"The order has been delivered. Everyone is in position!"
Lee Jordan shouted from behind a machine that looked like a loudspeaker. Neville said excitedly, "Looks like Sirius is in position too. It's our turn now!"
The Order of the Phoenix moved swiftly. The castle's staff and students had no idea that a group of people had already entered the castle and was now preparing to enter the Great Hall.
At that moment, every student and teacher in the school had gathered in the Great Hall. Snape stood at the very front, his long black cloak making him seem especially grim. The Carrow siblings stood behind him.
"Someone informed me that Harry Potter was spotted in Hogsmeade. He may very well have already slipped into the castle. Therefore, I hope none of you are considering sheltering Harry Potter. I do not wish to send any of you to the dungeons—or Azkaban."
It was midnight. The Great Hall's enormous glass windows resembled terrifying black holes, mercilessly swallowing every trace of life in the castle.
The once-praised ceiling remained under its unchanging overcast sky. Heavy clouds seemed to be brewing something, and faintly, it almost sounded as though the castle itself was wailing.
All the students kept their heads lowered. Not one of them showed the slightest unusual expression, as if they had grown accustomed to hanging their heads.
Snape slowly descended from the platform. Like a gigantic bat, he silently swept his gaze over the students in the Great Hall. Even the professors were unwilling to meet his eyes.
When Professor McGonagall heard that name, her aged face immediately turned pale.
"Have none of you seen him? I hope I do not catch any one of you..."
Snape's voice echoed through the Great Hall like the voice of a deathly specter. But