Kevin walked up behind Jake and whispered "What is going on"

Now THAT was something he hadn't thought of. "Why would the ghosts return bring about the Mirror? What about Kaz? He's old enough....do you think he had it?" He thought about that..."But then how would he get it up here?" he mused.....but he was friends with one of the new girls....what was her name?

Jake reached up and gently tugged Kevin to get him to sit on the floor on the other side of Nancy. "Found the Mirror of Erised... you know what that is?"

As he waited to see if Kevin would sit, Jake went on. "We've been trying to work out why it's here, and how, and now some professors are here, so... yeah..." Jake trailed off. He felt marginally safer and more at ease now that authority figures had arrived, but now for the first time, a little jumpy.

"Professors Forrester and Pierce!" Anna exclaimed, noticing her Astronomy professor and Transfiguration professor for the very first time. Had they been in here all along, or had they just gotten here? Anna supposed she'd been too caught up in the moment with Cale to realize who was coming in and out. She pushed herself up off the ground and headed over to her professors. As she walked, she glanced around the room and noticed that it did seem to be a bit more crowded. "Some mirror, huh?" she asked, sneaking a short, second-long glance at the mirror. Apparently she hadn't looked long enough to spot Cale and the babies again, for all she saw was a split-second reflection of herself. "Do you know much about it?" she asked. "It's not been here for long, right? Or has it?"

Kevin sat down beside Jake and said "I know a little about i read a Hogwarts a History in the library and i remember reading about it and i have no idea why it is here i hope we find out soon"

Forrester looked at the Hufflepuff. "Thank you for volunteering, Jake. Go and tell the Headmaster. Al...Professor Pierce and I will be sure nothing happens to this marvel."

"We were thinking you brought it," Forrester told the confused Gryffindor with a roll of his eyes. "We don't know where it came from or how, Anna, otherwise you would have been told to go long ago. As it stands, we need the witnesses." or suspects, though Forrester highly doubted the Students had brought the mirror back, but they may know who had.

"Errr, right. Sorry, sir," Anna mumbled, wincing at the sight of him rolling his eyes at her. Apparently she'd asked a dumb question, but she'd honestly had no idea that the professors knew no more about the mirror than the students did. Professor Forrester was right, though. This room would have been cleared out long ago had the professors not needed to keep the students in for questioning. Even though Anna knew absolutely nothing about the mirror, she hoped at least one of the other students could be of assistance. She thought back to earlier, when she and Paris had been the first two students to come into the room. Evolette had followed them in moments later. There had been no one else in the room at the time. There'd only been the mirror, of course.

Alex shook her head, "He is scary and intimidating, but I dont think he'd keep the mirror a secret. And her name is... Lu... something. Lupin or Lupus. Something like that. But I dont think they could get it up here with out someone noticing them, my office is only a little down the hall."
Alex smiled at her prefect, "Hello Anna, I'd read about it alot as a student, and a little after." she admited with a blush, "I really have no idea how long its been here, if I'd known about it, you wouldnt see me around the castle at all, I'd be in here." she finished with a shake of her head, still not believing this rare historical artifact, was right here.
She gave Anna a smile, "Do you know who else was here that isnt here now?"

"I see," Anna said, nodding at what Professor Pierce was saying. Somebody somewhere had to know how this mirror got there...and when, but just who that someone was still remained a mystery. Anna glanced around at the room full of students. They all looked just as confused as she did. There wasn't a person in the room Anna would point a finger at when it came to blaming someone for this mirror's sudden presence. When Professor Pierce started talking again, Anna turned back to her and said, "Professor, I...I was the first person in here. Well, Paris and I...followed by Evolette shortly afterwards. No one else was in the room when we arrived. Not longer after we saw the mirror, more and more students started arriving. I got a little distracted by the reflection I saw in the mirror, so its possible I may have missed a few people." Anna swallowed and then looked down at her feet, clicking them together a few times before looking back up. "Professor, did we do this when we knocked the walls down last school year? Remember...during that treasure hunt? We knocked down a good many walls by accident. Is it possible we uncovered more rooms...and the ghosts?" she asked.

She probably wasn't talking to him, but Forrester answered anyway, "I don't think you knocked down a prison they were in, Anna. They're ghosts, they come and go as they please." He paused, pondering, then, "you might have woke them up, however."

He looked then at Alex, "I know the school has been known to play tricks on students, doors that lead nowhere, the moving staircase that....well, moves. But I've never heard of students knocking secrets out of it before, have you?" He wasn't sure if he wanted to give the students a get-out-of-jail-free card or not. However, the hunt had been last year, no sense in punishing them now.....was there?

Antonio had heard voices coming from this room and was wondering what on earth could possibly be in here that would be of interest to anyone. Truth be told, he never even knew this room even existed, though he hadn't visited this particular floor that often. He thought he had a fairly good understanding of where all the rooms were located inside Hogwarts, how had this one passed unnoticed?

