"I hope everything is okay at Hogwarts," Minerva said nervously, glancing out of the window.
"I'm sure Gabe, Hastings and Jade can handle Falcon," Sirius said reassuringly.
"Still, I'd feel better if you two would apparate to Hogsmeade and check on them. We don't know if he had anyone working with him."
"Like O'Reilly," Odessa said quietly to Sirius.
"Yes, like O'Reilly," Minerva echoed. "My ears may be old but they aren't deaf Miss Grace." Odessa blushed. "Seriously," Minerva continued, "I can handle a train ride by myself. I want you two to leave."
"If you're sure…"
"Would you two stop coddling me! I've been around longer than your great grandparents. I think I know if I can handle a train. Now go!" Without further argument, Odessa and Sirius apparated to Hogsmeade.
"Shall we?" Sirius asked, looking around the quiet village and then at the school.
Odessa nodded, "It seems so quiet. I wonder where everyone is at?"
"I don't know. I hope the other three are okay." Sirius and Odessa hurried towards the castle.
"Where should we go now?" Hastings whispered, as they huddled behind a privacy curtain in the hospital wing.
"I'm not sure," Gabe replied. "I thought for sure we'd find Falcon here."
"Where do you think all the students are?"
"I don't want to think about that right now," Gabe replied.
"Still, we need to check on them. We can start with Gryffindor, they're the most likely to be fighting back. And we're Sirius' friends, and he's their head of house, it's the best combination possible."
"Let's go then," Gabe replied, inching his way to the door with Hastings watching his back. Gabe peeked into the corridors, they were still empty and still.
"Do you think Jade's going to use the students as weapons against us?" Hastings asked.
"We should be ready for the possibility. Falcon was in Gryffindor too. He may have gotten to them first."
"Maybe we should try Ravenclaw first, your old house."
"No, I think Gryffindor was the right idea, come on." Gabe edged along the wall to the staircase. He and Hastings cautiously went to the third floor.
"There's a secret passage on the fourth floor – behind the tapestry of the trolls." Hastings said. Gabe nodded and allowed her to lead once they reached the fourth floor. Slowly they crept behind the tapestry and through the door.
"Don't move." Gabe froze as he heard the cold voice and footsteps coming up behind him. He quickly ran through possibly scenarios in his head.
"STUPEFY!" Hastings yelled, turning around. Two people were blasted off of their feet and several yards down the corridor.
"Hastings?" A voice asked.
"Ode?"
"Yeah, it's me, what do you think you're doing?"
"I thought you were Greene," Hastings said.
"And?" Odessa asked, helping Sirius to his feet.
"And she's the one behind all of this."
"Are you sure?" Sirius asked, rubbing the back of his head.
"Positive," Gabe said. "She took our wands, tied us up, silenced us and then threw us into the dungeon."
"Then how did you get here?" Odessa asked.
"I'll explain later," Hastings said. "What we're you doing in the passage?"
"We were worried about the students. We were going to check the Gryffindor common room. We think they may be cursed and following Greene."
"Why do you think that?" Gabe asked.
"Because Patrick Murphy threw his cat eating shoe at me after I took his wand," Sirius said. "He's currently immobilized and hidden. I'm not sure what curse she has them under. It isn't Imperius."
"Maybe we should split up," Gabe suggested.
"I think we're stronger together," Sirius said. "But let's not all go charging into the common room at once. We need to be smart. Gabe and I'll go in first. Ode and Haste, you follow in a few minutes and make sure everything is okay. Also, you can guard the outside of the portrait. If they only see us two come in they might not suspect that you're outside."
"What about Greene?" Ode asked as they reached the end of the corridor.
"I doubt she's hanging out in the Gryffindor Common Room," Sirius said. "Let's worry about the students first and then her. My guess is that she's in the headmistress office." Sirius slowly pushed opened the door and peeked out from behind the tapestry of queens on the wall – there was no one in sight. "Let's go."
The Fat Lady was snoring in her portrait when Sirius came up to her and gave the password. "Wronski Feint!" The Fat Lady jerked awake and said, "Come in, dears… I was just nodding off…" As her portrait swung forward, her breathing turned into a snore again.
"We'll go in," whispered Gabe. "See you in a few." He reached over and gave Hastings a quick kiss, then followed Sirius through the entrance.
"Just how long are we supposed to wait here?" asked Odessa after several minutes had passed.
"I don't know," said Hastings. "Till we won't look suspicious."
"Four teachers in the Gryffindor common room at once is already suspicious," Odessa pointed out. "And how did you two get away, anyhow?"
"I don't know if you'll believe it," said Hastings. "But I think… somehow… Albus Dumbledore has returned to Hogwarts. Legend says…"
"Come on," said Odessa, "You don't believe in that, do you?"
"I don't know, Ode," said Hastings, then told her friend what had happened down in the dungeons.
"That's incredible," said Odessa. "I wonder…" They heard a noise from inside the common room. "Let's go!"
"Wronski Feint!" Hastings shouted. The portrait swung forward, admitting them. They charged into the room with their wands raised and came to sudden halt. Lamps, chairs, logs, books and other various inanimate objects flew threw the air, crashing into each other. There was no sign of Sirius, Gabe or any students.
"What do you think's going on?" Odessa whispered, holding her wand at ready.
"I have no idea," Hastings said.
"Girl's or Boy's dormitories first?"
"Boys," Hastings said quickly. "Girls tend to fight dirty." Odessa nodded in agreement and the girls snuck up the stairs. Hastings put her ear to the door and listened.
"I don't here anything," she said.
"Doesn't mean they're no there."
"Good point. Ready?" Hastings pointed her wand at the door.
"Ready." The girls blasted the door open. The dust settled to reveal an empty room. They quickly checked under the beds and in the wardrobe, but there was nothing. Slowly they backed out.
"Watch out!" Hastings pushed Odessa out of the way as the wardrobe went flying out of the room. The other furniture and unsecured items quickly followed.
"What is going on?" Odessa asked, standing up.
"I wish I knew. Shall we look in on the girls?" Slowly the two made their way to the girl's dormitory. They blasted open the door and once again the room was empty. And once more items flew out of the room and joined those downstairs. Confused, Hastings and Odessa checked the other rooms, they were all empty. Cautiously they made there way back down the stairs, careful to stay out of the way of flying furniture.
"What now?" Hastings asked.
Odessa shook her head, "I don't know, perhaps-" a giggle from across the room interrupted her. "Perhaps we should leave," Odessa continued, nodding towards the area where the giggle had come from.
"Sounds good," Hastings said, nodding to let Odessa know she had heard the giggle as well. They slowly made their way across the room, dodging furniture. One cabinet was still on the floor. Hastings pointed at the cabinet and Odessa threw the door open. Sitting at the bottom was Falcon Puddinghaste, trying not to laugh.