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Ravenclaw Servant It had to be in there.

It just had to. Ghast nor Danuliete would never have had the guts to remove it permanently. Therefore, it was somewhere in the common room.

A little after midnight, when the Ravenclaw common room was completely empty, a dark figure was scouring the common room. Under pillows, behind portraits... anywhere the figure could look it did.

It was small. That much was known. It could be anywhere. And He needed it.

Using her wand to help her search, she quickly grew frustrated. Without meaning to, sparks shot out of the end of her wand and set fire to a vase of flowers. Casting a worried glance over the burning chrysanthemums, she shoved her wand back into the pocket of her wand and quickly ran up the stairs towards the dormitories. The search would have to wait until another night.

This disturbance didn't go unnoticed by other members of Ravenclaw.

~~~

Emmaline Crystalnite Emmaline Crystalnite, a first year, awoke with a start. Reaching for her watch, she checked the time: it was well after midnight. With a groan, she fell back onto the pillows. Then it hit her: something was burning.

Practically jumping out of bed, she raced to the common room and saw a vase of flowers on fire. Whispering a spell grandmother had taught her the flame went out. "Akwtas." Looking around, she gasped. The common room was ransacked. Someone had been there and was looking for something very desperately. She didn't see anyone, but a familiar-looking object was lying on the ground. It was a wand. Picking it up, she studied it for a moment, and was about to head back to bed when someone else appeared in the common room.

~~~

Piper Halliwell She clearly wasn't the only one to be awoken. Piper Halliwell had woken with a start. She had just had a nightmare... but it hadn't been scary, just very strange. A dark figure, a ransacked room, and burning... she could still smell the smoke.

Realising that it really was smoke that she could smell, she ran down to the common room.

She gasped upon seeing the state of the common room. It had been strewn apart. Pillows and sheets were all over the room, and the chairs had been tipped over. Chrysanthemums were in the corner, looking very charred, as if they had been on fire and then put out. A thump that came from behind her startled her. Turning around she screamed and threw out her hands.

The shoe exploded into a thousand pieces. Piper sighed. Whoever that shoe belonged to wasn't going to be too happy about her exploding it... she was sure of that. Accidental magic tended to get people angry with you quite a lot. Just then Emmaline came out from behind a door, her eyes wide and frightened. Piper blushed, "I'll, erm, replace that...?"

~~~

Brooke de Black Brooke was startled out of her sleep by a terrible scream. Not the best of people to wake in the middle of the night, she reluctantly swung out of bed, hair at mad angles, to see what on earth the commotion was about.

If this is ickle firsties messing about I shall so give them what for, she thought, holding onto the banister with her eyes half closed.

"Lumos grandiosa!" she said, flooding the common room with light from her wand, then gasped and rubbed at her eyes. Suddenly more awake she surveyed the wreckage of the common room.

She turned to the two girls standing there.

"What on earth has happened here?" she asked, primarily to Piper. "What have you two been doing?"

It was a slightly accusatory question, but Brooke was disturbed. Nothing like this had ever happened in Ravenclaw and Brooke was concerned both with the damage and with the reputation of their house.

~~~

Piper Halliwell Piper looked back at Brooke. "That's the thing, I'm as lost as you are, Brooke. I have no clue what happened," Piper said, honestly shining in her eyes. "I was startled from my sleep by a weird dream and when I came down here and saw all this, it appears that my dream wasn't a dream at all, but something that actually happened! Emmaline, do you know anything about this?"

Piper turned curiously to the blonde first year. "You were down here before me... what happened? Did you see anyone, or find any clues as to who had done this?

~~~

Brooke de Black Brooke gave Piper a sharp look, but then sighed. Piper had always been open and honest with her and she believed her now.

She too turned to look at the first year, rather sternly. It would make more sense that it had something to do with her. She was after all new to the school and such occurrences had never happened before she arrived. Trying to make it easier for her Brooke said, in what she hoped was a kindly tone, "So what was it Em? Don't worry if it was an accident; we can fix it no problem."

Pulling back a tangle of her long dark hair from her face, Brooke tried to hide a yawn.

