CHAPTER TWENTY: THE ATTACK ON THE FAT LADY

A month had passed, and the school year began to feel like the past two years, especially when the Quidditch season started. I felt the familiar act of balancing my homework and Quidditch practice times. As usual there were times when I had difficulty doing this, but I had nothing complain about, especially when you compared me to Hermione. I had no idea how she was doing it. The amount of homework and subjects she was doing was unbelievable. I was sure that there had never been a student doing that many subjects in the history of Hogwarts.

But Hermione's school work isn't the story I want to talk about. No, this is about the attack on the Fat Lady, which all started with the first Hogsmeade visit of the year.

After returning to the common room after a long and cold Quidditch practice, I found the common room vibrant with excitement.

'What's going on?' I curiously asked Ron and Hermione. They were sitting in the best seats near the fire doing their Astronomy homework. I gratefully sat in front of the warm flames.

'The first Hogsmeade weekend is at the end of October on Halloween,' replied Ron.

'Oh,' I said disinterestedly.

'I think you are the only third year to be so indifferent when it's their first trip to Hogsmeade,' Fred commented as he and George joined the group.

'Just like I'm the only third year not going?' I replied with a twisted smile.

'What? Didn't your aunt and uncle sign your form?' Ron gasped.

'No. Why would they sign it?' I asked. 'Besides, I was at my grandparent's house for most of the holidays.'

'Why don't they sign it?' Hermione asked curiously. 'Didn't you say next week some time you were likely to be visiting them again?'

'They won't sign it either,' I sighed. 'Everyone wants me to stay at Hogwarts where it is safe, until Black is caught.'

'Huh?' said George.

'According to the Ministry, Sirius Black is a Death Eater how escaped Azkaban Prison to kill me,' I explained in a hollow voice.

'But they can't seriously expect that he would kill you in Hogsmeade where there are lots of people around,' said Ron.

'Ron, have you forgotten those Muggles he murder, in broad daylight, on a busy street?' I asked. 'No one wants to take the risk.'

'What about you?' George asked innocently.

'Personally, I believe everyone is worrying for nothing,' I said flatly. 'If there was a way for me to go to Hogsmeade I would.'

'Maybe you can sneak out with us under the invisibility cloak?' Ron suggested eagerly.

'Ron, have you already forgotten about what Dumbledore said?' Hermione demanded. 'He said that dementors weren't fooled by disguises or invisibility cloaks. Besides, I think they are right. It is safer for Harry here.'

'You're right,' I said sarcastically. 'This way, the only thing I'll die from is boredom.'

The twins and Ron laughed, but Hermione didn't look impressed. However, before she could say anything else on the matter, her cat, Crookshanks, appeared with a dead spider hanging from his mouth. Crookshanks then slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed insolently on Ron.

'Keep him over there,' Ron said irritably. Ever since Crookshanks had tried to eat Scabbers, Ron had hated the cat. 'I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag.'

Without warning, Crookshanks pounced on Ron's bag.

'OI!' Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. 'GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!'

Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but the cat clung on, spitting and slashing.

'Ron, don't hurt him!' Hermione squealed.

The whole common room stopped what they were doing to watch. Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top.

'CATCH THAT CAT!' Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.

George made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.

Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.

'Look at him!' he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. 'He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!'

'Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!' Hermione retorted, her voice shaking. 'All cats chase rats, Ron!'

'There's something funny about that animal!' Ron stated as he tried to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. 'It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!'

'What rubbish!' Hermione huffed impatiently. 'Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think –'

'That cat's got it in for Scabbers!'

Ron then marched through the common room and out of sight up the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

-THE UNMASKED MYSTERY-

Up until the end of the month Ron was angry with Hermione, though it did slowly begin to fade away. At least it had faded away enough for him to go to Hogsmeade with her.

'We'll bring you back lots of sweets from Honeydukes,' Hermione informed me as I said goodbye to them at the exit to the grounds.

'Yeah, loads,' said Ron.

'Just make sure you don't eat them all on the way back!' I joked, hiding my sadness. 'Anyway, don't worry about me. I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time.'

As they left I absently began to walk through the castle where I came across Lupin.

'Harri, what are you doing here?' he asked. 'Where are Ron and Hermione?'

'They're in Hogsmeade,' I replied casually, at least I hoped I sounded casual.

'I take it your family didn't sign your permission slip,' he commented casually.

'Good guess,' I said with a smile.

'So what are you doing now?'

'Apart for walking around with nothing better to do? Don't know yet.'

Lupin chuckled lightly.

'Well I was just heading down to the lake, would you care to join me?'

'Sure,' I said brightly, falling into step next to him as we headed down to the lake.

'Are you enjoying the term so far?' Lupin asked me conversationally.

'Yeah, I guess so,' I replied. 'I would have enjoyed it even more if I was able to join my friends on the Hogwarts Express, or being with them now. But other than that, it's been uneventful.'

