Finally heading over to another house table, Hufflepuff. She was looking for several people, mostly Kita and Jasper, but she wanted to tell Cassie and Mia bye too. Then there were a few younger Badgers that needed byes from her. Thanks to Kita, she knew a few younger badgers. This time last term Kita was the only puff Caroline really talked to. And now Caroline felt like a snake in a badger pin.

Those giggles were loud! Where were they coming from? The Slytherin house banners fell from the ceilings and draped the tables and students below.

Minerva caught site of that stupid little thing from the practice room. She jumped up grabbing her wand. "STOP" She yelled at it, but it didn't stop. "Harvs there it is that thing. Keep a watch on it I'm going to the Professors." Minerva ran to the professors, but when she got back all she could here was laughter from it. Where did it go?? "Harvs do you see it?"

POP!

Quirly appeared in the Great Hall, all flustered and panicked. Where did it go?!

All she could see at the point in time was green. Why was everything so green?
"MEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPP!" she squealed, flailing her little arms about, trying to get all the green off of her.

Oh wait. It was a banner? Uh oh.
This was surely not a good thing.

"YYOOOOOOO HOOOOOOO, WHERE ARE YOU?!" she started yelling at the top of her high pitched elfish voice.

She'd jumped down from the table and was on her hands and knees, scanning the area between the students legs.

"Where'd it go? Quirly is a bad elf."

Jayden was about half ay up to the staff table and walking past the Hufflepuff table when one of the house elves popped up... and it as searching for the THING!

Not good. Not good at all!

"Quirly! What did you lose? What is that thing?" She shrieked.

All of a sudden a house elf was near Minerva. She leaned down to it. "My name is Minerva do you know what this thing is that has been running around the school? Please tell me if you do." Minerva was hoping to finally know what was going on.

Harvey heard the giggling and tried to keep an eye on it as Minnie said but with all the banners falling from above it was hard to see where it went "No I..cant... see... with... these.. stupid.. banners.." he said trying to get them off himself. He then saw Minnie talking to a house-elf wanting to know what was going on around here. What WAS that thing?

Uh oh.

Quirly could hear studentsie voices asking her questions. She froze, still on her hands and knees under the table. Maybe if she didn't move then they'd think she was... not an elf? No that wouldn't work.

"Uuuuummm... Quirly has lost her spatula missuses," she said to the two girlies that were talking to her.

"Nothing wrong here. Nothing to see."

Nope.

Hmph. And exactly was she supposed to see when she got to her house table, she had no idea?

That was when she saw two first years who seemed to have taken interest in peering down low near the floor. Squatting down, her hazel eyes fell upon one of the school house elves. Which one, she wasn't sure? Tinka? Pips? Beezley? No, wait, she was pretty sure the little thing was a female elf.

And those first years .... were making it feel claustrophobic. "Minerva. Jayden. Please, give the little elf some space," Hadley urged, as she leaned toward its mutterings. Did it just say Quirly? "Quirly, dear, please, tell us why you are bad? Can we help you find something?" Oh wait, she just said something about losing her spatula?

"Your .... spatula?" Hadley repeated incredulously.

"Sorry Professor" Minerva said as she backed away. "I was just trying to figure out what that thing was. I have seen it twice now and still have no clue. The elf was looking for it and I wanted to help if I could." Minerva found her seat with her friends again so she wouldn't get in any trouble.

"Lies! Hmph!" Jayden mumbled grumpily... turning on her heel as she almost bumped into Professor Hadley.

"Hello there Professor. Yes, of course I'll give Quirly some space. Just trying to figure out what is going on." She replied politely, looking back down at the tiny elf. Poor thing seemed to be in a bit of hysterics; and as mad as she was about having things fall on her head, she couldn't help feeling a bit sympathetic. Jayden liked the house elves... some of them were like friends to her back home.

As Minerva went to find her seat with her friends she tripped over a green banner and fell into Harvey. They landed on the floor entangled. "Oh my Harvs are you ok?" She said as she tried to pull herself up. She grabbed his hand and helped him up.

Harvey was just taking one final banner off himself when someone fell into him. He looked around to see Minnie on the floor with him tangled up. She got up "Yes I..er..I am er good" he stuttered as Minnie grabbed his hand and helped him up "Er... thanks for that Minnie, not falling over, but helping me after the falling over part." he said as he rambled for a little while. He stood around looking at all the banners on the floor and then looking at Minnie and around the Great Hall which now was a mess. He then remembered "Oh! lets sit down Minnie" he said holding her hand and leading her to some empty seats so that she would not fall again.

Quirly got out from under the table. She was in big big big big BIGGGG trouble now.
Her large orb eyes darted from the students to the Professors and back again, she was so nervous now, and her little arms began to shake. The headmaster would surely have her head on a plate, but maybe he would still let her iron her ears first. For old times sake.

"Yes Professor Missus... my spatula. Quirly needs it now but she has lost it."

*GULP*

Minerva held his hand tightly. Her heart beat quickly the elf, the thing were forgotten for a second. Then she realized what she was doing and quickly took her hand away from his. She sat down next to him, but didn't make eye contact. "This is crazy" Minerva said.

