Before Snape could utter a single word, the castle itself seemed to come alive.
The floor beneath us trembled, sending ripples through the plates and goblets on the tables.
A low hum filled the air, growing louder and deeper until it seemed to resonate in my very bones.
The enchanted ceiling above flickered, stars and storm clouds vanishing, replaced by a glowing network of golden threads crisscrossing the expanse.
The ancient walls of the Great Hall pulsed with an eerie light, as though the castle was exhaling power it had kept dormant for centuries.
"What the hell is happening?" Ron's voice was tight with panic as he clutched the edge of the table.
Alecto, who had been advancing toward him with a furious look, froze mid-step, her expression shifting from rage to unease.
Snape's gaze darted upward, and for the first time, I saw something I'd never thought I'd see on his face—fear.
Then, like a thunderclap, came a surge of magic that erupted from the centre of the hall, invisible but palpable, a wave of energy that passed over every student and staff member.
I felt it ripple through me, not painful but… binding—like invisible chains tightened around my wrists and ankles.
"What… what was that?" Hermione whispered next to me, her face pale as she clutched her wand.
"Impossible!" Snape hissed and swore violently.
A deafening crack filled the hall as a light seized all the adults, and with a final flash, they were gone—vanished from the castle entirely.
The students gasped in unison, and a stunned silence fell over the hall.
The hum in the air had faded, but the oppressive tension remained…
The silence in the Great Hall was absolute, the kind that made your heartbeat feel like a thunderclap in your ears.
For a moment, no one moved.
No one spoke.
The enchanted ceiling above, now a lattice of faintly glowing golden threads, cast a strange light over the faces of the students around me—wide-eyed, pale, and brimming with confusion.
Then, chaos erupted.
"What just happened?" a Ravenclaw girl shrieked from across the hall.
"Where did they go?" came the panicked voice of a Hufflepuff boy.
A cacophony of voices rose around me, students crying out in confusion, fear, and desperation.
Some were on their feet, looking wildly around the hall, while others remained frozen, gripping their wands, and each other, like lifelines.
However, a few students cheered at the sudden disappearance of authority.
"Finally!" a fourth-year Gryffindor exclaimed, high-fiving the girl next to him. "No more detentions!"
Their celebration stood in stark contrast to the mounting tension in the room.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I couldn't stop a tingling of amusement from forming at their words…
However, my stomach churned as the reality of what had just happened began to sink in.
"Harry…" Hermione's voice was barely above a whisper.
She was gripping the edge of the table, her knuckles white. "W-What happened? What do we do?"
Ron turned to her with a mixed expression; he was both elated and confused. "Did all of the adults just disappear?"
Hermione didn't answer right away, her brow furrowed in concentration. "Every adult in the Great Hall, yes. We don't know about the rest of the castle."
I swallowed hard.
My mind reeled, trying to piece together what we had just witnessed.
The Carrows, gone. Snape, gone.
Every single professor, every adult, every authority figure—simply vanished.
Why did they all disappear? What just happened and why is every student still here? And what was that feeling?
I had a terrible premonition and felt a chill run down my spine.
No. It can't be.
"I-I want to check something. Do you guys mind?"
Hermione and Ron exchanged a glance, their expressions a mix of confusion and apprehension, but they nodded.
"Where to?" Ron asked, his voice still tight with nerves.
"The main door," I said, already pushing myself up from the bench.
My legs felt shaky beneath me, but I forced them to move.
"If I'm right… we might be very fucked."
Hermione gasped, and Ron frowned.
"What d'you mean, mate?"
"I just… I need to see something," I muttered in a low voice.
"Come on."
The three of us threaded our way through the chaos of the Great Hall.
Students were huddling in groups, their voices rising in panic.
The prefects were trying to regain control, but no one seemed to know what to do.
"Harry, where are you going?" Neville's voice cut through the noise, and I turned to see him hurrying after us, Luna not far behind.
"I need to check the gates," I told him, not breaking my stride. "Something's wrong—really wrong."
Neville's face was briefly overcome with confusion, but quickly gave way to determination.
"I'll come too."
Luna, whose usual dreamy expression was replaced by something far more focused, nodded.
"Keep me in the loop, yeah?"
I was surprised by her tone, nodded at her and turned for the room's exit.
No one bothered to stop us.
We moved quickly, Hermione leading the way as we left the Great Hall and made for the entrance hall.
The glowing threads from the ceiling seemed to extend beyond the hall, weaving their way through the castle's corridors like veins made of light.
They pulsed faintly, casting an unnatural glow over the stone walls.
When we reached the front doors, I hesitated for a moment.
My hand hovered over the massive handle, my heart pounding.
"I hope I'm not right," I said, my voice barely audible.
With a deep breath, I slowly pushed the ginormous door open.
The cool night air hit me like a slap, but it did little to calm my nerves.
The grounds stretched out before us, dark and eerily quiet.
The Forbidden Forest loomed in the distance, its shadows deeper than ever under the cloudy sky.
Everything seemed normal.
"What's up, mate?" Ron asked after a moment, stepping forward and peering out. "Everything looks normal to me."
No. I definitely feel something wrong… Can't they feel it too? I wondered, not understanding why they were so nonchalant.
"Wait," I said, holding up a hand.
There was only one way to find out…
I reached out, my hand trembling, and took a step.
I couldn't move.
"What—" I tried to push forward again, but it was like walking into a wall.
My legs wouldn't budge, as if some force had locked me in place.
I turned to the others, panic rising in my chest.
"We can't leave."
Hermione's face went pale.
She stepped forward, stopping just behind me, and reached out with her hand.
It froze mid-air, trembling as if she were trying to push through a million litres of honey.
"Damn, I was right…" I murmured again, not really paying attention to my surroundings.
Ron stared at us, then stepped forward to try for himself.
His face twisted in frustration as he, too, hit the invisible wall.
"Bloody hell," he muttered. "We really can't leave?"
"So what do we do now?" Neville asked with a worried look.
Hermione, who was casting spells at the entryway, turned back to us, her expression grim.
"There's some kind of ward in place that isn't just keeping us in—it's probably keeping the adults out. Hogwarts has sealed itself. No one can get in. No one can get out."
"But why?" Ron asked.
I looked back toward the darkened sky, Ron's question echoing in my mind…
Every adult—every teacher, every staff member—had vanished in an instant, leaving hundreds of students alone in a magically sealed castle.
Hogwarts wasn't just a school anymore.
It's a fortress, as it is a prison.
.
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