Magic? || Years 1-5

Castle Break In?: Year 3

Amisty felt a gasp leave her mouth as her hand flew to cover it, eyes wide with shock.

Had Sirius Black broken into the castle? She barely noticed her feet were moving until they were back in the Great Hall with the rest of the Gryffindors, and then joined by everyone in Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin.

"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," Professor Dumbledore announced to them all as Professor Mcgonagall and Flitwick closed and locked all entrances to the hall and then turned to Percy.

"Send word with one of the ghosts."

He paused and waved his hand, "Oh yes, you'll be needing..."

The tables shifted off to the side of the room and then the floor was covered in purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well."

The second the door closed shut the Great Hall burst with chatter. All the Gryffindors were telling everyone else what had happened.

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

"C'mon," Ron urged them, grabbed a sleeping bag and dragging it over to a secluded corner. They followed.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered, her eyes wide as she grabbed onto her sleeping bag tightly.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," Ron replied seriously.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know. The one night we weren't in the tower," Hermione nodded, climbing into the sleeping back and propping herself up on her elbows.

The rest of them followed her actions.

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run. Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here," Ron looked to the main entrance to the Great Hall worriedly.

Hermione shivered involuntarily. All around them everyone was asking the same question: "How did he get in?" Amisty listened closely, trying to see if anyone had come up with a plausible way.

"Maybe he knows how to Apparate. Just appear out of thin air, you know," A Ravenclaw offered from a few sleeping bags away.

"Disguised himself, probably,"A fifth year Hufflepuff shrugged.

"He could've flown in," Dean added, speaking with Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati.

Hermione sighed.

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts: A History?" She asked, rolling her eyes.

"Probably. Why?" Ron answered quite honestly.

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know. 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 passes, they'll have them covered..." She ranted, gesturing with her hands.

"The lights are going out now! I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!" Percy shouted, the candles extinguishing at his words.

There was a still a faint, white glow coming from the ghosts that floated around, speaking in serious tones to the prefects, and the stars twinkled softly up on the enchanted ceiling.