Harry was in a weird funk and Aria was starting to feel a little worried. At first, she had thought maybe he was getting sick. He had spent a weekend in bed and had barely managed to make it to classes for another week. She, Ron, and Hermione had bullied him to go to Madam Pomfrey, but she had not been much help. She thought Harry just wasn't sleeping well with so many dementors flying about or that the shortening days and lengthening nights was affecting his mood.

"Winter can make many people feel more tired than normal," Madam Pomfrey had said, and had sent Harry away with a couple of Pepper-Up Potions. The potions had perked Harry up, but only for as long as they were in his system. So, Aria knew that she had to intervene.

Since he had yet to start his extra lessons with Remus or Professor Snape, she decided now was the perfect time to begin creating happy memories with Harry so that he had a whole host to choose from to fight off the dementors.

The first thing she did when they had a free moment after classes was drag Harry down to Hagrid's hut for tea and rock cakes. Ron and Hermione were unable to join as their schedule had History of Magic and none of the other third year Slytherins seemed keen on going to the Groundskeeper's hut for tea, so it was just them.

That is, until they were at the front doors of the school all bundled up ready to go outside and Ginny suddenly appeared at their side, her friend Luna Lovegood with her.

"Afternoon," Ginny greeted. "Did I hear you asking the other third years to come to tea at Hagrid's?"

"Yeah," Aria answered. "Why? You want to join?"

"Luna's convinced there're Hosspin Vine Worms in Hagrid's pumpkin patch," Ginny said. "She wanted to go down anyway to look."

Luna smiled at Ginny.

"What's a Hosspin Vine Worm?" Harry asked as they started out.

"It's a worm," Luna stated seriously. "They like to eat pumpkins. They leave such pretty little designs on them. Sometimes the designs make pictures. Daddy wrote an article about them for this month's edition of The Quibbler. They're very active this time of year, but not during any other time."

"Are you saying there are worms that carve pumpkins?" Aria questioned. That sounded like a lie, but this was the wizarding world, so it could be true.

Ginny shook her head.

"I don't think they exist," she stated. "Luna's convinced though."

"Ginny likes to pretend that many things don't exist," Luna said. "Like Nargles and Wrackspurts and Crumpled Horned Snorkack for example. Harry has quite a lot of Wrackspurts floating around his head."

Harry blinked before waving a hand as if to dispel the creatures.

"What are Wrackspurts?" he asked.

"They're invisible creatures that float into a person's ears, making their brains feel fuzzy and confused," Luna told him. Aria and Ginny shared a look.

"How do I get rid of them?" Harry asked, just as seriously.

"Daddy says the best way to get rid of Wrackspurts is to have a good cup of tea," Luna told him. "If that doesn't work, a good cry might do that trick."

Aria was beginning to understand why the second years called Luna "Looney". She was very strange. Still, a friend of Ginny's was a friend of hers and Luna, though weird, seemed harmless enough.

Barking announced their arrival to Hagrid's hut. Fang came loping around the hut, drooling as always. Harry greeted the boarhound with great enthusiasm even as the dog slobbered all over his robes. Aria, Ginny, and Luna were not as impressed with the slobber. However, Fang was not alone. Another dog, large, black, and in need of a good grooming and several meals came bounding after Fang, barking in greeting. It stopped short seeing Aria and her friends, dropping immediately to its belly and whimpering.

"I didn't know Hagrid had two dogs," Ginny said.

"I didn't think so either," Aria replied, crouching down, and holding a hand towards the newcomer. It definitely looked like a stray of some sort, but it didn't look diseased or anything. And if Fang was playing with it, then the dog couldn't be too dangerous, even if Fang was a bit of a coward. The dog lifted its snout and inched forward along the grass, sniffing at Aria's hand before giving it a hesitant lick.

"Did Hagrid rescue you from somewhere?" Aria asked, reaching out and giving the huge dog a scratch on his head. The dog bumped its nose against her hand. Harry knelt down beside her. Immediately the dog perked up, its tail began wagging, and it attacked Harry with its tongue, drenching the boy's face as it licked and licked. Harry shrieked with laughter as his glasses got knocked sideways and the slobber made his hair stick up even worse than normal.

"I think it likes you," Ginny said with a giggle.

"It's quite take for a Grim," Luna commented.

"A Grim?" Aria questioned. She recalled reading something about the Grim in her Divination textbook. "Isn't that like . . . an omen of death?"

