Harry and Kelly tumbled out into the Entrance Hall, rolling on the ground until they stopped, never letting go of each other's hand. When they finally stopped, neither of them moved.

"HARRY!" That sounded like Riles….

"KELLY!" That sounded like May….

A rush of feet and noise came toward them. That would be the rest of the gang….

"Are you all right?"
"Harry, what happened?"

"When Kelly told Serenity she needed to get into the Banished Realm because you were in there, she didn't explain…."

"And Serenity was so eager to banish someone, even if they'd get back out again…."

"She'd just been talking about it before Kelly walked in…."

"Who cares about Kelly? Harry, are you all right?"

Kelly and Harry slowly sat up. They looked at each other and couldn't help but grin. Riles didn't care about Kelly. They were back at Hogwarts all right.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!" a loud voice rang through the hall. McGonagall walked up to them, bewildered by what was going on.

"Professor, we--" Harry started.

"I'll handle it," Kelly interrupted. "You go on up to the common room."

Harry shook his head. "I'm staying."

Kelly looked at him. "As you wish…." She turned back to McGonagall. "We were in Hogsmeade--Hasty's Diner, to be exact. Four Death Eaters entered. They took Ron and Hermione. I chased the Death Eaters who took them, but lost the Death Eaters. On my way back to Hasty's Diner, I heard Bellatrix Lestrange. I hid, and she was laughing to another about how she banished Harry. I came back to Hogwarts immediately, and asked Serenity to open the Banished Realm to get him out. And so here we are."

No one spoke. After a moment of unbelieving silence, it was Harry, surprisingly, who spoke. "Ron and Hermione… are gone?"

Kelly looked at him. "I'm sorry. I couldn't get to them."

Harry didn't move. Numb disbelief was overtaking him. Moments passed in total silence.

"Potter, go to your dorm and go to sleep. I do not want to see you until tomorrow morning," McGonagall said. "Damen, come with me. We are going to go see the Headmaster. You eight will go… somewhere… just go and don't talk to Potter. If I find out you've been bothering him…."

"All right, all right, Minerva," Vikki said.

"We're going!" Bunny said.

They flew off looking very much like they wanted to do exactly what they'd been told not to.

"Potter, bed!" McGonagall barked.

Harry jumped. "Aight," he said, and started walking away. "Night, Kelly."

"Don't let the bed bugs bite," Kelly joked.

Harry gave a slight grin and he walked away. "I won't."

Harry walked up the stairs to the second floor and heard footsteps close behind, followed by hurried whispered voices. He didn't need to look back; he knew McGonagall and Kelly were on their way behind him to see Dumbledore.

Harry tried to slow down, to hear what they were saying, but they were speaking too quietly. The most he could hear was special… Harry… Death Eaters… Dumbledore… Ron and Hermione… idea…

Harry continued up the stairs, thinking. Where were Ron and Hermione?

"Banana Nut," Harry said a few minutes later as he reached the Fat Lady.

The portrait opened and everyone immediately looked at him.

"HARRY!"

"Harry, what happened?"

"We saw Hasty's Diner, and Mrs. Hasty said some guys came after you, Kelly, Ron, and Hermione!"

"Harry, what's up?"

Harry looked around at everyone. He sighed and took a deep breathe. "Some Death Eaters have kidnapped Ron and Hermione. Kelly is talking to McGonagall and Dumbledore."

Several people gasped. Whispers were erupting like wildfire. Harry didn't care, however. He marched up to his dorm and slammed the door. He walked straight over to Ron's bed and opened the curtains, as though his best friend had been sleeping the whole day. The bed was empty.

Harry walked over to his trunk and dug through it until he found what he was looking for. The Secret Students' Instant Write was blank, but the Apprentices' was zooming with all eight witches.

Harry grabbed a quill and ink bottle, though doubting he'd use them, sat down on his bed, and closed the curtains, just in case someone came in.

Banished?

Yes. Bellatrix Lestrange banished him, and Kelly went to get him out.

Yeah, but--

Serenity, be quiet.

What?

These lines are not always secure. Face to face is best if you're about to say something like that.

Fine.

Weren't there any clues to where Ron and Hermione were taken?

Well…

Speak now or I'll make sure you have no peace.

That is so corny.

SPEAK!

Well, because of some information Dumbledore's found, Voldemort--

GOLDILOCKS!

… "Goldilocks" is supposed to be hanging around Malfoy Manor.

There's a surprise.

Yes, but all the same.

So you're saying you think that's where Ron and Hermione are?

I'd bet my life on it.

okay, then I have a question: Why are we still sitting here?

That's the best question I've heard all day.

Because it would be positively foolish to go into Malfoy Manor at this point. We've got no proof that that's where they were taken! If we barged in there without a warrant, for starters, and they weren't in there….

But they are!

Give us proof. Give us proof and we'll bust their door and make them pay for it. We'll search the house until we find them, and then leave in glorious appraisal.

You forgot a major part, Vik.

What?

Voldemort.

GOLDILOCKS!

