Friday************
Finally Friday came. The substitutes had been coming in all week and would still be here for a while. It was just about now that the teachers would start giving homework assignments. And it was just about now that the students would have another lunch meeting.
"So all our regular teachers are gone," Emily began. "And we're stuck with what we have for at least two weeks."
Ben interrupted, "No! I can't stand Madame Bestiola for another two weeks!" Jessica and Courtney stifled their laughter.
"So what are we going to do until then?" asked Courtney.
Ben answered her, "No idea. But we still don't know why they're here and that would probably be the first thing to do." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Jessica added, "Maybe we should do some, err, investigating. You know, see if we can't find anything that might give us a clue."
"We could go through their trash!" Justin piped in. "I saw that on CSI once."
Jessica was the first one to respond to this (not that it deserved a response). "This isn't a cop show. No one's dead."
But he added, "Yet."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "Some of us should maybe look around the subs' desks during class, if you sit close enough. But we don't need to get into trouble."
They were still thinking about what else they could do when the bell rang. Jessica stopped Ben and Emily. "We could stay after school for a bit. Just to see if we notice anything strange." Both of them nodded. "OK, see ya!" she said as she headed for her locker. Jessica smiled to herself. 'Science next . with Mr. Scots.'
Ben, Emily, and Jessica met by the vending machines after school at 2:40. They could do whatever until 4:00. The school wasn't real strict about students not wandering the halls after school, as long as they went home by four.
"Now what?" Emily asked.
Jessica shrugged. "I . I guess we go do some investigating." So the threesome went upstairs to the 8th wing. Most of the classrooms were dark, the doors locked.
"No one's here," said Ben. Emily gave him a look as if to say 'Duh.'
But Jessica silenced them and motioned for them to listen. Voices could be heard from down the hall. "I think it's coming from the staff room." Emily whispered. Jessica nodded and started walking down the hall, closer to the 8th grade staff lounge. The voices continued to get louder.
Sooner than Ben had hoped, they were right next to the door. Jessica and Emily pressed themselves against the wall and edged closer to hear.
A female voice with a Scottish accent was speaking. "--easy to teach. Most of them aren't very interested in the work, but they do it anyway. How have yours been going?"
A man's voice replied. "Oh, just fine. I'm just having them do mostly book work, straight out of their math books."
"I can see that soon we will have to start giving them homework assignments, and I predict that they won't like it," said a mystical woman's voice. Someone snorted.
The Scottish voice was back. "It's homework, dear. No one likes it. Tell me, in your gazing, have you seen anything about whether they will turn it in?" Some sniggers were heard and for a while there was silence except for the scratching of pens.
Another male voice, this time much deeper, broke the silence. "Has anyone heard anything for the headmaster?" A murmured chorus of no responded.
Outside in the hallway, Three pairs of eyes had suddenly gone very wide. They tried to move closer, as they were straining to hear the conversation.
"Heaven forbid he leave us here with these Muggles," the first male voice chuckled.
"Oh honestly, they aren't that bad. In fact, some of my students are very smart. A few seem to have caught on quickly to the problems I've been presenting them in 5th period," defended a new female voice.
"That's not all some of them have been catching on to." muttered the deep voice.
"What do you mean?" said the other man.
"You know what I mean," he replied. "A small group of them seem to have noticed that something strange is going on here. There was even one student on the first day."
"There's one in my class too," said the newest female voice.
It was then that Jessica finally got the courage to peek in, for the door was slightly open. She peered around the door frame. Inside the staff room sat most of the substitutes. Mr. Luke, Ms. Manor, and Ms. Hill sat around the conference table. Madame Bestiola sat on a cushioned chair in the corner. At the desk directly across from the doorway sat Mr. Scots.
Meanwhile, the voice, which turned out to be Ms. Hill, continued. "She called me Professor Vector." Then she smiled. "But I don't think she actually meant to say it out loud."
"Sounds like the same student," muttered Mr. Scots.
Someone from behind Jessica sneezed, quietly, but still too loud. Mr. Scots snapped his head up.
Quickly, Jessica moved away from the door. She grabbed Emily's arm and started running down the hall, with Ben close behind. They ran down the stairs and through the halls until they were outside.
"Phew! That was close." Ben gasped, bending over to catch his breath. They started the walk home, all of them out of breath, but glad they had at least figured out they were right.
At the point where Emily and Jessica parted, Emily apologized quickly. "Sorry about that. I really had to sneeze."
"It's OK," Jessica sighed. "We didn't get caught." She waved and continued to walk. Sure, they didn't get caught. But Jessica was positive the substitutes were talking about her and that Mr. Scots had recognized her when he had seen her listening. It was only a matter of time.
A/n: Thank you for all the reviews. I own no HP related stuff, etc. OK. Next chapter, Monday, science class, confrontation. Get the picture?
