Echo in the Night|| OC

Chapter ten: Flight of The Fat Lady pt.2

Tw: panic attack

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Echo left with Professor Lupin towards the Great Hall. Tonight was the annual Halloween feast.

It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant water snakes.

Echo sat at the very end of the table, with Blaise Zabini sitting across. They rarely interacted with each other, only when the houses were forced to sit at their respective tables, or when they were forced to partner up with someone from their own house in class. Even then, they didn't speak to each other, it was sort of a silent agreement between the two.

Echo surveyed the room and spotted the Ravenclaw sixth year attempting to use a fork with his left hand. It wasn't going too well, his hand was shaking, causing him to miss his mouth a couple of times.

The food was delicious; Echo had a clear view of the Golden trio stacking their plates for the second time at the Gryffindor table. She even watched Harry glance at the staff table repeatedly, or more specifically at Professor Lupin.

Professor Lupin looked cheerful and as well as he ever did; he was talking animatedly to tiny little Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher.

All of the chatter and movements was starting to overwhelm her. Echo subconsciously observed everything around her so, being in a room that was busy and loud was giving her a headache and causing her to be more paranoid then she usually would be.

She pulled out her wand, and made a movement under the table. One of the Great Hall's giant doors opened just enough to let a person sneak through.

She made eye contact with Zabini and nodded; who nodded back. She stood up, walking towards the doors. She didn't need to watch the students as they were too busy with their own conversations.

Looking at the staff table one last time; all the teachers were too preoccupied with themselves, giving her the perfect moment to slip out.

As she strolled through the empty corridors her gut started to twist.

Something wasn't right.

She stopped. Looking around she noticed she was near the Gryffindor tower. She kept her breathing silent and steady, listening for anything and everything.

She heard footsteps. They were strange though. There wasn't two, but four, and clicking sounds with each step, like they had nails. The pace was at a steady trot, it was almost careless.

Echo debated in her head: whether to inform a Professor, or go after the sound.

Echo rolled her eyes and quietly scoffed to herself.

She almost slapped herself from how stupid she sounded, of course she was going to investigate the footsteps. The Professors were great teachers, but couldn't even stop the bullying that occurred in this school. She wasn't too confident in their ability to properly find the source of the sound.

Echo's best bet would to follow with her animagus form. Jaguars, or panthers, were known to be silent and stealthy.

She stuffed her wand in her back pocket and shifted.