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The Perfect Alibi by Russia Snow

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Chapter Notes: Many thanks to Alex/WelshDevonDragon for being my beta fairy =)
~

The corridor was empty. Even when it was light outside, the corridor was still dim and un-inviting. Neither Cleo nor Nina were exactly sure why the classrooms on the corridor weren’t used anymore, but they obviously hadn’t been since long before the girls came to the school. There were three storerooms along the length of the corridor, and Cleo was of the opinion that they should search all three.

They started with the storeroom in which Zarek and Jeffwin had been the night before. The door stood open and light from the grounds shone through the narrow window set in the back wall.

–We don’t have long,” Nina said, looking up and down the corridor. –Lessons start again in half an hour. What do you suppose we’re looking for?”

–I don’t know… Something valuable?” Cleo pushed the door further open. –Doesn’t look like there’ll be much to choose from.”

Cleo was right. Although the storeroom was full of objects, nothing looked particularly valuable. The space was mostly filled with old classroom desks. There were dusty chalkboards leaned up against the walls and a suit of armour was standing to attention in the far corner. Old, broken mops and brooms littered the stone floor and a pair of robes hung limply over bookcase.

–It must have been something small.” Nina reasoned, –They think a student took it, so it has to be something that can be easily carried away and hidden.”

Cleo glanced to the bare patch on the floor where the suit of armour that Zarek had stolen used to be standing. –Why would the teachers believe that students had stolen a suit of armour, then? What would we want with a suit of armour?”

Nina shrugged. –I don’t know. Anyway, you search that bookcase and I’ll look between those desks.”

After searching the room until both girls were coughing from dust inhalation, they gave up. Cleo slammed and bolted the door behind them and they moved into the second storeroom.

The second storeroom was even less revealing than the first. This one was practically empty, with only three desks and an armchair stuffed into the corner. The third storeroom was the same, and Nina and Cleo had a good ten minutes left of their lunch break when they finished searching.

–I feel disappointed.” Cleo grimaced, –But I don’t even know what we were hoping to find.”

Nina shook her head, –Never mind.”

Cleo pushed the door of the final storeroom closed and they set off back down the corridor, heading for the Main Hall. When they emerged from the corridor, however, they nearly collided with a group of teachers coming the opposite way.

Zarek was leading the group. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Nina and Cleo, who immediately avoided eye contact and pretended to be chatting aimlessly about the weather. Once the teachers had walked down the corridor a little way, Nina and Cleo rounded the corner, stopped chatting and stood as still as they could. With their backs pressed against the wall, they strained to hear the conversation between the professors.

–So, which storeroom do you claim has been broken into?” The voice sounded disbelieving and impatient.

There was a pause and Zarek answered in his low voice, –It was this room.”

–The one that’s closed and bolted?” The disbelieving voice again.

–It wasn’t closed and bolted when we found it this morning! Was it Zarek?” This was Jeffwin.

–Obviously someone has been back and tried to cover their tracks.”

–What were you even doing in this corridor in the first place?”

Zarek’s voice was dangerous this time. –Are you saying you don’t believe me, Childes?”

Childes’ voice was less confident this time. –Not at all, Zarek. I’m simply wondering why you were here and why you so strongly suspect that this storeroom has been broken into when I can see no evidence at all…”

–I would like you to investigate the students.”

Childes scoffed, –You want me to do what?”

–Question the students.”

–Question the students? You want me to question the students about the possibility of a break in to an abandoned storeroom when we have no evidence and we aren’t even sure anything’s been stolen.”

–Well…Well, how do you know nothing’s gone missing?” Jeffwin blustered.

Cleo and Nina heard the bolt on the door slide back and the door creaked open. Cleo was regretting closing the door now. If only she’d been a little more careful she might have remembered to leave everything as she found it. Now Zarek and Jeffwin knew someone had been back there, and they had just seen Nina and Cleo near the corridor.

–It’s just an old storeroom, Zarek. It’s not worth the fuss. We won’t be interrogating the students and I suggest that next time you shouldn’t jump to such rash conclusions.”

Nina tensed up, expecting the teachers to reappear around the corner at any moment, but the footsteps of the teachers were getting fainter, and she realised they must be heading the other way.

Zarek and Jeffwin, however, stayed behind.

–Your plan didn’t work, Zarek.” Jeffwin sounded scared.

Zarek kicked the door to the storeroom. –We have no choice.”

–We can’t, Zarek… They’ll kill us.”

–No they won’t, Jeffwin. They’ll kill you. This is all your fault.”

–Zarek please…”

–We don’t have any other choice! I’m going to send them an owl. We’ll meet them tonight. In the Entrance Hall.”

Nina’s eyes widened and she glanced to Cleo. Cleo raised her eyebrows and gestured down the corridor. Nina nodded and followed Cleo towards the Great Hall.

~~~

–Who could they be meeting?”

–I don’t know… maybe the person who owns whatever they’ve lost?”

–Well, that’s another thing, who actually did break into that storeroom?”

–They think it was a student… something about one of Jeffwin’s classes seeing the thing that was stolen?”

–I wonder what it could be though…”

Cleo and Nina had just finished their lessons and had gone for a walk in the grounds, so as to discuss the mysterious encounters in private. The sun was hanging low over the lake and a cool autumn breeze was sending ripples across its surface.

–Zarek said he’d send an owl to them, to whoever they’re meeting, and they’re going to meet them in the entrance hall. Are teachers allowed to just invite anyone they feel like?”

–I guess so… and even if they aren’t, Zarek hardly looks like he’s trying to play by the rules.” Nina frowned. –Shouldn’t we tell a teacher or something?”

–Tell them what?” Cleo looked over to her worried friend, –That we were eavesdropping on a couple of teachers because we were out of bed when we probably shouldn’t have been and went snooping around in an abandoned corridor?”

–I just think we should tell someone…”

–No,” Cleo nodded decisively, –We’re going to sneak out of bed tonight and see who they’re meeting.”

–Cleo! That could be really dangerous…”

–Yeah, could be. But come on, Nina, this is Hogwarts. Nothing exciting or dangerous ever happens here. Let’s have a little adventure.”

–If it is something dangerous,” Cleo gave Nina a face that said ‘It won’t be’, –Do you promise that we won’t interfere and we’ll go straight to bed and tell a teacher in the morning?”

Cleo looked as though she was about to protest, but decided better of it and nodded. –Deal.”

~
Chapter Endnotes: As soon as I remember who this mysterious character in the Main Hall at midnight is... I'll write the next chapter ;)

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