A/N: Ok, just so you know, this takes place a minute after the ending of chapter 8. So you don't get confused.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I don't own Luna or the Trio. Or Professor McGonagall and Filch. Got it? Get it? Good.
"Sherry, you don't think they're too busy for us? With Luna being pregnant and such?" Haley asked.
"Nope," Sherry replied as she reached into her backpack and withdrew a bag of green powder. "They always have time for us."
"Um...girls? I have no clue what you're talking about," Alex said.
"Oh, Sherry wants to talk to the masters of breaking rules. The Trio. They're like...practically famous around here, you know? Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter..." Halia trailed off.
"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley? I saw there names on a trophy in the trophy room! They closed the chamber of secrets a few years ago, didn't they?" Alex said. Haley stared at him.
"Of course. And Harry is Sherry's brother. And Hermione is my sister..." Haley glanced at her watch. It was already five past 7. "Oh my God! We're late for detention! Come on!" Haley grabbed her boyfriend's hand and they ran out of the portrait hole together.
They almost ran into the Headmistress's office door when they arrived; panting, Haley said the password, but it didn't matter, since the door already opened.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Edgecombe, you are late! We've been waiting long enough!" Professor McGonagall scolded them. Behind her, the Mathoy twins were standing, smirking cruelly. The professor walked out of the doorway and into the hall, right in front of Haley and Alex.
"Tonight you will be going into the forest- Mr. Filch will be talking you down there," McGonagall told the three third-years. Elizabeth gaped at her like she was mental.
"Professor, that place is...well, dangerous!" she whined. Haley shook her head.
"Not that dangerous, actually," Haley braved. Elizabeth shot a look at her. "My sister has been in there before. The only bad things are the centaurs. Unless you annoy them, then they ignore you."
"Shut the hell up, Granger," Elizabeth mouthed to Halia behind the headmistress' back. Haley sneered at her. The Professor turned around just one second after Elizabeth had made a rude hand gesture to Haley.
"I will leave you now. Mr. Filch should bring you into the forest, where he then will tell you what you will have to do. Have a nice night," McGonagall said with a wave, and strode off away up the main staircase. Haley, squeezing her boyfriend's hand, opened the doors and led the group down the castle steps and onto the cold, black snow-covered grounds.
Elizabeth was the first one who spotted Filch. He was standing next to Hagrid's old hut. Elizabeth pointed him out by screaming "OH MY GOD! MCGONAGALL TRICKED US! SHE WANTS US TO FEED THAT ZOMBIE!" loudly, and grabbing Alex's arm.
"That's not a zombie, you idiot!" Haley exclaimed, aggravated. She went on the other side of Alex and took the other hand so Elizabeth's hand was forced off his arm.
"There you are! I have been waiting here for over twenty minutes in this cold, just for some menacing teenagers! You know how much of my life is being wasted?" Filch snapped at the four 3rd years as they approached the old man.
"I think his life was wasted way before we came along," Alex whispered in Haley's ear. She nodded her agreement, and, turning around, saw Elizabeth looking furious.
"You will be going into the forest to hunt for bowtruckles!" the old caretaker wheezed.
"Um...why?" asked the male Mathoy twin, looking slightly scared.
"To feed them to the Fire Crabs, of course," Filch continued. "Go on in there" he pointed his cane at the woods behind him.
"W-we certainly can't go in there by ourselves?" Haley heard Elizabeth squeak as her and Alex, hand in hand, braved into the forest.
"Hey! Wait for us!" bellowed Daniel, running towards the couple as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Daniel! Don't leave me here!" exclaimed his sister, who was lagging behind. When she caught up with Daniel, Alex, and Haley, she was breathless, her blonde bangs plastered onto her forehead with sweat. "Thanks a lot!" she whined. Haley sighed and wrapped her cloak tighter around herself.
"How exactly are we supposed to get bowtruckles?" asked Alex into the night air.
"Tap on trees of course..." Haley replied, her grip tightening.
"Don't you think someone's up to something?" Alex said out of the corner of his mouth to make sure the Slytherin twins lagging behind didn't hear him. Haley glanced at him and nodded her head the slightest bit.
"I don't think someone would send us into the forest, with no adult, just to get Bowtruckles," Haley whispered, her pace quickening. "At that, during the nighttime. If they really wanted some bowtruckles, I doubt they'd send us at this time."
Something rustling behind a bush that the couple was passing; Haley jumped and dug her nails into Alex's hand. "Sorry..." she said quietly, loosening her grip. She reached down, wand in her right hand, and pushed the bush aside.
A snake slithered out of the darkened leaves and brown branches; Haley caught her breath just the moment Elizabeth trundled over. The next thing she knew, there was a searing pain in her wrist. Her eyes screwed up, and the last thing she saw before she was conked out was a man towering over her, wearing long black cloaks.