And they were kidnapped

She didn't want to walk in, did she?
There was so many sections in this library, she'd have to think of a way for Alex and herself to go through them all and find something they could use.

Let's narrow it down. Not in the fiction section.
She turned away from the right side of the room.
It's not in biographics.
She walked a quarter of the way through.
It wasn't before the 21st Century
She strided through a half of the length of the room. A quarter was left.
"We need to go there," she whispered softly. "Pay attention to the dark stuff."

Alex watched Cass tink for a second before she told her we need to go over there, pay attention to the dark stuff" Cass siad to her. "where do we start and what do you mean pay attention to the darkstuff?" she asked her. She started walking to the sectin where Cass said they needed to be. "what do we look for first"

"Things about kidnapps, and movements famous in the 20 and 21st century. Look for 'abduction' or something like that."
In the meantime, Cassopeia would be searching for the uses of Portkeys.
Maybe the fact Alex -or indeed, the ownership of the Great Margerini- had touched the portkey and it had gone somewhere made a difference.

Fingers crossed, she walked through the 21st Century section.
"You seen anything?"

Alex searched through the books where Cass had toldher to look she opened a few books but the had nothing useful in them. "not yet have you?" she said still searching. When she pulled out a thick red bound book from the shelf sh noticed another one behind it. She pulled the book out and looked at the cover it had no title on it or on the spine. "Cass look at this" she said taking the book over to a table and waited for Cass to join her somehow she just knew this book would help them.

Jasmeet rummaged through the books on the shelves, she wasn't really looking for a particular book - just something that struck her as interesting. That's when she saw them - her best friend and another Ravenclaw girl she hadn't met.

She walked over, and smiled at Cass and the other girl, "Hey Cass, what you doing here?" and then remembering her manners, she turned to the other Ravenclaw, "Hey, I'm Jasmeet. Jas, for short".

Cassopeia grabbed the book with the title 'Oddities of the 21st Century' and ran to Alex, who was sat on the table. "What's yours called?" she asked, out of breath.
"Mine's here. I think it could have something."
Cassopeia stared at the writer's name on the front in embroiled gold letters. 'Persephone Scamander'

She opened the page to the contents, and hearing Jazzie's voice, turned to see her.

"Jasmeet," she said brightly, "I think we found something."

Alex saw a girl come over. She was a gryffindor and she ws positive that this girl was Jasmeet. She greeted cass and introduced herself as Jas "hey I'm Alexandra but I hate that name so Alex will be fine" she smiled at her. She turned to Cass "this doesn't have a title but I just have a feeling about it. I think it could help us."

Jasmeet smiled at her, "Hey Alex, found what Cass?" she asked, her curiosity building. But then she remembered that she was being rude again, and tried to cover up, "Oh, you don’t have to tell me, I just came to find something good to read, and I saw you two," she mumbled.

"Let's have a look, shall we?"
Cassopeia opened the book. The pages were yellowed, crinkly, and... empty.

She let out a loud raucous laugh, "Alex, honey. This is a diary... hey, maybe you could keep it or something? Keep looking though, but I've finished that bookshelf-" she pointed to a small casing near the window.

She ushered Jas over to her. "We're trying to find something about what happened to my brother," she said succinctly, deciding to omit Alex's same situation until Alex wanted to say anything.

Alex smiled at her own stupidity and went back to find the thich red book she had found earlier she brought it back to Cass. "I didn't think at first but this is a book of things reported to the ministry strange things I didn't even think to look earlier" she put the book down and turned to the contents page. "let's see kidnappng's" she ran her finger down the list "let's try this, disapearences" she said flicking to the page.

Jasmeet looked at Cass, "You need my help Cass? I always told you that I would be here for you," she smiled at her friend. She knew that this was the moment that her Ravenclaw friend needed someone the most, and she was willing to give up anything for her.

"Please, Jas,"
Looking over at Alex bending over the book, scanning through thick pages for the 'Disappearances', Cass opened Oddities of the 21st Century: unanswered questions.
Chapter 1 Magical Fungi and it's effect upon Flobberworms
Chapter 2 The Eating Habits of Half Giants
Chapter 3 Just What is a Real Hufflepuff?
Chapter 4 What Happened to the Recall of Rememberalls (2023)
Chapter 5 Was Dumbledore a Squirrel Spy?
Chapter 6 Portkeys and their Association with Dark Figures

Gotcha.

