Harry Potter and the Secret of Gairech

16. The shadows lengthen

More snow was falling and the Christmas holidays were drawing closer. In Defence Against the Dark Arts they really had managed to catch up with all the work from the fifth year, and despite the pressure, they were managing pretty well. Professor Leroux was very pleased with her class, and continued to work rapidly through the new material.

However, every Tuesday she arrived late to class, because she often waylaid Professor Snape as he descended the broad staircase. The Head of Slytherin seemed to be more and more puzzled as to why Améthyste Leroux was always so hard on his heels, but however much he thought about it, the real reason still hadn't occurred to him. By now the whole school knew about Leroux' crush on Snape and was amused by his complete lack of awareness. That morning, when Snape came down the corridor with Leroux, all the students gave him a broad grin as he walked past, and he frowned. He couldn't remember being grinned at by a whole year group before. Puzzled, he was about to continue on his way when Professor Leroux cleared her throat.

"Severus, could I invite you for coffee this afternoon? It would be a good chance for us to discuss different teaching methods for Defence Against the Dark Arts..."

The whole class held its breath, while Snape stared at his colleague as if she'd grown a second head.

"I'm sorry, but Professor Dumbledore wants to speak with me," he answered, and went on his way. Most of the class rolled their eyes, while Professor Leroux watched Snape leave with a quiet sigh of desperation. Probably she wasn't making herself clear enough... With a longing glance down the corridor, she unlocked the classroom to let her students in.

***

Harry was sitting by the fire in the common room, with Crookshanks on his knees, when Ginny burst in. Hermione looked up from the hats she was knitting for the house elves, while Ron almost spilt ink over his homework.

"Harpies!" Ginny was white as a sheet. "We just saw them. They're circling over Hogsmeade!"

The three of them looked at each other aghast. They had all secretly expected Voldemort's shadow to fall on Hogwarts sooner or later, but they were still horrified by the news.

"How many were there?" Harry asked. "A whole swarm?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, just four... But Professor Sprout saw them too... and Professor McGonagall. I've never seen them look so worried..."

By the time they entered the great hall a short time later, the news had already spread like wildfire. Everyone looked worried. Professor Dumbledore called for silence.

"I see that none of you need informing about what happened a few hours ago. And I don't need to explain to anyone that this harpy sighting is very significant, in the worst sense. For this reason I am asking all the younger students, without exception, to go home for Christmas. I'm very sorry to be driving you out of the school like this, but I have no choice. I can't have you exposed to the dangers that we now face. All first to fourth years will leave Hogwarts this Friday."

Amber sighed deeply. As a fourth year, she would have to obey Dumbledore's order. Dennis Creevey also looked gloomy.

"If, at the end of the holidays, the danger still remains or has increased, I will keep you all informed and ask you to remain at home. I hope that this won't be the case... but I want you to be prepared for the possibility."

At Dumbledore's announcement, the mood of the students, which was already gloomy, sank still lower.

***

Harry cancelled the Quidditch practice that Wednesday and he, Amber, Zacharias and Anthony organised one last meeting of Viribus Unitis. They met at the north end of the third floor as usual. Filch, who was sweeping that corridor, let loose a torrent of complaints, but the students ignored him.

"Who's staying here over Christmas?" Myriam Cau asked quietly.

The older students looked at each other.

"All of us, I think," Zacharias said. "Only Jolante's going home..."

The Ravenclaw nodded. "It's my father's birthday just after Christmas. I promised weeks ago that I'd be there."

"I'm going to miss you all," said Amber, looking around her. She looked longest at Ron, who blushed visibly. Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" his friend murmured, fighting back a grin. "What am I supposed to do when you and Hermione want me to leave you in peace?"

Harry wasn't even listening. "You!" he laughed softly. "Mr. I-hate-all-Slytherins-because-they're-sneaky-and-mean-Ronald Weasley? I don't believe it!" He burst out laughing, and several others began to giggle. Ron went scarlet and Amber gave an embarrassed cough.

Hermione, however, remained completely serious as she said, "I'm really proud of you both."

Ron blinked. "Proud? Why?"

Violetta, who had now recovered, gave a smile. "I think I know what she means..."

"In the last few years no two houses have hated each other more than Slytherin and Gryffindor," Hermione explained. "So it's wonderful to see the two of you building a bridge between us."

"Since we formed Viribus Unitis we've all got on a lot better," Ron remarked.

"And Malfoy's little gesture during that Quidditch match has made a lot more of the suspicious ones see sense," Max added.

