By the time Katie got back to Hogwarts, she had decided to be elated. The day with Cedric had gone wonderfully, except for the slight disorder in their meeting. She couldn't remember a better day in her life, let alone a better Halloween. She and Cedric talked all the way up to the castle. Rather, he had done most of the talking, as she kept pressing him to explain the different styles of dance. There was more variety than she had ever dreamed.
The only difficult part had come when they passed the dementors that flanked the gates. Katie felt like, once again, they were focusing their hooded faces on her, trying to suck out all the joy she felt at being with Cedric for half a day. Cedric looked at her concernedly as her face paled and she fought to ignore the now-familiar crying. Katie desperately wanted to throw herself into his arms, to be comforted with a warm hug. She managed to stubbornly fight the urge, and instead forced a taut smile to her lips. Cedric offered her another Chocoball, but she declined. It was hard to eat right after a run-in with dementors, no matter how much the chocolate helped.
When they reached the entrance hall, each assured the other that it had been a wonderful time and that they should do something else soon. After a parting handshake (which made Katie's stomach leap all over again), they parted to go to their separate common rooms to drop off their purchases before the feast. Katie ran the wonderful afternoon through her mind again and again as she made the long, serpentine trek to Gryffindor Tower.
As soon as she stepped into the warm Gryffindor common room, Angelina and Alicia bounded up to her.
"How'd it go?"
"Was he nice?"
"What did you do?"
"Does Fred have to hurt him?"
Katie shook her head. "Wait, how do you know about that?"
"What?" asked Angelina "The Weasleys threatening him? Well—"
"Let's just say we know how to make Lee talk," Alicia interrupted.
Katie looked from one to the other. It felt like there was something else there. Knowing that she would never pry it out of them, she gave up and continued.
"Okay. Second question: how much do you know?"
Angelina shot her a sideways glance. "Well, we know that he almost stood you up—"
"He did not," immediately protested Katie in Cedric's defense, "The errand he was running for his mum took longer than he thought."
"Whatever," said Angelina, glazing over the small discrepancy.
"So you two met in Honeydukes, Fred and George introduced themselves, acted like right berks—"
"I don't know if that's entirely fair, Ali."
Alicia shot her a glance. "May I continue?" she asked, with just a hint of annoyance.
Angelina rolled her eyes and motioned for her to go on.
"Fred and George pulled the protective older brother act, Lee dragged them away, and that's all we know. So what happened?"
Katie launched into the story of her highly enjoyable day. They oohed and giggled at various points. Alicia even let forth a wishful sigh as Katie recounted her impromptu dance lesson.
"I'm not sure if I believe you," said Angelina, crossing her arms and leaning back into her chair.
"Fine," said Katie, standing up. She stood in front of Angelina and offered her hand. "May I have this dance?"
"No way," said Angelina. "I am not dancing in the middle of the common room. You'll knock something over!"
"Geez, Ange!" Alicia exclaimed. "Have a little faith in your friends, will you?"
"Well, she does!" Angelina retorted.
Katie closed her eyes and forced herself to imagine Cedric was there. Once she'd gotten her body into the approximate position, she began to waltz around in a tight circle around their chairs. The steps came just as natural as they had earlier, flowing from one movement to the next without thought.
"Blimey!" said Angelina in awe as Katie twirled to a halt as smoothly as she could, ending in a dramatic pose with arms outstretched.
"Guess he really is a dance instructor," Alicia grinned.
"I never would've thought it possible," said Angelina, "You looked almost…graceful for a minute there, Kates."
Katie shot her disbelieving friend a dirty look. "Well, I guess I'm not inviting you to any dances."
"See if I care," Angelina responded, unmoved. "There are never any dances to go to anyway."
"Honestly, you are such a spoilsport, Ange!" Alicia scolded.
"Anyway," said Katie, "What did you two do after I left you?"
"Shopped a little, met up with Lee and tortured him into telling us all he knew…" said Angelina with a smirk at Alicia.
"And hung out with the Weasleys for a long time…" added Alicia, returning Angelina's smirk.
"Then ended up back here," Angelina finished anticlimactically.
"Well, thanks for all the details," Katie remarked sarcastically.
Alicia checked her watch. "We should head down to the Great Hall pretty soon. Wouldn't want to miss the feast!"
Angelina groaned. "Ugh, how can you be thinking about food after all that?" she whined.
"I told you not to eat half your chocolate," Alicia admonished.
