The feast had finished, the last apple pie had safely disappeared back to the kitchens, and only a few of the student body left.
There was a sudden stillness from a group of second year Gryffindors as Dumbledore passed out of the room, sucking on a bag of Peppermint Shoots, but once he had gone they began to renew their efforts to change the Slytherin table a fetching rose pink. This, of course, didn't work.
Ginny, Colin and Luna looked on interest, Ginny wrapping a purple strand round her finger thoughtfully.
"They're never going to manage it," said Ginny, "but do you think we should tell them about the ancient protection spells stopping any harm being done to the tables?"
"No," replied Colin. "It's a good teambuilding exercise, and just look how much fun they're having."
This comment was directed at a plump, uncommonly red-faced Gryffindor who was currently shouting happily at the top of his lungs towards the table, waggling his fingers.
The trio stood looking at them, Colin and Ginny calling out what the group thought was serious advice, but was in fact just advice that was funny to watch. Luna sat down on a bench, her brow screwed up in thought.
Suddenly she clicked her fingers, and said to no one in particular, "I must remember to redo my transfiguration homework. It was stolen by Nargles, you know."
Neither of her friends were listening, for the Gryffindor table had turned a sudden blushing pink, and the group of second years were now beginning to have a heated discussion about who had done such a dreadful deed, and why they hadn't done it on the Slytherin table instead.
"Well that's a pretty poor show, I must say." Said Ginny, angrily, "Why would a Gryffindor want to do that?"
"It wasn't very noble at all!" Colin broke in, and together they marched over to the little group to have a little talk with them.
When somebody finally caught sight of Mrs Norris sauntering down corridor, and the occupants of the room were sprinting down the corridors at top speed, nobody even thought to wonder where Luna had gone.
It was a little while before Luna decided it was safe enough for her to go and make her report. She slipped through her final tapestry (a pumpkin selling glass slippers) and flew across the room, wings beating like pixie fingers, keeping to the darkest corners.
There was a peculiar, heavy thump, and she stood in front of the gargoyles to whisper, almost silently, "Peppermint Shoots" and climbed the winding staircase to the very last stair.
She knocked softly on the heavy wooden door, and watched carefully as a shadow skittered behind it and stopped in front, and the door swung wide on oiled hinges.
She stepped in, smiled dreamily at Dumbledore, and turned to face her father, standing, as always, in one of the darkest corners of the room.
"I think I know, now."
The door swung shut behind her.