The East Tower

[Nessa Erugenel]

Here is another tower. At the top of it, the very top floor lays the Astronomy department. Students are often setting up telescopes and looking out at the stars during astronomy classes. Portraits and doors line the walls, students are always coming and going. The trophy room also lies in this tower. If there is something on a trophy you wish to view, come into this tower.

[Neisa Málbrindal]

Pippa was one of the people who just loved to look at the stars and just marvel. She had come up here many a time before and had stayed up until Pluto came out- just a few minutes before the sunrise.

Tonight was absolutely a night to wait for Pluto. It was a clear night, and Pippa had brought a blanket and had borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak, saying it was for emergency Astronomy work.

She had lied, obviously. She had an A+ in astronomy.

Ah, peace at last.

[Míriel Málbrindal]

Garron Darling walked slowly up the Astronomy Tower with one thing on the brain. He shoved his hands into his pockets, clearing his throat as he went. When he reached the top, he spotted Pippa Thropp, a blanket over her shoulders-it was cold-and looking up at the sky in wonder.

He smiled softly and walked forward.

"Hey Pip," He said, smiling.

She turned around and her eyes brightened and face lifted up into a smile. "Hey Garron."

"What're you doing out at this time?" He asked, walking over to stand next to her.

[Neisa Málbrindal]

"Waiting for Pluto to come out," Pippa said. "Want to wait with me?"

Pippa moved the invisibility cloak so Garron could sit down, and patted the ground beside her. Taking the hint, Garron parked it.

"Pluto doesn't come out until sunrise," Garron remembered.

"I know." She said, offering him some blanket. "It's my favorite planet, so I venture out here a lot to come see it."

"Sinistra would be pleased." He observed, scooting in underneath the blanket. "She'll be amazed anyone actually cares."

[Míriel Málbrindal]

"What'd you do until sunrise?" Garron asked, staring up at the sky, putting his hands behind him to cushion his head.

Pippa smiled. "Sometimes I do homework when I have nothing else better to do. A lot of times I read. Gemma comes out a lot of times, but lately she's been pulling these all nighters for Transfiguration." Pippa said, thoughtfully.

Garron raised an eyebrow. "What are you learning in that class?"

"Animagi."

"That explains it." Garron said in a light sigh.

"Garron," Pippa said. "Why are you so against Gemma and I going into the Forest?"

Garron sighed again. "I'm afraid something would happen."

Pippa turned and looked at him. "But wouldn't we be safe with you?"

Garron looked at her, astounded by her pure innocence. "Well-Pip," he hesitated. "Yes, I suppose you would but...if something did happen, something that was out of my control and Liam's-"

"Highly unlikely." Pippa commented sweetly.

He smiled. "-but if it did? I wouldn't be able to forgive myself because I couldn't protect you...and if you got hurt? I don't know what I might do..." He looked at her sadly.

Pippa sat up and looked down at him. "Ok."

"Ok what?" Garron asked, perplexed.

"I won't go," she said. "Unless I don't have to."

Garron sat up to, underneath the invisibility cloak, his fingers entwining over hers. "I suppose that's good enough for now."

She smiled warmly at him in return. "It better be, mister," she said with a bright look in her eye. "I want to see the things you get to see."

"That's impossible, Pippa Viola Thropp."

Pippa's eyes widened. "Who told you my middle name?"

Brushing off the comment, Garron smiled softly. "The things I see, you can't always see."

"Like what?" she retorted.

"Like the prettiest picture ever," He said. "Like you, right now-feigning irritability." he chuckled.

Pippa was about to say something, when Garron leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. She blushed deeply, but replied with a slight smile. "What-what makes you think I'm pretending?"

He laughed. "Because I don't know what I'd do if you were truly mad at me. I'd bend over backwards to be at peace with you again. And for it to stay that way."

[Neisa Málbrindal]

"I don't think you ever could make me mad," Pippa said, looking from him to the stars again.

"Please," Garron said, "Remember the..." He leaned in to whisper. Pippa furrowed her brow and leaned in to hear him. "pig snout incident?"

Pippa shook her head. "That was Liam, not you."

"I've never seen you more upset in your life." He remembered, sounding as if he was miserable just even thinking about it.

"Oh, let's not talk about that," Pip said, her short fingers entwined with Garron's long ones was a sort of comedic symbol.

"What should we talk about?" He asked.

"Shoes or ships, or sealing wax, or cabbages or kings," she listed.

Garron laughed... but suddenly he became rigid as he heard a door open and close nearby. Panicking, he threw the invisibility cloak over their heads.