Hermione nodded. "Absolutely. A newly formed bond that Ron and Amber can strengthen." She smiled at them both. "We're getting closer to being what we were always supposed to be... united."

"Apart from Malfoy and his dozen henchmen," Dean said. "He's never going to come round."

"I don't want him to!" Lavender snorted. "I can't stand him! But that's nothing to do with his house," she added. The Slytherins at the meeting grinned.

"Oh well..." Violetta stretched out in her chair, "a few of us have to live up to the rule that dark wizards come from Slytherin."

"There are enough dark wizards and traitors who come from other houses," Harry said bitterly. "Peter Pettigrew was in Gryffindor... and now he's a Death Eater."

"There are probably a few more from other houses," speculated Michael. "But it makes no difference... We'll stick together, right?"

He received a clear answer in the smiling faces around him.

"Maybe we could write to each other over Christmas," Elizabeth suggested. "And stay in touch... in case it's a long time before we're allowed back to Hogwarts."

"We could send each other Christmas cards," Violetta laughed.

"No presents?" Ron kidded. "I'm disappointed."

For a while the gloomy atmosphere was forgotten and they chatted together happily, switching from one anecdote to the next and laughing whole-heartedly. It was a shock to them all when the door of the room flew open and Filch appeared in the doorway, brandishing a broom. "Quarter to ten! Why the hell aren't you in your dormitories? Get out of here, now! And if I catch any one of you in the corridors in ten minute's time you'll be sorry!"

***

Two days later Hogwarts was visibly emptier. Out of two hundred and eighty students, only thirty had stayed in the castle. Besides the first four years, some of the older students had also gone home for Christmas. Some to be with their families, others because they were afraid of the harpies...

***

The first few days of the holidays were overshadowed by a sense of gloom, but nothing untoward happened. Even though Dumbledore had not forbidden the remaining students to leave the castle, no one had even considered setting foot outside, however inviting the thick layers of snow.

On Christmas Eve, as every year, Hagrid dragged four enormous Christmas trees into the Great Hall, where they were beautifully decorated. The hall itself was also decorated. The students were glad of a distraction and enthusiastically lent a hand.

Dumbledore suggested that they eat a Christmas banquet and celebrate together. "These are dark times, but we mustn't let that spoil the celebrations," he said. "I'll post guards around the castle for this evening, so we can spend the time in the great hall without having to worry."

It soon became clear who had been assigned the duty of keeping watch. Argus Filch and Mrs. Norris patrolled the corridors. Sesachar went up to the North Tower, from which he had the best view of the surroundings and also of the other towers. Hagrid and Fang were to guard the paths close to the castle, along with Firenze the centaur, who was still living in the castle after the events of the previous year.

The Great Hall was lit up brightly by numerous candles arranged on and around the Christmas trees. The food was breathtaking, and no one could resist filling their plate a second time. Only Hermione, still worried about the well-being of the house elves, thought of refusing.

"Eat!" Ron ordered her. "Look at it this way: the more we eat, the less they have to scrape out and get rid of." He pushed the tray full of chicken nuggets in front of her nose. "You can't throw something like this away!"

Sighing, Hermione surrendered and took a second helping.

After the ample meal, which disappeared as quickly as ever, Dumbledore put on some music.

"Maybe some of you will want to dance," he smiled. "But watch out for the mistletoe."

Leroux threw Snape a hopeful glance, but he was taking a sip from his goblet, completely indifferent. Sighing, she folded her hands in her lap.

With a broad grin, Ginny pulled Dean off the bench and walked out to the free floor space. Ron watched her go, sighing as much as Leroux.

"Do you miss Amber?" Harry asked sympathetically.

Ron was about to shake his head, but then he stopped. "Of course I miss her... I wonder what she's doing right now."

Hermione patted his hand reassuringly. "I'm sure she's thinking about you."

"Oh don't start with that romantic crap." Ron waved his hand dismissively. "What about you? Why aren't you dancing? Get lost and leave me and Seamus alone."

"There's no way I'm going to dance with you," Seamus grinned.

Hermione pulled Harry up from the bench. He sighed heavily. "I'm no good at dancing."

"Then you'll learn," she answered firmly. "It's not that difficult!"

Harry looked at Neville, who was also having difficulties but who was doing his best not to step on Eliane Ramos' feet, as she moved lightly around him.

After a while Harry realised that he had found dancing a lot more difficult two years ago, and that it hadn't been any fun then compared with today. It must have something to do with his new dance partner...

