Star Girl | Cedric Diggory

|*| Fifty Two |*|

|*| guys this is totally unreal! I wake up this morning and my all time favorite author evER FOLLOWED ME and IM LITERALLY JUMPING UP AND DOWN I LOVE YOU ALL |*|

Aquila had the perfect plan, but she didn't have the perfect way of executing it. She'd somehow have to get into Snape's storeroom, find a willing Drumstrang girl, and be discrete.

Only one of those proved to be a challenge for Aquila, but it was the most important part. She got into Snape's storeroom with no problem, and she knew exactly what Drumstrang girl would lend her a hand, but she didn't count on the most obnoxious Gryffindor getting in her way.

She had just snuck out of the potions storeroom when Richard Wayne called out to her, "Hey, Aquila! What're you doing?"

"I'm trying to be quiet," she whispered. "You do realize we shouldn't be out past curfew. Wait... what are you doing out past curfew?"

"Um... nothing?" he said. He sounded unsure of how to answer.

Aquila really didn't care what he was doing at the moment, so she continued on her search of the Drumstrang girl she'd met at the beginning of the year.

"Okay, I'll tell you," Richard sighed. "I'm sneaking around."

"Good for you, Dick," Aquila said, rolling her eyes. "Please sneak around by yourself."

"But its more fun with friends," he informed her, walking next to her. "Where are we going?"

"The headmaster's office if you don't leave me alone," Aquila muttered.

"What's wrong?" Richard asked. "Why are you being so mean?"

"Who told you Ethan was gay?" Aquila asked.

"This boy from my house," he told her. "Said they kissed."

"What's his name?" Aquila asked.

"Trent," Richard told her. "Trent Bonde."

"Can you do something for me Richard?" Aquila asked sweetly.

"Sure!" he exclaimed.

"First, be quiet, were sneaking around. Second, tell Trent that Aquila isn't amused, and she will find him. Got it?"

"Do you like Ethan or something?" Richard asked. "Don't go freaking out on Trent for no reason-"

"Richard, Ethan isn't gay," she stated. "Trent must've thought he was being helpful, but he wasn't."

"What?"

"It's a long story, but just tell Trent I'll find him, and just let everyone know Ethan's straight, okay? It'll make him feel better. He's really upset about this."

"Oh no," Richard said. "I said something to him at your party. I have to apologize; I didn't know-"

"He's not mad at you," she told him. "Just, please go warn this Trent guy that I'm out for blood. You mess with my little Ethan, you get the inner eagle of Aquila coming to get you."

"I'll let him know," Richard said.

"Go," Aquila told him, shooing the boy away.

|*|*|*|

"Why are you sneaking around, Miss Whitman?"

Professor McGonagall had found Aquila rushing back to the Slytherin tower. Aquila hid her stack of items in her robes and tried to come up with a logical answer for the woman.

"I was just going back to the dorms," Aquila said. "I'd hate to be out later than I've gotta. There's a curfew, you know. The professors outta follow it too. Seems a little unfair, doesn't it?"

"Explain yourself, Whitman," McGonagall demanded.

"I was-"

"She was in detention with me," Professor Moody said, appearing out of nowhere.

Although she was confused, Aquila wasn't about to deny free help. She nodded her head quickly and rapidly, her hair bouncing around.

"I was just heading back to the dorms, Professor," she repeated. "Detention really tires a person."

"You would know all about that, wouldn't you, Whitman," Professor McGonagall said.

Aquila stared at the woman blankly, unsure of how to respond. Eventually, she just gave up entirely and agreed with the woman. She was a regular in detention.

"I'll escort her the rest of the way," Professor Moody told the woman. "Make sure she doesn't run into more trouble."

"Alright, Professor Moody," McGonagall said. "Goodnight."

Aquila was still too dumbfounded to speak, and she found herself awkwardly waving to the professor.

"Come on, Whitman," Moody said. "You're welcome, by the way. You could've gotten into serious trouble."

"Do I really get that much detention?" Aquila asked, still in shock from the professor's sass.

"Yes," Professor Moody stated frankly. "Yes, indeed."

"I didn't think it was that much," she said. "I thought it was like nothing compared to Fred and George..."

"You're actually really close to them now, Whitman," he said. "This better not be a competition."

"Why'd you do that?" Aquila asked, desperately trying to change the subject. "Why didn't you let me just get whatever punishment for sneaking about?"

"I was actually looking for you, Whitman," he said.

"You've found me," she said.

"I noticed an odd pattern in the sky a few nights ago," the man said. "It looked like words."

"I didn't-"

"I'm not saying you did, but if you know how it got there and why everyone else in Hogwarts could see it, tell me."

"I... what does it mean, sir?" Aquila asked.

"If this isn't the work of a student, then it's safe to say that the Triwizard Tournament could be of great danger to the participants."

"So..." Aquila said. "Potter dies?"

|*| you wish |*|