Mrs. Norris was the first to head out into the tower, followed shortly by Fiona Assen, and Filch.

"She'll be around here somewhere, my sweet." Filch said, "Sniff around good. She won't get out of it this time."

Garron and Pippa looked at each other in panic as the crowd slowly got closer and closer to them.

[Míriel Málbrindal]

"Oh, I know she comes up here," Fiona supplied. "It's impossible not to hear her when she gets up at night."

Filch merely grunted in reply.

Mrs. Norris seemed on hot pursuit though for a long while, until something made her go rigid. Filch stepped dangerously closed to Garron and Pippa, making Garron shift slightly so his arm went over Pippa...not that she minded.

"Mrs. Norris?" Filch asked. Fiona looked on, her shiny blond hair shimmering in the moonlight, hazel eyes deep and dark.

Out of no where, a large black wolf-no, it was a dog, came out of no where, barking like mad. It chased Mrs. Norris all around the tower, until the cat darted out the way, scrambling down the tower's steps. Had she not been getting the hell out of doge, Filch would have stayed to try and beat the dog senseless. But, alas, fortune had it that Filch loved the cat more than being cruel, and ran after his cat down the steps.

Fiona screamed a deathly penetrating scream, making the dog lay down and whine helplessly. She threw a fit-total conniption. She took off a shoe and threw it at the dog, hitting it right in the head.

"Hey!"

Garron threw off the cloak, while both he and Pippa were in the shadows, so Fiona ended up not seeing them until they ran out.

"He's not going to hurt you, you wretch!" Pippa shouted as Garron made sure it didn't hurt the dog too bad.

[Neisa Málbrindal]

"I hate dogs," The girl shrieked over and over. "I HATE DOGS! Nasty, filthy animals!" She was pointing at the dog with her wand, as though threatening to do an Avada Kadavra charm on it. "The world is plagued by dogs!"

Fiona opened her mouth to curse the dog, but luckily Pippa was faster; "Petrificus Totalus!"

Fiona fell as stiff as a board onto her back and watched in horror as Pippa stood over her completely frozen body. The dog, after being assessed over by Garron, came to Fiona Assen's body and let out a sort of snort of disgust.

It then gave a sort of a whimper and held it's head close to Pippa's leg, in a sort of way that obviously was a "Pity me!" Pippa smiled to herself and patted him awkwardly on the head.

"I'll see you in the morning, Fiona," Pippa said, and Garron held out his arm for Pippa to take (which she did) and the three of them; Pippa, Garron, and the dog, headed back into the stairwell.

Suddenly, and without warning, the dog turned into her former childhood best friend, Liam. "Bugger, that hurt." He said, rubbing his head.

[Míriel Málbrindal]

As the three friends walked down the stairs, Liam rubbing his temple, Garron holding Pippa's hand and Pippa in ecstasy over it all, jumped at least three feet in the air when they heard a shout, "PIPPA! GARRON!"

Running up the stairs in her robe and a pair of navy blue and silver checkered pajama pants and a grey tank top, Gemma slammed the stairwell door behind her.

The three friends rushed down to see her panting, silky hair everywhere as if she'd just woken up.

"Something-" she gasped. "-in the hall."

[Neisa Málbrindal]

Thunderous footsteps were heard in the hall as soon as Gemma had finished her sentance, coming closer and closer. Liam grabbed Gemma around the middle and pulled her into the safety of the stairwell as what was approaching finally revealed itself.

It's stench came first, making Pippa cover her nose and bury her face in Garron's chest and Gemma to do the same to Liam. They held their breath as they finally saw just what was in the hall.

A troll. Two of them.

"Mountain trolls," Pippa cried much too loud. The trolls heard them, and they saw their prey.

They would be eating well that night! The bigger one swung his club high and attempted to smash them, but they jumped out of the way in the nick of time.

"We can't stupify them, can we?" A petrified Pippa asked as four wands were pulled out.

"No," said the two Defense Against the Dark Arts lovers.

"We have to fight our way out against two trolls," Garron dismayed.

"Look at it this way, Gare," Liam said. "This is definately going to be a very good scar story."

[Míriel Málbrindal]

The trolls spotted the four friends and nearly jumped into a stomping run. Without a second thought, the two guys spun around, pushing the girls up the stairs. "Up, up, up!" Garron shouted.

Meanwhile, the two trolls had tried to hurry through the entrance at the same time, getting rather stuck. Garron slammed the upper door once they were at the top. Gemma was breathing hard, still from running berfore.

