I woke up frightened during the night, as a magnificent storm passed through the region and so wrapping myself in my blanket, made my way down to the common room and lay down on the couch. I was joined shortly after by two other students, who identified themselves as Quinn Thanatos and Holly Higgins. Holly had decadent cascading brunette hair, and she’d piled it into a thick bun on top of her head to keep it out of her face. Quinn was tall and had dark black hair, which he kept short and well maintained. They were talking quietly before Holly turned to me.

“So Genevieve” She began, “Have you completed your Transfiguration homework yet?”

“Almost” I stuttered back, my voice raw from having been asleep, “I was working on it with Melissa this afternoon. We heard a Slytherin boy complaining that his mother taught them as exceptions to higher laws, but after doing some research, we wholeheartedly agree with the professor!”

“That sounds about right!” Holly laughed in return, “I’m fairly certain I know the boy you mean. He complained today before Professor Quilmane taught us a wand movement that wasn’t in the textbook. I mean, I think there’s a reason he’s the Professor, am I right?”

I chuckled and was about to reply but Quinn sat up in his chair by the fire and looked over at us.

“Can we please not discuss homework?” He yawned loudly, “I only just finished Potions a few hours ago, and I’m avoiding Astronomy like the plague!”

“Shhhh!” Holly hissed under her breath, “We don’t want to wake the others! Or maybe you want Charelle to storm down the stairs and start firing off spells at you again?”

Quinn turned bright red and threw his pillow at Holly before turning back around and trying to go back to sleep.

“I heard a rumour” Holly said as she turned back towards me, “That Professor Nivera has a crush on Professor Darkstorm”

“No way!” I chortled in return, “I get the impression that she likes being an independent woman!”

“But when I was in the bathroom today, I heard some students talking” She continued softly, glancing around the common room “They were saying the Professor Nivera and Professor Darkstorm took their holiday at the same time, in the same location last year! I don’t think that’s a coincidence!”

I stared blankly at her and we both laughed aloud until we heard a door opening at the top of the stairs. Dian and Melissa walked into the common room, followed by a girl who they introduced as Amanda Brockman. I realised i’d seen her around before as she lived in the dorm above me.

“Who’s up for some adventure?” Dian whispered as she walked into the common room. She pulled her fluffy pink robe tightly around her and shuffled over towards the fireplace.

“Not me” Quinn groaned from his chair, “I have double History of Magic starting at 8:00am and I need my sleep!”

“Well I’ll definitely come!” Holly chirped, “And I’m sure Genevieve will come along as well!”

“Count me in!” I said, wanting to join in with my friends.

“Well then, let’s get this adventure under way shall we?” Dian said as she did a full cartwheel over to the door and leapt out into the pitch black corridor.

We all followed closely behind and shivered as we felt the cold winter breeze brush across our cheeks. Dian was at the front of the group, her wand tip alight from some charm she’d obviously learnt that day. We snuck down the hallway, all glancing around as the castle groaned in the wind and the shadows cast on the walls appeared to follow us as we moved. We heard a door open up ahead and light spilled out into the corridor.

“Hide!” Dian hissed, as she did a graceful dive behind a statue of a humpbacked witch. I leapt behind a tapestry and peeked out from behind it to see what was happening. The school nurse was walking out of an office followed by Professor Balog.

“Thank you Jaecob” She muttered, “That was really wonderful”

“Anytime Francine!” Jaecob responded, before kissing her hand. “Stop by any time you want!”

I heard her chuckle and then she hurried down the hall past us and around the corner towards the hospital wing. Professor Balog went back into his office and shut his door.

“Clear!” Dian hissed across the hall and she leapt out from behind the statue and right onto the Caretaker’s cat. The cat screamed and slashed at her legs as Dian screamed at it. I could hear noises coming from Professor Balog’s office as he obviously was making his way to the door, but Melissa quickly jumped forward and pointed her wand at the cat.

“Flipendo!” She whispered, and from her wand shock a small orange light which hit the cat and propelled it across the room. Just as Professor Balog came out into the hallway, the cat struck him in the face and they stumbled back into his office. Charelle started laughing as we all tore back up the hallway towards our common room. After many twists and turns we finally came to the door only to find Professor Darkstorm turning around the opposite end with his wand alight.

“In here!” Amanda hissed before we created a human chain and pulled ourselves into a side classroom. We all hid silently and watched as the beam of light coming through the window in the door became brighter and eventually passed us by. We all sat in silence for about 5 minutes before Melissa poked her head out the door and motioned for us all to follow. We hurried out of the classroom and approached the Ravenclaw Common Room. Holly reached out and banged the knocker on the door, which opened it’s mouth and said,

“I'm not a pool but I have covers, not a tree but I have leaves, not a slave but I am bound, not a website but I have pages, nor a shirt though I have sleeves. What am I?”

We all stood there stumped but suddenly I remembered having heard something like this before and so I stepped forward and whispered,

“You’re a book!”

The door clicked and moved open and the knocker said,

“Well done! Welcome home!”

We quickly piled into the common room and pushed the door closed behind us. The girls laughed and thanked me for working it out so quickly, before we all dispersed and headed back up to bed.

“I think you’re all crazy” Melissa exclaimed as she led the way up the stairs, “If Professor Balog had caught us, we’d get detention, but imagine what Professor Darkstorm would do!”

I chuckled as I watched Charelle mimic her as we climbed the stairs. Behind me, I noticed Dian holding her quill and a pot of ink and walking towards Quinn. That girl sure enjoys causing trouble!

Here’s to another night of fun, almost in detention,

Genevieve Greenburg.