𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐏𝐎𝐀 𝟔

Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..."

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened all of them looking over at the Lupin-Black siblings who were still holding hands.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"I'll be fine, go on, I promise." Emily said to Ethan, he finally let go of her and made his way to his own friends, ignoring everyone's looks.

"C'mon," Ron said to Emily, Harry and Hermione; they seized four sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

"Do you think their still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks they might be," said Ron.

"It's very lucky they picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower..."

"I reckon they lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise they'd have come bursting in here."

Hermione shuddered.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did they get in?"

"Maybe they know how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised themselves, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year. "They could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

"Honestly, are me and you the only people who ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Emily, Harry and Ron.

"Probably," said Ron. "Why?"

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Emily. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen them fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered..."

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky
outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, Emily felt as though she were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.