warrior | sirius black

seven

chapter seven

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Lily Evans was panicking. It wasn't unusual for her to be freaking out, although this time it wasn't over an exam. 

"Remus, where's Rosie? She didn't come back to the dorms last night and you were the last one to see her," the concerned redhead asked Remus, worry evident in her bright green eyes.

"The last time I saw her she said she was going to Dumbledore's," Remus answered, an equivalent amount of concern running through him as he feverishly stress-ate his chocolate.

Loudly, James and Sirius entered the great hall with smug smiles. "Alright, where's my beautiful? I'm hoping for a birthday kiss," said Sirius as he sat down on the bench, looking around expectantly for his favorite black-haired girl.

Lily glared at him for his cluelessness. "Your beautiful didn't come back to our dorm last night," she hotly replied. 

Sirius' mouth dropped in shock. Just as he was about to respond, a frantic student burst through the doors of the great hall, skittering towards the professor's table. 

All the professor's eyes briefly lit with fear before faltering away, knowing that they couldn't startle the students. Starting with Dumbledore, the staff members rushed from their seats and out of the hall, the panicky student leading them.

Naturally, the students who were currently in the hall rushed to follow them, eager to see what would have caused the professors that much grief. The Marauders, Lily Evans, and Marlene McKinnon included -- all of them hoping that their worst fear wasn't true. However, before they could get any further, Professor Dumbledore ordered them to return to the Great Hall and for the Head Boy and Girl to watch the students.

As the Professors and the meek student approached her body, they all held onto each other in shock. They could easily tell it was Rosie by her Gryffindor robes and her shiny gold Prefects badge.

Madame Pomfrey was quick to recover from her disturbed state and gingerly lifted the unconscious and bruised Gryffindor girl into her arms. She rushed back to the castle to get her treated while the rest of the Professors searched for any clues that would lead them to what happened.

"Miss Marks, what on earth brought you out here this early?" McGonagall asked the small second year Hufflepuff. 

"Well, last night, I was up late, and I kept the window open because I was warm, and I heard screaming. I wanted to go look, but I remembered the story of the Shrieking Shack, so I thought it was just the ghosts," she said nervously, playing with her yellow and black tie. 

McGonagall nodded and sighed. "Did you look out to try and see anything?" 

"Well, yes, but it was too dark and I couldn't see anything," the Hufflepuff answered shyly.

McGonagall looked around the secluded area. "So, I assume that you went out here this morning to investigate?" 

"Yes, Professor."

"Very well, thank you. Now, go back to the castle," McGonagall said kindly to her student, who scampered back to the castle and didn't turn to look back.

The Professors' hopeful assumptions that she had simply tripped was gone as quick as it came when Dumbledore had asked a roaming centaur what they had seen. The centaur simply replied with: "there were three people who disappeared as soon as they came, all laughing and grinning devilishly."

To add even more grief, Horace Slughorn picked up a stray wand that they identified as Rosie's — the unique and detailed markings an obvious sign that it was hers. The wand had rolled away far from the body, allowing them to safely assume that she was unarmed. Her recent spells were only what she had practiced with Dumbledore and 'Lumos.'