More than a week had passed since Black had tried to break into Gryffindor Tower.
Rumors were flying among the students, but the only certainty was that the intruder had not been caught. Sirius Black, the fugitive from Azkaban, was still at large.
The first Quidditch match was drawing near, but the weather was only getting worse.
Originally, Slytherin was set to face Gryffindor, but Slytherin captain Marcus Flint claimed their Seeker hadn't recovered from an injury, so Hufflepuff had to step in for the match instead.
"Gryffindor lost to us only a few months back—they'll be hungry for revenge!" The day before the match, as Jon returned to the common room, he overheard Cedric telling the team, "We have to be extra careful—no letting our guard down!"
Outside, wind and rain battered the windows harder than before; even though night hadn't fallen yet, the corridor beyond was already pitch black.
"We're definitely going to win!" the Hufflepuff Quidditch team shouted in unison, Zacharias' voice ringing the loudest.
...
Early the next morning, Jon woke to find it still dark outside.
Thunder rumbled faintly across the sky, wind slammed against the castle walls, and from deep in the Forbidden Forest came the sound of trees snapping in the gale.
It was half past six, just a few hours before the Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor match.
The common room was unusually crowded for such an early hour. Even the storm couldn't dampen their Quidditch excitement.
Many had already pulled on yellow-and-black cheering robes, while others discussed ways to make themselves heard over the storm to cheer for Hufflepuff.
Jon didn't linger. He went straight to the Great Hall, sipping porridge as he reviewed his plan for the day.
From what he remembered of the original events, the huge crowd at this match would be an irresistible lure for the Dementors—enough to make them break their agreement with the Ministry of Magic and swarm to the Quidditch Pitch to gorge themselves.
It was the perfect chance to give his Patronus some real combat experience.
But he wasn't planning to wait for them at the stadium.
With so many people around, a second-year conjuring a full Patronus would draw far too much attention. And with Dumbledore and other professors present, the Dementors would likely be driven away before he could even act.
Instead, he would go somewhere high and quiet, and wait for them to sweep into the grounds and pass by his position.
He wasn't naturally vulnerable to Dementors, and Occlumency gave him further protection—so even if things went wrong, it wouldn't be disastrous.
There were two clear high points at Hogwarts: the roof of Gryffindor Tower and the roof of Ravenclaw Tower. In weather like this, both would be deserted.
The first was out—entry required a password, and security had been tightened after Black's intrusion. The second, however, was promising.
Ravenclaw's common room was the easiest of the four to breach. All you had to do was answer the eagle-shaped door knocker's question.
As he considered this, Jon took a bottle of pitch-black Polyjuice Potion from his pocket. Just a bit of hair or something similar, and he'd be able to hold a transformation for about an hour.
...
At 8:50 a.m., just ten minutes before the match, the Ravenclaw Tower was far livelier than the now-empty Hufflepuff common room. The foul weather had kept many Ravenclaws from watching Gryffindor play Hufflepuff.
Fifteen minutes earlier in the library, Jon had spotted a Ravenclaw student scribbling furiously to finish his homework. He'd plucked a hair from the boy's head and dropped it into the Polyjuice Potion.
Now he wore the face of that student—a third-year named Michael Corner, if Jon remembered correctly.
Following the route Percy Weasley had taken months ago, he entered the Ravenclaw Tower and climbed a spiral staircase until he reached a door with no handle or keyhole—an aged wooden door with a bronze eagle knocker.
He knocked lightly.
The eagle's beak opened, and instead of a cry, a soft, melodious voice spoke:
"It will devour everything—
insects, fish, birds, beasts, flowers, grass, and trees,
corrode iron and steel;
turn rock to dust,
kill kings, destroy towns,
make the sea into fields, and mountains into plains..."
Jon had never liked riddles like this—one reason he'd chosen Hufflepuff over Ravenclaw. Not that Ravenclaw would necessarily have accepted him anyway.
Still, this one wasn't hard.
"Time," he answered in Michael Corner's hoarse voice.
"Good answer," the soft voice replied, and the door swung open.
