July 31st - 5:00am - War Room, Thorne Manor.
The War Room is gripped by a terrible, breathless stillness. In its niche in the wall, the glass signal tube stands dark, and the floosticks are quiet. The foe-glass machine flickers in the corner, green and amber lights illuminating the room with unearthly glow.
The map dominates the room, parchment stretching across the central table and over several walls, showing Hogwarts castle, the grounds, the forest and the lake, and reaching up as far as Hogsmeade village.
Move closer. Closer still. There, in the grounds of Hogwarts castle there is movement. Patrols, sentinels watching the perimeter of the grounds, and further into the dark forest, other things stir. A blurring of the contours on the magical landscape testify that there are darker, unnamed creatures prowling. Werewolves, harpies, goblins, giants, who knows what else might be lurking beneath that forest canopy?
Now, as you watch, other signs of movement flicker into view. Let's pan out for a moment. Look here, on the edge of the forest, here are some familiar names - a scattering of signatures taking up positions under the cover of the pre-dawn light. Here too, in Hogsmeade village, others arrive in a series of careful, purposeful movements, stealthily concealed by the surrounding buildings. And here, near the shores of the lake, here on the grassy slopes of the nearby foothills, the whole area is slowly coming to life with furtive activity.
The map sees all.
The map dominates the room, parchment stretching across the central table and over several walls, showing Hogwarts castle, the grounds, the forest and the lake, and reaching up as far as Hogsmeade village.
Move closer. Closer still. There, in the grounds of Hogwarts castle there is movement. Patrols, sentinels watching the perimeter of the grounds, and further into the dark forest, other things stir. A blurring of the contours on the magical landscape testify that there are darker, unnamed creatures prowling. Werewolves, harpies, goblins, giants, who knows what else might be lurking beneath that forest canopy?
Now, as you watch, other signs of movement flicker into view. Let's pan out for a moment. Look here, on the edge of the forest, here are some familiar names - a scattering of signatures taking up positions under the cover of the pre-dawn light. Here too, in Hogsmeade village, others arrive in a series of careful, purposeful movements, stealthily concealed by the surrounding buildings. And here, near the shores of the lake, here on the grassy slopes of the nearby foothills, the whole area is slowly coming to life with furtive activity.
The map sees all.