The Lost Notebook PV Ross Stephens 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚍

Ross was once again sitting alone at lunch. Sure he could do what he did and walk up to someone and talk to them, but lunch was just such a boring time of the day to do it. After a couple of classes, he felt a bit sluggish and full of a desire for a good bottle of pumpkin juice and whatever else lay in his reach on the table. When not talking to people, he could take it as slow as he desired and would usually be left with extra free time to journal or eavesdrop on other conversations.

Unfortunately for him, his meal had been particularly quick, he had forgotten his journal, and the other Hufflepuffs were being particularly boring. This would be all good and dandy, but standing up would be admitting defeat that lunch was over. Lunch was the most important meal of the day besides breakfast and dinner! He could not let it end so soon. Instead, he allowed his eyes to drift to other areas of the Great Hall. The Slytherins were doing whatever those sly snakes did and the Ravenclaws were being smart or whatever they did. They weren't even Ravens! "Well, I suppose Hufflepuffs aren't particularly Huffles" he mumbled to himself.

As his eyes fell on the Gryffindor table, he noticed one boy still there. Most of them had gone- likely to class or to whatever they did, but this child was still there. He was clearly young and seemed a little lost, so Ross could at least assume he was a first year. He had been there. His entire first year had felt like a blur, he had no idea what he was doing the entire time.

He watched with curiosity until the boy sat down and put his head in his arms. This kid had a problem and he clearly wasn't bothering to hide it! While Ross had attempted to give up on seeing his peers as mysteries to solve instead of friends to meet, this boy clearly needed help and treating whatever his issue was as a mystery could not hurt. Besides, he probably wouldn't even have to crack the case! He would likely just tell him on the spot.

Ross pushed himself out of his chair and wandered to the boy's table. He stood across from where he sat as he attempted to gather his words. He was so aimlessly confident, why did he have to sometimes be so awkward!

"Ay, erm, you're sorta sittin' alone. Also, all your classmates are gone. I betcha didn't miss 'em, so what's goin' on? The name is Ross Stephens, by the way." he held out a hand as if to suggest he should take it and introduce himself too.

Raising his head from his arms, Finn looked at the boy in front of him. Oh great. Here we go, he thought. Socializing was the last of his priorities at the moment. He needed to find his notebook - not fool around. Although, sitting with his head in his arms didn’t necessarily help find it either. It boiled down to the fact he simply didn’t wish to talk.

Ross was standing there, reaching his hand out. He looked quite harmless, as if he couldn’t hurt a fly. While he seemed kind, Finn felt as if he didn’t have the time for this. He didn’t want to cause a hassle - however, he felt as if he already had.

Finn looked at Ross reaching his hand out. Instead of accepting any type of handshake, Finn scrunched up and quickly looked away. He wasn’t exactly fond of socializing, especially in a situation such as this. Nonetheless, causing a fuss seemed worse. Unfortunately, the only option for Finn was to talk.

“Finn… uh.. Finn Campbell,” he murmured, still looking in any other direction. This was truly the worst time for socializing. He couldn’t even think straight with all the worry on his mind.

“I.. uh.. lost my notebook,” he said, fidgeting with his hands. “It’s really important.” Finn tried to remain calm - he felt seconds away from tearing up. “I had it in here last - I don’t know how I lost it. I swear I’m responsible with it! I just.. don’t know where it is.. or if someone took it.. or..”

Finn trailed off into silence. He was only beginning an endless ramble of worries and fears. He held his tongue, realizing the ramble was unnecessary. Looking down at his hands, he fidgeted with them restlessly. He popped his knuckles repeatedly, feeling more and more skittish.

This wouldn’t have happened if he wasn’t so foolish. He was irresponsible and now the notebook was gone. It was nowhere to be found - it could be in someone else’s possession. Someone - a stranger - could have their hands on his book. Even just the thought upset him greatly. He knew he was to blame, however, the consequences hurt even more. He let out a sigh and threw his head back into his arms.
—
@Ross Stephens

He put his hand down. He was very used to his handshakes being ignored, so he took no personal offense. He just kept that same goofy grin on his face that never seemed to disappear. The juxtaposition between their moods was blatant. 'Finn', as he found out his name was, was miserable and seemed like he could have a breakdown at any given moment. Ross, on the other hand, seemed happy to just exist.

"Campbell? Like.. the soup?" he asked before recalling that this child was genuinely about to break down sobbing. "That's a pretty cool last name!"

As he began to explain the issue, Ross felt it hit a little too close to his first-year experiences. During his first year, a certain Slytherin had stolen his journal. Being parted with that journal had been the most anxiety-inducing time of his life, partly due to the fact he had to get good grades to get it back, but it was a very scary time for him! Seeing this kid barely be able to contain his anxiety made his heart ache for him.

"Lucky for you, I'm a professional at losing notebooks!" Wait. Wait no that wasn't right. that came out wrong. "I mean.. erm, lucky for you I am a professional detective if I do say so myself!" Yes, that was much better.

If Ross had his journal and quill, he would totally have pulled it out to dramatically write down the clues; however, he had forgotten it in his dormitory. If the boy did not look like he was on the verge of a breakdown, he might have insisted they go to his dormitory so he could grab it.

