The Eagle and the Badger

Chapter Eighteen: Herding Cats

The day wasn't shaping up to be one of Hugo's best. First, he discovered that his Charms essay was six inches too short just when it was time to hand it in.

"Professor Flitwick clearly said two feet," Robbie murmured as he passed his own rolled-up parchment forward. "Weren't you listening?"

Hugo had to bite back a retort. Why couldn't Robbie or someone have warned him while there was still time to rewrite the dratted thing?

But that was stupid; it was no one's fault but his own that he'd messed up.

Feeling nearly as cranky as Flitwick himself, Hugo tried to concentrate on the day's lesson while ignoring the Slytherins, who had begun whispering and sniggering the moment he came into view. Hoping fervently to avoid Jack Sutphen's eyes, he kept his own firmly fixed on his textbook as the Charms teacher reviewed some rather complicated conjuring techniques.

Focusing proved difficult, however, as Hugo's mind kept straying to the meeting he and Lucia were trying to set up. Their plan was to involve as many of their friends (and, in Hugo's case, relatives) as they could persuade to join them.

They hadn't set a date, as Lucia said she needed more time to round up the Ravenclaws. As Professor Flitwick spoke, Hugo's attention continued to wander. How many people would actually show up? Would they really be able to come up with a workable plan to defeat the Muggle-baiter or, as Trevor and Marco insisted, was he daft to even try?

As he'd predicted, Lily had jumped aboard at once, though she made him promise not to mention their scheme to Danielle.

"She'd only try to take over, and Merlin help anyone who disagreed with her," she insisted.

Lily was probably right, though Hugo wasn't worried. With N.E.W.T.s looming, Head Girl duties and a steady boyfriend, Danielle had too much on her plate to bother with a bunch of first years unless they were doing something really bad.

As for the Hufflepuffs, no one had actually turned down Hugo's invitation to a joint meeting, though he felt sure of only three: Sandy, who'd been supportive all along; Sarah Soloway, whom Hugo had taken to thinking of as Warrior Girl because she seemed more than ready to fight for a good cause; and, somewhat to his surprise, Sukie Lawrence. She seemed determined not to give way to fear and kept trying to bolster Gabe's courage as well. So far, she wasn't succeeding.

Though the chill between Hugo and Trevor had lifted somewhat, Hugo wasn't sure whether his best friend - or any of the boys, for that matter - would show up. All of them seemed to have reasons not to, and none was showing signs of relenting.

"Mr. Weasley! Has someone cast a Deafening Jinx on you?"

Hugo snapped to attention, stammering an apology as he tried to ignore the sniggers and giggles from the Slytherins. He had no idea what Professor Flitwick had just asked, and his inattention cost Hufflepuff five points.

ooOoo

The best thing that could be said about the Ravenclaw-Slytherin game (from every point of view except a Slytherin's) was that nothing untoward happened - at least, nothing magical. Pamela Davies took a Bludger to the back that nearly knocked her off her broom, but the Ravenclaw Beaters went after the Slytherin Chasers with equal ferocity.

Lucia cheered along with her housemates whenever Ravenclaw scored a goal, but she had a hard time keeping her mind on the game. For one thing, she was mentally trying out different versions of how to convince her friends to come to the meeting she and Hugo had planned. Then, too, she couldn't watch Scorpius without seeing the image of a scale-faced boy, holding Hugo at wand-point in Dungeon Nineteen.

Could it have been Scorpius? It was horrible to think that, but . . . .

In the end, it was Scorpius who circled the field, holding the Snitch aloft in triumph. As her brother rode off the field on the shoulders of jubilant teammates, she tried to banish the picture. Hugo had insisted he didn't recognize the person who'd hexed him, so why did she feel so uneasy? Hugo's attacker might have been anyone, anyone at all.

When she'd learned about the attack, Lucia's first instinct had been to confront her brother and demand answers. As time went by without any opportunity to talk to him, however, Lucia realized she was being foolish. Suppose Scorpius or one of his friends was guilty? Knowing she and Hugo were friends, he would hardly tell her the truth, would he?

