Regulus was awake, reading by pale wand-light. There was a brutal storm raging outside, the rumbling thunder echoed through the dungeon walls and the waters of the Lake churned against the window.
He'd always hated thunderstorms. At home, he used to sneak into his brother's room and curl up beside him while they waited for it to pass. Not here. Not any more.
Beyond the dungeon three boys huddled together beneath an invisibility cloak as they slipped outside the castle, the thunder obscuring the sound of their footsteps. Though drenched they crackled with anticipation: tonight, they would complete their transformations.