Chapter 11 – Further Disappearances
The rest of the day was spent at classes. After that, Liz found an empty classroom and tried the Disappearing Charm. It was extremely difficult, probably something on the sixth-years' exams. But Liz was determined to master it. It was like her mother's birthday present, even more valuable than a Wizarding Wireless: the knowledge of a spell.
Liz practiced and practiced until she could finally make an object disappear and reappear at the other side of the room. It took weeks to manage the spell completely: She made something disappear, and then she ran to see if it had appeared in the dorm on her bed.
"Will you do me a favor?" Liz asked Rachel and Michael over dinner one evening in mid-April.
"What?" Rachel asked doubtfully.
"I need to practice this spell. And I need test subjects. Please?"
"What does it do?" Michael inquired.
"It makes things and people disappear from one place to the other."
After some pleading, Rachel finally relented. Michael soon agreed, too. "If," he said, "and only if, you help me write my essay for Charms."
"Fine," said Liz. "Can you do it after—"
But she was cut off when Professor McGonagall stood and cleared her throat for attention. "I'm afraid to say there have been two more disappearances." She waited for the noise to subside. "Wesley Aelvoet of Ravenclaw and Ashley Turner of Hufflepuff are missing."
Jessica Weasley dropped her spoon. Audible gasps were heard all over the Great Hall.
"Never fear, chil—oh, erm, never mind," Professor Garb said, catching the glare Professor Weasley was shooting at him.
"Though I needn't remind you," McGonagall continued, "we are dealing with a particularly horrible crisis. Travel with more than one person. Practice extreme caution. Thank you."
Talking broke out again. Michael had a pained look on is face. "I wish Garb would really try to look for them."
"He'd probably do more harm than help," Liz said.
"That's for sure," Rachel agreed. "He's a coward."
"I believe dinner's over," Liz said. "Shall we go? And yes, Michael, I'll help you with your Charms essay."
"But McGonagall said to be careful," Rachel said.
"She also said to travel with more than one person. Come on!"
They left the Great Hall amidst fervent, worried chatter and found the unused classroom Liz used to practice. "Okay, you stand there, Rachel, and Michael, you stand there."
"Do I have to?" Michael said.
"Yes," Liz replied firmly. "Michael, I'll do you first. Ready?"
"I'm really not sure, I—"
"Disapparatus!" Liz cried, pointing her wand at him and concentrating. Michael disappeared.
"Where'd you send him?" Rachel asked in amazement.
"If all went well—" Liz began, barely able to contain her laughter, but Michael burst the door open and interrupted.
"Why'd you send me to the girls' bathroom?" he panted, his chest heaving. "What the heck were you thinking?"
"She was thinking it would be funny," Rachel gasped between giggles. "She was right."
"Your turn," Liz said, turning to Rachel.
"If you send me to the boys' bathroom..."
"Disapparatus!" Liz cried, and Rachel was gone.
"Where'd you send her?" asked Michael.
"Just outside."
"What? That's not fair!"
Liz just smiled as Rachel came bursting in. "That was great, Liz!" she exclaimed. "You can really do the spell! Where did you learn it?"
"I—in a book," Liz said. She mentally kicked herself. She would have to tell her friends the truth sooner or later; otherwise, this lie would snowball into something she couldn't handle.
They practiced for a little while longer, and Liz didn't send them anywhere embarrassing again. At six, Professor McGonagall burst in. "What are you three doing in here?"
"Studying," Michael said simply. Liz stayed silent.
"Well, you can study just as well in the common room, can't you? Weren't you listening when I said to exercise caution?"
"And to travel with more than one person," Rachel added.
"I only meant when you really needed to. Now go to Gryffindor common room. Go!" And she shooed them out of the unused classroom.
Liz didn't get to practice on humans anymore. She barely got to practice at all. No one would let anyone out, even in groups of three. Everyone had to be supervised at all times. And on top of that, homework piled up again in preparation for exams.
