(2) Dracarys (D. Malfoy)

Chapter Nine

Harry, Ron, and Hermione climb the stairs when they find a crowd gathering on the Seventh Floor landing outside of the Gryffindor common room.

"What's the hold-up? Only Neville ever forgets the password." Ron complains as they attempt to make their way to their common room.

"Let me through, please. Excuse me, thank you, I'm Head Boy..." Percy Weasley pushes his way through the gathered Gryffindor students. "Back! All of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!" Hermione looks to Dani as she appears at the back of the group.

"What's going on?" Dani asks Hermione who shrugs just as Ginny emerges from the crowd, her face ashen.

"The Fat Lady... she's gone," Ginny tells them.

"Probably stuffing her face with the apples in that still life on the second floor again." Ron counters.

"No. You don't understand..." Ginny argues, Hermione gasps and grabs Dani's arm. She turns and looks at the Fat Lady's portrait has been slashed viciously, great strips of canvas hanging from the frame. Dani pales and reaches for the crystal ball stashed in her pocket. Just then, Dumbledore appears, he casts a glance at Dani before continuing up the stairs.

"Mr Filch. Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady." Dumbledore orders of the caretaker. But it interrupted by a scream nearby. The students dash to the landing, where all the paintings are whispering fearfully. Filch's eyes peer up, searching the upper shadows, then... narrow.

"There'll be no need for ghosts, Professor..." Filch extends a crooked finger. High up, near the ceiling, the Fat Lady cowers in a portrait not her own, trembling.

"Dear lady. Who did this to you?" Dumbledore asks her.

"Eyes like the devil he's got." The Fat Lady answers, almost trance-like. "And a soul as dark as his name. It was him, Headmaster. The one they

talk about. He's here. Somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black." As the students react in fear, Dumbledore's voice cuts through the noise.

"Secure the castle, Mr Filch. The rest of you... to the Great Hall." Dani lingers behind, staring at the ruined portrait. She saw this happening, clearer than anything she has ever seen before. Dumbledore moves closer to her, she looks up at him.

"I'm sorry" She whispers.

"This is not your fault" Dumbledore assures her.

"If I was better at being shadow-kissed" She starts. He shakes his head.

"You are still learning" He stops her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "One day, when you are older, you will know what your vision mean like..." He snaps his fingers together. "That" She looks up at the painting where the Fat Lady still trembles. "Come now" Dumbledore pulls her away. She goes willingly. "No one was hurt"

............

In the great hall, there is an ocean of sleeping bags where students sleep, except for Harry who is lying awake, staring at the net of stars glimmering beyond the highest window. A gentle creak sounds and Harry's eyes shift to see Snape pass through the great doors to converge with Dumbledore inside.

"I've done the dungeons, Headmaster. No sign of Black. Nor anywhere else in the castle." Snape informs Dumbledore.

"I didn't really expect him to linger," Dumbledore admits.

"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts castle on one's own, completely undetected..." Snape offers. Dumbledore gazes at the students, refusing to take the bait. "You may recall, prior to the start of term, I did express my concerns when you appointed Professor..."

"I do not believe a single professor inside this castle would have helped Sirius Black enter it, Severus" Dumbledore interrupts him. As Snape's eyes glitter darkly, Dumbledore gazes out over the slumbering students. "No... I feel quite confident the castle is safe. And I'm more than willing to let the students return to their Houses. But tomorrow. For now, let them sleep..." As Dumbledore's gaze finds Harry, he shuts his eyes, feigns sleep. "It's astonishing what the body can endure when the mind allows itself to rest."

"And the Scamander girl?" Snape asks. "Her visions?"

"Professor Trelawney informs me that she is doing well...progressing"

"Not fast enough" Snap argues, Dumbledore turns to him, Snape's eyes on Dani as she sleeps. "If she had proper tutelage, she would have understood that vision the moment she had it and we would have known that he was coming"

"Darkness or madness" Dumbledore reminds him. "If you push her too hard, her mind will snap.....you know there is no coming back from that for the shadow-kissed" Snape clenches his jaw but does understand. Harry frowns slightly. Worried about his friend. Dumbledore and Snape walk away, leaving the great hall. As the door closes, Harry turns a little to look back out the window. But he is disturbed again when Dani shoots up in her sleeping bag, not quite awake, but not fully asleep either. Harry glances across at her, watches as she mumbles away to herself a moment as she fully wakes. Her eyes completely white, glowing in the darkness. Harry stares across at her. He knows she has dreams, that's nothing new, but he didn't realise how much they affect her. She begins to shiver, curling around herself, almost as if she is trying to protect herself from her vision. He wants to comfort his friend but he knows that he'll make it known that he is awake. She snaps her head around when the doors open and Dumbledore pokes his head in to check on them. When he looks over Dani, she's already ducked into her sleeping bag to hide herself. Whatever she saw, she is not in the mood to share this time.