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DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS, EXCEPT FOR ANY CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE. JK ROWLING IS JESUS!

CHAPTER 41

2 days later.

Those who had remained behind for the ball, which was a large chunk of the three schools, was buzzing with rumors. At the breakfast the morning after Christmas, the Headmaster had broken the news about Hans and Petro.

The Beauxbaton's students had been incredibly silent since, the Durmstrang and Hogwarts students did most of the chatting of it. The details weren't great, Audrey wasn't included in them, Albus just said that they were caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was a vague truth. Isaac had begged him not to tell the full story, it would put what remained of their family at risk.

Audrey had yet to return to the Gryffindor common room, and no one had seen her around the school. Sirius grew worried.

Down the hallway, he could see Karl standing by one of the large windows, watching the snow.

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Hello, Sirius." Karl replied, he sounded slightly dead.

"Have you-"

"Heard from Audrey?" He finished, turning to him. "I asked Dumbledore, he says she's in the castle but he will not tell me where at the moment. She needs to be left alone for a few days."

"It's understandable…" Sirius murmured. "Have you heard anything about the funerals?"

"Probably after the New Year." said Karl. "When does our break end?"

"We have another two weeks…" Sirius replied. "More than enough time…"

Karl gave a nod, they both looked out at the snow.

"Look…I just wanted to say thanks for covering my arse the other night. You really didn't have to, I don't deserve any help from you after the way I've treated you this year."

"It was nothing." Karl shrugged. "I just…I don't know…I didn't want to see Audrey lose anyone else and you had even caught onto the fact that her bag was a portkey. It was a very bold thing to grab on with her even if you didn't know where it was going. You actually care about her, don't you?"

Sirius nodded. "She's one of my best friends, I couldn't deal with myself if anything happened to her that I couldn't prevent."

"I apologize for judging you then." said Karl.

"Eh, that's alright. Everyone here thinks I'm a jerk anyway. They're half right." Sirius shrugged, unashamed. Out of the corner of his eye, Karl saw something black moving down the hallway. His head snapped to the right, Sirius looked as well.

Hisoka.

"Hisoka!" Karl called, she turned. She looked the same as she did two nights ago, wearing all black once more and her long hair down over her shoulders. She glided towards them, stopping a few feet away.

"She's with you…isn't she?" Karl asked, piecing it together.

The geisha didn't speak, but responded with a small nod. She cocked her head, giving them a look and then walked away, she paused down the hallway, looked over her shoulder at them once more and began to walk again.

"I believe that would be our cue to follow…" said Sirius, Karl nodded.

Sirius wasn't sure where she was leading them, but it was at the west end of the castle. He had barely been around there, the classrooms down there were mostly unused. What he did know, was that this wing was normally where guests would stay, which explained Audrey's mentor.

Finally, she stopped at an oak door, looked at the boys again and pressed a finger to her lips. She walked in silently, they followed.

The room was a lot bigger than it seemed to be on the outside. It was dark, the only light came from the two large windows.

Hisoka pointed in the direction of the windows, where there was the back of a futon and a large mass of black hair falling over it.

She pulled her wand out and wrote in the air, silvery letters appeared in front of them.

"She has been sleeping for the last two days, and because of what she's just experienced, the sleep can be very light. She could be awoken by any sound and her body will go into alert…she'll attack the first thing she sees."

Karl wrote in the air with his wand as well.

I didn't know that spell, I felt quite left out of the conversation.

"Even us?"

Hisoka nodded.

"How do you know?"

"Albus and I have tested it…it's a very normal thing, honestly. When someone like Audrey is emotionally unstable it isn't wise to be around her or disturb her."

With that, Hisoka walked the two to the door and let them out. They returned to the Gryffindor common room and relayed the news.

They sat there for hours, in silence, the occasional cough would arise but nothing more.

"You guys…" James said, clearing his throat. "I'm sick of this, I'm sick of the silence. I know with everything that's just happened we're all a bit dumbfounded and sad, but I can't take it just sitting here. I need to do something. I'm going to go out on the grounds and if no one wants to accompany me, I'll fly. If someone wants to come with me then we'll have a snowball fight or something…"

"I would, James." Lily croaked, her voice hadn't been used much. "But I just don't think I can enjoy myself right now, I'd feel too bad."

"Hans and Petro would have wanted you to have a snowball fight, knowing them." Chantal said fondly, Sven and Karl agreed. "Or prank someone…"

"I'm going to go then and honor my fallen pranksters." James stood up, making his way to the portrait hole.

"I'll go." said Dmitri, standing up.

"I'll go too, mate. I need to throw things…" said Sirius. "Moony?"

Remus whispered something to Marlene, she nodded, and he got up as well. Peter followed.

"Sven, Karl?" Sirius asked, looking at the two. They shook their heads.

"I just can't right now…" Sven said sadly.

"I need to firecall my grandfather." said Karl. "He's helping Isaac with the arrangements."

Sirius gave them a sad nod and set off with the other Marauder's and Dmitri.

"Did you really ask Marlene's permission to go outside, Moony?" James snorted

"No, James!" Remus scolded with mock anger. "You're such a twit. I was asking her if she'd be alright if I left. She's been crying for days."

"Twin telepathy." James and Sirius said together, understanding as they finally made it outside.