The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 9

Delilah quickly pulled on her slippers and followed the rest of the Slytherins up into the Great Hall. The Gryffindors were already there, appearing to be explaining what had happened to the Hufflepuffs.

Delilah quickly walked up to Fred.

"What's happening?" she asked.

"Black tried to get into the Gryffindor Common Room, but since he didn't have the password, the Fat Lady wouldn't let him in. So he slashed the portrait. Dumbledore came and so they are getting all the students here and are searching the castle for him," Fred whispered.

"Oh, wow. That's... insane. Why did he want to get into the Gryffindor Common Room?" Delilah asked and Fred shrugged.

"I don't know, but you should probably go back to the Slytherins, I think they are expecting us to stay with our house."

Delilah nodded and walked back over to the corner where all the Slytherins were huddling, exchanging theories. Most were way off track, so Delilah quickly shared what had happened.

"Wow," a first-year murmured.

"Extraordinary," a fifth-year acknowledged.

The Ravenclaws came in and quickly claimed the corner straight across from the Slytherins. The Gryffindors were diagonal from the Slytherins and the Hufflepuffs were in the other corner by the Slytherins, near the door.

As soon as the Ravenclaws got situated Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick closed 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," Dumbledore 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..."

One casual wave of his wand and 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 Gryffindors continued spreading the news of what had happened. Delilah and the rest of the Slytherins grabbed sleeping bags. Delilah enchanted hers to be green with silver on the inside. Many other Slytherins followed her lead, some Ravenclaws also changed their sleeping bag's color.

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

The talking quieted to whispers.

"How do you think he got in?" Daphne asked as she put her pink sleeping bag next to Delilah's.

"Well, he couldn't have flown or apparated in. He wouldn't have a wand, and you can't apparate into Hogwarts. He couldn't have flown in because the dementors would have caught him, same with walking," Delilah reasoned and Daphne nodded.

"Maybe he's an animagus or something," Daphne speculated but Delilah shook her head.

"I checked the animagi registry for McGonagall's homework, there have only been seven this decade, and Black wasn't on it, or they'd be looking for his animagus form too. I suppose he could be unregistered, but it would be very difficult to do, not to mention keep it a secret."

Daphne reluctantly agreed. "I just don't see how he did it without getting caught."

"Yes, especially since it couldn't be a disguise since those don't fool dementors. Maybe there's a secret passage into the castle," said Delilah.