Chapter Nine

The feast was, as usual, delicious. I let Henry fill Flora in on the details of my adventure inside the Shack, and instead occupied my mouth by cramming it with the delights the house elves had cooked for us.

"God" Penelope said, staring at me "How do you stay so skinny when you eat like that?"

I looked up at here, "Quidditch?" I managed to reply, manoeuvring the word out through a mouthful of mashed potato. Penelope just laughed and returned her attention to fluttering her eyelashes at our esteemed Head Boy, who sat proudly at the Gryffindor table, surveying the hall.

The feast passed joyfully, Henry had passed on the story of my adventure down the table, over desert I was bombarded with questions from excited first and second years, desperate to know what it was like. I stole a glance over at the Gryffindor table and saw, to my amusement, that Wood was having the same treatment. I don't know whether he sensed me looking at him, but suddenly he turned and caught my eye. He smiled at me and raised an exasperated eyebrow. I returned the smile, before remembering that I was supposed to be angry with him and quickly turned my head back to the eager faces that were staring at me.

The feast ended and Flora, Henry and I began climbing the tower to the common room. Suddenly, there was a great commotion on the floor below us, people were screaming, and frantic chatter rose up to our ears. Without thinking I pulled out my wand, and began charging back, towards where the noise was coming from.

I turned into the corridor that lead to the Gryffindor common room. It was a mass of people, all talking at once, pressed together in the narrow space. No one seemed to know what was happening. I tried to look over the crowd but, tall as I was, I couldn't see anything. Suddenly, Percy passed me, I grabbed his arm.

"What's happening?" I said

He looked at me for a moment, before deciding I was worth talking to, "The Fat Lady's gone. Peeves said Black was here."

It was like the floor had fallen from beneath me. Black had, somehow, found his way into the castle. I forced myself not to panic. In the time I had taken to recollect myself, Percy had disappeared into the crowd, calling for Dumbledore.

Eventually Henry and Flora arrived behind me, panting. "What's going on?" Henry asked me between short breaths.

"Black's in the castle" I told him shortly, trying to keep my voice steady.

Flora let a gasp, and Henry put his arm around her comfortingly. "It's going to be ok" he said, in a voice which was almost convincing.

I nodded, not really listening. I was too busy watching the scene unfold around me. Dumbledore had arrived now, along with McGonagall and several other professors. They were talking urgently but I couldn't hear what was being said over the chaos which still occupied the hallway.

Suddenly Dumbledore's voice echoed out over the noise. "All students will return to the Great Hall while the castle is searched. Please try and remain calm"

Slowly, the crowd began to shuffle along the corridor. I was about to follow them when Percy grabbed my arm.

"Come on" he said "Dumbledore wants to speak with the prefects and captains."

I followed Percy into one of the classrooms where the rest of the prefects were still gathering. Dumbledore stood at the front, his face grave.

"As you probably know by now" he began "Sirius Black is believed to be in the castle. The students will sleep in the Great Hall tonight, it is my wish that you will supervise them while your teachers and myself search and secure the castle. I need not tell you that Black is highly dangerous and you should find a teacher if you believe anything to be amiss."

He dismissed us quickly, and began talking to Professor Lupin, who stood in the corner of the room looking even more pale and distressed than usual.

As I entered the Great Hall, I saw that the tables had been cleared away and in their place lay hundreds of sleeping bags. The room was awash with whispers. Percy gathered us in the corner of the room, outlining our shifts for the evening.

Having been told that I would be on duty by the main door from midnight to one, I settled down for a scant few hours of sleep, it felt like it had been mere seconds when Percy shook me awake.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes. All was dark and quiet now, aside from the few trace whispers of the most determined students. I stumbled through the hall, trying not to trip over any bodies. At last I reached the door.

And saw the person I least wanted to see. "What are you doing here" I muttered to Wood, who was already stationed there.

"Well you didn't think you were guarding this alone did you?" Wood shot back.

I just sighed at settled myself on the floor next to him "Typical" I muttered.

"You look cold" Wood said, tossing me over a blanket. I took it gratefully, despite the vast number of bodies, the Hall still felt chilly. Well, it was November, and had been for all of two minutes.

"Do you want a drink" Wood asked, offering me a flask. I looked at it suspiciously.

"What is it?"

"Firewhisky" he replied "don't tell Percy."

I wasn't sure if I should be drinking on the job, but between the Shrieking Shack and Black breaking into the castle my nerves were shot. I took a sip, recoiling as the bitter liquid flowed over my tongue.

Wood just laughed quietly and took a swig himself. For a while we sat there in silence, alternately drinking out of the flask.

"So" Wood said finally "I've been wondering. Why do your friends call you Riza?"

I almost laughed at the sudden casual conversation; it felt so out of place. "When I was young I couldn't pronounce Elizabeth, it's just what I called myself. It kind of stuck, even my dad calls me it."

Wood looked a bit uncomfortable, but asked the question anyway "And your mother?"
"Oh, she went AWOL when I was a baby. I can't remember her" I shrugged "her loss I reckon"

Wood looked at me for the first time that evening "I'm sorry" he said, fidgeting slightly

"Why? It's not your fault."

"Do you miss her?"

"I don't know. I sometimes wonder what she's like, but I don't think that counts" my voice softened "my dad does though, I can tell."

That familiar silence fell, not awkward but still retaining an inexplicable tension. "Do you think they'll catch him" I said, drawing my knees up under my chin.

"I doubt it" Wood said "he'll be long gone by now, if he's got any sense."

I shrugged and placed my head against the wall. "I don't know whether that's comforting or not."

Another pause, longer this time. "You know what we could do" Wood began, causing me to look over at him suspiciously. He laughed at my expression and gestured to the ceiling "Stargazing!"

I stared blankly at him and tried not to laugh at his boyish enthusiasm. "Don't you get enough of that in astronomy?" I asked. Astronomy was one of two classes I had with Wood, the other was Transfiguration, we had a perfect record of ignoring each other in both.

"Nope" Wood said, lying down "I reckon I could stare at these every night of the rest of my life. It's the next best thing to flying."

"Oh really" I said, sardonically, but I too lay down on my back.

We stared up at the ceiling, a perfect replica of the completely clear night sky. "It's a full moon" I muttered

"Not quite" Wood corrected me "give it a couple of nights."

I returned my attention to sky, tracing familiar constellations. The sky was perfect, and you could almost feel the night air on your face . Out of corner of my eye I could just see Wood's outline, lying next to me. The only sound was the sleeping sighs of hundreds of students, all oblivious to the breath-taking beauty above their heads.

Eventually Wood broke the silence, "are you scared?" Wood said, without looking at me.

"Scared?" I asked, trying to be indignant but failing miserably "yes" I admitted "I am a bit scared."

"I don't blame you" Wood said "I'm scared too." I turned to look at him, through the darkness I could see that his face was focused and sombre, he was staring out over the sea of sleeping bodies his mouth set in a grim line.

I wasn't sure who took who's hand. All I knew was that for a moment we interlocked our fingers and stared at out into the inky blackness of the hall, trying to supress the terror that ebbed at the back of our minds.

"Hey" Wood smiled, removing his hand "watch this." He picked up his wand which had been resting beside him. With a lazy movement he flicked it through the air. Several red and gold sparks floated in front of us, then gradually began to form a shape.

"A Quidditch player" I smiled as the creation flitted in front of my eyes. I pulled out my own wand, and did the same out of a flurry of blue and silver sparks. We watched them dance in front of us, sending them through the hall, over the sleeping figures of the students. For a while it seemed like all the fear and the darkness and the evil of the world had been shut out, guarded by those two dazzling figures.