| HIDDEN IN SECRETS |

chapter nineteen

SUSPICIOUS

•

For once, people steered clear away from The Boy Who Lived. And rightfully so. Verena hoped this hate would still be around when their Quidditch match against Gryffindor took place. She hoped more people would cheer for Ravenclaw than Gryffindor. After defeating Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw was second in the standings for the Quidditch Cup.

It was the last Charms class for the term. There wasn't much left to do after Professor Flitwick's quick quiz to confirm what they had learned. For the rest of the class, Professor Flitwick had instructed them to practice the charms they learned, but no one had done that, and Professor Flitwick didn't seem to care. Verena knew he couldn't wait for the holidays to begin.

Verena eventually doze off, laying her head on her book. She didn't get much sleep, however, since the bell had rung minutes later for lunch. She headed toward the Great Hall, but halfway down a corridor, she realized her friends weren't with her. The corridor suddenly became cold and an icy draft distinguished the torches. Suddenly, there was a small scream. Whatever it was, it happened fast. Verena ran towards the source of the scream, and she got there just in time to see a body fall.

There was another scream, but this came from Verena. She was still in Charms class. She looked around at the others giving her concerned looks.

"Nightmare?" asked Draco, reaching a hand out to console his friend, but Verena scooted away.

"Is everything all right, Miss Salvador?" Flitwick asked.

Verena nodded and said, "Can I use the restroom? Thanks."

Draco watched as she left, worried. He caught her picking at her thumbs again. He asked to use the restroom and tried to catch up to Verena. When he walked out into the corridor, however, she was unsure where she really went.

Verena let her feet carry her and let her intuition guide her. A couple of minutes later, she entered the same corridor she saw in her dream. She looked around, noticing the extinguished torches.

"It's the same," she muttered, slowing her pace.

She turned a corner and found Harry Potter hovering over a body. Beside him was a black and smoky figure, immobilized, and floating six inches off the ground. Potter turned his head upon hearing footsteps. Pure panic was present on his face, and Verena wasn't sure whether it was because he was guilty or not.

"I didn't do it," Potter defended. "I just found them."

Suddenly, a door opened with a bang. Peeves came out, his eyes falling on the two of them.

"Why, it's potty wee Potter and Salvador!" cackled Peeves, knocking Potter's glasses askew and tugging at Verena's hair. "What are you up to? Why— "

Peeves stopped in motion and then flipped the right way up. For a moment, he stared at the body on the ground and the ghost. Verena knew what was coming and said, "Don't you dare, Peeves, or I'll have the Bloody Baron kick your arse up and down the castle— "

"ATTACK! ATTACK! ANOTHER ATTACK! NO MORTAL OR GHOST IS SAFE! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES! ATTAAAACK!"

At the poltergeist's first call for attention, Verena darted back around the corner, leaving Potter. Then, along with the other students who came to look, she went back into the corridor. Not long after, Professor McGonagall pushed through the crowd. She set off a loud bang, restoring the silence, and then ordered everyone back into their classes. Of course, Verena hadn't.

Then, a Hufflepuff passed by and stopped in front of them yelling, "Caught in the act!"

"That will do, Macmillan!" said Professor McGonagall sharply.