As soon as Haylie had retired from her dinner, she rushed up to her room. Corinne and Eileen hastily followed her, desperately wanting to converse about the kidnapping of the little Honeyduke children. On the other hand, Haylie didn't want to talk about anything. She just needed to go to her room and find the letter she knew she would be receiving. After Haylie grumbled the Gryffindor Common Room password, the fat lady allowed her to enter the tower. Haylie slammed the door shut so her friends would have to say the password as well, not to be rude to her best friends, but just to give her more time to think about her current situation. Dumbledore had just told the whole student body that Brandon and Cora Honeyduke had been kidnapped by an unknown person, who has sent letters telling the witching world that only one other person, besides himself, knows what he wants. Haylie guessed that by this other person, the captor meant Haylie herself. The problem, as Haylie saw it, was that she had no inkling of the kidnapper's wishes. He had never actually revealed what his plans or his desires were to her. Now Haylie approached her door and turned the knob, hearing her two friends stomping up the stairwell she had just climbed. Once Haylie entered her squeaky clean room she immediately saw a folded piece of parchment resting on her comforter. She flung herself toward her bed, not pausing nervously before grabbing her letter. The letter was no shorter, no longer than the norm. It told Haylie that the cloaked figure would meet her down in the Hufflepuff Graveyard at 12:30am, to discuss "business".
"Haylie, was that other person Dumbledore was talking about you?" Corinne asked, as she and Eileen ran into the small room. Both Eileen and Corinne halted in the middle of the room, putting their hands across their hearts, panting and trying to catch their breath. Haylie turned to face them, and stuffed the letter into her jacket, which hung by the banister of her bed.
"I guess I'll find out tonight."
"Here's your jacket," Eileen said, handing Haylie her coat off of the bed.
"Thanks," Haylie answered, taking her jacket and sticking her arms through the two holes provided. Eileen and Corinne stepped out of the room with her and they made their way down the hallway. As they made their journey to the stairwell, Haylie noticed Hermione's room door slightly ajar. Haylie held her arm outward to stop her friends from passing and walked over to her sister's room and gazed inside. Against the opposite walls, Holly Lutz and Ginny Weasley slept soundly, only an occasionally snore erupting from Holly. Suddenly, Haylie felt a blast of cold air and saw that the small window beside Hermione's bed was wide open. Haylie ran in and shut it, without waking the sleeping girls. Only then did Haylie notice that Hermione's bed was empty. At first, Haylie felt scared for her sister's life. Maybe she was kidnapped! Then Haylie's common sense kicked in. Obviously, if Hermione's door was open, then she opened it to exit the room. With that thought, Haylie figured that her sister had just gone to the bathroom or went downstairs to study and just fell asleep. Finally, Haylie made it out of the Common Room. The time was 12:16am. Stillness swallowed the whole school, also covered by complete blackness. This gave Haylie a small chill as she tiptoed through the empty hallways. The emptiness did not bother Haylie in the least, but the soft orange flickering of the hallway candles illuminated the dark corners and the menacing shadows of the ancient school. Haylie chewed on her lip gently as she approached the doors to the outside grounds of the Hogwarts. By some twist of fate, someone else was ready to walk out those very same doors.
"What are you doing here?" Haylie hissed as Damon Shockley appeared from the dark Defense Against the Dark Arts hallway.
"I should be asking you the same thing," Damon answered, walking up next to her.
"Well?" Haylie demanded, startled by his sudden appearance.
"I can't tell you," Damon said jokingly, pushing through the doors and allowing them to shut in Haylie's sullen face. She growled and pushed the doors with all her strength so she could catch up with him.
"I demand to know what you are doing," Haylie yelled at him, walking quickly behind Damon, who still kept the lead a few feet in front of her. He rolled his eyes and stopped abruptly, causing Haylie to bump into him. She caught her footing and stood right in front of his smiling face.
"Now, I don't think it is fair that you can demand information from me, when I clearly do not have permission to do the same," Damon stated, undoubtedly attempting to sound intellectual. To Haylie's tired brain, it did not come out that way. She just sighed and kept on walking; now taking the lead in front of him.
"Where are you going," Haylie called to him, sensing his presence a few feet behind her. It took a moment for Damon to answer.
"The Hufflepuff Graveyard."
"What?" Haylie stopped and turned to face him, her eyes squinting to see Damon clearly.
"I'm going to the Hufflepuff Graveyard," Damon repeated, "You?"
"Same," Haylie said, narrowing her eyes, "Are you going to visit your mother's grave again?"
"No," Damon muttered, his voice now short and angry," Not this time."
Without either of the first-years noticing it, both of them had already entered the graveyard.
