𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 ;𝐑.𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲

"That oily professor-"

Professor Dumbledore sent the Gryffindors to the Great Hall, where they were joined by the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins ten minutes later, all the students looking tired and 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." He said, and shut the door behind him.

The Hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors 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,' Ron said to Harry, Rachelle 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 Rachelle, 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 he's lost track of time, being on the run,' said Ron. 'Didn't realise 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.

"Honestly, am I the only one who bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" Hermione grumbled crossly.

"Yes." Rachelle said. "But why bother to read it when you can recite the whole thing to us?"
"Why?" asked Ron.

"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 ...'

'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.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in.

Rachelle and Harry pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore and Percy started talking in hushed voices.

"Any sign of him, Professor?' asked Percy in a whisper.
'No. All well here?'
'Everything under control, sir.'
'Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow.'
'And the Fat Lady, sir?'
'Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."

The door of the hall creaked open again and another figure stepped in.

"Headmaster?' It was Snape. Harry and Rachelle kept quite still, listening hard. 'The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there, either.'
'What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?'
'All searched ...'
'Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger.'
'Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?' asked Snape.

Harry shifted in his sleeping bag to hear better.

"Many, Serverus. Each of them as unlikely as the next." replied Dumbledore.

Rachelle opened her eyes a fraction and squinted up to where they stood; Dumbledore's back was to him, but he could see Percy's face, rapt with attention, and Snape's profile, which looked angry.

'You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before – ah – the start of term?' said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.
'I do, Severus,' said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

'It seems – almost impossible – that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed –'

Rachelle stiffened and clenched her jaw to prevent any sound from escaping.

'I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it,' said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.

Rachelle relaxed ever so slightly, but her jaw remained set and rigid.

'I must go down to the Dementors,' said Dumbledore. 'I said I would inform them when our search was complete.'

'Didn't they want to help, sir?' said Percy.

'Oh yes,' said Dumbledore coldly. 'But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am Headmaster.'

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the Hall, walking quickly and quietly. Snape remained standing, watching the Headmaster leave with an expression of deep resentment on his face, then, he too left.

Harry glanced sideways at Ron, Rachelle and Hermione.

"That oily professor—" Rachelle started lowly, only to have her mouth clamped shut by Hermione.
"What was that all about?" Ron mouthed.

hope you enjoyed, lovelies💗
-yenne