anger when he saw Scorpius' terror.

"What is it? Why are you scared?" Albus whispered.

"I don't want to get in trouble. And I don't want my father to be mad."

"Speaking of mad, I can't believe Rose."

"I know. Why does she hate me? I haven't done anything. And now we might get expelled!"

"Woah. No, we won't. It will be fine. We had a great time, just for too long. Once we explain, it will be alright. It isn't the end of the world." Albus calmed down his friend.

Headmistress McGonagall whispered the password and the Griffin moved out of the way. The portraits remarked on the students. Dumbledore smiled down at them and Snape watched closely. They all sat down and started to talk.

"Would you two care to explain where you were?"

"Um, well." Albus looked at Scorpius. "We were in the Room of Requirement."

"What? Why?"

"We were having a Muggle Halloween Party."

"A what?"

"A Muggle Halloween Party, ma'am," Scorpius said. "We didn't want to go the feast and I mentioned Muggle Halloween."

"And I suggested having a party," Albus finished.

"We asked Professor Collins about it," Scorpius went on.

"Professor Collins?"

"Yes, we knew she would know with her being the Muggle Studies teacher. She got us some candy, decorations, and costumes." Albus gestured to the packages.

"We decided to have it in the Room of Requirement so no would…interrupt us and…"

"I guess we didn't ask for a clock," Albus said, not finishing that sad train of thought.

"I see. There is nothing terribly wrong with that. I should have been notified and a clock should have been asked for. However, things can't go unpunished. A week of detention."

"You mean it? Okay. Thanks!" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Um, you're welcome. Now go to bed," The Headmistress said, sternly.

"Goodnight," he said, smiling.

"Goodnight."

Both were excused and sent back to their dorms. Scorpius was happy that his parents weren't being told. Albus was happy that nothing too bad at happened to them but he was still angry at Rose. Sneaking into their dorms, they got ready for bed. Both boys were asleep when their heads hit the pillows.

Headmistress McGonagall shook her head as she finished some things up. She looked at Dumbledore's portrait. He was still smiling, seemingly pleased.

"Ah. The next generation," he said. "It is amusing to see things play out unexpectedly."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"A Potter in Slytherin and friends with a very different Malfoy. Those are not things people would have imagined happening a year ago. Things are changing. Hopefully, for the better."

"Hopefully."

The classes the next day were interesting and hard. The whispering had come back after the others heard that they had gotten in trouble. Luckily, the students didn't know what for. Albus was sure they would have been made fun of. In Potions, they were writing notes again. As they did, more parchment balls were thrown at them. Neither opened them up. In Herbology, Professor Longbottom tried to do group work, but no one wanted to work with them, so they had their own group. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, they learned about Doxies. They were small creatures covered in black coarse hair that laid eggs in the ground. Their last class was Muggle Studies where the teacher had indeed brought in some outfits after talking to half the class. A lot of the students were doing it, so it went by fairly quickly.

"Scorpius and Albus," Professor Collins called.

They walked up to her desk and sat in the chairs in front of her desk.

"I wanted to hear what you were doing for your project."

Tired and nervous, they handed her their parchment paper. She read over it quickly, smiled, and gave it back to them.

"I have that stuff on the racks in the back," she encouraged. "And I wanted to say I'm sorry that you two got in trouble."

"It's fine," Scorpius said. "We got in trouble for staying out late, not for the party."

"Yeah, she seemed to understand."

"Alright. If you two wanted, you guys can stay after class and go through the racks. Class is almost over, so just work on something for another class," the professor smiled gently at them.

"Thank you."

Albus and Scorpius went and looked over their notes and started filling out their Astronomy chart. They had finished going over the moon and its phases and were going to have an essay on it soon. After a few minutes, both boys looked around and saw that everyone had indeed left.

"Let's look," Albus said.

"Okay."

They looked at the things on the racks. After ten minutes, they had gathered all of their stuff and put it in one of the boxes. Both carried it out and were on their way to class when they saw James.

