Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery Year 5

Chapter 31

WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE.
Most of Hogwarts were having dinner peacefully when-

CRASH!

Five students-and a painting-crashed onto the stage, right in front of the professors' table.

While most students gawked at the commotion up ahead, a few students ran up to the stage to help. "Hey, are you guys OK?!" Rowan asked.

"Eh," mumbled Ben, before making a beeline for the exit.

"I'll just say we had better luck landing in the vault," Dani said as she got up.

By then, several of the professors had left the table and crowded around the students as the rest were still gaping in shock. "Where's Professor Rakepick?" Dumbledore inquired. "She told me she was going into the cursed vault with you."

"F*cking gone," spat Merula.

"It was her all along," added Bill.

"WHAT was her all along?" asked Dumbledore.

"The wizard in red robes. R," replied Dani.

Dumbledore thought for a moment, then said, "Miss Jackson, if you aren't hungry, we should have a talk in my office. As for the three of you-and Mr. Copper, of course-expect an owl soon, you're all due for one on one chats with me. I need to gather as much information as I possibly can about the situation with Professor Rakepick. We can't have dark wizards teaching here at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, I can go now," said Dani.

"Well, then the rest of you should return to your house tables and get some food in your stomachs. Remember, if you have anything you want to talk about, don't hesitate to reach out to your head of house. Now, Miss Jackson..."
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"...And the next thing I knew, I was on the stage in the great hall."

Dumbledore nodded. "Seems like I can expect rather interesting stories from your friends as well. But I think what I'm most concerned about after hearing your version of this, is how you feel about finding your brother, then losing him again. So tell me..."

This took Dani a bit of thought. "I think that it's just... So much happened within the short time in the vault. But with Alex, I'm just glad he's alive, and he's not working for You-Know-Who."

"I understand. Now, for what I anticipate will be the hard part... You'll have to talk to the rest of your group about this."
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"Alright, y'all are allowed to talk now."

Sensing the tensions within the group, on Rowan's advice, Dani told the vault squad the story without letting them interrupt. Well, it wasn't even the entire group: several members decided they had better stuff to do, like painting, taking care of Kettleburn's creatures, practising duelling, studying, locking themselves up in the artefact room (probably) and harassing first-years (once again, probably).

Rowan warned Dani that the arguing would probably start as soon as it possibly could, and Dani could literally call her nerdy best friend a seer now.

"I TOLD YOU GUYS!" Tulip was loud enough that other students in the courtyard stopped and stared.

"Dude, how were we supposed to know?" asked Barnaby.

"Of course you DIDN'T, because you're just a loaf and a dumba*s!"

"Andre, don't say that, we have to be-"

Merula cut Bill off. "Honestly, it must be nice sit at your house table, eat potatoes, and think, 'yeah, I was right'. Must be nice to not have to duel a dragon and get hit by the cruciatus curse, you d*ckheads."

"I mean, idiot, we were-" began Tulip.

"Guys, this isn't going anywhere," said Rowan in a slight panic.

"Maybe we should all just calm down," said Tonks.

Silence. And then...

"Charlie and I are going to do some quidditch practice."

"I'll be pranking Filch. Tonks, you in?"

"I'll go to find Ismelda."

"I'll... Head up and tidy my room. And figure out how to stuff all my contraband articles into my trunk until I have to get on the Hogwarts Express."

"Maybe I'll go help Liz."

"I'm going to the library to see if Percy needs my help. He's 12 and trying to study OWL level stuff."

And soon, it was just Dani and Rowan in the courtyard.

"Reminds me of the good old days," said Rowan. "Remember our first days of school, and I was so excited for Charms, and I-"

"And a Slytherin blew my cauldron up mere hours after all that."

"Dani, I know it's-"

"I'm not in the mood to think about this sort of stuff, thank you."

"Well... At least next year will be better because we won't have a dark witch at our school? Think about it, NEWT courses, head girl selections, coming of age, apparition class-"

"Never knew you were interested in becoming head girl."

"I am. I mean, it'd be cool to be like Angelica and Bill, right?"

Dani shrugged. "And Rowan, you don't need to rub in my face the fact that you'll be getting all the adult privileges eight months before I do."

"Hey, guys."

Penny sat down next to Dani and Rowan, while Beatrice paced nervously close by. "Bea's got a break from her extra lessons, so I thought I'd bring her down. Bill told me that the squad meeting didn't go so well..."