Dumbledore led the Weasley's and Grangers out of his office, down the spiral staircase and out of the Gargoyle that guarded his abode. The first thing he noticed was how silent the school seemed to be which was unusual as Hogwarts housed over one thousand students. The second thing he saw was how empty the portraits looked. It was as though all figures had upped and left their canvases. It wasn't unusual to see an empty frame as the characters often visited their friend's frames, but as he descended the moving staircase (to the Grangers amazement), he had yet to see a single portrait, or ghost or a living person. It was like everyone and thing had just gone, vanished.
After descending two flights he stairs they heard the first sound of life in the castle. It was a muffled sounding moan followed by a few sniffles; it sounded as though someone was crying but was trying as hard as possible to mute the sound for fear of been heard. By this point, both Dumbledore and the Weasley's had drawn their wands as it was painfully apparent that something was up within the castle. Moving towards the sound, they came upon the statue of Boris the Bewildered, behind which the sounds were coming.
Approaching the statue, Dumbledore used his wand to move it to the side as the gap behind it was too small for an adult to fit. Behind the statue was a first-year student who screamed at the sight of them, sobbing uncontrollably. Mrs Weasley moved forward kneeling onto the floor.
"Hello dear, I'm Molly Weasley, what's your name?" She asked the terrified boy in a way that only a mother could, offering an immediate soothing effect on the boy.
"Alex Harding." He told her as he launched himself into her welcoming embrace.
"Alex, can you tell us why you're crying and where everyone else is?" Dumbledore asked kindly.
"I don't know what happened, I got lost on the way to dinner and decided to go downstairs and see if I could find anyone to help me. I was about to go down to the next floor when I heard screaming for help from downstairs. It was scary, and then there was the sound of laughter and more screaming. The torches went out, and then there was silence." They came back on, but I was scared, so I went behind the statue and stayed here until you found me." He told the adults his voice was quivering.
"It's ok Alex; we'll go down and see what's happened. Right now, please stay here where you will be safe and someone will come and get you when we've checked the lower floors, the statue is going to protect you so your safe, ok Alex." Dumbledore said as he waved his wand and said one spell every Hogwarts professor wanted to say but at the same time dreaded as it was only to be used for the protection of the school.
"Piertotum Locomotor" and so saying the statues came to life ready to defend their school.
Knowing that Alex would be safe protected by the statue the adults continued down the Moving staircase to the 4th floor. This floor wasn't as deserted as the floors above nor was it as silent. There was a littering of students on the floor, battered, bruised, and disfigured. The Grangers gasped at the sight before them whilst Dumbledore and the Weasley's set about reviving those in the corridor.
Once revived and any serious injuries had been fixed Dumbledore once again asked what had happened. This time they received more of a reason than that of Alex's account. A second year by the name of Amy told them what had happened.
"We were at dinner when Ginny Weasley came in with two children, they sat down and started eating but the little girl started shouting about wanting cookies. Ginny wouldn't let her, so she attacked her and, in the attack, the little boy managed to cause a fire. I don't know how it happened but suddenly the room was filled with smoke and all the banners were on fire. Professor McGonagall made her voice loud with a spell and ordered the younger students out of the hall whilst the teachers and the Sixth and Seventh years stayed behind to put out the flames. Somehow the children got hold of wands and they were casting spells. They transfigured people into animals and froze the ghosts. Spells were going off everywhere and no one could stop them. We fled. People were barricading themselves in classrooms and refusing to let others in. Loads of people went down to the dungeons and the children followed. We heard screaming but I don't know what happened because we were knocked out by something from behind." Amy told the adults.
The parents were fuming after Amy's explanation but right now their priority was to find the monsters and ensure the safety of the staff and students of Hogwarts. They left the students in a nearby classroom and Dumbledore ordered another statue to defend the students inside. Though they would need to be returned to their natural states later, it sounded as though the students further down the school were in more danger than been dyed pink or having a horn sticking out of their forehead.
The third floor was much the same as the fourth but on this floor more students had made it into the classrooms and had indeed as Amy had said barricaded themselves in. After treating those in the corridor, the adults knocked on the doors to gain access, but no one would allow them entry for fear of been targeted again. Due to this, they were directed up to the fourth floor where they were to take refuge in the classroom next to the one where Amy and the others were.
Upon reaching the second floor, they came across the first member of staff. Professor Babbling. She along with multiple students were stuck in solidified marshmallows and had grown rabbit ears.
"Oh Albus, thank goodness. I don't know what happened but children, children are running rampage and we can't free ourselves. I've tried everything, and we grew sick of eating our way out. The screams were horrible; I don't know what's happened down there, but it's gone so quiet." She told him in a panicked hurry.
"Relax my dear Bathsheba, we shall have you out in a jiffy. I'm afraid you and the students will be quite sticky but nevertheless, you shall be free. Once we've melted the marshmallow you should conduct a thorough search of the upper floors taking any willing sixth or seventh years with you to help those in most need and get all students to a safe place, might it be best to move them to one of the towers. A first year by the name of Alex has been left behind the statue of Boris the Bewildered ensure you find him." He said as he melted all the marshmallows so freeing all those trapped.
"Of course, Albus, but what will you be doing?" She asked.
"The Weasley's, Grangers and I shall go down and help those below whilst trying to find their offspring who I'm afraid are the course of all this trouble." Dumbledore told his Ancient Runes Professor who wished them to luck as they continued down to the entrance hall of the castle.
The entrance hall was like a war zone, bodies littered the ground in different states of transfiguration and with all manner of injury's that shouldn't be received on the first day back at school.
Thick black smoke was billowing out of a hole where the doors to the Great Hall once stood. Each of the four hourglasses stood smashed their gems littering the floor to the entrance hall. The doors leading outside were wide open, evidently, some students and perhaps staff had found refuge outside. Burns marred the walls, and Peeves the poltergeist was frozen in mid-air an expression of horrified fascination on his usually mischievous transparent face.
Professor Snape was hanging from thick chains binding him in place whilst bat wings protruding from his back fluttered helplessly in his desperate bid for freedom.
Molly rushed forward at the sight of a familiar mop of red hair, kneeling at the side of her only daughter covered in burns, hair matted and complexion pale. Unlike many of the occupants of the entrance hall, she appeared to have gotten off lightly, without any extra transfigurations. Been pulled out of their shock at Molly's movement both Arthur and Dumbledore began to revive those within the hall, stemming bleeds and heeling burns. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to fix everything as screams emerged from the dungeons below accompanied by the sound of rising water.
The adults moved quickly, along with the aid of Professor Snape whose wings still flapped angrily, a slightly plumper more orange looking professor Flitwick, and a fuming Ginny Weasley, who refused to stay behind after all the entire mess was her fault because she'd taken the children to the great hall after she was told not to by Madam Pomfrey. They headed into the depths of the castle, leaving some sixth and seventh years to check out the Great Hall and move everyone up to the higher floors.