Emma Potter

62: The break in [Pt.2]

Sirius black had broke into the castle.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of thecastle," Professor Dumbledore told us as Professors McGonagalland Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for yourown 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 leavingthe Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was lookingimmensely proud and important.

 "Send word with one of theghosts."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 theedges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; anotherwave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purplesleeping bags. 

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

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors--whose Fat Lady had been attacked-- were telling the rest of the school what had just happened."Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on,now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!" 

"C'mon," Zoe said to me; we seized threesleeping bags and dragged them into a corner. 

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Zoe whisperedanxiously. 

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Nicholas, a few feet away. 

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Zoe as we climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and proppedthemselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't inthe tower. . . ."

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

I shuddered.

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

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feetaway.

 "Just appear out of thin air, you know.""Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year.

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

"You really are idiots, aren't you?" I scoffed. 

"Why?" asked the Hufflepuff, quite hurt.

"Well," I said " the castle's protected by more than walls, you know. There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stoppeople entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'dlike to see the disguise that could fool those dementors, Dumbledore said they weren't fooled by anything. They'reguarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seenhim fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll havethem covered. . . ." 

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

The candles all went out at once. 

The only light now came fromthe silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to theprefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, wasscattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that stillfilled the hall, I felt as though I were sleeping outdoors in alight wind.

 Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to checkthat everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, whenmany students had finally fallen asleep Zoe and Nicholas included, Professor Dumbledorecame in.