Can't you tell when your own brother is lying? spoke a voice in her head. It was disturbing to realize that she probably couldn't.

You just don't want to know, the voice accused her.

The Ravenclaws were quiet as they trudged back to the castle, and Lucia wasn't surprised to see David Pinkerton trailing Mike like an obedient Crup, though he wandered over to the Merlin's Cave table as soon as they reached the common room.

The atmosphere there was every bit as gloomy as the heavily clouded sky. Ruth, Mike and Amanda flopped into chairs, too dispirited to suggest a game or even talk much.

Lucia wished everyone was in a better mood, but she didn't want to waste an opportunity to talk to them together. It was important to get them working together on the Muggle-baiting mystery.

That meant everyone. She took a deep breath and marched over to Claudia, who hadn't bothered to attend the match and was occupying her usual chair with the usual heavy tome spread open in her lap. The girl looked up when she sensed Lucia's presence, her face expressionless.

Determined not to be put off, Lucia forced herself to smile. "I'm calling a little meeting of the first years. It's important, so you'll join us, won't you?"

Given that her peculiar dorm mate was on the list of suspects, cluing her in to the investigation might not be the wisest move. After much inner debate, Lucia had decided to take the risk, which was surely negligible. Being odd wasn't a crime, after all. Besides, drawing Claudia in might be a first step toward making up for what her grandfather had done to the girl's father.

Claudia favored her with the usual owlish stare, while Lucia resisted the urge to fidget as she waited for her to say something - anything. Then, to Lucia's surprise, Claudia gave the slightest of nods before putting her book aside and getting to her feet.

"All right, then," Lucia breathed with relief. Three pairs of eyes were trained on her and her quarry as they approached and took seats. No one said a word while Lucia groped for a way to begin.

"Erm," she finally said, feeling more than a little self-conscious, "there's something I want to talk to all of you about - something important." She flushed a little, aware that she was repeating herself.

The silence dragged. "The thing is, I've been talking to Hugo Weasley about the threats to Muggle-borns - "

She caught Mike's eye, surprised to see her lips pressed together in a frown. Unsure what to make of that, she plunged ahead. "We've been thinking, it might be better for us all to work together - all the houses, I mean - if we're going to find out who's guilty and get this nonsense stopped." She stopped herself, hoping for a show of enthusiasm.

She didn't get it.

"You don't mean to include Slytherin, I hope? And what about the boys?" Amanda demanded, pointing at the five Merlin's Cave players.

"Of course, I mean them, too," Lucia replied with a touch of warmth. She was annoyed with herself for handling this so clumsily and sprang to her feet. "I'll be right back."

It took only a moment for her to return, Andy Banion and David Pinkerton in tow. The others had begged off, swearing that the game was at a critical point.

David cast a nervous glance around before taking a seat next to Mike.

"Everyone else is - er - busy," Lucia explained, then repeated her opening remarks. When she was finished, the only one besides Andy to look really interested was Ruth, who leaned forward, her chin resting on clasped hands and her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Getting the houses together is a wonderful idea," she exclaimed. "We can't simply sit back and do nothing. But" - her face fell a bit - "what, exactly, do you think we can all do?"

Mike tossed her head, causing her plait to flop forward over her shoulder. She flipped it back impatiently.

"I for one don't see why you should be the one to decide, Luce. None of this affects you. David and I are doing our bit by sticking together - like you and Weasley."

Lucia gazed at her friend in astonishment. Mike's use of the Hufflepuff's surname - and in that bitter tone - was confusing. Mike liked Hugo, didn't she? He'd helped to find her that dreadful Halloween night. Now she sounded almost . . . well, jealous.

And it was her fault, for not including Mike from the beginning. True, Mike had clearly signaled that she wanted to put the whole incident behind her - but that was no excuse for ignoring her best friend.

All this would have to be sorted, but not now.

