I'm not home much this weekend so you're getting this early. /rm and I were together a few weeks ago and I wish you could see the differences in the story before and after. THIS chapter didn't change any but some future chapters were practically rewritten. It hurt, you're gonna like it. :D Ahem. Anyway. Haven't had a review in a while, it'd be nice if someone was willing. Read and Enjoy.

Flight of the Fat Lady

October 31st, Halloween 1993

Fifth Year

It was Halloween at Hogwarts and, as always, Hagrid had grown a multitude of gigantic pumpkins. Jo, as usual, carved her pumpkin freestyle and was waiting on Leilani to finish hers. Leili liked to choose the harder, more intricate patterns in the carving books her mom sent every year.

Jo sighed, "Why must you always pick the hard ones?"

"Because the easy ones aren't nearly as cool, nor as much fun!" Leili grinned as she put the final touches on her pumpkin, before turning it to face Jo. "There, what d'you think?" Jo bit back a laugh, Leili had carved a haunted house, complete with bats and turrets she'd had to re-attach using toothpicks and a couple Permanent Sticking Charms.

"One day, we'll find you an easy one." Leili just grinned and shrugged. The girls placed a candle inside each, lit the wicks and sent the pumpkins floating up to mingle among the bats and other pumpkins. The girls headed back to their dorm, picked up Artemis and Morgan and headed out with the rest of the group going to Hogsmeade Village.

They wandered around, poking their heads into Zonko's, Honeydukes-grabbing a large bag full of candy (it was all Jo's idea to get so much candy, though Leili had no problem helping her eat it). They spent a solid three hours reading in Tomes and Scrolls, a fantastic bookshop, before the girls and their pets headed back for the feast.

As always, the feast was a delight but the most excitement came after, when, on the way from the feast, the Gryffindors discovered something most frightening in the hallway outside of their common room.

The Fat Lady had vanished. Her canvas was ripped and torn, shredded in places and she was nowhere to be seen. With no Fat Lady, the Gryffindors were stranded. Peeves cackled overhead.

When Dumbledore asked him if he had witnessed the Fat Lady's flight Peeves cackled some more and responded, "Oh yes, Professorhead, he got very angry when she wouldn't let him, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black!"

Dumbledore ordered the Fat Lady found and that the Great hall be cleared of tables and furnished instead with warm, squishy purple sleeping bags. He ordered each Head of House instruct his or her Head Boys, Head Girls and Prefects to gather their students and escort them to the Great Hall.

The girls snuggled down into the cushy sleeping bags and then squirmed, wiggled and inch-wormed their way closer to each other so they could whisper without being caught. "What's going on?" Jo asked

"Really bad guy, Sirius Black-the guy all over the news this year-somehow got into the castle while everyone was distracted with the feast. He tried to get into the Gryffindor Common Room and when he couldn't he, I guess, got mad and took a knife to the Fat Lady's portrait. Scared her so bad she's gone missing. I don't know how he got past the Dementors, but he's done it twice now. My parents are going to completely freak when they hear about this."

"But what did he do that got him thrown in Azkaban to begin with?"

"He killed his best friend. Sold him and his family to Voldemort; Harry's family."

"How'd he get in? You can't Apparate in or out, can't have flown in, not with the Dementors posted everywhere, I imagine you might be able to portkey out but not in, and what disguise could possibly allow one to slip into the school undetected by Dementor, teacher, student or ghost?" Jo asked.

"A really clever one?" Leili offered.