Chapter 4

Once every boat was filled, they began to slide on the water in the same direction. Minerva raised her wand and a magical roof appeared above the boat. It provide a protection against the rain and its glowing blue colour flashed. First thing after that she dried herself and the students in her care.

"I hate water" she muttered between clenched teeth.

"Professor?" Nelly was next to her again, "Why isn't the water sinking away? After all, the school and the lake are on a hill."

"It's because of the magic walls, Miss Blaine. They're keeping every thing inside. And the lake is very deep; with that amount of marine creatures inside the water level was bound to rise, especially with such weather!"

"What are we going to do now?"

"Let's trust Professor Dumbledore and see what will happen."

The girl nodded.

"How can you be so calm?"

"Years of experience. Try and get some sleep now."

Albus's Phoenix, Fawkes, appeared next to her and gave her a parchment.

We have nowhere to go. If we try to pass the wards, the water will flood the nearby villages. I'll transfigure the boats into a giant platform and we'll try to do some arrangement. I'll make it as soon as we're far enough from the castle.

A.

Minerva nodded to Fawkes who went back to his master. She sat on the floor next to the scared girl. Some of her younger students came to her.

"Are we going to be alright Professor?"

"I do think magic is a great help. We commit ourselves to your parents to keep you safe and we will."

"Could you sing again?" another one asked.

"I don't think it would be wise. We will stop soon to settle for the night."

"Will you sing then?" a third one insisted.

"Why do you seem to want it so badly?" the surprised Professor inquired.

"It's peaceful." Nelly answered, "It drifts us easily into sleep."

"Well, it's kind of a lullaby…" Minerva frowned. She didn't see her students point.

"It's not only that. It makes us feel safe. You're making us feel that way, but if we close our eyes we don't see you anymore. When you sing we can hear that you're still here therefore nothing will happen to us. I know it's weird, but the whole situation is."

The boat stopped suddenly preventing her for answering. She got up and spoke loudly.

"Move away from the edges and stand still."

The upper parts slowly fell, breaking the roof the transfiguration mistress had made. All of them became drenched once again. Minerva stiffened as she looked the platform being made. Once the building was over, Albus's voice rose in the darkness.

"Filius, would you charm it so it won't move?"

The wood glowed for a bit then everything went still. Minerva waved her wand to make a roof once again. She didn't have time to dry herself though as the headmaster did it to everybody. Not long after, sleeping bags appeared on the floor. The deputy headmistress went to the middle of the platform to see the others.

"We have to ward the edges against the fall and against the creatures." Filius was saying.

"We have to split the children up . We don't want any house rivalry incidents." Severus suggested.

"There should be some patrolling as well" Argus proposed.

"The students are worn out. Sleeping is the best thing we can do." Minerva underlined. Beside their whispering and the sound of the water everything was quite quiet. Each of them went over to the corner where their house had settled. The students had naturally split up in their houses. There was a group of students waiting for Minerva. She knew right away what they wanted. She sighed and nodded.

"At least lie down in your sleeping bags, it will be easier to sleep. I'll sing only once then you're off to sleep – Merlin I feel like I'm talking to my children all over again…"

The youngsters listened to her.

"Well you're kind of a second mother to us when we're at school" Nelly whispered.

"Hush with you, now…" Minerva cut in to hide the pleasure that had risen within her at the girl's words.

She kneeled in the middle of her students and sang sotto voce.

Over in Killarney
Many years ago,
Me Mither sang a song to me
In tones so sweet and low.
Just a simple little ditty,
In her good ould Irish way,
And l'd give the world if she could sing
That song to me this day.

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."

Oft in dreams I wander
To that cot again,
I feel her arms a-huggin' me
As when she held me then.
And I hear her voice a -hummin'
To me as in days of yore,
When she used to rock me fast asleep
Outside the cabin door.

"Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, hush now, don't you cry!
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li,
Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, that's an Irish lullaby."

As she ended her song most of them were asleep and those who weren't would be shortly. She softly rose and left them sleeping.