"Didn't Dumbledore say something about mistletoe?" he asked suddenly, as some particularly soft music started to play.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, why?"

"Where is it?" Harry looked around and she had to laugh.

"Do you really need mistletoe if you want to kiss me?"

He grinned. "I just want to do things the right way..."

At midnight, Dumbledore clapped his hands. "It's now officially Christmas morning. If you're not tired, we could open all the presents here in grand style. What do you think?"

He looked enquiringly around the hall, and as no one seemed to be tired - or at least as no one wanted to go to bed - they all nodded in agreement.

The headmaster smiled, clapped his hands again, and immediately presents started piling up under the magnificent Christmas trees.

Now the excitement rose to fever pitch. Filled with anticipation and delight, they fell on their presents. Even the teachers joined in with the unwrapping. There was a roar of laughter as Dumbledore pulled two completely odd socks from a small parcel. Harry nudged Ron with a grin. "Good old Dobby. He thinks of everything."

Before Ron could answer, his friend had been pulled away by Hermione, who was eager to thank Harry for his present, although she kept it hidden from everyone else.

Professor McGonagall looked in bewilderment at the small cat that she had extracted from a jumble of wrapping paper. It looked exactly like her animal alter ego, and meowed when she stroked its back. Shaking her head, she looked at the card that went with it. "Mr. Weasley, would you inform your brothers that their presents have lost nothing of their originality, although perhaps, fortunately, something of their horror value?"

Ron laughed. "I'll be glad to, Professor."

Snape was already making his way between the present-mad students towards the door, when Dumbledore bent over a parcel which had been left under one of the trees.

"Here's another present..." he said, looking up. "Severus?"

The ripping and rustling of wrapping paper stopped abruptly. All eyes were turned towards the artistically wrapped parcel in Dumbledore's hands.

"Leroux!" Ginny winked from between Ron and Dean. "Bet you anything."

Hermione smiled. "I think it's kind of sweet," she whispered, as Snape came hesitantly back.

"The present's for you," said Dumbledore, and his eyes twinkled in amusement behind his half-moon glasses.

Frowning, as if he were expecting some mistake, Snape reached for the parcel and stared at the label.

McGonagall, who was sitting close to Harry and Ron, murmured softly, "it's his first present since..." She looked thoughtful, trying to work it out, before shaking her head and declaring: "It's his first ever present."

Ron and Harry fought back a laugh and Hermione gave them both a violent dig in the ribs.

"Don't you want to unwrap it, Severus?" Dumbledore asked Snape, who didn't seem at all inclined to open the present in front of everyone, but who now had no choice. Surrendering, Snape opened the wrapping paper and pulled out a Slytherin scarf. Ron had to hold his sides again when he noticed that Snape's name was knitted into it. The Potions master looked around in surprise, trying to see who could possibly have given him such a present.

"Hand knitted," Améthyste Leroux said, clearing her throat modestly.

Snape looked at her as if he were unable to process this information.

Ginny smiled. "She is kind of... sweet."

"Yes," Dean murmured. "Except she's fallen for the blindest idiot in the whole school. Why doesn't she go after Sesachar? He's much better-looking."

Ginny tossed her head. "You boys wouldn't understand."

Ron stuck his head between the two of them and hissed: "Don't tell me you fancy Snape now!"

"She fancies him," his sister said, pointing at Professor Leroux, who was acting like an embarrassed teenager.

"Now all the presents have been unwrapped," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat, "I suppose it's time for us all to go to bed."

He was answered by a murmur of agreement and several yawns, and gradually they left the Great Hall, although not without casting a brief, discrete glance at Snape's scarf.

17. New Year's Eve

The week after Christmas was so peaceful that it seemed almost unreal. A ghostly silence reigned in the castle, and for the first time, Harry was glad to see Peeves on the second floor, giggling loudly and throwing chalk at Mrs. Norris, who fled hissing into Professor Leroux' office, her fur standing on end. Filch hurried past, yelling furiously, to chase Peeves out of the corridor, and bellowed at the top of his voice when Balduin, another ghost, came to the poltergeist's aid and converted the corridor into a bowling alley. Balduin bowled his wooden head along the floor, hitting a table at the end of the corridor which wobbled dangerously. With a loud crash, a vase which had been standing on the table fell to the floor, and Filch spent the rest of the day chasing Balduin through the castle with a carpet beater.

"Fourteen," Ron counted, when he heard Balduin's cackle and the ghost swept past the open door in the gallery opposite, followed by a breathless Filch.