The Ravenclaw common room was a wide, circular chamber. Arched windows were draped with blue and bronze silk curtains, though today they framed nothing but darkness.
A marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw stood nearby, with the words "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure" carved beneath.
Jon didn't stop to admire the view. He needed to find the way to the roof.
"Michael?"
The voice drew his attention to a girl with waist-length, messy, pale-blond hair.
"Morning, Luna…" Jon replied stiffly.
Luna Lovegood circled him, sniffing curiously.
"You're not Michael, are you?" she asked softly.
"I…" Jon's hand had already closed around his wand. He was ready to Obliviate her, but with Ravenclaw students passing nearby, it wouldn't be easy.
"To be precise, you're not a Ravenclaw," Luna continued, blinking. "You don't give off the same feel as one… You're a Slytherin, right?"
"Huh?" Jon was taken aback.
"Gryffindor and Hufflepuff are playing Quidditch. The only boys from other houses sneaking in would be Slytherins!" she said in a low voice. "Did you use Wrackspurts to transform?"
Jon nodded vaguely.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Luna said, sounding faintly disappointed. "Even if I did, they'd just think I was crazy."
"Can you take me to the roof, Luna?" Jon asked cautiously.
"Of course. Follow me!"
She grinned and skipped ahead, her Butterbeer cork necklace bouncing with each step.
...
Minutes later, they stood atop Ravenclaw Tower.
Luna was sheltering under a grimy black umbrella that looked ready to collapse in the storm.
Jon drew his wand. "Imperuious."
A thin, invisible bubble formed around them, keeping the rain off their clothes.
A few days ago, after finalizing his plan, Jon had studied The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 3 to learn the Water-Repelling Charm.
Luna closed her umbrella and asked softly, "What are you doing here—trying to catch a Crumple-Horned Snorkack in the storm?"
Jon shushed her, eyes fixed on the Quidditch Pitch in the distance.
The cheers from the field cut through even the howling wind. Then, countless dark shapes began flying toward the stadium.
"I hate them!" Luna suddenly clamped her hands over her ears. "Those Dementors!"
"Whenever they're near… I remember when my mother died…" she murmured, curling into a ball.
Jon didn't have time to comfort her. A dozen Dementors had noticed them and were gliding toward the tower.
For Dementors, the memories of those with tragic pasts were the sweetest feast—and Luna, who had watched her mother die, was irresistible prey.
Jon used Occlumency to shrug off their weak influence.
The nearest was barely ten yards away.
"Expecto Patronum!" Jon shouted.
A burst of silver light erupted, warmth flooding the air. Hovering above him was his Patronus—a young iron-eating beast, no bigger than a tabby cat—snarling at the approaching Dementors.
But its small size failed to deter them, and they pressed closer.
Jon felt its anger flare in his mind.
"Attack them," he commanded silently.
It lunged at the lead Dementor, claws tearing through its formless body in a flash of silver. The creature's wail was cut short as the Patronus leapt to its next victim, sinking its teeth into its neck and scattering black vapor.
From the Quidditch Pitch came a sudden, brilliant light. The Dementors there and on the grounds faltered, then scattered in fear.
The ones around Jon dragged their wounded away and fled.
He recognized the magic immediately—it was Albus Dumbledore's phoenix Patronus.
The iron-eating beast longed to give chase but returned at Jon's call, casting him a reproachful glance before letting out a low growl toward the distant light.
Jon then noticed—it had grown. Minutes ago it had been the size of a cat; now it was nearly as big as a husky.
...
When the Dementors were gone, Jon dismissed his Patronus.
The storm had passed, and the cheers from the pitch were fading—the match was over.
With the Polyjuice Potion wearing off, he prepared to leave the tower.
Luna was still dazed from the Dementor's effect. Jon helped her up, pointed his wand at her head, then hesitated.
"I could wipe her memory… but there's no need," he muttered, lowering his wand.
He handed her over to Melinda Bobbin, a second-year Ravenclaw, asking her to take Luna back to her dormitory.
With only minutes left before the transformation wore off, Jon slipped away from Ravenclaw Tower.