They both immediately had theories "Either Puff attacked Reynard, or someone attacked both of them when Reynard wasn't looking" "Or how about this, Reynard attacked Puff and then- No, wait, hear me out. And then he stunned himself". Coral raised her eyebrows "And then Puff evaporated, did he" "Oh, yeah". Silver didn't think Puff could have attacked Reynard, he was too weak, so the only likely story would be that someone else attacked them.
The three got up very early the next morning so they could go to the Aviary to send a letter. They barely got any sleep because they spent a long-time theorising about what happened. As Silver gave the note to a Chao, Coral said "We should go see Professor Striker and see if he found Puff" "If he's still using the map he probably has" "Unless Puff isn't on the grounds anymore". They then heard footsteps coming up to the Aviary "We've tried being polite; it's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did" "I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's blackmail!" "Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?". The door opened revealing Mighty and Ray who froze when they saw the trio "What're you doing?" Mighty and Razor said at the same time. "Sending a letter" Silver and Ray answered. "What? At this time?" Coral and Mighty said. Mighty then grinned "If you don't ask us, we don't ask you". Razor narrowed his eyes "Who're you blackmailing?" "What? Oh, that. It was a joke" "Didn't sound like it". Mighty's grin vanished "I've told you before, Razor, keep your nose out if you like it the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but-" "It's my business if your blackmailing someone. Ray's right, you could get into real trouble for that". Ray shook his head "We told you that was a joke". He took the letter from Mighty and gave it to the nearest Flicky "You're beginning to sound like our dear older brother, Razor. Keep up and you'll be made a prefect" "No, I won't!" "Then stop telling people what to do!". The Flicky took off with the letter "See you later" the two left. Coral looked concerned "You don't think they know something about all this. Puff and everything?" "No. If it was that serious they would have gone to Locke". Razor didn't look so sure "I don't know about that. They're desperate to make money lately. I noticed when I was hanging out with them when… You know" "We weren't talking? Come on, Razor, they wouldn't blackmail someone" "They don't exactly mind breaking the rules, do they?". Coral looked even more worried "Maybe you should tell Hamlin" "What? Are you mad? He'd probably pull a Puff and throw them on Prison Island. Let's get some breakfast I'm starving" Razor said desperate trying to change the subject.
They decided it was too early to go see Striker. They thought if they knocked on his office at the crack of dawn they might think he's attacking them. Their History of Magic class was even slower than usual. Silver swore the clocks stopped a few times. Even Coral wasn't taking her usual notes as she was too distracted. When the bell went they went past the Defence classroom and saw Striker letting out a group of first years "Professor" "Hello, Silver". He looked as tired as they felt "Come in here" he let them into the empty classroom and closed the door. "Did you find Mr Puff?" Silver asked without any preamble. Striker sat down at his desk and took a swig from his flask "No. I even used that map of yours. Couldn't find him" "Did he Chaos Control out?" Razor asked. Coral rolled her eyes "You can't Chaos Control on Soleanna Grounds, Razor. There are other ways he could have disappeared, aren't there, Professor?". Striker looked impressed "You're another one who should consider a career as a Diamond Cutter. Your mind works the right way". Coral flushed pink with pleasure. "Maybe someone kidnapped him. Flew him off the grounds on a board or something" Razor said eagerly as if hoping Striker would say he'd make a good Diamond Cutter too. Striker just nodded "Can't rule out a kidnapping. Spiral Hill would be an easy place to take him". He gave a deep yawn and then pointed at the three of them "Now, Locke's told me you three fancy yourselves as investigators, but there's nothing you can do for Puff. The Ministry'll be looking for him now, Locke's notified them. Silver, you just keep your mind on the third task". Silver in the confusion had completely forgot about the Third Task "Oh, yeah" "With what Locke's told me about you it should be right up your ally. The Chaos Drive. The Chamber of Secrets" "We helped" Razor said. Striker grinned "Then help him with this one. In the meantime, constant vigilance. Stick close to each other. I don't know what's going on, but someone has it in for you, Silver. You can never have too many eyes".
Elias' reply came the very next morning during Breakfast. Coral also received her copy of the Daily Prophet "Ha, she hasn't caught wind of Puff yet". Silver read Elias' letter. Razor noticed he looked annoyed "What?". Silver handed him the letter and he and Coral read it.
Silver, what do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest with Reynard? I want you to swear, by return Flicky, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night. There is somebody highly dangerous at Soleanna. It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Puff from seeing
Locke and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed. Your name didn't get into the Flame of Solaris by accident. If someone's trying to attack you, they're on their last chance. Stay close to Razor and Coral, do not leave Shinobi Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn't go amiss either. There's nothing you can do about Puff. Keep your head down and look after yourself. I'm waiting for your letter giving me your word you won't stray out-of-bounds again.
Chomps
They looked up at Silver who rolled his eyes "Can you believe him? Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds? After all the stuff he got up to at school. No one's tried to attack me all year. No one's done anything" "Except put your name in the Flame of Solaris" Coral reminded him. Razor nodded in agreement "They did that for a reason, mate. A big maze with a bunch of blind spots seems like a likely place to do you in" "Look, let's say Elias is right, and someone stunned Reynard to kidnap Puff. Well, they would've been in the trees near us, wouldn't they? But they waited till I was out of the way until they acted, didn't they? So it doesn't look like I'm their target, does it?". Coral shook her head "They wouldn't make it look like an accident. The Tasks on the other hand-" "They didn't make attacking Reyard look like an accident" "Silver, I don't understand it either. I just know there are a lot of odd things going on, and I don't like it. Striker is right. Chomps is right. You've got to get in training for the third task, straight away. And you make sure you write back to Chomps and promise him you're not going to go sneaking off alone again".