They were sitting in the Viribus Unitis meeting room playing wizards' chess or reading. Harry was gathering information on silverfurs. To his annoyance, there was very little about them in the books he had collected. All he had been able to find out about these animals so far was that, like vampires, they couldn't stand sunlight and only hunted at dusk. He had also found out that they preferred human flesh to that of wild or farm animals. All sorts of gruesome capabilities were attributed to these mysterious creatures, and countless legends had grown up around the brave wizards who had dared to confront them, but there were no concrete facts. Discouraged, he finally pushed the books away. He stretched himself with a yawn and looked around wearily. Ron was writing a letter to Amber. Colin and Violetta were playing chess, as were Robert and Luna. Ginny and Dean were sitting close together on the broad window seat and Zacharias was trying to teach the Patil twins some spell or other. Hermione was sitting at a table with Katherine, Lavender, Hanna, Terry and Anthony, brooding over her holiday homework for Herbology, but when she saw that Harry had stopped writing she came over to him. She had just sat down next to him when four unwelcome figures appeared in the doorway.

"How enchanting," murmured Draco Malfoy with a cold smile. "The softies club. All getting very fond of each other, aren't we?"

Behind him, Crabbe and Goyle gave a foolish grin and Blaise a malicious giggle.

"Get lost, Malfoy," Ron growled, looking up from his letter. "The castle air can't be good for you. It's making you moody. Go out and get a breath of fresh air - the harpies look just as happy as you do."

"Shut it, Weasley," Malfoy hissed, staring at him crushingly. "You must have forgotten that I'm a prefect so I can take house points off you."

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. I am too. I can too. So get lost."

"Prefect!" Robert snorted from behind his chess board. "You're not a prefect any more."

Everyone looked up and stared at Malfoy. He was no longer wearing the badge on his cloak.

"Cassim Woramir is our new prefect," Max told them. "After Malfoy's sporting behaviour at the Quidditch match, Dumbledore decided to strip him of his office." He grinned, and moved out his bishop. His move was immediately countered by Luna's. "Damn it, check..."

In the doorway, Malfoy was fuming. "I'm the rightful prefect. And I'm going to..."

Padma pointed her wand at him. "Pruritus totalus" she said, and Malfoy made a face as if he had just sat down on an enormous ant hill. He began to scratch his arms frantically. Everyone in the room started to laugh at the sight of his face, which was now covered in spots.

"That bitch has hexed zits onto me!" Malfoy ground out through clenched teeth, scratching his legs.

Ron laughed loudly. "Are you sure it was the hex that did that...?"

In vain Malfoy tried to ignore the itching in his whole body, and pulled out his wand, continuing to scratch desperately with his left hand. His classmates held their sides laughing.

"Zacharias, that spell is wonderful," Pavati giggled, slapping her thigh.

Zacharias rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Okay... what can we do with Crabbe and Goyle? A force-diet spell?"

The laughter grew louder. Malfoy pointed his wand at them and his three companions did the same, but they beat a hasty retreat when the members of Viribus Unitis drew out theirs.

"I'd think twice about doing that," Max grinned. "So go on, get out."

Outnumbered, but seething with rage, Malfoy stamped out of the room, frantically scratching his sides. Again, the whole room burst out laughing.

"Those red spots suit him," Terry joked. "They form such a nice contrast."

***

It all happened on New Year's Eve. As the day drew to a close, howls rang out, close by in the twilight, and silver shadows hurried along the edge of the forest. Shadows ate their way over the land like a broad carpet, and in the sky, evil eyes gleamed between silently beating wings. The eyes were red as blood, and the pupils narrowed like a snake's.

Like Voldemort's.

Sesachar threw open the door to the Great Hall, where everyone was sitting for the evening meal.

"They're coming!" he cried. "A gigantic swarm. The sky is blacker than night."

The students jumped up from their benches in panic, Snape drew his wand from his cloak and Leroux and McGonagall leapt to their feet. The shrill scream of the harpies drowned out every other sound.

And the shadows of their wings fell over Hogwarts...

"All students to the Slytherin common room," Dumbledore commanded. "The towers and the upper floors are too exposed. Down into the dungeons! All of you!"

Everyone streamed out into the Entrance Hall. Windows were splintering on the upper floors.

They hurried down the steps into the dungeon, past the potions classroom and into a corridor on their right, which took a sharp curve into a small hall. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise went first, and as Harry and Hermione hurried around the corner into the hall, hand in hand, all they saw was a wall grinding shut at the other end.

"Malfoy!" Harry yelled, hitting the wall, which now showed no sign of concealing an entrance. "Open this door!"

