Chapter 10
"Growing Concerns"
The weeks rolled by without so much as a word from Oliver. Rory took every possible chance to gaze longingly towards the windowsill, wondering if perhaps her original letter had been lost, or maybe even his reply. Cassidy's owl, Morgra, had returned promptly, but there had been no letter attached to its leg.
Tabitha on the other hand kept her parents up to speed with weekly letters, answering the same questions that they always asked in their letters: how the girls were faring, had they gotten any detentions, and the like. Her parents had given themselves the job of temporary guardians to Rory, by asking such things since her parents were away on an important errand to Alaska for the American Ministry of Magic, and school owls weren't adept to the sub-arctic temperatures.
That even Rory was scheduled to serve detention with Professor Wardwell, the reason being she hadn't been paying attention during one of his classes since she was so concerned about Wood. And ignoring Professor Wardwell was a prime example of how one could get a detention faster than anything.
Up in their dorm room, Rory sighed, staring at her scrapbook. "Do you think he's ok?"
Tabitha looked up from the book she was reading. "Yes, he's fine, probably just busy."
Rory frowned, trailing her fingers over the moving picture. "I would believe that in an instant normally. but I have this horrible feeling. Ya know?"
Tabitha closed the book and eyed her friend. "Well, we do have reasons to be concerned, you especially. We haven't heard anything about that big secret, and we all know it's still there. Everything's been, well. awfully calm lately, but there's always that tension." She happened to glance at the clock on their wall and added, "Oh...and you've got detention with Wardwell in about 10 minutes."
Rory groaned, "Don't remind me. the jerk is just out to get me."
"I heard you were zoning out again," Tabitha turned back to her book.
"But with good reason!" Rory said defiantly, setting the scrapbook down on its shelf.
"Yes. I know," Tabitha said, not looking up, "You want me to walk you to detention? Maybe Wardwell will let me help out and shorten your sentence."
Rory sighed and pulled on her cloak, "Yeah sure."
Tabitha gathered her books and shoved them in a bag; she too pulled on her cloak, since it was mid Autumn and the school got very cold at night. Tabitha slung the bag over her shoulder and the two went down the stairs quietly.
A group of Swiftwing's were laughing and talking in the common room. Rory and Tabitha slipped out, not disturbing them and stepped out into the hall. Not sooner had they left the common room, when Rory bumped into Professor Pierce who had been walking by patrolling the halls, a lantern in hand. He held the light up to their faces. "Where are you two headed?"
Tabitha didn't bother looking at him, while Rory answered. "Detention with Professor Wardwell."
Professor Pierce stared at them a moment and then told them to hurry up, they shouldn't be roaming the hallways at night.
The girls wandered on, heading towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, which was on the other side of the school. As they walked, they chatted idly, speaking of nothing important.
Rory knocked on the door that led to the classroom, and Wardwell's muffled voice barked from behind the door "What?!" Rory pushed open the door gently and stepped inside, Tabitha following.
"I'm here to serve my detention Professor," Rory said, trying to act apologetic.
Wardwell was seated at his desk, feet propped up on it, reading. He glared at the pair of them, "What're you doing here Granger?"
Tabitha spoke quietly, "Just here. I hope that you don't mind."
He narrowed his eyes, and pushed his bifocals up, "Great.two to baby-sit." He stood up, striding across the room, "Alright, McCullech, you are going to dust every single inch of this room, every shelf, every book, I mean everything." He paused looking at Granger "And you can sweep the floors, and clean the desks. When you two finish, I'll give you some other chore to keep you out of my hair." He growled and went back to his desk, putting his feet back up and flipping through the pages of the book.
Rory stood open-mouthed, gaping at the size of the classroom. It had never seemed quite this big before. There was no way she could dust all of it in just one detention. unless Wardwell intended to make her stay until the job was finished. Then she'd be there all night! And Tabitha too! She didn't even need to be here, yet she was, helping Rory out.
Tabitha set down her bag on one of the desks, reaching for an old cloth that was on a shelf nearby to start cleaning the desks. Rory went in search of a duster, grumbling to herself the entire time.
"This isn't going to get you any extra points in my book Granger, You ought to know that," Professor Wardwell said, with a sneer, not glancing up from his book.
Tabitha nodded, beginning the long chore of cleaning all of the desks. Rory came back, holding a disheveled old duster. "You expect me to dust the entire room with this?!" she complained. "I think it has more dust on it, than the entire room does!" Professor Wardwell ignored the girl, and she growled, starting to dust, not really cleaning that much with such a worn out duster. Rory sneezed as clouds of dust floated up. This was going to be a long detention, definitely.
