Evie landed on the floor with a thud. Fortunately for her she wasn't hurt.Groaning she sat up and looked around her trying to see in the darkness.
It was some sort of a corridor, extremely long with only two doors at each end.
"Cathy?" Evie called out when she heard a scuffling in the corner farthest from her.
"Evie?" Cathy called out. "Is that you?" The scuffling noise stopped.
"Yes Cathy it's me, are you alright?"
"I think so".
"Where are you?"
"Over here".
Evie moved towards Cathy's voice. "The others are coming Cathy, then we'll get out of here ok?"
"I don't know where the doors lead yet? I haven't had a look".
"Don't worry about that until the others arrive".
"How did you know how to follow me?"
"You were standing on some oddly coloured ground. That usually indicates a spell".
"Oh".
"OUCH!" A voice from the corner where Evie had come from cried out.
"You alright Lessa?" Evie called out.
"I think so, what just happened?"
"You came through the magical hidden way".
"What?"
"Never mind that now".
"We're over here Lessa" Cathy called out.
"Cathy!" Lessa answered back.
"Quickly Lessa! Over here before someone else comes!" Evie reached out and pulled her over to them.
"Cathy!" Lessa cried breathlessly. "You're alright!"
"Yeah I'm fine".
A thud announced the arrival of Char and Nancy.
"Char? Nancy? Which one of you is it?"
"Both" Char was getting accustomed to the darkness.
"Is Cathy here?" Nancy called out.
"We're all over here". Cathy cried out.
Nancy and Char crawled over to where they were all huddled.
"How do we get out of here?" Nancy asked.
"The doors". Evie motioned to them with her hand.
"Right and which one first?"
Evie looked at Nancy. "We take our pick I guess".
Lessa stood up and walked over to the door closest to them. "Let's try this one first".
As soon as she stood near the door the candles that hung from the wall on either side lit.
"Is that flame blue?" Cathy was puzzled.
"Open the door Lessa but be slow and careful". Evie instructed.
Lessa nodded and slowly began turn the handle. A voice in the door called out and nearly frightened her. "State your name".
"My name's Lessa".
The door slowly opened.
Inside was a Gothic club. The walls were dark with black candles in brackets everywhere.
There was a space in the middle of the room for dancing and a stage on the other side for live performances. Tables with black velvet table-cloths and black velvet backed chairs were placed at the sides.
The others all came to stand beside Lessa staring at the room with amazement.
"Can I help you?"
They swung around to face a man with a white face and a lot of black eye-liner and lipstick. He was standing behind the bar wiping crystal goblets with a black cloth.
Evie stepped forward. "My name's Evie and these are my friends". She pointed them out to the man. "We came here quite by accident".
The man looked at their robes. "Hogwarts students are you?"
They all nodded.
The man came over and held out his black painted nailed hand. "I'm Craven".
Evie shook hands. "What is this place?"
"This". Craven waved towards the room. "Is the Black Lilly Gothic Club!"
"Gothic Club!" Lessa was excited. "You mean other Gothic's socialize here?"
Craven nodded. "Of course".
"Wow!" Lessa breathed.
"Please come in!" Craven waved them towards a table. "The club doesn't open til 9pm but if you can wait till I finish wiping these glasses I can show you out".
They came in and sat down, staring everywhere.
Craven went back to his job. "So how did you all get here?"
"The dark patch of ground in the side alley of Hogsmeade".
Craven looked at Evie. "You discovered the secret entrance?"
"Actually it was Cathy here that discovered it quite by accident".
Cathy nodded. Craven shook his head. "I warned them this would happen".
Lessa glanced at the stage. "Do you get live bands in to perform?"
Craven nodded. "Yes every Saturday night from 9pm".
"Who have you got coming in tonight?" Lessa was curious.
A wicked smile appeared on his face. "Tonight we have a very special performance. I expect most of our regulars will be here for the show".
"Who is it then?"
Craven looked at Lessa. "Have you heard of Evanescence?"
Lessa's eyes nearly came out of her head. "Are you kidding me?"
"Certainly not! I don't lie about these sorts of things!"
Lessa started screaming and running about the room madly. Evie looked away from her. A tug on her shoulder and she was staring at Lessa again.
"Evie we have to come here tonight!"
"It's a bar Lessa! We're too young!"
Craven overheard them. "Anyone is allowed in here but only 18 year olds and over may have alcoholic drinks but people of your age usually are just asked to behave themselves as there's no rule here stating that you can't".
"See!" Lessa was pleading. "Please we have to sneak out!"
"Well". Evie was torn. "We'll see".
"I'd like to try and come here". Char added.
"Me too" Cathy whispered.
Nancy shrugged.
"How much do you charge for entrance?"
Craven looked up from a goblet. "Only for the drinks but all the prices are fair". He finished the goblet and put it away under the counter. The cloth was neatly folded off to the side. "Ready to go back? I think there's a feast at Hogwarts for you tonight".
"There is". Evie smiled. "How did you know?"
"I used to be a student". He walked out into the corridor and opened the other door.
They all followed him up the staircase that had been hidden behind the door.
"Most people don't use this corridor anymore". Craven went on to say.
"Why's that?" Char wondered.
"Well let's face it, most people like to keep with the times. Magic has advanced dramatically in the last century".
"Oh". Char became silent.
After awhile the corridor ended and a small stone ramp led up to a trap door.
"Up here" Vincent pointed to the trap-door. "That leads to the main street".
They all thanked him and headed up the ramp. Craven walked back down the corridor.
The trap-door was opened and they all climbed out onto the street. The sun was just starting to go down. "We'd better hurry!" Evie started to run.
The others followed her down the now nearly deserted street and back up to the school.
They arrived panting back at their dormitory and emptied their pockets hurriedly before racing back down to the Great Hall for the feast.
"I hope we're not late!" Char was worried.
They fell into a seat at the Gryffindor table before anyone noticed that they were gone.
Laura however had been watching out for them all afternoon. "Evie!" She waved.
Evie smiled and waved back.
Laura slid down to sit next to her. "How was Hogsmeade?"
"Excellent! Honeydukes is really amazing!"
"How come you didn't come back with the others?"
"How late am I?"
"They all came back about half an hour ago, where were you?"
"We got lost but we found our way again".
"How can you get lost on the main street?"
"We weren't on the main street".
"Oh".
After the feast they all went back to the common room and sat around the fireplace.
Evie handed out all the candy she had brought back for her friends before yawning and heading off to bed. "Night everyone!"
"Night!"