"So, I just gotta couple questions for you. First of all, what's it look like? Second of all, what'd you do while you were in 'ere? Did you talk to anyone or anythin'? Third question, got any enemies? Maybe someone could've stolen it or somethin'. Either way, we 'aught to get it back eventually! After all, you got a professional detective on your side."

Finn sighed at the Campbell remark. As if he hadn’t heard that one before. In reality, it was becoming quite old. Regardless, he attempted to chuckle it off. The remark could’ve gotten a genuine laugh out of him if he wasn’t worried about the notebook.

“A professional at losing notebooks?” Finn uttered under his breath. He tilted his head at the comment. “Detective?” This raised an eyebrow. Surely Ross couldn’t find the notebook any sooner - nor could it be an easier task for him. However, Finn hoped a second pair of eyes could help.

“Right… the notebook,” he said, snapping his fingers. He tried to gather his thoughts quickly - there was no time for fooling around in such a dire situation. “It’s a leather notebook. The leather is... light brown - yes, light brown. Uh... a magnetic button holds it shut. And on the cover there are two dragonflies. One on the top left corner, and one on the bottom right.” He paused for a second before continuing. “They’re easy to spot. The dragonflies are pretty bold and stand out to anybody - I mean, they stand out to me.”

Finn tried to keep his composure and remain calm while explaining all of the details. Alas, he still seemed shaky and sounded it too. He didn’t notice - he was too focused on the notebook. He was merely worried about it. It wasn’t necessarily the worst, but it was easy to tell that he could start crying at any given moment.

“What did I do in here? I... uh... well,” he began, sorting through his thoughts, “I was actually writing in my notebook at first. Well, after eating - but that’s not important. I wrote in the book for a few seconds. I didn’t have much to write - just one sentence. When I was done, I put it in my bag. And not an hour later - poof - it's gone.”

Finn thought for a second, trying to recall if anyone despised him. He sure hoped not, at least. “I didn’t talk to anyone. I usually don’t. Anyways, I don’t think I have any enemies? Unless I’m involved in a crime I don’t know about? I don’t think I am.” Suddenly, the worry of being framed lingered in the back of his brain. It was an interesting fear for an eleven year old to have. Nonetheless, that wasn’t the point of this conversation.

“I hope no one stole it,” he mumbled worryingly. “If someone stole my notebook, I... I’ll literally die! I can’t live without it! I don’t even like the idea of it being in someone else’s hands!” He covered his face, frustrated and disturbed by the idea of someone touching his notebook. “I just... I can’t live without it. It’s the most important thing in... in the whole world! I’ve had it for years and losing it forever would be the end for me!”

He felt himself tear up, yet quickly rubbed his eyes and hoped he looked fine - at least at a quick glance. Sniffling a bit, he hid his face in his hands once again. He desperately wanted to find the book. That’s all he desired.
—
@Ross Stephens

"That's right! Professional detective Ross Stephens here to help!" he remarked in what he hoped was a reaffirming manner. It likely sounded like he was a naive maniac, but he was oblivious to the probability of it.

As the boy began to describe the notebook, Ross felt intrigued. Dragonflies? It was a peculiar theme for a notebook, but it was good that it stood out. He nodded as he listened to the boy describe the notebook, possibly a bit too enthusiastically.

"And the dragonflies, what color are they? And roughly how big? Does the book got any engravings or any of that?" he asked. The better clue he had of how the notebook looked the better.

The boy kept rambling. He spoke quickly, though Ross could not blame him. His head likely felt as if it was full of bees if it was anything like the time Flash had taken his journal.

"Is it possible you coulda.. accidentally put it outside your bag or somethin? Was anything else in your bag taken? You aught to check that! How many times have you checked your bag?" he asked, bombarding him with questions. Yes, a detective should take in account the victims and their lives; however, the faster this kid got the book in his hands the better. Ross was fairly certain if he poked the kid he could completely shatter like glass.

As he got to enemies, it was the part he was most curious about. Ross' notebook had stolen because he had made enemies with the wrong Slytherin, so Ross empathized more than he should have with the boy. Enemies were easy to come by; however, they were probably harder to make than Ross thought. Ross was just unfortunately... unlucky.

"Well if someone stole it, they'd have to reach into your bag and if nothin' else was stolen then I betcha it either wasn't in your bag or it fell out or somethin'. Detective Ross Stephens is on the case, don't you worry." he reassured him yet again.

The whole he could not live without it thing tugged at Ross' heart strings. Maybe a mystery was not worth it. He wracked his mind for anything he could do at all. There had to be something- this was a school of MAGIC after all. He recalled the hours he had spent practicing in the charms room. He had learned how to push things away, but what was the opposite of that? That would be bringing it close... summoning. The summoning charm! His eyes visibly lit up as he recalled it. He hastily took his wand out of his pocket.

"But lucky for you, Ross Stephens is also a bit ahead on their charms learning!" he remarked, that stupid grin visibly on his face yet again.

