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chapter sixty-eight. (girlhood and godhood both begging to be seen )
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AS THEY CREPT BACK TOWARDS the Gryffindor common room, Ascella felt that every step she took was magnified by a thousand times, and she was looking over her shoulder at every moment in case Filch was prowling after them. The front door had remained unlocked for them, but on the third floor they met Peeves and only narrowly avoided detection by diving sideways through one of the shortcuts. By the time they got up to the portrait of the Fat Lady and pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, Ascella was not surprised to find her in a most unhelpful mood.
"What sort of time do you call this?"
"I'm really sorry — we had to go out for something important —"
"Well, the password changed at midnight, so you'll just have to sleep in the corridor, won't you?"
"You're joking!" said Harry. "Why did it have to change at midnight?"
"That's the way it is," said the Fat Lady. "If you're angry, go and take it up with the headmaster, he's the one who's tightened security."
"I think we will be using the Room of Requirement after all," Ascella muttered and Harry pursed his lips.
"I'm . . . not entirely opposed to that idea."
Ascella rolled her eyes, then sighed, "Well, we would go to see Dumbledore, if he was actually here —"
"He is here," said a voice behind Harry and Ascella. "Professor Dumbledore returned to the school an hour ago."
Nearly Headless Nick was gliding towards the two of them, his head wobbling as usual upon his ruff.
"I had it from the Bloody Baron, who saw him arrive," said Nick. "He appeared, according to the Baron, to be in good spirits, though a little tired, of course."
