The Adventures of a Girl Who Should Not Exist (Doctor Who/ Harry Potter Crossover)

Chapter Thirty-one: The Grave Announcement

A/N: By now you've surely received the memo that this is my FIRST DRAFT (read: basically me just spitting thoughts into virtual paper) so stop criticizing me *Cough*The-8th-Weasley*Cough* was that a funny sounding cough? Maybe I should get that checked.

Chapter Thirty-one: The Grave Announcement

Homework didn't actually take that long.
I briefly considered searching for Natalie, but dismissed the thought. She was probably working, and dinner was fast approaching.
Madam Pince would send everyone in the library away at 17:55, so I had about ten minutes left there.
What was the most interesting topic right now?
Potions was the old standby, but I'd read plenty about that. We'd recently had an interesting History of Magic lesson, and Professor Croft was hinting that we'd have to do a big essay on a historical figure of our choosing.
History it was!
I hurried over to asile 5 and took a book off of the shelf at random. An average-sized purple volume, maybe a hundred or so pages, came away in my hand. I could probably read this at a regular pace and be done before the library closed.
I flipped it over and examined the cover. Gold lettering across the front read, "Chocolate Frog Cards- the Complete Collection".
Interesting enough. I took the book back to my table and curled up in the armchair.
"Collecting the cards from Chocolate Frog boxes is a long-time Wizarding hobby. Being featured on one of these cards is considered a great honor by many, and is frequently synonymous with fame in the Wizarding World. This book highlights these famous wizards and witches in glorious full color, being a complete collection of every Chocolate Frog card ever created. An essential book for collectors and interested students alike!..."
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It WAS, in fact, quite an interesting book, I thought as Madam Pince rang the shrill bell that signaled six o' clock's approach. I set it on the cart of books to be reshelved- not because I didn't know where it was supposed to go, but because I knew for a fact Jackson the Slimy Dalek was doing detention in the library for a week- and that included reshelving. I siezed several more books from the nearest shelf at random and quickly piled them onto the cart. A little extra work couldn't hurt him.
Then I folded up my essay and hurried into the hallway, riding the current to the Great Hall.
As I settled down at the Ravenclaw table among my blue and bronze-clad counterparts, I remembered my conversation with McGonagall and about the announcement she was going to make.
I must've been making a face, because Eleanor said sympathetically,
"You smell that too?"
"What?"
"You- don't smell that? Then what was that face about?"
"Well, Headmistress McGo-"
I was interrupted by the lady herself. Speak of the Headmistress...
"Good evening, students. Before we begin our nightly meal, I have something I would like to address."
She paused, and I saw glances being exchanged all over the hall.
"I am regrettably tasked with informing you all that we are in a state of emergency. Some of our students are missing."
Whispers whistled through the hall, and it sounded like a sudden gust of wind was blowing by.
"Miss Emerald Collins of Hufflepuff, Mister Fredrick Fitzergerald of Hufflepuff, and Mister Wes Prewett of Hufflepuff have all been absent from classes, dormitories, and all extracurricular activities for six days. Word of their disappearance has been spreading through the castle for several days, but today we received confirmation that they were truly gone. As many of you know, the last time a student went missing, Lord Voldemort had unleashed a dangerous beast upon the school."
This was met by gasps, and someone at the Hufflepuff table fainted.
"NOW, I am not suggesting that anything of the sort is occurring again. Until we find these missing students, I would encourage you to travel in groups and alert a staff member of any suspicious activity. My sympathy is with the family and friends of those who are missing. Let the meal commence."
She sat down wearily, all of her wrinkles looking a thousand times more pronounced.
"At least she wasn't VAGUE about it. That speech won't start a single rumor," Ari muttered. "If you listen carefully you can hear the wheel of the rumor mill spinning."
I rolled my eyes, still not forgiving him for stalking me.
"What do you think, Amelia? It's basically common knowledge you're super smart," Eleanor piped, holding a chicken drumstick as though she were interviewing me. I batted it away.
"I don't want to start any rumors." I said quietly. Already, my mind was whirring so quickly I was almost sure it was audiable outside of my skull.