"You're right," she said to Mike. "We should certainly watch out for each other; the Hufflepuffs have been doing that since - "

She realized her mistake at once and broke off as the scowl on Mike's face deepened.

"Anyway," Lucia struggled onward,"we're Ravenclaws, so we should bring our own ideas to the meeting."

Ideas proved to be in short supply, however. Amanda insisted they should rely on the prefects to solve the mystery, and David, looking down at the floor, said nothing at all. Mike, who reiterated her belief that the Muggle-borns could protect each other, soon illustrated her point by pulling David away for a game of wizard chess. Pleading homework, Amanda drifted off as well.

Claudia, who'd sat silent as a Muggle portrait through all this, got up to leave.

"That went well," she observed as she went, her voice devoid of any hint of humor.

Only Ruth and Andy lingered, though both confessed to being stumped for ideas.

"Suppose something happens before the meeting?" Ruth said, her brow furrowed. "What can we do now?"

"Keep our eyes on the Slytherins," Andy advised, though his wry expression told Lucia he recognized the futility of trying to monitor an entire house.

After a moment's hesitation, Lucia told the two of them about her plan to get better acquainted with Octavia Nott. Ruth's eyes went wide.

"Lucia, are you sure you want to do that?" she asked. "Think of what happened to Hugo. Suppose she tells the wrong person you're asking questions - she could be the wrong person, for all we know."

Lucia tried to reassure her friend. "I'm not planning to interrogate her, you know. I just don't think it could hurt to talk to her. I promise I'll be careful."

Andy agreed she should try. "You say the Notts are friends of your family, right? That's different from picking some random person. Why wouldn't you talk to her? I say, go for it."

Disappointed as she was at the lack of support from Mike, Amanda, and the other boys, Lucia started on her homework feeling somewhat more hopeful.

ooOoo

"What do you mean, where's Sukie?" Gabe Link demanded as the Hufflepuffs headed to their common room after the match. "Isn't she with - "

He looked around the entrance hall, his expression darkening as he failed to spot the blonde girl .

"You were supposed to be watching her!" he said angrily to no one in particular, then broke off, apparently remembering that protecting Sukie was up to him, too.

That was the flaw in the Hufflepuffs' buddy system, Hugo realized. When everyone was responsible, it was far too easy to assume someone else was doing the job.

"Who saw her last?" he asked, having to raise his voice to be heard in the crowded, noisy hall. "Who was sitting with her in the stands?"

There was a pause before Susan Pho, looking down at her boots, mumbled, "She was sitting beside me - I thought she was right behind me."

"She was," said Trevor. "I saw her, but people were jostling me and I sort of - lost track." He looked none too happy himself.

Gabe glared at Hugo as though everything was his fault. "We have to find her!" he nearly yelled as the others shifted nervously from foot to foot.

"I'm sure she's fine," Hugo said in a tone meant to be bracing. "We just need to -"

Before he could finish the sentence, Hufflepuffs were scrambling off in all directions. Hugo watched them go, wishing they'd waited to make some sort of plan.

"What are you standing there for?" Trevor demanded, grabbing Hugo's sleeve and giving it a sharp tug. "We need to go back to the Quidditch pitch."

Gabe was already disappearing through the oak doors. Hugo shook off Trevor's hand with a touch of resentment. Things had remained frosty between them since the meeting in the common room. That didn't matter now, though.

Retracing their steps made as much sense as anything else, so he followed the other two boys toward the now-deserted stands, making a visual sweep of the grounds as he went. A thin plume of smoke was rising from the chimney of Figgs' cabin, and the groundskeeper was just emerging with his dogs, all barking and jumping with excitement.

For a brief, mad moment, Hugo considered asking the man for help in the search, then quickly averted his eyes as sanity returned. If Sukie really was out there somewhere, the last thing she needed was a canine assault.