'Uneventfully meaning that trouble hasn't found you yet?' Lupin asked innocently.

'How -?'

'Your father used to say that too,' Lupin said simply. 'Not to mention the other teachers informed me that he has passed his talent for trouble onto you.'

'They would say that,' I said with a laugh. 'So, any particular reason we're going down to the lake?'

'Professor Dumbledore had the mermaids' capture a grindylow for me for our next lesson,' Lupin explained, 'and I'm going down to pick it up.'

'What's a grindylow?' I asked curiously.

'You'll see,' Lupin said as we approached the lake.

At first we stood there silently waiting, before I leapt back in fright as a hideous head appeared out of the water, shortly followed by another. Their skin was grey with long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow and their teeth were broken. They swam closely to the shore and pushed a decent sized tank of water with something in it onto the bank.

'Thank you,' Lupin said, pulling the tank further onto dry land.

I bent down to have a closer look at the creature within. It was a sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

'Is this a grindylow?' I asked, looking up at Lupin.

'Oh, yes. It's a water demon,' Lupin said as he surveyed the grindylow thoughtfully. 'We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? They are strong, but very brittle.'

The grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner.

'Well I'm going to take him back to my office,' said Lupin. 'Would you like to join me and have a cup of tea?'

'Sure,' I said, before helping Lupin carry the grindylow back to his office. 'So what will we be doing with it? Will we actually be attempting to break its grip in class?' I couldn't help the eagerness creeping into my voice.

'No one can deny that you have the Valkyrie instincts,' Lupin said as we entered his office.

I abruptly stopped walking and stared at him wide eyed.

'You know,' I whispered.

'Of course I know,' he said gently. 'I saw you several times when you were a baby. I was friends –'

'With my father, I know,' I said, smiling. 'I saw some photos of the two of you in one of his old photo albums.'

'And probably some of those photos he was supposed to burn,' Lupin said with a good natured laugh as he headed over to a nearby kettle. 'Now I'm afraid, I've only got teabags, but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves?'

'How did you know about that?' I asked, amazed.

'Professor McGonagall told me. You're not worried, are you?'

'No!' I laughed. 'Professor Trelawney didn't come across too convincing. Besides, seeing a big dog doesn't necessarily mean the Grim. It could represent something else, right?'

'Yes, I suppose it could,' Lupin replied hesitantly as he poured the tea. He then motioned for me to sit down.

'Professor… why didn't you let me fight that boggart in our first class?' I asked as the thought suddenly occurred to me.

Lupin looked surprised.

'I would have thought that was obvious, Harri,' he said. 'I thought that if the boggart faced you, it would take the shape of Lord Voldemort.'

'You said Voldemort's name!' I gasped.

'As did you,' he replied, sounding amused.

'I know, but I've never heard anyone else, apart from Professor Dumbledore, say his name!'

'There are those who do not fear saying his name, even if we fear the wizard himself,' Lupin replied calmly. 'So tell me, was I wrong to assume Voldemort would materialise in the staffroom?'

'I don't know,' I replied truthfully. 'True, I fear him, but I'm equally scared of other things too. I'm not entirely sure what my greatest fear is.'

'Not many people do,' Lupin said wisely. 'Some fear a lot of things equally, while some are more certain about what their greatest fears are.'

Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the door and Uncle Severus entered the room, carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly. He stopped when he saw me sitting there. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as he looked between Lupin and I. I found this very odd.

'Ah, Severus,' Lupin said with a friendly smile. 'Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?'

Uncle Severus set down the smoking goblet, his eyes still wandering between us.

'Harri was helping me with my grindylow,' Lupin explained, nodding towards the tank in the corner.

Uncle Severus glanced at the grindylow before turning back to Lupin and saying, 'You should drink that directly, Lupin.'

'I will,' said Lupin.

'I made an entire cauldron full,' Uncle Severus continued. 'Just let me know if you need some more.'

'I should probably take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus.'

Uncle Severus merely shrugged before leaving the room, but not until he had given me a suspicious look. It was a look that I couldn't understand. Why was he acting so suspicious?

'What is that?' I asked Lupin as he picked up the goblet.

'Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me,' he answered casually. 'I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly difficult.'

He then took a sip and shuddered.

'What's it for?'

'Let's just say that I have been feeling a bit under the weather and this potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it.'

Lupin then drained the goblet and pulled a face.

'It doesn't look like it tastes very nice,' I commented.

'It's disgusting,' Lupin admitted, 'but things that are good for you usually are.'

-THE UNMASKED MYSTERY-

I left Lupin's at midday and made my way down to the Great Hall, but I never made it there as Uncle Severus stepped out of the shadows, in a deserted corridor, stopping me.

'Lunch is in your grandparents' quarters today,' he said bluntly.

'Oh. Okay,' I said, taken back by his bluntness.