Alex closed the book over she couldn't read any further she had not expected to see her brothers name in the book. She pushed it away from herself staring at it. She couldn't believe what she had just read it wasn't possible she thought. It couldn't be possible that would mean that her brother's accident may not have been an accident at all.

Alex hadn't spoken for a few minutes now, so Cassopeia had assumed she was still reading, just like she was.
Chapter 7: Portkeys and their affilation with Dark Figures

Ever since the downfall of Lord Voldemort, criminals- Death Eater supporters- have resorted to using Random-Portkeys. Portkeys in the sense that they change being Portkeys at will- like a virus on a Muggle Computer- through two objects brushing against each other.

The small extremist group The Arachnids are well known for this, and subject the person they have Portkey'd to torture.


She stopped reading.

Alex's eye's were still fixed on the book. She couldn't believe what she had just read. She glanced towards Cass who look like she was still reading. She couldn't block what she had read out it was swirling around in her head and every moment or so her brother's name would jump out at her and the memories came with the name. She almost got up and raced out of the library but something made her stay where she was. "Cass are you okay?" she asked her voice quiet. Her eye's still not leaving the book.

Jasmeet saw Cass' mortified facial expression, and took the book from her hand, reading.

The small extremist group The Arachnids are well known for this, and subject the person they have Portkey'd to torture.

When she was finished reading, she didn't say a word, and snaked her arms around the Ravenclaw, trying to comfort her.

"I think he was tortured," she said tonelessly, facing Alex and keeping a firm hold on Jasmeet. Her legs were jelly.
Behind her back, she was trying to break the book into an oblivion.
"And you were right. I shouldn't have read it,"

She looked expectantly at Alex to see what they had found out, bringing the book forward again and flipping back to the page she'd stopped on to read on from.

Alex looked up at Cass the words still spinning in her head. She couldn't tell her she didn't want cass to read t either it was bad enough for her Cass didn't need to know. "nothing" she said "nothing usefull anyway" she said. Her eye's moved back to the book. She still couldn't believe it, it was impossible.

Being dense enough to not notice Alex lying, Cass deflated, and steadied herself. "I'm reading more."

The Arachnid's typical approach to their torture is the Cruciatus Curse, and inflicting the Imperius on them. Threats made on the lives of their familes are used to keep the abducted silent.

The Arachnids usually pick on Pureblooded children, with few exceptions, hoping that they can show them their ways and convert them to the Arachnids- killing, maiming and torturing Half-Bloods and Muggles/Muggleborns. If they accept, their torture ends, if not, then they are sent home, broken.

They take the chosen for different moments at a time, some for days, some months, some even a few hours, returning seemingly safe and sound back to their families. Until the Cheering Charm wears off, and the two parts to them show.

"Cass" she said she had to tell her "page 328" she said reaching over for the thick book she had pushed away. Cass should know. She couldn't believe that there were more boys aswell as their brothers. All of them were eaither taken from close to their home or by portkey. "I think they were" she couldn't say the words "just read it for yourself"

Name after name. Mostly boys, she noticed. Next to them, their blood status. Out of the sixty or so names, about three of them were Half-Blood. Including Alex Marling.
Lechlan Lovegood. He was one of the first.

"What do you do with information like this?!" she said haughtily.
What if this could tell us where Alex was now...

Jasmeet looked from one girl to another, a little confused. And then it struck her, perhaps something had happened to Alex's family member too. But she didn't want to ask, not until the girl chose to tell herself.

She took the book from Cass' hand, and read the name that she recognised. Alex Marling, and her eyes widened.

Alex looked at Jas she had to tell her so things made sense to her she looked up at her "You know what happened to Cass's brother right?" she asked her. "a similar thing happened to mine" she pointed at his name in the book" he disapered when I was five and when he came back that night he was different he hated us. He lives with my aunt in america now." she said to her.

Jasmeet gulped at what she had just been told, and looked at the girls with sadness in her eyes. She wasn't sure what to say, or if she was supposed to say anything at all. So she kept quiet, still holding onto Cass, and placing her arm around Alex too.

Although she had met the girl a few minutes ago, she knew that they had a connection.

Breathing through her nose, Cass run her head through all of the possibilities. "I'm not going to the teachers about this. This has nothing to do with school, this is between us three, ok?" she leant into Jasmeet and whispered, "I'm ok. Promise."

She pulled Alex's sleeve up and grabbed a hold of her clammy hand. It was the Eleven year old thing to do, but she did it to tell Alex she wasn't alone.