Demon Distractions
Shoron, Kat, and Matt eventually came to the large stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbleore's office.
"Do you know the password?" Said Kat.
"No. I'll just have to threaten it." He took out of his pocket an inkbottle, threw it up into the air, flashed his hands twice and it blew up then froze in midair.
"Unless you want the same done to you, I suggest you move aside now and let me pass." Without a moments hesitation the stone figure sprang to life and jumped to the side allowing them to pass, which they did.
"Umm... Thank you." Said Matt as he passed the gargoyle. Up the revolving stairs they went, Sophonax now a Phoenix, until they reached the polished wooden doors. Shoron opened them to find Dumbledore speaking to Professor McGonagall.
"Shoron! Kat, Matt, what are you doing here?" Said Dumbledore.
"And how did you get in?" Boomed McGonagall.
"There's no time for that right now! Something's going on here at Hogwarts!"
"Ya, kidnapped Kat." Said Matt.
"But Ms. Burnell is right here."
"We just got her out of the passage the kid napper put her in. And the alethiometer's been taken! I should've told you before Professor! But I didn't want to worry you! And I think it's the same person that captured Kat! But I have a plan now." McGonagall had a look of shock on her face.
"Please sit and explain your plan to us." So they sat.
"I think we should put Kat back down there. That way when the thief comes back we can catch them."
"Put me back in there? Are you off your onion?!"
"No. Just listen."
"What do we tell the students that notice Ms. Burnell is missing?" Said Dumbledore.
"That she's in the hospital wing with the chicken pox, and that they can't see her."
"Alright. That will work. I'll notify Madam Pomfery and the rest of the staff. Now please go carry out your plan." They walked out of the room and back to the passageway where they tied up Kat again and went back to the Gryffindor common room. Shoron finished his homework and went to bed where he lay thinking and suddenly realized he'd forgotten to ask Kat what she had wanted. Aw well, he thought, it's too late now. And off to sleep he slowly drifted.
Next morning Shoron finally woke up at a normal time. Quickly he got dressed into his school robes and went to the half filled great hall.
"Morning." He said to Selena and Octavian.
"Morning." Came their reply.
"We've got Herbology today." Said Selena.
"With?"
"The Hufflepuffs."
"Good. No Slytherins yet." Shoron looked up as the morning mail came in but there was no sign of the owl he had sent. They finished eating early and walked to class where they waited for the bell to ring.
"Greenhouse 3." Said Professor Sprout, and class began. "Today we'll be working with the African Veredas plant. You'll be needing your dragon hide gloves for this, so put them on." As they put on their gloves Professor Sprout passed out an odd white plant. "Careful around the roots and leaves. They give off an odd poison that makes you tell the truth. It's usually made it truth potions, so we're collecting this poison for Professor Snape's 6th year students." Shoron, Selena, and Ron were halfway done with their Veredas plant when a small mousy haired boy walked in and told something to Professor Sprout. She walked over to Shoron and said "There's a demon on the loose in the forest."
"Can Selena and Octavian come along with me?"
"Take one, your sister's already on her way and you only need three."
"Ok…" He picked Selena and they met up with Patricia at Hagrid's hut.
"Got any idea on what is it?" Asked Shoron.
"They told me it was a demon broker."
"Eh…One of those. All right. Do you remember the spell we used last time?"
"No."
"Aw well. I'll just blow it up then, it'll help take off some anger. Did you see where he went?"
"Somewhere around the lake they said."
"Alright, let's go then." They went down to the lake where they saw the demon. He was in the form of a human with a black suit and spiked light blonde hair and dark blue eyes.
"Oy! You! Demon!" He turned around to see the 3 and shot an acid ball at Selena. With her telekinetics she made a kind of force field that blocked the attack. "Feisty one, aren't you?" The demon shot another one at Shoron. "Acid ball!" It orbed to his hand and he orbed it back at the demon that burned.
"Halliwell! Night! What are you doing out here?!" It was Professor Snape.
"Saving the castle." Shoron said coldly and they walked past him back to class. At lunch there was no sign of Kat. Shoron had a bad feeling her alone so he and Matt went to check up on her. This time Matt did the charm that opened the passage and they slid down. Kat was asleep so Shoron orbed them back to the entrance where they closed the passage and walked back to lunch. It was Friday now and they had no classes after lunch so Shoron, Selena, and Octavian decided to go to the library. Shoron needed to look up information on "witch burnings" since he missed the last History of Magic class. But before he had time to look a messenger had come and given him a note. It read:
Shoron,
We've received a letter that a group of 5 demon broker's will be attacking the castle tonight.
Prof. Albus Dumbledore
Oh no! Thought Shoron. Tonight was the night we was meant to capture the thief that had taken the alethiometer and now he couldn't go. He'd have to get Matt and Selena to do it for him. So he asked Selena and she agreed and Matt was already going anyway so he'd just find out when he gets there. At around 7, Patricia and Shoron left the common room for the lake. They left their daemons in their dormitories just in case they might get hurt. Patricia hid in a bush while Shoron turned into a small brown squirrel and sat in a tree. Nearly 25 minutes later the demons flamed in. Shoron instantly sprang out of his hiding place and turned back. Selena blew up 3 of the demons and Shoron did another. He froze the last one.
"Who's sending you?"
"Why should I tell you."
"Because if you don't you'll end up like your friends. Now tell me!" No one noticed the figure standing on the stairs except for the demon who was looking in the stairs direction. As the demon was about to speak the figure stood up, aimed her wand, and shouted "Muarafos!" It was Professor Malfoy. The demon instantly burned and died. Shoron had gone pale at the sound of her voice. Eventually he turned around and yelled "Professor! We were about to find out something important from that git!"
"Oh, I'm sorry! I thought you were in danger." Neither Shoron nor Patricia believed her.
"Well, it's too late now. I suppose we'll just head back to our common room." Said Patricia. She walked into the castle while Shoron orbed to the passage where Selena and Matt were.
"Shoron! What are you doing here? What about the demons?" Asked Selena in a whisper.
"Too care of'em. Almost got something out of one but then Professor Malfoy came and killed it."
"There's been no sign of the thief yet."
"We'll just have to wait then." And they did. For hours, but no one came. So at midnight Shoron went down into the passage, freed Kat, and brought her back up where they closed the passage. He almost asked her what it was she wanted to tell him but decided it wasn't the right time. Instead they all said goodnight and went to their dormitories to sleep.
At breakfast the next day, a reply finally came from Shoron's mother. The owl accidentally dropped it in Shoron's cereal so it was a little soggy. Shoron read it aloud to Selena and Octavian:
Dear Shoron,
I hope you know it's not that easy to not worry about something like this. Do all you can in finding that alethiometer! Maybe your headmaster, Dumbledore, can help.
Miss you,
Mom
Shoron decided that he had to find the alethiometer soon. So he walked over to the Hufflepuff table to finally find out what Kat's been trying to tell her. Now was the moment in which he hoped everything would come together. Only one thing was wrong. Kat couldn't be seen at the Hufflepuff table.