Jude reached over and wiped a stray tear that was still on Thalia's cheek. That's the thing that he hated most--when the young girl cried. The sight always almost brought him to tears of his own and it became unbearable with all the guilt that invaded his being.

"Well before we do, I got something for you." Jude said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the silver bracelet with all the usual charms for Christmas. "I hope you like it Thal." the boy said quietly slowly feeling the back of his neck turn redder and redder the more he became embarrassed.

Thalia was surprised at the gift that he gave her but she thought it was beautiful. "Merlin's," she muttered. "I love it Jude. Thank you," she grinned at him. She took it from him and put it on her wrist then looked back and kissed him gently.

She pulled away and then said, "Oh I almost forgot." Thalia put her hand in her coat pocket and pulled out a small item. She put it in his hand and added, "It's an early Christmas present."

Jude grinned as Thalia's face lit up at the present. "You're welcome Thal." he said quietly after she had kissed him.

His brow arched at the words 'It's an early Christmas present.' and his hazel eyes looked downward to the guitar pick with the insignia 'You Rock <3' His grin got bigger and closing the palm of his hand around the small gift, Jude wrapped his arms around Thalia and spun her around the alleyway in excitement. He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly on the lips and whispered, "I love it."

"I'm glad. But that's only part of your present," she explained with a smile after he kissed her lips. She hoped he would like the rest of his present. She had sort of went over the top with presents for people this year. Way over the top.

"Shall we visit Honeydukes then?" Thalia asked him. She still had last minute Christmas shopping for her brother's. Yeah Willie was only getting candy from her.

'Merlin's beard! I'll need to get her something else.' Jude thought keeping with the grin that he had on his face. "My Thalia, you're sure spoiling me." he said in a joking manner.

At the mention of Honeydukes, the boy jumped up in down, now very excited. He looooved candy after all. "Yes, do lead the way." Jude exclaimed taking Thalia's hand and waiting for her to start walking.

"You could say that," she supposed with a shrug. "Or that I loooove buying things for other people rather than me. Especially when it comes to birthdays or Christmas," she informed him. One year she had planned Anna's whole birthday. She didn't like to brag one bit but her family had a very large amount of money. So that helped with some expenses.

She giggled as he jumped up and down. "Okay then," she laughed, and pulled him along out of the alley and to the candy shop. She had saw it on her way here. Tons and tons of kids were in it.

Not even bothering to check whether Treyen was following him or not, Aaron didn't stop walking until he reached the dark and dank alleyway that was quite contrast to the clean streets. Somehow the first year got the idea that he shouldn't be here as the goosebumps started to rise on his arms, but yet at the same time, he knew he should be here. It just felt both right and wrong at the same time.

"Lumos", Aaron whispered drawing his wand. "Peculiar... very weird..." Shaking his head, he was about to change his mind and head back out to the well-lit main streets when something shiny caught his eye. Bending down to pick it up, he couldn't swallow upon turning it over in his palm and seeing what it was. A blue prefect badge.

This was definitely NOT right.

Barry had quickly said goodbye to Georgie and left the three broomsticks. This was not a good time to hang around. He had embaressed himself in front of his girlfriend and it was all Destiny's fault. But he wasn`t going to do anything yet just hide and hope that no one followed him.

He`d ended up here in a back alley. Eh it reeked here, looked nothing like hogsemede as if someone would jump out of the shadows and abduct him. There wasn`t lots of people here and it was starting to get dark. He really wanted to leave this place.

He walked down the alley. He knew Georgie wouldn`t look for him here. He saw a boy up-ahead casting light from his wand. Good idea, Barry followed his example and drew his wand "Lumos" He walked over , he couldn`t leave him here alone. "What are you doing here all alone?" he asked raising an eyebrow as he examined something, it couldn`t be...

Sarah had been stocking up on sweets in Honeydukes, and now with pockets full, she emerged into the winter sun.Pulling her cloak around her, and patting the handful of rose shaped candies she'd bought for Ryder, checking they were still there, she set off down the street.

A movement out the corner of her eye caught her attention.She turned her head just in time to see the little shape of Aaron Rose wandering off down the back alley.First years going down there was never good.Never.Sighing, she started to make her way over, she had to make sure he was alright.But she hesitated.The first time they had met he'd flung himself onto her lap for a hug, and Sarah was worried he might try it again....in public.Bad enough he did it in the relative privacy of the common room.Shaking her head, she put the thought to one side.It wouldn't do for a Huffie to get lost or injured just because she wasn't keen on being hugged by an 11-year-old.Swallowing hard, she took out her wand and followed him in.