By silent consensus, the three boys fanned out as soon as they reached

the pitch, calling Sukie's name as they went. Feeling rather stupid - why would Sukie linger here in the cold when all her friends were long gone - he circled behind the stands, starting with the Hufflepuff side. He saw nothing except some candy wrappers, a blue hair ribbon, and a few scraps of crumpled parchment.

The other two fared no better, and at last they trudged in silence back to the castle. Hugo could only hope that one of his housemates was having better luck.

With mounting anxiety, he gave the password and reentered the Hufflepuff common room. Fully prepared for bad news, he could only stand and stare when he caught sight of Sukie, sitting on the sofa with Susan and Robbie on either side.

"I'm so sorry," he heard her say as he hurried over with Trevor at his heels. Gabe brushed past the other two, reaching her in a few long strides.

"Where were you?" he demanded. "Why did you disappear like that? We were - " he sputtered to a stop as Sukie winced, her color deepening.

"Don't you dare yell at me!" she said hotly. "I said I was sorry. It's not my fault if my bootlaces got tangled up and i had to stop to retie them! I tried to catch up, but you were all too far ahead, and I had to go to the library to get a book, so I did!"

Sukie's words came out in a rush, her own voice rising to a near-shout. Susan put a soothing arm around her, and Robbie, looking befuddled by the out-of-character outburst, silently handed Sukie a clean handkerchief, which she took automatically and wadded into a ball.

Ignoring all the dramatics, Hugo zeroed in on one part of Sukie's explanation.

"You say your bootlaces were tangled?" he asked, as gently as he could. "Did someone jinx you?"

Sukie looked up at him, doubt replacing distress on her face. After hesitating a bit, she answered, "I don't know; I suppose it's possible. I didn't hear any spells, but then, it was so noisy in the stands . . ."

Sandy reached over from her nearby chair to pat her friend's hand. "It's all right," she said. "We're just glad you're safe."

Everyone echoed the sentiment, including Hugo, but he was left feeling more impatient than ever for a permanent solution to the Muggle-baiting problem.

ooOoo

Lucia tried hard to concentrate on her Potions homework, though her mind kept straying. Taking a break only for dinner, she forced herself to review bat-wing preparation until, unable to wait another minute, she hurried off alone to the Astronomy tower well before class was due to begin.

She'd noticed that Octavia Nott sometimes came early to Astronomy, too, and hoped to talk to her alone before class. Unfortunately, by the time the Slytherin arrived with Bianca Zabini, the tower classroom was already half full. Frustrated, Lucia forced herself to listen to Professor Gallagher's lecture, then turned her attention to the evening's mapping assignment.

Class seemed to last forever. As soon as it was dismissed, Lucia told Ruth what she was going to do and moved to intercept Octavia as she was packing up her things. She insinuated herself between the slender girl and Bianca, who gave the interloper a haughty stare. Lucia ignored her and smiled pleasantly at Octavia.

"Hello," she said cheerily. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it?"

The Slytherin girl looked a bit startled, but after a rather awkward pause, she replied, "I suppose that a Ravenclaw would find Astronomy fascinating."

Lucia had no idea what that was supposed to mean, but she refused to let it bother her.

"Oh, I don't know," she said. "I think I like Transfiguration best. You?"

Bianca shifted impatiently from foot to foot. "Are you coming, or not?" she demanded.

"Erm - go ahead," Octavia said, to Lucia's satisfaction. "I'll be along in a moment."

Bianca hesitated, then, with a little toss of her head, hurried to catch up with the rest of her friends.

By unspoken consent, Lucia and Octavia waited until nearly everyone had left, then walked over to the parapet and looked out over the grounds before resuming their conversation.

"I like Potions," Olivia said flatly.

Lucia said that she did, too, but it wasn't really school she wanted to talk about. What she really wanted to do was ask about Muggle-borns in Slytherin, but she knew it was too soon for that.

"You know," she said, "Scorpius had a wonderful time with your family over the holiday."

