A/N: Okay sorry about the cell phone thing. Geez I didn't think it was that big a deal, especially since there aren't going to be any anyway, whether it's because of them not being allowed or not working. Whatever. And I think the reason you get mad about my spelling is that my ABCcheck isn't working very well. And sometimes I forget to push it, but I usually do.
"You guys guess what," said Andrea the next day, after gathering her friends together and making sure no one else was in the common room.
"What?" Said Ron and Crow together.
"I think something is going on with Ionia!" exclaimed Andrea.
Ron rolled her eyes. "Not again, Andrea! Give it a rest already, I'm sure there's nothing going on with this girl!"
"Yes there is!" she said triumphantly. "I came in her last night and she was talking to somebody, but she and I were the only ones in the wroom. She was talking to her mother, and I heard her say that she wouldn't tell anybody something!"
"So she has to keep something secret?" Harry was puzzled. "Maybe it's nothing important. Well, she has a slot of sisters, maybe she is keeping something like a birthday surprise secret."
"No, I checked, none of her sisters have any birthdays or special events coming up," said Andrea. And besides, I still think something bad is going on with her."
"Why? You don't think it has to do with Voldemore or anything, do you?" Hermione assed fearfully.
"No, I doubt it. She seemed scared, but not that scared." Said Andrea reassuringly. The others looked relived. "I just think something more is going on that what she told me. And I think we should try to figure it out." The others nodded. "Okay, so let's look around the common room frist because this is where she was last night, and she might have left some clues lying around. Okay? Okay." The four of them started around the room, looking for anything and everything that could prove meaningful.
After several minuetes nobody had found anything. Andrea could tell they were about ready to give up, but she just knew that something was up with the younger girl, and she had a feeling that there was an important clue in this room. She absentmindedely walked over to to fireplace, not really expecting to find anything. For some reason, something in her mind was telling her to go over there. When she got to the ornate fireplace fixture, she gasped.
"Hey, you guys! Come over here quick!" the others came running to see what had excited Andrea so. "Look at the fireplace!" she pointed, and they gasped. There was fresh soot at the bottom where the wood was.
"When was this fireplace last used?" asked Crow.
"Not for a couple of days, because it hsnt' been that cold out." Said Harry. "This soot makes it seem as if there was a fire in it just last night, except I know there wasn't." He, Crow, Hermione, and Ron all looked puzzles.
"Except there was," said Andrea slowly. "I think I know how Ionia was contacting her mother."
"How?" asked Ron.
"Through the fireplace. Like Sirus does with you sometimes." Andrea nodded at Harry. "Does anyne know if it is against school rules to use the fireplace in the common rooms for that purpose?" They all looked at Hermione, who had practically memorized the school rulebook.
"Yes, it is. We're only supposed to use owls for communication," she confirmed.
"But I don't understand." Said Hermione. "Why wouldn't she just send an owl, like you're supposed to?"
"I don't know, but I have a feeling it's because they had to discuss something that would have gotten one or bothe of them in trouble if the owl had been seized by some exterior force." Andrea frowned. "Only I don't know if they were worried about our side (like the Minestry of Magic) finding it, or Voldemort's side. And if they were worried about our side finding it, then we have a LOT to be worried about."
"Maybe we should go to Dumbledore," said Ron.
"No, not just yet," protested Crow.
"Crow's right. We should make sure we're correct in our suspicions before we involve athoraties." Andrea looked determined. "I'm going to talk to try and find out more from Ionia. The rest of you: look for clues."
A/N: Well, hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon. Thanks!