The Next Generation and the Followers of Darkness

The masquerade had been fun and was interesting enough to gossip about that the whole school was talking for the rest of the week. And the Gryffindors had plenty of news about the Weasley girls. Molly had been asked to Hogsmeade by John MacArthur — the Ravenclaw fifth year she'd gone to the ball with — and agreed to go together. Roxanne and Rainsford had had a yelling match in the middle of the dance floor that resulted in both of them being hauled off to Longbottom's office for the rest of the night. And the news that made Melody cringe was that Edward and Amelia had kissed, walking around the school the next day holding hands, going on their first official date as girlfriend and boyfriend that upcoming Hogsmeade weekend.

Only students in the third year or up could go to Hogsmeade. Oliver had brought his permission slip home at the end of the year before, getting it signed the first day of summer. Melody had been surprised he wasn't more excited, but after seeing the Marauder's Map at the first Weasley Meeting, she was sure that this upcoming weekend wouldn't be his first time in the little village. Those passages leading off the edges of the map couldn't just lead to nowhere.

The morning after the ball, the House tables had been returned to their places in the Great Hall, and most of the students were sitting in their usual places, save for a small group of Gryffindors gathered around one end of the Ravenclaw table. Intrigued as she walked in, Melody crept a little closer to the group of students. She was surprised to see that the Gryffindors were all of the third year boys, who waved her, Rose, Albus, and Carter over when they caught sight of the first years. The Ravenclaws included Aubree and her friend, Lauren, as well as a boy whose name Melody could not recall, four second years, two third years, and a sixth year who had gone up to Ravenclaw Tower before the ball ended.

Everyone sitting there at the end of the table was wearing a anxious expression. Melody, Rose, Albus, and Carter all took seats at the very end.

"First, let's introduce everyone," snapped the sixth year, a short girl with brown hair and green eyes; her rectangular glasses were slightly lopsided, but she didn't seem to have plans to straighten them any time soon, "because I have no idea who you guys are. All I know is that these boys said they saw the lights last night."

Melody perked up a little, not thinking she and the others were crazy now that she knew someone else had seen the wand-tips.

The eldest girl was Emma Holmes. She was very to-the-point and seemed to want the introductions to be over as soon as they began, almost as if she regreted bringing up the idea. Despite her hurried attitude, closed off demeanor, and constant fidgeting, she was friendly and witty, teasing the younger Ravenclaws in a sisterly way. And unlike many of the Ravenclaws, she was not condescending, although slightly annoying, as she continued to tap out a four-beat rhythm as everyone spoke, only stopping after a seventh year boy further up the table shot her a warning glance.

"All right," said Emma, "now tell me what you all saw."

"Well, Hayden, you were the one who saw it first," muttered James. "You go ahead and explain it."

"Er — I was staring out the window, when I noticed a line of . . . I don't know . . . maybe fifteen or so . . . just little white specks down on the grounds. About where the edge of the Forbidden Forest is — and not too far from Hagrid's hut by the looks of it. They weren't moving, just there. I thought I might have been the teachers, that the centaurs or something had come too close to the castle and they wanted to check it out —"

"But they couldn't have," interrupted Emma. "They were all at the ball last night, I saw them. Oh, sorry, go on . . . ."

"And they couldn't have, like you said," Hayden continued, "because all the teachers were at the ball. Then, we just watch for a while, before they disappear. Must've walked away into the trees."

No one responded to the story verbally, but the Ravenclaws nodded. Without another word, the Gryffindors left for their table in silence.

As Melody, Rose, Albus, and Carter sat down and the elder boys started walking off toward another spot along the Gryffindor table, Lux fluttered down to land on Melody's shoulder, a scroll of parchment tied around her leg. The owl refused to let Melody take the letter until she got to nibble on a piece of toast, then held out her leg for Melody to untie the scroll. Lux remained on Melody's shoulder as she read the letter from her mother.

"Oh — my — God!" cried Melody, a huge smile on her face as she finished reading. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!"

"Oh, my God," mimicked Oliver, sauntering back over. "What are you squawking about, Mel?"

"Mum got a job!"

"What? You're kidding!"

He snatched the parchment out of her hand, nearly knocking Lux off Melody's shoulder in the process, who screeched, flapped her wings violently, and took off in a flurry of feathers, leaving Melody to push all her now-tangled hair out of her face.

Oliver read the letter as quickly as humanly possible. When he looked up, he was trying to put on a convincing smile.

"Witch Weekly, eh?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Melody, her smile fading a little, "but at least she's got a job finally! And if you had read more carefully, you'd have seen that she's still waiting for a response from the Daily Prophet. If she gets an offer from them, Mum's gonna drop Witch Weekly and work for the Prophet instead."

