Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I own about as much as my brother. Which is NOTHING!!!
Lily poked at her breakfast the next morning and sighed. Emmeline was eating and Dorcas was watching her breakfast suspiciously as though it would attack her at any moment.
Annapelle sat next to Lily with an exaggerated sigh. "You would not believe the morning I just had, Lily," she told the older girl in an overdone tired voice.
"Probably not," said Lily, still poking at her breakfast.
"First my roommate, you know Ingrid Hazelton, right? Yeah, well, she used all the hot water. Then I found out the Greta, the other girl, her cat got into my sock drawer so now I don't have any socks. And then…"
Lily sighed quietly. Why did Annapelle have to stalk her? Even James Potter stalking her was looking good right now…
"And it was gone. I don't really mind, but I have it with me all the time. But I'm sure it'll turn up."
Lily blinked. "What did you just say? What's gone?"
"You know, that little black notebook I carry with me. You must have seen it; I have it all the time."
"You've lost it?" said Lily, feeling her stomach plummet through to the kitchens below them.
"Yeah, but it'll turn up…Oh, hello James," said Annapelle, her voice turning shy.
James glanced at her. He gave a grunt that Lily knew meant "Morning," but Annapelle obviously wasn't used to such greetings. Her shy smile slid off her face as quickly as it had appeared.
"Good morning Barson!" said Sirius cheerfully. "How's the day been for you?"
"Oh it's been awful," said Annapelle, glad to tell her dull story again. "First Ingrid used all the –"
"That's nice," said Sirius, cutting her off. "Do you know anything about locking charms?"
Annapelle had looked disappointed that she could not tell her story in front of James, but she immediately brightened at the two words.
"Locking Charms? 'Course I do, they're my speciality."
Lily narrowed her eyes. Why was Sirius Black of all people asking about locking charms?
"Really?" replied Sirius. "Tell me about them."
So for the next ten minutes, Annapelle rattled on about all the different types of locking and unlocking charms, from Alohomora to Obfirmo.
"But of course, nothing works as well as the spell I have on my little black notebook."
"Oh yes?" said Sirius, an extremely eager look in his eyes now. "And what might that be?"
"I can't remember its name, but I do know how to open it. You have to tell the book what the Greek word for unlock is."
"Honestly?" said James, watching Annapelle.
"Honestly," repeated Annapelle, nodding. "But I can't tell you what it is…" She smiled shyly again.
James shared a grin with Sirius.
"Well Annapelle, it was wonderful to talk to you on this fine day. Until we meet again," said Sirius, taking off his invisible top hat to her.
Annapelle beamed. "Bye," she said with a quick wave.
Lily jumped to her feet. "They have it," she said in a low voice.
"Excuse me?" said Annapelle.
"They have it," Lily repeated and marched out of the Great Hall.
"Come on Dorcas," said Emmeline. "I think we'd better follow."
"Oh, but my eggs were just about to jinx me," whined Dorcas, getting up from her seat. "They'll wait until my back is turned, and then –"
"Dorcas!"
"Alright, alright."
"What are you doing Lily?" said Emmeline, as they caught up with her in the corridor.
"He has it," said Lily, beginning to walk more quickly now.
Dorcas glanced at Emmeline who looked as confused as she was.
"Uh, has what?" asked Dorcas.
"It," said Lily firmly. She spotted James and Sirius ahead of them, their chuckles echoing in the corridor.
"JAMES POTTER!" Lily yelled at the top of her voice. "GIVE ME THAT BOOK!"
James turned and saw Lily's expression. "RUN PADFOOT!" he cried. The two boys took off around a corner.
"GET BACK HERE!" said Lily shrilly, but James and Sirius had disappeared.
Lily stopped running. She was breathing hard. "Where did they go?"
"Into a wall, it seems," said Dorcas in a detective tone.
"That's impossible!" said Lily, sounding exasperated.
"No it's not," said Emmeline calmly. "This is Hogwarts, remember?"
Lily looked at the wall into which James and Sirius had disappeared. "We have to get that book back from them. I know they have it."
"They'll get it open before we even get back to the common room," said Emmeline, who was always the optimist.
"No they won't," piped up Dorcas. "They didn't take three years of Greek lessons."
Emmeline and Lily looked at Dorcas with a strange look.
"And you have?" asked Lily with a raised eyebrow.
"Course. Didn't you?"
Lily and Emmeline looked at each other. Then they smiled. They were going to get it.
