ALL NOVEL Chapter 29: Ch:29
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Good work Mr. Weasley." Madam Bones accepted the report and then turned to her own people. "Shacklebolt, pick four and set up a guard here I don't want anything to happen to these students, work with young Percy here to maintain control. Yaxley, take two out with you to the grounds and check in with the dementor's handlers. I want a perimeter around the castle nothing gets out of here without us knowing about it. Take any extras you have and start a general search of everything from here Hogsmead and the heart of the Forbidden Forest. Everyone else is with me. I doubt Black stayed around long once he failed to get what he was after but we must secure the castle before we go hunting for him. He won't slip through our fingers this time."
Shacklebolt and Yaxley didn't wait to hear the rest of her orders once they had their own. In short order, five aurors were checking all the entrances to shore up their magical defenses. Meanwhile Yaxley threw open a window, conjured a wide plank of wood, put a hover charm on it and then he and his two compatriots started gliding directly down to the grounds below. Shortly thereafter Madam Bones had gone to add her remaining half dozen aurors to the search.
The night dragged on after that. The aurors patrolled the perimeter of the students, checking doors, windows, vents and even the fireplace they had entered from to make sure nothing was trying to break or sneak in. Prefects went amongst the students urging people to be quiet and go to sleep, though most only stayed quiet until they had passed. Ghosts occasionally drifted in to deliver an update to Percy and auror Shacklebolt.
Conversation around Harry mostly focused on trying to guess what Black was after, and how he had broken in. Hermione shot down most of the latter sort of speculation by pointing out that according to the book Hogwarts: A History, the school was safe from most forms of infiltration. Harry let himself focus on the words around him to distract himself from his own thoughts.
Around three in the morning, Dumbledore and Madam Bones returned and spoke with Percy and Professor Snape. No sign had been seen of Black anywhere in the castle. Though the Fat Lady had been found, safe if badly shaken by the events and she had confirmed it had been Black who attacked her.
"Do you have any idea how he might have gotten in?" Madam Bones asked Dumbledore.
"Many," Dumbledore answered. "Each is less likely than the last."
"He could've gotten in easily with some help." Snape said darkly.
"Yes he could've." Madam Bones agreed and then responded with a sneer, "Have any of your old friends been in contact with you lately Snape?"
"None of my staff would ever even consider helping someone like Black." Dumbledore denied.
"What about-" Snape started.
"Not even him." Dumbledore pressed. "They might have been friends when they were young Severus, but that only makes Black's betrayal all the harder on him. He might be the only person in this castle that hates Black more than you do."
Snape grunted but didn't press the subject, so Dumbledore turned back to Madam Bones.
"I must thank you for your swift response, this is a very serious matter and I fear one likely to happen again." The old man said ominously.
"We're taking Black very seriously." Madam Bones replied. "I think I'm going to have some people stationed in Hogsmead, and I may need Hagrid's help searching the forest more thoroughly."
"I'm sure he would be happy to help." Dumbledore replied. "Would you kindly let the dementors know our search is complete and urge them back to the limit I originally set for them? I would do so myself but I find their presence most revolting."
"I don't like them any better, Dumbledore." Madam Bones replied. "And if I had my way they wouldn't be allowed with in twenty miles of even a muggle child let alone my own grand niece. But the ministry wants to make a show of force and I will back Fudge on this one."
Madam Bones departed after that exchange and Dumbledore left shortly thereafter. Harry was still rather stunned by all that had happened. As sleep slowly claimed his friends and those around him he was left with his own thoughts to deal with.
Harry could no longer cling to ignorance. Black was actually after him, and he was either brave or foolish enough to come for him despite the dementors hunting him and the protection of Dumbledore. If he had been crazy enough to break in once he would do so again, and next time he might have the passwords to get past the portrait defense, or would've found some way around it. The man was clever enough to escape from Azkaban; he was clever enough to get into a dorm room. Harry was in danger.
Well let him come, Harry thought. He had beaten evil wizards and terrible monsters before, he could deal with a man like Black if he had to. He wasn't going to be powerless in the face of a major threat again. But he had to be smart about this. Black could kill a dozen men with a single spell, and the protection that Harry's mother had left him with really only applied against Voldemort or those he was possessing.
Our psychic powers will help, Esharry encouraged him. And it will likely take him by surprise since it seems that other than Dumbledore and Snape, most wizards don't make the effort to shield their minds. The problem with psychic power is that it must flow through your brain to be used and overtime that will wear you out. Though how much and how quickly depends on what we use it for. I would say we can push enough power through the top of your brain to wield our telekinesis for about ten consecutive minutes at maximum strength before we run out. Whereas unleashing a psychic scream through the front of your brain will require at least a half minute to rest after each use if you don't want to pass out.
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