𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕤||𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕠 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕗𝕠𝕪 [𝟛]

The Attack of the Fat Lady

(Harry's P.O.V.)

Everyone was in the Great Hall, talking about their trip to Hogsmeade. 

I heard Anna and her friends talk about their day.

"I just loved Honeyduke's!" Daphne sighed.

"Is it just because Anna told Pansy off and call her a pug-face?" Isabella laughed.

Wait...my sister did what? I thought.

I sighed and decided to ask her later. I listened to Hermione and Ron chittering.

"And the post office! It's about 200 owls, all sitting on colour-coded shelves, depending on how fast you want your letter to go!" Hermione exclaimed.

"And Honeyduke's is brilliant! Sugar Quills, Flaming Whizbees--and blood-flavoured lollipops for Halloween!" Ron added.

I nodded silently, picking at the colourful sweets laid on the table. I think Hermione noticed, because she said, "But, I mean, after awhile, it got a bit boring. Don't you think, Ron?"

Ron looked up. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Dead depressing. Hang on. I almost forgot. I got you something wicked at Dervish and Banges. It's a Pocket Sneakoscope. One for Anna, too, but she seems busy at the moment." he jabbed his finger at the Slytherin table, where my sister was laughing with her friends about something. Ron placed a small glass, which was spinning, on the table. "If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's meant to light up and spin. Mind you, Fred and George say it's rubbish, sold for wizard tourists, but I thought, you know, it can't hurt, given that..."

"Sirius Black's trying to kill me and my sister." I said. I looked up and grinned at them. "I'm glad you had a good time. Really. And thanks for this. Rubbish or not, you're right. It can't hurt." With that, I popped a Pepper Imp into my mouth.

"Oh, careful of those, they'll make your..." Ron started.

Too late, smoke started to come out of my ears.

"Nevermind." Ron muttered, with a smile.

𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙

Hermione, Ron, and I climbed up the steps towards the Fat Lady, but we found a crowd gathered.

"What's the hold up? Only Neville ever forgets the password." Ron complained.

Percy suddenly pushed through the crowd. "Let me through, please. Excuse me, thank you, I'm Head Boy..." When he stood in the front, he said, "Back! All of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!"

We exchanged dark glances, when Ginny emerged from the sea of people. "The Fat Lady, she's gone!" she exclaimed.

"Probably stuffing her face with the apples in that still life on the second floor again." Ron told his sister.

"No. You don't understand--" Ginny was cut off by Hermione's gasp. I followed her gaze to the portrait of where the Fat Lady stood before. It was slashed viciously. Just then, Dumbledore appeared, looking grave. "Mr. Filch. Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

Just then, there was a scream. The students dashed to the landing, where all the painting whispered to each other fearfully. Filch's eyes peered up, searching the upper shadows, then narrowed. "There'll be no need for ghosts, Professor..." He extended a crooked finger. High up, near the ceiling, the Fat Lady cowered in a portrait not her own, trembling.

"Dear lady. Who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked.

"Eyes like the devil he's got. And a soul as dark as his name. It was him, Headmaster. The one they talk about. He's here. Somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black." the Fat Lady replied fearfully. 

The students all started to talk, until Dumbledore spoke over us. "Secure the castle, Mr. Filch. The rest of you...to the Great Hall. I shall inform the other Houses. We will all have to sleep in the Great Hall tonight."

𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙

(Anna's P.O.V.)

"What's going on?" I asked Harry, once everyone entered the Great Hall. "What's this I hear about Sirius Black attacking?" 

Harry explained everything, about the Fat Lady and how Sirius Black attacked her.

"How'd he break in?" I asked.

My brother shrugged. "No idea. It just...happened."

I nodded slowly, and made my way to my Slytherin friends, while Harry turned back to Ron and Hermione. 

"I heard something about Black attacking the Fat Lady." Daphne said to us. 

"Serves her right. I'll bet that she's hiding, being a coward. Ugh, she'd always been annoying don't you think?" Pansy giggled. 

I shot her a look of disgust. Why was she so rude and why did she have to sit with us? Daph and Isa also glared at her. 

Once everyone laid in their ugly purple sleeping bags, the lights turned off and the students settled to sleep.

𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙𓅓𓆙

I heard a creak at the door. My friends were all sleeping peacefully. I shifted to look at the door. Snape and Dumbledore came in. 

"I've done the dungeons, Headmaster. No sign of Black. Nor anywhere else in the castle." Snape reported in the same monotone voice.

"I didn't really expect him to linger." Dumbledore replied with a nod.

"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts castle on one's own, completely undetected..." Snape sounded like he was trying to hint something. "You may recall, prior to the startof term, I did express my concerns when you appointed Professor--"

"I do not believe a single professor inside this castle would have helped Sirius Black enter it, Severus." Dumbledore interrupted. 

As Snape's eyes glittered darkly, Dumbledore gazed at the sleeping students. "No... I feel quite confident the castle is safe. And I'm more than willing to let the students return to their Houses. But tomorrow. For now, let them sleep..." His gaze shifted to Harry, then me, which caused me to close my eyes and pretend to sleep. "For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let them swim in the deepest ocean, or glide over the highest cloud."

Dumbledore left, Snape following with one last look at me. 

I opened my eyes and turned to Harry, only to find him already looking in my direction.

A/N ~

Do you see what I'm trying to do with Pansy? foreshadowing!

xxxPrincessss

Word count: 968