When clouds appear, wise men put on their cloaks;
When great leaves fall, the winter is at hand;
When the sun sets, who doth not look for night?
—William Shakespeare, Richard III
Chapter Seven
The idea of the Life Debt stayed with her for the rest of the next day. Holly was quite certain that she didn't want any wizard to be in her debt. Saving someone's life wasn't something that a person should do for a reward, and it seemed shallow that it was so in the Wizarding World. In the early afternoon, Holly could stand it no longer and she trekked off to the library. There, whilst enduring suspicious glances from the librarian, Holly looked into the matter.
What she found in the books only confirmed Mr. Black's words. He did indeed owe her a Life Debt, which could only be fulfilled by him saving her life, or taking a position of service to her. Holly poured over the second idea; it seemed that the person whose life had been saved could be offered to take up a term of service, but they were allowed to decline it if they wished. By the time the sky was dark outside, and when she checked the clock, it was nine in the evening. Holly closed the book in front of her with a thud.
"Shhh!" Madam Pince hissed from her desk.
Holly rolled her eyes. She was the only one in the library, who exactly was she supposed to be quiet for? After putting back the books, Holly returned to the tower where she headed up to her room. Her trunk was waiting for her at the foot of her bed. Holly threw it open, digging through the contents until she found the chess set she had buried the previous day. It had never occurred to her that she might need it, but things change, and sometimes quickly. As she pulled it out, Holly saw a Chocolate Frog card loose in her trunk. Holly frowned, plucking it out, and turning it over in her hand.
It was the one of Dumbledore.
Holly read the inscription once more and chuckled. She went over to Hermione's bed, leaving the card on the other's witch's pillow. Maybe the poor girl would get some sleep now.
She waited for two hours. Once Holly was certain that everyone was sleeping, she slipped her invisibility cloak back on. Then, still clutching her chess set, Holly went down the stairs.
The walk to the Hospital Wing seemed shorter that night. The torches in their sconces flickered and danced on the stone walls, casting a frightening aspect over the school. Chill air drifted down the hallways, and wind whipped around outside on the grounds. Her footsteps were measured though, and Holly Potter was determined not to be a coward. She was a Gryffindor, after all.
When she opened the door, Holly saw that the partition blocking the sole patient of the infirmary was gone now. Arcturus Black was sitting up in bed, reading again. His eyes focused on the door, where no one stood, and he whispered, "Miss Potter?"
Holly took off her cloak.
"I was wondering if you would come back," Black said, putting his book to the side.
"Hello," Holly said. The redhead felt unaccountably nervous. Oh, Mr. Black didn't scare her, though she supposed he might do for some. It was just that what she was about to do was the most grown-up thing she ever had before, and Holly wanted to do it right. She bit her lip, and then managed to get out, "As the recipient of an official Life Debt, I would like to offer you a term of service."
Arcturus Black's eyebrows climbed up high on his forehead. "I'm listening."
"I propose," Holly began, "that in exchange for my acknowledging the Life Debt between us as null and void, you teach me to play wizard's chess."
There was silence in the room.
When Mr. Black spoke again, his voice was incredulous. "You want me to teach you to…play chess?"
He looked rather comical sputtering like that, but Holly did not laugh. Coming forward, she stepped into the light and looked at him with a serious expression. "Yes."
"You do realize," Arcturus said, sounding slightly scolding, "as I am certain that you do as you seem to have looked up the formal wording for dissolving Life Debts, that you can ask anything of me, anything at all. I might not comply, and might choose to save your life instead, but you still have the right to ask. Some Life Debts have even been settled by bequests. Any man would beggar themselves to have a chance at me being indebted to them, and yet you wish to give me my freedom for something so small?"
Holly sat down on the chair she had vacated the night before. "I have everything that I need, Mr. Black. I don't need your money, as I have my own. I am not likely to get into many Wizard's duels here at Hogwarts, so I have no need of a second. And, really, I think it would be hard for you to hang around Hogwarts indefinitely." She took a breath, darting a look at him. "Yet, I think, that you wish to resolve this…honorably? Isn't that right; it's a matter of honor?"
"That's right," he said softly, his blue eyes gazing at her steadily.
"So, I thought that this could be a good way to do it," Holly told him. "What do you think?"
"I think, Miss Potter," Black said, "that we have an accord."
