Universal Displacement

Keep It Secret, Keep It S-Well, Crap

"Levicorpus."

"Don't think we've ever heard of that one."

"Could be a bit of trouble to get you down..."

Sutton threw her arms out at her sides and tried to crane her head to see the twins.

"I can't stay like this! The bloods been rushing to my head for awhile now! Use your latin skills! What's the opposite of levicorpus?"

She was really getting tired of her upside down dangling position. The twins weren't figuring out the counter-spell as quickly as she would have liked and she was growing irritated.

"Come on," she snapped, "you guys have to know! You're both smart! What's latin for 'down' or 'free' or 'undo'? There's gotta be something."

The twins looked to each other, something dawning in their eyes, and then in a questioning tone chorused,

"liberacorpus?"

Sutton instantly dropped the rest of the way to the floor, face and chest skidding on the ground as she fell at an angle.

"Oof!"

"Oh, we are good-"

"-aren't we?"

Sutton pushed herself off the floor and stood upright, finally. She shook out her arms and legs a bit, trying to get the blood flowing again, as she addressed the boys.

"Thanks guys; you saved me there."

"Again," George snickered.

"I suppose that means you owe us," Fred added.

"And being saved from Filch and Snape," George drawled, "well-"

"-that's a pretty big favor."

Sutton could strangle them.

"I said, thank you," she argued, but it didn't seem to fly. "Ugh, fine, you know what, I have to get back to Hagrid's before Snape confirms it was you two who 'saved' me. I'll see you two later."

Fred and George's eyes gleamed in the dim light of the common room fire.

"Night, then," they farewelled.

Once again Sutton realized that they couldn't be trusted as far as they could be thrown. With one final wave good-bye, Sutton scampered back out the portrait and down the staircases until she was out on the school grounds and ducking towards the hut. As far as she knew, she hadn't been seen. She could only hope that Snape kept his discovery to himself, considering what he'd done to find it out in the first place.

The nasty sneak.

The next morning Sutton slunk nervously to breakfast. She might've skipped eating in the teacher's lounge altogether, but Hagrid had made some sort of "oatmeal" and she wasn't willing to risk it. There were only a few professors still eating and everyone had a solemn air about them, so Sutton found she didn't have much to worry about. Luckily for her, Snape wasn't there.

Sutton threw together a quick plate and sat in a corner to eat it hurriedly. And as far as she could tell so far the morning was progressing smoothly. Maybe Snape had kept his discovery to himself.

Sutton scraped what was left off her plate and dashed for the door. Some faulty logic in her brain told her that if she could just make it back outdoors, she'd be in the clear.

It was as she was making her way down the hall that something fluffy rushed passed her head. A medium-sized owl circled back around to her and dropped a small envelope into her hands. Sutton stared dumbly down at the card and then at the owl as it flew away without care. The envelope suddenly felt heavy and her stomach upset. With trembling fingers she peeled back the paper to reveal the message within. Her stomach plunged downward.