Crossing through space, Hermione took shape on the outskirts of Hogwarts.
She looked at the Castle, her gaze solemn.
She had only been gone a few days, and the atmosphere at Hogwarts had changed again.
The magical barrier around its perimeter had been forcibly raised an entire level, covering the whole school as tightly as an upturned iron bowl.
Not only that, but the once-empty corridors and courtyards were now crawling with people in black.
Hermione cast another Disillusionment Charm on herself, used Element Transformation to pass through the barrier, and drifted silently into the Castle.
The farther in she went, the more absurd it seemed.
A guard every three steps, a sentry every five.
Aurors in black trench coats occupied virtually every blind spot.
Stairways, corridor corners-even the bloody paintings had someone watching them.
This setup was more excessive than security at the Ministry of Magic.
Had Fudge moved Auror Office headquarters into Hogwarts?
Hermione wondered what was going on. However much trouble Fudge and Umbridge liked to stir up, there was no need to inflict security on this scale on a bunch of students.
Low voices came from the corner ahead.
Two Gryffindor students stood huddled outside a bathroom, clutching their textbooks. They looked as though they had slipped out for some air under the pretext of using the toilet.
"Did you hear? Dumbledore's back," one student said.
"Obviously. Who in the school hasn't?" The other glanced around and lowered his voice further. "But I heard he didn't come back to be headmaster. He was brought back under arrest."
"Arrested? Who could arrest Dumbledore?"
"The Ministry of Magic. Apparently, he showed up at the Castle gates himself, and when the Aurors came, he just went with them. They even confiscated his wand."
"And then they locked him up