Tale of Four Houses: A Tiktok Story

Part 9 - The Notebook

Cass searched the crowded hallway for her connection. She finally spotted a pretty blonde in the mix of other sixth year Gryffindor girls, and she headed over to her.

"Hey, Ellorner?" she asked, tapping the girl on the shoulder.

The girl turned around and smiled. "Hey, Cass!" she greeted her warmly, giving her a quick hug. "What's up?"

"I need a favor," Cassandra told her, smiling back. "I can still cash that in, right?"

"Of course - anything!"

"Great! Follow me - I can't let anyone over hear us," Cass told her. Ell cocked her head curiously, but followed her to a small corner where they would be hidden behind a few pillars.

"What's going on, Cass?" she asked her friend, folding her arms over her chest. "Why so secretive?"

Cassandra rubbed the back of her neck. "I can't tell you the exact reason, but I need help finding a book."

Ellorner's face lit up. She helped in the library often, and was considered to be a nerd when it came to books. "Of course! But what kind?"

"Well," Cass started. "It's not exactly a book - it's more like an old notebook or journal. One that an old Hogwarts student used to have. It could be in the restricted section."

"The restricted section?" Ell repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why do you need something like that?"

Cass looked around nervously. "I can't tell you right now, Ell. But know that it's very important."

Ell studied her friend intensely. Cass looked at her with pleading eyes. "Alright," Ell nodded. "I'll help."

Cass sighed in relief. "Thank you!" she pulled out one of her many vials of liquid luck and handed it to her. "Here's something for you in return if the favor feels to big. When can we go?"

"Come to the library during lunch," Ell told her, heading out to rejoin her other friends.

"Here we go," Cass muttered under breath. "I hope this works."

Me, too, Tom's voice whispered in her ear. Me, too.

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Cassandra browsed around the library, waiting for Ellorner to show up.

She's sure taking her sweet time, Tom's voice grumbled.

"She's coming, don't worry," Cass told him quietly.

She could be telling the Headmaster about this, he suggested uneasily. After all you did ask to see the restricted section and didn't tell her why. That would even make me suspicious.

Cass peeked around the corner of a bookshelf to look toward the library entrance. "She knows that I know a secret of hers - I trust her to keep mine."

You would threaten to spill hers if she told yours? Tom teased.

"Of course not!" Cass said, a little more loudly, offended. "I would never do that."

"Wouldn't do what?" Ell asked, appearing around the corner.

"Nothing," Cass laughed, covering her tracks. "Ready?" she asked.

Ell nodded. "Follow me," she said. She lead to way toward the restricted section. "Everyone who usually works in the library has their lunch break in a different part of the castle, so we should be okay."

Cass followed Ell toward the gate closing off the restricted section and watched her back carefully as Ell unlocked the gate and swung it open. "C'mon," she beckoned, walking inside.

Cass hesitated.

Not the time to get cold feet, Weasley, Tom reminded her. It's now or never.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

"If it's a notebook or journal," Ellorner was saying, looking down each aisle of books while she searched for the right one. "It should be down...this aisle!" They stood before a section of old, dusty, leathery notebooks. Ell looked at Cass. "I have to go, but be quick and lock this gate when you're done and give the key back, okay?"

Cass nodded. "Thanks, Ell. I appreciate it."

Ell waved as she left the area, leaving Cass and Riddle alone.

Riddle appeared in his more physical form and immediately started to search the shelves. Cass followed suit. "What does it look like?" she asked him.

"It's pocket sized," he told her. "It's made from leather and has a tree on the front cover."

Cassandra and Riddle searched for over ten minutes, and Cass was starting to get nervous that they would be caught. "Can't you feel where it is?" she asked desperately.

Riddle shook his head, equally frustrated. "I can't," he said. "Keep trying!"

So they kept searching, but it was becoming evident that it may be a futile effort.

Cassssandra...

Cass froze. "Did you say something?" she asked Tom.

He shook his head. "No. Why?"

"Nothing... I think,"

Cassssandra...

She flinched, and Tom looked at her with a concerned look. "What is it?" he asked her, stopping his searching.

"I... hear something," she said, making a motion for him to stay quiet and she moved to a shelf they've already looked over. "It feels like it's coming from over here."

The voice came again, and Cassandra pushed aside two huge leather books to reveal the back of the shelf behind them. But the back looked different from the rest of the wood shelf. She tapped it curiously, and the noise it emitted sounded...

"Hollow," Tom finished the thought.

Cass nodded, and fingered the fake wood and found the smallest knob. She pressed it and the back popped up to reveal a small nook which held old papers and...

"The notebook!" Cass breathed. She pulled it out and handed it to Tom so she could close it up and put everything back to normal. "We need to leave," she told him, and he handed the notebook back to her to hide in her bag while he followed her out.

He turned to look the door behind them. "Here," he said, tossing her the key and disappearing.

I'll see you tonight, Weasley.