While her brother hadn't actually talked about the visit, he probably had enjoyed himself - why wouldn't he? She was pleased to see Octavia's lips turn up at the mention of her brother's name. Was it possible that Octavia had a crush on him? If so, she'd have a reason to be friendly . . .

Thinking like a Slytherin again, Lucia thought ruefully. But she had to use some wiles with a Slytherin, or she was bound to fail.

"How long has it been since our families spent time together?" she asked.

Octavia shrugged thin shoulders. "I don't know; probably not since your father ran off."

Lucia's dismay must have shown, because the Slytherin clapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry," she apologized when she'd regained her poise, "I shouldn't have said that. It's just that Mother and Father - "

It's just that they've filled your head with ugly stories, Lucia wanted to say, but she refrained. It wasn't Octavia's fault if Draco Malfoy was the subject of gossip.

She cleared her throat and changed the subject. "It's strange, isn't it, us being in different houses?"

Professor Gallagher had finished casting Anti-Theft and other protective spells on the telescopes and gave the girls a meaningful look. It was clear she wanted to leave and was only waiting for them.

Octavia glanced at her and picked up her bag before responding, "There was talk about the Sorting - there still is, especially as you're so friendly with Weasley." She spoke the name without Mike's bitter edge, but Lucia was still taken aback. How was her friendship with Hugo anyone's business but her own?

She stifled a retort as the Astronomy teacher called from the other end of the tower, "Time to go, you two. No lingering after curfew."

Lucia sighed. At least she and Octavia had made a start. As the girls left the tower, they reverted to talking about their classes, and Lucia made up her mind to seek other opportunities to get better acquainted with the Slytherin girl. Octavia seemed disposed to be friendly, and who knew where that might lead?

ooOoo

Hugo found himself squeezed into a corner of the erstwhile unused classroom, listening to the Gryffindors argue. He should have been pleased that just a word to Lily had produced this large a turnout of cousins and their friends. Especially when only four Hufflepuffs and three Ravenclaws had bothered to show up.

Still . . . the noise was so deafening, with everyone trying to shout over each other, that Hugo was forced to admit he'd lost control of the situation.

James, his black hair standing mostly on end, was arguing toe-to-toe with Al, who scowled back at his older brother. Rose was on her feet, too, pulling on the back of James' robes to get his attention, while Molly and her friend (Suzanne, Hugo thought her name was), sat at their desks conjuring paper falcons to launch at James' head. They laughed uproariously every time he swatted one away and glared in their direction.

The Gryffindor melee had stifled anyone else's attempts to contribute to the discussion - if one could call it that. Andy Banion, sitting beside Lucia against the opposite wall, kept opening his mouth and closing it again, which gave him the look of a beached fish. The Hufflepuff girls kept giving Hugo significant looks, and finally, he decided he'd had enough.

He rose to his feet, wishing he knew the voice amplifying charm, and bellowed at the top of his lungs: "QUI-I-I-ET!"

To his amazement, the contentious voices faltered and fell silent as all heads swiveled in his direction. Knowing the hush wouldn't last, Hugo hastened on, lowering his own voice only slightly.

"Look," he said, standing as straight as possible and desperately wishing he were taller, "in case you've forgotten, we're here for a reason. We're supposed to be figuring out how to catch the git who's been threatening our friends. Now, everybody sit down. If you have an idea about how we can do this, raise your hand and - and I'll call on you."

He nearly mumbled the last few words, feeling silly for trying to play teacher. Indeed, someone - he wasn't sure who - muttered, "Who died and made you boss?"

The question was greeted by a few hoots and titters, but Rose glared at the offenders and said, "Let him talk. He's the one who called the meeting. Go ahead, Hugo."

His sister smiled at him kindly, and he felt a rush of gratitude towards her.

To Hugo's annoyance, James was still on his feet, pacing, and said, without waiting to be called upon, "What did you have in mind, exactly? Challenging everyone we see writing? I seriously doubt this git's working out in the open."

His tone was dismissive, and Hugo had to force himself not to look abashed. The idea did sound stupid when James put it like that.