Finally Friday came. The substitutes had been coming in all week and would still be here for a while. It was just about now that the teachers would start giving homework assignments. And it was just about now that the students would have another lunch meeting.
"So all our regular teachers are gone," Emily began. "And we're stuck with what we have for at least two weeks."
Ben interrupted, "No! I can't stand Madame Bestiola for another two weeks!" Jessica and Courtney stifled their laughter.
"So what are we going to do until then?" asked Courtney.
Ben answered her, "No idea. But we still don't know why they're here and that would probably be the first thing to do." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Jessica added, "Maybe we should do some, err, investigating. You know, see if we can't find anything that might give us a clue."
"We could go through their trash!" Justin piped in. "I saw that on CSI once."
Jessica was the first one to respond to this (not that it deserved a response). "This isn't a cop show. No one's dead."
But he added, "Yet."
Courtney rolled her eyes. "Some of us should maybe look around the subs' desks during class, if you sit close enough. But we don't need to get into trouble."
They were still thinking about what else they could do when the bell rang. Jessica stopped Ben and Emily. "We could stay after school for a bit. Just to see if we notice anything strange." Both of them nodded. "OK, see ya!" she said as she headed for her locker. Jessica smiled to herself. 'Science next . with Mr. Scots.'
Ben, Emily, and Jessica met by the vending machines after school at 2:40. They could do whatever until 4:00. The school wasn't real strict about students not wandering the halls after school, as long as they went home by four.
"Now what?" Emily asked.
Jessica shrugged. "I . I guess we go do some investigating." So the threesome went upstairs to the 8th wing. Most of the classrooms were dark, the doors locked.
"No one's here," said Ben. Emily gave him a look as if to say 'Duh.'
But Jessica silenced them and motioned for them to listen. Voices could be heard from down the hall. "I think it's coming from the staff room." Emily whispered. Jessica nodded and started walking down the hall, closer to the 8th grade staff lounge. The voices continued to get louder.
Sooner than Ben had hoped, they were right next to the door. Jessica and Emily pressed themselves against the wall and edged closer to hear.
A female voice with a Scottish accent was speaking. "--easy to teach. Most of them aren't very interested in the work, but they do it anyway. How have yours been going?"
A man's voice replied. "Oh, just fine. I'm just having them do mostly book work, straight out of their math books."
"I can see that soon we will have to start giving them homework assignments, and I predict that they won't like it," said a mystical woman's voice. Someone snorted.
The Scottish voice was back. "It's homework, dear. No one likes it. Tell me, in your gazing, have you seen anything about whether they will turn it in?" Some sniggers were heard and for a while there was silence except for the scratching of pens.
Another male voice, this time much deeper, broke the silence. "Has anyone heard anything for the headmaster?" A murmured chorus of no responded.
Outside in the hallway, Three pairs of eyes had suddenly gone very wide. They tried to move closer, as they were straining to hear the conversation.
"Heaven forbid he leave us here with these Muggles," the first male voice chuckled.
"Oh honestly, they aren't that bad. In fact, some of my students are very smart. A few seem to have caught on quickly to the problems I've been presenting them in 5th period," defended a new female voice.
"That's not all some of them have been catching on to." muttered the deep voice.
"What do you mean?" said the other man.
"You know what I mean," he replied. "A small group of them seem to have noticed that something strange is going on here. There was even one student on the first day."
"There's one in my class too," said the newest female voice.
It was then that Jessica finally got the courage to peek in, for the door was slightly open. She peered around the door frame. Inside the staff room sat most of the substitutes. Mr. Luke, Ms. Manor, and Ms. Hill sat around the conference table. Madame Bestiola sat on a cushioned chair in the corner. At the desk directly across from the doorway sat Mr. Scots.
Meanwhile, the voice, which turned out to be Ms. Hill, continued. "She called me Professor Vector." Then she smiled. "But I don't think she actually meant to say it out loud."
"Sounds like the same student," muttered Mr. Scots.
Someone from behind Jessica sneezed, quietly, but still too loud. Mr. Scots snapped his head up.
Quickly, Jessica moved away from the door. She grabbed Emily's arm and started running down the hall, with Ben close behind. They ran down the stairs and through the halls until they were outside.
"Phew! That was close." Ben gasped, bending over to catch his breath. They started the walk home, all of them out of breath, but glad they had at least figured out they were right.
At the point where Emily and Jessica parted, Emily apologized quickly. "Sorry about that. I really had to sneeze."
"It's OK," Jessica sighed. "We didn't get caught." She waved and continued to walk. Sure, they didn't get caught. But Jessica was positive the substitutes were talking about her and that Mr. Scots had recognized her when he had seen her listening. It was only a matter of time.
A/n: Thank you for all the reviews. I own no HP related stuff, etc. OK. Next chapter, Monday, science class, confrontation. Get the picture?