And the Adventures Begin...

[Isabelle Valentina]

Isabelle checked her watch, her bright brown eyes straining in the dim light. It was a quarter past midnight, and her dormitory was silent as her classmates lay dormant in the beds around her. She crept out of bed, pausing ever so often to muffle the groans of her mattress. Her nightgown, a light rosy pink, swirled around her feet as she stepped cautiously on the wood floor. Excellent. It didn't creak.

Isabelle looked over her shoulders, her mass of thick brown curls falling in her face. Margo had already left; they had agreed to arrive at the dungeons fifteen minutes apart from one another, so as to not make too much noise. Isabelle tiptoed her way through the common room and out of the portrait, wincing slightly as it thumped shut a bit louder than she would have preferred.

Her heart was beating quickly. Isabelle relished the rush of adrenaline that surged through her body. This was what she lived for -- the uncertainty and excitement of exploration, of not knowing what lied ahead or what surprises awaited. She glanced furtively behind her one last time to make sure no one was following, then without a twinge of regret, she scurried away from the Gryffindor Tower.

The air grew progressively colder as she made her way into the basement. Isabelle shivered despite of her excitement, and drew the folds of her nightgown tightly around her. Shadows loomed in the dim candlelight, and she jumped at the smallest of sounds. At one point, a faint mewing was heard in an adjacent room; Isabelle darted into an abandoned broom cupboard just as a lithe, bedraggled tabby cat prowled into view. Its bulbous green eyes seemed to stare straight at Isabelle, and for a moment her breath caught in her throat. But with a flick of its tail, the cat seemed satisfied and slinked off into the darkness.

Five minutes later, Isabelle pulled open the door to the dungeons. She peeked her head around, searching for signs of movement. Certain she was alone, Isabelle gently eased the door shut and crept down the drafty corridor. Spiderwebs graced the stained stone walls, and a dull moaning echoed around the cavernous chamber. Goosebumps materialized on Isabelle's bare arms and legs, and for a moment, she felt a faint stab of fear. "Margo?" she called out in a whisper, wishing suddenly she could see more. "Are you there?"

 

[Margo Liddell]

Awakening from her sleep seemingly without cause Margo rolled over, pulling an old pocket watch out from under her pillow. The watch had once been her Grandfather's, her mothers father, and had gone to Margo's mother when he passed. Margo's mother had cherished the old thing, and had given it to her daughters care when she knew her time was coming to an end. It was now one of Margo's most prized possessions, a small connection to the family she had loved and lost so early.

It was 11:23, earlier than Margo was supposed to be leaving, but the young girl could no longer sleep. Margo lay there in the dark listening carefully to the sounds in the room surrounding her; nothing but the steady even breathing of sleeping girls. Rolling out of bed silently Margo quickly and quietly changed out of her pajamas, dressing herself in colors that would blend in with the night. Margo glanced at her shoes, but opted instead for a pair of slipper socks, knowing they would allow her to move silently. If Margo was going to sneak out after curfew she was going to make darn sure to do everything in her power not to get caught.

Before leaving Margo arranged her blankets in such a way that should someone wake up in the middle of the night and glance over it would look as if she was still in her bed, sleeping the night away. She then headed stealthily out into the night, her heart pounding all the way. Truth be told, Margo was hesitant to do this, but didn't want to seem like a coward to Isabelle. Besides, it was an adventure, and Margo could never turn down an adventure. She dearly hoped that no bad came of this.

With the hood of her sweatshirt pulled up to cover her hair and face Margo stuck to the darkest shadows on her way down to the dungeons, becoming one with the night. The young girl went slowly, keeping her ears open for even the slightest sound. At one point Margo ducked quickly into a classroom, thinking she had heard footsteps, but after five minutes of hearing nothing realized it had merely been her mind playing tricks.

