Making our way back to the common room, Lee was halfway through telling us a rather rude joke he'd learned that same day from an ogre we'd seen in the three broomsticks when we came across a large crowd outside the Fat Lady's portrait. "What's going on?" I frowned, a little too short to see over the numerous heads so I decided to flout my badge and push my way through. "Move it! Prefect coming through, out of my way you little rat-bags, get out the way!" With my boisterous voice I quickly made my way to the front where I came face to face with the Fat Lady's portrait. "Holy Merlin…"
Several long slashes scored through the paint and into the wood behind, everyone staring at the destroyed painting in silent shock. Percy came swaggering through, making his way to the front with his pompous tone but the moment he saw the painting, he froze. "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick." He ordered quietly, his voice now wavering. But we needn't have bothered, as the headmaster himself came sweeping into view that very moment. Everybody had to push and squeeze themselves against the stairs in order to let him through, Percy and I both stepping aside in order to let him see the damaged painting clearly.
In the crowd I could see Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, all of them staring wide eyed so I quickly moved towards them, giving them a reassuring look but stayed silent as not to disturb the hush that had fallen over everyone. My arm naturally snaked around Ginny and she stood frozen against me, gripping onto the back of my coat as we all waited. Other teachers were now arriving hurriedly, McGonagall, Lupin and Snape, also having been alerted. "We need to find her." Her being the Fat Lady, she had disappeared from her painting and honestly, I couldn't blame her. "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!" Peeves suddenly called with a giggle in his voice, making us all immediately seek him out as he floated over our heads, looking rather thrilled to see such a scene. When Dumbledore calmly asked what our resident poltergeist meant, the wide grin immediately vanished and a slightly more reverent tone followed. "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."
"Did she say who did it?"
"Oh yes, Professorhead." Peeves answered with maddening patience, everyone keen to hear exactly what happened. "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see." Already I was dreading this answer, and when Peeves gave a final grin and continued, my hand gripped more firmly onto Ginny's shoulder. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black." Several people screamed, mostly girls, at the fearful notion that Sirius Black was somewhere in the castle. Within seconds Dumbledore was firing off orders, having Percy and all us prefects guide the rest of our house to the Great Hall where I immediately seized Harry, Ron and Hermione also.
"Stay close to me." I whispered, noticing that Ron looked particularly terrified whilst looking at Harry, and Hermione looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Everyone was frightened, but I called out casually in a singsong voice which seemed to help as I displayed no ounce of concern. "Alright everybody nice and easy now, proceed in pairs and make sure you hold each other's hands. Yes that's right, I'm not arsing around, don't complain kid it's just a girl, now hold her ruddy hand. Orderly fashion now, I'll hex anyone who makes any trouble."
"Mia." Percy hissed at me, grabbing my arm and started on me. "This is no time for jokes, this is a very serious…"
"I know Perce, but look at them. They're frightened." I gestured, keeping my voice down so we weren't overhead by a bunch of particularly white-faced first years. "So long as they thing we're not bothered, they won't start to panic. I'm just trying to keep them distracted long enough so we don't have a mad scramble on our hands. That good with you?" Surprised that I had actually thought my actions though, Percy apologised immediately and even patted my shoulder, telling me I was doing a good job before he too joined in.
"Move along now, move along. Pick up the pace please, this isn't a picnic we're going on! You two, if I catch either of you trying to sneak off again, you'll be facing detention for a week!" Once I was certain everything was proceeding smoothly, I jogged ahead then gathered up Ginny and the others who had waited for me as per my instructions to stay close then escorted them into the Great Hall as Ron whispered to me, explaining why they were worried about Harry.
"It's Black, we reckon he's after Harry. He heard mum and dad talking about it before term started, he's a raving lunatic he is but dad warned Harry about him. He's come here for Harry, hasn't he? Are we in danger?" Digesting this new information with surprise, I looked at Ron quickly but hid any shock behind a smile.
"Of course not. Dumbledore is on the case and we're all here in the hall now, aren't we? Black will have to get past all our teachers, prefects and Percy in order to get to Harry, and I very much doubt he'd stand much of a chance against Dumbledore. He's probably scarpered already, so just relax. This is just a precaution." Though I said these words, I couldn't believe that Sirius Black would have come all this way just to kill Harry. Why? What was the point? I know he was an avid You-Know-Who supporter way back when, was he trying to take revenge for his master's downfall? What a nutter.
However, it now got me worrying about other things. People were whispering and looking at me whenever I passed, staring at me and several times I heard the words 'Black' being tossed around, as well as suggestions that I might have been the one to let him in. After the other three houses joined us, the rumours began to spread all the more. Draco Malfoy seemed to take extensive pleasure in loudly talking to his friends. "You mark my words, it was that Black girl who helped him into the castle. She says they're not close relations, but I bet that's a lie." Fred and George were particularly pissed off at his loud accusations and almost stormed over to him to shut him up but Percy smartly interrupted and ordered Malfoy to be quiet since the teachers were back, Dumbledore in the lead. He calmly explained what was happening and that everyone would be sleeping here tonight for our own safety, leaving us prefects to stand guard whilst Percy was placed in charge with the Head Girl.