~~~

Gemini Taurus A gasp was heard at the bottom of the stairs. It was Gem, who was now surveying Brooke, Piper and Emmaline as well as the mess that was formerly known as the Ravenclaw common room with a look of horror. "Brookey. What in the God's names happened?" she asked, still looking around. Crossing the common room, she opened the entrance and talked to the stone angel who normally guarded the Ravenclaws. She returned a few moments later, shaking her head dismally. "She hasn't let anyone in all night," she declared. "So how did they get in?

The four girls looked at each other.

~~~

Piper Halliwell "Whoever it is," reasoned Piper, "seems to be looking for something... or someone." She halted momentarily. "I mean, look - could any of us have made such a mess, even the worst first year?

~~~

Brooke de Black "Who would want to? And why?" asked Brooke impatiently. It almost physically hurt to see the common room, her home for most of the year, in this terrible state.

~~~

Piper Halliwell Piper continued. "But if someone were looking for something or someone, and they were pretty desperate... well, wouldn't they would be more likely to throw our common room apart? This isn't the evidence of a wild party someone threw, its the evidence of a very desperate person, who wants something a lot and has no problem with dealing with anything or anyone who got in their way." Piper shuddered at the thought.

"I don't know anything for sure but, based on the evidence, there's still the question of who, how, why, and where now? Why don't we conduct a search of the dormitories? Whoever it was couldn't have gone too far... you can't Apparate or Disapparate inside Hogwarts can you?" Piper went over and felt the charred chrysanthemums. "They're still warm. So it must have happened recently. Let's go!"

~~~

Gemini Taurus "Hey, Piper. Cool it!" said Gem, stopping Piper from moving. "The Stone Angel hasn't let anyone out or in. So they still have to be in Ravenclaw somewhere. I suggest we wake Professor Mayvero. If this desperate person is looking for something, there's no telling what they would do to get whatever or whoever it is." Calmly, she studied the burns. "We should leave these here, they might be evidence, or something. I'll go get Mayvero."

She knocked on Mayvero's door loudly, hoping to wake her up without having to go in. There was a mumble from inside and someone opened the door.

~~~

Professor Elionwy Mayvero "Yes?" Professor Mayvero opened the door, yawning. Her white night gown whispered around her, it's hem not covering bare ankles and feet. Flattened curls hung limply around her face, a testimony of slumber. "What is it, Gem?" she asked.

Then her eyes travelled behind the seventh year, to the ransacked room beyond, and the black remains of the flowers. Professor Mayvero noticeably tensed, and stepping out of her room, she closed the door behind her. The lock clicked in place, and she turned to study Gem again. "A better question. Do you know what has happened?"

~~~

Serenity Gates "Good question." Serenity was stood at the bottom of the stairs, her hair in a messy braid down her back and rubbing sleep from her eyes. She surveyed the mess with an inquisitive look. Her eyes lighted on something in Emmaline's hands.

"What are you doing with my wand?" she demanded shrilly, grabbing the piece of ebony wood and holding it protectively against her chest. She was very attached to her wand. "I've been looking for it for hours! I was beginning to think someone had stolen it!"

~~~

Professor Elionwy Mayvero "Ach, what confusion. We shall get this sorted out." Mayvero touched her door again, which promptly swung open. It was clearly enchanted with coded magic which would recognise only her hand or only her wand. For a moment sounds could be heard as she rummaged around, apparently looking for something. A small cry of triumph echoed out as she found it, then appeared back in the doorway carrying a tray with steaming mugs of cocoa topped with whipped cream.

Gliding over, she set the tray on a small table, then pointed her wand at the dying fire in the grate. "Accendium." The fire rekindled, merry flames lighting up the common room. A few more quick flicks of her wand, and the charred flowers disappeared, a few items of overturned furniture righted themselves, and most of the mess moved to one corner.

"Now, shall we discuss this comfortably? Cocoa anyone?" Mayvero smiled, taking a seat in one of the chairs herself, and folding her feet under her for warmth. The smile wasn't all together real, however. this wasn't the first attack in the school, although everyone hope it would be the last.