"I know…" Angelina moaned. "But it was just so good…"
Alicia and Katie shared a knowing look. Angelina could tuck into all sorts of food like nobody's business, but sweets were her huge weakness. Very few Hogsmeade weekends went by without her overdosing on something, from Cockroach Clusters to Fizzing Whizbees. This time it was particularly detrimental, since she would be skimping on the Halloween feast as opposed to a normal supper. The three fell into the ever-growing stream of students heading out of the portrait hole and down to the Great Hall.
When they entered the cathedral-like hall, they found it decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, from pint-sized to the enormous ones Katie had seen Hagrid tending to earlier. Bright orange streamers rippled with the breeze created by the cloud of live bats that flitted around the hall beneath the enchanted ceiling, which had become dark and stormy. The three friends sat together at the Gryffindor table. Fred, George and Lee took seats across from the girls, while Katie was joined on her other side by Oliver, with Percy straight across.
"I trust you all had a good time in Hogsmeade?" Percy asked with his nose up in the air.
"Oh no, no fun at all in Hogsmeade," Angelina deadpanned, "all that time away from our OWL work was just horrible. I feel like I'll never catch up now!"
"I'm glad you realize how important your studies are," said Percy, readjusting his horn-rimmed glasses, "I'm sure you could set up a study session for the next Hogsmeade trip."
Katie bit her lip to keep from laughing. She knew Angelina was joking, but Percy was perfectly oblivious. She glanced at Alicia and saw she had bit her hand to keep from bursting with laughter. Looking back at Percy, she saw he had now moved on to a conversation with the seventh year on his other side.
"You know," said Alicia, "I can't think of a better way to spend Halloween."
"Me neither," Katie agreed. She shared a grin with her friends as they caught her double meaning.
"They should've done this last year," said Lee.
"I wonder who decides when we get to go?" Angelina mused.
"Probably Dumbledore," Fred answered her.
"That might be why they never make much sense," she replied.
Katie smiled at the idea of Dumbledore in his office, throwing darts at a calendar to decide which weekends would be Hogsmeade visits. Then it occurred to her that Dumbledore was a pureblood wizard and might not even know what darts were.
"I think Dumbledore is an exceptional wizard!" announced Alicia.
"That doesn't mean he has to make sense," insisted Lee.
"Remember what Harry told us, Fred, about Dumbledore wanting socks for Christmas?"
The other twin nodded. "He can have the next pair Mum knits me, if he wants."
"I'm sure your mother wouldn't like to catch wind of that," Angelina joked.
"Aww let her. I've got enough jumpers and socks to fill my trunk."
The hall quieted as Dumbledore himself rose from the head table and lightly clapped his hands together.
"A Happy Halloween to you all!" he said in his soft voice that somehow still filled the hall. "I'm sure the older students had a pleasant time in Hogsmeade, and I trust you did not fill yourself too much on sweets."
A few snorts and giggles rose throughout the hall at this remark. Angelina gripped her stomach and groaned quietly. Oliver looked back to her, concernedly. Katie caught his eye and mouthed "She's okay." That seemed to satisfy him, because he turned back.
"I am just as confident that our younger students enjoyed a day of celebrating with their friends. And now, enough of an old man's rambling. Enjoy the feast!"
As he raised his hands, the golden platters and bowls magically filled themselves with dish after mouth-watering dish, all steaming hot. Katie immediately placed a large helping of roast beef onto her plate before reaching quick as lightning to nab a soft, buttery roll.
"Pass the pumpkin juice, please," she said to Oliver, nudging him as he set down a large bowl of mashed potatoes. She took a large bite of her roll as he reached down the table for the large flagon and passed it back to her.
"Tanks," she said thickly around her mouthful of food.
Oliver chuckled. Katie looked rather cute with her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk. "Didn't get enough to eat in Hogsmeade?" he inquired with an amused smile.
Katie shot him a dirty look as she struggled to swallow. "Are you always telling me that a Quidditch player needs to eat?"
Wood opened his mouth then closed it again. Katie looked at him triumphantly.
"But that doesn't mean you get to skip meals," he added after she had gone back to her food.
"I didn't!" she protested.
Oliver looked at her skeptically. "Well, from the way you're eating—"
"You expect sugar quills to stick to the ribs, do you?" Katie queried. She was a bit frustrated that she was being treated like a child who didn't eat their vegetables.
"I don't suppose dance lessons had anything to do with it, either?" Angelina asked quietly. Katie covertly stomped on her friend's foot underneath the table and prayed that Oliver hadn't heard.
"Dance lessons?"
Katie's stomach plummeted. She didn't want to start telling about her date with Cedric. Someone else was bound to overhear. The way news—especially secrets and scandals—traveled in this school, a good lot of the students would already know about her date with Cedric. That she had been prepared for, but the last thing she wanted was for word of their private dance lesson to get out. On the other hand, she couldn't just lie to Wood, could she?