"They're thinking about exams at a time like this?" Rachel complained under a load of books.
In the second week of May, Liz, Rachel, and Michael went to visit Chris. He was trying to help Hagrid control some sort of creature with a head like a cat and a rear like a dragon (albeit a very small one). The cathead kept breathing fire.
"Hold on jus' a minute," Hagrid said, grabbing for the cat-dragon and missing.
"Hagrid!" Chris yelled. "What are we going to call this thing?"
"Well," Hagrid answered, "it's a cat and a dragon, how about a caggon?"
"Or a drat," Chris said. "That what I thought when it escaped."
Eventually, they lured it back into its cage with some tuna mixed with meat for its dragon side and took a rest. Hagrid breathed deeply. Chris led them inside.
"Hagrid really is working hard for his Care of Magical Creatures classes. He's taken to breeding," Chris said.
It was an unspoken conclusion after seeing the drat that Chris meant illegal breeding.
"How've you been?" Rachel asked.
"Pretty good. And you all?"
All three said, "Fine."
"Yeah, it's been pretty boring for a while. I mean besides all the drats." He grinned. "But you remember way back at the beginning of the year when I told you I saw that stranger on the grounds. Well, I saw him again in the middle of April sometime. Don't tell Hagrid, but I gave him some food. I feel sorry for the man."
"Mid-April?" Liz asked suddenly. "What day?"
"Well, let's see...it was the day after Hagrid's birthday on April, erm, fourteenth, I believe? That would make it the fifteenth."
"That's the day Wesley and Ashley went missing," Michael said.
There was a tense pause, and then Rachel asked fearfully, "Does that mean he had something to do with it?"
"Maybe," answered Chris. "Maybe not. It could be a coincidence."
"I doubt it," Liz said quietly. "Chris, what did he look like?"
"He had a cloak on. I thought it would be rude to ask him to take it off if he didn't do it himself."
At that moment, Hagrid barged in, carrying a rattling box that housed the drat. "Why do you all look so glum?"
"It's been a long week, Hagrid," Chris said. "And they've had a lot of homework."
"Glad ter see you three getting' along so well," Hagrid said, taking a seat near the empty fireplace.
They visited a little while longer, and then Liz reminded Rachel and Michael that they had to practice Transfiguration for their exam tomorrow. They said goodbye and left.
"You don't think that man—"
"I don't want to think about it right now, Rachel," said Liz.
The days passed on in tense apprehension. No one doubted the culprit would strike again, least of all Liz, Rachel, Michael, and Chris. No one was allowed outside the common room after six, when dinner ended. Everyone stayed in the common room until almost midnight, and then they went up to the dorms in packs, as if they believed that if they were alone for three minutes, they too would vanish into thin air.
Exams were a month away. Some of the first-years were beginning to panic. Alberta Monroe and Bettie Hess frantically quizzed each other at every meal. Liz would have felt compelled to help them, but Bettie hadn't spoken to her since the Valentine's Day Dance fiasco.
One such evening, Bettie and Alberta were especially noisy. Michael was quizzing Rachel, and Liz was studying by herself. Looking up, she noticed Professor McGonagall whispering in Professor Weasley's ear. Michael's mother's eyes were filling with tears.
"Look," she muttered to Rachel and Michael.
"I wonder what's wrong," Rachel said.
Michael leaped up and rushed to his mother, and they spoke together in low voices. Michael's eyes widened and began welling up, too.
"Something's the matter," Liz said ominously.
Professor McGonagall stood and waited for the chatter to die down. "Attention, students. There has been another disappearance."
Liz's breath caught in her throat. She knew what was coming next.
"Jessica Weasley is missing."
Michael's mother stood with her face in her hands and rushed out of the Great Hall. Rachel leaned over to Liz and muttered, "Should we tell McGonagall about that man?"
Liz shrugged, trying to swallow her food, but her throat wasn't working properly. Michael sat back down, suffering in silence. Liz felt an instant rush of sorrow. How could this be happening?
