The War Hammer of Hogwarts - Harry Potter

Everyone Hates Snape

Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where we were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.

Dumbledore: The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle.  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.

He turned to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important.

Dumbledore: Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately.  Send word with one of the ghosts.

Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and turned back.

Dumbledore: 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.

Dumbledore: Sleep well.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly.  The Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.

Percy: Everyone into their sleeping bags!  Come on, now, no more talking!  Lights out in ten minutes!

My friends and I seized six sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

Hermione: Do you think Black's still in the castle?

Falco: Professor Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be.

Pieck: It's very lucky he picked tonight, the one night we weren't in the tower...

Ron: I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run.  Didn't realize it was Halloween.  Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here.

YN: No.  Black might be insane, but he's not stupid.  If he had gotten into the tower... what's to have stopped him from waiting there until we got back?

Pieck: He's right, we'd be completely secluded from any teachers.

Hermione shuddered.  All around us, people were asking one another the same question.  How did he get in?  There were a lot of different theories, from Apparating to Polyjuice Potion.

Hermione: Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read "Hogwarts: A History"?

Ron: Probably.  Why?

YN: The castle's protected by more than walls.  There are tons of enchantments on it, to stop people entering without anyone knowing.  You can't just Apparate in here.  And no disguise could fool a dementor.  They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds.  They'd have seen him fly in too.

Percy: The lights are going out now!  I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!

The candles all went out at once, and I quickly fell asleep.  When I opened my eyes in the morning, I found my sleeping bag tighter than it had been when I'd gone to sleep the night before.  I rolled over, and found Pieck snoring softly next to me.  My face started heating up as I shook her a bit to wake her up.

Pieck: Hmm... wha-

She shot up, her face bright red.

Pieck: I... I uh... I was cold last night, and I-I must've crawled into your sleeping bag... I'm sorry...

YN: It's fine, just give me some warning next time.

I laughed as she hid her face in her hands.  The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days.  The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder.  Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent most of our next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.  The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with a portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony.  Nobody was very happy about this.  I thought it was hilarious.  Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.