"I can't believe she did that!"

"Well, I guess you were being a little harsh, Liz."

"Shut up! She shouldn't have attacked Maya like that, Adam!"
Adam shook the panther to wake up. "If she's not awake soon, she's not going to be able to turn back and a teacher's going to find out about her."

"What should we do? We can't bring her to the nurse."

"Just keep prodding her until she wakes up, alright?"

Liz nodded and continued shaking the still feline as Adam walked away.

"Where're you going?"

"Er…the loo." Adam didn't so much as blink as he made the lie. He was actually planning on going back to the common room to talk to Tina and see if she had simmered yet.

"At a time like this?" Liz replied incredulously. Adam nodded,

"When you got to go, you got to go."

"Ugh. Fine."

Adam made his way back to the Slytherin common room ("Green tears," he said as the picture swung open) to find Christina, still a little pink and wet in the eyes, sitting on a large chair, holding a chocolate frog.

"Who gave you that?"

"My date to the Halloween dance." Adam raised his eyebrows,

"Who?"

"Draco," Tina smiled, even though it was obvious she had been crying beforehand. Adam whistled, "Wow."

"Are you going with anyone yet?"

"I can't really decide between two girls," Adam admitted. Tina took a bite out of her candy, "and these lucky girls are?"

"Ginny Weasley and Her -"

"ARGH!" Tina shot up from her seat and yelled, "I don't ever want to hear about another stupid Gryffindor ever again, you hear me?" She flung the wrapper and the Dumbledore card into the empty fire and ran to the girls' dorms. Adam winced as she slammed the door behind her.

"Sirius! Harry!"

They were both walking down from the boy's dorms and stared as Liz was using a levitation spell to drift the unconscious panther into the room.

"What is that?" Sirius asked, wide eyed.

"'That is Maya," Liz answered. She gently placed the animal on the floor. Harry and Sirius knelt down beside it.

"What can we do? She won't wake up and she's stuck like this if she doesn't!" Liz panicked. Sirius placed a hand on the chest of the animal and said, "She's still alive."

"Who attacked her? With what?"

Liz paused for a moment, fumbling for an answer.

"Malfoy…with a disarming spell."

Harry clenched a fist. "That bastard."

"Here," said Sirius, "There's a spell that can force her back to her normal state." He pulled out his wand, mumbled a spell, then tapped the panther with his wand tip. Before their eyes, the panther melted away and revealed Maya, sprawled on the floor, still unconscious.

Liz anxiously looked at Sirius, "She's still not awake."

"That must've been some spell," Sirius spoke. Harry cracked his knuckles as Sirius continued, "She'll probably arouse in a few minutes. When was she knocked out?"

"About ten minutes ago."

"She'll be fine then. Just put her in her bed," He placed a hand on Maya's arm as he looked at Liz, "Please. Make sure she'll be comfortable when she wakes up."

She nodded, "Alright."

Ginny had then chosen that moment to climb through the portrait hole.

"What happened? What's going on?" She stared at Maya,

"Who's she? She's not a Gryffindor!"

"That's Liz's friend, Maya. She's a Ravenclaw, but she's been knocked out. She'll be fine," Harry informed her.

Ginny nodded, "Alright. Oh, and Harry?"

Harry looked at her, "Yeah?"

"Do…do you think you'll go to the Halloween dance with me?" She turned red, "I haven't really got a date yet. I hope we'd go more as friends, you know?"

Ow. Liz stared down at herself. Something just hurt her from inside.

"Well, ah…" Harry glanced at Liz, then Sirius then Ginny before bowing his head so not to look her in the eye, "Sorry, Ginny. I don't think I can."

"Oh," Ginny turned a shade of darker red, "Alright then." She was about to walk out of the common room when Sirius offered, "Ginny, I'll go to the dance with you."
Ginny's face brightened up. "Thanks, Sirius," she replied as she left the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, that was nice of you," Liz gave him a look, "Why did you…?"

"Harry, I'm off to the Owlery, do you want to come?"
Harry shook his head, "No, I'm going to stay here with Liz."

"Okay," and with that, Sirius left the room. Liz stared at Harry, "I don't see why you're hanging around here, I'm just going to watch over Maya."

"Yeah, well…" Harry turned a little pink as he scratched the back of his neck. Liz gulped. Uh oh.

"I - I didn't really think I'd ever really have the chance to ask you alone since you're always with your friends but," Harry paused, he was as nervous as hell, "do you want to go to the Halloween dance with me?"

Liz felt herself flush. It was a weird sensation.

"Um, sure. Of course I will."

"Oh, uh," Harry didn't quite know how to respond to that,

"thanks." Harry wanted to smack himself for such a dumb reply. But to his surprise, Liz smiled a little and said, "Anytime."

"Meredith!"

She turned around and saw Tina running towards here, "What's new?"

"Meredith! Draco asked me to the dance!" She squealed. Meredith couldn't be happier.

"Tina, that is so awesome!"

"So, do you have a date yet?"

Meredith flashed a look of disappointment. "No."

"Anyone in mind?"

"Yeah, but he's going with someone else."

Tina looked at her sadly, "I'm sorry. Who is it?"

Meredith sighed, "Roger Davies. He's going with Maya." Tina caught her breath. Oh my god, she thought, I hope she'll be okay.

"That's…too bad," Tina picked herself up from her brain jam,

"What about Goyle? I think he fancies you."

"Oh please," Meredith blushed a little, "Well, only if he asks me and don't you put him up to it!"

Tina smiled, "I won't have to. Here he comes right now."
Meredith whirled around and found that Tina was right - Goyle was heading her way.