A Letter 2 Years Late

Chapter 24 - The Box

The court yard was filled with students of all ages and houses as time ticked by and four o'clock came around the corner. I was sitting on a bench wondering how well this plan would carry out. I looked down at the book I was "reading" and glanced discreetly to where Rose stood, awaiting her signal.

So this is what's currently happening; Rose was on lookout waiting for Fred to give her the signal to give me. Penelope was laying on the grass close to me with her arms folded behind her head. I wasn't too sure what the actual prank being played was, but the less I knew the better. Once Rose gave me the final signal, Penelope and I would have the okay to sneak into Mr Filch's office while everyone was distracted by whatever the twins and Fred had planned.

I glanced at Penelope for a brief second to see her holding up two fingers. Two more minutes. My eyes wandered back to the letters on the pages and I flipped to the next page, seeming like I was actually reading.

I switched positions and sat crossed legged on the grass, back against the bench. I made sure to look at Rose while doing so. One finger was up against her lips in a "shh" position and was facing a shouting Cecilia. One minute.

I slammed my book shut and stuffed it into my bag. Penelope propped herself up on her elbows at the same time. We got up just as Rose gave the signal and shouts could be heard in seconds. We saw Professor McGanogall, Professor Tallin and Professor Forester run past Rose to the source of the commotion. Within seconds, I heard Professor McGonagall shout; "Mr Filch!"

Mr Filch scurried down the hallway and joined the three professors. Rose nodded with a smile and Cecilia mouthed good luck with a giant smile and two thumbs up. Penelope turned and led the way to Mr Filch's office. We crept in the small room and took in the surroundings. Paper was scattered everywhere; on the desk, the floor, hanging on the cabinets and even a half eaten ham sandwhich sat on his table.

"This place is pretty messy and dirty for a janitor's office..." Penelope commented, her nose wrinkled, taking in  the various papers and objects scattered across his table. I chuckled and strode over to the cabinet file.

"Yet he has a filing cabinet," I pointed out.

"Probably has notes about all the bad students and documents on how many kids he's had to give detention to," Penelope snickered as she came up behind me.

"So we tear this place apart?" I asked. Penelope thought for a brief moment before cracking her knuckles with a grin on her face.

"We've got a lot to cover and very little time. Let's do this,"

I searched through the file cabinets containing many documents on the many bad deeds of students throughout the years. I scanned through the names not really looking for something in particular, though grinning when I noticed some familiar names from the Harry Potter novels. That's when something at the back of the drawer caught my attention. It looked like some kind of journal. I opened the book to find that not many pages had been filled.

"Mr Filch knew my Dad pretty well," I announced.

"Really? Wouldn't Mr Filch be at least ten years older than your Dad?"

"Yeah probably, it doesn't say how they met," I flipped through some more pages and stopped at the last.

"Wait," I gasped. I read and re-read the entry with wide eyes.

"What?" Penelope huffed, her mulberry lips pursed in concentration as she tugged at a drawer desk that seemed to be stuck.

"He knows where my parents are!"

"What?" She shouted and fell as the drawer finally unglued itself from the desk.

"Yeah says here; Bae's, May twenty-ten, Scotland," I looked up at Penelope with my eyes glittering.