Finally, Margo arrived in the dark, cool dungeons and made her way down the corridor, finding the darkest corner she could to wait for Isabelle. She glanced at the pocket watch once more, making sure to keep it hidden within the folds of her clothing so no light would glint off the surface and give away her position. It was 11:50; Margo had some time to kill. The tiny girl sat there in silence, for the first time since arriving at Hogwarts really able to think. Her mind was always racing when others where around, flitting from one thought to the next. Here, in the dark dungeons Margo could finally let her mind drift to the one thought she had been avoiding. Her mother.

Silent tears ran down Margo's face as she thought of the woman who had once been her everything. This was the secret, wounded part of Margo she tried so desperately to hide from others. Things had gone down hill since her mothers passing, only just now starting to pick up. The past few weeks at Hogwarts had been among the greatest of little Margo's life, her only regret that she could not share it with her mother. For the first time at Hogwarts Margo was truly alone, and so she let herself succumb briefly to her sorrow. Margo sat, and she cried, silent sobs racking her whole body. How her mother would have loved hearing of Hogwarts! The magic, the people, the adventure that waited around every corner. She would have been so proud that her only daughter had made it into the house of the loyal and brave. Margo knew this, and the knowing hurt. Harriet Liddell would never know her daughter was a witch. The cruel monster of a disease that had laid silently in wait inside her body had ensured that. It had robbed Harriet of her life, and it had robbed Margo of a mother.

Margo heard footsteps approaching and hastily scrubbed away her tears with her sleeve, hoping the redness of her face would pass as a flush of excitement. Carefully schooling her features into happy excitement Margo sat quietly listening, making sure it was the girl she was waiting for and not some teacher. Margo heard Isabelle's voice before she saw her, and grinned when she caught sight of the girl in her pink nightgown. What a strange pair they would look. Margo's grin grew when Isabelle peered into the shadows around her but didn't see her. Clearly her outfit was doing it's job. Margo unfolded herself from the darkness, saying in a voice so soft it was barely even a whisper, "I'm here. Quick, we have to make it into the unused parts of the dungeon so we won't get caught. I don't wan't to loose Gryffindor and points." Margo grinned excitedly at Isabelle before turning to make her way further into the ddungeons, sticking to the shadows all the way.

 

[Isabelle Valentina]

Isabelle was surprised to see Margo emerge as if out of the shadows themselves. A wave of relief washed over her, thankful she wasn't alone. "You look great," she said smiling. "I wish I thought of that." Isabelle looked regretfully down at her nightgown, her thoughts drifting momentarily to her brother, the one who gave it to her. Not now, she thought. I need to focus. She quickly checked behind her, to make sure they hadn't been followed, and peered hesitantly into the darkness.

Isabelle ran her fingers along the cracked stone wall, feeling the moist condensation and narrow grooves. A steady dripping was plopping consistently, reverberating off the walls. Isabelle guessed they were under the lake, and a shiver of excitement passed through her body. She looked for Margo, who to her surprise had crept a few paces ahead of her. Isabelle really liked the pretty Gryffindor, and she hoped desperately to cement their friendship.

Ever since arriving at Hogwarts, Isabelle had felt out of place, lost, and uncertain. She couldn't understand how everyone seemed to know each other, or why she couldn't master the spells as easily as everyone else. With a pang of bitterness, Isabelle remembered her Muggle heritage. At home, unhappy though she was, Isabelle knew how to thrive in her surroundings, how to gauge the atmosphere of a room or person and react accordingly. She was an expert in charm and manipulation, and would relish in her intelligence, which she used like a whip.

Here, everyone was so...nice. They weren't trying to play games with her or mess with her mind. Their words didn't have double meanings, their actions weren't passive-aggressive. They smiled, they laughed, they were genuine. Margo even agreed to sneak out with Isabelle, someone she had just met. She had seen the girl surrounded by kind-looking first years at the Quidditch Pitch, and she couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. Hogwarts turned out to be the antithesis of her life at home, and Isabelle was surprised to find she like that. Still, she had yet to meet many people and she was still only just starting to become adept at wandwork. And she didn't even want to get started on flying.

