A thousand live bats fluttered from the walls and ceiling while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter. The feast appeared suddenly on the golden plates, as it had at the start-of-term banquet.
Lilith was chatting happily from her seat between Oliver Wood and George Weasley, before someone came interrupting the feast.
Professor Quirrell came sprinting into the hall, his turban askew and terror on his face. Everyone stared as he reached Professor Dumbledore's chair, slumped against the table, and gasped, "Troll — in the dungeons — thought you ought to know."
He then sank to the floor in a dead faint. There was an uproar. It took several purple firecrackers exploding from the end of Professor Dumbledore's wand to bring silence.
"Prefects," he rumbled, "lead your Houses back to the dormitories immediately!"
Percy was in his element. "Follow me! Stick together, first years! No need to fear the troll if you follow my orders! Stay close behind me, now. Make way, first years coming through! Excuse me, I'm a prefect!"
Lilith was pulled up by Oliver and he placed his hand over her shoulder as George placed his on the other.
"Come on, sweets. We've got to get back to the dorms." Oliver said, pushing her gently towards the crowd who were panicking.
"How could a troll get in?" Lilith heard Harry ask as they climbed the stairs. "Don't ask me, they're supposed to be really stupid," said Ron.
"Maybe Peeves let it in for a Halloween joke." They passed different groups of people hurrying in different directions. As they jostled their way through a crowd of confused Hufflepuffs, Harry suddenly grabbed Ron's arm. "I've just thought — Hermione."
"What about her?" "She doesn't know about the troll." Ron bit his lip.
"Oh, all right," he snapped. "But Percy'd better not see us."
As the duo went to run off to the other direction, they grabbed Lilith's arm on the way, causing the two boys who walked beside her to turn around, looking for the girl. But they were too late as Harry and Ron had pulled her to the corner, and out of sight.
"What?" Lilith asked them, surprised by their sudden actions.
"Hermione's in the girl's bathroom. She doesn't know!" Harry told her frantically, and Lilith grew alerted.
"How long has she been there?" She may dislike the girl, but that doesn't mean she would let her get killed.
"Ever since we finished our classed. Parvati said she's been crying, because-- er-" Harry glanced nervously at Ron.
"She overheard something I said." Ron cleared his throat, shifting bervously.
Lilith immediately raised her hands to smack him.
"Percy!" hissed Ron, pulling Harry and Lilith behind a large stone griffin. Peering around it, however, they saw not Percy but Snape. He crossed the corridor and disappeared from view.
"What's he doing?" Harry whispered.
"Why isn't he down in the dungeons with the rest of the teachers?" "Search me."
Quietly as possible, they crept along the next corridor after Snape's fading footsteps. "He's heading for the third floor," Harry said, but Ron held up his hand.
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𝐈. 𝐄𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 | 𝐏𝐉𝐎 𝐗 𝐇𝐏
FantasyLilith Jade grew up with two loving parental figures, but for her own safety, she was sent to live with a rich adoptive family. However, she often visit her father, or the other way round. Her father wanted the best for her, and to keep her safe, he...