Forsaken Bloodlines {HP x GOT}

Chapter 3.9: Intruder

The night air was tense as the students of Hogwarts congregated in the Great Hall, still reeling from the shock of the Fat Lady's portrait being viciously slashed. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lyanna stood among their peers, murmuring worriedly. As they climbed the stairs toward Gryffindor Tower, they found a crowd gathered on the Seventh Floor landing, where Percy, the Head Boy, was attempting to maintain order.

"What's going on, Percy?" Ron asked, pushing through the throng.

Percy turned to them, his expression grave. "The Fat Lady's portrait has been attacked. Dumbledore's ordered a full search of the castle. No one's to enter the dormitories until they're sure it's safe."

Ginny emerged from the crowd, her face pale with fear. "It's serious, Ron. The Fat Lady said it was Sirius Black."

Ron scoffed. "Sirius Black? Here? How could he possibly get in?"

Hermione gasped, grabbing Harry's arm. They all turned to see the portrait of the Fat Lady, her painting slashed and torn, great patches of canvas hanging limply from the frame.

Just then, Dumbledore appeared, his presence commanding attention. "Mr. Filch, gather the ghosts. Search every painting in the castle. We need to find the Fat Lady's assailant."

A sudden scream echoed through the corridor, drawing everyone's attention. They rushed to the landing where the paintings were whispering in fear. Filch, his eyes scanning the shadows, pointed upward with a shaky hand.

"Look," Filch rasped. "There she is."

High up near the ceiling, in a different portrait, the Fat Lady trembled, clearly traumatized. Dumbledore approached her gently. "Dear lady, who did this to you?"

"Eyes like the devil he's got," the Fat Lady murmured, her voice trembling. "And a soul as dark as his name. It was him, Headmaster. Sirius Black. He's here, somewhere in the castle."

The students exchanged worried glances as Dumbledore's voice cut through the tension. "Secure the castle, Mr. Filch. The rest of you, to the Great Hall."

They filed into the Great Hall, where Dumbledore addressed them all, his voice resonating in the silence. "I understand this is unsettling. However, I assure you, Hogwarts is secure. Rest assured, and let us reconvene in the morning."

The students settled in, finding their sleeping bags among the sea of their fellow classmates. Lyanna lay awake, her eyes fixed on the stars visible through the highest window. The quiet of the room was interrupted by a gentle creak, and she turned to see Snape entering the Great Hall, his eyes locking with Dumbledore's.

"I've searched the dungeons, Headmaster," Snape reported tersely. "No sign of Black, nor anywhere else in the castle."

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "I didn't expect him to linger."

Snape's eyes gleamed with a hint of accusation. "Remarkable feat, isn't it? To infiltrate Hogwarts undetected."

Dumbledore remained composed. "I have faith that no one inside this castle would aid Sirius Black, Severus."

As Snape's gaze bore into Dumbledore's, the headmaster's eyes swept over the slumbering students with a mix of concern and resolve.

"It's remarkable what the body can endure when the mind allows itself to rest," Dumbledore remarked quietly, his gaze lingering briefly on Lyanna before she closed her eyes, feigning sleep in the midst of uncertainty.

As Lyanna lay, her mind raced with unsettling thoughts. The news of Sirius Black's alleged presence within Hogwarts had shaken everyone, but for Lyanna, it raised more questions than answers. How could someone like Black infiltrate the supposedly secure grounds of Hogwarts without detection? Was he truly that skilled, or did he have help from someone inside the castle?