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," Professor Dumbledore told them 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 Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused, about to the 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," Professor Dumbledore said, 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!" Percy shouted. "Come on now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"C'mon," Fred said to George, Lee, and Tori; they seized four sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

Tori looked at her friends, horrified. "We could have been in there. Merlin's beard! He could have killed us!"

All around them, people were asking each other 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 Hazel Doe, a fifth-year Hufflepuff.

"He could've flown in," Dean Thomas suggested.

"He can't," Tori replied, "There are all sorts of enchantments on Hogwarts, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here..."

"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. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the Hall.

About an hour later Tori twisted and turned around in her sleeping bag, unable to get any sleep. She flipped over on her right facing Fred. He was wide awake as well. "You know," Tori whispered so Percy couldn't hear them, "I'm starting to miss normal Halloween days."

Fred chuckled, his face being illuminated by the fake galaxy above. "Ditto. I wonder how Sirius Black got inside the castle." Tori thought about it for a moment, oblivious to the look Fred was giving her as she glanced up at the stars above. "I wonder what he wants. You don't think—"

"It has something to do with Harry? I wouldn't be surprised." The two went silent for a moment as Snape walked past them. It was his hour to stroll the halls. Tori opened her eyes, seeing the coast was clear. "But the dementors, they're everywhere. They couldn't possibly miss Black. Dumbledore himself said they saw through disguises."

Fred pondered the thought, noticing the frightened look in Tori's eyes. "We're going to be okay." He whispered. "I'm sure Dumbledore will take care of this."

Tori woke up around three in the morning. She blinked a few times, trying to see clearly. Everyone else appeared to be asleep and she could hear Snape and Dumbledore talking on the other side of the hall. She was about to try and turn over when she realized her hand was stretched out and holding Fred's.

✧ ✦ ✧

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. Any theory a student had was listed and revisited by anyone. The halls no longer felt safe.

Tori kept having vibes from last year. She shuddered at any thought about Sirius Black or the basilisk. She didn't want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, again.

The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with the portrait of Sir Cadogan and his fat grey pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.

"That third year Neville Longbottom's always standing outside. I feel so bad for him." Tori sighed angrily. "Can't we get anyone else?"

"None of the other pictures wanted the job," Percy said. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."

The weather worsened steadily as the first Quidditch match drew nearer. Undaunted, the Gryffindor team were training harder than ever under the eye of Madam Hooch. Then, at their final training session before Saturday's match, Oliver Wood gave his team some unwelcome news.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" He told them, looking very angry. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

"Why?" chorused the rest of the team, all looking confused.

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," Wood said, grinding his teeth furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances..."

There had been strong winds and heavy rain all day, and as Wood spoke, they heard a distant rumble of thunder.

"There's nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" Harry shouted furiously. "He's faking it."

"I know that, but we can't prove it," Wood sighed, his voice bitter. "And we've been practising all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and their style's quite different. They've got a new captain, Cedric Diggory—"

Angelina and Katie giggled, causing Tori turn red.

"What?" Wood said, frowning at this light-hearted behavior. "He's that tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" Angelina smirked.

"Strong and silent," Katie said, and they started to giggle again.

"He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together," Fred said impatiently. Tori shot him a rude look. Unfortunately, Tori and Cedric had lost touch over the summer holiday. With moving from place to place, she hadn't thought much about talking to the Hufflepuff boy.

Fred continued, "I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff are a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?"

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Wood shouted, his eyes bulging slightly. "Diggory's put a very strong side together. He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this. We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin are trying to wrong-foot us! We must win!"

"Oliver, calm down!" Fred said, looking slightly alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. Seriously."

seriously, wood, seriously