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"Ev'ryone board the Hogwarts Express!" Hagrid's shout rang, instructions clear. Students were coming out of Hogwarts hurriedly, excited for the 'party' they were instructed to attend. The Heads of the Houses were counting over their students, being sure that everyone was there. When students had stopped coming out, Minerva looked worried. "Albus!" She called. The headmaster, who was about to cast the spell that would keep everyone out of the castle safe, looked at Minerva. "What is it?"

"I cannot find Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, nor Hermione Granger!" Minerva exclaimed. Dumbledore lost the twinkle in his eyes and looked at the castle with a sober expression. Snape, who had overheard this, looked at the students rushing to the Hogwarts Express, and then walked over to Dumbledore. "Just as I cannot find Lilium Prozec from my house. Though I wish that we could leave them all in there unprotected and let the ghosts have them, I suppose I have to go in there and protect them for the night."

"I suppose so, Severus. Good luck. If you can, get out of there when you find them," Dumbledore said to the man. Snape allowed a nod of acknowledgement, taking out his wand and apparating inside of the castle. Minerva looked at Dumbledore, slightly shocked. "You're going to leave them alone in there with Snape?!"

"He has a better chance of helping them survive than you or I, Minerva." There was no refute to this comment, but Minerva continued to frown. The two staff members rushed to the Hogwarts Express to announce the real reason for the school evacuation, Dumbledore turning to face the school on the platform. "Laqueus," he muttered and watched as green ectoplasm covered the entire building. "I wish you luck, Severus..."

Harry and Hermione frowned at Ron, who was asleep despite the announcement of the Halloween party that everyone was supposed to go to. They tried to wake him up, doing everything from shaking him to dropping him out of the bed. Just then, the windows were covered with something green, and Hermione rushed to the window. Harry looked over her shoulder, blinking. "What is that?" He asked.

A quick study made Hermione wonder as well. Just then, the Gryffindor ghost made his way up. "Nick!" Harry exclaimed. "Do you know what this green stuff is?"

"Foolish mortal...You will fall tonight...And join us!" The ghost shouted, his face contorted with evil intent. He rushed at Harry and Hermione, who were frozen. What was going on?!

"Constantia!" Someone shouted from the doorway. Nick congealed and fell to the ground, solid and unable to move. Harry and Hermione looked to find a student in Slytherin robes. They couldn't remember her name, but she had been sorted this year. She had, apparently, perfect marks like Hermione but she wasn't in their classes, seeing as she was a first-year.

"You are all stupid, you Gryffindors. I knew I had sensed the ghosts moving..." Lilium said, more to herself than anyone else as she walked over to Ron. "What the heck...? Shouldn't he have awoken by now?" She pointed her wand at his forehead. "Ennervate," she mumbled. Ron awoke immediately, blinking and sitting up quickly while Lilium took a piece of parchment from her pocket.

Harry grabbed her arm. "Why are you helping us?" He asked, "You're in Slytherin."

"So you don't want help and want to fall? It's because I know what's going on and none of the other students do," Lilium said. She turned her dark gaze on him, yanking her arm away from him and looking to Hermione. "You and I are going to be the main targets. I'll explain on the way, but we have to get going and quickly." She looked at the parchment, where dots were moving all over the page slowly. She walked to the common room and had a confused Ron, Hermione, and Harry follow.

Snape made his way through the castle. He wouldn't be that big of a target, seeing as how his sould was dark already. The girls in the castle would be the main targets, Miss Granger a larger one than Miss Prozec. He knew that Lilium Prozec was a bit on the darker side, but as she was a Slytherin, it was expected.

"Constantia!" He exclaimed as the Bloody Baron came at him from the side. The ghost congealed and dropped as Nick had. Having just finished checking the Slytherin house, he deemed that Lilium had gone to find the other three students. A rather courageous Slytherin. Apparently, she didn't believe in self-preservation. He started to take longer strides, heading for the Gryffindor tower.

"Students, please pay attention," Dumbledore said to everyone that had left Hogwarts. They were now in a large ballroom in the Snape Manor, not that anyone knew that it was Snape's home other than Dumbledored. "We have taken you out of Hogwarts and evacuated it. There are four students missing, and Professor Snape has gone into the building to keep them safe. You see, this is an occurance that happens every 500 years. Every ghost in the wizarding world will turn to the side of evil and claim souls. But it is only for tonight, so do not panic when we return tomorrow..."

Lilium sighed. "And, of course, they are after the purest. I believe it is safe to assume that you, Hermione, are a virgin. I am as well, but I'm still darker in personality than you. You are purer than I, but I am also pure. Harry and Ron would be next, I'm sure." She looked at the men, who had just been given the explanation while Hermione pondered over it. She heard Ron's stomach growl.

"...Can we get some food?" Ron asked. Lilium glared at him. "No. There are no house elves here and we will not stop for anything. It leaves us too vulnerable." As she had turned to look at the Weasley, she didn't notice the Grey Lady behind her. She was very nearly hit, until someone from behind the Grey Lady shouted, "Constantia!"

Lilium paled, turning and looking at the congealed ghost that had nearly gotten her. "Miss Prozec," a dark voice purred, "I believe that I have taught you better." Lilium offered a nervous chuckle, but then her face turned sober. "Professor, we need to find a safe area."

