I was so excited for this story when I first started it, but now I just can't wait to get it done. I'm sure you all can't wait for me to finish it, either. Working on that. Did you know that in the meantime I've completely written First Year? It's on loose-leaf and in notebooks so I have to type it up, but once I'm finished with this story, you'll be getting First Year updates on a regular basis- maybe once every week or maybe even more often! Trust me, I'm looking forward to that, too.

Outside of the Great Hall, I found Millie, Shawnee, and Polly leaning against the wall, looking bored. I huffed. "It didn't take me that long to slip out. Where are Lanie, Lynne, and Helen?"

"No, you're fine," Millie assured me.

"They went back in to sign up as entertainment so no one would wonder why none of your roommates signed up," Shawnee explained. "Lanie plays piano, apparently."

"I knew Helen could sing, but I didn't know Lynne was a cellist," Millie chimed back in. "Good for them! I'm sure they'll be wonderful performers."

"Did you find anyone?" I cut them off before they could launch into a discussion about the party.

Millie nodded and gestured around the corner. "Nick and Nathan claim they know where the kitchen is and how to get in and even have friends among the house-elves. Honestly, with those two I wouldn't be surprised."

"We're going to stay here and wait for everyone else," Polly mumbled.

I nodded to her. "Okay. I'll drag the two of them along on my own. Thanks for all of your help, girls!"

They chimed their "You're welcome!"s as I strode down the hallway and went to round the corner. Just as I did so, though, I heard Nick say my name. Pausing- and then making sure no one could see me- I nestled into a small alcove to listen.

"She's evil, mate," Nathan snapped. "It's all a trick. I know Aly a lot better than you do, trust me, and I can tell that she's working for that twat Damien."

"She's not evil," Nick said in the patient tone of someone who had explained something many times over. "She's really on our side. Listen, Nathan, I know you hate her because she broke up with you, but you can't actually believe that she would side with that monster of a Headmaster we've got! He kills people. Do you really think Aly would do that?"

A rush of gratitude for Nick swept over me, and I nearly missed what Nathan replied with.

"Why do you think she wants to know where the kitchens are?"

"To talk to the house-elves."

"Maybe, but only because the house-elves know everything! They'll know who's revolting against her precious Headmaster and who's on their side!" Nathan was adamant in his belief, I could tell. "She'll know just who to murder then. And you can bet we'll be first on the list!"

I couldn't believe Nathan could say such things when it was true, he did know me somewhat better than Nick did. (Notice I said somewhat. No one can go through a terrible first year together like Nick and I did and not get to know one another.) Deciding I could take no more, I popped out of the alcove, rounding the corner in one smooth movement. "Nick. Nathan. I hear you two know where the kitchens are?"

Nathan's mouth was still open, but he had shut up the moment I appeared. Nick answered for the both of them. "Yeah, we used to go there all the time last year after we saw a sixth-year get in. Watch and learn, Aly. You'll like it there."

I followed the boys- Nick happy and cheerful, Nathan still grumbling about something or other- down the corridor and then down one single flight of stairs. We rounded a corner and there, right below the Great Hall, was a corridor I'd passed through a million times on my way to classes. There were no doors in the corridor, just a painting of a bowl of fruit. I frowned. "Are you sure this is the right corridor?"

Nick stopped in front of the painting. "Positive, Aly. We know more than you in this instance. Just accept it." He smirked at me, that old Nick returning briefly to his face, and then reached out to touch the painting. He tickled the pear.

I groaned, but the pear was moving, it was laughing, and it was transforming into a green doorknob! Nick grasped the doorknob- I was still frozen in awe- and pulled open the hidden door. He bowed. "Coming, Aly?"

Nathan went through first, then I followed and Nick brought up the rear. I had never been in the kitchens before. The ceiling was as high as the Great Hall's ceiling- in fact, the whole room kind of looked like the Great Hall, only there were lots of smaller tables scattered around the six big ones that perfectly corresponded to the six in the Great Hall above, and pots and pans were scattered everywhere and the smell of cooking hung in the air. The walls were stone and had racks upon racks of cooking utensils hanging on them, and there was a gigantic fireplace twice the size of the fire pit in the Ravenclaw commons at the other end of the kitchens. Plus, of course, there were about a hundred and fifty house-elves running around.

Nick seemed to have a particular house-elf in mind. After scanning the entire kitchens, he pointed to a small house-elf with a matronly face and a big smile who was washing a pot twice her size. We hurried over, but before we were even halfway to her, he yelled out, "Bekka!"

The house-elf looked up; abandoning her pot, she stepped down off the stool she was standing on and met us halfway. She only came up to my knees and was the tiniest house-elf I had ever seen. "Nicholas!" she chirped in a high, reedy voice, hands on her hips. "He has been eating well? Does he get the chocolate gateau I send up every night?"

"Every night, Bekka," Nick laughed as he crouched down so he could at least somewhat be at her height. "You're going to make me fat someday!"