"The other Slytherins are bound to know the password," Hermione tried to calm him, but Violetta shook her head. "The password was changed today. Only Lisa Lux knows it - she's the prefect."

"Where is she?" Ron looked around the crowd of students. "Where is Lisa Lux?"

The others looked at each other nervously. "She was sitting with us at the table a minute ago." Robert panicked. "What if she's still upstairs?"

"We have to go back!" Colin gasped. "What if the harpies...?"

"None of you are going back," Harry shouted, hitting the stone again with his fist. "Open up, Malfoy, or you'll regret it! You owe me your life - and I warn you, I'll...!"

With a quiet rumble the wall swung back and Malfoy stared out at them, his eyes full of hatred. Violetta pushed Ginny and Dean into the common room. "Go on, get a move on!"

"But what about Lisa?" Max wanted to know.

"I'll go and find her!" Robert said determinedly. "I can't abandon her! None of us can. Viribus Unites, or have you all forgotten?!"

Harry grabbed his shoulders and gave him a shake. "We haven't, Rob! But we can't all go. That's much too risky!" He watched the last students enter the common room. "I'll go with you to look for Lisa... Everyone else stays here."

Hermione was about to protest, but he waved her aside. "Don't say it. We'll be careful. The password, Malfoy?"

"Why do you need to know?" Malfoy snapped.

Harry clenched his fists. "We're going to find Lisa and we'll have to get back in here even if she's injured and can't speak - so, tell us the password!"

"Laureola," Malfoy said unwillingly.

Hermione gave a depreciative snort. "Who chooses your passwords?"

"That's none of your business, you disgusting little..."

"Petrificus totalus!" Robert shouted, and Malfoy crashed to the floor, frozen. "And as for your slimy supporters, Malfoy..."

Harry pulled down his arm. "Later, Rob. We have to find Lisa first."

The Slytherin nodded. "You're right. Let's go."

They stepped back from the wall and it closed again with a rumble. Harry clearly heard Hermione's anxious "Be careful!" before the wall had closed again without leaving a trace.

Robert and Harry hurried back out into the corridor and down the steps into the Entrance Hall. It seemed to be deserted, only a shimmering blue film lay across the door like a gigantic shield. Deep cracks had appeared in the oak behind it.

They ran through the double doors into the Great Hall, which was also empty. The teachers must all be in the upper floors, fighting off the harpies that were raging there. They found Lisa lying under the Slytherin table. She groaned softly. Harry and Robert exchanged a glance, then pulled her out from under the table. Lisa was holding her forehead.

"Is everything alright?" Robert asked, concerned.

"Someone bumped into me when I tried to stand up." She murmured, letting the two boys help her to her feet. Her legs wobbled. "I must have hit the edge of the table..."

"Come on, we have to get her out of here," Harry commanded, grasping Lisa under the arm. Rob had just caught hold of her too when the large window to the right of the hall was shattered. An ugly head and powerful paws pushed their way into the room.

"A harpy!" Robert cried in horror, almost stumbling.

Harry saw how violently the monster was pushing its way through the splintered wall of glass. And then the beast was inside the castle...

He let go of Lisa's arm and threw himself underneath her, on all fours. "Get on, Rob, now!" he shouted. Before the Slytherin could react to his strange advice, a black horse was standing beside him, with the exhausted Lisa on his back. She was in no state even to be surprised.

Rob jumped onto the bench as the harpy broke through the window. The black stallion gave a shrill whinny and Rob slipped onto its back. Harry resisted the temptation to rear up, and thundered away. The stone floor trembled under his hooves, and it was harder for him to accelerate than it had been in the soft meadow. But then they shot out through the double door, before the harpy lunged towards the Slytherin table where they had been standing a moment before. In the Entrance Hall, Snape was hurrying down the steps, alerted by the noise of the harpy. He stared in amazement at his two pupils on the black horse as it galloped past him, followed closely by a screeching harpy.

"Comburito!" Snape roared, and a fire-red beam hit the monster in the chest. The harpy reared up in flight, its screech rose in a shrill crescendo until a flame fire tore it apart and it crumbled into black ashes.

"What are you doing out here?" Snape shouted, storming down the last few steps. "You should be in your common room! Don't you have any idea what danger you're in... and where did that horse spring from?"

The horse swung its head around and gave a muffled, threatening whinny. Snape looked it up and down and suddenly his eyes narrowed to small slits. "I'm fully aware of your dislike for me, but thank you for pointing it out again, Mr. Potter."