"Hey, Al," he walked up to them.

"Where are your friends?" Albus asked.

"Somewhere around here," he smiled. "What do you and your friend have there?" He pointed at the boxes.

"Our Muggle Studies project," Albus answered.

"Plan on becoming Muggles." He smiled.

"No," Albus said angrily. "The class is mandatory, remember."

"I know, I am just surprised that you two are trying so hard. That is a big box."

"Why wouldn't we try? Because we are Slytherins." Albus glared at his brother.

"No. I was just saying-." He started.

"Well, don't. We need to go. These boxes are heavy." He walked off.

The boys went to their dorm and hid the boxes under the beds. They didn't want their roommates to see them and decide to bully them there. It was nice that no bothered them sometimes. Only a few places were like that to the boys; the Room, the dorms, and the lake.

After eating dinner, the boys headed to detention with Professor Longbottom. It was pretty easy. He only asked them to do small tasks, like move pots, water some plants, and help organize some papers. They got to talk and the professor paid them no attention.

"So…we got our Muggle Studies project done." Scorpius started.

"Yeah, it seems pretty easy."

"It is the first year of it being taught like this. There is bound to be problems."

"Like students not wanting to do and how to get things." Albus rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, so how many kids do you think are doing it?"

"The Hufflepuff students will, but I doubt any Slytherins will."

"They will fail, then. If they do, then what happens? Will they have to take it again? What are the policies for the class?"

"I don't know. It is mandatory this year, but what about next year?"

"Who knows? Hopefully, they will figure it out."

"Yeah, I really like the class."

"I do too."

Then, the boys were forced to head to Astronomy. Both of them turned in their charts and headed to their seats. They sat in the front and were surrounded by Ravenclaws. Luckily, they were mean to them. The Ravenclaw students just wanted to do their work and leave. Slytherin didn't do anything either, they were too tired. Despite it messing their sleep schedule up, it was up there in their list of favorite classes. Exhausted, the boys stumbled to their dorm and went to bed quickly.

The next morning, the mail came. Albus recognized his family owl. He sighed as it landed in front of him. Scorpius also got a letter, as he was still talking to his family. He watched as his friend quickly open his letter and read over it.

"What does it say?" Albus asked.

"They are talking about their day and they are glad school is going well. I told them about my Muggle Studies project. They are interested in it and of course Mum would love to see me in it." Scorpius smiled.

"Yeah, I got a letter also," He asked staring at it.

"Well, open it," Scorpius encouraged.

Albus slowly opened the letter and read over it.

"'Dear Al, We haven't heard from you in a while and we wanted to see if you were okay. Are you still having a hard time? Have you made any new friends? How is Muggle Studies going? We are doing well. Love, Your Parents.'" Albus finished reading.

"I am going to write back. You should too. They are just concerned," Scorpius said.

"I know. I will. I just don't know what to tell them. They can't fix or change anything," Albus said bitterly.

They finished breakfast and headed to their first class; Charms. So far they had learned Wingardium Leviosa, Lumos, Alohomora, and now they are going to learn about Incendio. Albus had trouble with it and sighed. He looked over at Scorpius' candle flame. He was going to have to ask for help later. He sat and wondered why he was so bad at magic.

After Charms, Albus and his blond friend went to Transfiguration. That day the students were asked to turn a match into a needle. It was pretty hard to do. Luckily, Albus wasn't the only one that couldn't do it. Rose, Scorpius, and another Gryffindor were the only ones that got it.

During Lunch, the boys wrote the response to their parents' letters. Scorpius quickly wrote his letter and started eating. Albus was having a harder time. He decided to do as he has done so far. He wrote about Scorpius.

'Dear Parents,

I am doing great. I am just busy with school and all. Everything is alright. No, I haven't made any more friends. I don't need to. Scorpius is great. He helps with my homework, school, and he is great. We have had a lot of fun. He is my best friend.

