Before the Dawn | George Weasley

11

A few nights later, I lay in bed wide awake.

The other girls were fast asleep, Catarina emitting soft snores from across the dormitory, but I was alert, keenly aware of every creak in the castle walls, every rustle of bed covers. I turned over with a frustrated huff.

I wasn't sure exactly why I was still awake; I couldn't seem to lie still, an irritating energy pulsing through me that wouldn't subside long enough for me to fall asleep. Finally, with a sigh of annoyance, I sat up and pulled on my boots, tip-toeing down the stairs to the common room.

Unsurprisingly, the common room was empty; I suspected it was the early hours of the morning, and no one in their right minds would be awake at this hour, save for maybe the most dedicated of Ravenclaws pulling all-nighters to cram for exams tomorrow. Or, later today, I realised with a groan.

I dropped into one of the armchairs facing the fireplace, staring into the dying embers. It was too dark outside to see any activity under the lake, the tall windows stretching like doorways into an endless black void, my own faint reflection peering back at me in the glass.

A clatter from the hallway outside the common room made me start with fright. I turned sharply, suddenly wishing I'd brought my wand with me. Cautiously, I crept down the short corridor and to the door, pulling it open just a crack to peek outside.

The hallway outside was dark, and I took a moment for my eyes to adjust before stepping out. A draft swept down the marble floor, and I pulled my housecoat tighter around me with a shiver.

"Hello?" I called softly, to no reply. Realising it could be a dementor, I took a shaky step back, my heart hammering in my chest.

Then a rat scuttled by. I squeaked with fear, stumbling backwards until my back hit the corridor wall. I clamped a hand over my mouth as I watched it run down the hall and disappear around a corner—was that the same rat I'd seen before? I shook my head at the thought. I must be more tired than I realised; all rats looked the same.

"Stupid," I muttered to myself, turning to head back into the common room, then paused.

Was that... footsteps? They sounded distant, but as I listened, they rapidly grew closer. Someone was running. No, two people were running. And they were close.

I pressed myself against the wall once more as two figures came into view, racing out from the corridor that led to Snape's office, their robes billowing out behind them and their ginger hair plastered to their foreheads.

"George?" I called softly as they passed. George skidded to a halt, grabbing Fred's arm. Fred swung around with the momentum, a wild light in his eyes.

"Percy!" they breathed in unison.

"In here, quickly!" I turned to the entrance of the common room, recalling the most recent password. "Serpent."

The door swung open, and we piled inside. Fred, the last to enter, pulled the door closed, then pushed it back open a crack to peer out into the hallway. George and I crammed in behind him, holding our breath as we waited. A heartbeat later, Percy walked by, seemingly unaware of anything out of the ordinary.

I cast a curious glance at George. He frantically shook his head at me, urging me not to speak. When Percy had finally turned a corner and disappeared, the brothers exhaled a sigh of relief.

"Thought we were going to have to run all the way back to Gryffindor tower," George whispered.

"Did he know you two were out of bed?" I inquired.

"No, but we knew he was," Fred remarked quietly.

"Wouldn't he let you off easy, though?" I looked between them. "I mean, he is your brother."