A loud, ghostly groan echoed from within the depths of the chamber. Isabelle snapped out of her reverie, looking wildly around for Margo. Fear mixed with adrenaline shot through her body, sending tremors into her hands and fingers. "What was that?" she whispered in a trembling voice.

 

[Margo Liddell]

Hearing Isabelle's words Margo shot the girl an appreciative smile, "Thanks Isabelle. I was going for a stealthy look," Margo responded with a slight laugh. She was glad to have company after her thoughts had run away with her. It had felt good to release all the emotions she usually kept pent up, but now she needed some fun to get her mind off her past.

About to strike up a conversation Margo turned around to look at Isabelle, but the other girl looked pensive, so Margo decided to leave her to her thoughts for awhile. She listened to the rhythmic sounds of water hitting the floor somewhere along the corridor, her breath unconsciously matching the beat of the liquid. Margo's heart beat strong and steady in her chest, a few paces faster than usual. The young girl was a bit nervous down there in the dark, but she wasn't going to let that stop her from having a small adventure.

Having been in the dark so long Margo's eyes had adjusted and she scanned to corridor, sometimes turning down another hall while she led the way, unsure of what she was looking for. Margo wondered how long it had been since someone had walked through this part of the dungeons, they seemed so still and abandoned. Then again, most places seemed empty in the middle of the night, and this school was full of students, so someone may have been there quite recently.

Figuring that Isabelle had had enough time to think and growing weary of the silence Margo decided it was time to talk. They where deep into the dungeons by now, but Margo kept her voice quiet anyway. "So are you liking it here at Hogwarts, enjoying classes and everything? I'm loving flying so far. I've been practicing it a lot, and I think I might even try out for the team. I'm pretty nervous though, I doubt I'll make it being a first year." she told Isabelle, turning around to look at the other girl.

Margo didn't get her answer right away however, because just then there was a strange sound from somewhere in the dungeons. Margo's heart skipped a beat before beginning to race at double it's normal speed. Tearing back around the last corner she had turned Margo saw Isabelle looking pale as a sheet, apparently searching for her. Margo was terrified, but seeing the look on the other girls face she fought down her own fear. Trying to comfort her new friend Margo began rambling, "It's okay, Is, it could have been nothing. This castle's old, old building make weird noises all the time. Even if it was something though, this castle has lots of ghosts, so it could have been one of them, which, I admit is a little creepy, but this is a school. The Headmistress and Professors wouldn't let anything dangerous stay inside the school."

Margo smiled encouragingly at the other Gryffindor. Her fear had subsided somewhat as she had talked, and she felt much better though still a little shaken. The fear was currently at war with her adventurous side, so Margo decided to leave decision making up to Isabelle. "Do you want to keep going or go back to the dorms? That was a bit freaky, but we'll do whatever you want."

 

[Isabelle Valentina]

Isabelle shot an appreciative look back at Margo. As she talked, Isabelle felt her pulse steady and her heart return to its natural rhythm. "You're probably right, it's nothing. Thank goodness one of us can keep our head in a crisis," she smiled, feeling herself regain confidence and poise. "I'd like to continue, if you don't mind. I want to get to know you better, you know, talk about school and life. I feel we are kept so busy during the day we never have time to talk to anyone."

Isabelle's dark eyes widened as she thought about Margo's question. "As for Hogwarts, I love it of course. The schoolwork is proving to be a little harder than I anticipated, but nothing I can't handle. It's all so interesting for a Muggle like me. Growing up I learned about science and fact, and this entire world defies every bit of everything I used to believe in. But I'm starting to realize that perhaps change isn't so bad." Her thoughts wandered briefly to her old boarding school that her parents insisted on enrolling her in. How dull it would seem to the people in the wizarding world.