"Um, yeah, dance lessons," Katie mumbled as her mind raced through her options. She quickly settled on a white lie. "Yeah. I had one today. I thought I might try it out. You know, to improve my balance. You know, for, um, Quidditch..."
"Well, I admit that's rather unorthodox…" Oliver commented around a small piece of food which he chewed thoughtfully. "But, you know, it just might work. Who did you say was giving you lessons?"
"Madam Puddifoot," Katie lied outright. She realized that was a bad choice the instant after it left her mouth. Madam Puddifoot's tea shop was quite a popular locale for Hogwarts couples. She would've been managing the store the whole time.
"Really?" he asked curiously.
"She mostly talked to me about it, really. Didn't do much because the shop was so busy," she said quickly. "I knew I should have done it over the summer, so I'd have more time, you know?"
"Yes, that would have been a bit more helpful, I think," said Oliver, going back to his meal.
Katie was glad to tuck into her food as well. If Oliver asked any more questions, she was sure she'd trip up on something. Angelina nudged her surreptitiously. Katie looked up, and then noticed that Alicia was staring at her too.
"Puddifoot?" Alicia mouthed.
Katie shrugged her shoulders and gave her a what-was-I-supposed-to-say look. If anyone noticed this peculiar exchange, they didn't mention it. Rather, the Weasley twins' soon captured the attention of everyone by discussing just what they would like to do to Mr. Filch, who attempted to confiscate half of their Zonko's purchases. Katie was thankful (not for the first time) that she had never been at the wrong end of their pranks.
The feast ended with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding. Their semitransparent, pearly forms were a beautiful contrast to the inky background of the enchanted ceiling. Peeves, of course, did his best to spoil it by chucking a few pumpkins at an unfortunate group of second year Ravenclaws. Dumbledore smiled serenely at the head table as a glaring Professor McGonagall banished the poltergeist from the hall with a rather powerful spell and Slytherin's Bloody Baron roared after him. The other ghosts, however, seemed unperturbed by this whole incident and kept the show going. Soon afterwards, Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading. The Gryffindor table in particular erupted into enthusiastic applause as he took a bow with his head lolling off to the side of his partially-severed neck.
As the silvery forms of the ghosts once again disappeared into the walls and floors, Dumbledore rose from his seat once again. Quiet spread through the student body in a wave, and soon all eyes were fixed on the headmaster.
"After such a marvelous feast, I should think that you all are quite tired."
There was a rumble as students assented.
"I hope you enjoyed the Halloween festivities. Unfortunately, all things must pass. Classes start again at the usual hour tomorrow morning. I must, therefore, ask you all to return directly to your dormitories. A pleasant night to you all."
All of the students recognized the dismissal. Loud scraping sounded throughout the hall as students rose, pushing the long wooden benches back across the stone-flagged floor.
"I think I can go into hibernation now," said Alicia as she stood up, stretched, and yawned.
"I can't think of a better way to spend Halloween," said Angelina, patting her stomach.
"I can't believe you not only ate dinner, but pudding too!" Alicia exclaimed.
"What happened to being full of sweets, Ange?" Katie asked with a gleeful smirk.
"Didn't I ever tell you I have a separate stomach specially reserved for Mother's cooking and Hogwarts' feasts?" Angelina grinned.
Katie shook her head. "I don't know where you put it all."
The three followed the other Gryffindors out into the entrance hall and up the white marble staircase, on the well-treaded path up to the Fat Lady.
"Katie! Katie!" called a chorus of high voices. Katie turned to see her dorm mates rushing up to her. She cast an apologetic look to Alicia and Angelina, who understood and pressed on.
"Merlin almighty, Katie!" said Chloe.
"What is it?" Katie deadpanned. She smiled inwardly as they all stopped in shock before realizing she was only playing dumb.
"Don't even try to pull that one, missy," Rhea warned.
"You and Cedric Diggory!" Rose exclaimed aloud, almost as if she couldn't believe it.
"Why…How…When did he ask you?" pressed Rhea.
"I'm so happy for you, Katie," Leanne told her, clapping a congratulatory hand on her shoulder.
"You have to tell us everything," Chloe said.
"Pity, I don't seem to remember much…"
Rose nudged her playfully in the side. "Come on, Katie!"
"Alright. We met at Honeydukes, sat for a while in front of the post office, and then went to the Three Broomsticks."
"And what happened?" Rhea inquired.
"Nothing."
