SABAISM | H. POTTER

TWELVE. | GRIM DEFEAT

PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE HAD SENT ALL THE GRYFFINDORS BACK TO THE GREAT HALL; WHERE THE GROUP WERE THEN JOINED BY THE REMAINING STUDENT BODY. Though extremely confused; students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin all waltzed in...scrutiny automatically awarded to Gemini Lupin-Black.

"Oh, come on," Gemini groused to the passerby's, "You lot don't even know if I'm the reason you are here! So, despite the fact of it being hard to do, tear your eyes off of my bewitching self!" A driftless Ravenclaw lass muttered as she glided by, "Isn't it always about you this year?" Instantly; Lupin-Black, now powered by unbridled defense, twisted her whole body to face the sleepy eagle. "I'm sorry. Who the fuck even are you?" Thankfully, Harry Potter came to the flinching girl's defense as he wrapped his arms around the lioness' ready to launch figure. "I'm sorry," he apologized to the terrified stranger; strengthening his grip, "Although, you need to get moving if you value your life." The unfamiliar witch didn't need to be told twice.

Undeterred by the altercation, that nearly every person cautiously viewed, Professor Dumbledore settled on addressing the central circumstance beforehand. "Excuse me," the Headmaster interfered the brewing alarm; Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closing all doors into the hall, "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. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately." Then; he added to Percy, who appeared immensely proud and important, "Send word with one of the ghosts." Professor Dumbledore at that point paused, about to leave the hall, and stated, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing..." With one casual wave of 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," said Professor Dumbledore; closing the door behind him.

The hall immediately began to buzz excitedly; the extra Gryffindors jumped into informing the rest of the school what had just happened. "Talk about some house loyalty," Gemini sarcastically muttered; arms crossed across her chest.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags," shouted Percy, "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!" The ginger of the Golden Quartet rolled sapphire eyes and huffed, "C'mon, before Percy's power trip gets fully to his head." The four, Harry still dragging a glaring Gemini, seized tetrad sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner. "Come here, Love," the Golden Boy mumbled; yanking a cot closer to his own, "Lay down beside me. Take some deep breaths, okay?" In response, Gemini mutely nodded her head...silently grateful for his act of care.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?," Hermione whispered anxiously. Automatically, emerald orbs narrowed in on the bright witch. "Hermione," he hissed; eyes flitting back and forth between his two female friends. "Oh, it's fine Harold," Gemini assured, "It's a valid question after all." Ron nodded, choosing to continue the conversation of Hermione's query, and added, "Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be, 'Mione." Gemini snorted, "Way to sugarcoat it, Ronald." Clearing her throat, as the remainder of the Quartet climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags, Hermione advanced, "It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know? The one night we weren't in the tower..." - "I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," Ron picked up, "You know, didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here...no offense, Gem." Hermione shuddered and Gemini simply shrugged.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?" - "Maybe he knows how to Apparate," said a Ravenclaw a few feet away, "Just appear out of thin air, you know." - "Disguised himself, probably," said a Hufflepuff fifth year. - "He could've flown in," Dean Thomas suggested.