#8 - Prefect Patrol

Anjay had lingered at dinner longer than usual. The incident in the courtyard from earlier still weighed heavily on his mind and filled him with confusion. What was wrong with Thatcher? The boy had to be suffering from some kind of imbalance. Or perhaps he'd been poisoned? Jinxed? Anjay didn't put it past Luckett to engage in such behavior, although he certainly doubted the Hufflepuff's magical prowess to command such magic.

That whole incident had dampened the excitement he felt earlier about his first Prefect patrol. What good was it if no one would listen to him, anyway? Was his authority meaningless? Anjay allowed himself to indulge in the pity party for a few moments as he meandered into the Main Corridor, which was frustratingly full of students. Whatever doubts and insecurities Anjay was feeling about his role didn't seem to be plaguing Kettles, who barked commands like a drill sergeant.

"You tell them, Kettles," Anjay said with a genuine laugh as he approached his fellow Prefect. The Ravenclaw boy's tenacity really had lifted his spirits and made him think that maybe there was something to this Prefect thing after all, as terrified first years hurried off to their Common Rooms under Kaspian's watchful eye. Anjay positioned himself directly next to the other 5th year, the two of them a bulwark in the rushing stream of students going to and fro.

"You, over there!" Anjay called out to a Hufflepuff third year with a glint of rebellion in her eye. "Wand in your robe! Classes are over and there's no magic in the hallways," Anjay reminded the girl sternly. Having barked out an order also lifted his spirits considerably. He felt more like himself than he had this entire evening. He could even feel a smile spread across his face. Maybe the night would end up being fun after all.

As the night progressed, and the Founder's Frivolity had officially started, the Main Corridor became empty and quiet - apart from the two Prefects. The cloudy weather seen through the windows made the area even darker. It was rather eerie and unnatural to see such a well-traversed corridor appear foreboding and abandoned when no longer bustling with activity and chatter.

There was plenty of space for them to patrol, but the night seemed calm.