"Still . . . Witch Weekly . . ."

~~~~~

Wednesday and Thursday came and went without much more conversation about the mysterious lights or Witch Weekly, but on Friday morning, the door to the Potions dungeon opened enough for Mr. Witt to stick his head in and attract the attention of Professor Alpheus.

"Yes, Gregory?" she said, ceasing to help Whitney Green, a Slytherin girl, for a moment.

"Professor McGonagall wishes to speak to Mr. Albus Potter, Mr. Carter Quick, Miss Rose Weasley, and Miss Melody Smith in her office," he muttered, barely loud enough to hear. The class went silent. "It may take the rest of class."

"Well, off you go, then," said Alpheus to the four of them, who had been working with Scorpius and Lewis Anderson on the Forgetfulness Potion.

Aware that the whole class was watching them and wondering why the four of them were going to see the Headmistress, Melody packed up her books and ingredients. As she walked to the door with Albus, Carter, and Rose, she glanced back at Scorpius.

"What happened?" he mouthed.

"I don't know," she murmured back.

Leaving Professor Alpheus's classroom, Mr. Witt led them up to the ground floor, then proceeded up the marble staircase. He stopped at the top and turned to face the first years.

"I have to go and fetch several more students," Witt informed them. "Professor McGonagall's office is on the third floor, in the Gargoyle Corridor. Walk up to the gargoyle and say, 'Dumbledore's Army.' Just step on the staircase after that."

He strode off down the hallway without giving them any more instruction, but knowing that it was important if the Headmistress wanted to see them, Melody and Rose started walking in the opposite direction, pulling Carter and Albus along behind them.

Up a few flights of stairs and around a few corners, they arrived at one end of the Gargoyle Corridor, stopping short when they turned into the passage. None of the four of them had ever entered this part of the castle before, and they walked cautiously down the long, near empty hallway. They came to a halt about halfway in front of a huge stone gargoyle standing against the wall on their right. It was taller than even Carter, the tallest of the four friends.

Gulping, Albus stepped forward and said in a firm voice, breaking the complete silence of the passage, "Dumbledore's Army."

At once, the gargoyle came to life and leapt to the side, revealing the wall behind it to have split in two and create an opening. A spiral staircase lay behind that, moving upward. Melody couldn't help but laugh at the look of amazement on Carter's face. The Muggleborn was still learning about the things magic had to offer.

Rose and Albus stepped on quickly. Melody was next, but Carter seemed a little hesitant about the staircase.

"Come on," she urged. "It's just like an escalator."

Still not convinced, the boy took a step back. Melody groaned, stood behind him, and shoved him on. Before Carter could get off, she hopped on right after him, looking back to see the wall close as the gargoyle reclaimed its spot.

Carter was glaring at her from where he sat on the stairs.

"See? It's not so bad," grinned Melody.

He scoffed.

They arrived at the top in almost no time, facing a door covered in beautiful carvings of the Hogwarts emblems — the Gryffindir lion, the Ravenclaw eagle, the Hufflepuff badger, and the Slytherin serpent. For a moment, they admired them before remembering that the Headmistress had wished to see them. Rose knocked softly.

"Come in!" a voice said, slightly muffled by the door.

Rose turned the handle and opened the door wide enough for them to enter.

Albus entered first, Carter following quickly, Melody after that, with Rose last.

They couldn't help but gasp.

The circular chamber was incredible to say the least. All around the walls were pictures of elderly witches and wizards, many of which were dozing in their frames. Every spare wall space had been devoted to bookcases filled with huge volumes, countless in number. Light shone down through tall windows around the room, illuminating the peeling spines of the books and dozing faces of the obvious former Headmasters and Headmistresses. And at the desk sitting across from the door, sat none other than Professor Minerva McGonagll, current Headmistress of Hogwarts.

She looked up from writing a letter, smiling slightly at the sight of the four of them.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Carter, Miss Smith, and Miss Weasley," she said. "I was expecting you. Mr. Witt has gone to fetch the other students?"

Melody, Rose, Albus, and Carter nodded blankly.

"Good," said McGonagall, returning to her letter.

It was very awkward just standing there, not knowing what Professor McGonagall wanted with them, not knowing who else was being taken out of class, not knowing what to do with themselves as she finished her letter and sat in silence.

There were two portraits on the wall behind Professor McGonagall whose inhabitants were awake and watching the first years. Melody couldn't figure out who they were, but she was sure that she had seen their pictures somewhere else before. But she didn't have time to think about this any further, as there was a knock on the door a moment later.

"Come in!" McGonagall called again.

Aubree, Lauren, Emma, and the other Ravenclaws entered, followed moments later by Oliver, James, Hayden, Richard, Luke, and Mr. Witt.

"Is that all the students, Gregory?" asked McGonagall.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," replied McGonagall. "We shall just wait a few minutes more for your Heads of House before we begin —"

"Sorry, professor," interrupted Emma, blushing, "but begin what?"

"We will begin discussing the mysterious lights you all apparently saw on the night of the ball."

How would she know about the lights? thought Melody. All the teachers had been at the masquerade that night. They must've been overheard when they were talking earlier this week at the Ravenclaw table.

As if called to the Headmistress's office by her words, Professors Longbottom and Flitwick stepped into the room then went to stand beside Professor McGonagall's desk.

"Well, it seems we won't have to wait at all," continued McGonagall. "Now . . . which of you saw the lights first?"

Hesitantly, the first year Ravenclaw boy and Hayden rose their hands. They said exactly what they'd seen — stuttering slightly under the gaze of McGongall — and how they'd reacted to the sight. Neither left anything out. If McGonagall had called them out of class to speak to them, it must be important . . . or even dangerous.

Once both had finished telling their stories, McGonagall muttered something to Flitwick and Longbottom.

"— go and check —" was all Melody heard. Then McGonagall addressed the students. "Is there anything else we should know?"

"No, Professor," they all replied in a cacophony of words.

"Good. Then you may all return to your classes."

In a group, the students began to move toward the door; they stopped, however, when they noticed that Emma was still standing before Professor McGonagall, a curious expression on her face.

"I'm sorry to bother you any further, Professor —" Emma began.

"My God, she's such a teacher's pet," muttered one of the second years.

"— but what exactly were those lights?"

Professor McGonagall smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. Under her square glasses, they shone with worry. She seemed to think for a moment before responding to Emma's question.

"Nothing to worry about."