"Where are they?" she asked breathless, holding her wand with a death grip in one hand, hanging onto Liam with the other. At the moment, the world was dizzy and she couldn't focus. Liam held her up firmly, steadfast.

"Can you stand?" He asked, concerned and had the danger downstairs on the brain as well.

"Yes-just-" she went to step away and ended up seeing red, falling into him again. Liam held her for a moment until she was righted. "...sorry." she breathed.

"It's okay." He answered grinning. "It's not every day I have a girl falling at my feet-literally, at least."

"You're a black hearted concieted thing," she said in a jesting tone, able to stand again and squirmed out of his grasp.

Garron listened through the door without touching it. Pippa watched over head, swallowing. "Well if we die," she said. "We at least get to see Orion."

Gemma replied in a flat voice. "So encouraging Pippa."

[Neisa Málbrindal]

"They're coming," Garron said, ominously.

"Well, at least I'm happy to see the stars before I die." Pippa said, holding her wand at the ready. "This reminds me of Lord of the Rings. You know, in the Mines of Moria?"

"Don't talk like that, Pippa-Sparrow," Liam said, focusing on the door.

"Quiet, maybe they'll forget who they're chasing." Garron said.

There was a few minutes of silence with no stomping up the stairs and no grunting or beating of the club.

"They must have gone-," Garron started, but the door burst open, knocking him completely off of his feet, making him cry out. He flew back several feet and hit against the railing of the balcony.

"GARRON!" Both the girls cried, Pippa rushing toward him.

"My God! Are you all right?" She said, helping Garron to his feet while the trolls were trying to fit through the door again.

"Hit them with something, anything!" Garron cried.

[Míriel Málbrindal]

Gemma started int a run toward her brother, but before she could cross the room, a huge spiked club came down and smashed in the floor, blocking her way to Pippa and Garron. She caught herself from falling forward and leaned back.

"Impedimentum!" Liam suddenly shouted, hurling the curse at the troll like he was a major league pitcher.

For a moment, the troll was hit, and seemed frozen...and then they noticed, he was just moving-extremely slow. The troll that stood behind him didn't realize his friend had been hit, and began to get frusterated that he couldn't move around him.

"Come on!" Liam grabbed Gemma's arm and they ran around the huge club that was embedded in the floor, and rushed over to Pippa and Garron. "That bought us time, but we have to come up with a plan."

"Why didn't you just freeze it?!" Pippa asked worriedly.

"Then the other troll could've just knocked it forward." Garron said, knowing his best friend like the back of his hand.

"Exactly-now are you okay, mate?" Liam asked, glancing over his shoulder at the problems they had.

[Neisa Málbrindal]

"Yeah," Garron said, wincing as he rolled the shoulder that he jammed in a circle to work out the pain. "Peachy."

"What are we going to DO?" Pippa shrieked, scared out of her wits.

"We got to do something to distract them... so they can't hurt us," Gemma suggested.

"Someone transform! NOW!" Pippa cried; her eyes still glued to the trolls. The spell was wearing off and they were moving faster and faster.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Pippa saw Gemma close her eyes and concentrate. Oh God, Gemma was going to try to distract them.

"GEMMA!" Garron screamed. "DON'T YOU DARE-,"

But Gemma Darling had suddenly and inexplicably disappeared, absolutely nowhere in view.

And in her place was a beautiful white wolf. It leaned its head back and howled at the moon, causing Pippa's hair to stand up at the nape of her neck. Wolves have beautiful howls.

"Gemma!" Liam growled angrily, and quickly the black shaggy wolfish dog joined Gemma.

"Oh, I'm going to kill her," Garron snapped, as he watched his sister and his best friend snap at the troll's heels, successfully, however dangerously; destructing them.

[Míriel Málbrindal]

Gemma weaved her way under the first troll, and snapped at the troll that could still move like normally. She bit at his legs as much as she could, switching on and off. Suddenly, the troll lost balance and fell back down the stairs, but before he disappeared he snatched the wolf that had bit him as he fell back. Gemma yelped as the troll landed, smashing it's head into the wall and knocking itself out. He'd squeezed her tightly in his grasp, hurting her sides, but not too badly.

"Petrificus Totalus!" Gemma heard Pippa scream.

Good girl. Gemma thought, nearly limping up the stairs. She'd surly have a bruise or two, but it was worth it. She trotted up the stairs, enjoying herself as she came back under the now frozen troll and up into the tower again...that was now utterly destroyed.