'there's a room where the light won't find you, holding hands while the walls come tumbling down'
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"𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 return to their house common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. No student is to use the bathrooms unaccompanied by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities."
The Gryffindor students were packed inside the common room, listening to Professor McGonagall in total silence. She rolled up the parchment from which she had been reading and said in a somewhat choked voice, "I need hardly add that I have rarely been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward."
She climbed somewhat awkwardly out of the portrait hole, and the Gryffindors began talking immediately.
"That answers your question about whether the school will close," George whispered to Lyra, who was gripping tightly on his arm.
"That's three Gryffindors down, not counting a Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff," said Lee, counting on his fingers. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it a bit obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin - why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?" he roared, to nods and scattered applause.
Lyra scoffed. "That's hardly fair, Lee. The reason no attacks have been made on Slytherin is because none of them are muggleborns - who are the targets. Just because something related to their house doesn't mean it's directly coming from them."
Lee stopped and thought for a while before nodding. "You're right, Black. My bad,"
Turning back to George, she saw him looking pityingly at Percy, who was pale and stunned.
"What's up with him?" she asked.
George glanced at her for a second before returning to his brother. "Percy's in shock," he said quietly. "That Ravenclaw girl - Penelope Clearwater - she's a Prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a Prefect."
Lyra didn't think that was the full story, but nodded nonetheless and rested her head on George's shoulder. He gave her hand a squeeze and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
˚ ༘♡ ·˚ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ
For the next few days, terror had struck Hogwarts. It seemed to seep its way into every crevice and crack of the walls, sticking to the bottoms of students' shoes and creating an atmosphere of tense staff and students. Dumbledore had been suspended as headmaster.
