Will thought about Autumn a lot during dinner - he couldn't seem to get her
out of his head. Afterwards as he was leaving the Great Hall he saw her
standing waiting for him. He smiled and began to walk over to her. She
smiled back when she saw him. "Hello Will, how was your dinner?" she asked.
"It was ok, you?" Will replied as he reached her. They stood under the arch at one end of the Great Hall.
"Good. Ok, hurry and follow me," she said abruptly, turning and quickly walking out of the Great Hall, taking one of the corridors and hurrying down it.
"Uh, sure," replied Will, trailing along behind her, slightly surprised at this sudden departure. He followed Autumn as she led him through the corridors of Hogwarts, no idea where they were or where they were headed to. "Where are we going Autumn?" he asked her.
Autumn stopped somewhere along the Transfiguration hallway. "Sorry, you see..." she said, turning around to face him, "we aren't allowed to be out after midnight, it's against school rules, but we're gonna break the rules just this time..." She laughed a little.
Will laughed as well. "So what are we doing here?" he asked.
"I'm gonna show you around the castle," she said, beginning to lead him further down the corridor. "Right, now on your left, that door leads to the Transfiguration classroom."
Will looked to where Autumn was pointing. "Ok, and what's that down there?" he said, pointing to the far end of the hallway. Autumn walked over to where he was pointing, and pressed a particular brick on the wall, making a secret passage slide open.
"Wow, a secret passage, I heard about these!" said Will excitedly, "apparently they're all over the castle. Where does it lead?" he asked.
"Follow me" she said, entering the passage. They followed the tunnel for about a minute, emerging abruptly into another corridor, in the Slytherin area of the castle. "To you left is the Potions classroom," she informed him, "this is the easiest and fastest way get to Potions."
"You know this is kinda exciting to be breaking school rules like this, sneaking around the castle after dark, don't you think?" Will said, a little breathlessly.
Autumn grinned at him. "Yes it is - I've been doing this for ages. It's about the only real entertainment there is."
"Cool, so who do you usually sneak out with," Will asked, "don't tell me you wander around the castle at night on your own."
Autumn looked slightly worried for a second. "Oh, I usually sneak out with my friend Anna," she said quickly, "she's in her dorm studying tonight..." but Will interrupted her before she could finish.
"Shhh... did you hear something?" he listened intently. "I thought I heard footsteps, over there down that corridor." They both stood there in the dark listening. Slowly they both heard the sound of footsteps growing louder - someone was walking down the corridor towards them. Then there was the unmistakable sound of voices - it was two teachers talking, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall. Autumn grabbed Will's wrist and pulled him back into the secret passage, closing the door behind them. Will's heart was pounding as he stood there in the dark with her. It was still only his first day at Hogwarts, and already he was getting into trouble - sneaking around with a girl, nearly getting caught by teachers. Outside the passage the sound of footsteps drew nearer, and Will was able to make out what they were saying.
"Well of course it was investigated," came the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice, "Dumbledore and I looked into it personally, but we were able to find no evidence of any wrongdoing."
"And the boy?" Snape said coldly.
"Dumbledore was suspicious of him, he can be placed in the area at the time, but there was no proof. He's still here, under close watch of course."
"Come on!" Autumn hissed at Will, beginning to pull him along the secret passage and away from the voices. Will followed reluctantly, eager to find out what Snape and McGonagall were talking about, but their voices had already faded, muffled by the walls of the passage. They hurried into the Ravenclaw common room, Autumn calling out the password as they got to the portrait hole, "Terracotta." They collapsed onto one of the many sofas in the deserted common room, breathing deeply. "Okay, that's better," Autumn said eventually. "This wasn't happening the way I planned it. I hadn't planned to have teachers in our way," she added, laughing a little.
"It's ok," Will replied, smiling, "it was kinda exhilarating to almost get caught anyway." He looked around the room they were in for the first time. "Hey, isn't this the Ravenclaw common room? Am I even allowed in here since I'm a Gryffindor?"
"It's alright, don't worry," Autumn answered him. "This is a safe common room - the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs are allowed in here, but the Slytherins have to stay out."
"It's getting kinda late" said Will, feeling as if he'd had quite enough excitement for one night. "I should probably head back to Gryffindor now." He got up to leave.
"Okay, see you tomorrow Will," Autumn replied, smiling warmly at him.
"See you tomorrow Autumn. I had fun tonight - thanks for showing me around." He smiled at her in return.
"Anytime Will, goodnight." Autumn got up and headed up the staircase towards her dormitory, Will exited through the portrait hole and began to make his way back to Gryffindor, listening out closely for the sound of any other teachers on the prowl. He sneaked through the castle without seeing anyone else on the way, and crept back into his own dorm.
