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| The dorm was quiet. So quiet that Ron could hear the deep buzzing of silence. It was deafening. He feared that if he moved, the sound of his sheets rustling would destroy the sort of dream-like world that seemed to have enveloped the room and its occupants. So he lay still, barely breathing. He could see nothing, and nothing could see him. The hangings on his four-poster bed were closed, hiding him from the rest of the world. Soon, he grew restless. The silence was beginning to drive him mad. He could feel his heartbeat in his chest. As he pushed the blankets off of him and the cold night air reached his skin, Ron could feel the hairs on his arms stand on end. He pushed the hangings aside, and the room came into view. Slowly, steadily, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. The stone floor was cold. Using the bedpost for support, Ron got to his feet. It seemed his feet had a mind of their own. He found himself moving towards the open window as though acting under a spell. The night was dark and starless, yet the moon illuminated the grounds, and he was able to see them quite well. The trees stood proudly, looking especially beautiful in the moonlight; the green grass spread out, covering the grounds as far as the eye could see; the lake looked practically motionless, but it had not lost it's brilliant sparkle and... Ron almost gave himself whiplash; he spotted something out of the corner of his eye and had to do a double-take to make sure he hadn't imagined it. Sure enough, something was bobbing up and down on the surface of the opaque water. This being didn't seem to be in any danger, it wasn't thrashing about. He wondered for a moment if it was even living. Perhaps it was a branch that had fallen off one of the many trees on the grounds. Of course, his curiousity got the best of him. As quietly as he possibly could, Ron tiptoed back to his trunk. Reaching in, he fished around for his cloak. It wasn't a horribly cold night, but his cloak was black and would therefore help him to blend in with the dark night. It didn't hurt to be cautious. After locating his cloak, he quickly threw it over his shoulders and slid his arms through the sleeves. Next, he located his shoes and slid them easily onto his feet. Night time strolls through the castle were forbidden, so he took extreme care as to not awaken the Fat Lady in her portrait; this would most definately create a chain reaction and land him in detention, or perhaps worse. As Ron emerged into the deserted hallway, the Fat Lady fidgeted in her slumber, mumbled something about treacle tarts, and continued snoring. The portrait swung back, of its own accord, to cover the portrait hole. Heart beating wildly in his chest, he began his journey to the Entrance Hall. His trip was virtually eventless. Except for nearly tripping down a flight of stairs, it had gone perfectly. Almost too perfect, as though someone was making sure he made it outside. Ron pushed this thought to the back of her mind as he cautiously pushed open the large oak doors that led to the Hogwarts Grounds. Ron stood still for several minutes, staring out the open doors. The Grounds were beautiful at night, no doubt. Majestic. Yet he had a strange feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach that he could not shake. A sigh escaped his lips. The night seemed to be beckoning him, and he quickly made up his mind. He took one small step outside. Good, keep going. Another step. This isn't too bad. Two more steps. Ron continued walking in this fashion. Taking several steps, stopping, and encouraging himself to continue. It worked remarkably well, and he approached the lake in a little under five minutes. Too afraid to get close to the bank, Ron leaned against the trunk of a tree. He examined the surface closely, and he could just make out a blurry form floating on the surface. Strangely, his fear seemed to leave him. Instead, some strange impulse forced words from the depths of his throat. "Hello? Is anyone there?" he asked, curiously, adjusting his cloak as he spoke. It was making him a bit warm, but he didn't dare remove it. |