"Eh, Nicholas could never be fat," dismissed Bekka. She moved her attentions to Nathan. "Nathan! He is a big boy now, yes, has grown so much since the last time he visited poor Bekka! Sit, sit, would he like some apple tart? I know he likes his apple tart."

"Er, no thank you," Nathan said. He looked sort of uncomfortable as he crouched by Nick, leaving me the lone standing person and obviously the tallest in the room.

Bekka disappeared anyway and came back only moments later toting a platter that was probably heavier than she was. On it she carried an entire chocolate gateau and a whole apple tart, as well as silverware, napkins, plates, serving forks, teacups, and a lidless teapot filled with steaming tea. She cut a slice from each and served the gateau to Nick and the tart to Nathan. Apparently they had been coming here long enough that she knew each of their preferences.

Nick turned to me, his mouth full of gateau. "Want anything, Aly?"

"Er," I stammered. "No. Thank you. I'm fine."

Bekka put her hands on her hips and gestured for me to sit. I did so, not crouching like the boys but instead kneeling on the cold stone floor. "No one comes into Bekka's kitchen and doesn't eat. What would she want?"

"I like gateau," I mumbled, reaching for that. "I'll-"

Bekka leaped to her feet, but Nick seized her arm before she could leave. "Bekka, no. Aly doesn't need an entire chocolate cake. She'll just have some of this one."

Bekka speared him with a glare. "Is it my cooking, Nicholas? Does she not like Bekka's cooking?"

"Everyone likes Bekka's cooking," Nick assured her.

It was the right answer. Bekka smiled widely. "What is the girl's name?"

"Alyssa," I introduced myself, sticking out a hand. "Alyssa Salinger. But you can call me Aly."

The instant I said my full name, a hush fell over the kitchens. Bekka's smile was frozen on her face. "Alyssa… Salinger? The girl who follows Damien?"

"Yes, that's me, but it's not like that," I was quick to reassure her. I stood and spoke louder. "In fact, that's why I'm here! I'm not actually part of Damien's regime." I hope to Rowena that none of these house-elves report back to him. "I'm part of the rebel movement, working against him. And I wanted to know how he gets the food you all cook with. Is it him or is it you?"

Bekka unfroze and tugged at my pants. "Damien brings us food. Carts of food every week, on the day before classes. Enough to feed Hogwarts until the next cart. House-elves cannot leave. Magic prevents us. He is too strong." She cast a furtive glance around, but everyone was watching us so it was sort of useless to whisper. "Is she really a rebel?"

I nodded in confirmation. "I don't like Damien either."

She whooped in celebration. "There is hope!"

The kitchens burst into cheers and applause. I cast a glance at Nick. "Why don't they like Damien?"

In response, he pointed to a section of the nearby wall. There was a black-and-white picture hanging there of a young male house-elf smiling cheerfully as he cleaned out the fireplace. Decorating the picture was a wreath of interwoven silverware and flowers. "Baxter. I knew him. He was new, and pretty nice. One morning Damien came down here and threw a fit because his favorite kind of muffin wasn't on the breakfast table. Baxter was killed."

"Everyone liked Baxter," Bekka said mournfully. "Now no one likes Damien. And orange zest muffins are always on the table."

The house-elves went back to their work. Except for one. I noticed a darker-skinned elf with small ears sitting against the wall, sharpening a knife. As we left, carrying presents of food heaped upon us by Bekka- lots of chocolate cake for me and Nick, and three apple tarts for Nathan- I saw that particular elf. Watching me.

Nick volunteered to walk me back to Ravenclaw Tower. Nathan headed alone for the Gryffindor common room. After we had been walking for a while, I asked, "Who was that elf sitting alone on the side? Sharpening a knife?"

I had to describe the elf in detail, but soon Nick nodded knowingly. "That's Tadghi. He was Baxter's younger brother. Kind of keeps to himself now that Baxter is gone. Poor elf."

"Yeah," I echoed. "Poor elf." I didn't mention the look that Tadghi had given me. Like it was my fault his brother was dead, and like he was out for revenge.

Lanie was thrilled to hear about Bekka. She was even more thrilled when I relayed the information that the motherly house-elf had told me: carts of food every week on the night before classes (that would be Sunday nights, we guessed), enough to feed all of Hogwarts for a week, and that house-elves couldn't leave. She was even more thrilled to have the chocolate cake. We all sat in a circle on the floor, stuffing our faces with chocolate cake, eating it with our fingers since we didn't have silverware and discussing how Damien got the food.

"Nothing can get through the force field. He must somehow be using the counter-curse," Lanie said thickly through chocolate gateau.

"We'll follow him Sunday night and find out," Lynne suggested cheerfully.

"Not me," Helen argued. "I will be asleep."

"Nor me," Millie said with a yawn. "I'm already tired and it's only Monday night. Imagine what we'll be like next weekend. Probably exhausted."

I glanced to Shawnee, who shrugged. "I'm a heavy sleeper. If you can wake me up Sunday night I'll gladly come along. No promises."

Polly didn't even wait for me to ask. She just shook her head.