Percy looked like he couldn't be more pleased to be given such an important job, straightening himself up and smartening his robes as he did so. The ghosts flew overhead as I took the first watch with another Gryffindor prefect at the main doors into the Great Hall, Dumbledore having made hundreds of pillows and sleeping bags appear for everyone to use. Taking charge of the matter, Percy ordered everyone to settle down for the night, saying that the lights would go out in ten minutes, but ten minutes was still plenty of time for hushed whispering. Almost everyone was looking at me and it was impossible not to notice.
I am definitely going to be changing my surname the first chance I get. Either Fawley or Hewitt, either one will do just so long as I'm not known as a 'Black conspirator'. After ten minutes Percy turned out the lights and hushed anyone still talking, taking to patrolling up and down the hall. Some younger girls were crying, sick with fright so I comforted them, using magic to create little nightlights and fairies to dance around to keep them company so that the hall didn't look so big and scary, also making small floating fires which exuberated warmth to fill up the massive hall which was otherwise rather cold. The prefects took turns guarding the doors, but there was too much going on in my head to even think about sleeping.
First thing I was going to do tomorrow is write to my mother and have her reassure me that I really had nothing to do with Sirius Black. Honestly, I felt sick enough just sharing the same surname as him, and it made me feel even worse to think that we had a blood link somewhere in our ancestry. No matter how I tried to think it over, I just couldn't figure out how Black could have gotten into the castle after passing the dementors unnoticed. Did he come through the Forbidden Forest? Possibly, but still, the chances of him passing through the entire forest without being eaten by something was basically zero.
I passed by where the famous trio were clustered but could tell immediately that Harry wasn't sleeping. Ron and Hermione had fallen asleep holding hands, which was rather sweet, but Harry had his back turned to them and he was far too still and quiet to be asleep. "Alright Harry?" I murmured quietly after making sure Percy was out of earshot. "Can't sleep?" He shook his head, turning over in order to look at me. "Ron told me about you and Black. How are you feeling?"
"I'm not sure. Not great, I guess."
"No, I expect you wouldn't be. I just wanted you to know that you're safe here. We won't let anything happen to you. If Black comes for you, I'll be first in line to show him exactly what happens when you mess with Gryffindor." He smiled at me softly, his glasses neatly folded next to his head so I had a clear view of his face and as one of my fairies floated over us, glowing softly, his bright green eyes came into better clarity. "Try and sleep, Harry. Sweet dreams." Giving his shoulder a light pat, I then continued my rounds.
The teachers returned every hour on the dot in order to check on us, and when Lupin appeared after the second hour, I eagerly moved towards him. "Still up Mia? You should try and get some sleep."
"I'd only be lying awake for ages, I might as well be useful. How's the search going? Any sign of him?" He shook his head, looking rather worried and troubled about it all. Reaching out his hand, Lupin rather tentatively gave my arm a squeeze, promising that if Black was still here they would find him and telling me not to do anything reckless. I frowned slightly, wondering why he would think I'd do something reckless with everything going on but pushed it aside, assuring him I'd continue handling things here. Giving me what I could only describe as an affectionate smile, he left the hall and closed the doors behind him, the heavy locks turning to seal us in once more.
And so my patrolling continued, comforting those who were upset or having nightmares, hushing those who were still trying to whisper secretly to one another and almost constantly looking at the door, half expecting Black to come bursting in here. Thankfully no such thing happened, and three hours after midnight the headmaster himself walked in. I sat down finally, relieved. If Dumbledore was back, it meant all was well. He spoke to Percy quietly and from where I was, I could only hear a few snippets of their conversation. Black was gone, the Fat Lady was hiding somewhere, and then something about Filch.
Now feeling a little tired, I looked down to my left where Fred and George were sleeping with Ginny nestled between them, protectively hoarding her with an arm each over her though she was stirring, waking up. I hushed her gently, moving around so that I could sit down by her head as her hand sought out mine and I stayed there whilst Snape arrived and started speaking to Dumbledore. Other teachers also filtered into the hall, walking up and down the aisles to watch over their students with clear concern and worry. Lupin happened to catch my eye and I gave a little wave and a smile which he replied to with a nod, though McGonagall was now silently striding towards me.
"Miss Black, you should really be asleep." But tired as I was, I still couldn't shake the feeling gnawing at my insides that had me so worked up.
"Professor…you don't think…you don't think I helped Black get in do you?" I asked her and her mouth dropped open in shock at my question.
"Of course not, what a ridiculous notion. Mischievous you may be, sometimes quite a handful, but I know for a fact you would never stoop to such a dangerous action as allowing a wanted man into Hogwarts. What has you asking such a thing, Miss Black?" I muttered something nondescript in reply but McGonagall seemed to understand, giving me a sympathetic look as she continued to speak quietly. "No one here, especially not I nor Professor Dumbledore, doubt your character Miss Black. You are a clear minded and intelligent individual. Anyone who says anything to the contrary may come and see me directly so I may make it perfectly plain. Now, do try and sleep, Euphemia. It has been a long night for all of us."
Having no recollection of McGonagall ever calling me by my first name before, I couldn't help but feel better about her reassurance that my involvement was not in question. It pacified me enough to fall asleep mere minutes after, Ginny having wriggled out from under her brothers enough to rest with me instead, mumbling sleepily that they were squashing her. Amused, I stroked her hair for a little while and promptly fell asleep myself to dream instead about the great black dog I had met that very same day.
