𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗

I, Selene Alice L̶ Fortescue, have finally decided that Professor Sybill Patricia Trelawney, great-great granddaughter of the famous Seer Cassandra Trelawney , is a fraud. There is no way that Neville, m̶y̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶, Longbottom is going to go missing. 

I wrote it several times in my diary that morning when Alicia and Angelina were getting ready. I dipped my red and black quill into my ink.  

"Okay, you ready, Selene?" asked Angelina fearfully as I wrote it once more just in case. Mum used to  say you can never be too sure. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I said trying to control my emotion.

 "Selene?" asked Alicia.

 I turned, tears pricking in my eyes. I saw Alicia and Angelina exchange fearful glances. 

"Selene," Angelina said soothingly. "Nothing is going to happen to Neville." 

I gasped for air. "How can you be so sure?" I said tears now rolling down my eyes. 

"Because," Angelina said as Alicia came over and patted me on the shoulder. "Everyone knows Trelawney's an old fraud." 

I shook my head. "You sound like Pucey," I said. 

"Well," she sighed. "C'mon. I told Katie we'd be meeting her at the Great Hall." 

But I didn't budge. 

"Selene," Angelina said in a singsong voice. "I heard Fred and George have a surprise for you... only if you wipe away your tears and go to the Great Hall with us." 

I wiped away my tears and got up with Alicia. "I'm not doing this for the present," I lied. "I'm doing this for you." 

We hurried into the buzzing Great Hall and sat ourselves next to Katie, who was reading the Daily Prophet like usual. 

"Anything good in there?" Angelina asked. 

"Nothing," said Katie as she closed the paper as I started to eat my toast. "Nothing but news about Sirius Black." I snorted as I ate.

 I looked around. "Where are they?" I asked Katie.

 "Be specific," Katie snorted. 

"I mean Fred and George. The Weasley twins," I said as I put in a mouthful of toast again. 

"I dunno," Katie said as she shrugged. "Why?" 

I hiccuped. "No reason," I blurted out. 

"For the present," Alicia siad slowly. 

"What present?" Katie asked blanked out. 

But when Angelina shot her a look and said, "That present, Kat," Katie remembered.

 "Ahh, that present," she said as she looked back at the newspaper again. 

"Oh hey," I heard a voice say. I jumped and turned to see Fred and George. 

"Hey," I said softly. 

"Here's your present," said Fred as he trudged a miniature replica of the new Firebolt into my hands. 

"Thanks," I said as I put in my pocket. 

"Um, what's up with the hurry around here?" I asked after a minute, noticing all the teachers were hurrying around and asking everyone something. In the corner of my eye, I saw Angelina exchange a worried look to Alicia and Katie. 

"I dunno," said Katie shortly. 

"Um," I said as I looked back at my friends. "Is it-"  

But before I could even finish my sentence, Dumbledore stood up. Everyone quieted down and stared at him except a few teachers - Professors Flitwick, Sprout and Snape - who hurried back to their seats. 

"As you all might know," Dumbledore said in a rumbling voice. "Someone has gone missing last night." 

My heart dropped. "It is," Dumbledore continued through the gasps of some students. His eyes rested on me for a minute. Oh no. "Neville Longbottom." I felt like crying again. "Authorities have been informed. No need to worry. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast and Sunday." Dumbledore sat down. I looked at Angelina, Katie, and Alicia again, tears in my eyes. "You said he wouldn't go missing," I mumbled softly.