The horse's ears pricked in surprise and Snape gave a cold smile.

"I should have known! Granger and Weasley were on your back as you ran away from the silverfurs, and then they appeared again with you. And the black horse that I saw in your mind, that you re-imagined because you were afraid of what I would think..."

"Severus!"

Snape spun around and stared at Dumbledore, who was standing on the top step and pointing his wand towards the double door of the Great Hall, where three dark figures had appeared, their faces hidden beneath their cloaks. They must have followed the harpy through the broken window. Two silverfurs slunk in behind them through the empty hall, growling threateningly.

The bright beam hit the first of the three men and threw him back. As he fell, he brought down the two men behind him, but one of the two was quick enough. The hall was filled with a poisonous green light. It shot past Snape, missing him by an inch, and to everyone's surprise it hit Dumbledore, who was still standing on the top step. Without making a sound, he fell to the floor.

Harry screamed, and his scream, a horse's scream which was much louder than that of a man, echoed from the walls. He reared up and felt Robert on his back catch hold of his mane and pull it hard - and the heavy blow that Snape gave him before pointing his wand at the Death Eater, who was just standing up. His hood had slipped back as he fell, and Harry recognised Goyle's father. Goyle, of all people!

Harry felt a whirl of emotions rising up inside him, a mixture of sheer desperation and a growing hatred that tightened his jaw. First Sirius, and now Dumbledore...

Snape's gaze was as cold as that of his former colleague. "Avada Kedavra!" he hissed, and the death curse made Goyle sink lifelessly to the floor. Snape used a rope charm to tie up the other two Death Eaters, who were still stunned after their fall.

"Out, Potter," he hissed. "Now! Take them to the dungeons!"

Harry, who had abandoned his horse's form, was kneeling beside Dumbledore. He did not seem at all willing to leave. Not now. "No, I..."

"Get out!" Snape thundered. "You can't make him rise from the dead. But you can save the lives of other people." He stared at him in fury. "Go!"

Harry obeyed as if in a trance. He groped around for Lisa's arm, and he and Robert took her back to the dungeon.

"Laureola," Robert cried, and the wall in front of the Slytherin common room swung back.

More than twenty pale faces stared back at them...

***

Madam Pomfrey appeared a short time later to see to Lisa. Things had quietened down in the castle.

"The harpies have gone," she told the students, while she prepared Lisa a foul-smelling potion for the shock. "The teachers are clearing away the worst of the damage, and searching the castle in case any Death Eaters of silverfurs have got in unnoticed."

"What about Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked, and his voice was hoarse.

Madam Pomfrey dropped her gaze and screwed on the lid of the potion bottle. "I wished that I would never see this day..." She stood up from Lisa's bed and went to leave the room. "You should get to sleep... all of you."

"But Madam Pomfrey..." Harry started again, and she turned around. She looked at him wearily.

"He's dead, Mr. Potter."

There was a devastating silence, and she left the room, passing through the wall into the dungeon. The students exchanged shocked, fearful glances.

Slowly they settled into the dormitories. Today no one cared about the rules. Parvati, who was trembling all over, crawled into her sister's bed. Robert lay down on the floor next to Lisa, to keep an eye on her. The remaining students found free beds, regardless of their houses.

But none of them could sleep.

Harry pulled Hermione closer to him and stared out into the dimly lit room, in which only a few candles were burning.

Professor Dumbledore was dead. And a large part of the warmth of Hogwarts had disappeared with him, together with that feeling of security and absolute safety that had comforted them before. Harry swallowed. Albus Dumbledore was the only wizard that Lord Voldemort had ever really feared. The metaphoric tower of strength, the only strong defence against the Dark Lord. The one who had held the Order together, and who had always been concerned about those in his care. The one who had fought determinedly against the Ministry's ignorance, to let the whole of the magical world know what the authorities had kept quiet due to lack of evidence and fear of a panic.

What would happen now? Would the Order of the Phoenix fall apart? Would Dumbledore's death lead to an apathy on the part of other witches and wizards, who would no longer dare to resist Voldemort? Had this moment, tonight, marked the death of the courage that had been a source of comfort and hope to them all? Had Voldemort taken the decisive step towards winning back his old power?

Now there was only one thorn left in the flesh of the Dark Lord. And this thorn was a young man who now stared forlornly into the darkness, realising how quickly he lost the people he loved and who tried to protect him. This young man felt a deep emptiness eating into his soul, leaving nothing but wretchedness. The castle had never been as cold as it was that dark night...