He held out his hand, and Holly shook it. Fine blue lines of magic traced over both their hands in complicated patterns, causing Holly to gasp with surprise. The little webs wrapped around their clasped hands again and again, until they sank into their skin and dissolved altogether.
"Rory!" Black called in a whisper-shout.
A house-elf popped into the room, bowing low to the ground. Holly saw that it was wearing a tea towel, much like the ones the Hogwarts elves wore, and it was stamped with a family crest. It was being upheld by two black dogs, and there were stars on it as well. "Yes, master," the little creature said.
"My chess set."
The elf popped away, and returned again immediately, handing a well-loved set to Arcturus before leaving once more. Using his ebony wand, Mr. Black set up a privacy bubble so they could not be heard. Then, Arcturus set out the board between him and Holly, and quickly showed Holly how to set up the pieces and told her what the movement of each piece was.
"White always plays first," Arcturus told her lastly. "And when you move your pawn, you have the option to move it two spaces, but just with the first movement of each pawn."
"What if I wish to open with my knight?" Holly asked, peering at the board. "That way I can protect my pawns." Her little horsemen were shouting up at her at the thought of dying for a pawn.
Arcturus smirked. "It seems your knights do not wish to die for pieces as worthless as pawns."
"But you said a pawn can be promoted to a queen, rook, bishop, or knight," Holly said, eyeing the board. "That means they're not useless."
"Touché, my dear," Black responded. "Shall we play?"
So they played. Holly lost two bouts in quick succession, but the losing seemed to have bonded her pieces together, and they certainly gave a good showing in the third go round. ("Once more into the breach, dear friends!"). While they played, Holly and Mr. Black also talked. It started mostly because Holly was sick of the silence, and because she found the man before her undeniably fascinating.
"Have you had any visitors aside from me, Mr. Black?" Holly asked him, cutting her bishop across the board.
Black took one of her rooks, and said, "Aside from you, and your Headmaster, I can't say that I have."
"Oh," Holly said, looking up at him with wide hazel eyes. "Don't you have any family?"
Arcturus looked at her for a long time, before answering, "I have a daughter, Lucretia. And a few cousins that I try to ignore as much as possible."
"Why hasn't your daughter come to see you?" Holly asked, only realizing after she said it that she was being rude. "I'm sorry," she said quickly. "You don't have to answer."
"It is fine," Arcturus said, moving his rook. "My daughter is on holiday with her husband in Nova Scotia. I haven't informed her of my convalescence."
"Oh, but she'll be cross when she returns," Holly said, grinning at him.
"You don't know my daughter," Arcturus said dryly. "Overly-emotional, perhaps, but not cross." He studied the board. "Do you have any family?"
"That I wish to claim?" Holly joked. "I have my mother's sister, and her husband, along with two cousins. No other blood family that I know of."
"I knew your grandfather, you know," Arcturus commented.
"You did?" Holly's eyes got wide.
"Yes, I am quite ancient, I assure you."
She laughed. "You don't seem that old to me."
Shaking his head, the man smirked at her. "I am ninety years old, child. And yet still, I was just a young thing by the time your grandfather became a great statesman. I remember sitting in the viewing gallery at the Wizengamot, just watching him eviscerate his opponents whenever he stepped up to the floor. I have never seen a politician like Edward Potter, before or since."
Holly hadn't known her grandfather was on the Wizengamot, though it made sense since she knew that her family held a seat. "What was he like, in person, I mean?"
Thinking, Arcturus paused. "Stern, disciplined, and meticulous. There used to be a saying in the Ministry: 'You can set your watch by Potter.' He always came to the Ministry at the same time every day, and he always ate at the same time, and departed at the same time. In fact, I have heard that the only time he was ever lax in his entire life was when it came to your grandmother and your father."
Holly smiled down at her chess pieces. Even just hearing that much about her grandfather was like a window into the past. "What about my grandmother? Did you know her?"
"Indeed, I did. Venefica Abbot Potter, a beautiful witch." His sea-colored eyes met hers smilingly. "Had I been older, I would have happily tried to give your grandfather a trying time of it."
Holly giggled.
"She had already been wed for, oh, a year or two, by the time I was born, and Venefica had married late too—at around thirty if I remember correctly, and of course, Edward was nearing fifty by that time. She gave a garden party every year, I seem to recall, at Lone Hill. A perfect hostess and companion for Edward, and I believe that after your father was born, nothing was ever wanting between them. Venefica died three months after Edward, you know, from grief, most like." Black told her. "She had this long blonde hair that curled much as yours does, and very tall too—if I am not mistaken, you will look a lot like her when you are grown."
