Brian had never seen Nick so angry before.

“He’s here with my sister!”

Half of Brian wanted to be Howmione. The other half was relieved not to be the target of Nick’s murderous stare. Brian could only follow as Nick marched up to Howmione and Leighanne on the dance floor.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Dancing,” Howmione replied coolly.

“Do you know who this is? It’s my sister!” Nick answered his own question.

Leighanne rolled her eyes. “Nick, dance with us or move out of the way.”

Nick ignored her. “You can’t take my sister to the dance!”

Brian noticed Leighanne looking at him and gave her an awkward smile. He hadn’t spoken with her since she’d turned him down for the dance. He was relieved she hadn’t divulged that information to Nick. And after this outburst, he knew his secret was safe with her.

“According to you, I can’t take anyone to the dance,” Howmione said.

“Yeah, what a rude thing to say to him,” Leighanne said.

“He’s not allowed to take my sister to a dance,” Nick repeated.

“Please, Nick, get over yourself. If you’d mind your own business you might realize you left your own date standing over there looking royally put off.”

Nick turned around. Sure enough, Lavender was shooting darts with her eyes. Leighanne stepped between Nick and Howmione, turning her back to her brother. When he let out a “humpf” and headed over to Lavender muttering apologies, Brian had no choice but to follow.

Well, the third choice would’ve been to sit at a table by himself. After ten excruciating minutes of listening to Lavender moan and complain, Brian both realized and took advantage of this option. The night dragged by and Brian wondered if anyone would notice should he slip out and head to bed. He’d forced himself to stop looking at Howmione and Leighanne happily dancing.

When Brian saw that even Qbeus and McGonagall were dancing, he couldn’t take it anymore. He wondered if he should tell Nick he was leaving. One glance over in Nick’s direction told him not to bother. It wasn’t worth another moment of Lavender. The Weird Sisters had just finished a lively rendition of “Don’t Turn Out the Lumos” when slower music began to play. “As Long As You’re Half-blood” began to play.

Brian stood up to leave right as someone tapped him on the shoulder.

“Oh, hey,” he said to Leighanne.

She gave him a small smile. “I was hoping for a dance?”

“Um... yeah, sure,” he said. He couldn’t help but glance over to Nick, but he wasn’t paying attention to anyone other than the whiny witch standing in front of him. He nervously put one hand around her waist and the other in her hand.

Although pure magical witches were always my type

I’m leaving my wand in your hands

There are so few pure bloods, crossing families I’m

not an inbreed sort of man

They take “kissing cousins” way too serious,

And I can’t get over your smile

Also baby wizards with eleven toes

Would just be cramping my style

I don’t care who you are, where you’re from

What you did, as long as you’re half-blood

“Are you having fun with Howmione?” Brian tried to make conversation. Why he’d bring up Howie at a time like this was beyond him.

She looked away. “Yeah, he’s a good guy.”

Brian sensed some hesitation and wondered what it was.

“What about you? Are you having a good time?”

Brian gave a noncommittal shrug.

“Really? Because it looked like you were about to leave.”

So that was the only reason she’d asked him to dance. She felt sorry for him.

“I guess dances just aren’t really my thing.”

“Well, I’m glad we got to have one dance before you left.”

Brian could tell she was being sincere and suddenly he didn’t care whether or not Nick saw them. It was worth it.

“Brian,” she began.

“Yeah?”

A scream erupted from behind them. A first year had run into the room. Brian hadn’t seen Dumbledore up until this point, but the headmaster suddenly emerged.

“Knight! Sirius Knight is in the castle!”

Chaos erupted as the first year scre

amed. Brian and Leighanne exchanged looks and hurried to find Howmione and Nick. Blurs of robes swirled around them as students headed towards the exit. Brian wasn’t sure where they were all heading. He felt safest in the same room as Dumbledore, not to mention the other professors.

Dumbledore remained calm but raised his wand. It let out a high-pitched whistle that effectively silenced the room. “I need the Heads of Houses to each escort their students back to their dormitories. All other members of the staff should come with me.”

Nick and Howmione rushed over to Brian as they headed to their house table. Their fight seemed all but forgotten.

“Can you believe he’s in the castle? How did he get in?” Nick wondered.

Brian shrugged. He watched as Leighanne headed over to Alex and AJ and wished they’d had time to finish their dance.

“You need to be extra careful,” Nick gave Brian a meaningful look.

McGonagall appeared. “Gryffindors! This way.” She led this out of the Great Hall behind the Ravenclaws.

The Slytherins followed behind them.

“Scared, Potter? Your parlor tricks are no match for a Dark Wizard. I hope he finds you first,” Timberlake sneered.

For once, Brian ignored him. He had enough to worry about without this menace. Timberlake didn’t take kindly to being ignored.

He put a firm hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Where are you rushing off to? If Knight can get into the castle, I don’t think he’d have any problems getting into your Common Room.”

“Leave me alone,” Brian said. Timberlake had steered him to the side of the entrance hall, and the Gryffindors were already heading up the steps.