"Oh, come on, something had to have happened!" said Rose.
"No. We just talked."
"So...so you're not even an item or anything?" Chloe demanded.
"Nope."
"I don't believe it," said Rhea. "You didn't do anything wrong, did you?"
"Rhea," Leanne spoke with an admonishing tone of voice, "how do you know they weren't just going as friends?"
Katie appreciated that Leanne had stepped in on her behalf. On the other hand, she didn't like what she had just heard. Could Cedric not have any interest in her? Were they just going to be friends? Katie knew it could be worse. But it also could be much, much better. She disappeared into her own thoughts as they continued up to Gryffindor Tower.
When they reached corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, however, they found it jammed with students. The portrait seemed to be closed.
"What's going on?" Rhea voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, as he came bustling importantly through the crowd. Katie slipped behind him and followed him up towards the front of the crowd, ducking to the side when she spotted Angelina and Alicia. Percy, however, continued pushing his way through saying, "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password—excuse me, I'm Head Boy--"
"What's going on?" Katie asked as she sidled over to Angelina and Alicia.
"We just got here a minute ago," Alicia replied.
A silence fell over the crowd, sweeping back in a wave that started at the front so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."
Katie didn't like the tone in Percy's voice. She had known him over three years, and knew it took a lot to pull his head down from the clouds. People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tip-toe.
"Great Merlin!" breathed Angelina, herself standing on tip-toe to look around the crowd of rather large sixth year boys in front of them.
"What is it, Ange?" Alicia asked worriedly.
Angelina simply shook her head. "You have to see for yourself," she replied.
A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through. Katie took the opportunity to get around the sixth years when Dumbledore swept past her, Alicia and Angelina. When she looked up, she drew in a sharp breath.
"See?" Angelina asked gravely.
The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.
Dumbledore took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned, his eyes somber, to see Professors McGonagall, Lupin and Snape (who, to Katie's annoyance, had pushed her out of the way quite rudely) hurrying toward him.
"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."
McGonagall nodded and quickly swept back out through the mass of students.
"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.
It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.
"He better not have—"Angelina started, clenching her fists.
Alicia put her hand on Angelina's and shook her head. She knew this was no time for rash actions. Something was amiss. Katie caught Alicia's glance and nodded. She needed to be ready to help if Angelina snapped.
"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves' grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead, he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.
"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing," he added unconvincingly.
"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.
"Oh, yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."
A collective gasp issued from the crowd, accompanied by several shrill screams. The Gryffindors panicked. Sirius Black, the wanted murderer, had been in the castle and trying to get into their dorms! Angelina's fists unclenched and dropped to her sides, her mouth agape. Alicia's eyes were opened wide; her pretty complexion was turning a ghostly pale. Katie twitched as she felt every muscle in her body tense up as if an electric current was passing through. Two of the first year girls were crying and screaming hysterically nearby.
"Calm down every one, please," said Dumbledore, raising his hands.
Many of the older students fell silent, but the two first years were still panic-stricken.
"Listen to the Headmaster," ordered Lupin kindly, placing his hands on their shoulders.
The two of them looked at him with tears in their eyes, but obeyed and fell silent.
"My most profuse regrets," Dumbledore spoke calmly, as always. Katie felt just a little calmer, hearing the Headmaster talk with a level head. "I must insist that you return to the Great Hall immediately."
If anyone groaned, it was very quietly. Katie's desire for her usual, soft, four-poster bed had disappeared. In its place was a bundle of nervous energy and her warm, delicious dinner felt like it had turned to lead in her stomach. She was sure the others felt the same.
The corridor slowly emptied as the crowd tore their eyes from the maimed portrait and made the same, serpentine journey back down to the Great Hall. They were joined there ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused. Some were wearing their school robes over sets of pajamas.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all the doors to 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 edged of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundred 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.
"Everyone to their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
Katie looked for Cedric, but was disappointed when she couldn't see him in the mass of Hufflepuff students. She would have loved some reassurance from him…
"Over here, Kates," called Alicia.
Katie rose out of her reverie and headed over towards her friends. Angelina, Alicia, Fred, George and Lee were already grabbing some of the purple sleeping bags and arranging them into a circle so they could put their heads together and talk. She took a place between Angelina and Alicia.
"How did he get in?" she asked, sitting on her bag.
"Wouldn't we all like to know?" Alicia responded. She was still rather pale.
"You alright, Alicia?" Lee asked her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I'll be alright," she replied, forcing a smile onto her face.
"I can't believe this!" Angelina burst out. "How could he have got in? We're surrounded by dementors!"