Love,

Albus.'

The boys sent their letters off and walked to class. In Defense Against the Dark Arts, they talked more about Doxies. Professor Duncan told them the darker side of doxies. They were pests and are venomous. He had some eggs for them to look at.

"Does anyone have any questions?" The professor asked.

Rose's hand shot up.

"Yes."

"How long does it take for them to hatch?"

"Two to three weeks."

"What about the venom? If bitten, what do you do?"

"Well, you will need the antidote immediately."

"Didn't your Uncle George put it in his Skiving Snackboxes so kids can get out of class?" A Gryffindor girl said.

"Oi. Don't bring that up, Sophie. That's wrong!" She hit the girl's arm.

"That's enough." The professor smiled at them.

The bell rang and everyone left class. Albus and Scorpius' next class was History with Hufflepuffs. The class went on forever as Professor Blackwood went on about Gargoyle Strike of 1911. Luckily, they were finishing up on it and were about to move out. Unluckily, they were going to have to write an essay about it. Finally, the bell rang and the pair ran out of the classroom and went to their dorms. Albus laid down and went to sleep. Scorpius was asleep shortly after.

When they woke, they realized they were late for the feast. The boys quickly made their way to the Great Hall and quietly snuck in and started eating. The boy avoided everyone and didn't talk much. They were still tired and wanted it to be the weekend. As they were walking out of the Great Hall, two Ravenclaw students walked towards them. Tensing, they looked at each other. The two older students slammed them against the wall.

"We know you two freaks did it!" One yelled.

"Did what?" Scorpius squeaked out.

"We haven't done anything!" Albus yelled. "Now let us go."

"No. You two stole our jewelry."

"Not this again," Albus groaned.

"This isn't a joke!" The other said.

"What is going on?" Headmistress McGonagall said.

"These losers stole our jewelry."

"Now, hold on a minute. Calm down and let's go to my office," She crossed her arms.

The two students let them go. All four walked to the office.

"What is going on here?"

"We believe that these two stole our jewelry. We heard they might have stolen the other girl's necklace. They were missing last time and got detention. This time they were late for the feast. So, they stole again." The Ravenclaw student explained quickly.

"We were sleeping. We have to go to Astronomy on Wednesdays. It makes us tired," Albus said. "Why would we steal a girl's jewelry?" He turned to the girls. "You use logic, right? So explain that."

"You are Slytherins. You are horrible."

"Wow, good argument." Albus clapped slowly.

"Well, why did you get detention?"

"For being out after curfew. We didn't want to be at the Halloween feast."

"Why?"

"Wow, so nosy. I don't know. Maybe because everyone is so nice to us." Albus replied.

"That is enough. We have not found the person who has been doing this, but I can assure you that it isn't these two boys. I will investigate this. Tell me about the jewelry."

"I lost a ring my mother gave me. It is gold with a diamond. Also, I lost a gold bracelet." The aggressive girl said.

"I lost a gold bracelet and necklace. A picture of my dad is in it." The quiet girl said.

"I see. We will be on the lookout for your things. Now, try to refrain from spreading rumors, making conclusions, and jumping students. You two," she looked at the Ravenclaw students, "will have detention for a month. I will not tolerate bullying and hurting other students."

"Okay." Both said, looking down.

"You two are dismissed."

The Ravenclaw girls left and the boys sat there and wondered what was going to happen next.

"So, this is the second time you have been blamed for stealing something. Do things like this happen a lot?" The Headmistress asked.

"Um, I guess. Kids are cruel. It's fine." Albus said.

"I see," she said, realizing he wasn't going to open up. "Well, if you need anything. I mean anything, you can come to me."

"Alright."

"You two are dismissed."

"Thank you. Goodnight, Headmistress," Scorpius spoke for the first time.

Both boys made it back to their dorm and talked quietly.

"Thanks," Scorpius said.

"Why are you thanking me?" Albus wondered.