To his surprise, upon entering the room he found not only several students in there but Professors Forrester and Pierce, as well. His suspicions were beginning to be confirmed about this place holding something secret. "Hello, professors, students," he greeted, then turned to gaze upon something he never expected to see, could it really be? "Is that the mirror of Erised?", he asked. He had heard rumors about it, but certainly never expected to see it appear at Hogwarts. For some reason he couldn't explain, he was beginning to feel a desire, something drawing him close to the mirror. But all he could do at this point was stare.

Anna turned her attention back to Professor Forrester, who was addressing what she'd just said about the mirror. Anna nodded as he spoke, realizing that he was correct in saying the ghosts couldn't have just been merely set free from a prison of walls. He did, however, agree that the students may have awakened the ghosts. Anna wondered if ghosts could really "sleep" or lie idle, and if so, what had caused them to stay away for long in the first place? Anna started to add something to what he'd said, but Professor Forrester had already started talking to Professor Pierce once again. It was best not to interrupt adults any more than necessary.

Instead, she focused her attention on Professor Dumont, who'd apparently just stumbled upon the secret room, as well. "Hello, Professor Dumont," she greeted, watching him eye the mirror in awe. "That's what we've been told. Apparently a few of the students standing around had previously read about the mirror and knew what it was capable of doing," she said. "It's true. It really is. The reflection I saw when I looked into it was definitely not the one I see inside normal mirrors."

"That is amazing," Antonio said. "Who would ever imagine that the mirror would show up here at Hogwarts? I can't think of any reason why it should suddenly be here, can any of you?" Antonio's eyes were drawn to the mirror, there was something he had to know, he couldn't look away from it or avoid it. As he focused he somehow knew what he would be seeing so it really wasn't that much of a surprise, but it was rather startling, nonetheless. So that was his true hope after all. He smiled, a rather sad, enigmatic smile. At least he finally knew the truth.

Nancy's eyes flickered back to Professor Pierce, who had apparently noticed the other people in the room and their anxiety about seeing a professor crying like that, as the woman suddenly addressed them asking them how they'd found this room. She nodded at Jake's explanation seeing no need to add anything herself since it had been almost exactly the same for her. Well, apart from the fact that she'd actually gotten completely lost once again before she'd stumbled across the portrait of the sleeping dragon but whatever. No need to mention that, right?

The 13-year-old shifted slightly on the floor so she was sitting in a more comfortable position while attentively listening to Professor Pierce's answer. Wee! This whole thing was just so exciting! All of a sudden another professor, Professor Forrester, walked into the room as well and Nancy kept completely quiet as she was hoping to get some further information on what exactly was going on. Professors always knew more than the students did, right?

Her face fell slightly as it became quite obvious that her theory had been wrong since neither Professor Forrester nor Professor Pierce had any clue what the sudden appearance of the Mirror of Erised meant and whether or not it was just a coincidence they'd all sort of stumbled across it. Snickering as Professor Forrester told Jake to go get their new headmaster, even though, judging by Jake's facial expression, this was the last thing the Hufflepuff actually wanted to do. Nancy gave Kevin who had apparently also found his way into the room a small smile of recognition before turning back to Jake with a sort of smug smile on her lips. "So, you going to the headmaster then, Jake?" Somebody needed to know what was going on after all, and who would if not the headmaster, right?

Jake sniffed a little when he heard HE was the one to go see the headmaster. He didn't want to go. Professors were scary enough, without the top dawg... "Fine," he whispered. He looked at Nancy and nodded, trying not to get too upset. Why was she smiling?! Man, if Jake looked in the mirror again he'd see himself sitting back down... well... probably not...

And then the idea came to him. A note! Perfect. Jake could just send a note up with someone he trusted.

"I'll be right back," he nodded. "And, sir, I'm not accusing him, but Varius Tipps was here and he left earlier. I don't know about anyone else, I wasn't paying too much attention to them."
...

Jake wheezed back into the room, clutching his chest. Coughing, he staggered to where he'd been sitting. It had taken him a full ten minutes to get there and back, and he wasn't ready to be moving again.

"I gave someone... a note... a message... to give the Head...-master... And I made it... clear..." Jake wheezed. He hadn't run or anything, more powerwalked, but stairs always took it out of him. He slid down the wall and leaned his head back.

Ah, he was safe now, no scary Headmaster. But maybe he shouldn't have written his name on the note.

D'OH!

Nancy was still eavesdropping on the conversation the professors were having but as before they all seemed just as clueless as she and the others did. Well, hopefully the headmaster would be able to tell them a bit more than Professor Forrester, Professor Pierce and Professor Dumont. He just had to. There simply had to be a person who knew more than the rest, who knew what was going on.

