"Everyone here?" Filch asked at the doorway, carrying a lantern in his hand. Mrs. Norris was not with him.
"They're all here." Aaron pointed at the others behind him. "Two Slytherins and three Gryffindors. Unless there are some other unlucky sods, of course."
"Let's go!" Filch did not waste any words and led them out of the entrance hall. "What a pity we can't use the old-fashioned punishments anymore. Back when students were detained, they had their thumbs tied up and were hung in the Dungeon. I really miss those screams."
"Isn't that a bit perverse?" Aaron asked with interest. "Were those punishments meant for teachers? As far as I know, the students here are all minors!"
"What do you know? At least Hogwarts was at its most peaceful back then. There weren't so many troublemakers like you, sneaking out at night." Filch sneered. "I still have those chains in my office. I oil them regularly. Maybe they'll come in handy someday."
The three Gryffindors looked horrified. Silently, they all made the same decision: they could not make mistakes again. Even if they did, they absolutely could not let Filch catch them.
Their current punishment was bad enough, but who knew whether Filch might suddenly lose his mind one day and punish them the old-fashioned way? Just hearing those few sentences made their scalps tingle.
Draco looked somewhat uneasy as well, but he was not worried. He had a wealthy and powerful father. Even decades ago, the school would not have dared lay a hand on him.
Aaron merely smiled unconcernedly. He was a rule-abiding person, and even if he did break the rules, Filch would never catch him.
This whole incident had been a complete accident. They had been waiting at the door with a professor—no one could have