… Goldilocks … Right, well, the highlight would be us battling Goldilocks, for which, mind you, we'd probably die.

But why does… Goldilocks want them? Well, I guess that's a rather stupid question.

Indeed. He's luring Harry, if that's not obvious. I hope Harry has enough sense to see the bait.

Harry knows. He's not stupid. Not stupid enough to go alone, that is.

What do you mean?

Oh, C rystal, isn't it obvious? He likes Kelly. Kelly likes him. They wouldn't let the other go on a life-threatening journey alone. Well, not without them, anyways….

What was that supposed to mean? Sure he liked her, but maybe not as much as the Secret Students were suggesting.

Someone walked into the room and closed the dorm door behind them. "Harry?"

Harry quickly hid everything under his bed and opened the curtains. "Yeah, Neville?"

"Well, I just came to tell you… um… the dance is gonna start in half an hour and Kelly's back. She's in the common room, but says she not going to tell anyone anything unless you tell her otherwise," Neville said.

"Oh…" Harry could picture the image. "Thanks."

Neville nodded and exited. Harry got down and looked at the Instant Write. Now the Secret Students were talking about cows. Harry was quite confused as to how the conversation went to, in Bunny's words, "Pretty pink Callahan cows", but was quite certain he didn't want to know. He put the paper back in his trunk, the quill and ink bottle back where they belonged, and went out to the common room.

Kelly was sitting in a chair, many people sitting around her, begging her to tell them what happened.

"No," Kelly said, exasperated, giving Harry the impression this was the hundredth time she'd said it. "Not unless Harry says."

"Harry!" someone exclaimed, and everyone turned his direction. In moments, he was bombarded with people, begging him to tell his own account of the story, or give Kelly permission to tell them.

Harry worked his way over toward Kelly herself and whispered, "Can we talk?"

Kelly nodded and stood. She and Harry managed to get their way to the portrait hole, refusing to tell stories for the present. They had to talk.

They climbed out the other side and started walking around the floor, Kelly waiting for him to speak, and Harry trying to figure out how to start.

"I guess," Harry said finally, "that I want to go on… well, an adventure, I guess you'd call it."

Kelly nodded, grinning. "I'd have thought you'd have had enough adventure for one day."

Harry grinned. "Never."

Kelly shook her head. "So what kind of adventure are we partaking tonight?"

Harry smiled a true smile. "I was rather hoping you'd say 'we'. I'd rather not get in trouble with the Secret Students." Kelly's eyes lost the warmth in them, but that was all Harry noticed as to his mentioning of the Secret Students.

"Hey," Harry said, stopping. Kelly stopped too. "what's up with you and Riles? You've hated each other since you first laid eyes on one another."

Kelly looked at him and all she did was blink for a while. When she answered it was in a voice that was about to crack. "Some things are best left unsaid. Unexplained. This is one of them."

Harry slowly nodded, conceding that she wasn't about to tell him… whatever she wasn't telling, which was quite a lot, in Harry's opinion. They started walking again. Harry said straight out what he thought, or rather, what the Secret Students thought.

"Ron and Hermione could be at Malfoy Manor."

Kelly looked at him, but did not stop. "It makes sense."

Harry nodded, agreeing. "I want to go there tonight, but the dance…."

"And that's why you wanted to talk."

Harry nodded again.

"Well, I'm quite all right skipping some ruddy dance in order to save them."

Harry smiled his relief. Kelly returned it. They started walking back toward the portrait hole, but Kelly suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" Harry asked, concerned. She looked dazed, like she had temporarily left her body.

That was exactly what she had done.

"Hello, Harry," she said, turning to him and smiling in what Harry thought was a manic, evil sort of way.

"Um… hi?" Harry said, utterly confused.

"Long time no see. When was the last time I saw you… last June?" Kelly asked.

Harry was silent. He didn't like the sound of this.

"Come on, Harry… don't tell me you don't remember me…. I'll have to remind you in a rather painful way…."

Harry stayed silent again, glaring at the person before him, knowing for certain it wasn't Kelly.

"Let's see… oh yes! Remember? Remember when my faithful servant murdered your godfather?"

Harry's anger was getting the better of him. He had to control it. "I remember."

"Wasn't that such a lovely moment? I so wish I was there to see it… but Bella gave me all the gory details after my anger subsided."

"Be quiet," Harry said quietly, his anger rising quickly.

"I could tell you the details again, in case you forgot. Let's see… Black said, 'Come on, you can do better than that!' Then Bella--"

"SHUT UP!" Harry found himself yelling. "SHUT UP AND BRING KELLY BACK!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Voldemort chided. "You must learn to control that temper of yours. Besides, Kelly's having fun…."

Harry shut up immediately. Then--

"What have you done with her?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing. She's watching… what were their names? Oh, yes, she's watching Weasley and Granger struggle for their lives…."

"LET HER GO!"

Voldemort laughed so hideously Harry almost hit him, but then thought better. If he did, he'd hurt Kelly. Voldemort spoke his last words, "When the clock strikes midnight, say goodbye…."