"In regards to flying, I think it's really exciting! I haven't quite gotten the hang of it, however. I was hoping to maybe go to the pitch later to practice. It'd be great if you could give me some pointers; I've only just managed to hover five feet off the ground!" Isabelle grinned, not minding laughing about herself. "It'd be amazing if you made the team! You better tell me how tryouts go, I bet it's going to be really entertaining."

 

[Margo Liddell]

Somewhat surprised at how glad she was Isabelle wanted to continue going Margo gave the other girl a nod before continuing on, listening as the other Gryffindor spoke of Hogwarts and flying but still keeping her ears open for any unusual noises. After that strange groan she was on high alert. Generally an open person Margo was able to keep up her end of the conversation with ease. "It is really different, isn't it? I'm muggleborn too," Margo told Isabelle with a smile, adding, "I moved from America to New Zealand about 13 months before I found out that I'm a witch, and I was just starting to get used to all those changes when BAM, out of nowhere this whole other world drops on my lap. I think the move was a good thing for me though, it got me used to change. Now I just try to look at everything as an adventure, and that makes it easier somehow. Everything here just seems so new and fascinating."

Turning around a bend in the hall Margo listened to Isabelle speak of flying. She grinned through the dark at the dark eyed girl. "I'd be happy to help you fly, it'll be nice to have someone out there with me. I go out to practice every day, so just let me know when you want to tag along. Flying's really easy once you get the hang of it, you just have to have confidence in yourself and the broom," Margo explained, her thoughts running through her memories of practice. At her first flying lesson Margo had been hopeless, barely able to learn the up command before class had ended. It was what had caused her to begin practicing. Margo had always envied birds their ability to fly, and was determined to be a top notch flyer once she'd discovered the possibility of flying on a broom. Two hours of practice a day was seeing that she got there. Earlier that day Margo had even been able to practice corkscrewing while diving; it may never come in handy, but Margo enjoyed the fact that flying allowed her to indulge in her dare-devil like tendencies.

 

[Isabelle Valentina]

Isabelle grinned, her spirits lifting considerably as she contemplated spending more time with Margo. "I really want to get better," she confessed. "My goal is to make the team at some point and help Gryffindor win House Cup again. I heard we won last year, and it'd be a shame if we lost to Slytherin or Hufflepuff. At least we're not too far behind." Feeling much more at ease, the noise forgotten, Isabelle trailed her fingers lightly across the stone wall. Once the danger of being discovered (or worse, discovering something else...a bad something) was gone, Isabelle soon pushed it from her mind. She tilted her head back so her hair cascaded down her back and the cool breeze tickled her bare neck.

"I bought a used Firebolt from Obsidian Harbor, but I haven't gotten a chance to use it. I just don't want to go out there by myself and have the broom carry me away into the Forest or something." She laughed lightly, still remembering to keep her voice down in the night. It wouldn't be good if points were lost from Gryffindor so early in the year. She kept forgetting it was night; Margo's easy conversation made it seem like they were curled up next to the fire in the Gryffindor common room. "I wouldn't put it pass me. Gracefulness is not one of my virtues, as exemplified on the first week of school. I was reaching over to grab a bowl of tomato soup when someone knocked me from behind. My elbow hit my neighbor's goblet, and the contents spilled all over him!" Isabelle grimaced, the boy's startled face flashing into her mind. "Not the best way to make a first impression, but he was good-natured about it. Either way, I still cringe every time I see him in my Potions class!"

 

[Margo Liddell]

Relishing in the stillness of the night Margo ran her hands along the stone surface of the walls as she listened to Isabelle talk, nodding here and there to show she was listening. Margo went slowly, letting her hands explore the walls for any significant irregularities that her eyes could not see. In her childhood Margo had lived in a big old Victorian house riddled with secret passageways, and she was almost certain that a castle like Hogwarts would have some as well. She was determined to find them; they would come in handy. Feeling nothing irregular save for a chill breeze, Margo paused for a moment, giving voice to her inner thoughts, "Strange that there should be a breeze so far into the dungeons. We're below ground and far from the stairs. I wounder where it could be coming from...." Margo trailed off, not quite sure where that train of thought was going. Maybe Isabelle would think of the answer. If not, Margo would puzzle it out eventually. At least she hoped.