The sun set on a castle filled with fear.
The rest of the day was spent at classes. After that, Liz found an empty classroom and tried the Disappearing Charm. It was extremely difficult, probably something on the sixth-years' exams. But Liz was determined to master it. It was like her mother's birthday present, even more valuable than a Wizarding Wireless: the knowledge of a spell.
Liz practiced and practiced until she could finally make an object disappear and reappear at the other side of the room. It took weeks to manage the spell completely: She made something disappear, and then she ran to see if it had appeared in the dorm on her bed.
"Will you do me a favor?" Liz asked Rachel and Michael over dinner one evening in mid-April.
"What?" Rachel asked doubtfully.
"I need to practice this spell. And I need test subjects. Please?"
"What does it do?" Michael inquired.
"It makes things and people disappear from one place to the other."
After some pleading, Rachel finally relented. Michael soon agreed, too. "If," he said, "and only if, you help me write my essay for Charms."
"Fine," said Liz. "Can you do it after—"
But she was cut off when Professor McGonagall stood and cleared her throat for attention. "I'm afraid to say there have been two more disappearances." She waited for the noise to subside. "Wesley Aelvoet of Ravenclaw and Ashley Turner of Hufflepuff are missing."
Jessica Weasley dropped her spoon. Audible gasps were heard all over the Great Hall.
"Never fear, chil—oh, erm, never mind," Professor Garb said, catching the glare Professor Weasley was shooting at him.
"Though I needn't remind you," McGonagall continued, "we are dealing with a particularly horrible crisis. Travel with more than one person. Practice extreme caution. Thank you."
Talking broke out again. Michael had a pained look on is face. "I wish Garb would really try to look for them."
"He'd probably do more harm than help," Liz said.
"That's for sure," Rachel agreed. "He's a coward."
"I believe dinner's over," Liz said. "Shall we go? And yes, Michael, I'll help you with your Charms essay."
"But McGonagall said to be careful," Rachel said.
"She also said to travel with more than one person. Come on!"
They left the Great Hall amidst fervent, worried chatter and found the unused classroom Liz used to practice. "Okay, you stand there, Rachel, and Michael, you stand there."
"Do I have to?" Michael said.
"Yes," Liz replied firmly. "Michael, I'll do you first. Ready?"
"I'm really not sure, I—"
"Disapparatus!" Liz cried, pointing her wand at him and concentrating. Michael disappeared.
"Where'd you send him?" Rachel asked in amazement.
"If all went well—" Liz began, barely able to contain her laughter, but Michael burst the door open and interrupted.
"Why'd you send me to the girls' bathroom?" he panted, his chest heaving. "What the heck were you thinking?"
"She was thinking it would be funny," Rachel gasped between giggles. "She was right."
"Your turn," Liz said, turning to Rachel.
"If you send me to the boys' bathroom..."
"Disapparatus!" Liz cried, and Rachel was gone.
"Where'd you send her?" asked Michael.
"Just outside."
"What? That's not fair!"
Liz just smiled as Rachel came bursting in. "That was great, Liz!" she exclaimed. "You can really do the spell! Where did you learn it?"
"I—in a book," Liz said. She mentally kicked herself. She would have to tell her friends the truth sooner or later; otherwise, this lie would snowball into something she couldn't handle.
They practiced for a little while longer, and Liz didn't send them anywhere embarrassing again. At six, Professor McGonagall burst in. "What are you three doing in here?"
"Studying," Michael said simply. Liz stayed silent.
"Well, you can study just as well in the common room, can't you? Weren't you listening when I said to exercise caution?"
"And to travel with more than one person," Rachel added.
"I only meant when you really needed to. Now go to Gryffindor common room. Go!" And she shooed them out of the unused classroom.
Liz didn't get to practice on humans anymore. She barely got to practice at all. No one would let anyone out, even in groups of three. Everyone had to be supervised at all times. And on top of that, homework piled up again in preparation for exams.
"They're thinking about exams at a time like this?" Rachel complained under a load of books.
