Always For You. [Snape Romance] [Harry Potter]

Arc 2: Chapter 3: Resurgence

Arc 2: Delusional Reverie
Chapter 3: Resurgence

Do you like it? Isn't it so beautiful?

I thought I heard a strange voice but I couldn't be sure from the cacophony of voices all speaking, gasping and crying out from fear and shock. The Grand Staircase was flooded on all floors with students and professors watching helplessly at the sights before them. The portrait inhabitants were hiding amongst themselves in fear that they could be next.

The student Snape and I were following led us directly to a flock of people crowding around one of the walls on the first floor. I could see McGonagall's tall hat peeking up above them all and we pushed forward towards her. 

It wasn't pretty. As the sea parted, it became clear what all the fuss was about. The portrait had a large tear through its base and the strands of paint were falling apart. It was practically end-to-end in size and direction. This can't have been an accident... it was too vile. 

"Who would do such an awful thing?" McGonagall asked herself as she inspected the mess. She was in clear disbelief that someone would do this. Then, she noticed our presence and turned to speak to us. 
"Good, you finally came." she huffed in relief. "There are many more on the higher floors. We are trying to locate those in the portraits but some of them have travelled quite far. I may only hope that they are alright..."

 I had never seen McGonagall so distressed. Snape looked like he didn't quite know what to do either.

"Prefects, lead everyone back to their common rooms." she ordered and the crowd dispersed shortly after. 

"What's the situation?" I asked in mild intimidation of the answer. This sundress suddenly did not feel as appropriate to wear as it had earlier.

"Three portraits have been destroyed. Filius and Pomona are enquiring their neighbours as to what might have gone down. Though, the only information we have..." She swallowed hard. "is that students did this. That was the one thing they were certain of."

Snape cautiously approached and glided his hand across the fraying of the canvas. "It seems difficult to believe that they could create a damage of this magnitude," he remarked as he gritted the fragments that came off between his fingers. "It would have to be incredibly sharp. No spell could have done this." 

My mind travelled back to the stories of two months ago: the fainting girl and the boy who flooded Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. It was true that there were also several more incidents, such as damaging school property and misfiring spells, but that seemed like typical school life. It would be impossible for students to destroy the portraits on purpose. They knew the consequences were severe. No, it was simply too out there.

I gazed towards one of the portraits next to the victim. It contained a dinner party but the inhabitants were cowering behind the long table. Carefully, I approached as McGonagall and Snape continued to discuss their theories.

"Excuse me..." I said and the people in the painting hid lower and their whimpering was very audible. "I don't mean any harm. Can you tell me anything about what happened?"

One face peered up and was visibly shaken. "I-It was a student, I tell ya! Had that uniform on and everything!" it yelled. 

Another person poked their head out from the side. "Too right! And they were holding some large stick or something! Not a wand though, I know what a wand looks like! Tell 'em, Barbara!"

"Certainly!" a scared but determined voice spoke out. "We tried to scream at them to stop hurting poor Greta but they wouldn't listen! Like they were sleepwalking, they were!"