"I don't know. You just…you were pretty amazing back there. I didn't know what to say. I was expecting that."

"No problem, Scorpius." He shrugged.

The boys finished getting ready for bed and laid down. Both couldn't sleep at first. They were thinking about the last few weeks. They were accused of stealing, were attacked by other students, and treated horribly. Albus hated it and was disappointed. That wasn't how he thought his time at Hogwarts would be. Scorpius, on the other hand, expected people to mean. He just never thought they would be that aggressive. Both thought of the Halloween party and felt comforted. At least, they had each other.

Friday passed by slowly as it was filled with whispers and glances. The two boys kept their heads down. Classes passed by slowly. In Potions, they still wrote notes. In Herbology, they review what they had learned. In DADA, they worked some more on Incendio. Then, in Muggle Studies, it was the last day of planning for their projects. Monday they were going to have to wear their outfits. The Slytherins weren't happy about that. Albus and Scorpius wondered if they were going to do it at all.

The weekend came and the boys got the chance to relax. Saturday, both went to the lake and sat under a tree. Albus stared at the clouds and thought about nothing in particular. Scorpius stared at the lake and thought about school. He didn't know what was going to happen. His resolve was shaken. The boy thought he was prepared, but he wasn't. Sunday, both stayed in their dorm rooms. Everyone else was either out or hanging in the common room.

"Why don't we work on our History essay?" Scorpius suggested.

"It hasn't been assigned yet. The professor was just warning us."

"Well, better to get started on it. It can't be too complicated. And then, we start on the Astronomy essay."

"Well, alright. Thanks for ruining a perfectly good weekend," Albus huffed.

"Better than rushing, trying to do it during the week."

"Good point."

The boys sat and started working on his essays. Scorpius went through it pretty quickly. Albus wasn't far behind. He hated writing essays, but at least they didn't involve magic. His strong suit would have to be on paper. If he didn't work hard on that, then he might get horrible marks. At least, this way, the marks will be average.

Most of the morning was spent working on essays. By lunchtime, the boys were mostly finished with their essays. They only needed a little more information and details on the assignment. It could easily be adjusted. Feeling proud of themselves, the boys laid in their beds and ate candy.

Classes started Monday and both boys were not ready for them. In Potions, they were moving on and starting on a new potion. This one was the herbicide potion. It was used to damage plants and wasn't for humans. At least, they wouldn't have to taste them. Herbology was pretty boring. They were doing an essay on Puffapods. The boys worked on their essays during lunch. DADA was alright. They had moved passed Incendio pretty quickly, thanks to Herbology, and went starting Flipendio. It flipped your opponent backward and away from you. As the class went on, both boys started to get nervous.

"We are going to have to wear our outfits," Scorpius whispered to Albus.

"I know."

"I am nervous. What if we get teased…or hit?" He was still scared of students having the response the Ravenclaw girls did.

"It will be fine. The Hufflepuff students will be doing as well and Professor Collins will be there." Albus said. "We will be fine."

The bell rang and both to the bathrooms. Both of the boys locked themselves in a stall and quickly changed into their outfits. As they walked out, they saw Atlas and Zeke walking in. Both stared and were surprised to see clothes in their hands.

"What?" Zeke snapped. "We don't want to fail, then we will have to retake it."

Albus and Scorpius left and headed off to class. A few Hufflepuff students were already seated and were in their outfits. Annabelle Kingston dressed up as a nerdy/bookworm girl. She had on an oversized sweater, boring jeans, converse, and her hair was up in a bun with pencils sticking out. A boy was dressed up as jock and beside him was his sister, who was a cheerleader. Both were smiling. More Hufflepuff students filed in. There was a basketball player, a couple of hippies, and an astronaut.

Albus was sitting there looking like a hoodlum. Deciding to own it, he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. He looked down and studied his outfit. His leather jacket was a little big on him. Hopefully, he would grow into it. His tee-shirt was big also and it had a band on it; ACDC. His ripped jeans fit and had some holes below the knee. His combat boots were used and well-worn. He had failed to get the fake earrings and tattoos, but he had managed to find a big ring that had a black stone and swirls designs around the band. Overall, he felt awesome and confident.

