*nervous laugh* NOOOO nobody panic, we're definitely not only one chapter ahead of what I've already written.
Lol we'll probably be okay. ;)
LET'S HAVE A VISITOR, SHALL WE? Full disclosure, this chapter of PoA used to scare me out of my mind when I was a little kid.
31 October 1993
The Great Hall was only half-full as the Halloween feast wound down. The hovering jack-o-lanterns and fluttering bats were still present, but the golden serving platters had cleared and there were only small clusters of students dotted here and there along the four tables. A steady stream of children was making its way towards the doors to the entrance hall.
"Oh, Remus," Minerva said, as he sat down beside her, a goblet of pumpkin juice in one hand. "How are you? Feeling better?"
"Well enough," he shrugged, offering her a slight smile.
"You've an appetite, apparently," she said.
"Severus's remedies make that possible," he replied graciously. "I wanted to talk with you about Harry, and Hogsmeade."
Minerva held up a hand. "I've told him I'll only allow his aunt or uncle to sign the form."
"And I'm sure that was in the name of his own safety, given everything," said Remus. "However, Harry and I had a little talk today." He gave Minerva a meaningful look.
She raised her eyebrows. "Oh. Did you?"
"Yes," he replied, with the faintest trace of a knowing look. "And I wanted to tell you that you were absolutely right; the similarities to his parents become even more evident—particularly his father, which is why I wanted to speak to you."
"Regarding?"
A strange expression filled Remus's face, and he seemed to take a deep breath to steady himself, as though he was teetering on the edge of something grim—but then there came a sudden explosive chorus of shouting from the entrance hall, and Nearly Headless Nick came soaring into the Great Hall. He made a beeline, passing through the crowd of students (who shuddered and yelped in surprise), straight for Dumbledore, who rose to his feet in anticipation.
"Sir Nicholas?"
"Headmaster, you must come quickly. Something has happened at Gryffindor Tower—the painting—" Nick's head wobbled worryingly, and he straightened his ruff with one finger.
Albus's sharp blue eyes flicked to Minerva, who in turn caught Snape's eye. "Come with us, Remus," she called, already following Severus after the tail end of Dumbledore's violet robes. They sped up to the seventh floor, Albus miles ahead as Minerva, Remus, and Severus navigated groups of Gryffindors lining the corridor, all seemingly waiting for something. Moments later, they emerged onto the corridor that ended with the Fat Lady's portrait and the entrance to Gryffindor Tower, which was full to brimming with Gryffindor students. For a moment, Minerva wondered if the Fat Lady had gone on another poorly timed visit to one of her friends in the castle—but that wouldn't explain the frisson of fear and anxious whispers that rippled through the crowd.
She could see the back of Albus's head nearer to the front. "There," she said to the other two, pointing.
"Out of the way—"
"Stand aside, Miss Johnson—"
"Let us through, please—"
The Gryffindors parted to allow Minerva, followed by Remus and Severus, to pass, squeezing tight against each other in the overstuffed corridor.
"What's happened?"
"D'you see it—?"
"Must've been a knife—"
Minerva's stomach dropped like a stone, and as she drew level with Dumbledore, she felt a thrill of horror. The Fat Lady's portrait had been viciously attacked with something lethally sharp. The canvas hung in tatters from its golden frame, and the Fat Lady herself was nowhere to be seen.
Albus turned to Minerva. "We need to find her. Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."
Before Minerva could even turn around and begin pushing her way through the crowd again, a telltale whoosh heralded the arrival of Peeves.
"You'll be lucky!" the poltergeist cackled, with an evil grin.
"What do you mean, Peeves?" Albus asked calmly; Minerva glared up at the poltergeist, but his unhelpfulness, it seemed, did not extend to Dumbledore.
"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, with another evil grin. "Poor thing."
Minerva felt a prickle of fear—which, of course, was exactly what Peeves liked about his current position—but what was more, she felt Dumbledore stiffening beside her, as though he anticipated something truly terrible.
"Did she say who did it?" he asked softly.
"Oh yes, Professorhead," said Peeves cheerfully. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over in midair and pulled a face. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."
The uproar was instantaneous and deafening; the Gryffindors began to scream as Minerva shouted at Snape and Lupin to find Filch, rouse the rest of the staff, and bring all of the students to the Great Hall. They disappeared at once into the crowd as Dumbledore raised his wand and fired off golden sparks towards the ceiling.
"Your attention, please," he boomed, his voice echoing all the way down the corridor. "You are in no immediate danger. Please turn around and return to the Great Hall, where you will remain until the castle has been thoroughly searched. Prefects, you will assist Professor McGonagall by confirming that all the members of each year are present and accounted for in the Great Hall. You will then report to the Head Boy and Girl there."
"All right, move along!" Percy Weasley called, bustling forward, looking flushed and anxious but very much in command of the situation. "You heard Professor Dumbledore, to the Great Hall!"
Still chattering wildly, the Gryffindors were shepherded away. As they left, Minerva continued to hunt through the crowd for Potter with a jolting heart; she'd only just seen him leave the Great Hall, so surely… relief flooded her when she laid eyes on his messy black hair. Yes, there he was, walking between Granger and Weasley, per usual. Their heads were bowed together and they, like the rest of the Gryffindors, were whispering furiously.
"Black will likely not be in the castle any longer," Dumbledore told Minerva quietly, once she'd watched Harry—and the other Gryffindors—filter away towards the staircases. "Nonetheless, we must search the entire building." He gestured for her to follow as he began walking towards the Great Hall. "I would like the search to be done in groups of three. The prefects who are of age and the Head Boy and Girl may help. The underage prefects should remain in the Great Hall to supervise the younger students. I will pay them a visit shortly to explain the plan. No dormitory is to be reopened until tomorrow."
Minerva nodded as they descended the stairs to the Great Hall. "Albus—all of the secret passages—I don't think we've ever had a student who knew the school as well as Sirius Black."
Albus made an odd movement with his head, like a half-nod, but said, "Argus will check the passages again, and determine if they have been recently used. We must also find another guard for Gryffindor Tower, temporarily, I hope," he said, with a heavy sigh. "Can I rely on you to handle that?"
"Of course," she replied. They had reached the final staircase to the Great Hall; students were scampering inside and the faculty were gathered outside the doors, looking up at them where they stood. Albus stopped walking and faced her, his expression grave and set.
"There is no immediate danger," he repeated, and for a moment, Minerva had an idea that he was assuring himself. "But we will exercise all necessary caution."
"And what about the Ministry?" Minerva asked in a low voice. "Cornelius would—well, you know what he would want."
"Not while I am headmaster," he replied firmly. "We'll get the students settled, begin the search, and then I will get a message to Cornelius and Rufus Scrimgeour. I believe Kingsley Shacklebolt is posted in Hogsmeade tonight. He may be the best messenger."
"They're waiting," Minerva said, tipping her head towards the teachers gathered at the bottom of the stairs, who were all looking tense. Albus nodded, and they descended the steps together.