"It was ok, you?" Will replied as he reached her. They stood under the arch at one end of the Great Hall.
"Good. Ok, hurry and follow me," she said abruptly, turning and quickly walking out of the Great Hall, taking one of the corridors and hurrying down it.
"Uh, sure," replied Will, trailing along behind her, slightly surprised at this sudden departure. He followed Autumn as she led him through the corridors of Hogwarts, no idea where they were or where they were headed to. "Where are we going Autumn?" he asked her.
Autumn stopped somewhere along the Transfiguration hallway. "Sorry, you see..." she said, turning around to face him, "we aren't allowed to be out after midnight, it's against school rules, but we're gonna break the rules just this time..." She laughed a little.
Will laughed as well. "So what are we doing here?" he asked.
"I'm gonna show you around the castle," she said, beginning to lead him further down the corridor. "Right, now on your left, that door leads to the Transfiguration classroom."
Will looked to where Autumn was pointing. "Ok, and what's that down there?" he said, pointing to the far end of the hallway. Autumn walked over to where he was pointing, and pressed a particular brick on the wall, making a secret passage slide open.
"Wow, a secret passage, I heard about these!" said Will excitedly, "apparently they're all over the castle. Where does it lead?" he asked.
"Follow me" she said, entering the passage. They followed the tunnel for about a minute, emerging abruptly into another corridor, in the Slytherin area of the castle. "To you left is the Potions classroom," she informed him, "this is the easiest and fastest way get to Potions."
"You know this is kinda exciting to be breaking school rules like this, sneaking around the castle after dark, don't you think?" Will said, a little breathlessly.
Autumn grinned at him. "Yes it is - I've been doing this for ages. It's about the only real entertainment there is."
"Cool, so who do you usually sneak out with," Will asked, "don't tell me you wander around the castle at night on your own."
Autumn looked slightly worried for a second. "Oh, I usually sneak out with my friend Anna," she said quickly, "she's in her dorm studying tonight..." but Will interrupted her before she could finish.
"Shhh... did you hear something?" he listened intently. "I thought I heard footsteps, over there down that corridor." They both stood there in the dark listening. Slowly they both heard the sound of footsteps growing louder - someone was walking down the corridor towards them. Then there was the unmistakable sound of voices - it was two teachers talking, Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall. Autumn grabbed Will's wrist and pulled him back into the secret passage, closing the door behind them. Will's heart was pounding as he stood there in the dark with her. It was still only his first day at Hogwarts, and already he was getting into trouble - sneaking around with a girl, nearly getting caught by teachers. Outside the passage the sound of footsteps drew nearer, and Will was able to make out what they were saying.
"Well of course it was investigated," came the sound of Professor McGonagall's voice, "Dumbledore and I looked into it personally, but we were able to find no evidence of any wrongdoing."
"And the boy?" Snape said coldly.
"Dumbledore was suspicious of him, he can be placed in the area at the time, but there was no proof. He's still here, under close watch of course."
"Come on!" Autumn hissed at Will, beginning to pull him along the secret passage and away from the voices. Will followed reluctantly, eager to find out what Snape and McGonagall were talking about, but their voices had already faded, muffled by the walls of the passage. They hurried into the Ravenclaw common room, Autumn calling out the password as they got to the portrait hole, "Terracotta." They collapsed onto one of the many sofas in the deserted common room, breathing deeply. "Okay, that's better," Autumn said eventually. "This wasn't happening the way I planned it. I hadn't planned to have teachers in our way," she added, laughing a little.
"It's ok," Will replied, smiling, "it was kinda exhilarating to almost get caught anyway." He looked around the room they were in for the first time. "Hey, isn't this the Ravenclaw common room? Am I even allowed in here since I'm a Gryffindor?"
"It's alright, don't worry," Autumn answered him. "This is a safe common room - the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs are allowed in here, but the Slytherins have to stay out."
"It's getting kinda late" said Will, feeling as if he'd had quite enough excitement for one night. "I should probably head back to Gryffindor now." He got up to leave.
"Okay, see you tomorrow Will," Autumn replied, smiling warmly at him.
"See you tomorrow Autumn. I had fun tonight - thanks for showing me around." He smiled at her in return.
"Anytime Will, goodnight." Autumn got up and headed up the staircase towards her dormitory, Will exited through the portrait hole and began to make his way back to Gryffindor, listening out closely for the sound of any other teachers on the prowl. He sneaked through the castle without seeing anyone else on the way, and crept back into his own dorm.