It's OK To Not Be Ok...Right?

74. Blame It On Me

"But I didn't do anything!" Blaise protested as he sat down. "For once, I am innocent." His protesting made Ginny smile and Sloane had a sneaking suspicion that this was Blaise's goal all along.

"Do you think they did it?" Luna asked as the hall emptied, and Professor Flitwick made his way towards them.

"Already?" Draco said sounding sceptical. "I doubt it."

"Ah, thank you for waiting," Professor Flitwick smiled seating himself on the bench opposite them. "I know that it has been a very upsetting and scary weekend for you all."

"A scary few month's sir," Hermione corrected.

"And I know that none of you got a good night's sleep last night. Or the night before for that matter. So Professor McGonagall and I have agreed to give you a few days off from your school work. I doubt any knowledge will be absorbed anyway from any of you. Once you are well rested and this...situation has been dealt with, you can resume your studies." Everyone was nodding along, relieved. Even Hermione which shocked Harry. It wasn't too often she wasn't in the mood for school work. "Professor McGonagall has said for you to head to the counsellor's dorm room for the day. Catch up on sleep and stay safe. We have a guard stationed at your portrait entrance who will be keeping an eye out for you all. Now I want you to head up, relax and try and maybe catch up on sleep."

He turned as Sloane called him. "Professor," he turned to her. "I was wondering." She looked around at her friends. "Have...the others....set off yet to the underground quarters?"

The professor looked back. He wasn't sure if they should know or not. But he knew there was no point in trying to lie to them. He knew they would find out either way. He sighed and shook his head. "They are currently working on finding someone who can produce firestorm. Each have tried and no one can perform the spell." Sloane's shoulders dropped. She should have known it wouldn't be that easy. "I am off now to help them. We shall figure it out, never worry. You lot just focus on staying safe." He took one last look and smiled. "Now, off you go to your dorm. Stay safe." He nodded again and then watched as the group slowly rose to their feet and headed off slowly towards the entry hall.

"Wow, don't you all look cheery this morning," Bill chuckled coming out of the room across the hall from them. "You all look like you someone just slapped you." He scanned each of their faces.

"Morning Bill," Ron frowned.

"We didn't sleep well," Ginny explained. "Nightmares and ... well, we didn't sleep well."

Bill looked around the hall before turning back to the door he had just left. "Why don't you come and see this set up we have. It's been a huge success. It might help put your minds at ease." He held the door opened and gestured for everyone to step inside.

Draco went first, taking Sloane's hand and headed in. Sloane was well-used to a TV, even a computer as she had seen them used before. But she had never seen anything like this. For Draco, Blaise, and Luna who had never even seen a TV, they gasped in shock at the sight in front of them.

The back wall was made up of one giant screen, the kind you would see in a cinema. Within the screen there were about 10 different sections and within each section there were maybe 10 more little screens all showing different parts of the castle. A few caught Sloane's eye as she stood there watching. Every 10 seconds or so the cameras would change to show other locations or the same long hallway from another angle. Sloane could see the front doors of the school, the courtyard, the clock tower, the viaduct, Hagrid's hut, the front gates of the school as well as many classrooms and common rooms and a wide shot of the school library.

"Wow," Hermione said looking around the screens. "You really do have full scope of the school."

Bill nodded. "It's great isn't it. There are a lot of screens to cover, so there will always be two guards on duty and then me to supervise during the day and the odd night." he turned to everyone. "This was a brilliant idea guys."