Everywhere, Everything

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.

"Hey," said Cedric Diggory, approaching Tigerlily with a frown. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

She and Cedric had shared correspondence during the summer, but had differing and busy schedules that had not allowed them to see each other at school until now. So, thanks, Sirius Black.

"Hi," said Tigerlily. "I'm fine. The Pink Lady's gone. They're saying... well," — she lowered her voice — "that Sirius Black broke into the castle and attacked her painting when she wouldn't let him into Gryffindor Tower,"

Cedric's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth, no doubt to start asking questions Tigerlily did not have the answers to, when Professor Dumbledore spoke.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," he told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all 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 immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud of himself. "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 later, the long tables left their usual formation and flew to the edges of the hall, propping themselves up against the walls; with another wave, hundreds of very-comfortable-looking purple sleeping bags covered the floor.

"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door after him.

The hall began to buzz excitedly the moment he was gone; the Gryffindors were telling the rest of the school what had just happened.

"Did you see him?" Cedric asked her, whirling around to face her and looking at her friends for their answers, too. "Black, I mean."

All four third-years shook their heads.

"Nobody did — except for the Pink Lady," Tigerlily explained. "But they're saying he — "

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

"Tell me some other time, yeah?" Cedric offered, smiling at her and giving her shoulder a light squeeze. His friends had already found a spot to settle down in and were waving him over. "We need to catch up!" he added over his shoulder as he hurried in their direction.

Tigerlily nodded, scanning the rest of the hall for Oliver, who she spotted talking with Fred and George, and for Colin, who she saw sink into one of the sleeping bags by himself.

"I'll be with my brother," she said to her friends, who didn't seem to mind much as Ron said,

"We'll come with,"

They picked up four sleeping bags and dragged them to the secluded area Colin had chosen for himself.

"Hey," Tigerlily said, laying hers down next to his.

"Hey," Colin echoed, looking up at her and her friends, who were all doing the same. They gave them a little privacy, though, setting down their sleeping bags a few feet away from them and climbing, fully-clothed, into them.

Tigerlily watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione dive into a hushed, urgent conversation, clearly not thinking of sleeping at all. She turned back to her brother, and, just as she had for the last eleven months, felt guilt.