Harry Potter and Claire Smith Adventures: Book Three

Saxton, Song, Snape, and a Snapped Broom

Chapter 9: Saxton, Song, Snape, and a Snapped Broom

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

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Dumbledore told them as Professor 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 waved his hand and the long tables were replaced with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags. Professor Dumbledore wished them all a good night's rest before 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. Percy began bellowing at the students to get into their sleeping bags and to stop talking.

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

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

"I think Black's long gone. Well, I hope he is anyway. Don't you think it'd be stupid for him to hang around when he was seen by the Fat Lady?" Claire said.

"Black's not in his right mind and Dumbledore obviously thinks he might still be in the castle," Ron said.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," Hermione said as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower…."

"Who's to say that that wasn't part of his plan?" Claire stated. "He could've planned it that way seeing as practically the whole school was gone today. He would've snuck into the tower and waited for Harry and me to show and…."

Claire trailed off but Ron, Hermione, and Harry seemed to get what she was about to say. Hermione shuddered.

All around them, people were asking one another the same question: "How did he get in?" Several feet away from them, a Ravenclaw had said that he had apparated, while a fifth year Hufflepuff suggested that he'd disguised himself. Dean Thomas had said that he'd flown in.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" Hermione said crossly to Claire, Harry, and Ron.

"Probably," Ron said. "Why?"

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," Hermione said. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered…."

"You know, this castle is hundreds of years old," Claire began, "It's possible that there are entrances that faculty and we don't even know about. Take the Chamber of Secrets as example. It was believed to be a myth and yet we found it last year."

"I suppose so," Hermione said. "But Black still would've been spotted by someone."

"Well, remember first year when Professor McGonagall turned into a cat?" Claire said. "Maybe Black's an Animagus too."