You Gotta Love Her (Harry Potter Love Story)

Grim Defeat

☆⋆⋆⋆☆   song: bruises by lewis capaldi   ☆⋆⋆⋆☆

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 the 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.

Where was Lyra? Harry prayed that she was safe, that she was okay, that she was coming to the Great Hall safely. Harry looked over to Ron and Hermione and saw that they too, were worried.

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

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

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

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

"It's very lucky he 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...."

"The one time Lyra might've been in the Tower...." Harry muttered, but they still heard him. Looks of worry stretched even further across their faces.

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

Hermione shuddered.

All around them, people were asking each other the same question: "How did he get in?"

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

"Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth-year.

"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.

"Lyra Black helped him, probably," said a Slytherin.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to Harry and Ron.

"Probably," said Ron. "Why?"

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "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 him fly in, too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered...."