Hi guys, it's been busy for me, been on a cruise for new years and just got back a few days ago. Thank you to anyone who as favourite or followed this story, don't fore get to tell me what you think and review, it always helps to get feed back. Oh and don't forget to read my other story and ideas for that one will be a great help.

-Doublesims

Chapter Eighteen: Sleepover in the Great Hall.

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. Aster and Sandy went straight to Jack asking him all sorts of questions.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a though search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all the 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 immensely," 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.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"C'mon," Ron said to Harry and Hermione; they seized three sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner.

Aster grabbed three for himself and Sandy and Jack, with an eye roll. Full on knowing he and Jack won't be using them, he grabbed them just for show. They were too boxed in for the free spirit and he never slept with something over him.

'But I may lay on it, they're quite soft.' He thought as he walked over to the corner Sandy and Jack bagged. Jack looked a little jumpy.

"You alright Jack?" asked Aster.

"Um… no. Not really. It's too crowded I won't be able to get to sleep."

"You fall asleep in the workshop at North's alright."

"Err, yer in the rafters."

"Oh." Aster said just getting it; Jack can't sleep with everyone around him it's to boxed in, but just to get away like being higher he will get to sleep. "Well we'll ask Percy later, when lights out."

Sand caught their eyes, well more Jack's than Asters but they both saw the question that Sandy asked. 'Do you think Sirius is still in the castle?'

"Nar, he's long gone." said Jack.

"What makes ya think that?" asked Aster.

"He wouldn't sick around…. And you know what I have the strangest felling he's not after Harry, he's after something else."

"And you trust that felling?"

"It's kept me alive for the time I was on 'the streets'"

Aster and Sandy felt a slap across the face as they knew that 'the streets' meant the three hundred years he has been alone.

All around the Hall, people were asking each other the same question; 'How did he get in?'

Many different views went around the Hall before Percy called lights out. And the candles all went out at once.

Sandy got Percy's attention with his glowing golden sand. And he walked over about to tell them off for talking when he saw Jack sitting ageist the wall looking jumpy.

"Is he alright?"

Sandy shock his head saying in his own silent way 'no'.

"What wrong with him?"

"It's too crowded; he's not use to it, too many people around him." Aster said not looking away from the stair filled roof.

Percy bit his lip, "Is there any way around it?"

"Let him sleep in the rafters."

"What?"

"He used to sleep in trees, the rafter will calm him down enough to sleep, trust us he won't fall. He does it a lot back at home."

"Fine"

Nothing else needed to be said Jack flew straight up and found a rafter the right size and shape and fell asleep quite fast. Well it seemed so to Percy back on the floor, but Jack watched out for any trouble. All three were. Aster wanted to turn into his Pooka form ready for anything but being this close to the children he protects was a little hard. When the Prefects, ghosts and Head Boy and Girl weren't looking Sandy gave dream sand to the sleeping children round him.

The only light was coming from the silvery ghost, who were drifting about talking seriously to the Prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars, also once and while the glow of dream sand. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the Hall, it felt as though they were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quite. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, well the older ones the younger ones fell to the Sandman earlier on, Professor Dumbledore came in. Jack watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between sleeping bags, telling people off for talking. Percy was only a short way from Harry, Ron and Hermione. There was a little bit of sand that formed in font Jack 'they're not asleep' the sand formed. Jack gave a small smile of cause they're not asleep it's The Golden Three.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" asked Percy in a whisper.

"No. All well here?"

"Everything under control, thou Frost is asleep in the rafters. Sir"

"Yes Toothiana said he would. Hmm 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 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, hmm I might even see Frost and Bunnymund about helping Filch, they have a knack for paintings. You should see the paintings that they made for Ana, so realistic but they have done them Muggle style, a sign of great skill."

The door of the Hall creaked open as Snape walled over.

"Headmaster?" Snape said when he approached the two. "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 how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.

Jack saw Harry move slightly, a movement that he knows all too well. It was a movement to free his ear to hear what they were saying better. Jack gave a small smile 'he's a prankster, a son of a prankster if I remember correctly, and he doesn't know it' thought Jack. Dumbledore's back was to the three as he talked to Snape, whose profile was angry but Percy was rapt with attention.

"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, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of the conversation.

"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 the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply. "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."

Percy looked slightly abashed. Dumbledore left the Hall, walking quickly. Snape stood for a moment, watching the Headmaster with expression of deep resentment on his face, then he, too left.

Jack watched as Harry glanced sideways at Ron and Hermione, all six of their eyes reflecting the starry ceiling.

'What was all that about?' Ron mouthed, but Harry couldn't reply as the Sandman finally caught up to them.

'Sirius Black, are you friend or fiend?' Jack thought before he let Sandy take him to his dreams of snowballs and fun times. For even an immortal child needs sleep.