Ten minutes meant ten minutes.
Perhaps wanting to assert his authority as Head Boy—and bask in the thrill of power—Percy Weasley paced back and forth with great enthusiasm. And, just as he had warned, exactly ten minutes later, every candle in the Great Hall went out on the dot.
Draco suspected Percy might already be regretting that ten minutes wasn't longer, since it gave him less time to stand proudly and soak in the attention of the younger students.
Others might not have noticed, but Draco had seen him touch the badge on his chest more than once.
In truth, Percy had no idea that his behavior was being quietly mocked by his younger brothers. Nor did any of the students lying in their purple sleeping bags pay him much attention.
The only things visible in the dim hall were the wide, curious eyes of the little wizards, their gazes darting between their classmates and the dark entrances, as if Sirius Black might burst in at any moment, wand in hand.
The only light left came from the silver glow of the ghosts floating around the Great Hall. Aside from the mischievous Peeves and a few reclusive spirits like Moaning Myrtle, nearly every ghost in Hogwarts had gathered to help.
They glided through the hall, speaking solemnly with the prefects of each house. With all the professors out searching for Sirius Black, it was up to these sleepless spirits to watch over the students resting in the Great Hall.
Even so, the young wizards—caught between excitement and fear—found it hard to sleep. Their whispered conversations never stopped...
...
Setting aside any potential danger outside, this was certainly an unusual experience.
Even Pansy couldn't fall asleep right away. In fact, to her, it was a rare opportunity.
"So beautiful."
"..."
Draco, still mulling over why Sirius Black would risk exposure for this, turned his head in puzzlement at the soft words. Pansy sat beside him, eyes wide open, clearly far from sleepy.
Following her gaze, Draco saw the ceiling above—a magical expanse reflecting a star-filled sky that looked just like the world beyond the castle walls.
It was a view bathed in starlight, and it was easy to see why Pansy was entranced.
Still...
"In a situation like this, you're probably the only one who'd still be in the mood to admire it. Well... maybe not the only one."
A thought of a certain odd girl crossed Draco's mind, and his confident tone wavered slightly.
But Pansy, distracted by the stars, didn't quite catch his words. She only rolled her eyes playfully at him through the darkness.
She wasn't some inexperienced girl—it just depended on who she was with.
Pansy pouted. "It's not like anyone's trying to break into Slytherin. What's there to worry about?"
"The boss lady's right," Goyle said. "I'd bet those Ministry people are after Potter. Everyone says Sirius Black was the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. Wanting revenge on Potter wouldn't be a surprise."
His words made the group exchange thoughtful looks. Something about it felt off, but it wasn't an impossible theory.
"But doesn't it seem strange to you?" Pansy asked.
"What kind of method did Sirius Black use to slip past the Dementors and Dumbledore?"
Her question brought the entire group to silence.
Yes—what could possibly let him enter Hogwarts without alerting those monsters or the Headmaster?
Just as the quiet deepened, a soft voice spoke through the air.
"Have you forgotten? If Sirius Black was the Dark Lord's loyal servant, then the Dementors once were too."
"..."
"..."
The daring, conspiratorial remark made everyone gasp, their eyes turning toward the source of the voice.
The purple sleeping bag on Draco's other side looked a size smaller.
In the darkness, Draco's expression turned strange and confused.
"Astoria, what are you doing here?"
...
Earlier that evening.
After slipping away from her sister, Astoria quickly spotted Draco. His pale blond hair stood out easily in the crowd—and with two gorilla-like figures and a cold, aloof witch beside him, finding him wasn't difficult at all.
Ever since Draco had discovered her secret, Astoria had stopped hiding that side of herself around him. In fact, she no longer felt the need to. What puzzled her, though, was how utterly unfazed Draco seemed by it.
During those few days helping him research the Room of Requirement, if Astoria had to describe Draco in a single word, it would be strange.
He had always been odd—but now, he was even more so.
She had never met a noble who was so unlike one. Not in manner or bearing, but in thought.
Maybe because of that, without even realizing it, she found her eyes drifting toward him more and more, her attention quietly drawn to his every move.
Like now—she was curious about what Draco and the others were discussing, and what they thought of Sirius Black.
And that Parkinson girl… what exactly was her relationship with Draco?
"You again? When did you get here?"
"Hmm… when you said, 'so beautiful'?"
Pansy's mouth twitched at Astoria's calm reply.
So she'd been there from the very start!?
Even in the darkness, Pansy could almost see the girl's faint smile. Something about it made her eyes narrow slightly, like a predator defending her territory.
The sudden tension was enough to make Goyle and Crabbe clamp their mouths shut, their purple sleeping bags shifting quietly as if trying to crawl away from the conflict zone.
Noticing their movements, Draco—lying between the two girls—felt a dark line cross his face.
Moments ago, the atmosphere had been serious. So why had it suddenly turned into something that felt suspiciously like… teenage drama?