I'm a little late, sorry! Lupine, do you mind if Ellie joins Olive?

Ellie~

I'm sitting in Charms attempting to learn the Engorgement Charm when Professor McGonagal bursts into the room. She looks frazzled, which is surprising, since she's usually the epitome of calm. I look curiously toward the front of the room, where she's whispering furiously into Flitwick's ear. His eyebrows furrow into a worried expression.

"Is something wrong?" someone whispers.

McGonanall stands upright and clears her throat. "All students must return to their dormitories immediately. Report to your Head of House, they will explain. And do not, under any circumstances, leave your common room!" She leaves, and muttering breaks out among the students.

"Class is dismissed!" Flitwick squeaks. It's unecessary, really, since everyone is already filing out of the classroom.

I follow the other Hufflepuffs down the stairs and into the common room, which is already nearly full. Professor Sprout is there standing in the middle of the crowd, and I push closer to hear what she has to say. As I make my way through the crowd, I stumble and step hard on someone's foot.

I whirl around to face them. "I'm so sorry!" I gush. "I tripped, is your foot alright?"

The girl brushes back her curly hair and smiles, although she still looks troubled. "It's fine, don't worry about it."

I smile back and stick out my hand. "I'm Ellie!"

"Olive," she says, shaking it. I think she's a third year. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise!" I continue in a quieter tone. "What do you think's going on?"

"The missing students, I guess," Olive says. "Have you noticed people are disappearing?"

I think for a moment. "There were some people missing this morning!

Olive nods her head. "We have no idea where they are. My friend Evy is missing." She looks even more worried.

"Oh, I know Evy! She's in my year. She wasn't in Charms this morning, I thought maybe she was sick."

Our conversation is cut off as Professor Sprout shushes the throng of Hufflepuffs. I turn to her, and hope that she'll tell us what's going on- and how they're going to fix it.

Ahhhh! Sorry I'm so unreliable. I wrote this on two braincells so don't judge. 

Ocean~

"I'm tall when I'm young, and short when I'm old. What am I?" I groaned. I missed the Ravenclaw dorms rush, and now I have to figure out one of these riddles. Why am I a Ravenclaw? 

"Hello? What's your answer? Tall when I'm young, short when I'm old?" The eagle knocker said, annoyed. 

"There's a kidnapper on the loose, can I get a pass, mighty eagle knocker?" I tried.

"Sorry, no can do. What's your answer?"

"Fine, I'll just--"

"Nope, all the cracks in the door are sealed now because you kept turning into an ant to get into the common room. You have to answer the riddle now." 

I sighed, and racked my brain. "You are a hippo that shrinks with age."

"That's not a real thing."

"You're a... what's that called? Muggle balloon, like at a birthday."

"Nope. That technically works but it's not the real answer." 

"ARGH!! This is so dumb!" I pound the knocker a couple of times, just so that smug eagle can feel some of my pain. "It's clothes! Clothes that shrink in the wash?"

"These are all good answers, but they're not really the right one." I swear, I am going straight to the other head of houses and requesting a transfer. 

I here footsteps behind me. Thank goodness! "Hey! I'm having trouble with this riddle. Do you--

The figure pulls something over my face, and everything goes black. 

<3 Fidelity 

Evy~

I am not enjoying this. I suppose I shouldn’t have expected to, but I thought being captured would be at least a little more exciting. But then again, I hadn’t expected to lose my wand. Or be paralysed. Or be handcuffed.

Yeah, I clearly had no idea how an even mediocre kidnapping would work. And this wasn’t mediocre- it was good. Well planned. The targets were well chosen. 

The door grinds open, and I jump, interrupted from my thoughts. “Let. Us. Go,” I say, trying to make myself sound intimidating. But doesn’t matter anyways, because we’re still under Silencing Charms. Someone shakes their wrists, making a clinking sound that echoes through the room that’s now too big to be considered a closet. 

I follow their example, and add in some stomping and clapping. The other students catch on quickly enough. The captors had said the room was soundproof- but the door was open. If we were lucky, someone with a wand would hear. Preferably a teacher, but at this point even a first year student would be welcome.

One of the captors moved to close the door. The person next to me- who I think is Charlie Wynne, Slytherin?- pushes me forward. Because I’m at the front of the line, I fall out the door, landing in a heap. Thanks, Charlie. The captor growls, and shoves me back inside and tries to shut the door. Charlie seems to be shouting something at me, but I can’t lip read and the silencing charm hasn’t worn off.

She gestures wildly, and suddenly I get the message. I lunge forward and stick my foot in front of the closing door and stop it. Charlie jumps on the captor and the chains on my wrist tug uncomfortably. The rest of the line is jerked forward, and people start making noises again. 

