A/N: I haven't updates this for ages, I got no reviews or alerts and got a bit disheartened, but I just rediscovered it and am reinspired.
Draco was a deep sleeper, but even he was awoken by the crashes and bangs that seemed to echo through the castle walls. He sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, yanked back the hangings surrounding his bed and glanced round the dorm, everywhere he saw signs of disturbed sleep, grunts and moans told him that most of the room was now wide awake. He dragged himself out of his warm, cosy bed and, along with the others made his way to the common room, it looked like much of Slytherin house had had the same idea, everywhere there were students, boys and girls, all years milling around, each of them wearing the same dishevelled look of interrupted slumber, and still the noise continued, it seemed to be coming from just outside the castle, deep thunderous, threatening roars, some first years were sobbing in fear.
Suddenly the common room door was flung open and the head of house, Professor Snape stormed into the chamber.
'Proffesor Dumbledore wishes to see you all in the great hall. Now.' His voice was quiet, but still, it cut through the silence like a knife.
Everyone in the room immediately obeyed his order, filing out past him and making their way deeper into the sanctuary of Hogwarts.
Snape addressed the two prefects 'Go and ensure that there is no-one left behind in the dorms, we need everyone'
The story was repeated in all 4 houses, before finally all 800 students were gathered in the great hall and their headmaster stood before them, ready and willing to reassure his pupils,
'Now I'm sure all of you were awoken by some rather strange noises tonight, I will admit to you I don't know what is happening or what this means, but I think for the meantime we are safest together and so I askā¦..'
His speech was cut short by the scream of a single girl, Dumbledore glanced down and saw a dark-haired, first year Hufflepuff pointing in horror to the ceiling, others had seen it too and were craning their necks to follow her gaze, there were more shrieks of terror, he sensed what it was before he even saw it, and with a growing feeling of dread he looked to the sky beyond the enchanted ceiling, sure enough, there it was, the dark mark twinkling in the night over the school and it's students.
A/N: Bet you didn't see that one coming.