Harvey felt her hand tighten around his... his heart beat faster with this. Butterflies in his stomach, why was he feeling like this. Then all of sudden she took her hand away and sat down next to him. She didnt look at him and she said this is crazy "Oh I agree this is crazy." he said looking at her. "This IS crazy" he said smiling "I meant the house-elves and that thing coming, the banners falling and everything" he smiled.

Minerva looked at him, oh Harvs she thought. "Yes it is crazy" all of it, she added in her head. "I just don't understand.." anything added again.

Alyssa came running back to the House table. It looked Professor Hadley had beat her here. Which didn't matter because she was talking to an house elf, and it wasn't a house elf that she was chasing. Alyssa could still see movements darting in and out from under the tables. She couldn't see what it was, but she could definitely hear it's giggles and that was what she was tracking. She was going to catch it if it was the last thing she did. Alyssa believed that it was the thing that caused the fire in Professor Bentley's research shed. Nothing or no one was going to get away with doing that. Not if Alyssa had anything to do with it.

After visiting with Harlow for a bit and briefly being engulfed in a falling slytherin house banner Timber has made his way back towards his house table and took a seat as his head of house stood talking with a house elf and a couple students for a moment he wondered what it was all about but quickly shrugged it off and poured himself a goblet of juice and took a drink.

Another hug? Now they were all talking her language weren't they? And this time she didn't have to assault anyone with hugs..this one was voluntary. Who was the lovely person? Second later she realized it was Kita. Oh Kita, she returned the girl's hug giving her a gentle squeeze in return. Seven years of being roomies with that girl. She was perhaps the sweetest person at Hogwarts and now it was time to say goodbye to her.

"I'm going to miss you too Kita hey at least we'll have the train ride home. We need to snag a compartment tomorrow." She smiled at the girl and brushed her hair back. Kita had lovely hair. "And hey, you're welcome and remember royal blue looks lovely on you."



Oh? Oh? Mr. Treyen knew her so well. Clearly the boy didn't want to talk about the lovely table they were seated at and wanted to switch the conversation and he knew just hot to do it.

"All I'm saying is---what? Oh well thats right too. I suppose I can't argue with you there." She smiled at him and gave him a little wink. But now she wanted to hug him again because he was making her feel so much better and she was glad to know that she could be some sort of help to someone.

While he watched the ceiling, Cass scooted closer and hugged him. Yes no time to protest, plus she was all teary and didn't want him to see.



Falling banners Falling Banners!!! Well there went their normal closing feast. Really did anything normal happen at Hogwarts?

She pulled the green banner off herself and frowned. Green so was NOT her colour.



And there was Hadley. Cassie had planned to go say bye to her before the whole sky falling thing happened and now the woman was preoccupied with finding out what was going on with the elf that was snot present at their table. To be honest, she was curious too.

So she watched and waited for things to sort of sort themselves out, so she could say bye to their head of house properly.

Harvey smiled when she looked at him, nice smile he thought "Yes... well we never understand any of it, but it happens." he said as looked at her smiling still, but why with me? and why now? but wait I am sure this is nothing, just feelings coming out because we are parting ways nothing else. Once we come back it will be all the same, Best Friend from Hufflepuff and Girlfriend from Huffle... I mean Gryffindor. "But its weird the way it is happening, right under the noses of the Professors, I am sure they have seen the elves by now" he said as he saw that indeed that the professors were out of their seats and walking around the hall. He looked back at Minnie, heart beating against his chest.

Ronnie watched the chaos happening at the house table. A little figure pulling Slytherin Banners off the ceiling, a house helf looking for...a spachula? What the heck was going on at the end of the term feast. And then kids giving promise rings to each other?

Ronnie watched in horror at what was going on. She couldn't believe what Hogwarts was doing to people these days. Afterall, when thinking about it, Ronnie and Simon had been together for almost 3 years and they haven't given each other rings and other stuff. Well, she spends all summer with him though, so was that promise enough? Ronnie smiled at the thought, would she one day marry Simon?

Oh. She hadn't meant to SCARE the poor dears off into thinking they were in trouble!! No, not at all! "Curiosity is not a sin," Hadley reminded them, with a gentle smile. "But not giving one space, even house elves, can make one very uncomfortable...." Now, back to the elf.

"Quirly dear..." Hadley said, carefully, as the little elf began to shake. "I know you need it, but please, where have you have you lost it?" And this spatula? Was it a real spatula or just her name for something?

"What does this spatula of yours look like?"

"Has anybody seen Penny?" Janice turned her head to other people in the table. "She hasn't been seen for a couple of days now."

"NESSIE!!!" She screamed. "How are you doing?? You had a fever right?"



Green Banners fell. It must be the work of... The Infamous 'Thing'!! Janice swept her eyes around the Hall, searching for that thing.
"Did anybody see it?"

While everyone was trying to talk with the House Elf, Alyssa was still tracking down whatever or whoever it was that was making those giggling sounds. From it's actions it seemed to be more mischievous than malicious or dangerous. But Alyssa still had her guard up because it didn't seem to realize that wherever it went it was causing a path of destruction. Alyssa suspected that the house elves definitely knew more than they were saying, but trying to get information out from them was hard because whenever anyone tried, they started hurting themselves.

So all she could do now was follow it. So far it was staying within the boundaries of the Great Hall which wa good. Hopefully with the Professors also tracking it down, they would catch the culprit before it escaped again.