"Since I rejoined the Wizarding World, people always say I look like my mother, but with my father's eyes."
Arcturus' Black's nose wrinkled a bit, as if in disgust. "Superficially, perhaps. I saw your mother once or twice, and the color of your hair is indistinguishable. But the shape of your jaw, the tilt of your nose, even your mouth and the height of your cheekbones—no, that is all your grandmother."
Holly wondered who she really was. Her aunt saw Lily Potter in her, but Professor Flitwick saw James Potter instead. And now, Arcturus Black saw her grandmother. Was she just a composite of all these different people, or was any bit of her simply…her?
"Checkmate."
"And so it is, Arcturus."
Holly and Mr. Black looked up to see Professor Dumbledore. He had dispelled the privacy bubble, and neither of them had even noticed. How long had he been there? An uncomfortable feeling came over Holly, and she wondered if the Headmaster had not been there all along.
"A well-earned victory," Dumbledore was saying to Mr. Black, "but I think it is time for Holly to say goodnight."
Holly nodded, getting up reluctantly. "Thank you for teaching me chess, Mr. Black. The debt is repaid." Another blue light flared between them. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight," Arcturus said softly.
Holly collected her chess pieces, putting them away, getting up, and walking to where Professor Dumbledore stood. The Headmaster put a hand on her shoulder, escorting her from the room. When they reached the doorway, Arcturus called after her.
"Miss Potter?"
"Yes, Mr. Black?" Holly replied, turning.
"If you would like to come back tomorrow, we could play again."
Holly smiled. "I'd like that very much. How about tomorrow afternoon?"
Arcturus nodded, and Holly and Dumbledore left the ward.
They were down the corridor, near the stairs, when the headmaster broke the silence. "That was a very kind thing you did, Holly," Dumbledore told her as they walked along. Holly was relieved to see that he was smiling, and did not seem angry at her at all.
"How so, sir?"
"Arcturus Black is a proud man, and yet you released him so easily from the debt he owed you. That showed real strength of character, Holly."
"Well, I just knew that I wouldn't want to be in anyone's debt, so I doubted that a grown man would wish to be in the debt of a twelve year old."
Dumbledore chuckled. "True."
"Professor, can I ask you something?"
"Obviously, you've just done so," Dumbledore smiled down at her. "You may ask me one more thing, however."
"Why did Mr. Black think that you and Professor McGonagall wouldn't want him speaking to me?"
"Ah, Holly," Dumbledore replied quietly. "You do get right to the heart of things, do you not?" He fell silent for a moment, and Holly watched the play of expressions across his face, fully visible even in the dark. At length, he said, "I once knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. He watched as his family was ripped apart because of his inaction, and then further sundered because of his actions. It does things to a man—to lose so much, and yet see the traces of what could have been. Had he only acted differently here, said that there, altered a course, chosen to stand sooner…these regrets, after a while, they become the sum total of everything, and no good you ever did can matter after."
Holly didn't understand, and she said as much.
"Arcturus Black," Dumbledore told her, "belongs to what was once one of the greatest wizarding families there ever was, or will be. They produced ministers of magic, alchemists, enchantresses—the very best and brightest that our world had to offer. Many of the spells you will learn in your seven years here were created by a member of that distinguished family. And they were patrons, as well. All of the grounds of Hogwarts, including the Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest, were given to the school by an ancestor of Arcturus Black's. Many of the most famous artists of the Wizarding World were provided for by the Blacks."
"What changed?" Holly asked.
Dumbledore sighed. "There was a child, a girl, who was attacked just before the Statute of Secrecy was enacted. There are many that say the death of Lucretia Black is the reason that we are hidden from Muggles today. After that, the family took a hard line…a hard line, Holly."
"Mr. Black has a daughter named Lucretia," Holly said softly.
"Yes, lovely girl, if a bit high-strung," Dumbledore nodded. "She was named for her ancestress, of course. The House of Black changed then, after the Statute was passed. They withdrew, became more isolationist, and eventually all that they once were was lost."
"Mr. Black does not seem like a bad man."
"He's not," Dumbledore assured her. "I do not agree with many of his views, but he is much more moderate than some of his other family members. His daughter is married to Ignatius Prewett—the uncle of Mrs. Weasley, the mother of the Weasley boys in your house. Arcturus is—well, complicated, I suppose. During the war, he practiced a strict neutrality which came, in the end, to cost him bitterly. Almost his entire family is dead now, his daughter is childless, and his name will die with him, bringing an end to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."