"Anyway," James went on, "We all know it has to be a Slytherin, and we can't get into their common room. I say we concentrate on self-defense. It's no coincidence that most of the targets have been first years who can't fight back."

He cast a meaningful glance at Hugo and his classmates. Sarah Soloway gave him her fiercest glare in response.

James merely quirked an eyebrow at her and went on. "I've been thinking we should revive the D.A., especially for the younger, Muggle-born kids - "

"Except for the bloody Slytherins," one of the older Gryffindors threw in.

Before James could explain what the D.A. was, Al waved his hand frantically and Hugo called on him, more than happy to let someone besides James have the floor. t

"That's daft, and you know it!" Al insisted, his fair skin reddening slightly. "It would take months - years, even - to learn enough to defend yourself against every possible kind of attack. I mean, there are all sorts of hexes and just about any object can be cursed and then there's poison - "

"So," James shot back, "you just want to give up and let these kids try to fight off some sneak attack without any help?"

"That's not what I said!" Al replied, his voice rising to a near-shout.

"Sit down, you two," ordered a curly-haired Gryffindor girl whom Hugo had seen with the fifth years. "Frankly," she continued when the Potter brothers, still glaring at each other, finally sank into their seats, "I don't see what all the fuss is about. I'm Muggle-born and I haven't had any note, nor has anyone else in our house - "

"Yet," Sarah muttered darkly.

"The point is, these threats don't amount to a hill of Every Flavor Beans, do they? Only a few people have had one of those notes, and nothing's happened to them - "

Ruth was on her feet at once. "That's not true! Somebody pushed our friend Mike down a flight of stairs, and she could have been killed!"

The curly-haired girl wasn't backing down. "Yes, and it could have been a coincidence, couldn't it?"

Ruth opened her mouth, but Sandy was waving her hand and Hugo called on her, hoping to cut short a useless argument.

"Our Keeper got Confunded," she said, "and that was just after - or just before - he found one of those notes in his pocket. Just because more students haven't had notes or been attacked doesn't mean they won't be. It would be great if we could learn more defense than we're getting in class. I'd like to feel I could protect my friends" - here she smiled at Sukie - "if I needed to."

Andy Banion nodded his head in agreement. "That sounds great, but who's going to teach us? Would Professor Chang be willing to lead this - D. A.? What does that mean, anyway.?"

James snorted. "Involving teachers wasn't exactly what I had in mind. When my dad was at Hogwarts, he led a group of students who learned to fight on their own. The group was called Dumbledore's Army; that's what D. A. stands for. Dad taught them all sorts of things, as their teachers weren't exactly up to snuff."

He didn't have to spell out who his dad was, or whom those students had ultimately had to fight. Even the first year Muggle-borns knew who Harry Potter was, though fewer had heard of Dumbledore's Army.

"So," Sarah challenged James, her arms crossed, "are you going to take his place? Teach enough defense to keep everyone safe?"

Hugo thought his cousin looked a bit taken aback, but the black-haired boy quickly recovered himself enough to shrug. "I suppose, if that's what everyone wants."

Hugo glanced at his watch and was surprised to see how late it was. This wasn't at all the turn he'd expected the meeting to take, They hadn't talked at all about how to catch the Muggle-baiter. All the same, the idea of some sort of defense club had its appeal. At least, the promise of dueling lessons might get more people trying to solve the mystery.

On the other hand, he had to agree with Al that learning enough magic to defend against all possible attacks seemed about as practical as draining the lake with a teaspoon. Then, there was the problem of what to do about Slytherin. There had to be at least some Muggle-borns in that house; shouldd they try harder to find and reach out to them?

"All right," he said, over a hubbub of voices, "it's getting late, and we can't decide everything in one go. Let's meet again in a week: same time, same place. James, you can tell us your plans for this defense club, like where and when we could meet. But we should also talk about how to catch the Muggle-baiter before he hurts anyone else. Meeting's adjourned."

