The girls dormitory in the Slytherin area was quiet and still, with nobody moving.
"Katie", a voice said, quietly, almost whispering the name.
Katie Ravenel, who until this moment had been sleeping soundly in her poster bed, bolted up. She felt like her heart was about to rip through her chest. Putting her hand on her chest, she said "In, Out" directing herself to calm her breathing. She could feel the sweat soaking through her red-satin nightgown. It took about ten minutes to regulate her breathing to where she could lay back down, and attempt to go back to sleep. No sooner had she closed her eyes then she heard it again:
"Katie, you know you want to go..."
"No, no I don't" Katie said quietly, still lying down. Tears started to roll down her cheeks. She couldn't go through this again.
Rolling over, burying her face in the pillow, she tried with all her might to resist the urge to leave the dormitory. "I can't what if I get caught? Then I'll be expelled."
"Katie, I'm telling you, you'll feel a whole lot better if you come to me..."
"No", she said forcefully..."I'm not going"
It was as if a bolt of lightning had surged through her body. She was no longer in control of her body. Now, almost sobbing out of control, she threw the covers off her legs, and reached down to grab her black, ballet flats from the rug under her bed. "Oh, if only someone would wake up...then I'd be safe."
She dropped down to her knees and reached under her bed for her chest, which contained her invisability cloak, which her sister Sophia had given her. It had been in her family for generations. Careful, not to make too much noise she carefully opened the gold clasps, and reached in for the cloak. Katie stared at it hard, almost as if it were the source of her pain...
Wrapping it around her, she walked over to the mirror that the five girls shared, and looked. Good, she was all covered up. Walking over to the heavy wooden door, she put one hand on it, and made sure it didn't squeak. She opened it just enough for her to squeeze herself through. Once she was out on the steps, she closed it as quietly as she had opened it. Walking carefully down the cold, stone steps, she thanked God that she possessed at least one pair of flats. For if she had been barefoot, one could hear the smacking of bare feet on the stone. She rounded the last couple of steps and came to the common room. She breathed a sigh of relief, it was empty. She bolted across the common room, past the fireplace, where the remnants of the fire still barely burned.
She finally reached the door that led out to the hallway. Putting one hand on it, she paused. Katie knew what she was going to face. Breathing deeply, she turned and looked around the common room, "What if this is the last time I see it? She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes again, but she had to go. Carefully she reached for the latch, and opened the door. Looking both directions for anybody that would witness her escape, she sighed when she spotted nobody. Quietly she closed the door, and turned left, towards the steps that would take her into the main hallways of Hogwarts.
Little did Katie know that somebody did in fact see her leave...