Novus Orbis - Fred Weasley x f!reader

Chapter 8 - The Fat Lady and the Bequeathing

"Let me through, please," comes a familiar voice. Percy pushes his way to the front. "Excuse me, I'm Head boy!" He faces the mass of students gathered on the stairwell. "Get back, all of you. No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched."

"The Fat Lady, she's gone!" Y/n hears Ginny say from somewhere behind her. Harry, Ron, Hermione and the former make their way to stand beside her and the twins in front of the portrait.

"Serves her right," Ron says. "She was in horrible shape."

"That's not funny, Ron," Ginny says.

A different voice is commanding Ravenclaws to head back to their own dormitories, and the paintings are all abuzz with excitement and noises. She can hear Dumbledore commanding students out of his way as he and Filch rush up the stairs, coming to a stop just in front of her and the Weasleys. The headmaster runs his hand over the canvas, smoothing out the protruding tears before letting them fall naturally back into place.

"Mr. Filch," he says, "Round up the ghosts. They're to search every painting in the castle and find the Fat Lady."

"There's no need for ghosts, Professor," Filch answers, holding up his lantern and pointing to a wall opposite them. "The Fat Lady is there."

The students begin to stampede up towards where the caretaker pointed, and Y/n bursts out laughing as they watch Percy try to command them with repeated sayings of  "I'm Head boy!"

Nevertheless, they manage to stay close to the headmaster and get a good spot as he stops, again, in front of a painting featuring a safari brimming with animals.

"Dear lady," he asks, "who did this to you?"

The Fat Lady sobs, hiding behind one of the animals painted larger and closer in the canvas with a crown of vines and leaves on her head.

"Eyes like the devil, he's got," she wails, "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!" She screams, retreating back into her hiding spot in the portrait.

"Here in the castle, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore says. He turns, addressing the students. "The rest of you—to the Great Hall!"

Y/n yelps as she is pushed and shoved away from the twins, gradually losing sight of them and no longer being able to hear their voices, forced to follow the rushing flow of students heading down the stairs. As she pushes her way through, getting closer to her destination, she can hear the thunderous echoes of the gates being lowered and the largest doors in Hogwarts being locked completely.

Reaching the Great Hall amongst the floods of other students, she looks around to locate the twins. Finding them over towards the end of the line, she jogs over to where they are rolling out sleeping bags. Fred looks up to greet her, wrapping her in a quick hug (at which she flushes a bit) and George follows.

"Sorry we got separated," they say. "We were trying to go back to find you but Percy dragged us along to set out the mats and bags. You know how he is."

"I know," the girl says, laughing. She bends down to take one from the pile and lay it out on the floor. "It's all fine. Just got pushed around a bit."

They finish laying everything out, picking their choice sleeping bags and getting settled. Y/n shivers as she slips on a spare sweater Fred happens to have, as the Great Hall is quite cold in its massive size and elevated ceiling, seemingly made of sky. The dementors on the train and stationed around the castle make her wary of being outside, even walking through and lingering in the courtyards. She puffs out her cheek and sighs, watching as Fred lays in his bag on one side of her and George on the other, providing a small slice of comfort.