The Light of the Dark: Harry Potter x OC

Chapter Thirty Four - Year Three

After all the students from all houses had gotten to the Great Hall, Hogwarts was put on lock down and all of the teachers were sent off the search the school. Prefects of each House were instructed to keep watch of entrance doors of the Great Hall while the Head Boy and Girl were put in charge. Before Dumbledore had left, he got rid of the tables and had made hundreds of purple sleeping bags appear. Percy had instructed that everyone was to get into a sleeping bag and go to sleep. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I all found sleeping bags next to one another. The four of us listened to others theories on how Black had gotten in and and discussed some of our own. As the hours went on, people started to fall asleep. The four of us continued to talk, worried about how Black could slip past the dementors again and managed to get into one of the safest places on Earth. "I mean, he was a student at one time himself, right? Who's to say that he didn't find a secret way to get in?" Ron suggested.

"A way that no one else has ever found? Not even Dumbledore?" Hermione questioned.

"Well, I mean-"

"Hey! You four! Enough. It was lights out ten minutes ago." Percy scolded, walking over by us.

"Who put a galleon in you." Ron mumbled under his breath. The four of us then laid down and all pretended to be asleep.

Every once and a while, I would check to see where Percy was. Each time, he was only a few, mere steps away from us. Finally, after ten minutes, he left to go walk around other students. Once I noticed, I signaled to the others. Harry opened his eyes and looked towards me, the other two lay motionless. They had fallen asleep. I just sighed and waved it off. Harry and I sat in silence for a couple minutes before he spoke up. "What d'you reckon will happen now?" Harry asked.

"Once they've finished searching the castle?" I asked. Harry nodded in confirmation. I laid down on my back and stared up at the starry night portrayed on the ceiling of the room. "I'm not sure. They might want to increase the amount of dementors around the school." I suggested.

"Black's already slipped past them twice. How much good could that do?" Harry questioned. I turned over and looked at Harry who was just to my right. I felt tears gather in my eyes from the fear his statement gave me.

"Harry, I'm scared." I admitted. "I mean, he's slipped past the dementors and he got in under the teacher's noses, and he could be anywhere. This school is huge and there are so many places to hide." Harry's hand coming to my face stopped me. Harry had been reaching towards my face, but he stopped once he had noticed that I had seen him. He slowly reached forward, his thumb outstretched. I watched him as his hand touched my face and his thumb wiped a spot on my cheek where a stray tear had fallen, my stomach doing summersaults at the contact. Once it was wiped, he slowly retracted his hand. 

"Sorry." He said, just above a whisper. I smiled and shook my head.

"No, thank you." I told him. Harry looked back up at me, his embarrassment fading away. Harry opened his mouth to respond when the doors to the Great Hall creaked open. Harry and I looked at one another before laying down and once again pretending to sleep. From far off, we could hear Percy talking to Professor Dumbledore. Soon enough, their conversation ended and Dumbledore began walking up and down the rows. Then, another pair of footsteps could be heard walking into the Hall.

"I've searched the Astronomy Tower and the Owlery, sir. There's nothing there." Filch reported.

"Ah, thank you." Dumbledore told him.

"The third floor's clear too, sir." Professor Flitwick relayed.

"Very good." Dumbledore told him.

"I've done the dungeons, Headmaster, no sign of Black, nor anywhere else in the castle." Snape said, walking into the Hall and up to Dumbledore.