I warned you all that it was creepy! Anyway, you guys did not disappoint review-wise last chapter. Thank you for that! Now I know that my countless nightmares from writing that chapter were all worth it. I appreciate you all saying I deserve the #1 spot, but that's a near impossible task... that spot belongs to an Ezria story that has 1014 reviews (in only 26 chapters, too... whoever wrote it has superpowers, I'll say that). I mean, unless you all are willing to get me up there! And someone recommended that for a prize, I do a PLL/Hunger Games crossover, and I have to strike that idea down. Someone else on FanFiction that I am in contact with (she even might be reading this story, I'm not sure) has been planning on doing that for a long time, and I would just feel like I would be robbing that from her. I don't think I'll end up doing another crossover because I just wouldn't feel as attached to it the way I have been to this one! That's another thing: to know that you all have loved this story as much as I have is something incredible. I can't thank you enough. You guys got me to freakin' 700 reviews! I'll never understand it. You all are amazing.

Enough of me being sappy. Enjoy this next chapter!


Caleb soared in circles around the castle, in search of anything large and bright blue. But so far, he wasn't having any luck. Was it possible that Melissa hadn't taken the flying car?

"Attention students," McGonagall's voice boomed from within the castle walls. "This is an emergency. Please evacuate school grounds immediately. I repeat, please evacuate school grounds immediately."

Sighing, Caleb lowered to the concrete, where he met up with Emily and Paige, who looked just as devastated as he did.

"I guess Hanna got to McGonagall," Paige said, trying to be optimistic.

"Yeah," Caleb said with a nod of his head as he squinted against the bright sun; a sun much too bright for this dreary day. "Yeah, that's good."

"There you all are!" Toby shouted as he walked out from under the gazebo, with Ezra not too far behind as he carried a limp Aria in his arms.

"Wow... she doesn't look so good," Emily whispered worriedly, and she was right. Aria's skin had turned the palest they had ever seen it, and as her arm hung from where Ezra was holding it up, blood continued to trickle down the frame of it, creating a spider web pattern.

"That's because she's not," Ezra said sadly, but then looked up again, ready to change the subject. "Did you guys find the car?"

"Not yet," Caleb said as he held up his broom. "But we will."

"And then what?" Toby screeched. "Just leave Spencer here? I can't do that!"

"There are all sorts of flaws in this plan," Ezra agreed. "For one, Aria's brother is still in there. The mandrake draught will be ready in a few hours, and something could easily happen to him!"

"We'll leave that to Longbottom," Emily said reassuringly. "He's still in there, and he's not gonna be leaving anytime soon while the mandrakes are out."

"Guys..." Paige interrupted, pointing in the distance. The others followed her gesture with their eyes, and they saw a bright blue car flying in their direction. It was going at such speed, that everyone ran in different directions, clearing a path for it.

The car cleanly landed on the pavement, and the two front doors popped open. A pair of legs came into view on both sides, and out came two familiar boys.

Two familiar boys that the gang should be slapping silly right now.

Noel and Lucas stepped forward, with Noel just a step ahead. "Get in."

As Noel spoke up, the gang exchanged uneasy looks, until Caleb stepped forward. "Why?"

"Because you need to leave," Lucas said insistently.

"I wasn't talking to you!" Caleb snapped, still incredibly angry at Lucas for not only kissing Hanna, but using that kiss against her – against him. He then looked back at Noel. "I was talking to your buddy here."

"Why should we believe anything you two say?" Emily challenged, backing up Caleb, and Ezra stood by Emily, still holding a limp Aria in his arms as he narrowed his eyes at Noel for taking Aria away from him.

"Because we've been trying to help you all along!" Noel cried, and everyone, even Lucas, was surprised to hear him speak so desperately. He bowed his head, willing himself not to cry. "Look, what we did was wrong. What all three of us did. But we're here to make up for it now."

"Why did you even start?" Toby spat, contempt clear in the way his tongue clicked against his teeth.

At this, Lucas stepped forward, taking a chance. "She never told us how serious it was going to get. She gave us our tasks, promised to keep our secrets, and we accepted. That was it."

"But that ends here," Noel said determinedly as he stepped to the side, gesturing toward the car door. "Take this car, and drive as far away from here as possible."

"No way!" Toby screeched. "I'm not leaving Spencer!"

"Or Hanna," Caleb agreed. "Where is she?"

"Right here!"

Caleb whipped around, and saw Hanna come running toward him. Her stride faltered slightly due to the damage of the Cruciatus curse that Melissa had put on her earlier, but she still managed to reach him, despite her shortage of breath. "McGonagall knows, and the castle seems to be clear by now." She stopped after a minute, slowly turning her head over once she became aware of the unwelcome company she was in.

Hanna glared at Noel and Lucas. "What are they doing here?"

"Relax, they're on our side," Caleb said reassuringly, as he turned back to Lucas and Noel. "Will all of us fit?"

"It seats six," Lucas explained, "but you can probably squeeze."

"Aria hasn't woken up yet," Ezra piped in. "We can sprawl her across us."

"And what about you two?" Toby asked, his question directed at Noel and Lucas. "Aren't you gonna come?"

Lucas shook his head. "We're taking the train."

"Lucas," Hanna said unsurely, "are you sure that's such a good – "

"Works for us," Caleb interrupted as he immediately got in the driver's seat. Paige got in the front with him, and Toby, Emily, and Ezra got in the back.

