Catch me if you Can

Halloween

Our first Hogsmeade outing was on Halloween. Poppy and I decided to go together that day, as Andrea and Tony were going out for a date. When we entered Hogsmeade, I shivered a bit. The place had Dementors gliding around, reminding me of Azkaban. 

"You ok Max?"Poppy asked worriedly.

"Yeah"I said, faking a smile, "Let's just go get a butterbeer"

We entered The Three Broomsticks where we ordered some Butterbeer.

"Cheers to our last first outing of Hogsmeade!"Poppy said and I laughed.

"Yeah, cheers to that"I said, clinking our cups and taking a big gulp of the warm drink.

"Hello ladies"said a Gryffindor boys as he sat down beside me. I recognized him instantly. Oliver Wood, Quidditch Captain of the Gryffindor team.

"Hello Wood. What brings you here?"I asked.

"Just wanted to talk to some beautiful ladies"he replied, giving me a wink and I rolled my eyes. 

"Well, I have a boyfriend"Poppy muttered, and I stared at her.

"Since when?"I asked shocked. 

"Since like a few days ago"

"Who?!?"

"Quinn Clark. He's a Hufflepuff"she said, and I sniggered a bit.

"What's so funny?"she asked. 

"He's the bloke in our year that failed almost every class right?"I smirked. 

"He's just a little forgetful Max, be nice"Poppy said crossly. 

"So this means I'm the only single one in our group now"I moaned. 

"You don't have to be"Wood said, giving me another wink. I rolled my eyes. 

"In your dreams Wood"I said, as he got up to leave. 

"Yes, well, I'm sure you will be in my dreams"he replied, and left.

--

Poppy and I entered the the Great Hall to see its usual decorations:hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.The food was delicious. The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding. At the end, I was tired and dragged my feet to my common room. I got in and flopped on a bean bag. 

"How was your date?"I asked Tony and Andrea as they joined me.

"It was-"Tony started but just then, Professor Flitwick came running in. 

"Everyone back in the Great Hall now! Prefects, please escort the first years"he squeaked. Tony, Andrea and I looked at each other confused. 

"Well, I'll see you later babe"Tony said, giving Andrea a kiss and got up to go join Penelope. 

"Wonder what's going on?"Andrea asked as we marched back down to the Great Hall.

"No clue. Maybe Dumbledore forgot to tell us something during the feast?"

We entered, and the Gryffindor and Slytherin house were already there. The kids in Gryffindor looked freaked out, and I was hearing whispers of Sirius Black having tried to force entry into the Gryffindor Common Room. I froze at those words. Why would he be going there? He knew I was in Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff came in from behind us.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told us as Professors 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 Penelope and 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 were telling the rest of the school what had just happened. "Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!" 

Andrea, Poppy and I found a place to lay down. Everyone was looking at me as I walked by. I heard whispers 

"Do you think she let her dad in?"

"Maybe she's coworking with him!"

"What if he was coming in to kill her?"

"Ignore them"Andrea chanted as I grit my teeth. 

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!" The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. I couldn't sleep and layed in my sleeping bag, wondering if they found him, if I should sneak out to look for him..

 Around three in the morning, Professor Dumbledore came in. I watch him approach Percy, who was close to my sleeping bag. I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep.

 "Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper. 

"No. All well here?" 

"Everything under control, sir."

 "Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?" 

"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her." 

I heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps. "Headmaster?" It was Snape.  "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."

 "What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"

 "All searched . . ." 

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."

 "Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape. 

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next." 

 "You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just  before — ah — the start of term?" said Snape.

"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.

 "It seems — almost impossible — that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you let her return-"

 "I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.

 "I must go down to the dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete." 

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy. 

"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster." I heard footsteps leave as a chill went through my body.

 Did they really think I let my dad in?!