Because of Draco, I returned to Hogwarts earlier than everyone else. I spent hours sitting in the Common Room, sulking. For some reason, I didn't feel like talking to Harry.
By the time dusk had settled over the castle, Ron and Hermione finally returned to the Common Room. Their cheeks were pink from the cold. Unlike me, they'd clearly had the perfect day in Hogsmeade.
They had brought Harry an entire bag of sweets and excitedly told him everywhere they'd been, almost as if they were trying to make me jealous.
Still frowning, I headed through the Entrance Hall to the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast. The castle was decorated from floor to ceiling, and everyone seemed unusually cheerful.
I took my seat at the Gryffindor table. When my eyes drifted toward the Golden Trio, I gave Hermione a small wave.
Throughout the feast, Ron ate as though he hadn't seen food in weeks. Harry, meanwhile, couldn't take his eyes off my father. When I slipped into Harry's mind, I saw what he was thinking—he suspected the potion my father had given Professor Lupin.
That had to be why he kept watching him without even blinking. I knew the potion was the Wolfsbane Potion, meant to help Lupin through his werewolf transformation, but there was no way I could tell Harry. My father would absolutely destroy me if he found out.
I decided I'd had enough of the tension. While the Hogwarts ghosts were putting on their annual performance, I quietly slipped out through the Entrance Hall.
I wasn't sure where I wanted to go. One of the greenhouses? The Astronomy Tower? Or back to the Common Room?
Apparently, my body already knew the answer.
I walked straight to the Divination classroom.
Deep down, I think I still wanted to warn Professor Trelawney.
The classroom was as suffocating as ever.
"You can endure this, Lily," I told myself.
In the dim candlelight, I searched for Professor Trelawney until I found her sprawled across the chair behind her desk, staring at the teacups Harry and I had left behind after our last lesson.
When she noticed me, she looked up. Just as she was about to speak, I interrupted her.
"Professor... there's something I need to tell you. Please, just take it as a warning—"
Then I noticed the empty beer bottles scattered nearby.
She probably wouldn't remember a single word I said.
I didn't bother finishing my sentence. Instead, I turned around and left the Divination classroom, heading back toward Gryffindor Tower.
As I approached the entrance, I found myself caught in a panicked crowd of students. Everyone was rushing toward the Great Hall. Being shoved from every direction made it almost impossible to walk.
A tall Ravenclaw student from one of the upper years knocked me to the ground.
Just as a Hufflepuff student was about to step on me, Draco shoved them aside with his shoulder and pulled me to my feet.
"Get up, Snape," he said. "Unless you want to be trampled."
He grabbed my arm to keep me steady, and we walked together.
Ten minutes later, I was lying inside my sleeping bag in a corner of the Great Hall, tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable.
I wandered through everyone's thoughts, trying to piece together what had happened.
There were countless different thoughts racing through people's minds.
But one idea echoed in every single one of them.
Sirius Black had broken into Gryffindor Tower...
...and had tried to kill Harry Potter.
The real question was:
How had he managed to get past the Dementors... and all of Hogwarts' security?