After dinner, all the students remained in the Great Hall. Professor Dumbledore stepped forward to address them.
"Prefects, please guard the entrances to the Great Hall. The Head Boy and Head Girl, along with Professor Sprout, will be in charge of maintaining order here. If there is any news, a ghost will be sent to inform me immediately," he instructed.
With a wave of his wand, the long tables glided to the sides of the Great Hall, lining up neatly against the walls. Another flick, and hundreds of fluffy sleeping bags appeared on the floor.
"You'll need these," Professor Dumbledore said, before taking his leave.
However, not everyone was thrilled with the sleeping bags. With Professor Sprout's permission, a few older students drew their wands and transformed their sleeping bags into single beds of a similar size. They then charmed their discarded robes into thick wool blankets. They had been planning this during dinner, deciding that if they were going to spend the night in the Great Hall, they'd prefer to be as comfortable as possible. Naturally, some of them hoped Professor Sprout might even allow the beds to be made a bit bigger.
Inspired, more and more students joined in, experimenting with Transfiguration to reshape their sleeping bags. Professor Sprout not only allowed it but also held Percy back when he tried to intervene. There was plenty of space, and she saw no harm in letting the students practice a bit of harmless Transfiguration, especially if it kept their minds off Sirius Black.
She strolled through the rows of transformed beds, observing the students' handiwork.
"Excellent Transfiguration, Miss Johnson," she praised Gryffindor Chaser Angelina Johnson with a smile. "I imagine this bed must be very comfortable."
Angelina beamed proudly, smoothing her hair. Unlike the typical hard bedboards, she had conjured a thick velvet mattress on top, making her bed both cozy and luxurious.
...
When Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall re-entered the Great Hall, they were surprised by the lively scene unfolding before them. The Hall had transformed into a makeshift Transfiguration class, with students all practicing the same charm.
"Minerva, it seems everyone is having quite a bit of fun," Dumbledore remarked with a smile. "For a moment, I thought I'd wandered into the wrong place."
Professor McGonagall smiled as well. "Yes, Albus, it does seem that way."
It was the first time she had visibly relaxed since learning of Black's presence in the castle.
"Then let's lend a hand," Dumbledore said, giving his wand a gentle flick. Instantly, the Great Hall seemed to expand, with the once-crowded aisles now wide enough for two to walk side by side, allowing the students to make their beds a bit larger.
Professor McGonagall wasn't idle either; she transformed all the first- and second-years' sleeping bags into dormitory-style single beds.
As for the third-years and above, who had already learned advanced Transfiguration... they were outside the range of her assistance.
Besides, these sleeping bags were conjured by Professor Dumbledore, and his magic was incredibly stable—virtually indistinguishable from actual sleeping bags. So, technically speaking, this didn't even count as advanced Transfiguration; it was simply turning a sleeping bag into a single bed.
For the third-years... if they couldn't manage this on their own, they might as well stick with the sleeping bags.
Some students struggled with even this simple spellwork. Harry and Ron, for instance, only managed to make their sleeping bags look worse until Hermione intervened, helping them create proper beds. Next to them, Neville had simply settled into his sleeping bag without attempting any Transfiguration. Kyle's own transformation was modest—a simple dormitory-style bed, just like the younger students'.
Fred, George, and Cho soon joined Kyle.
"This is such a strange feeling," Fred said, lying on his bed and gazing up at the ceiling, which had been enchanted to reflect the overcast sky. "Almost like we're all in the same dormitory." He sighed wistfully. "Too bad Cedric isn't here…"
As a Prefect, Cedric was stationed at the entrance to the Great Hall, unable to join them.
"It's all thanks to Black…" George said, turning to his brother. "If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be getting this 'Great Hall slumber party.' This is the first time I've slept in a bed I conjured up myself. Do you think it'll turn back into a sleeping bag in the middle of the night?"
"If your Transfiguration grade is an E (Exceeds Expectations), then you should be fine," Kyle replied.
"That's too bad…" Fred sighed dramatically, pretending to struggle. "Guess we'll need an Outstanding to pass this Transfiguration challenge, right?"
"Maybe we could get an E if we 'accidentally' answer a few questions wrong on the next exam," George suggested with a grin.
"Mum won't be too pleased to hear you say that," Fred retorted, and the two of them burst into laughter.
Kyle shook his head, smiling but choosing to ignore them.
When George mentioned Black, however, the mood shifted slightly as the group recalled the events of the night.
"How did Black get into the castle, anyway?" Kanna asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
Kyle could hear different theories buzzing among nearby groups as students debated their own ideas.
"Apparition..."
"Flew in on a broomstick..."
"Transformed himself into a flowering bush..."
The students whispered theories, though none of them made any real sense. Apparition was impossible within Hogwarts due to the castle's magical protections, and the Dementors certainly wouldn't let someone slip past on a broomstick or as a flowering bush.
"Could he have come through a secret passage?" Cho asked suddenly. "Aren't there lots of secret passages in the castle that lead outside?"
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible," Fred replied at once.
George glanced around to ensure Professor Sprout and Percy were at the far end of the hall before lowering his voice. "There are only two secret passages that lead out of Hogwarts," he explained. "One ends in the storage room of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade, but there's no way Black could have gotten through there—he doesn't even have a wand."
"The other passage leads to the Shrieking Shack," Fred continued, "and while that entrance is unguarded, it's right under the Whomping Willow. If Black tried to get through there, the tree would've pounded him flat."
"We didn't hear about any ruckus around the Whomping Willow tonight, did we?" George added.
"Lights out now!" Percy's voice cut through the murmur of voices. "I demand that everyone stop talking!"
The candles flickered out, leaving only the dim glow from a few silver ghosts drifting around the room. They floated close to the Prefects, who exchanged whispers with them, all wearing serious expressions.