The Great Hall buzzed with restless chatter. With all the professors out searching for Sirius Black, the prefects of the four Houses were left to maintain order on their own.
Before leaving, Dumbledore had conjured hundreds of plush purple sleeping bags with a flick of his wand — only Dumbledore could make such a grand gesture seem so effortless. The sleeping bags were so soft that when you lay in them, it didn't feel like you were sleeping on the cold stone floor at all.
This novelty — camping out in the Great Hall — distracted many young students from the danger that had driven them there. The prefects did their best to hush the constant whispers, but the quiet gossip only built into a low hum that kept growing louder. Again and again, the prefects went around telling people to be quiet, with little success.
Only when Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick returned from their rounds and sharply scolded the whisperers did the hall finally settle down. Gradually, the students drifted off to sleep.
Unlike his clueless peers, who could only guess at half-truths and rumors, Sean — who knew exactly what was going on — fell asleep with no trouble at all. As the hall quieted, he was just about to drift off when two thunderous snores erupted beside him, echoing off the high ceiling: one low and rumbling, the other harsh and nasal. Sean's eyes flew open, red with irritation. He didn't need to look to know who it was — Crabbe and Goyle, of course.
With a resigned sigh, he sat up, drew his wand, and flicked it lightly at the pair. Instantly, the deafening snores dropped to a faint, bearable murmur. A wave of relief spread not just through Sean but through the nearby Slytherins and Ravenclaws, who had been suffering in silence.
Honestly, how did that idiot Malfoy sleep through this every night?
Sean glanced over at Malfoy, snoring softly, undisturbed as ever. Shaking his head, he tucked his wand away, lay back in his sleeping bag, and finally drifted off for real.
Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, returning for another round of patrol, caught sight of Sean's discreet spellwork. Neither said a word. If the professors said nothing, the prefects certainly wouldn't interfere — everyone at Hogwarts knew by now that Sean Bulstrode was not someone to meddle with lightly.
Percy Weasley, the newly appointed Head Boy, started to step forward when he saw Sean draw his wand — but his girlfriend, a Ravenclaw prefect, stopped him with a subtle shake of her head. Percy hesitated, then let it go.
While Sean slept peacefully, Kulkan was busy prowling the castle, searching for Scabbers.
When Ron had come down to the Great Hall, he'd left Scabbers behind. In his mind, the idea that Sirius Black — the infamous fugitive — would break into Hogwarts just to catch a rat was absurd.
But Scabbers — or rather, Peter Pettigrew — knew better.
In Hogwarts that night, besides Sean, only Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew understood the real stakes.
So when Peter Pettigrew saw all the Gryffindors being herded into the Great Hall for the night, he immediately panicked. If the students had stayed in the common room, it would have been fine — Peter knew Sirius Black well enough to be sure he'd never risk harming innocent Gryffindor students just to get to him.
But now, with the common room completely empty, Peter felt the danger pressing in on him like a tightening noose. He knew Sirius wouldn't pass up an opportunity like this. If Sirius really had managed to sneak into Hogwarts once, he could do it again — and with no one around to get in the way.
So Peter made up his mind: while the portrait hole was still damaged and unguarded, he'd slip out of Gryffindor Tower and hide somewhere else in the castle until Sirius was caught. Then he'd crawl right back into Ron's pocket like nothing had happened.
He crept out of Ron and Harry's room, his little rat paws soundless on the stone floor. He paused, whiskers twitching, eyes darting around. No sign of that wretched ginger cat. Good. Keeping to the shadows, Peter scurried toward the entrance to the common room.
But just as he was about to reach the portrait hole, he froze. A pair of amber eyes with narrow, vertical pupils gleamed at him from atop a table near the exit. Crookshanks.
Damn that cat!
Peter didn't hesitate. He spun around and bolted. The second he moved, Crookshanks sprang from the table, claws outstretched, landing with a thump where Peter had just been.
Peter tore down the corridor, tiny claws scrabbling for purchase, heart pounding in his furred chest. He darted through every crack and gap he could find, doubling back and weaving under furniture, but Crookshanks stayed right on his tail, hissing and swiping whenever Peter made the slightest mistake.
Transform into a human? Impossible. After twelve years spent as a rat, Peter couldn't imagine it. Besides, revealing himself now would be suicide — if he was caught as Peter Pettigrew instead of Scabbers, everything would be over.
Eventually, Peter squeezed through a narrow crack in the wall, pushing himself as deep inside as he could go. Outside, he heard Crookshanks scratching and pawing at the stones, but the cat couldn't reach him here.
Peter waited, trembling, until the scraping faded away. When silence finally returned, he curled up tight and forced himself to relax. He'd stay hidden here until the Gryffindors came back in the morning. Then he'd slip out, let Ron find him, and go right back to being the harmless pet no one suspected.
When dawn broke and the castle began to wake, the students returned to their dormitories, none the wiser.
Back in the Slytherin common room, Kulkan slithered through the door just as Sean came in. She looked a bit tired but otherwise unbothered.
Seeing her, Sean gave her a small smile. "Good work, Kulkan."
Without waiting for her answer, he called for a house-elf and ordered a fresh pile of food — eggs, meat, and a few magical ingredients on the side. As the food arrived, Kulkan immediately began to eat, scales gleaming as she hissed contentedly.
Between mouthfuls, she flicked her tongue and spoke to Sean. "I got into Gryffindor Tower last night — but there was only a cat, no mouse." She swallowed, then added, "But when I left, I spotted a black dog sneaking around. I followed it a little. It slipped out through a hidden passage and ran straight for the Forbidden Forest. I didn't chase it in — didn't want to be noticed."