The weeks rolled by without so much as a word from Oliver. Rory took every possible chance to gaze longingly towards the windowsill, wondering if perhaps her original letter had been lost, or maybe even his reply. Cassidy's owl, Morgra, had returned promptly, but there had been no letter attached to its leg.
Tabitha on the other hand kept her parents up to speed with weekly letters, answering the same questions that they always asked in their letters: how the girls were faring, had they gotten any detentions, and the like. Her parents had given themselves the job of temporary guardians to Rory, by asking such things since her parents were away on an important errand to Alaska for the American Ministry of Magic, and school owls weren't adept to the sub-arctic temperatures.
That even Rory was scheduled to serve detention with Professor Wardwell, the reason being she hadn't been paying attention during one of his classes since she was so concerned about Wood. And ignoring Professor Wardwell was a prime example of how one could get a detention faster than anything.
Up in their dorm room, Rory sighed, staring at her scrapbook. "Do you think he's ok?"
Tabitha looked up from the book she was reading. "Yes, he's fine, probably just busy."
Rory frowned, trailing her fingers over the moving picture. "I would believe that in an instant normally. but I have this horrible feeling. Ya know?"
Tabitha closed the book and eyed her friend. "Well, we do have reasons to be concerned, you especially. We haven't heard anything about that big secret, and we all know it's still there. Everything's been, well. awfully calm lately, but there's always that tension." She happened to glance at the clock on their wall and added, "Oh...and you've got detention with Wardwell in about 10 minutes."
Rory groaned, "Don't remind me. the jerk is just out to get me."
"I heard you were zoning out again," Tabitha turned back to her book.
"But with good reason!" Rory said defiantly, setting the scrapbook down on its shelf.
"Yes. I know," Tabitha said, not looking up, "You want me to walk you to detention? Maybe Wardwell will let me help out and shorten your sentence."
Rory sighed and pulled on her cloak, "Yeah sure."
Tabitha gathered her books and shoved them in a bag; she too pulled on her cloak, since it was mid Autumn and the school got very cold at night. Tabitha slung the bag over her shoulder and the two went down the stairs quietly.
A group of Swiftwing's were laughing and talking in the common room. Rory and Tabitha slipped out, not disturbing them and stepped out into the hall. Not sooner had they left the common room, when Rory bumped into Professor Pierce who had been walking by patrolling the halls, a lantern in hand. He held the light up to their faces. "Where are you two headed?"
Tabitha didn't bother looking at him, while Rory answered. "Detention with Professor Wardwell."
Professor Pierce stared at them a moment and then told them to hurry up, they shouldn't be roaming the hallways at night.
The girls wandered on, heading towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, which was on the other side of the school. As they walked, they chatted idly, speaking of nothing important.
Rory knocked on the door that led to the classroom, and Wardwell's muffled voice barked from behind the door "What?!" Rory pushed open the door gently and stepped inside, Tabitha following.
"I'm here to serve my detention Professor," Rory said, trying to act apologetic.
Wardwell was seated at his desk, feet propped up on it, reading. He glared at the pair of them, "What're you doing here Granger?"
Tabitha spoke quietly, "Just here. I hope that you don't mind."
He narrowed his eyes, and pushed his bifocals up, "Great.two to baby-sit." He stood up, striding across the room, "Alright, McCullech, you are going to dust every single inch of this room, every shelf, every book, I mean everything." He paused looking at Granger "And you can sweep the floors, and clean the desks. When you two finish, I'll give you some other chore to keep you out of my hair." He growled and went back to his desk, putting his feet back up and flipping through the pages of the book.
Rory stood open-mouthed, gaping at the size of the classroom. It had never seemed quite this big before. There was no way she could dust all of it in just one detention. unless Wardwell intended to make her stay until the job was finished. Then she'd be there all night! And Tabitha too! She didn't even need to be here, yet she was, helping Rory out.
Tabitha set down her bag on one of the desks, reaching for an old cloth that was on a shelf nearby to start cleaning the desks. Rory went in search of a duster, grumbling to herself the entire time.
"This isn't going to get you any extra points in my book Granger, You ought to know that," Professor Wardwell said, with a sneer, not glancing up from his book.
Tabitha nodded, beginning the long chore of cleaning all of the desks. Rory came back, holding a disheveled old duster. "You expect me to dust the entire room with this?!" she complained. "I think it has more dust on it, than the entire room does!" Professor Wardwell ignored the girl, and she growled, starting to dust, not really cleaning that much with such a worn out duster. Rory sneezed as clouds of dust floated up. This was going to be a long detention, definitely.