Over an hour later, as the last light in the dormitory went out, they all fell into a deep sleep.
Beyond the tower, the deep indigo of the Forbidden Forest stretched into the distance beneath the night sky. A bright full moon rose, and the moonlight spilling through the window slowly shifted until it fell upon the cage, enveloping the fat rat inside.
At some point, the rat opened its eyes.
Its tiny black eyes gleamed like mung beans. It quietly straightened up, standing on its hind legs like a person, its nose twitching as it carefully sniffed and observed the sleeping Harry and Ron.
Only after confirming that they were truly asleep did it extend its paws, deftly undo the cage lock, crawl out, and lightly leap to the floor.
Rustle, rustle...
Amid the faint sounds, the rat left the dormitory, left Gryffindor Tower, and passed through silent, deserted corridors and staircases.
It was very familiar with the castle. It knew which parts of every corridor were doors and which were walls that looked like doors. It knew even better which staircases liked to play tricks and would suddenly vanish beneath someone's feet.
The rustling continued all the way to the Great Hall.
Even in the dead of night, there were still people in the Great Hall, and the enormous screen was still there, quietly playing a film.
Exam week was nearing its end, and the holidays were about to begin. The castle's curfew existed in name only. After a busy school year, the professors merely kept up appearances in the final few days. Even Filch no longer patrolled at night.
Of course, only seasoned students knew about this custom.
The rat quietly nudged open the Great Hall door. A senior student nearest the entrance vaguely sensed something and