Chapter 53: Anything Different (1/2)

The Hall was buzzing excitedly; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened. Chris saw Colin, Luna and Ginny in a corner. She joined them.

”What happened? Why Professor Dumbledore called you?” Colin asked.

”Nothing special,” Chris replied casually.

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

They climbed fully dressed in their sleeping bags.

”So Sirius Black wanted to enter the Gryffindor tower?” Luna whispered from her sleeping bag. ”I hope there are no nargles, here.”

”Yes. I wonder what Sirius Black wanted to do here? You've any idea Chris?” Ginny whispered back.

”I'm thinking about the same thing,” Chris replied.

”But how did he get in here?” said Colin surprised.

The four of them were sleeping a little far from the rest. All around them, people were asking each other the same question: ”How did he get in?”

”Maybe he knows how to Apparate,” said a Ravenclaw a few feet away. ”Just appear out of thin air, you know.”

”Disguised himself, probably,” said a Hufflepuff fifth-year.

”He could've flown in,” suggested Dean Thomas.

”Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?” Chris heard Hermione saying.

”Probably,” said Ron. ”Why?”

”Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know,” said Hermione. ”There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just Apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those Dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in, too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered. . .”

”He fooled the Dementors once. I don't think it's difficult to do it again,” said Chris a little loudly so that Hermione can hear her.

Hermione turned towards her. ”Probably.”

Nowadays, Hermione was talking normally with Chris. She said that she was angry with Ron and snapped at Chris. After that they were good.

”The lights are going out now!” Percy shouted. ”I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!”

The candles all went out at once. 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. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the Hall, Chris felt as though she was sleeping out of doors in a light wind. Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the Hall to check that everything was quiet. Around three in the morning, when many students had finally fallen asleep, Chris still wasn't able to sleep at all. She was staring at the enchanted ceiling, feeling she was watching the sky.

'Why Professor Dumbledore asked me if something is wrong? There are teachers, head boys, girls and Prefects then why he asked me to keep an eye on Harry and the castle. Though it's not possible for me to watch the entire castle if he asked me to then I've to do something about this.'

Chris was thinking about Sirius Black when Dumbledore came in. Chris watched him looking around for Percy, who had been prowling between the sleeping bags, telling people off for talking.

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

”No. All well here?”