In the second week of May, Liz, Rachel, and Michael went to visit Chris. He was trying to help Hagrid control some sort of creature with a head like a cat and a rear like a dragon (albeit a very small one). The cathead kept breathing fire.
"Hold on jus' a minute," Hagrid said, grabbing for the cat-dragon and missing.
"Hagrid!" Chris yelled. "What are we going to call this thing?"
"Well," Hagrid answered, "it's a cat and a dragon, how about a caggon?"
"Or a drat," Chris said. "That what I thought when it escaped."
Eventually, they lured it back into its cage with some tuna mixed with meat for its dragon side and took a rest. Hagrid breathed deeply. Chris led them inside.
"Hagrid really is working hard for his Care of Magical Creatures classes. He's taken to breeding," Chris said.
It was an unspoken conclusion after seeing the drat that Chris meant illegal breeding.
"How've you been?" Rachel asked.
"Pretty good. And you all?"
All three said, "Fine."
"Yeah, it's been pretty boring for a while. I mean besides all the drats." He grinned. "But you remember way back at the beginning of the year when I told you I saw that stranger on the grounds. Well, I saw him again in the middle of April sometime. Don't tell Hagrid, but I gave him some food. I feel sorry for the man."
"Mid-April?" Liz asked suddenly. "What day?"
"Well, let's see...it was the day after Hagrid's birthday on April, erm, fourteenth, I believe? That would make it the fifteenth."
"That's the day Wesley and Ashley went missing," Michael said.
There was a tense pause, and then Rachel asked fearfully, "Does that mean he had something to do with it?"
"Maybe," answered Chris. "Maybe not. It could be a coincidence."
"I doubt it," Liz said quietly. "Chris, what did he look like?"
"He had a cloak on. I thought it would be rude to ask him to take it off if he didn't do it himself."
At that moment, Hagrid barged in, carrying a rattling box that housed the drat. "Why do you all look so glum?"
"It's been a long week, Hagrid," Chris said. "And they've had a lot of homework."
"Glad ter see you three getting' along so well," Hagrid said, taking a seat near the empty fireplace.
They visited a little while longer, and then Liz reminded Rachel and Michael that they had to practice Transfiguration for their exam tomorrow. They said goodbye and left.
"You don't think that man—"
"I don't want to think about it right now, Rachel," said Liz.
The days passed on in tense apprehension. No one doubted the culprit would strike again, least of all Liz, Rachel, Michael, and Chris. No one was allowed outside the common room after six, when dinner ended. Everyone stayed in the common room until almost midnight, and then they went up to the dorms in packs, as if they believed that if they were alone for three minutes, they too would vanish into thin air.
Exams were a month away. Some of the first-years were beginning to panic. Alberta Monroe and Bettie Hess frantically quizzed each other at every meal. Liz would have felt compelled to help them, but Bettie hadn't spoken to her since the Valentine's Day Dance fiasco.
One such evening, Bettie and Alberta were especially noisy. Michael was quizzing Rachel, and Liz was studying by herself. Looking up, she noticed Professor McGonagall whispering in Professor Weasley's ear. Michael's mother's eyes were filling with tears.
"Look," she muttered to Rachel and Michael.
"I wonder what's wrong," Rachel said.
Michael leaped up and rushed to his mother, and they spoke together in low voices. Michael's eyes widened and began welling up, too.
"Something's the matter," Liz said ominously.
Professor McGonagall stood and waited for the chatter to die down. "Attention, students. There has been another disappearance."
Liz's breath caught in her throat. She knew what was coming next.
"Jessica Weasley is missing."
Michael's mother stood with her face in her hands and rushed out of the Great Hall. Rachel leaned over to Liz and muttered, "Should we tell McGonagall about that man?"
Liz shrugged, trying to swallow her food, but her throat wasn't working properly. Michael sat back down, suffering in silence. Liz felt an instant rush of sorrow. How could this be happening?
The sun set on a castle filled with fear.