"So it's down to me, Aly, Lynne and maybe Shawnee," Lanie murmured. Her statement was punctuated by a yawn between maybe and Shawnee. "That sounds like fun. But I say we all get to bed now."

"Sounds like a plan," Helen agreed.

We all stood and went to clean up. As I had an armful of chocolate cake plates- the leftovers spilling onto my arms and robes- Polly leaped to stop me from leaving. "Wait! I have some trash I've been meaning to get rid of. Let me get it and I'll go down to the commons with you."

She disappeared into her area and returned carrying loads of candy wrappers. We headed for the door, but something around Helen's bed tripped her and she fell to the ground with a heavy thump. The candy wrappers went everywhere. Lanie and Lynne rushed to help Polly pick them up.

Millie bent down and retrieved something. A box, long and thin. "What's this?" she asked Polly, her tone accusatory.

"What is it?" I asked.

Millie turned the box around so we could see. It was plainly marked Christmas.

"Did you get us Christmas gifts and not give them to us?" Helen joked, grabbing for the box.

Polly stood there, blushing bright red. "Give that back, Helen."

Instead, Helen opened the box. "Ooh! Charms!" She held up six silver charms on a string. "Look, there's an A for Aly… two L's for Lynne and Lanie… an H for me…"

"I said give them back!" Polly snatched for the box but the much taller Helen held them out of her reach.

"Hang on a second," I silenced them. "Why are you throwing these away, Polly?"

"I found them in my trunk but they're not mine," she snapped, still trying to get the box from Helen. The taller girl had turned it into a game of keep-away. She threw the box to Lanie, who opened it to check.

"It is yours, Polly," my friend said. "Look. Two L's, an H, an M, an S, and an A. That's six letters for six presents, and there's no P. Why didn't you give us these for Christmas?"

"It's because she's not Polly."

We all turned to look at Shawnee, except for Polly, who made a dash for the door. I dropped the plates to the floor with a clatter and blocked the tiny girl from leaving, grabbing her arm for good measure.

It did make sense, though. What Shawnee was implying. That someone was disguised as Polly, to spy on my friends, to spy on me. Polly had been so quiet since the deaths of Lindsey, Carter, and Sophie. She hadn't been able to solve the riddle to enter Ravenclaw Tower for months. At the Truth or Dare session, she hadn't been happy to see me, she'd been confused; plus, she had said Lanie was her best friend (kind of strange). All in all, Polly Lider had been a very different person for the last few months.

"I bet the real Polly is the one in the hospital wing with dragon pox," I said, pulling the fake Polly around to face me. "Isn't she?"

With a sigh that was decidedly deeper than Polly's voice could ever go, the fake Polly nodded and then she began to change. She shot up in height until she was taller than me. Her pale skin reddened, but not in a blush- permanently. Her eyes changed to the bright blue I instantly recognized, and his hair went from sandy to bright white.

I was looking at the missing Eli Lupin.

Helen shrieked and hid behind her bedcurtains. I just looked at him. "Eli?"

No wonder Polly looked so uncomfortable dancing with Brandon at the ball.

No wonder she- er, he- gifted us something other than what Polly had originally intended.

No wonder Damien keeps referring to his spy as a "he". No wonder Eli's been missing. No wonder Katy and Maile asked me if I was with Eli Lupin before the ball.

Eli's been here, disguised as Polly, all along.

"You're a Metamorphmagus," Millie accused. "You've been hiding under our noses, spying on us, for who knows how long!"

"Since right before Christmas," Eli allowed, nodding guiltily.

"Creep!" Helen shrieked from where she was hiding. "There's been a boy in our dorm! How have you even gotten up the stairs?"

Eli shrugged. "I don't know. I guess if you're disguised as a girl for long enough, the stairs start to think you're a girl. But I have had trouble with the Ravenclaw riddles. How do you six always know the right answer?"

I slapped him. "Not the time, Eli!"

He coughed. "Right."

Lanie just looked interested. "So Damien has been forcing you to spy on us?"

"Mostly you, yes." Eli nodded. "He got a tip in November that Aly wasn't actually on his side, that she was a spy. My Metamorphmagus powers started acting up at the welcome feast, and he noticed it, and he'd been training me, forcing me to get better and better and disguising myself and all-"

"Short version, please?" Shawnee requested, yawning.

"Essentially," Eli summarized, "Madam Pomfrey told him when Polly came down with dragon pox, and so he took the opportunity and made me study up on Polly for a few hours before I joined you guys in class. As her."

"And you've been her ever since?" I questioned.

He pursed his lips and nodded. "I change back for a few minutes when I go to sleep. Something about Metamorphmagus rules, you have to become yourself again or else your powers will fail? I forget. Hey, did you know I'm the most powerful Metamorphmagus in all of Britain now? More powerful than Dad. He's going to get a kick out of this when I go home this summer."

"If you go home this summer," Helen pointed out sleepily.

"I've no doubt I will," Eli said. "With leaders like Lanie and Nick and Aly? We'll be out right in time for summer break."

Not the greatest ending, but good enough to keep you satisfied while I write the next chapter, right? You know the drill.