“Your funeral,” Timberlake gave him a shove and the Slytherins took pleasure in following his lead. One after another, they pushed Brian out of the way. Another moment passed before Brian could rush up the stairs. He’d already lost sight of his house. After another two flights, Hogwarts seemed eerily empty. The Sytherins hadn’t come up the stairs; their Common Room was somewhere near the dungeons. Hufflepuff, too, didn’t have a tower like Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Brian had always felt safe at Hogwarts. But now every creak had him jumping.

Brian had almost reached the safety of the portrait hole when he felt someone’s presence behind him. Slowly he turned, hand securely holding his wand. Eyes like those he’d seen in the woods that day stared back at him. Only this time, there were no trees to hide the body. He was staring a man; those eyes looked dark and demented. He gave a wicked smile when he saw Brian. Knight also held a wand, which made running for it impossible.

Brian tried to think of what to do. What kind of enchantment would protect him? Why didn’t they teach anything useful in school? Sure he could fill a goblet with water or unlock a passageway. He’d even successfully transformed a quill pen into a porcupine, but none of those spells seemed very useful right now.

Just then, Knight took a step towards Brian and laughed. It echoed off the walls. “At last, Potter,” Knight said.

Brian moved backward only a foot before his back touched the stone walls. He’d edged himself into a corner of the stairwell, with nowhere to go. He was trapped.

Just then he heard voices down the corridor of the next floor. One of them belonged to Dumbledore. Knight must’ve realized this, too, because the grin erased itself from his face. With one last look at Brian, he fled down the stairs. A moment later, Dumbledore appeared.

“Brian? What are you doing by yourself?”

Brian pointed after where Knight had been seconds earlier. “Sir, he was just here. He went that way!”

Dumbledore seemed torn. He obviously didn’t want to leave Brian alone while he pursued Knight.

“I’ll stay with him,” Qbeus offered.

Dumbledore nodded. “Take him to my office.”

On the way, Brian told Q about Knight. When they reached the door to Dumbledore’s office, McGonagall was waiting.

“Where is the Headmaster?” she asked.

“Brian had a run in with Knight, Professor,” Qbeus said. “He’s still searching the castle.”

McGonagall cast a nervous glance at Brian. “Well, tell him the students are packing. Getting everyone out tonight shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Packing?”

“We’re sending everyone home a little early, Mr. Potter,” she said.

“Not permanently?”

“Oh, no,” she smiled kindly. “Just for the break. It isn’t safe for students to remain here tonight with Knight on the loose.”

Brian’s heart sunk. Few students had signed up to stay at Hogwarts during the break, but he’d certainly be alone once word of this got out. He couldn’t imagine how empty the Common Room was going to feel.

McGonagall left to check on the other Houses and to help facilitate all of the students leaving. They were going to use something called Flu Powder, which sounded very unsanitary to Brian. He guessed this was because the train didn’t run in the middle of the night.

Qbeus and Brian waited in the Headmaster’s Office for a good while before he returned.

“Did you find him, sir?” Qbeus asked.

“No,” Dumbledore looked very somber. “I have several teachers still looking for him, but I do not believe we shall find him tonight.”

Qbeus left to check the grounds and the woods since he knew those areas better than anyone. Brian now relayed the events to Dumbledore, although there wasn’t much to tell. Even though the encounter fell like an eternity, Brian had only spent a moment with Knight. They were interrupted once when McGonagall needed to have a private word with the Headmaster. As she left, she was telling Dumbledore that students were being sent through the fireplace by year. First and second year’s had already left through her office.

“Where do you think he’s gone?” Brian asked Dumbledore when they were alone again.

“I can only assume he’s returned to whatever nearby location he has been hiding of late,” he rested his chin on his fingers and stared at Brian. He nodded as if he’d come to some sort of decision.

“Can I go back to my room now, sir?” Brian asked. He wanted a chance to say goodbye before Nick and all of the other seventh years left.

“Yes, I think you best. You need to pack.”

“Pack?”

“Well, Brian, the reason for you to stay here was based on safety. If Knight is here, then reason dictates you are safer elsewhere. The Weasley’s have offered to allow you to stay with them over the break. McGonagall has already communicated with them through owl. They have assured me that they will place extra magical precautions upon their home and, as Mr. Weasley works with the Ministry of Magic, you will have extra assistance should you find need.”

Brian smiled. If he couldn’t spend Christmas with his own family, then he couldn’t think of a place he’d rather be than with Nick’s. He bid Dumbledore a “Happy Christmas” and went to pack his trunk.

“This is going to be a brilliant holiday, Brian!” Nick said.

“Yeah, thanks for making it happen.”

Nick looked confused. “Me? I didn’t do anything. I guess it was Dumbledore’s idea.”

“No, it wasn’t him,” Brian said. He’d been in the room when McGonagall must’ve been asking him. She’d already sent the Weasley’s an owl by then, but she still needed the Headmaster’s permission.

“Well who cares? Now you don’t have to stay here staring at the ceiling, mate.”

They grabbed their things and headed to the Common Room. McGonagall soon collected all of the seventh years and Brian found himself standing in a fireplace, waiting to be transported to Nick’s home.