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A few hours later, Harry and Lyra returned to the common room, cold but happy. A while later they greeted Ron and Hermione the former of whom emptied a bag of candies. It was like a shower of colors, goodies of every color. After that, They proceeded to tell them about Hogsmeade, each chiming in details the other forgot. A while later the group of four made their way to the Halloween feast.
The decorations were brilliant as always. Candles in carved pumpkins illuminated the room, casting spooky shadows on the walls. A swarm of bats was charmed to fly around in the hall along with banners which looked like bright orange water-snakes, The food too was equally delicious as appealing the decorations were.
The ghosts provided entertainment through out the feast, even Nearly Headless Nick, or as he liked to be called Sir Nicholas, had a marvelous time reenacting his death.
A the feast came to an end, the Gryffindors returned to their tower only to find a crowd around the portrait. Percy Weasley entered the scene with shouts of how he was a prefect and so the let him through. When he did reach the scene however, he was left horrified.
The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.
"I told my idiot brother not to do that." Regulus said. "That is not one bit stealthy and gives out the image that he is a mad mass murderer, which I might add he does not want to show."
" You know that he couldn't hear us, right? " Marlene said.
The Headmaster and the professors were called immediately, the former of whom coaxed out the Fat Lady out of her hiding place, asking who the culprit was. The Lady's next words had nearly everyone looking at Lyra; Sirius Black had entered the castle. Whispering sounded all around, some even going as far as pointing towards her.
Silencing the Gryffindors, the headmaster requested their presence in the Great Hall, where all of Hogwarts students will sleep. Soon everyone had come up with different theories of how Black entered the castle, most of them including Lyra helping him in. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Lyra were all in their sleeping bags; Harry and Lyra beside each other, Hermione and Ron on either of their sides.
Moments passed as most students slept, except two. "Harry, I think I shouldn't hang out with the three of you anymore. "
Lyra's question had Him taken aback. A while later he managed to stutter out, "W-What? W-Why?
"Because, my father is after you. Everyone's gonna say that I am working with him so maybe it's better if I keep my distance from you."
"You haven't even met your father in your entire life, why would you work with him? Even thinking that is crazy."
"You know that. I know that. But everyone doesn't. They are gonna say that I am friends with you only because my father wants to kill you."
"To hell with what people say. They weren't there for me when I needed them; you were. So no matter what they say, It's always us against the world."
" But-"
"No buts. I am not letting my bestfriend go, just because someone said so."
"I love them." Lily sighed.
They watched as Harry pulled Lyra close to her and the two of them fell sound asleep. Almost. They looked like lovebirds to a third eye but to them this was a normal position, after countless nights of sleeping like this on the roof of Lyra's orphanage; when they fell asleep stargazing or in Harry's room when he was feeling particularly lonely, missing his parents; or when they were doing literally anything and they fell asleep.
But even after them doing this countless times, and James reacting the same way every time; he squealed.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy Weasley's voice jostled the two nearly asleep teens.
"No. All well here?" Dumbledore arked
"Everything under control, sir."
"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for theGryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."
"And the Fat Lady, sir?"
"Hiding in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. Apparently she refused to let Black inwithout the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'llhave Mr. Filch restore her."
Harry and Lyra heard the door of the hall creak open again, and more footsteps.
"Headmaster?" It was Snape. The duo kept quite still, listening hard.
"The whole of the third floorhas been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons; nothing there either."
"What about the Astronomy tower? Professor Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"
"All searched..."
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape. Harry raised his head very slightly resting it on Lyra's shoulder.
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before — ah — the start of term?"said Snape, who was barely opening his lips, as though trying to block Percy out of theconversation.
"I do, Severus," said Dumbledore, and there was something like warning in his voice.
"It seems — almost impossible — that Black could have entered the school without inside help. Idid express my concerns when you appointed —"
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," saidDumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply.
"Imust go down to the Dementors," said Dumbledore. "I said I would inform them when oursearch was complete."
"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. "But I'm afraid no Dementor will cross the threshold of thiscastle while I am Headmaster."
At the end of the conversation, one thing was clear; Snape suspected a teacher, but who? It didn't take a genius to figure out that his suspect was Professor Lupin. From there, it didn't take Lyra much time to figure out that Professor Lupin knew her father before his imprisonment.
Sorry for a late update. I was kinda busy and didn't have inspiration to write.
Qotd: What country is at the top of your bucket list and why?
