Mundane - Book Two

Chapter Seven

 Dahlia and Stheno walked hand-in-hand to the feast and sat next to Fred and George. Dahlia wasn't bothered by Lavinia's hateful speech. They had hated each other since Lavinia began acting like Ginny liked her more than Dahlia. This was utter nonsense, of course.

As usual, the Halloween feast was delicious and jovial. Fred and George showed Dahlia and Stheno the joke items they'd purchased from Zonko's and Lee Jordan offered to sneak them some butterbeer.

"Ah, come on, they'll be able to go with us next year!" Angelina Johnson said. She winked at Dahlia. "And by then we might have some new quidditch teammates."

Dahlia smiled. "Maybe."

"Not in me, you won't!" Stheno's eyes were wide. "I love watching you guys play, but I'd be way too scared to play."

"Well, that's good, we wouldn't want to lose both of our number one fans," said Fred.

They walked back to the dormitory together, laughing and joking. They stopped suddenly at the portrait of the fat lady, who usually guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. There was a large crowd of people standing shocked and confused at the entrance.

"Let me through! I'm head boy!" Percy shouted, shoving his way to the front.

Dahlia stared at the portrait. The fat lady had vanished from the painting and there were large shredded pieces littering the ground in front of her.

"Dahlia, go get Dumbledore!" Percy said, shoeing her away. Dahlia sprinted off through the crowd and back towards the Great Hall.

"Professor Dumbledore!" Dahlia shouted. He was just exiting the Great Hall as she jumped the last three steps. "The portrait of the fat lady- it's been ripped up- She's gone!"

"Oh dear," Dumbledore mumbled. He followed her back up the stairs and to the Gryffindor tower.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked as Dahlia passed her.

Dahlia stood back with Stheno and Fred pulled her close to make way for McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice.

It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves' grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead, he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle.

"Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful," he said happily. "Poor thing," he added unconvincingly.

"Did she say who did it?" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves, with the air of one cradling a large bombshell in his arms. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Dahlia felt her heart drop. She gasped and Fred grabbed her hand. She never thought Sirius Black could possibly get into the school!

Professor Dumbledore sent all the Gryffindors back to the Great Hall, where they were joined ten minutes later by the students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin, who all looked extremely confused.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle," Professor Dumbledore told them as Professors McGonagall and Flitwick closed all doors into the hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately," he added to Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts."

Professor Dumbledore paused, about to leave the hall, and said, "Oh, yes, you'll be needing . . ."

One casual wave of his wand and the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls; another wave, and the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags.

"Sleep well," said Professor Dumbledore, closing the door behind him.

Immediately the hall burst into a buzz of talk. Everyone wanted to know why they were searching the castle and why they couldn't sleep in their own dormitories.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

Dahlia and Stheno found Peggy and Solis and they pulled their sleeping bags against the wall away from everyone else.

"Where's Ginny?" Peggy asked.

Dahlia looked over the crowd as she placed her sleeping bag between Stheno's and Solis'.

"There," she pointed. "With Luna and Lavinia, it looks like."

"Do you think Sirius Black is really in the castle?" Stheno whispered.

"How could he?" Dahlia asked. "There's no way past the dementors unless somebody let him in."

Stheno bit her lip. "The dementors helped You-Know-Who in the past. Maybe..."

"No way! Dumbledore wouldn't let them near the school if they were evil!" Peggy whispered.

"But he didn't want them near the school," Dahlia said. "That's why they're not allowed on the grounds."

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

Dahlia rolled her eyes and laid down, moving closer to Stheno. Tired from the feast, she fell asleep almost immediately.