As the night settled over Hogwarts, the castle was alight with a strange energy. While Ben dreamed away in the peaceful solitude of the Ravenclaw tower, two mysterious figures stealthily made their way out of the Gryffindor common room. With the skill of seasoned thieves, they crept down the castle steps, avoiding a mischieving Peeves, down the path to Hagrid's hut, and back up again, heaving a disgruntled dragon up to the highest tower.

Despite the apparent stillness of the castle, the corridors bustled with activity. From the ghostly apparitions floating about to the curious watch of Argus Filch and his feline companion, Mrs Norris, to the watchful eyes of the Hogwarts faculty, danger lurked at every turn. But the two Gryffindors were undeterred. They had a mission to fulfil.

However, a sinister presence also prowled the castle this night, a Slytherin with dark intentions. He was determined to catch the Gryffindors in the act and put an end to their escapades once and for all. The fate of the two Gryffindors, the dragon, and possibly the entire school, hung in the balance as they battled against time and the unknown.

---

Ben rubbed his eyes, trying to shake the remnants of the dream from his mind. He got out of bed, the cold floor sending shivers up his spine, and made his way over to the grandfather clock. As he peered at its face, he saw that it was indeed a quarter to midnight. The room was still and quiet, all his classmates soundly asleep.

With a sigh, Ben decided to go and get a drink of water, he left the dorm room as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb anyone's sleep.

As he climbed down the stairs, he couldn't help but feel that something was off, that the dream he had just had was somehow more real than it should have been. It felt as if he had just watched a movie trailer for tonight's events.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, Harry and Hermione were making their way up the stairs of the astronomy tower, a heavy box balanced between them. Sweat dripped down their faces as they struggled with their load, the only sounds in the silence were their panting breaths.

"This was a mistake," puffed Harry. "I never thought it would be this hard without Ron."

Hermione nodded in agreement, "Me neither. I just hope he's okay. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't let us see him."

"Yeah, I hope so too," said Harry. "You know, this reminds me of Brown's prophecy. I can't help but think it's about us and not-"

Suddenly, a movement ahead of them caught their eye. They shrank back into the shadows; forgetting that they were already invisible; they watched two figures grappling with each other ten feet away. Their breaths caught in their throats as they waited, watching the scene unfold in front of them.

In the dim light, Harry and Hermione watched as Professor McGonagall, her hairnet slightly askew and her tartan bathrobe flapping in the wind, had a firm grip on Malfoy's ear.

"Detention!" she barked. "And twenty points from Slytherin! What were you thinking, wandering around in the middle of the night like this?"

"You don't understand, Professor," Malfoy replied, wincing in pain. "Harry Potter's coming. He's got a dragon."

"Nonsense! How dare you spread such lies," said Professor McGonagall, her eyes flashing with anger. "I shall report this to Professor Snape immediately."

With that, she dragged Malfoy away, and Harry and Hermione were left alone once again.

Their little legs quickly scaled the steep spiral staircase up to the top of the tower and they breathed a sigh of relief as they threw off their invisibility cloak, glad to be able to breathe freely once again. Hermione did a little dance, laughing with glee.

"Malfoy's got detention!" she said, beaming. "I could burst into song!"

"Please don't," Harry said, smiling.

They stood there, waiting as Norene thrashed around in her crate. It wasn't long before they heard the sound of four broomsticks approaching. They watched as the broomsticks descended from the dark sky, bringing with them a sense of excitement and anticipation.

Charlie's friends were a cheery lot. They showed Harry and Hermione the harness they'd rigged up, so they could suspend Norene between them. They all helped buckle Norene safely into it and then Harry and Hermione shook hands with the others and thanked them very much.

As Harry and Hermione descended the spiral staircase, their hearts lifted with the lightness of their hands, now that the burden of the dragon, Norene, was gone. With Malfoy in detention, what could possibly ruin their happiness?

However, their joy was short-lived as they reached the bottom of the staircase and were confronted by the sinister figure of Filch lurking in the shadows.

"Well, well, well," he whispered, a sinister grin spreading across his face, "I think we have a problem here."

In their excitement and relief, they had forgotten to retrieve the invisibility cloak they had left atop the tower. The realization hit them like a ton of bricks, and they stood frozen, unsure of what to do next.

Filch led Harry and Hermione down to Professor McGonagall's study, where they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione's body trembled as she tried to come up with excuses, alibis, and cover-up stories. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't think of anything that would get them out of this mess. They had been caught, cornered, and there seemed to be no escape.

As they waited in anticipation, they were met with another shock as Professor McGonagall entered the room with a frightened Nevil Longbottom. Apparently, he had heard of Draco's plan to catch them and had come to warn them.

Meanwhile, on the roof of the Astronomy Tower, Dumbledore stood in disbelief as he gazed at the silver, ethereal cloth in his hand. This was not the cloak that he had gifted to Harry, he was certain of it. After all, he had spent a great deal of time studying the Hallows and he knew every inch of that cloak.

Someone had switched the real cloak with a fake, and the question was when and who had done it. Harry had been in the castle the entire year, so who could have pulled off such a feat?

Dumbledore was left with a feeling of bewilderment as he tried to piece together the events that had transpired. The perpetrator, meanwhile, was calmly seated in the Ravenclaw common room, with his eyes closed in concentration.

He was using a strand of Demiguise hair in his hands as a focus for his Clairvoyance, gazing straight at Dumbledore himself. The room was still, with only the haunting whistle of the wind seeping through the windows of the Ravenclaw tower breaking the silence.

--Dreamscape--

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