009 | ❝Don't worry about me .❞

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Clarissa and Jessica went into the Great Hall hoping to see Carter feeling better after the sleeping drought Madam Pomfrey had given him. Clarissa started running towards the Hufflepuff table when she saw that he was sitting eating his breakfast seeming to be in a better mood. She bent down and placed a kiss on his cheek as she took a seat beside him. Carter turned to look at her in surprise as he thought it was somebody else. "Hey babe," Carter said taking a drink of his pumpkin juice to help him swallow the rest of his food. "how was your night?"

"How was my night?" Clarissa asked surprised, Jessica taking a seat in front of the couple. "How was your night?"

Carter shrugged, "Better I guess." he said. He then turned to look at Jessica, "Have you gotten any research done on what Peter Pettigrew found?" he asked.

Jessica nodded her head pulling out her book, "Yes, well, kind of." she said. Placing the book on the table in front of her friends she shook her head. "It doesn't make a lot of sense just looking at what I'm about to show you but it really makes you think about what Professor Dumbledore said at the beginning of the school year." Jessica let out a sigh.

"What did he say again?" Carter asked looking at both of the girls in confusion.

"About the basement," Jessica answered, she then opened the book about the Hogwarts building to the very back where there were pages missing, ripped out. "look at what it says on the title." part of the page was missing along with all the rest of the book but in big letters, you could clearly make out the section was about the basement at Hogwarts.

"Why is this a clue?" Clarissa asked, the confusion in her voice was clear.

"Well for starters, they didn't manage to rip out the beginning of the first sentence to this section. 'The mystery of the Hogwarts basement...' and then all the pages are missing as well?" Jessica shook her head. "It doesn't make any sense, what are they trying to hide? Who ripped these pages out?"

"Maybe we should go check it out then?" Clarissa said to Jessica's surprise.

"I-I-" Carters voice shook and both girls turned to look at him he looked pale. "I don't think we should you guys." Both girls were surprised. Carter wasn't up for an adventure? No, the girls didn't know about what had happened to him and Carter suspected whatever the basement lead to would only bring more of that to him.

"Are you okay Carter?" Jessica asked worriedly. "You're as pale as the ghosts on these grounds."

"I just don't think it's safe to go to the basement if Professor Dumbledore warned against-" Carter was cut off.

"Exactly!" Jessica cried out causing other students to turn and look in the trio's direction. Jessica began to whisper, "This is exactly why we need to check it out. We're warned against it, kids are going missing, and theres a mystery in the basement?" she took a deep breath. "It sounds like the perfect lead into what could be happening every twenty-seven years. The basement was never mentioned before, so why now? When was the last time they warned against the basement?"

"I don't want to do this guys." Carter said standing from his seat. "You go."

"Carter." Clarissa said sadly trying to reach for her boyfriend as he walked away. Clarissa turned to look at Jessica in confusion. "What's wrong with him? It has to be about the nightmare he had, no?"

"You should go talk to him, I'll go down to the basement and report to you later." Jessica said getting up along with Clarissa.

"I don't know." Clarissa said. "Are you sure you want to go down there alone? What if something happens to you? What if you go missing?"

"Don't worry about me ." Jessica said, "Go worry about Carter he needs you." Clarissa nodded her head and began to walk away. Jessica began putting the book back into her bag when someone went up to her. The girl looked up to see that it was James Potter.

"Can I talk to you?" The boy asked looking a little nervous. He looked a mess, as if he hadn't slept, kind of like Carter had the other day. "Peter told me about the missing people every twenty-seven years. I couldn't help but overhear what you had said to your friends about the basement."

"Are you okay James?" Jessica asked ignoring what he had just told her. "You look terrible, no offense, I know we don't know each other."

James looked over at Lily, guess she broke his heart again, Jessica thought to herself. "Just had a weird night is all." James said.

"Are you sure?" Jessica asked.

James nodded, "can I go with you to the basement?" He asked.

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Jessica and James walked towards the basement slowly. Their wands illuminated at the tip giving them vision. This hall was empty, even from paintings which was strange to Jessica considering the school was filled with paintings top to bottom. James started thinking about what had happened to him the other night and suddenly fear overtook him.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this." James said turning to look at Jessica. "Let's go back to the Great Hall."

"No." Jessica said grabbing James' arm. "We have to keep moving."

James tried to pull away from Jessica but she kept a strong grip. "Jessica let go of me." James pleaded trying to pull away once more. "Please let go."

"Fine." Jessica huffed letting go of his arm. "Get out of here."

"You're not going down there either." James said. "Or I'll tell Dumbledore."

"I don't care." Jessica rolled her eyes. "I'm going down there."

"I'll tell your father."

Jessica stopped walking and turned to look at the boy. "Who do you think you are?" Jessica asked, glaring at the boy. "My sister is missing, this isn't a game for me."

"It's not a game for me either." James stated. "Something weird happened to me and I want answers, but I doubt this is the way to get them."

James started to walk away and Jessica looked back down the dark hallways in the other direction. She wanted to go in there so badly but something about doing it alone unsettled her. Yes she had magic for protection but if Dumbledore warned against it—was she strong enough to protect herself?

Jessica wasn't sure she was, so she turned back around following James out of the dark hallway. "Wait!" She called after the boy. "I'm coming with you."

Once they were back upstairs James turned to look at Jessica. "I'm sorry I couldn't go in there." He apologized.

"What happened to you?" Jessica asked the boy.

James sighed looking down at the ground, "it was dark..." James told Jessica what happened to him. From beginning to end and she listened without making a sound giving him her full undivided attention.

"James." The pair jumped when they heard Lily's voice. They turned to look at her, the red haired girl smiling at her boyfriend. "Walk me to my class?"

Jessica turned to look at James who nervously nodded his head at the girl. "I'll see you later Jessica." He said.

Jessica watched him walk away wondering what to make of what he had told her.