Loyal

Chapter Six, The Daily Profit.

Elizabeth met Rose's eyes as the other girl turned her attention away from the professor at the front of the classroom, the two girls immediately broke into a fit of muffled giggles.

Thankfully for them, just as Snape had looked up to scold them, the bell rang, signaling the end of the class.

The two girls grabbed their things and quickly exited the Potions classroom before Snape could call them back.

Walking up the stairs from the dungeons, Elizabeth looked over to Rose, her face tightened as she frowned. "I am sorry by the way."

Rose looked at her, her face unbothered as  she draped her bag over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it," she waved off Elizabeth's apology as they rounded a corner on the stairs, and then continued to climb. "Besides," she glanced at Elizabeth with a bright grin, she gestured to her slowly drying robes, "I think the dark purple of the potion brings out the blue in my eyes." She batted her eyelashes at Elizabeth with a dazzling smile.

Elizabeth ran her hand over the stone of the wall as she walked, the flood of students behind her was loud, she looked at Rose in bewilderment. "But Rose, your eyes are green." She frowned.

Rose rolled her eyes, she sighed dramatically, her shoulders slumping as she went on to elaborate further. "I know, but it brings out the blue in them." She said to Elizabeth in a matter-of-fact tone.

Elizabeth shook her head in amusement, looking back at the stairs as they at last reached the entrance hall. "Yeah, alright." She replied.

They entered the Great Hall as the other students did, the tables were lined for lunch and Elizabeth and Rose went over to sit with Helena at the Slytherin table.

"Hullo!" Helena greeted them with a bright smile.

The pair returned the greeting, both going to take seats as the screeching of owls could be heard, followed soon by many of the birds flying into the hall, dropping mail as they went.

A rolled up paper fell onto the empty plate in front of Elizabeth as she climbed on to the bench and sat down.

Pulling her bag off as Rose took the seat to her left, Elizabeth placed her bag beside her on the right.

"I've just come from Care of Magical creatures, Hagrid's left again, but Professor Grubbly-Plank is taking his post for now, her class was loads of fun, makes me wish you both had stayed with it." Helena said as she took a bite of a roast beef sandwich.

"I just couldn't keep up with it, maybe next year." Said Elizabeth as she reached forward and untied the rolled up paper.

As the front page was revealed, Elizabeth felt her blood run cold and her face drained of color.

"Liz? What's the matter?" Asked Helena in concern, noticing Elizabeth's change in mood.

Rose peered over Elizabeth's shoulder curious as to what was wrong, but she was soon answered as she saw a small article in the bottom left hand corner of The Daily Profit's front page.

Helena walked around the table quickly and looked at the small headline above the article;

'Husband and wife, Ministry of Magic workers vanish, is it dark forces at work?

Mr. Albert Smith, of the Department of International Magical Cooperation, was reported missing as of this morning. His wife, Gwen Smith, a known Aurror, has also been reported as missing.

yesterday, September the 1st at 11:05am, just after they saw their teenage daughter, Elizabeth, off at Platform 9¾. They were seen passing through the barrier, but did not pass through to the other side.