He closed his eyes and imagined all of the factors Finn had told him about the journal. Two dragonflies, a light brown leather cover, a magnetic button. It was moments like these he really wished he had his journal. He clenched his eyes shut and held his wand in front of him, steadily drawing a frown with his wand.

"Accio Finn's Notebook!" he exclaimed in the middle of the Great Hall, getting a couple confused stares from those who were still around.

He opened his eyes, expecting to see the book hurling at him; however, nothing happened. Nothing at all. He flushed a little, he must have looked ridiculous. He looked at his wand. Did he say it wrong?

"AH-kee-oh, AH-kee-oh. AH-kee-oh" he mumbled to himself over and over again. He practiced so hard on this spell, how could he have gotten it wrong? He tried once more, closing his eyes and imagining the notebook as visibly as he could before drawing the frown once more. "ACCIO FINN'S NOTEBOOK!" he exclaimed. far louder than before. He opened his eyes once again, but there was nothing there.

"I swear I practiced this..." he mumbled as he looked at his wand. There was no way his reliable stick was being disobedient. "Well erm, Either I got some faulty magic, somethin' is preventing it from moving, or i'm not imagining it right." he uncomfortably laughed. This was going to be harder than he thought

Professional Detective Ross Stephens…? Finn raised an eyebrow at the remark. Surely he could help, but Finn doubted he was a professional. Regardless, he was willing to accept any kind of help - he would do anything to get his notebook back.

“Oh, the dragonflies!” he started. “They’re engraved on the cover. They’re a dark brown, and they both take up around… hm… a quarter of the cover!” He held his hands in the air to imitate the size. “The books about this big, and the dragonflies are about… this big.” He sat for a second, pondering. “I believe that’s about it.”

“I don’t think I took it outta the bag. It’s hard remembering correctly when I want my journal,” he said, a somewhat harsh tone near the end. It wasn’t that he was angry per se - he had been exhausted and panicked. The questions overwhelmed him, however, he would do anything to get his notebook back.

“I don’t think anything else was taken. Well, nothing important at least. I’ve checked the bag three times! And here, I can make it four!” He grumpily grabbed his bag, looking through it once again. “I don’t even know why anyone would take anything. It’s dumb.” Feeling frustrated, Finn huffed and rolled his eyes. He grew more and more despondent.

“I don’t even want to think that anyone stole it!” he exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air. “I don’t like the idea of anyone touching my notebook! And now I’ll never get it back!” Once again, tearing up, Finn quickly blinked his tears away. It upset him that such a situation could have been precluded so easily. He continued to listen, pretending he wasn’t on the verge of breaking down.

Finn watched Ross grab his wand, and listened to his remark on his charms learning. Maybe it could work - it was worth a shot. After the attempt - if you could even call it that - Finn looked around to see some stares. He instantly covered his head, embarrassed at the sight of it all.

Finn hid his head in his arms as Ross uttered to himself over and over. Faintly sighing, Finn closed his eyes for a split second. Hoping for at least one second of peace - that is, until Ross got louder. It caused Finn to slightly jump and look up in confusion.

Unfortunately, nothing happened. The attempt was futile, and while it was worth a shot, it wasted their time. Finn looked at Ross, shrugging the situation off. “Just... try not to, uh… make everyone stare next time,” he murmured, still embarrassed.

—

@Ross Stephens

Ross did not notice the boy's quirked eyebrow as he was far more caught up in his own ideals of mystery and adventure. He did, however, pay mind to the description of the book. In Finn's defense, the journal sounded gorgeous. It was something he could imagine himself getting back at home and ruining the pages with his horrible rambles. He nodded along to the description as a true detective should.

He understood as he elaborated on how it was difficult to remember things when something was more important. Heck, Ross could barely pay attention to history of magic before lunch because of how much it felt like his stomach was eating him inside out. Any minor distraction could take Ross away from the moment with complete ease.

"Quadruple checking is good! I barely check my work, but usually, when I do I get a better score than what I get on average. It's like magic or something."

He watched as the boy aggressively searched his bag. It was restless and he had a feeling he was barely processing what he was looking at. His mind seemed to be running a marathon and his poor legs could not keep up. Before he could comment on anything, the boy threw his hands in the air and yelled louder than Ross attempted to cast his spell. Yikes. He was on the verge of tears, he could hear it in his voice. Ross' eyebrows furrowed in concern. He recalled his big breakdown in the Great Hall too. It happens to the best of us he thought.

He kneeled down next to the kid, not touching him but making it clear he was there in hopes he did not surprise him. "Y'know, I've lost some pretty important stuff at Hogwarts too. It's scary, y'know? Not knowing where it is. My first year I actually lost my journal! Some snake stole it, but I got it back. I betcha you'll get it back too." He told him with an attempt at a smile.

Ross, while horrendous at social cues, could be an extremely emotionally intelligent boy. He loved mysteries, but he also was a legitimately compassionate person. Right now this took priority over any mystery.

"I'll help ya get it. Promise! We can even put up posters or somethin' around the school. Get the word about and all that."

He had overwhelmed the boy with his attempts at fixing it, so the least he could do was fix this issue as this was a rather large one.