The Library

After all these years, Hogwarts' library was one of the few things that was so well defended during the battle, any veteran student could recognize the never changing stacks of books that filled the dusty shelves. And any Hogwarts student, current or not, would recognize the pain of the majority of the students in there, rushing to find the fitting book in a jungle of door stopper-esque books. Where was that book hiding? The one they could steal paragraphs of paraphrased information from?

This was running through Matt Summerfield's mind as he blew dust off a particularly old book of Hogwarts A History. This wouldn't do! How the bloody hell was he supposed to find anything recent in this library? What kind of fair topic was 'A Recent Event in Hogwarts History'? Sure, it was broad, but what did recent classify as? When their parents were in school? Ten years ago? Five? Yesterday, the first day before classes started!? Would that ghost of a teacher even know the difference?

Yes, Matt Summerfield's predicament was a small one compared to many others, but it was large to him. Phil refused to even help him a tiny bit! He furiously ran his fingers through his wavy locks, an awful inherited trait he received from his mother. Anyone could tell from a mile was he was nervous or upset. Matt landed on a encyclopedia sized book recently dated, plopping down at a table and thus, beginning his mission for the perfect topic.

As soon as the bell rang to release the students, new students came rushing into the library, already being burdened by their workload.

Emily was one of those students. Her little intense face had a smear of dirt on her forehead, and she was charing right into the Herbology section of the library. Even though it was the first day, Professor Longbottom was already laying down the work. A whole essay about the magical properties and uses of Puffin Pods in everday life! As muhc as Emily was fond of Professor Longbottom, she still couldn't quit believe he would assign such a dreary homework assignment on the first day of school.

Her finger ran along the spines of the book, looking for anything that would aid her. At the back of her mind, she was wondering if the library supplied any novels or anything that was fiction. She had never checked. But, Victor probably knew, as he read often.

Finally, she found a book that might help her-Magical Seeded Plants: N-Z. Emily quickly grabbed it off the shelf, and sat down at a little table, before cracking it open.

Matt's eyes looked up at the new occupant of his table for a second, before looking back down at his book with a small grin on his face. "Longbottom already assigned an essay? New record." He hadn't even realized it was that blonde girl from Raven Claw, due to the fact he merely glanced at her.

"I know, would you believe that?!" Emily looked straight up from her book, with that little intense expression still on her face. She, unlike some of her other siblings, was rather outgoing and she had no problem talking to strangers.

She sighed, sounding a little melodramatic. "I don't suppose you've had him, yet."

Matt looked back up, surprised out how confident her voice was. He gave a little jump- it was that Sawyer girl! Play it cool... play it cool...

He shook his head, "Nah, not this year at least. Past two years have been bloody dreadful. Nice guy, awful teacher."

"He's not THAT bad of a teacher," Emily argued, her eyes drifting back towards her textbook. "I mean, you can tell that he is enjoying his subject. But, he just makes us work, that's the thing. But, it's not all that bad, I guess."

"I suppose you've got a point," Matt replied, and glancing back down at the book but then up once more again, "You wouldn't happen to know any currents Hogwarts events that wouldn't bore someone to death, do you?" He asked hopefully.

"Well... how would I know? It's only been the first morning. I don't think anything is really going on, aside from the announcements last night." Emily said, rolling her eyes a little.

Matt blushed, adverting eye contact. "I think it may mean in the past few years..." He said, uncharacteristically quiet.

Kyle's eyes widened and widened with each line of the book he was reading, A Deeper Look Into Hogwarts Past. It spoke of what the Chamber held, and where it was. The morons believed it could be publicly released since 'our brave and wonderful Harry Potter' had slayed the beast.

He quickly began to write down his findings, who knew when the charm he had put on the librarian would wear off. This was all for the greater good... the propaganda being forced into the public's tiny little brain by the Ministry of Magic would be shattered soon enough.

With a final glance at the book, Kyle stuffed it back into the restricted section and left the library in a hurry.

Ever since the memorable food fight in the Great Hall a week ago, Brian's become quite good friends with Jennifer. The two were settled in the library, at a table, helping each other study for the upcoming test in Potions. They quizzed each other, until it was almost the end of curfew. They would have kept going, if Brian weren't to have checked his watch.

"Oh, Jen, it's ten minutes to curfew! We should get going..." He said, rushingly throwing everything in his bag. "C'mon! We can split at the staircase."

Jennifer didn't believe how far the two had come (friendship wise) just from a carrot and an oversized blueberry.

She glanced at her watch as well, her mouth forming a perfect comical 'o' shape, followed by a silently mouthed word she picked up for a seventh year. She stuffed her papers in her books so they wouldn't be crinkled, prepping herself for the mad dash up all seven flights of stairs.

"Brian what if we don't make it?" She said, almost moaning, "We could get detention!"

"I know! I don't want detention!" Brian said anxiously, as the two were walking fast. Then, as they reached the staircase, Brian gasped. "Jen! I forgot my sweater!"

Jennifer took a few looks up at the stairs, then back at him. "Do you really need it right now? Brian-I mean, they'll return it!" her voice cracked from stress towards the end of her sentence.

He looked up at her on the stairs with big, slightly nervous eyes. His body was facing the wall of the corridor, as though wondering whether to go up the stairs or back to the library. "Well... you know, that's true- Oh no, but Jen, my wand's in my sweater!"

Jennifer glanced at her watch, "Alright, we have five minutes. If we run as fast as we possibly can... We can definitely make it!" She said with a smile.

Which was extremely hard to believe since Jennifer was awful at acting, as her voice oozed with fear.

Brian looked unconvinced. "I don't know... but it's worth a shot, right? Jen, you don't have to come if you don't want to! It can just be me.. it's my sweater, I don't want you in trouble,"

Jennifer handwaved the notion of leaving him away, "I can't let you go alone! What if there are... monsters!? Maybe that's why we're not to roam after dark!" Her imagination was starting to get the best of her at this point.

"Monsters?" Brian said inceredously, in a strong English accent. "There's no monsters at Hogwarts! B-but, come with me either way."

"But the Forbidden Forest..." Jennifer trailed off, and took a glimpse down the hallway as if checking if any followed them. "Alright."

"That's not IN the castle! But let's go fast-" and so, they rushed quickly back to the library, and entered. "Umm... where were we sitting?" the library was quite deserted now.

Jennifer looked around them, the library was much different than when it was filled to the brink with procrastinators. "Uh, over there I think?"

"Oh, I see it," he said then taking a step towards it. The moment his heel touched the ground though, the lights in the library were shut off. It was clear that curfew had begun.

And then, you could say all hell broke lose.

Jennifer had been slightly correct in her claim that monsters roamed Hogwarts at nightfall, just her definition of monster was not scary enough. No vomit-green, scaled beast could create as much chaos as the single seventh year standing close to the two first years. The seventh year whispered a long string of cusses, and one could hear him fumbling with his wand in an attempt to get it out of his pocket. "Lumos!"

Jennifer shrieked. The shadows danced on Kyle Jones' face, creating the illusion of the horrid monster that really was sitting in place of his heart. He scowled, raising his wand toward Brian and Jennifer. Jennifer began to dash, her heart pounding in her ears like that of a base drum.

Brian gasped. "Hey, Jen, wait up!" he said, running towards her. Then he remembered his sweater. "Hold on! Oh, fine." she was already out of the library. He turned around, and went to his sweater. It turned out there was a reason he was put in Gryffindor after all. "C'mon, I know you're not a monster! You're just the librarian, or a student!" he called out, then grabbed his sweater in the faint light from the student. Still, despite this defiance, his hands trembled as he picked up the sweater.