"Do you know the time?" Damon asked Haylie, noticing her watch amongst the darkness. Haylie nodded and looked down to see 12:30 flashing brightly. At once she panicked and yanked her neck upward to look at Damon.
"You must leave! Go now!" Haylie screamed pushing him toward the exit. He resisted, naturally, and tried to calm the young girl.
"What is wrong with you?" Damon asked, looking concerned. Haylie returned his expression of deep concern, for she knew that both he and she could be killed if the cloaked figure found Damon there with her. Haylie didn't want to put Damon in immediate danger and didn't want to put herself in any risk either. Unfortunately, Haylie was too late.
"Welcome Miss. Granger," the cloaked figure's gruff and raspy voice boomed from behind her. Haylie closed her eyes in defeat and then gazed up at Damon. He gazed back at her and their eyes met for a split second before Haylie turned around to face the figure.
"Welcome Mr. Shockley, as well," the cloaked figure roared, looking from Haylie to Damon.
"Wait…" Haylie spun around to look at Damon," Have you been helping him?"
"Helping him?" Damon repeated, surprised, "I don't even know who that is."
"He is speaking the truth Miss Granger," the cloaked figure confirmed, "I just decided to gather you two together tonight."
"Why? What does he have to do with anything?" Haylie asked, glancing over at Damon.
"Why is she here?" Damon also asked, returning Haylie's glance of confusion. A laugh of pure evil erupted from within the heavy black cloaks, and both Haylie and Damon took a step back.
"Both of you have received letters from me, Haylie from the beginning of the year, and now I wish for both of you to do my bidding."
"Wait…you've been getting letters from that thing since September?" Damon asked of Haylie, obviously amazed, "Are you that person that Dumbledore was talking about in the Great Hall? Are you the student who knows what the kidnapper wants?" Haylie nodded.
"How long have you been receiving letters?" Haylie inquired of Damon.
"This is only my first letter! I just found it on my bed after dinner," Damon exclaimed, brushing a piece of hair from his eyes.
"I have watched you both during your whole first half of school. You both seem to have strange feelings for one another," the figure paused before continuing, "So I thought that you would work well together. I've been searching for someone to help you Haylie for some time. Mr. Shockley, here, just seems to fit."
"Help me do what?" Haylie growled, "Was the student Dumbledore talking about in there, the one who knows what the kidnapper wants, am I truly that person?" More laughter followed, which supplied Haylie with her answer.
"I will not help you kidnap innocent children!" Haylie screamed at the cloaked figure.
"Neither will I!" Damon hollered as well, moving closer to Haylie.
"You won't will you?" the voice now sounded annoyed, and Haylie and Damon once again stepped back. Silence followed. Haylie didn't say a word and refused to remove her eyes from the cloaked figure, afraid they would be attacked. Heavy breathing reached Haylie's ears and she could feel warm air brush against her freezing cheeks. She soon realized that it was Damon, who stood next to her, also not taking his eyes away from the supposed kidnapper.
"You don't want another event like what happened to Elvin to occur again, do you?" the figure finally said in a harsh whisper, "Because both of you will suffer the consequences if you do not obey me. Haylie, you love your friends. What if I told you I would hurt, possibly kill, Corinne, Eileen, or Elvin? That wouldn't be good to you would it? And you Damon, what if I told you I would do the same to Brent, Hastin, or Jake? That wouldn't be good for you either. So if I were you both, I would obey my commands and do as I tell you."
"Fine," Haylie snapped, "What do you want us to do?"
"I knew you would see my point of view," the figure prodded, "But I don't want you to do anything at the moment, except…find out all you can about the defeaters of the defeaters."
"What?" Haylie questioned, dumbfounded at his request. Unfortunately, the figure had now run off, leaving Haylie and Damon alone in the dark and dead graveyard.
"Come one Haylie, let's go inside," Damon whispered, his voice sounding empathetic and calm. He grasped her arm and pulled her along, so they wouldn't get separated on the journey back to Hogwarts. All sorts of questions jumbled around in Haylie's head. Who were the defeaters of the defeaters? It just did not make sense, but Haylie had a feeling that Damon knew more than she. Finally, they reached the warmth of the Gryffindor Common room and Haylie smiled in relief when she saw Eileen and Corinne sleeping safely on the two easy chairs on ether side of the hearth. A small fire brightened the whole room, as well as heated it. Both Haylie and Damon, their eyelids heavy, fell backwards into the soft cushions of the large sofa. Each first-year took a separate end and stretched out their whole bodies. The sofa was so large that their feet weren't even touching. The warmth of the fire and the silence of the large Common Room calmed their minds. Instantly, they fell asleep.