"So that is why he seems so sad," Holly said, when they came to a halt before the entrance to Gryffindor tower. "He lives with ghosts."
"Yes," Dumbledore said, his eyes dimming behind his half-moon spectacles. "But I think he adds to his pains by wishing for that which cannot be. It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live. Remember that, Holly."
"I will, sir. Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Holly found herself visiting Arcturus Black every day of what remained of her holidays. They always played chess, though sometimes they dawdled over a single game as Arcturus told Holly about the members of the Potter family who had come before her. Mr. Black was not a warm man, and yet Holly found herself liking him very much. She told him stories of her time at Hogwarts with Lavender and Parvati—he seemed very approving of her friends—and a little bit about her plans to join the Charms club. Holly expressed her indignation to him that she would never be able to sit in her family's Wizengamot seat, something that caused a great amount of amusement for him.
On the second to last day of her holidays, Holly came to the Hospital Wing to find Arcturus dressed in expensive green, silk robes and entertaining visitors. Sitting on the edge of his bed was a woman with deep black hair, streaked with white, who was wearing pearls and a mink shawl over her robes. Next to her, standing by the bed, was a man a little older than her who had white hair, but a bright red beard. He was wearing very dignified purple robes, and stood with an air of authority.
"Father, how can you be so blasé?" the woman was saying. "If you had died—I would not have survived that. Do you not care for my constitution, or the fragility of my health? And yet you speak as if all would have been well had you died."
"I have no doubt you would have carried on, my dear," he said, patting the woman's hand.
"No," she said shrilly. "I should have died too, and then my poor Ignatius would have had no one to care for him."
"Calm yourself, my love," the standing wizard said to her. "We need worry about none of this; Father is fine."
"Really, Ignatius," Arcturus said drolly, "I am quite certain I never fathered you, and yet you insist on referring to me as such."
Ignatius rolled his eyes. "You're a damnable old coot is what you are, and I do not know why I bother with you."
"Oh, don't fight," his wife said, sounding near tears. "I can't bear it."
Arcturus sighed. "Lucretia, it was only a jest."
Holly must have made some sound, for all three pairs of eyes looked up to see her.
"Ah, Miss Potter," Arcturus said, smiling, "I was wondering if I would see you today. Come here, my girl, and meet my children."
She crossed the room, and once she was closer, the woman gasped at the sight of her. "Father, this isn't—it can't be—"
"Yes, Lucretia," Arcturus assured her. "Not only the savior of the Wizarding World, but my savior, as well." His daughter and son-in-law's faces turned to him. "Miss Potter was the one that found me in Hogsmeade and prevented my injuries from exacerbating themselves until help could arrive. I owe her my life."
Lucretia began to cry in earnest. She came forward, her arms outstretched, wrapping Holly in a tight hug. "Oh, you sweet, dear, wonderful girl," Lucretia said, kissing her on her head. "I can never thank you enough." She released Holly then and started sobbing in her husband's arms.
Arcturus rolled his eyes, and winked at Holly, who was trying to keep from laughing. "Well," Arcturus said, standing, "I do not wish to stay here another moment. I am free to leave, so I suggest we do just that. Miss Potter, would you like to walk us out?"
"Sure," she said, wanting to see more of his relatives. As they passed through the doors of the Hospital Wing, Holly asked, "So, did they catch the men who attacked you?"
"They did," Arcturus assured her. "The three wizards in question are in a holding cell now, and awaiting trial."
"Good," Holly said. "I'm glad they were caught."
"Me too, my girl, me too."
"Barty Crouch has taken their attacking you as an affront to the Ministry, Father," Ignatius said, falling into step beside him. "He assigned Longbottom to it, you know."
"Dumbledore informed me," Black said, nodding. "It is good to see that our dear Minister is good for something, even if it is only assigning the best men to the job."
"Well, apparently Fudge is angry because he thinks Longbottom went over his head."
"The amount of inane things that Cornelius Fudge thinks could fill Gringotts," Arcturus replied.
The flagstones were noisy underfoot, but Holly still managed to hear Lucretia Black Prewett when the older witch sidled up next to her.
