The war had ended so abruptly that life had suddenly shifted from one state to another. Pomona had thought nothing could be more insane than that, but events still caught her by surprise.
"Make way," she said to the students crowding the Grand Staircase, who had packed the stairwell so tightly that not a drop of water could pass through.
After struggling her way to the small landing on the third floor, she first saw Flitwick. A student stood beside him, and Pomona recognized him as William Weasley, though he preferred to be called Bill. He was Molly and Arthur Weasley's eldest son, a fourth-year student this year.
For the previous two years, Defense Against the Dark Arts had been taught part-time by Aurors. Whenever they were away on assignments, the students studied by themselves in the classroom, and Bill would act as a little teacher for his classmates.
"Professor!"
Pomona heard a student calling her. She came back to herself and looked up at the wall.
A first-year Hufflepuff student was trapped inside a portrait on the wall.
She looked terrified, pounding on the invisible "wall" as she sobbed and cried for help.
"Everyone, go back!" Pomona roared at the students around her.
The Grand Staircase was the only route for Ravenclaw and Gryffindor students returning to their common rooms. Though they heard Pomona's warning, they did not leave at once, instead continuing to stare at the "painting" and whisper among themselves.
So Pomona used her wand to force the Grand Staircase to turn.
The students crammed onto the stairs screamed and clutched the railings tightly. Once the spiral staircase stopped, they immediately climbed onto other landings, then hurried upstairs in a panic.
The students standing on the portrait landing and witnessing this immediately left by another staircase. In