As the gathering broke up and the room emptied, Hugo felt a hand on his arm.

"Well done, Hugo," said Lucia. "Ruth, Andy, why don't you go on ahead? I'm going to help straighten up the room."

Ruth started to protest, but Andy, perhaps guessing that Lucia wanted a few moments alone, agreed they should go. "I don't want to miss curfew and get detention," he explained. "Lucia, will you be okay walking back alone?"

"Of course," she said. "I'll be along in a just a moment."

With another backward glance, Ruth followed Andy down the corridor, heading for Ravenclaw tower.

"You should go with them," Hugo told Lucia. "It won't take much to get the room back to normal."

Lucia's glance took in torches knocked askew, crumpled pieces of parchment and empty candy wrappers littering the floor, as well as a couple of overturned desks.

"Don't be silly," she said, taking out her wand. She tried to Banish the litter with the spell she'd been trying to learn on her own, but most of it flew around the room before settling back to the floor. As there was no bin and she had no idea how to conjure one, she settled for piling it all into a corner.

"So," Hugo said as he righted a desk, "you were awfully quiet tonight. How come?"

She shrugged. "We talk all the time; I suppose I thought it was someone else's turn. And you definitely didn't need any help taking charge; you did a great job keeping things under control. I just wish a few more Ravenclaws had come."

Hugo knew she meant Mike.

"How do you think it went?" he asked, straightening the last torch.

"It was a start," Lucia answered slowly, wanting to be diplomatic. Privately, she wished they'd spent less time arguing and more time forming a real plan.

"I suppose a defense club might be good, if only to give people confidence. I don't think we should give up on catching the culprit, though, do you?"

The blackboard caught her eye; it was covered with games of naughts and crosses and a few pairs of initials ("E. A. + J. P." was one set) enclosed in hearts. Moving closer, she saw that one such pairing was "H. W. + L. M", and she hastily used her wand to erase all the writing.

Who would have written that, and why? she wondered, feeling the warmth rising to her cheeks.

She jumped a little when she heard Hugo's voice right behind her.

"Nice spell," he said. Lucia was relieved that he hadn't noticed what was on the board.

"Thanks," she said. She looked at her watch. "Oh - we'd really better go. I don't fancy getting detention, either."

She went to extinguish the torches, but a muttered grunt from Hugo stopped her and she turned around, rather alarmed.

"What is it?" she asked, noting his frown. "Is something wrong?"

Hugo shook his head. "Fine, but in all the commotion I completely forgot I'd meant to pass these around, see if anyone recognized the handwriting."

He was holding the notes he'd collected from Sukie, Gabe, and Malcolm.

"That's too bad," Lucia said, "but may I just see them again?"

She reached into her pocket for Mike's note, then scanned all four with a curious expression on her face. At last she held them out to Hugo.

"I'm afraid we won't be able to identify the writer by his handwriting, Hugo. I didn't realize it till yesterday, when I got a letter from Mother. At first, I didn't know who sent it, because the handwriting looked so different, but she said in the letter that she was in a bit of a rush and was using a Dictaquill."

"A Dictaquill," Hugo repeated, feeling more than a little stupid. "I should have known. I mean, you gave me one, but it seems that every time I want to use it, there are too many people about . . . "

"It's all right," Lucia interrupted him with an understanding smile. "At least we know how the notes were written, if not who wrote them."

She was beginning to feel really nervous about the time, so she quickly extinguished the remaining lights and lit her wand so she and Hugo could find their way out.

As they reached the door, Hugo stopped. "Luce? Are all Dictaquills the same, do you know? I mean - "

"Do they produce the same script? That's a good question. I'm not sure. I can ask Mother."

The two first years stepped out into the empty corridor - only it wasn't empty. A cloaked figure, wand out, stepped in front of them the moment they entered the corridor. He wore a nasty, self-satisfied smirk.

"I told Scorpius you two were up to no good," Gordon Pucey crowed. "And I was right."