It was dark and smelly, and the only light she could see was coming from the boy's wand, a little ways ahead. "Aaron?" she called to him, walking closer, her wand out in front of her just in case.The tip of her own wand lit up, as she couldn't put up with squinting anymore.Edging along, Sarah finally got within talking, rather than shouting, distance. "Aaron, what are you doing down here? Are you alright?" Looking down, Sarah studied the object in his hands, confused as to why he would have it. "That's a Ravenclaw Prefect Badge....Where did you get it?" She was suddenly becoming very nervous, shooting glances from left to right, and swinging her wand light around.No Ravvie Prefect would be seen dead without their badge....OH God.

Teeth chattering from both fear AND the cold, Aaron forced his hand to go into his pocket to safeguard the badge. He was no brave soldier, but he did inherit some good sense which told him to turn around and go back to the castle, NOW! And to find the Headmaster and/or his head of house about the badge. Only problem was that he had never met either of them. And it was dark and he wasn't sure of the way back.

Treyen? Nowhere to be seen.

That was when he heard a boy's voice and footsteps nearby. Blinking into the light from the boy's wand, he swallowed again. What was he doing here alone? He wasn't supposed to be; Treyen was supposed to be with him but he couldn't say that. The boy would think he was mental and created an imaginary friend. "I-i-i-iiii...." Teeth still chattering he bit his lower lip. "W--w-wwalllkinnggg."

And then his name. And the scolding, sort of. Turning around to see who was calling for him, relief warmed him slightly as his wand light shone on the familiar face from his common room. His prefect had come to help him! "Sarah!" Oh no. She too wanted to know what he was doing here. "I'm alright now." Because he really was. No need for them to know about his misery before.

Oh no. Before he slipped it into his pocket, she'd seen what it was. Pulling it slowly out of his pocket to examine it again, he nodded solemnly. "Iiii... It was lying here... on the ground" He frowned as she seemed to go quiet. This wasn't right at all. He knew from his sister that no prefect would ever lose their badge . . . purposefully. Which means, if it was genuine, and he would bet his broom that it was . . . something has happened to one of the ravenclaw prefects. Shutter.

Barry looked towards the new figure, was it someone come back to reclaim their badge. He really wished it was, but alas no it was just a Hufflepuff prefect. He gave her a forced smile and turned back to the boy who had just been named as Aaron.

"Walking, here? Why? What happened?" he asked because of course if anyone ever ventured down here there was a reason. This place was spoooky. He was not going to put down his wand.

"Aaron and Sarah? I`m Barry" Barry quickly introduced himself. This was not the place for chatting. Barrys face broke into shock as he realised something had happened to one of their Prefects "Cela...." And the guy prefect but Barry didn`t know him. His name was Miles or something.

He was talking to someone else? Awww the poor little mite was going mad with fe--.... OH, no, there was someone there.Why hadn't Sarah seen him before? Shining her wand to the side of Aaron, she spotted the taller figure of an older boy.She didn't recognise him, but Aaron seemed ok in his presence, so he couldn't have been a threat. "Walking...." she repeated back to him, having overheard the word as she approached. "Down here? Well, at least you're alright," Sarah smiled at him and put her arm around his shoulders.Poor thing sounded cold enough to freeze, so she gave his arm a rub.Nodding a greeting to the older boy as he introduced himself, Sarah smiled at him too. "Hey, Barry."

He found the badge? On the ground? No no no no, this was NOT GOOD AT ALL.What the heck was going on around here?! Putting her wand back down, Sarah raised an eyebrow at Aaron, then at Barry. "Maybe it just...uhhhh..fell off their cloak or something, right?" She looked from one to the other, gulping hard.This was not ---- hang on....

Sarah squinted some more, and shone her wand over by the wall opposite them.Something was lying on the floor in the dirt, something that looked suspiciously like....A WAND!! "Ohhhh, no," she bit her bottom lip and walked over to the spot, bending down to pick it up.Turning back to the two boys, she held it up for them to see. "We may have a problem here."

What difference did it make WHY he walking here? Technically speaking Aaron could have asked the same thing of the older boy. But he didn't because it didn't matter. They were all together . . . in the cold and dark . . . and someone had taken a Ravenclaw Prefect.

Nodding when the boy introduced himself as Barry, he blinked. Cela? Oh. He met her on the train briefly. But there was no identifying marks on the badge that this belonged to a female prefect. It could have been a male.

"Wwwhaattt abouttt Cela?" Man it was cold out here.

Feeling an arm around him and the hand warming his arm, Aaron half smiled up at the Hufflepuff Prefect. Aww she was sooo sweet! At least she didn't really question him too much on his presence down here but was more just content with the fact that he was safe. Because that was the important thing; the next important thing was figuring out the prefect issue.

