Loren sat by the window, gazing at the full moon hanging high in the sky. Since discovering that Grandpa Bates was a werewolf, the full moon had taken on an extra, heavy meaning.
Several dorm mates had noticed Loren's unusual gloom and whispered quietly among themselves, barely audible breaths carrying their concern.
Harry winked at Ron. "What's wrong with Loren?"
Ron glanced furtively at Loren, as if spying on a secret shame. "He's been like this since morning, but it seems a bit better now."
Neville asked absently, "Should we ask him?"
Harry shook his head. "Best not to bother him right now. I've been through it myself—when I'm down, I want to be alone."
Loren overheard and exhaled a heavy breath, feeling a bit lighter.
He didn't want to sleep so early, nor did he want to visit Flamel's place. He felt the need to do something else. "Let's go on a night tour!"
"Take me with you!"
Seamus bolted upright from his bed, eyes wide. "You say that, and now I'm not sleepy anymore."
Harry and Ron exchanged looks.
"Is he okay?"
"He should be."
"So what now?"
"Let's just go with it."
They silently agreed and nodded.
Harry led, "I want to see what the three-headed dog is guarding!"
Ron's pupils flickered nervously. "You really want to go on a night tour?"
Seamus heard the bombshell and felt an invisible barrier slam between them.
"There's a three-headed dog in Hogwarts Castle?!" Suddenly, Seamus wasn't so eager to go on a night tour.
No one paid attention to this poor guy, still behind on the news.
"Of course!" Loren readily agreed with Harry. There were still checkpoints near the dog, so Harry could prepare ahead.
Neville wrapped his quilt tightly around himself. He didn't approve of a night tour or seeing the three-headed dog, but Loren seemed happier, so Neville didn't want to be a spoilsport.
"Go ahead. If you're not back by midnight, I'll tell a professor." Neville made his decision.
Timid but unwilling to miss out, Seamus joined in. He was already behind the others; if he didn't come, he'd be a mere background character or passerby roommate.
A few of them left the lounge. Loren and Harry walked ahead, with Ron and Seamus trailing behind.
Only scattered candles flickered along the corridors. Portraits whispered cautiously, as if afraid to disturb something. The gray stone walls seemed darker at night, as if shadows lurked around every corner.
Seamus's face lit up with uncontrollable excitement, flashing a wide smile that showed his gums.
Passing an empty suit of armor, a long axe suddenly dropped and swung across their path.
"Ah!!"
The silence shattered, echoes drifting down the hall.
Seamus jumped back, heart pounding wildly from the surprise.
The others froze, tense but silent.
The portraits grumbled softly:
"What are you doing at this hour?"
"Can't we sleep?"
A ghost emerged from the armor—Nearly Headless Nick.
He chuckled heartily, his voice rough but warm. "Ha! Caught you wandering at night, kids."
Harry sighed with relief, scolding, "Damn Nick, you knew we were out and scared us anyway."
Nearly a month into school, the others were used to Nick's antics and joked back.
"Has Filch already inspected this floor?" Loren wondered if Nick would lead him to their arrest.
"Smart boy, Filch went upstairs," Nick replied, eager to chat.
Harry didn't want to delay; they needed to return before midnight. He tugged Loren aside. "Bye, Nick. We've got work to do—talk later."
Nick muttered after their backs. "Impolite boys!"
Seamus was still dazed; Ron pulled him aside. "We'll have to teach him a lesson sooner or later."
Down the right corridor on the fourth floor, Loren waited for Harry and Ron to act. They had been here once before.
Harry and Ron exchanged confused glances at the locked door.
"Why don't you open it?" Seamus couldn't wait any longer.
Harry scratched his head. "Last time Hermione used the Unlocking Charm. We don't know it."
Loren sighed. "Hermione and those two useless boys."
Seamus perked up, recalling a natural spell perfect for unlocking doors.
His eyes brightened as he drew his wand. "I know a spell to open this door!"
Loren quickly stopped him. "[Portaberto] would set off fireworks and get us expelled."
If Seamus cast it here, the explosion plus the three-headed dog's barking would surely earn them a quick expulsion.
"I learned [Alohomora] before school started."
The iron lock clicked open.
"Well done, Loren," Ron praised.
Harry pushed the door open, but froze at the sight inside.
The others blocked the doorway, standing motionless, one hand waving behind their backs.
Seamus was confused. "Why are you hesitating? Go in!"
He pushed Harry inside, and Loren and Ron followed.
What they saw shocked them.
Dumbledore was there, placing food beside the three-headed dog. The familiar Mirror of Erised rested in the corner.
Harry wanted to scold Seamus. "You idiot! I hinted for you to leave, but you still rushed in!"
The four stood silently by the door.
Seamus's face twisted with regret—why had he joined this night tour only to run into the headmaster?
"An unexpected guest! Come meet my friend," Dumbledore said cheerfully.
"This is Fluffy. I need him to guard a secret."
He beckoned them closer, introducing Fluffy.
Loren wasn't nervous. He felt Dumbledore had known of them for a while and was waiting here on purpose. The old headmaster truly worked hard to help Harry improve.
Loren calmly handed Fluffy a pair of raw steaks, stroking the beast as it happily gnawed the bones.
Seamus was stunned. When he entered, he had already planned his apology to his mother for dropping out. But his little friend was so fierce!
Dumbledore noticed their hesitation. "When I was a student, I went on night tours too."
Ron and Seamus immediately perked up—Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the century, had done the very thing they were about to do.
"But every Hogwarts rule exists for a reason," Dumbledore reminded them.
Their hearts sank again.
"This will be our little secret," Dumbledore winked, making a playful eye gesture.
"Long live the headmaster!" Seamus cheered.
Dumbledore pulled various candies from his sleeves, offering them around.
Loren introduced Ron and Seamus: "This is Ron, from the Weasley family, and this is Seamus, our roommate."
Dumbledore brightened. "Ah, Arthur and Molly's son—I met you briefly in the office. I heard you're quite skilled at wizard chess."
Ron beamed but blushed. "No, I just play often."
Dumbledore turned to Seamus. "I know you're good with a special kind of spell."
Seamus blushed, hesitating too much to speak.
Thanks to Loren's guidance and Dumbledore's friendly cooperation, the group began chatting casually—about friends, the clever Miss Know-It-All, the timid but kind Neville…