Scorpius stared down at his outfit. He was wearing a light blue button-up under a cream sweater. His skinny jeans were black and had on some nice shoes, a beanie, black brimmed glasses, and had on some bracelets made from beads and string. He liked how it looked formal, but had a casual flair. It fit who he was pretty nice.

All the Hufflepuff had arrived and were dressed to. Soon, some Slytherin students walked in. Albus recognized Atlas and Zeke at the front of the group. Atlas was wearing sunglasses, a sky blue button-up with the sleeves pushed up, white shorts, and blue sneakers. Zeke was wearing a faded red tee-shirt, blue jean shorts, and converse. Apparently, both really liked the warm weather and the beach.

Behind them were three Slytherin girls, who wore short dresses with heels and purses. After them, some more came through. They were dressed in various outfits. Lastly, the four meanest Slytherin students came in. Claudia Mallory came in with her arm hooked around Grayson Goyle's arm, Víctor Runcorn, and Patrick Davis. All four of them were dressed in their school uniforms.

"I see you four are not wearing a Muggle outfit," Professor Collins pointed out.

"I wouldn't wear a Muggle outfit if my life depended on it," Mallory sneered.

"They are disgusting," Goyle told.

"Fine, then you fail the unit. Congratulations. Now, please sit."

They slowly made their way through the aisle and to the back of the classroom.

"Today we will be talking about the outfits were are wearing. I have brought Muggle drinks and snacks, as that will be out next unit. Please enjoy some of it and walk among yourselves."

She pulled various things out of a relatively small bag. There were many types of crisps, biscuits, and candy. Professor Collins laid them on a long table on the far side of the room and went back to her desk. At first, no one moved. It was quiet and still for a couple of minutes. Then, the Hufflepuff girls got up and headed to the table giving everyone some courage. Carefully, Scorpius and Albus got something. Soon, everyone had gotten something, except Goyle and his buddies. They sat there, alone, as everyone else got up and conversed with their classmates. The class seemed to go by terribly slow, but in the end, the bell rang.

"Well, that went pretty well," Scorpius said.

"A lot more people dressed than I thought." Albus nodded.

"It was an easy class today," Scorpius went on.

"It was, but we still have the rest of the week."

The rest of the week went by and it was the weekend again. Scorpius and Albus did some homework and studied. When they were doing that, they were hanging out by the lake under a tree. The weekend was pretty relaxing, but it had to end.

Monday morning, during breakfast, Scorpius and Albus saw some Hufflepuff students crying. Her friends were trying to comfort her. Albus slowed down and tried to listen. Scorpius stopped and waited for his friend.

"My golden brooch is gone. I can't find it anywhere," she sobbed.

Sighing, Albus joined his friend. Scorpius raised an eyebrow, but Albus shook his head and mouthed 'later'. The boys made it their table and loaded their plates.

"What was that about?" Scorpius whispered.

"A golden brooch was stolen. This is getting out of control. Who would steal these things? Why haven't they been caught?" Albus wondered.

"I don't know."

Over the next few weeks, things continued the same way. Albus and Scorpius learned new spells, pieces of History, and about Muggle food. Also, more jewelry was stolen. They talked about calling the Ministry. It was getting pretty serious. People were worried and were starting to hide their jewelry.

As December came, it started to snow. Everyone in school started to get excited. There were fights, snowman, and angels everywhere. Things seemed to lighten up that month. No one lost their jewelry, no one was teased, and no disaster happened.

Headmistress McGonagall came around asked the students if they were staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. Albus considered it, but Scorpius talked him out of it. He needed to spend some time with his family. Albus wasn't sure that it was a good idea, because he had a bad feeling that something was going to go wrong.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Who do you think is stealing?