As they approached the towering oak doors of the Gryffindor common room, Harry felt a surge of exhaustion wash over him.
But something felt off even before he reached the entrance.
The familiar, animated portraits flanking the doorway now appeared dull and lifeless, their once vibrant colours muted as if drained of magic.
"Do you guys see this?" Harry asked, his voice tinged with disbelief as he gestured toward the portraits.
Dean and Seamus, who were ahead of their little group, glanced over, their expressions mirroring his concern.
"What the hell? They were perfectly normal earlier!" Seamus exclaimed, running his fingers along the portrait frame.
The paint felt cold and oddly brittle beneath his touch.
"Pig Snout," Dean spoke the password to the Fat Lady, not expecting anything to happen.
However, the portrait swung open with its usual swing, revealing the darkened common room within.
Just another thing to add to the growing pile of mysteries, Harry thought grimly.
The familiar warmth of the common room should have been comforting, but the sight that greeted them only deepened Harry's unease.
More portraits adorned the walls, each one as mundane and lifeless as the ones at the entrance
Is there anything left besides us students? Harry wondered, a frown marring his face.
The castle's magic seemed to be failing one by one.
Even the usually warm, crackling fireplace remained cold and silent.
That's probably from the absence of the house elves though, he deduced, thankful that there was at least one explanation he could find in this mess.
Still, the eerie stillness of the common room made his skin crawl.
He turned around, meeting his fellow Gryffindors' gazes.
The events of the night had clearly taken their toll on all of them.
"Thanks, everyone. I don't know if we could have moved as fast without you," Harry said, forcing a tired smile. "You should all get some rest now… we don't know what tomorrow morning will bring."
The remaining sixth and seventh-year Gryffindors nodded wearily before trudging up the spiral staircases, their footsteps echoing in the unnaturally quiet tower…
Ron and Ginny were overseeing the kitchen defences, while Neville, Hermione, and two sixth-year girls had just started their first four-hour shift guarding the library entrances
Sigh.
I suppose I should also go catch some sleep. Who knows when I'll be able to do so again… Harry thought, dragging his feet toward the boys' dormitory.
As he pushed open the dormitory door, the familiar sight of his four-poster bed beckoned like a sanctuary in the midst of all this chaos.
His eyes landed on the two occupied beds, their occupants fast asleep despite the night's events.
They are working quickly, Harry thought, slightly amused.
Dean and Seamus didn't even bother to take off their clothes, probably having collapsed onto their beds the moment they reached the dormitory.
Harry couldn't blame them—the night's events were exhausting.
He doubted that he'd fall asleep as soon as his dorm mates.
Nevertheless, Harry took a step towards the tantalising bed, his muscles aching from the evening's events.
The moonlight filtering through the tower windows cast long shadows across the dormitory floor, making the familiar room feel oddly foreign.
As he changed into his pyjamas, his mind couldn't help but drift to his friends stationed throughout the castle, hoping they were staying safe.
He was about to close his trunk when suddenly—
I'm such an idiot. How could I forget all about the Map and the cloak? he thought, mentally berating himself over and over again.
Harry yanked his trunk open again and rummaged through his belongings until his fingers brushed against the familiar silky texture of his Invisibility Cloak and the worn parchment of the Marauder's Map.
These two will be invaluable in monitoring the castle's activity, especially with our numbers spread so thin.
Harry carefully laid the Cloak aside, then unfolded the Map on his trunk.
He tapped his wand against the surface of the parchment and breathed, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
At first, nothing happened.
No webs of ink, no curling lines identifying hidden passageways.
No. Not the Map too… Harry's fingers tightened around his wand as he stared at the blank parchment, willing it to work properly.
His heart skipped a few beats before the Map finally revealed itself, though not in its usual crisp detail.
The lines were fainter, flickering like firelight in a draughty corridor.
There were smudged markings; places on the Map that looked as if they had been scuffed by something dark and oily.
And then, as he scanned for dots of life around the castle, he saw something else…
Two Seamus Finnigans hovered next to his name.
You've got to be fucking me.
Harry felt his blood run cold, his gaze darting between the two dots marked 'Seamus Finnigan' and the sleeping form of his classmate.
Harry blinked and looked closer.
Another pair of duplicates appeared to be Padma Patil—both in the Astronomy Tower.
Huh. What's she doing there? he wondered curiously as his eyes moved elsewhere.
Some names were absent entirely.
Ron's dot blinked in and out like a dying light bulb, making it impossible to track his exact position.
Whatever had happened to the magic of Hogwarts seemed to be affecting the Map's enchantment too.
Great, just great. What else did the wards fuck up?
He frowned, looking at the other object he'd pulled from his trunk: the silvery folds of his Invisibility Cloak.
By contrast, it felt whole beneath his fingertips, its magic intact.
Taking care not to wake Dean or Seamus, Harry stood and threw the Cloak over his shoulders.
At once, the moonlight no longer glinted on his hair.
His arms vanished before his eyes, his shadow disappeared from the dormitory floor.
He let out a slow breath, relief washing through him.
At least the Cloak is okay, Harry thought relieved.
He pulled it off again, the material slipping like water between his fingers as he folded it neatly and placed it next to the still-open Map.
Unlike the portraits and the Map, its power is untouched by whatever force messed up the castle's magic. I suppose the wards only affected things that are tied to Hogwarts itself. The Cloak's magic is independent, tied to its own ancient enchantments—just like our wands.
Harry sighed, running a hand through his messy hair as his thoughts raced.
He gently tapped the Map once more, muttering the usual phrase to clear it. The lines faded, leaving nothing but aged parchment.
No good counting on the Map entirely, he thought, rolling it up.
He tucked it safely in his trunk next to the Cloak, carefully latching the lid and muttering a locking charm.
"Colloportus Duo."
The trunk gave a soft squelching noise as the lid sealed shut.
Harry tugged it lightly to test the charm, and the lid held firm.
It was a simple spell that could stop an Alohomora.
This is definitely not enough, but I don't know any better locking charms… he thought, planning on asking Hermione for something more advanced.
Raising his wand again, Harry took a breath and cast a few more spells.
The first spell was the Imperturbable Charm, which would prevent anyone from tampering with the trunk physically.
The rest were the same as those he cast on the door of the kitchens.
Satisfied for the moment, Harry finally allowed himself to collapse onto his bed.
Despite his earlier doubts, sleep claimed him almost instantly.
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