The Other Hale.

Chapter Nine: A Fat Problem.

I was speaking to an old man who was in a portrait that hung on the same wall when I attended school, when I heard it.

It was with my supernatural hearing that I heard it with. A high pitched scream. It came from upstairs. Up one of the towers.

I bid farewell to the man in the portrait and headed up the tower, attempting to not to act too suspicious. A couple of students stopped me on my journey, but I got rid of them fairly quickly.

I knew which tower the scream had came from straight away. There was students all up the stairs, babbling about the Fat Lady. I spotted Harry Potter and zoned my hearing in on him.

He was speaking to his friends, Hermione and Ron about Hogsmeade. My sight of Harry was disturbed as yet another ginger who resembled a Weasley obscured it. He was telling everyone to step away, that the dormitory needed to be searched.

"The Fat Lady. She's gone." Spoke Ginny Weasley.

At the sound of her statement, I rushed past them all, faster than humanly possible until I was next to the "Head Boy".

"Madam Hale? I never saw you arrive." He said through his shock at me being there when he turned around.

"What's going on?" I asked him quietly.

"The Fat Lady." He replied even quieter, looking at the crowds of people. "She isn't there." He added as he glanced at the portrait.

Sure enough, the portrait which just so happened to be the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room was slashed, and the keeper, the Fat Lady, was no where to be seen.

Next thing I know, Dumbledore and the caretaker, Argus Filch, were with us and Filch was in the middle of being ordered to get the ghosts to look for the Fat Lady when he spotted her.

I stayed where I was as everyone pushed themselves forward to see the Fat Lady. I strained my hearing further so I could hear her I faced the group, which was led by Dumbledore.

"Eyes like a devil he's got, and a soul as dark as his name. It was him, Headmaster. The one they all talk about. He's here. Somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black!" She whimpered in a trance like voice.

Everyone began screaming. I restricted my hearing back to normal in pain of their howls. Dumbledore amplified his voice in order to stop the racket. He ordered Filch to lock up the castle. The students were to go to the castle and the Professors to search the grounds. I was pressed up against the wall as everyone began moving back down the stairs.

"Oh and Madam Hale?" Dumbledore called in his loud voice, forcing everyone to stare at me. "Search the dormitory." He told me.

To the student's surprise, I managed to open the door without the password but with my strength and entered the room.

Nothing was out of place. Not even the scent. Nothing had entered this room that shouldn't have. Including Sirius Black.

I waited five minutes before leaving, that way, it would seem like I had at least used magic to search the place. To my dismay, the corridor was empty, even the portrait people had gone into hiding. I was able to hear nosies coming from the Great Hall. So that is where I headed.

*Hermione's POV*

We were all sat in the Great Hall, eagerly waiting any news concerning Sirius Black. Harry and Ron were busy stressing over if Sirius Black wanted to kill Harry tonight, I, personally, was stressing over our upcoming Transfiguration test! I was sure that I was ready, but there could be trick questions in it!

My thoughts were disturbed when Madam Hale came into the Great Hall. For someone who had been sent to search our dormitory for a mass murderer, broke open a door that is only meant to open with a password and is one of the fastest people I know, she looked really neat. There wasn't a hair on her head that was out of place, not even a speck of dirt on her robes. It was unnatural!

She approached Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape and had a discussion with them, Percy and Professor McGonagoll soon joined them. I watched them discuss quietly before Ron chucked his scarf at me.

"Hermione, because you love us so much, do you think you can run over our study notes with us again?" He asked me, in his "sweet" voice.

"Honestly. How will the two of you ever learn?" I groaned as they handed me mine and their own notes.

"With you helping us of course." Whispered Harry.

I rolled my eyes and Ron laughed. I tested them on all subjects that might be covered, and they managed to get most of the answers right. It was then their turn to test me. And as expected, I got them all right.

"I think. That the three of you, if you want to pass this test you're so eagerly studying for, get some sleep." A female voice drawled in an American twang from above us.

We all turned to look at the person and was surprised to see Madam Hale.

"Madam Hale?" Ron gasped.

"Mr Weasley?" She gasped back, mimicking him.

"Are you American?" Harry asked her.

"Yes." She replied rather abruptly.

"I couldn't tell before." I whispered to myself, gutted at not knowing this.

"Well Miss Granger. Perhaps, you weren't paying attention before. Now off to sleep. All of you." She replied to my whisper, a whisper she shouldn't of heard. She raised her voice at the last bit, so those around us heard her.

With some moaning and groaning, everyone began to drift off in their sleeping bags.

*Katrina's POV*

I was patrolling the grounds. If Sirius wasn't inside the castle, there was a chance he could still be on the grounds. Especially with all the Dementors. I laughed to myself as I looked over at them. I was the only creature they wouldn't go near. No one has ever found out why.

Once I had searched the grounds four times, and came up empty handed, I went back to the Castle. The students were still in the Great Hall, sleeping, and the Professors were here, there and everywhere. I decided, however, that I would go back to my room.

There was a letter on my bed. Funny. I hadn't heard anyone come down here.

Kat,

Sorry it took me so long to reply, we had a little trouble up here. How's school life treating you? Anything really gruesome?

Everyone here is missing you, they're talking about coming over for Christmas to visit you. And the rest of Britain. What do you think?

Anyway I have to go, Sam is calling.

Love and Miss you, Paul.

I smiled at the letter. Trust him to want to hear the gory stuff. Them coming up for Christmas stirred something inside me. Something I hadn't felt in a while. Anticipation.

The wolves all knew I was witch now. But they have no idea how to find me here, and Madam Pomfrey is going home to see her family, meaning I have to be here in case something went wrong. So how would I see them.

My memory stirred. When I was 70 years old I read something, non magic people, muggles, could see magic if hidden, if they took a certain potion.

I needed that potion. Enough for seven people. And there was only one person I knew who had immediate access to it. Someone who I really disliked.

Professor Snape.