Margo smiled as the image of her new friend being carried off on a broom popped into her mind. "I wonder if the Professors would still consider that rule breaking, entering the forbidden forest accidentally on a rogue broom. We should remember that excuse if we ever get caught in the woods. Anyway, I don't think you need to be particularly graceful to fly. At least, I'm not very graceful on the ground, and I learned to fly just fine" Margo explained, recalling a certain incident with a tree that had ended in a trip to the hospital and a nice scar.

Laughing as she imagined the boys face Margo shot Isabelle a supportive smile. She enjoyed how easy conversation flowed between her and the other Gryffindor girl. "He must have been surprised" Margo replied, "Don't worry about it, I'm sure one day you'll become friends and look back at that and laugh. Do you know who it was?" Margo questioned, curious to learn more. Besides, if she knew the boy perhaps she could help to put Isabelle's mind at ease.

 

[Isabelle Valentina]

Isabelle pursed her lips in thought. "I can't remember. He's a Gryffindor too. I talked to him one other time, but I haven't seen him lately." Her mind flashed back to their easy conversation in the common room and how abruptly it ended. He was really sweet, but she couldn't find him anywhere after that. Oh well, you can't win them all.

Isabelle threw a glance back to Margo. "So how about you?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "I've seen you with some other people, but they didn't look like Gryffindors." She recalled Margo smiling up at a tall Hufflepuff boy and a pretty Ravenclaw girl. They seemed nice enough, and Isabelle looked forward to getting to know them. "So far, I've met a Hufflepuff girl named Jessica, an older Hufflepuff named Satsuke, and a Slytherin girl named Sage." Isabelle had heard stories of past house rivalries, but so far everyone seemed at ease with each other. It was for the best; Isabelle would have been so disappointed to find that competitiveness and the pressure to succeed had followed her to Hogwarts. Gryffindor was still behind in house points, but not by that much.

 

[Margo Liddell]

For a moment Margo paused to think, trying to rack her brain for who the victim of her new friends clumsiness could have been. With a start, she realized that she had not, actually, met many male Gryffindors in her year aside from Kaleb. There was Tybalt, but she wasn't quite sure what year he was, she assumed second and he was rather small but obviously not a first year. With a sigh Margo gathered her her and brushed it over her shoulder, resolving to try and fix that; two friends from her own house just wouldn't cut it. Margo was a social creature, and needed relationships to really thrive.

At Isabelle's next question Margo couldn't keep herself from beaming. Though she wasn't yet satisfied with the numbers, Margo had been doing a fairly good job of making friends so far, and the thought brought much joy. Her green eyes were bright with delight as she began to speak, "I've made a few friends. Let's see, there's you, obviously. Then from Gryffindor there's another girl, Aren, in our year, if you haven't met her yet I'll introduce you. I don't know her all that well yet though. Kaleb's a Gryffindor too, he's brilliant at potions and really nice, I'm sure you'll meet him soon. He's the guy I usually sit by in class. I've only really gotten to know one Hufflepuff so far, Eugene. He just made seeker for Hufflepuff and he's super stoked, he's seems really kind. I don't know him that well yet, but I'd like to get to know him better. Then, last, there's Isla, she's a Ravenclaw, brilliant mind, loves adventure and she's super fun. You'd love her. Listen to me rambling though! I can introduce you to any of them if you'd like." Margo shot Isabelle a quick smile before continuing, "A Slytherin huh? What was she like. I'm trying not to give into the whole house biasness thing, but so far I haven't met a single pleasant Slytherin. There's this older guy from that house who always makes fun of me for being so short when I see him. Kaleb's going to help me prank him." Margo giggled, thinking of their plan.