"I want to thank you again for what you did, dear." Lucretia seemed calmer now, and Holly noticed that there was a noble beauty to her that Lucretia shared with her father. There was something about her features too, and her eyes, that seemed so familiar to Holly.
"Of course, Mrs. Prewett," she said. "I'm glad I could help."
Lucretia began to speak of niceties, telling Holly about her trip to Nova Scotia, and her hopes for a well-blooming garden that spring. When she shifted into discussing the weather, snippets of Mr. Black's conversation with his son-in-law caught Holly's ears.
"—found them, but what? ... won't talk. They're no good…don't know who sent them, Father. …offended anyone lately?"
"Other … Malfoy? …told him his son…not a single knut… or Caisteal Dubh…my dead body."
"—seemed … you at your word."
Babbling on, Lucretia didn't even seem to sense Holly's inattention as they walked down the stairs to the entrance hall, and saw Professor Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape speaking quietly at the bottom. Holly felt unaccountably nervous at the sight of them, even though she had Dumbledore's explicit permission to speak with Mr. Black and his family.
Thankfully, Holly didn't notice any real increase in hostility from Professor McGonagall when she observed them. She seemed rather calm. Snape, on the other hand, looked positively furious. Holly had no idea what he had against Mr. Black and his family, but he was seething.
"Ah, Arcturus," Dumbledore said when he caught sight of them. "It is so nice to see you fully recovered."
"Is it?" Arcturus said wryly. "You won't think so next week when we meet in the Wizengamot."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I look forward to it."
"Albus," Ignatius said, stepping forward to shake the Headmaster's hand.
"Ignatius, good to see you."
"And you. You remember my wife, Lucretia."
"Indeed," Dumbledore said, smiling. "This is my Deputy, Professor Minerva McGonagall, and the Head of Slytherin House, Professor Severus Snape."
Arcturus looked at Snape with a keen eye. "Head of Slytherin House, really? My, my Albus, you really are desperate." Holly's eyes widened as she took in the look of intense hate that blazed across Snape's face, and the annoyance that passed over Mr. Black's. "I doubt Salazar Slytherin had such a one in mind when he founded his House."
"We may never know," Dumbledore said grimly. "As it is, I have complete faith in Severus, and he is a credit to my faculty."
"A credit?" Ignatius sneered. "Really? A man who allowed himself to be branded like cattle?"
Snape sneered at Ignatius, and stalked off. Dumbledore sighed, looking in disappointment at Mr. Prewett.
"Let's not throw stones in that particular glass house," Lucretia said, laying a hand on her husband's arm. "Come, it is time we went home."
"Yes," Arcturus agreed.
"Great Uncle Ignatius?"
The incredulous voice of Percy Weasley made them all turn.
Standing in the doorway of the castle, all four of the Weasley boys were looking at their great uncle in surprise. Ignatius turned, and a big smile crossed his face. "Boys!" he called, and they all came forward.
"It is so good to see you, Uncle," Percy said pompously, shaking his hand. "I hope you had a Happy Christmas."
"It has been so long since we have seen you, Uncle Iggy," one of the twins said, "we almost forgot what you looked like."
"Maybe you did," the other twin said. "You always were the slow one."
Ron said nothing, simply watching his great uncle with an adoring expression and a shy smile. His face turned red when Mr. Prewett ruffled his hair.
Holly wondered what Ignatius's relationship to the Weasleys was, for though he seemed to love them very much, she could tell that Mrs. Prewett wasn't overly happy to see the Weasley boys. This was confirmed when Holly overheard a comment Lucretia made.
"Mother will be so surprised when we tell her you were here," Percy was saying to his Aunt Lucretia. "I know that she has been meaning to have tea with you for some time, Aunt, and is always sad that there isn't more time to spend with you."
"Really, dear," Lucretia said, patting his shoulder, "I should say she is much too busy cozying up Muriel to bother with me. My money is staying in the Black family, and shan't pass to the Prewett one."
Percy's cheeks tinged pink. "I didn't—that wasn't what I—"
"Come, my love," Ignatius said, extricating himself from the twins. "Let's go."
Arcturus, who had been watching the scene with some amusement mixed with derision, turned then to Holly and his expression quite changed. An ease came over his face and he smiled at her, holding out his hand. "I am very glad to have met you, Miss Potter," he said.
"So am I," she told him honestly, shaking his hand. "This has quite been the most interesting Christmas holidays of my life."
Arcturus laughed at that.
"Thank you for teaching me to play chess, sir."