Together we walked through the deserted corridors, towards my grandparents' quarters, in silence. It wasn't a comfortable silence either. It was a silence we hadn't experienced since I had found out he was my uncle, and I didn't like it.

'Have I done something wrong?' I demanded suddenly.

'No, but I don't want you to be anywhere near Lupin, asides from class,' Uncle Severus replied sternly.

'What? Why?'

'I don't trust him,' Uncle Severus answered simply.

'Why don't you? He's nice.'

'Just because someone is nice, doesn't mean they can be trusted,' Uncle Severus stated.

'You didn't answer my question.'

'He too was friends with Black.'

'And you think that he is helping Black?' I asked cynically. 'You think that he's going to try and gain my trust so he can lead me blindly to Black?'

'Maybe.'

'Uncle Severus, that is ridiculous! He was my father's friend and Grandfather wouldn't have hired him if he was dangerous.'

'Harrietta, I'm not going to have this conversation with you!' Uncle Severus growled. 'Just stay away from him!'

'Whatever,' I replied grumbly, storming ahead of him.

Due to Uncle Severus and my argument, lunch was beyond unpleasant. It had put us both in a foul mood. Truthfully, the entire family was grateful when lunch was over.

For the rest of the day, I shameful sulked by the lake and I didn't move until Ron and Hermione found me.

'Are you alright, Harry?' asked Hermione, sounding concerned.

'Snape, need I say more?' I replied, getting to my feet.

'No, that could write volumes,' Ron joked lightly, before handing me a bag of brilliantly coloured sweets. 'There you go. We got as much as we could carry.'

'Thanks,' I replied with a smile, trying to be happy for their sakes. 'So what's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?'

Hermione and Ron pretty much went everywhere in Hogsmeade. They went to Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, the local post office, Honeydukes and many other locations. Unfortunately they never got the chance to visit the Shrieking Shack, though. They planned to do that on their next visit.

'So what did you do all day?' Hermione asked, once she and Ron had finished their recount.

'I spend the morning with Lupin,' I replied. 'I helped him get a new creature for our next lesson, before having a cup of tea with him. He's really easy to talk with. He didn't treat me like a student, but rather an equal. Then after lunch I sat here aimlessly.'

Ron and Hermione exchanged a look. Both of them were now feeling guilty again for leaving me behind.

'We'd better go to the Great Hall,' I said, having noticed the look. 'The feast will be starting soon.'

Together we headed for the Great Hall and couldn't help but catch our breath when we saw it. It had been decorated hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many blazing orange streamers.

As always, the food was delicious and was far more enjoyable than lunch.

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a re-enactment of his own botched beheading.

With the entertainment over, Ron, Hermione and I followed our fellow Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when we reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, we found it jammed with students.

'Why isn't anyone going in?' Ron said curiously.

I peered over the head in front of me and saw that the portrait was closed. I could also tell that something was wrong with it, but I didn't know what.

'Something's wrong,' I said nervously.

Ron and Hermione quickly looked at me. They knew that when I was nervous, I had a good reason to be. This made them nervous.

'Let me through, please,' Percy's voice suddenly ordered as he came bustling importantly through the crowd. 'What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password - excuse me, I'm Head Boy –'

Silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor.

We then heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp, urgent voice, 'Somebody go and get Professor Dumbledore at once!'

'What's going on?' Ginny asked, having just arrived.

'Don't know,' Ron replied, looking over everyone's head at the portrait. 'For some reason the Fat Lady isn't letting anyone in.'

'I don't think she's doing it on purpose,' I replied anxiously. 'Something's wrong with her.'

Moments later, Grandfather was there, sweeping toward the portrait; we Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through. My friends and I were able to move closer to see what the trouble was.

'Oh, my –' Hermione gasped.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.

Grandfather took one quick look at the ruined painting and turned to see Grandmother, Lupin, and Uncle Severus hurrying toward him.

'We need to find her,' Grandfather announced. '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!' said the unmistakable cackling voice of Peeves the Poltergeist. He was bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry.

'What do you mean, Peeves?' Grandfather asked calmly, making Peeves' grin faded.

The Poltergeist wasn't foolish enough to taunt Grandfather.

'She's ashamed, your Headship,' Peeves answered in an oil voice, which, in my opinion, was no better than his cackle. 'She doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir. Crying something dreadful.'

'Did she say who did it?'

'Oh yes, Professorhead. He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black.'

I gasped, while my family and Lupin's eyes widened. My grandparents and Uncle Severus immediately looked through the crowd for me. When their eyes found mine, I knew that the rules they had set in place for me this year would get even stricter.


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Written: 2 July 2013
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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED, FAIR USE ONLY. I DO, HOWEVER, CLAIM SOME COPYRIGHT OVER HARRI SINCE SHE IS HALF BASED ON MY ORIGINAL VALKYRIE CHARACTER, PRINCESS HARRIETTA.