Fred and George exchanged a furtive glance. Katie caught it, but Angelina was still too busy fuming. And Alicia wasn't her usual observant self. Maybe she needed to recover some of her mental capacity after that huge shock.
"What do you two know?" Katie asked suspiciously.
George's face twitched ever so slightly after realizing they'd been caught. "Nothing to worry your pretty little head about, Kates," he replied jovially.
Katie crossed her arms. "You never call me 'Kates,'" she told him.
Angelina was suddenly in the conversation as well. "You know something," she said decisively.
"Never!" said Fred.
"We are but two humble—"
"Humble my foot," grumbled Katie.
"Tell us," pressed Alicia.
"Oh, it's nothing, really…" Fred spoke, looking up at the enchanted ceiling to avoid meeting anyone's eyes.
"No it's not. I know that face," Angelina argued.
"You're hiding something," affirmed Katie, "Spit it out."
"Well, let's just say we know some of the secret entrances to this place," said George dismissively, gesturing with his hand.
"Of course you—" Katie started. Then it hit her. "Oh."
"D'you…think he got in that way?" asked Angelina.
"You should tell Dumbledore," Alicia told them. "He might not know about it, and if Sirius tries to get in here again…"
Fred shook his head. "You've got to be mad, woman!"
"Hey!" said Alicia defensively.
"You want us giving away all our secrets?" George inquired bitterly.
"She has a point," Lee spoke quietly. "What if he's using it to get in?"
"Traitor," muttered George.
"Just listen to me!" Lee responded. "I'm not saying you go straight to Dumbledore, but—"
"You there!" Percy called over to them. "Be quiet! I mean it!"
"Stupid blighter," Fred grumbled.
"I think he was adopted," commented George thoughtfully.
"And where else would you find someone with such flamingly red hair?" came a deep voice from behind Katie.
She turned and craned her neck up to see Oliver Wood clutching his own sleeping bag. He smiled and stepped over to between Lee and George.
"Budge over," he said, and laid his bedding down between them.
"To what do we owe this great honor?" asked Fred.
"That featherbrained brother of yours won't leave me alone just because I filled his lovely Penelope in before he did. It's his own fault he was too busy snapping at those Slytherins," Oliver grumbled.
"Any conspiracy theories, Oliver?" Angelina inquired.
"No, and I don't care as long as they don't cancel Quidditch for the second year in a row."
"Typical," George muttered.
"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"
There was a rustling as everyone clambered into their sleeping bags. The candles all went out at once.
Alicia casually bumped into Katie. "Necklace!" she whispered.
Katie noticed the veiled glow coming from beneath her robes. Luckily, the others didn't seem to have noticed yet. She quickly unclasped it. The gleaming ceased immediately. Stowing it in her robes pocket, she leaned surreptitiously to Alicia and whispered a quick "thanks."
The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars.
"We should do this more often," sighed Katie as she gazed up at the constellations glimmering above her.
"Ye—yeah," replied Angelina while stifling a yawn
"Look! There's Sirius." Katie said, pointing up.
"What!" all of her friends cried, sitting up straight. "Where?"
Percy stopped in his tracks and began striding over to them.
"Not Sirius Black! The star. Right there," Katie replied calmly, pointing again to the constellation Canis Major.
"Oh," Angelina said as she flopped back down. "You are so strange sometimes, Kates. 'Look! There's Sirius.' Honestly…"
"Lay off," said Oliver. "I'm glad there's at least two of us not worrying ourselves to death."
"I think the OWL-year stress is just getting to them," joked Katie.
"If you won't shut up I will personally make sure you all get detention for a week!" hissed Percy as he finally reached them.
"Well, sweet dreams to you, too," responded Fred, pulling the sleeping bag over his head.
"Shove off, Perce," George said, before disappearing into his bag as well.
Katie was pretty sure Percy shot them a dirty look, though she couldn't tell because the light was so dim. In any case, he stalked away and resumed his prowling between the sleeping bags, every so often telling people off for talking.
Katie decided that it was about time for her to catch some shut-eye herself. She snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag. Her eyes drooped and she felt herself succumb to her unrealized exhaustion. It had been a long day. First, the anticipation, the waiting. Then the disappointment of feeling stood up. Then the elation when Cedric had finally caught up with her. Her rendezvous with Cedric seemed like ages ago. How could it possibly have been just earlier today? All that plus the shock of finding out a mass murderer had snuck into Hogwarts and tried to get into her House, and it made for one rollercoaster of a day.
"Good night," Katie mumbled as she was enveloped by wonderful sleep.
"Good night, Katie."