“Stupefy! Stupefy, stupefy!” Red jets of light shoot out of the free captors wand. She has good aim- taking out Charlie, who’s still wrestling with the other captor, several Ravenclaws, and a Hufflepuff. I’m still wedged between the door and the wall, and I’m not planning on moving. I keep clapping my hands, making as much noise as possible.

“Stupefy!” the captor yells, and my vision is filled with red light. The world tunnels around me and the red dissipates, replaced with black nothingness.

~~

Rita Skeeter shows up after everyone is back shut up in the Room of Requirement. But she might just be the one who saves the day with her illegal animagus powers...

-Ash-

It was midnight and Ash was up on the seventh floor corridor, in front of the tapestry of the dude teaching trolls to dance. He stared at the brown door. It was engraved with carvings in an ancient language he couldn't read, and there were intricate golden knockers on either side of the side of the door. There wasn't another soul around, except for a beetle skittering across the wall.

I need to get to where Charlie is, Ash thought determinedly.

A sixth year prefect had told him about how the room of requirement worked. You had to walk in front of it three times, thinking what you needed, and then the door would work for you, assuming it was the same place as the people who were in it were in.

Ash had snuck out of bed, to come here and look for Charlie. The Fat Lady was supposed to keep people out, and keep students in their beds until morning, but Ash had easily scaled the wall, and crept in through a window on the seventh floor, all with his violin case on his back.

Why? He didn't know, but he might have needed it or something. The walls were easy to climb anyway, because of all the intricate carvings and gargoyles. 

I need to get to where Charlie is, Ash thought again, wheeling on his feet and walking the other way.

He had considered bringing Olive, but the barrels leading to the dorm were really loud when you tapped on them, and there weren't any open windows in the Hufflepuff dormitories.

He had taken the map with him as well, as an afterthought, but it had been too dark to look at it.

He would look at it later.

I need to get to where Charlie is, Ash thought finally, turning and staring at the door.

With a barely audible click, it seemed to have unlocked.

"Lumos," Ash whispered, his wand lighting up.

He fumbled with the map quickly. Were the others here, or were they still hidden?

Ash squinted at it. Where he was, on the seventh floor, there was only him, and one more name.

Rita Skeeter? Again? The reporter?

Ash looked around, for Rita Skeeter. There was nobody else except for ... except for the beetle.

It clicked into place relatively quickly.

"Miss Skeeter ... ?" Ash whispered hesitantly.

With a swirl of blue, the beetle hopped off the wall, and landed neatly on a pair of blue heels. Ash looked up. A blonde woman with cat-eye glasses stood there primly, her wand out.

"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter at your service," Skeeter said.

--- 

Professor Sprout stands on a stool in the center of the common room. (On her feet, she's too short for anyone to see her over the tight crowd of yellow-and-black-scarved students.) Ellie still has to stand on tip toes to get a good view.

Professor Sprout's normally kind but firm voice is low and worried. "Hufflepuffs," she says, and the room goes quiet. "You may be aware of the disappearances that have recently plagued our school. Students have been vanishing all over the castle without leaving a trace. The disappearances aren't linked to specific Houses, ages, or bloodlines, either--"

"--which means that no one is safe," a boy says in a loud whisper. I think his name is Rasmus.

"I think that's a good thing,," a girl says."it would be scarier if they were targeting specific people, like Muggle-borns. mean, I'm a Muggle-born, ...so..."

Professor Sprout continues. "The staff has been searching the castle and the surrounding areas extensively, but nothing has been found. The safety of students is at hand,mand I fear--" Sprout clears her throat nervously--"that the school may have to close until the culprit is caught." 

A wave of gasps and whispers rises through the crowd.

"If you have any information, anything at all," Professor Sprout says gravely, "you must report it at once."

I think of what Ash and I saw on the map. Rita Skeeter. I hate getting people in trouble...even though I've never liked Rita's articles, I can't believe that she's completely evil...right? And who knows, maybe she was invited into the castle by the staff to report n something, maybe it's all just a coincidence and I'll be accusing her over nothing, maybe...

But then I think of my best friend Evy, and how I still don't know where she is. I think of how scared she probably is, wherever she was taken. And I slowly raise my hand. 

-Lucia-

I race down the corridor, trying to make as little noise as possible.  Where is that stupid room? I wonder.  There are footsteps behind me, and I duck into a corner just in time as a group of teachers pass me, talking in hushed voices.  I take the stairs two at a time and dash through the first floor.  I almost miss it.  A wooden door, perfectly normal, stands opposite the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room.  One that I know wasn't there yesterday.  I try to open it, but it is locked shut.  If only I'd actually paid attention in that Charms class... 

Only one option now.  I pound on the door, hoping none of the teachers will hear me.  Suddenly a figure in a dark cloak appears next to me.  "Will you stop?" he hisses. "You're gonna give us away."

