THE ENTIRE GRYFFINDOR HOUSE WAS AWAKEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BY A SHRILL SCREAM.
vega snapped awake, surprised she didn't get whiplash from how quickly the scream had made her snap upwards.
she glanced over at her dormmates, both of which were still fast asleep.
she frowned, glancing back at the door.
had she imagined it?
that thought was quickly butted out as panicked voices filled the boys half of the room. vegra groaned lightly, standing and pulling on her dressing gown and slippers, scurrying down the stairs into the common room. only a few other girls were there, but most of the boys were around.
the common room was lit with the glow of the dying fire, still litteredwith the debris from the party. it was deserted asides from the few people who occupied it.
"are you sure you weren't dreaming, ron?"
"i'm telling you, i saw him!"
vega's eyebrows furrow, she walks towards harry, giving him a questioning look. he purses his lips tight, looking troubled. "ron says sirius black was in the room with a knife" he said lightly.
vega's eyes widened slightly.
"what's all the noise?"
"professor mcgonagall told us to go to bed!"
"excellent, are we carrying on?" fred grinned brightly, vega rolled her eyes.
"everyone back upstairs!" said percy, hurrying into the common room andpinning his head boy badge to his pajamas as he spoke.
"perce -- sirius black!" said ron faintly. "in our dormitory! with aknife! woke me up!"
the common room went very still.
"nonsense!" said percy, looking startled. vega shot him a glare at his easy dismissal.
"you had too much to eat, ron-- had a nightmare --"
"i'm telling you --"
"now, really, enough's enough!" professor mcgonagall was back. she slammed the portrait behind her asshe entered the common room and stared furiously around.
"i am delighted that gryffindor won the match, but this is gettingridiculous! percy, i expected better of you!"
"i certainly didn't authorize this, professor!" said percy, puffinghimself up indignantly. "i was just telling them all to get back to bed! my brother orn here had a nightmare --"
"IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE!" ron yelled. "PROFESSOR, I WOKE UP, ANDSIRIUSBLACK WAS STANDING OVER ME, HOLDING A KNIFE!"
professor mcgonagall stared at him."don't be ridiculous, weasley, how could he possibly have gotten throughthe portrait hole?"
"ask him!" said ron, pointing a shaking finger at the back of sir cadogan's picture. "ask him if he saw --"
glaring suspiciously at ron, professor mcgonagall pushed the portraitback open and went outside. the whole common room listened with batedbreath.
"sir cadogan, did you just let a man enter gryffindor tower?"
"certainly, good lady!" cried sir cadogan.
vega felt her stomach twist.
there was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.
"you -- you did?" said professor mcgonagall. "but -- but the password!"
"he had 'em!" said sir cadogan proudly. "had the whole week's, my lady! read 'em off a little piece of paper!"
vega stiffened.
what.. how?
professor mcgonagall pulled herself back through the portrait hole toface the stunned crowd. she was white as chalk.
"which person," she said, her voice shaking, "which abysmally foolishperson wrote down this week's passwords and left them lying around?"
there was utter silence, broken by the smallest of terrified squeaks. neville, trembling from head to fluffy slippered toes, raised his hand slowly into the air.
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