Caleb looked over at Hanna, who was still hesitant to get in. "Hanna, c'mon!"

"Just a second," she said unsurely. There was something she needed to do.

As Lucas started to walk away, Hanna quickly stalked over to him, pulling on his shoulder and whipping him around.

Lucas blinked as the color rushed to his cheeks. "Umm…"

"Relax, I'm not gonna punch you or anything," she said, rolling her eyes. But then she got quiet, and he became confused. Why was she here? What did she want from him? Why was she wasting time?

Hanna heaved in a large sigh as she whispered, "I just wanna know why you did it."

Lucas's heart stopped, and he gently bowed his head. "Test answers," he muttered.

"Test answers?" Hanna echoed, confused.

Lucas cleared his throat. "I… I was selling test answers, and she found out. She said if I didn't help her, she'd have me expelled."

Hanna felt her breath catch in her throat. "That's horrible."

Lucas just shook his head, which was still tucked into his chest. "No, it's not."

"How can you say that?"

"Because there's something else," Lucas blurted out, and Hanna's ears perked up. He had her attention now.

Lucas raised his head, his dark eyes clouded with remorse. "I was selfish, and I shouldn't have agreed to it."

"Agreed to what?"

Lucas let out a shaky breath, and Hanna noticed that his eyes weren't just clouded with remorse, but tears. "She told me that if I agreed, not only would she not report me, but she'd also help me get together with you."

Hanna's heart stopped. That was why he did all of this? Was Lucas's love for her more than just puppy love?

Did he really like her that much? Love her that much?

"I… I don't know what to say," Hanna breathed.

"Don't say anything," he whispered. "Just get in that car and get out of here."

"But Lucas – "

"Now," he said sternly, as he pushed her over to the car, sending her off without so much as a goodbye. They didn't have time anymore.

Hanna reluctantly rushed over to the car as she got in the front seat with Paige and Caleb. But before they took off…

"Toby!" Noel shouted, and Toby's head shot up in the back seat. Noel ran over to the car, and Toby cranked down the window to see what was up.

"I almost forgot," Noel said breathlessly as he pulled something out of his pocket. Once it was out, he held it up to the light.

It was a small, knit doll, with short, straight brown hair, tan skin, and fierce brown eyes.

It looked just like Melissa.

"What is this?" Toby asked, confused.

"Don't ask, okay?" Noel said, denying his question. "Just keep it beside you at all times. Do you understand?"

"Noel, I – "

"Do you understand?" Noel repeated, staring straight at Toby with his piercing green eyes. It was the first time in years that Noel had looked at Toby with anything besides sympathy, as though he were some pathetic loser or something you scrape off of your shoe. He was now looking at Toby like he had the most important task in the world, and while Toby had no clue what that was, he knew it was serious.

"Yes, I understand," Toby finally said as he took the doll from Noel's hands. Noel nodded his head in thanks, and then stepped away from the car as Caleb put the key in the ignition.

The car immediately sparked to life, coughing and sputtering exhaust and oil all over the place, until Caleb pressed a few buttons, causing it to eventually lift off of the ground, into the air. Within a few seconds, the car had started forward, before zooming into a rocket start as it shot into the sky.

Lucas and Noel stood back and watched, before Noel turned to Lucas. "C'mon, man. Let's go."

Lucas was still staring after the car, even though it was long gone by now, until he was brutally interrupted.

"Boys! Boys!"

Noel and Lucas spun on their heels until they were facing the castle again, only to see Professor McGonagall racing toward them.

"Thank heavens I caught up to you," she said through her gasps, leaning over to catch her breath as she spoke. As much as she tried to ignore it, she was certainly getting too old for this.

"What is it, Professor?" Lucas asked.

As soon as McGonagall had caught her breath, she straightened her back. Then, without taking her eyes off of either of the boys, she reached into her robe pocket, carefully extracting something from it, and then held her hands out for both to see.

To their surprise, it was only an old, tattered, brown witch's hat.

"Umm, Professor?" Noel said uncomfortably. "Exactly what do you want us to – "

"Don't question me, boy!" McGonagall snapped as she slapped the hat against Noel's chest. "I have a task for you."

"And that is?"

"Take this with you," she instructed, "and bring it to the Chamber."

"The Chamber?" Lucas echoed.

"No, the Refrigerator," McGonagall said sarcastically, resisting her urge to thump both boys on the back of the head. "Yes, the Chamber!"

"But Professor – "

"There isn't time!" she exclaimed. "I have to tour the school to make sure everyone has escaped."

"Professor, please," Noel pleaded. "We're just not clear on the instructions."

"You don't need to be," McGonagall said, her tone softening. She then placed her hand on Noel's shoulder. "A true Gryffindor will understand."

Noel gaped, his eyes wide open and his mouth slack, but McGonagall didn't stick around to admire it. She patted both boys on the shoulder, and with that marched back into the castle.

Lucas sighed. "Well, do you know what this means?"

Noel stared down at the hat in his hands. "Yeah, I… I think I do."

With that, Noel grabbed onto Lucas's shoulder, lifted his cloak into the air, and the two disapparated off of the concrete.


Anyone have any idea where Lucas and Noel might be going? What they might be doing? What McGonagall wants them to do? What the doll Noel gave Toby means? Sound off in the reviews! And prepare yourselves, because next chapter is when Spencer and Melissa meet up... for the ultimate showdown ;D