"You think I care?" I snap back. "You and your crazy friends broke the deal, Ren.  My sister wasn't a part of it.  Give her back."

He looks startled, and... hurt? "You of all people should know I didn't want to.  But I can't argue with them," he whispers.

"Fine.  Have it your way.  But that means I'm not gonna save you from anything anymore.  You'll fall with the rest of them.  Have fun." I storm off, leaving him standing dejectedly outside the door.  As I walk back to the dungeons, trying to figure out a plan, I try to tell myself I don't care about him.  But deep down I know I do.  I'm almost back to the common room when I hear somebody cough right behind me.  I whip around to see Letitia Woodburne.

"What are you doing?" I question.  She better not have been following me!

---------------------------

@PygmyOwl, sorry it took me so long to post!

@Everyone,

many apologies for not writing, I'm going to try to do better.

~Theo~ 

"THEODOSIA FAIRAN!"

I cringe. Professor sprout can be LOUD. 

"Um, yes?"

"You're not paying attention, and if I hadn't stopped you just now, you would have exploded!" She gestures to the puffy pink plant in my hands, which was pulsing dangerously. 

"Sorry." I carefully set the plant on the ground. "But just out of curiousity, what would it splatter everywhere when it exploded? Slime?"

Professor Sprout groaned. "I need to have a talk with you after class about this, Theodosia. The rest of you, keep working on your Pink Puffs, and don't explode them."

I slap myself in the forehead. I should've been paying more attention! But now with everyone going missing, it's hard to concentrate on anything. Except for how to find them. 

Soon, class is near over, and I know that soon I'll get a lecture on paying attention and the importance of it. But, instead of that, I could slip away and go search for my classmates.

I'm pretty sure the choice here is obvious. 

I can still hear Professor Sprout yelling for me from inside the greenhouse, but she won't catch me. I sprint across the grounds toward the castle, at top speed, and eventually skid to a halt by the 53rd brick on the east wall. (It took a while to memorize.)  Then, very carefully, I knock on it three times, and walk through the wall. Sometimes I've forgotten to knock and banged my face, but hopefully it's mostly ingrained into my thick head by now.

Inside the wall is a staircase leading up from one of the dungeons, and if I do it correctly, it could lead me to my best chance of finding anyone: The last place I saw Charlie. 

We had gotten in trouble big-time for the door prank, and had to put every door in the castle back to the way it was. Charlie had ran out of the library to grab a screwdriver, and that was the last time I had seen her. Maybe it would have some clue as to where she was, along with everyone else.

iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Sorry that was so terrible. 

~Letitia~

I coughed! I wasn't supposed to cough! What kind of a spy coughs? Why do I have a cold, anyway? Isn't this the sort of thing that magic should prevent? Wizards can fix broken bones, we can turn into cats, for goodness sakes! But we can't stop colds?! We can't block rain!? We have to depend on enslaving house elves to clean our homes!!! What's the point of magic if we can't make the world a better place?

But this is my chance to help the world. I can save the lost students.

"Hi, Lucia," I say, trying to conceal the fact that I saw anything. "Um. I was just in the library." I motion in the vague direction of the library. "Doing my. . . homework? But. I. . . couldn't remember what the homework was. So I was wondering if you remembered? From Charms class?" It's partly true, at least. I haven't the faintest idea what we need to do for homework.

The other girl seems to relax a little. Can she actually believe me? Or is just faking it?

I smile hopefully, and pull a piece of parchment from my bag. "Oh, and will you sign this petition to free house-elves and to make the murder of centaurs into a punishable offense?"

Lucia hesitates, and I launch into my spiel, talking as fast as I can. I know from experience that this disorients people and makes them sign things just to get away from me. "Hundreds of thousands of house elves have been enslaved over the years. Forced and brainwashed into submission, until they actually believe that they are worth no more than the mud on our feet. My mission, and yours, is to make these house elves know that they are better than the rest of the world believes. And we need to make the wizards believe in the power of these poor elves. We need to change the world!"

I don't exactly know what this is supposed to do, but just as I am finishing my speech, I hear running feet. And then, someone slams into me. 

---Leafy----

I opened my eyes to chaos around me, kids screaming. It looked like the Room of Requiremnt, but it was soon deathly quiet, as the Death Eaters silenced us all. I felt in my pocket for my backup wand, but it must have fallen when they dragged me to the room, as I did not feel it. I began to survey my surroundings, looking for places to hide and escape. None. Not even a porthole. Wait, if it's the room of requirement, then I can ask for escape places, and wands! I wished for a porthole, but it did not appear.  

TOP! 

I'll post by tomorrow! Don't let this die!

Thanks to everyone who topped this! I'll try to post tomorrow if I have time...I feel like I post on here less because I want to be able to sit down and actually write something that's (hopefully) good. Anyways see you tomorrow!

yes stop neglecting me!-Olive