Bella and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Chapter Nineteen

A/N: SORRY IF THIS CHAPTER IS CRAPPY! I'VE JUST HAD A MASSIVE ARGUMENT WITH MY BOYFRIEND BECAUSE HE WENT AND SAW A GIRL WHO WANTS TO BE WITH HIM AND WHO I HATE BEHIND MY BACK! YOU CAN GUESS HOW THAT WENT DOWN WHEN I FOUND OUT! I FORCED HIM HOME WHERE WE ARGUED AND CRIED A LOT! WE'RE OKAY THOUGH, HE'S ON ONE LAST CHANCE AND GOT SOME MAJOR MAKING UP TO DO!

Was I wrong for giving him another chance?

**********

One of the professors must have sent us all to the Great Hall because when I woke up, I was lying on the bench, my head on Harry's lap. Though I was confused and a little dizzy, I quickly sat up and asked Hermione, who was sat next to me, who carried me down here and what happened. She told me that Harry carried me down here when I passed out after finding out Sirius Black was in the castle. 

Oh. So it wasn't a dream. 

Wait, Harry carried me down here?

Oh, God.

I couldn't speak to him about it, however, as we were joined by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused. Yeah, join the club.

"The teacher's and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told us as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all 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 added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts"

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

He told us all to stand up (Hermione had to help me as I was still dizzy) and with one causal wave with his wand, 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.

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

The Hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened whilst I leaned my head on Hermione's shoulder, still trying to overcome my dizziness.

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

"C'mon," Ron said to me, Harry and Hermione; we seized four sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner. 

"Do you think Black's still in the castle," Hermione whisper-asked anxiously. 

"I hope not," I mumble. 

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," Ron said.

"Ron, not helping!" Hermione hissed as we climbed fully dressed into our sleeping bags and propped ourselves on our elbows to talk. 

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know. The one night we weren't in the Tower..." I say. 

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

Me and Hermione shuddered.

All around us, people were asking each other the same question: 'How did he get in?'

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

"Disguised himself, probably," A Hufflepuff fifth-year said.