It was mid-October and Amanda rushed into her room frantically, looking for Aly. Aly was still sleeping. Amanda rushed over to Aly's bed and shook her.

"Aly! Wake up!" Amanda exclaimed.

Aly grumbled something and then sat up slowly. She blinked groggily at Amanda. Her hair stood up in points. "Wazwrong?"

"It's the bulletin board! Come downstairs, quick!"

"Wha...Why?" Aly said, slowly coming back to reality.

"Never you mind, just put on some clothes and come downstairs! We're waiting!"

Amanda rushed out of their dormitory and Aly stared after her in disbelief. Reluctantly, Aly put on a sweater and sweats on, fixed her hair, and walked downstairs to see the others waiting. Damien looked up at her anxiously as she walked down the stairs.

"Mind telling me what's going on?"

Hayden wordlessly pointed to the bulletin board with a huge title.

'Death Eater Escapes From Azkaban.'

Aly's eyes followed Hayden's arm to the picture underneath it.

It was John.

"Oh, hell."

"What happened to security, might I ask?" Aly growled as she grabbed another piece of bacon. They were in the Great Hall, which was practically empty because students were afraid to come out of their dormitories.

"I dunno," Damien said miserably.

Aly's piece of bacon snapped in half, startling the others.

"Aly, are you ok?" Amanda asked. Char and Hayden scrutinized her carefully.

"No, I am not!" she hissed. "Don't you realize what this means? We'll be exactly where we were last year! John's going to pop in and out every few days! Now people are going to be even more paranoid of me and Char and Damien because they know their crazy death eater brother is running around!"

"I'm sure Dumbledore's going to do something about it. Extra security measures," Amanda suggested.

"As if it's not tight enough already," Hayden said miserably.

"What will Dumbledore do?" Char spat. "All he ever does is hang around is his office with Harry!"

"What do you mean by that?" Damien asked.

"Everyday, I see Harry go into Dumbledore's office for long hours," Char replied. "I have no idea what they're doing, but they spend an awful long in there. I doubt he'll do a thing about it."

"Then go talk to him," Amanda shrugged. "If he won't do it himself, tell him to. He can't say no in your face."

"He's the headmaster," Damien said nastily. "He can throw me out of this school if he wants."

Amanda turned away from Damien and ate silently.

"Looks like we're going to have to return to the same plan," Aly sighed.

"What is that?" Hayden asked.

"Look out for him, don't give to much information away, and attack when necessary."

"That was our plan?" Damien scoffed.

"It was for me and Char," Aly shrugged. "Every time we met, we made sure to hit him once or twice." Char smiled at the memory. Then he sighed.

"Thank God it's Saturday. What time are we going to Hogsmeade?"

"Whenever," Damien sighed. "I just need to get out of this school."

"You are aware that it's probably going to be closed, right?" Amanda said, raising an eyebrow. "All over the wizarding world, people have read that a death eater has escaped from Azkaban. Like they'd want to keep their doors open."

Aly sighed when she realized that Amanda's statement was probably true.

"So, when are we going to do?" Damien sighed. "We have to go somewhere."

"What about to the lake?" Hayden suggested. "It's within the proximity of Hogwarts."

"Ooh, big words, Hayden," Char grinned. Hayden glared at him. "Well, that sounds fine, I guess. To the lake it is. How about sometime after lunch?"

"Ok," Aly sighed, and stood up. "I'm going to the owlery."

"Excuse me?" Amanda said disbelieving. "Who says you're going anywhere?"

"Me, obviously."

"Aly, you just said it yourself. John's on the loose, he nearly killed you last year, and you're just going to walk out into the open?" asked Char.

"Well, I have a wand," she protested. "And I'm not stupid, Char. I can take care of myself."

"Let her go, mate," Damien said. Char turned to him, rage in his eyes. "Don't glare at me like that. Azkaban is miles from here, remember?"

"So? He can apparate!"

"You can't apparate on Hogwarts grounds!" Hayden sang. He smiled smugly. "Dumbledore has increased protection seven-fold. I truly, truly doubt that John can apparate here without getting his sorry butt kicked."

Char glared at him. "Thanks for sticking up for me, mate!"

"No problem."

Aly smiled at Hayden. "I'll be right back! I'm going to send a letter, not write one." Char stared up at her angrily and attempted to use his way of persuasion.

"Don't try it."

She started walking for the exit of the Great Hall and disappeared behind the doors.

"I hate it when she does stuff like this," Char muttered. "Something bad always happens."

I hope Adam responds to my letter, Aly thought as she walked down to the owlery on that crisp October morning. And I hope Mum can give me some advice. She grimaced. This feels exactly like last year.

She enjoyed the feeling of leaves under her feet. If it weren't for the fact that there was a maniac death eater on the loose, she'd feel a lot happier.

She heard a rustle in the bushes and sighed. She had just made her way to the owlery when she heard the noise.

She stopped walking and pulled out her wand. Sighing, she leaned on the walls of the owlery and looked around.

"John, come out! I have no time for games!"

She looked around suspiciously while the leaves on the trees rustled.

She heard more rustling in the bushes.

"John, come on!"

"Last time I checked, I wasn't a death eater," a voice said.

Aly stood upright, looking around. That voice sounds familiar.