She still thought it kind of funny that Jake was the one who was supposed to inform the headmaster, though, since he apparently absolutely didn't want to leave this room. Well, who wanted to, though? Nancy definitely wanted to stay so returning Jake's nod with a small smile she whispered before the Hufflepuff got up to leave, "Don't worry. You won't miss anything. And if something special is going to happen while you're away I'm still here to tell you about it." She winked at him before moving to the nearest wall so she could lean against it. Her whole body was already rather sore from all the uncomfortable stiff sitting on the floor so with a small sigh she leaned against the wall waiting for Jake's return.

Just about ten minutes later as Jake rushed back into the room panting beyond control and...alone. Huh? "Whoa, that was quick, Jake, but where's-" She never finished her sentence, though, since the Hufflepuff boy just sort of answered the question she'd been about to ask. A note? "Who did you give it to?" Hopefully it had been someone trustworthy, somehow Nancy had the feeling that it wasn't for the best if too many people knew about the Mirror. Well, at least the headmaster was informed now, hopefully, and was going to come join them soon which meant all they could do now was wait.

Jake tried gasping for air. "It was... two people... One of them... I'd trust with... my life..." he breathed.

Jake shook his head. Ok, so he didn't want to miss anything, but he was most scared that the Headmaster would be mad at him, for going through the portrait. Sure, the rest of them had, but Jake would have been the one to be killed in a fit of rage.

Still... it was hopefully done now.

Noticing that a professor had now stumbled upon the room, Freya made up her mind to leave it. She quickly picked up her bag from the floor beside the oversized mirror and with her naturally long stride headed for the exit. 'Don't want to wait around here all day. I've seen enough...' Freya left the hidden room and decided to spend her time doing something useful...not just stare into an enchanted mirror all day.

Forrester frowned at the Hufflepuff, "I thought I entrusted you to this cause?"




Forrester glared at the Hufflepuff, "I hope that trust is well placed, Jake. Because it just may come down to that. Or at least house points." He took a look at the boy again. He may want to visit this room again to be sure the boy didn't become one of those who wasted away in front of the mirror.

Uh-oh... he didn't like that look. That look was baaaaaaaaaaaad. No, go away Look!!!!!

Jake shrank away a little. "I.... I-I-I... he..." Jake sniffed and his voice shook. "It's my best friend... ever... Of course I trust him, how could I not?!" Why would he have friends he couldn't trust? Ahahahahahaaa... the professor couldn't say much more bad stuff because- "He's in Slytherin, Sir... maybe you'll trust my judgement more now..."

And THIS is why I didn't want to go! If you scare me like this, what will HE do?! Eh?! Jake knew he reeeeeeeally shouldn't say that, but it was sooooo hard to stop himself.

He pressed his palms over his eyes, trying to get rid of the image of the look. The Glaaaaaaaaaare. It was official, Forrester scared Jake, and obviously despised him with every ounce of his being.

Yeah... that's right... Now hide me!

"At least you made a choice to chose a Slytherin, however it isn't your judgement I don't trust, it's you. I gave you a simple task and you did something completely different. 5 points from Hufflepuff for disobeying a professor." What was this? Hands over his eyes? Was the boy crying???? "Toughen up, lad." Forrester didn't know what to do with crying children!

Jake nodded, hands over his eyes. So he wasn't trusted? Well... news to Jake but fair enough. 5 points? Okay... not so good with both of his house Prefects in the room, but he could earn them back with homework or something.

Don'tlookDon'tlookDon'tlooooook.

Toughen up? Jake rested his elbows on his knees, palms still covering his eyes, and gulped. He wasn't going to cry. Nope, no siree... But he wouldn't look either, not till something else happened.

If I can't see him, he can't see me. If I can't see anything, then it's not really happening. Jake bit his lip as he nodded once more.

Lyra watched as professors made their way into the room. She wanted to make sure that Banana told them of her theory with the mirror having something to do with last years....stuff, whatever she missed that someone still had YET to let her in on the secret. She listened to everyone speak knowing that there were good theories but it was best to weigh all sides first before going with one.

Barry eyed Jake, Forrestor scarred him. And with good reason too, Barry had been around him in his first year and had gotten detension, detension! He never liked him afterwards. He would be the last into his classes and the first out, he walked over to Jakeand withdrew a chocolate frog " Here Jakey, I think its supposed to cheer you up" he said with a smile.

Constantine was still puzzled by what was meant by "dragon that doesn't like to be tickled". It was probably something pointless anyways; probably was nothing to car about...

But then, there is was. A portrait of a dragon. Constantine frowned as he looked at it, the students MUST be playing a trick on him. But...where those voices on the inside? What in merlin's name..?

Confused a little, Constantine grabbed the handle and opened the 'door' and entered into the room. "Whoa," he mumbled at the sight of the number of students in there...and professors!? "We having a party in here?" he asked quietly, looking around the room and then squinted to focus better on something shiny.