"I dont think so," he shook off Sarah's idea of it falling off their cloak. Well it could have just fallen off, but with good reason. "Well mayybeee... but it didn't simply fall off their cloak. Something happened."

Shivering though as the prefect left his side and went to go pick something up by the wall that he squinted and tried to follow her gaze... he shivered even more when she held it up. "We need to see someone." But who? He didn't know his head of house or the headmaster. And the vibes he got from the Defense professor this year weren't exactly pleasant ones. "Potions master." He looked like he had been through it all and surely the old man... Professor K-something-or-other would know what to do.

It was getting cold. They really should head up to the castle now. This was weird. But Barry had been at Hogwarts for a long time and knew that things were never normal here. In his first term his cousins had turned into a fox and a cat. This was normal for hogwarts.

Barry shrugged "Maybe..." he said but when Sarah went and found a wand he knew it was something more. "...or maybe not" Poor Cela, but maybe, hopefully it wasn`t her and it was Miles. Barry was kinda selfish.

Barry looked over at Aaron as he mentioned Cela "Sorry, its just that I`m worried. It could be her." he explained. He took a closer look at the wand, it looked familiar. He was just about to say something when Aaron spoke again "Um Kazi? You sure? Don`t you think we should go to Shackleton? She is your head of house" He had an uneasy feeling about the potion master. He was very strict and proper, all the quality's he hated about teachers. But he was experienced. He waited to hear Sarah say something

No, Sarah didn't think it highly likely either.Cela or Miles would have noticed if their badge had come off.All the Prefects were so proud to wear them, that even the hint of the fact it was lost would be enough for ALL of them to go on a manhunt...well, badgehunt.The boys didn't look convinced, Aaron even saying so.Something happened? "I'm beginning to fear that you're right, Aaron," Sarah whispered, examining the alien wand she held in her hands.She had no idea which of the two Ravenclaws it belonged to.Sarah didn't know them as well as her own partner, Torin, or Chris from the lions.She nodded at Barry as he spoke. "It could be either of them.Both Prefects in a house get identical badges....and unless you know who owns this?" she asked, looking at him hopefully.She knew for a fact that Aaron wouldn't.

They did.They had to tell someone.Either of the Ravvie's could be hurt somewhere, with someone....awful.Sarah stowed the wand away safely in her pocket, and nodded to Aaron to do the same with the badge like he had before. "We should," she nodded in agreement. "And as much as I would like to stay away from Kazi, uhhh Professor Kazimeriz, for the rest of my life, I think Aaron is right.We need to go to him." Sarah looked over at Barry as he made his suggestion, causing her to shrug. "To be honest I haven't seen Professor Shackleton all term, I don't know where she is.We even have a substitute teacher for Arithmancy...." Chewing the inside of her cheek, which she often did in times of stress, Sarah set her mind wondering about that.God, I hope nothing has happened to her, too.

Finally she shook her head and grabbed Aaron by the hand. "Come on guys, lets not stay here a minute longer than we have to.We need to find Kazi up at the castle." And with that she pulled the little first year along behind her, as she scuttled out of the creepy alleyway.

Blink.

Barry says he was worried about her but he didn't want to take the belongings to the most experienced and oldest member of staff that Aaron could think of. Shackleton? He was pretty sure that he didn't know any Shackleton OR his head of house, for that matter. The only thing he knew was that whoever the badge and wand belonged to COULD be suffering.

Turning to face Sarah, he looked at her expression... She was concerned. And then said he was right ... twice. Both about something happened and about needing to go to Professor Kazimeriz. She knew Professor Shackleton though; she was the Arithmancy professor AND now that Sarah mentioned it, he recalled the name. It was one of the names that Amelia had talked about before he started at Hogwarts; one of them that he recognized at least. It seemed many of Amelia's professors have passed on from their roles at Hogwarts. It truly was a new generation.

Breaking up his thoughts on professors, Aaron was startled at feeling the tug on his hand, and stowed the badge back into his pocket with the other. "Oh ... yes, Sarah is right," he nodded absently. It could have been anyone, but just the fact that it was a member of authority meant it was even more important they find out about this. He scuttled along obediently [and quickly] behind his prefect.

Barry was not making a great impression on Aaron the way he was looking at him. But Barry right now didn`t care what Aaron thought there were more important things to worry about. That wand for example, "It looks familiar, I know I`ve seen it before and considering I`ve never actually met Miles I think its Cela's." he answered. So now it probably was Cela. He didn`t know why he wanted to help her, lately they had barely even talked.

Kazi it was then. Barry didn`t have time to argue about something this small, he`d just have to put up with the old man, he was the most experianced. So Barry trailed behind the two keeping close enough so that they knew he was there.