Silver did what he was told and he might be imagining things but the grounds of the school seemed much more inviting when he was stuck indoors. He spent most of the week in the library researching hexes and useful spells. Echo allowed them to use her classroom during break to practice. The trouble was that practicing it involved certain sacrifice on Coral and Razor's part. "Can't we just kidnap Spooky?" Razor suggested on Monday lunchtime as he lay flat on his back in the middle of the classroom, having just been Stunned and reawoken by Silver for the fifth time in a row "I'm aching all over, here". Coral rearranged some pillows on the floor "You keep missing the pillows. Try and fall backwards" "It's hard to aim when you're stunned. You have a turn" "I think Silver's worked it out anyway" Coral said hastily. She then checked the list they made "Alright, we don't need to practice disarming, you've been able to do that for ages. I like the look of this one. The Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you, Silver. We'll start with that one this evening". The bell went "See you at dinner" Coral said before leaving them. Silver and Razor went to their Divination class. It was boiling inside, Pyjamas never put out her fire which meant this time of year was the worst. When Pyjamas wasn't looking Silver opened the window near his chair slightly so he could get a bit of a breeze. Pyjamas was too busy being her usual dramatic self to notice "My dears, we have almost finished our work on planetary divination. Today, however, will be an excellent opportunity to examine the effects of Drak, for he is placed most interestingly at the present time. If you will all look this way, I will dim the lights". Her necklace glowed and she waved her hand putting out all the lamps in the room. Pyjamas bent down and lifted, from under her chair, a miniature model of the solar system, contained within a glass dome.
It was a beautiful thing; each of the moons glimmered in place around the nine planets and the fiery sun, all of them hanging in thin air beneath the glass. Silver, watched lazily as Professor Pyjamas began to point out the fascinating angle Drak was making to Secco. The heavily perfumed fumes washed over him, and the breeze from the window played across his face. He could hear an insect humming gently somewhere behind the curtain. His eyelids began to droop. He found himself flying high in the sky seeing the mountains and cities pass under him. Then slowly he descended and decreased in speed. He was going through the street of a small town and then up a hill towards a familiar house. Silver wanted to stop but he couldn't, he entered the house, up the stairs and entered a room were two figures were waiting. Silver recognised them from a dream he had forgotten about, one was the creature called Ifrit and the other was Mordred who was quivering in fear. A voice then came from a chair nearby which Silver couldn't see "You're in luck, Mordred, you are very fortunate indeed. Your blunder has not ruined everything. He is dead". Mordred looked close to tears "My Lord… I am so pleased… And so sorry. Please forgive me" "Ifrit, I'm afraid you're out of luck. I will regrettably not be feeding Mordred to you after all. But don't worry, there's still Silver the Hedgehog". Ifrit made an excited screech. The voice then spoke very coldly "Now, Mordred, perhaps one more little reminder why I will not tolerate another blunder from you". Mordred gasped and lied flat on the floor "My Lord, please…I beg you" "Crucio!". Mordred screamed as if every nerve in his body was on fire. Silver's head began to sear in pain, but he couldn't scream, Finitevus might hear him "Silver! Silver!". Silver opened his eyes, he was lying on the floor of Pyjamas classroom with his hands clutching his head. The whole class was standing around him concerned.
Razor helped him up "Are you alright". Pyjamas looked excited "Of course he isn't. What was it, Silver? A premonition? An apparition? What did you see?" "Nothing" Silver lied. He was shaking all over "I need to go to the hospital wing. Bad headache" "My dear, you were undoubtedly stimulated by the extraordinary clairvoyant vibrations of my room! If you leave now, you may lose the opportunity to see further than you have ever-" "I don't want to see anything except a headache cure". He ran out of the classroom ignoring the unnerved expression from the other students. He wasn't going to the Hospital Wing though, he was going to follow Elias' advice, he was going straight to Locke. He reached the ant statue "Mint Candy". Nothing happened "Uh, Licorice…Bubble gum…Berti Blotts Every Flavour Beans. Oh, wait, he doesn't like those. Will you just open!? I need to talk to him!". Still nothing "Oh, for God's sake. Chocolate Frog! Sugar Quill! Slicer Clusters!". The statue sprung to life and spun around creating a staircase up to the doors of Locke's office. He approached the door to open it when he heard a voice. It was Max "Locke, I'm afraid I don't see the connection, don't see it at all! Barker says Agnes' perfectly capable of getting herself lost. I agree we would have expected to have found her by now, but all the same, we've no evidence of foul play, Locke, none at all. As for her disappearance being linked with Puff's!" "And what do you thinks happened to Puff, Minister?" came Striker's growling voice. He heard Max making an exasperated sigh "I see two possibilities, Striker. Either Puff has finally cracked, more than likely, I'm sure you'll agree, given his personal history lost his mind, and gone wandering off somewhere" "He wondered quite far and quite fast if that is the case, Max" Locke said. Max pretended he didn't hear him "I'll reserve judgment until after I've seen the place where he was found, but you say it was just past the Sylvania carriage? Locke, you know what that woman is?" "I find her to be a very capable headmistress and a very good dancer" "Oh, come now, Locke". Max sounded angry now "Don't you think you might be prejudiced in her favour because of Big? They don't all turn out harmless. If, indeed, you can call Big harmless, with that monster fixation he's got" "I no more suspect Windermere than I do Big. I think it is you who are prejudice, Max". Striker loudly ceared his throat "I think we should wrap up this conversation, gentlemen. Silver wants a word with you, Locke".