Chapter 25:
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 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," said Professor Dumbledore, 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.
Skylar had her arms around her, she felt cold. Sirius Black had gotten to the Gryffindor Common room, he'd gotten all the way to the portrait, he'd gotten into the school!
"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
"C'mon," Ron said to Harry, Skylar and Hermione. The three moved, but Skylar seemed stuck, she was standing still and staring at the floor as if in a daze. Harry noticed her when she didn't move for a sleeping back and he tugged on her arm. She blinked and turned to him, her face was rather white and he frowned. She shook her head and walked past him, moving after the other two to seize a sleeping bag, before they dragged them into a corner.
She didn't say anything… she couldn't fathom words.
"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously as they sat down.
"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron.
"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. "The one night we weren't in the tower…" Skylar rested her head on her arms, looking at the floor as she was huddled in her sleeping bag. It was strange that it happened tonight, when the entire common room was empty.
"Sky," the four looked up as Nick and Leon moved over to them with sleeping bags, and they all moved slightly to allow the two to sit on either side of their sister.
"Sky," Leon frowned as he looked at the girl.
"I'm fine." She whispered and Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at her as she lowered her gaze down again. She didn't look fine, she looked as white as a sheet.
She was terrified. He got into the castle… not just the grounds, the castle! Of course he got past the dementors, he would have been a dog, but the castle? How could it be so easy?
"He got in so easily." She whispered. "What if he'd waited? We would have all been out in the halls? Or asleep in the dormitories?"
"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realise it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."
Hermione shuddered.
But if Black had come in through the front entrance, he would have heard all the noise of the feast… Skylar frowned. What if he'd been on the grounds today? When they'd all been in Hogsmeade?
All around them, people were asking one another 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 a Hufflepuff fifth year.
"He could've flown in," suggested Dean Thomas.
"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly to the four boys and Skylar.
"Probably," said Ron. "Why?"
"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," said Hermione. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those dementors." The Rosenwald children all shared a look. "They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered…"
Nick looked at his sister who caught the gaze before her eyes widened. Filch didn't know of all the passages? Was there any Black could have used?
Nick glanced at those around them and then downwards, he didn't think so, but then, Black wasn't just a wizard.
"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 from the enchanted ceiling.
Skylar lay herself down on her back, looking at the enchanted ceiling, which was scattered with stars. Nick and Leon both shared a glance over her.
Would Black know of the secret passageways? Leon wondered.
Course he does, he helped make that map remember. Nick sighed. But I don't know which he'd use, of the seven only two would be accessible, and one goes to Honeydukes, while the other has the Whomping Willow over it.
Guys… what if that is how he got in? Skylar worried.
Then why would he go to the common room though? Leon questioned confused. The feast is noisy enough, especially for dog's ears?
None of them had an answer.
Skylar's stomach was swimming with guilt. It was easy to get in when no one knew your secrets, but here they were, three children who did know, who understood, with a father and a family friend who were just as aware.
What do you think dad and Remus are doing? Skylar wondered.
Hopefully checking the secret passageways no one else knows about. Nick said.
Skylar did hope so. If they weren't going to confess, they had to at least do better.
Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Professor Dumbledore came in. Skylar hadn't been able to sleep, she had stared at the ceiling, wishing her father would appear, and wishing even more that she'd be able to talk to him. She didn't know what to do.
She wasn't the only one who was awake, Harry was too. Leon had long since crashed out, but Nick on Sky's other side was still awake also. Skylar knew Ron and Hermione weren't able to fall asleep any better than she was. All of them were secretly watching Dumbledore, as he looked around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way away from Harry, Skylar, Nick, Ron, Hermione, and Leon, who quickly pretended to be asleep as Dumbledore's footsteps drew nearer.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.
"No. All well here?"
"Everything under control, sir."
"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."
"And the Fat Lady, sir?"
"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr. Filch restore her."
The door of the hall creaked open again, and more footsteps sounded, approaching them all.
"Headmaster?" It was Snape. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."
"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"
"All searched…"
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.
Skylar frowned.
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before — ah — the start of term?" said Snape, he sounded angry, and his voice was thin.
"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.
"It seems — almost impossible — that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed —"
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.
Skylar grit her teeth. Snape was blaming Remus! Snape thought Remus would be letting Black in?! After what he did to the Potters? What, was he blaming her father as well? Just because they weren't friends when they were children?
"I must go down to the dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when our search was complete."
"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."
Footsteps sounded as Dumbledore left the hall, walking quickly and quietly. It was a moment before more footsteps sounded and Snape was clearly following. With them both gone Skylar opened her eyes. She noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione had all obviously been listening too.
"What was all that about?" Ron mouthed.
Skylar turned to Nick, he'd also been listening and she noticed he didn't look any happier than she felt.
"He's blaming Remus." She said ever so quietly, angrily, and Hermione and Ron looked at them. "He's so petty!"
"All because they didn't get along in school." Nick nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if Snape apposed to Remus and dad having anything to do with the school."
"They think Professor Lupin is helping Black?" Harry whispered. "Because they knew one another?" The two Rosenwalds nodded.
"What are you going on about?" Ron asked.
Nick and Skylar turned to see him and Hermione looking confused. Skylar sighed and looked at Harry. She looked down, turning her gaze away as she prepped herself for the next piece of information.
"My dad, when he was at school, had four really good friends." Skylar admitted "Harry's dad, James Potter, was one of them, so was Remus." She said and the two nodded. "The other two was a man named Peter Pettigrew, and the last… the last was Sirius Black." She confessed.
Hermione gasped and covered her mouth, glancing around, but Percy had moved off away from them. Ron was blinking at Skylar.
"You dad was friends with Black?!" Ron breathed. Skylar and Nick nodded.
"Not just friends, best friends. And not just best friends, family."
"You're related to Sirius Black!?" Ron demanded, struggling to keep his voice down now, so much so he had to take a breath as he glanced around for Percy.
"They're cousins." Nick admitted. "They've known one another since they were born."
"Black, dad and James Potter were all inseparable." Skylar frowned. "When it turned out that Black was on You-Know-Who's side… none of them could ever believe it. It's… it's one of the worse stains on my family."
"But your father's the head of the department catching Black!?" Hermione remembered, she looked devastated for Nathaniel.
"Dad put another in charge of it," Skylar confessed.
"And you never told us!?" Ron demanded, "Don't you think Harry deserved to know?"
Skylar bowed her head and Ron gapped. "You told Harry and not us?"
"Ron, don't blame Skylar, it's not like this is an easy thing for them." Harry mumbled and Ron huffed, but dropped it.
"Snape thinks Remus is helping Black into the castle." Nick grumbled.
"Remus would never!" Skylar snapped acidly. "None of them would ever help Black after what he did!"
"After what he did?" Hermione asked, "Killing those people?"
"Wait, you said Pettigrew?" Ron asked. "The wizard Black killed? You said they were friends with your dad?"
The two nodded.
"He killed his friend?" Hermione looked appalled, scared, surprised.
Nick and Skylar shared a look, If only that was all he'd done.