"It was my pleasure, Miss Potter."
When Parvati and Lavender got back to school, Holly quickly told them all. They were sitting up in their dorm room the night of their return, dressed in only nightclothes with blankets wrapped around them for warmth. Each one was wearing a matching woven bracelet that Lavender had made them, as well. The girls had been spell bound when Holly had told them about Hogsmeade and the attack there, and much less interested in her invisibility cloak.
"Oh, Holly," Lavender said, sighing. "It's just like a story. He was an injured wizard, and you were his lady fair, come to his rescue."
"I did mention that he is ninety years old, right?" Holly said, laughing.
"Even so," Lavender said blithely, "it is a wonderful story. I can't believe that all this happened and you didn't owl us at all!"
"Well, I really don't think I was supposed to talk about it until those men were arrested," Holly said.
"I can't believe he was attacked in daytime like that," Parvati said, shaking her head.
"I know," Holly said, "it was very scary."
Hermione came out of the bathroom then, and Holly stopped talking to her friends, watching as the witch saw the Chocolate Frog card that Holly had laid on her pillow. Hermione picked it up, her eyes widening as she read it over. Looking at Holly, she mouthed 'thank you.' Holly nodded and went back to her whispered conversation.
Term began again, and classes started once more in earnest. Holly was getting excited for her first meeting of the Charm's club, which was due to start in a week's time. Snape was in a foul mood, and seemed happy to take it out on anyone who crossed his path. Neville Longbottom had ten points taken from Gryffindor for 'breathing too loudly.' Add to that, their workload in Potions had radically increased, though that seemed to be a trend across the board. All of the professors seemed to start piling on the work the moment classes began again.
Two weeks after school had started, and one day before the first meeting of Charm's club, Holly was eating her breakfast when a parliament of owls came screeching into the Great Hall. The ones that caught everyone's attention, though, were a group of six eagle owls who were carrying a large, flat package. They headed straight for Holly.
The owls hovered in midair, and after Holly took the package from them, they departed. The parcel was at least three feet tall and two across, and yet it was feather light. Awkwardly, Holly propped it against the bench while she opened the card that was attached to the brown paper. It was written on the finest parchment she had ever seen, stamped with a crest at the top—a very familiar crest. She read it over closely, her eyes widening.
"What does it say?" Lavender asked, and Holly handed her the card. While Holly removed the brown paper from the parcel, Lavender read the card aloud to Parvati:
Dear Miss Potter,
After ample consideration, I have decided that the simple restitution given to you is not sufficient to fulfill so great a debt. Please consider the enclosed my way of expressing my admiration of your heroism and bravery. I hope it brings as much joy to you as it has brought to me.
I remain, respectfully yours,
Arcturus Sirius Draco Black
Duke of Alba, Baron MacFusty
Order of Merlin, First Class
Holly tore away the last of the paper to reveal a bright and beautiful painting. In it, a beautiful witch was bent over a wishing well, unaware she was being observed by a wizard peaking over the high wall of her bower. It was a beautiful scene, haunting and evocative, and the sight of it reminded her of something she had read in A History of Magic. Though the subjects of the painting could move, they could not speak, and slowly Holly realized she must be holding a very rare wizarding artifact.
"Is that…it isn't, it can't be—"
"I thought that painting disappeared."
"Merlin's pants, it is!"
"Can you believe it?"
"It's what? Let me see!"
Holly turned to Parvati, who was staring at the painting in shock. "What, what is it?"
"It's—it's The Courting of Merlin and Morgana, Holly," Parvati told her quietly. "It's one of the most famous paintings of all time. I don't understand how it's here, though. It was supposed to be lost."
"Not lost," Holly replied softly, with dawning understanding. "Simply owned by a private collector."
That night, with the help of Professor McGonagall—who was quite against the whole business and kept muttering about "inappropriate gifts for children"—and Professor Dumbledore who charmed the painting so it couldn't be stolen or harmed, it was hung up in the Gryffindor girls First Year dorm. Gryffindors from all years had come to see it, and the traffic was so bad, that Professor McGonagall had finally drawn an age line on the door frame so that no one over twelve could enter, save a teacher or prefect.
After the fuss had died down, Holly laid in bed and stared at the painting. Arcturus' letter was in her hands, and it was only then that she saw the postscript.
P.S. I have been reliably told that it is possible to play chess by post. If you are interested, let me know.
Holly grinned, already mentally preparing her thank you note.