The Empress of Magic

Chapter 38 : Dementors on the Quidditch Pitch

Ten minutes later Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins alike found themselves in the Great Hall......

Because no other than Sirius Black had been sighted directly at Gryffindor Tower......

,, Fred! George!" Celestia hugged the twins close to her, thankful that they were okay.

,, 'Tia..." They hugged her back, making sure that she was fine..........

,, Oh thank Merlin.. Are you two all right ?" Hunter asked as he and Aiden squeezed themselves through the crowd with Chrome and Fenris.

,, As fine as one can be..." Fred replied, gently rubbing circles across his little sister's back, George busying himself by assuring her that they weren't harmed.

,, Did you see the others ?" Aiden asked, looking around the area in hopes of spotting them somewhere close.

Fred sadly shook his head. ,, We've been trying to some of the others before you got here, but everyone is huddling too close together for us to pass through."

,, It's a miracle we've found you guys with Celestia in this chaos.." George put in, the twins' first thought had been to look for their probably panicking sister and check on her.

They did not want to imagine how it must have felt like to hear that Sirius Black attacked the very Tower her two brothers resided in.

,, There you guys are!" Blaise called out, looking incredibly relieved as he squeezed through the other students, his hands dragging Theo and Regulus after him. ,, By Salazar, does everyone here have to make themselves so comfortable !? Pushover, you've got at least two feet of space around you, Arsehole!"

The group sweatdropped at Blaises' efforts to get through to them, not having expected anything less from the Slytherin......

,, Reg!" Celestia was quick to hug the teen, cupping his face with both of her hands as she checked him for any kind of Injury. He looked incredibly exhausted as he took her into his arms, the tips of his hair had turned blue.

,, I'm fine, Love...... " He said, leaning into her touch...

To tell the truth, he was not fine. Not at all.

Regulus had dreaded that this day might come since News of his father's escape had reached him.......

Sirius Black somehow managed to get past the Dementors and right into Hogwarts, attacking the Portrait Guarding Gryffindor Tower....

The only thing separating him from himself and Harry Potter....

When Professor Snape had ushered them all towards the Great-Hall, telling them what had occurred, he felt sick to his stomach.......

Whenever he felt at ease, something just had to happen and ruin it.......

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Dumbledore told them, making them turn towards him as Professor McGonagall and Professor 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. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

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 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.

Celestia frowned, looking at them.....

No Heating Charm, no cushion or maybe a blanket......

Those sleeping bags were also very thin and somehow looked more uncomfortable than Celestia's old cell bed at St. Peter's.....