Under the Weasley twins' guidance, Anthony successfully intercepted Miss Davis as she attempted to re-enter the castle. She nearly slipped past, but the twins cleverly pointed out a previously ajar door now firmly shut, revealing an impassive Tracey behind it.
"What are you doing out at this hour, Miss Davis?" Anthony inquired.
"I couldn't sleep, Professor Anthony," Tracey replied softly. "I was contemplating whether to visit Madam Pomfrey and ask for the Draught of Living Death."
If the Weasley twins hadn't sworn she'd been outside the castle for hours ("We only got caught because we were trying to avoid her! Uh... I lost my mum's Christmas jumper outside, couldn't sleep without it."), Anthony might have believed her. She had been wandering outside for at least two hours. It was more plausible that she was pondering knitting woolen slippers for Aragog rather than seeking a sleeping potion.
"Davis," Anthony warned. The Weasley twins leaned against the wall, enjoying the spectacle. It was rare for them to be on the receiving end of a professor's reprimand. Tracey lowered her gaze and changed the subject. "I'm sorry, Professor. I'll head back to the dormitory now."
Anthony asked, "Would you like me to take points this time?"
Tracey pursed her lips and shook her head. "If you would forgive me for last time... no, I don't expect that, Professor."
Anthony smiled. "Then detention, Miss Davis. I'll let you know the exact time tomorrow – I really need to organize your detention schedule. What about you two, Weasleys? Points or detention?"
Fred protested, "Professor, we caught Davis for you!"
George backed him up, "Yeah, it was a deal! You can't go back on your word, Professor!" He ignored Tracey's disapproving look.
"First of all, gentlemen, I made no such deal," Anthony countered. "But you did help me. How about this, only one of you will be punished. You get to guess who, and then choose between points or detention."
"Points!" they said without hesitation.
Anthony shook his head. "Five points from Gryffindor. Alright, we're even. Let's head back to the dormitory, Weasleys."
"Fifty percent off, that's not bad," Fred said cheerfully.
George smacked his arm. "Don't jinx it—oh, what's that?" He stared at the back window Filch had left open. "Is it, Fred?"
"What is it?" Anthony looked back but saw nothing unusual.
"It's a Shooting Star," Fred confirmed. He had seen it too.
Tracey suddenly turned back to the window with such force that Anthony looked at her in surprise. Her eyes held a mix of anxiety and longing.
Anthony instantly understood why she had lingered outside the castle – she was waiting for a shooting star. The Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, with their tower dormitories, might have easy access to the night sky, but this girl was from Slytherin, a house where legend had it you could wave hello to a giant squid through the common room window.
The Slytherins returning from Astronomy had indeed mentioned something about a meteor shower that night. But the moonlight had been bright then, and he hadn't paid attention to the stars.
"Davis."
Tracey abruptly looked away, as if burned. "I'm sorry, Professor."
Anthony said seriously, "Davis, remember, tonight is an exception." He looked down at the young Slytherin. "Let's go watch from somewhere higher."
Surprise lit up Tracey's eyes, and she could barely suppress a smile. It was as if she had been assigned to clean a grimy fireplace, only to find a gift from Santa Claus inside. Of the few times Anthony had interacted with her, this was when she looked most like a twelve-year-old.
...
The Weasley twins became much friendlier upon discovering she was the sister of Ravenclaw's reserve Chaser. "I knew the name Davis sounded familiar," they said. "Your brother's a brilliant flyer." Tracey hesitated, then gave them a small smile.
As if to compensate for catching her, or perhaps to prolong their night out, they offered to show them a good spot.
Fred whispered to Anthony, "You know the place, Professor." George went ahead to, as they put it, "tidy up the room."
Anthony asked in surprise, "Aren't you worried about leaking... anything, like trade secrets?" Fred replied confidently, "You never bothered to test that room, Professor. We've thoroughly protected the entrance to our room. If anyone can find it, we welcome them to collaborate with us."
...
George held open the door as the eclectic group of professors, Slytherin, and Gryffindors entered. The room resembled a rooftop terrace, with a path of large gray stone slabs leading through the gravel to several telescopes. The ceiling was so high it seemed another Hogwarts could fit inside, and it held a magic similar to the ceiling in the Great Hall, displaying the night sky in its entirety.
Starlight poured down, illuminating the lounge chairs on the sand and the mountain of pillows and blankets piled in the corner. It was just like being outdoors, without the chill of the wind.
As they walked in, a streak of light crossed the ceiling.
"Oh," Tracey exclaimed softly.
Fred pulled a recliner over and leaned back comfortably. He gestured grandly, "Have a seat, Davis. Professor, please." He levitated two pillows towards them.
George directed a dozen blankets to float through the air and settle gently at their feet. His movements were so deft that Anthony was reminded of banners fluttering above the Quidditch pitch.
"I believe you two are supposed to be back in your dormitory," Anthony said mildly.
Hogwarts' curfew rules were somewhat flexible: wandering the halls after hours was certainly against the rules, but if a student was caught and punished, the time it took to return to their common room often extended past curfew, yet was considered permissible.
The distinction lay in whether or not a professor was aware of it.
The Weasley twins were clearly aware of this loophole. Fred said dramatically, "Oh dear, Professor, are you going to forbid us from admiring the stars? On a night like this?"
"Surely you can't be so cruel, Professor Anthony?" George added in his most innocent voice, wrapping himself in a blanket.
Anthony shook his head, relenting. He leaned against the wall, not wanting to disturb the students as they watched the cosmic fireworks display. Tracey remained silent, sitting in the recliner, eyes wide with wonder as she watched the occasional shooting star streak across the sky.
"Mum," she whispered softly.