~~~

Gemini Taurus Sitting down, Gem took a mug of steaming cocoa, but didn't touch it. Instead she sat it in her lap. "Professor, is it... do you think... did Modrot do it?" She practically had to spit the words out. Gem remembered the attacks all too well and the brown mark that Modrot had left her, above her left eye, reminded her every time she looked in a mirror.

~~~

Serenity Gates Serenity also took a mug of the hot drink. "I don't think it was Modrot," she said thoughtfully, after considering Gem's question. "It doesn't seem like his style. He was... what's the word? Subtle." She took a sip of the cocoa, letting it's heat warm her. It was surprisingly chilly in the common room, despite the fire.

~~~

Professor Elionwy Mayvero "I think that Serenity's right, Gem." Mayvero said gently. "It's not quite his style. This person was looking for something, there was a method to the madness. Modrot just likes to destroy. He would have done even more damage."

"Has anyone asked the Angel if she let anybody in?" Mayvero asked suddenly, with a glance towards the door. She had that look you get when a horrible thought has just occurred to you.

~~~

Gemini Taurus Gem breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, I asked her if she'd let anyone in or out." She shook her head. "No one."

~~~

Professor Elionwy Mayvero Professor Mayvero noticed Gem's sigh, and her eyes automatically flicked to the scar left by Modrot. Trying to sound optimistic, she said, "Well then. That rules out Modrot. There are no holes in the defences here he could have come through. I've checked myself. And if the Angel didn't let anyone in..." Mayvero trailed off.

Saying what she did meant that the criminal wasn't an evil outsider, some unidentifiable enemy. For if nobody not from Ravenclaw had entered, it meant that the perpetrator was a Ravenclaw them self. "I think that this must have been done by someone from Ravenclaw." She said hesitantly.

Everyone looked around nervously. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

~~~

Piper Halliwell Piper had been quiet this time, sipping cocoa, but now she spoke up. "When I was awakened by a crash and a burning smell... I thought I had been dreaming. And then I came down here, and a noise behind me startled me, so then I screamed and whirled around, and it was Emmaline behind the door, holding that wand." She pointed to Serenity's wand. "Then Brooke came down, then Gem, then you, and then Serenity. That's all I know of it," Piper murmured.

~~~

Gemini Taurus "A Ravenclaw, Professor," said Gem. She thought for a moment, who in Ravenclaw would do such a thing of their own free will. "I don't think it's someone from Ravenclaw, Professor. I don't think anyone could..." She trailed off, hoping against all hope that she was right.

~~~

Professor Elionwy Mayvero "I don't either, Gem. That's the problem." The Professor sighed. She allowed her gaze to wander around the common room, trying to imagine who could have done it.

In their minds everyone was going through the Ravenclaws. Brian Limey liked pranks, but she doubted very much that he was responsible for this much destruction. Gem, Brooke, Ariella and Serenity were obviously excluded, as the older and most responsible members of Ravenclaw. Crystal had just arrived back, yes, but with the trust of the Headmistress and as Gem's cousin. No, it wasn't her. Piper was too concerned with the issue to have done it herself. Then there were the first years. Being new to the school made them obvious suspects. Yet this type of thorough search seemed beyond a joke, and would they even know enough magic to do this? Surely not. How could it be anybody from Ravenclaw. As Gem had said, no Ravenclaw would do this of their own free will.

"We don't know enough to judge momentarily. Just keep your ears open. Perhaps this was only a mistake, a spell gone wrong. It is possible. Right now the only thing we can do is go about business as usual."