𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐼𝑋.

    

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙚

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

"HONEYDUKE'S SWEETSHOP IS brilliant, but nothing beats Zonko's Joke Shop," Ron said to Harry as the four friends walked up the moving staircases to their common room. "We never did get a chance to the Shrieking Shack, though. You heard it's the most–"

      "The most haunted building in Britain. I know." Harry cut him off, sounding sad. He had been appreciative of the things Caroline gave him from their trip today, but Caroline didn't know why he was down until he told her he had a talk with Professor Lupin.

      There was a crowed formed by the entrance to Gryffindor common room. "What's going on?" Harry asked.

      "Huh. Probably Neville's forgoten the password again." Ron said, not realizing Neville was right behind them.

      "Hey!" Neville said, offended. Caroline rolled her eyes at Ron's stupidity.

      "Oh, you're there."

      "Let me through, please. Excuse me! I'm Head Boy!" a voice belonging to Percy Weasley said, walking to the painting that everyone was crowded around. He took a look at the painting and turned to the younger students. "Get back, all of you. No one is to enter this dormitory until it's been fully searched." Caroline was greatful Harry had taken Penny out of the common room to give her some fresh air, and that Penny was resting safely in Caroline's bag that had been slung across her shoulder and her middle.

      Now that they had gotten closer to the dorm, Ginny had spotted them, and came to talk to her brother. "The Fat Lady! She's gone!" Ginny said, and Caroline almost gasped.

      The crowd at the base of the portrait had split down the center, and everyone could clearly see the empty portrait with multiple slash marks through it. "Serves her right. She was a terrible singer." Ron commented.

      "Ron!" Caroline scolded, stroking Penny's head that had stuck out of her bag.

      "It's not funny, Ron." Hermione said. All around them, the portraits were laughing, crying and making all sorts of noise.

      "Keep calm, everyone. Ravenclaws, back to your common room," Percy instructed. "Be quiet."

      "Make way." Mr. Filch said, coming up the stairs.

      "The headmaster's here." Everyone turned to see Dumbledore walking up the staircases.

      "Come on, move."

      "You heard. Move!" Dumbledore had walked up the stairs, his eyes landing on the empty portrait. He touched the portrait, and Caroline could faintly see marks that could have come from a wolf, or a bear maybe.

      "Mr. Filch? Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle to find the Fat Lady." Professor Dumbledore instructed.

      "There's no need for ghosts, professor. The Fat Lady's there." Mr. Filch pointed to a painting, and the students gasps. Ignoring Percy's shouts, they all followed Dumbledore up to where the Fat Lady was.

      "Dear lady, who did this to you?" Dumbledore asked when he found the Lady in a portrait, hiding behind wild boars.

      The Fat Lady whimpered, emerging from behind a boar. "Eyes like the devil, he's got, and a soul as dark as his name. It's him, Headmaster. The one they all talk about. He's here, somewhere in the castle! Sirius Black!" The Fat Lady shouted in fear, and then hid again. Caroline looked over to Harry, seeing his blank expression.