"There's a circle in the sub-dungeons...If you're all willing to go that far."

"Professor," Hermione began, "what good will a circle do? I don't think there's anything that can keep them away unless we encase ourselves in ectoplasm." Snape raised an eyebrow. "You're right. So, how about we never trust Professor Snape's knowledge when he came in to save you idiot Gryffindors in the first place," the Potions Master snarked bad-naturedly.

Hermione stayed silent. Perhaps there was more to learn about this circle. Lilium looked at the girl with the frizzy hair. "It's a circle that people known as alchemists used to summon demons. Before magic, demons were used to perform tasks. These demons could only be seen through certain contact lenses. Anyway, the circle had smaller ones attached to it. Those held the demons. The large circle that the alchemists stood in protected them from those evil spirits.

"What Professor Snape believes, I'm sure, is that it can also keep out the evil of the ghosts. We'll have to give it a try. If it comes down to it, we'll have to charm all of them and get away somehow," the Slytherin explained. The Gryffindors blinked, then looked at the professor, who had just begun billowing down the halls to go to the shifting staircase. Lilium sighed as she began to follow, the golden trio right behind. "But, of course, it's extremely powerful. If every ghost in Hogwarts began to attack it...I believe it would weaken under the assault. Thus is the function of older circles. We'll have to see."

Nick floated through the floor of the Great Hall, having been called there by the other ghosts. The other ghosts, which had just escaped being congealed, were floating around. The Bloody Baron sat at the dais, waiting for everyone to listen. "We will have to catch them. This means that we will station two ghosts to a point in the school. This is where I'm thinking of placing you all..." He began explaining the positions he thought of. This would, yes, place them outnumbered, but he knew that only two could cast the spell. Therefore, they would tire quickly. It would also make their escape more difficult.

Snape looked around. "We haven't seen ghosts anywhere on the past three floors..." He said darkly. Ron looked around the dank walls on either side of them. "That's good, then!" He said, voice quavering. Lilium looked at him over her shoulder. "No...It's not. It means that the ghosts may be prepared to ambush us. Hermione, do you remember the spell?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. She was ready to attack, and she brought up the back. She was making sure to stay focused so that nothing could sneak up on her. Snape slipped open the door to the sub-dungeons, freezing immediately. Lilium peeked in after him and pointed her wand inside. At the same time, they shouted the charm. "Constantia!" Two ghosts congealed and dropped on the ground.

Snape hissed slightly as he rushed through the doorway. Only two. This meant that they had to be hiding, but they were close to the circle. There was only one more passage. Keeping this in mind, he led the students along the passage until they came to what appeared to be a pentagram. He stepped through it with the four students following.

Lilium sat down with a relieved sigh. "We can't stay here all night, can--?" She was cut off by a shout of many ghosts. They all assaulted the circle and were crushed up against the barrier of the circle, their faces contorting and mashing as if against glass. Lilium grimaced. "Eww..." Snape scowled. "The circle's weakening. We have to hit them all and then run." Hermione, Lilium, and Snape began firing the curses, hitting them all after a few minutes. Snape began to run with the students following him. The majority of the ghosts were stunned, but they couldn't stay still for long.

Lilium felt herself getting winded from the running. Apparently, Snape was used to billowing and the golden trio had run from quite a bit before. She, on the other hand, was tiring. She coughed. "How long before the spell wears off on the walls?"

"Dawn," Snape replied before finding himself on a higher level. He looked around. The door to the Room of Requirement? That would be a good thing. He opened the door and cursed when he saw the green ectoplasm covering the entrance. At that moment, ghosts began floating up. They smirked evilly, soon diving at the group. Snape, Lilium, and Hermione began to hit all of them.

Hermione's brain was working overtime. "Wait...Professor, only until dawn?!"

"Miss Granger, not just 'only'!" Snape exclaimed. Hermione smiled. "Cover me! I have an idea!" She said quickly, running to the open doorway. She took out pointed her wand at the ectoplasm, Ron and Harry joining her. Lilium and Snape continued to hit the ghosts, keeping their focus and cursing quietly to themselves between incantations.

Hermione suddenly cried, "SOLARIS!" The light hit the green of the ectoplasm and it dissolved. Hermione, Harry, and Ron ducked through. Lilium and Snape managed to get the last of the ghosts, running through the entrance and slamming the door before the ectoplasm formed back. Lilium breathed heavily before it dawned on her. "We're safe!" She exclaimed. She nodded to Hermione, who was beaming. Snape looked around the room. There were five beds. "It appears as though it is time to sleep," the Potions Master said as he walked over to one of two beds on the far side of the room. The students chose their beds quickly--Harry, Ron, and Hermione lying on the three closer to the door as Lilium joined Snape's side. Until dawn, there was a restful sleep over all of them.

As Snape, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Lilium watched the Hogwarts Express approach from the front doors of Hogwarts, Snape decided to speak. "I expect that Miss Prozec stayed after to be a good student and assist you Gryffindors...Therefore, 100 points from Gryffindor--each--for pulling me into this mess. 50 points from Gryffindor for staying here when instructed to do otherwise. 200 points to Slytherin for Miss Prozec's good judgment in assisting you all. Good day, and I shall see you all tomorrow in class," Snape said. He had finished his point rewarding/deducting and walked away from the students with a slight smirk. Ah, it was good to be alive...