Lucy Jones 3: Blackbird

7 The Portrait

They stand in the crowd, waiting to go into the Gryffindor tower. Something is wrong.

'Oh my.' Hermione says. The fat lady is gone, and her painting is scratched with pieces of red fabric wholly torn off.

Professor Dumbledore starts telling the teachers what must be done and then looks at Peeves: 'Do you know who did it?'

'Yes, sir. He got outraged when she didn't want to let him through.' He answers: 'He was raged that Sirius Black.'

'Everyone needs to go back to the great hall.' Professor Dumbledore orders.

They return, and the rest of the school arrives ten minutes later. They don't understand why they're here. Lucy suspects they were sent without explanation. Everyone talks about it, trying to guess what's happening and if it would be dangerous.

'Attention! This night, you'll all have to sleep here. We will search the entire castle; this is the safest place.' He looks around and waves his wand. The tables are placed against the wall, and the ground is covered by sleeping bags. He walks out of the room, closing the doors behind him.

The students start gossiping again but are silenced by the prefects.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lucy pick four sleeping back close to each other and start guessing how Black got inside the school.

'Maybe he apparated?' Harry suggests.

'Or he used a broom?' Ron adds.

'It isn't one of those two.' Lucy tells them.

'How do you know that?' Ron asks.

'Because she has read: Hogwarts a mystery. Hogwarts is protected by magic. For example, you cannot apparate here.' Hermione states.

The night slowly passes by. Every hour, a teacher checks on them. At three o'clock, Professor Dumbledore himself walks into the room. Lucy pretends to be asleep, but she hears everything.

'Professor Dumbledore.' Snape's voice: 'The third floor is searched; he isn't there or in the basements. Flitch told me he looked everywhere, and he found nothing.'

'The astronomy tower, or the owl wing, the room of Professor Trelawney?'

'Nothing either.'

'Good, Severus. I didn't expect that Black would still be here.'

'Do you have any idea how he got in, professor?'

'I have plenty, but all crazier than the others.'

Lucy lies on her side, away from the conversation. She opens her eyes a bit further and looks around.

'Do you remember our ... conversation at the beginning of this term?' Snape asks.

'I do, Severus.' Dumbledore's voice has a warning undertone. 'I don't think Black could have gotten in without help from inside the castle.'

She sees Harry is awake as well. He glances at her and looks back at what's happening behind her.

'There isn't anyone in Hogwarts that I suspect would help him get in. I have to tell the dementors that we didn't find him.'

The fat lady didn't want to be the portrait from Gryffindor, and Sir Cadogan the Mad Knight took over. It isn't only his name that would suggest he is mad; he drives the students crazy by constantly changing passwords or wanting to duel them. Harry is the only one who isn't bothered by the knight. That's because he is followed around by Percy or by the teachers, which annoys him more. Harry couldn't even play Quidditch anymore without supervision. It's understandable but still irritating.

Snape takes over one of Lupin's classes. Apparently, Lupin is sick. He comments throughout the whole lesson. And he gives them an essay about werewolves. Something about it just doesn't sit right. Why would he skip so many other things and give them this?