A Hogwarts Legend: Changing Paths [3]

Chapter Twelve

Unedited

Chapter Twelve - "I don't have the time or crayons to explain myself to you."

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

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore tells us as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick close all the doors into the Hall. "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. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he adds to Percy, who's looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore pauses, about to leave the Hall, and says, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing ..."

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables fly to the edges of the Hall and stand themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor is covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," says Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.

"Sleep well," I mutter. "How are we meant to sleep well on the floor? Ridiculous."

"Oh, suck it up," Harry says.

"That's my saying!"

"Well, I'm stealing it."

I squint at him. "It suits me better."

The Hall immediately begins to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors are telling the rest of the school what has just happened.

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

"C'mon," Ron says to us; we seize five sleeping bags and drag them into a corner.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispers anxiously.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," says Elinor.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," says Maya, as climb fully dressed into our sleeping bags and prop ourselves on our elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the Tower ..."

As in, we're in separate sleeping bags. Can't stress this enough. Separate.

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

Hermione shudders.

All around us, people are asking each other the same question: "How did her get in?"

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate," says a Ravenclaw a few feet away. "Just appear out of thin air, you know."

"Disguised himself, probably," says a Hufflepuff fifth-year.

"He could've flown in," suggests Dean Thomas.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's every bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" says Hermione crossly.