"You're not an omen of death!" Harry cried, his voice taking on the babylike sound one took with cute animals. He cupped the dog's face in his hands. "You're just a bit scraggly."

The dog sneezed.

"I think it agrees," Aria said, pulling Harry up to his feet. The four finished crossing to Hagrid's doorstep. The man had appeared in the doorway a few moments before to watch the students interact with the dogs.

"Glad ta see ya makin' friends," Hagrid said to the dog. "'e's a bit shy. 'asn't wanted to do much 'sept eat and sleep."

"He looks thin," Aria agreed. "Is he a stray."

"Aye. Found 'im in the forest on one o' my patrols. Near scared meself. Thought it were a Grim at first."

"That's what Luna said," Ginny commented. Luna held her hand out, shaking Hagrid's hand.

"Do your pumpkins have Hosspin Vine Worms?" Luna asked. Hagrid scratched his beard, perplexed.

"I can't say I've ever 'eard o' 'em before. I keep pests off the vegetables. You lookin' for them?"

"Yes. Daddy did a piece on them in The Quibbler this month."

"Ah. You're Xenophilius' girl ain't ya? Mum was Pandora."

"That's right."

"Real sorry 'bout her. You want a cuppa? The pumpkins'll still be there for you to search when you're done."

Hagrid set out his rock cakes and large mugs, setting a kettle over the fire to boil. The children gathered around his table, Fang decided to lumber over and curl up in his bed while the stray followed Harry to his seat and set his head on Harry's lap.

"What're you naming the dog?" Harry asked, scratching the dog behind the ears.

"'aven't thought 'bout it yet. You got ideas?"

"Grim would be the most obvious," Ginny said.

"Shaggy would be more descriptive," Aria pointed out. The dog sneezed, snuffling briefly before settling back down again. He did not appear to like either of those names.

"I think he's a Snuffles," Harry stated. The dog's tail wagged. "See? He likes it. Snuffles it is!"

As they drank the tea and hid the rock cakes, Hagrid asked them about school and they asked him how he liked teaching. Ron and Harry had said that Hagrid knew his beasts, but was maybe not the best person to decide what was or wasn't safe for students to interact with. Since the whole debacle with Draco and Buckbeak, they had been studying Blast-Ended Skrewts. Skrewts were not in the textbook and were a hybrid of a Manticore and Fire Crabs.

"I think I'll write to Daddy about the Skrewts," Luna commented, peering out the window towards the crates the animals were kept in. "I don't think he's ever heard of them."

"Well, he wouldn't've," Hagrid said. "I bred them meself!"

He looked so pleased with himself that Aria did not have the heart to question whether that was something he was allowed to do. A quick glance at Harry told her that it probably wasn't.

"Where is Buckbeak?" Harry asked Hagrid.

"Oh he's corralled closer to the forest," Hagrid replied. "Don't like keepin' 'im all chained up like that, but the Ministry insisted 'til it's all sorted with the Malfoys."

"What're they doing?" Ginny asked.

"Lucius is angry at what happened to Draco," Hagrid answered. "Don't seem to realize that if Draco 'ad just been more respectful, this all coulda been avoided."

Aria once again patted herself on the back for not taking Care of Magical Creatures. While she was certain Draco could learn a thing or two about being polite and respectful, she did wonder how much of the problem was his fault, and how much was because a hippogriff was not an animal meant to be introduced to thirteen-year-olds.

"So, what's going to happen to Buckbeak?" Harry asked worriedly.

"That's what's gotta be decided," Hagrid answered. "'eadmaster Dumbledore's been talkin' to Amos Diggory over at the Department for the Regulation and Control o' Magical Creatures, but Malfoy can be just as ruthless as 'is old man."

Aria thought her own dad would be ruthless if an animal attacked her in class. No one here had seen how mad her dad had gotten over the basilisk. The closes was Professor Snape, the poor man had to take the brunt of her dad's ire every time something went wrong at the school.

Snuffles eventually fell asleep at Harry's feet but by then the students decided to head back to work on homework before dinner or, in Luna and Ginny's case, to go look for Hosspin Vine Worms.

"Thanks for dragging me to Hagrid's," Harry murmured as they trekked back up the hill to the castle.

"Did it make you feel better?" she asked, slinging an arm around his shoulders. He wrapped an arm around hers.

"A little."

"Good."

"I don't know why you want to start on Binns' essay," Ron whined as he, Aria, Hermione, and Harry trekked back towards the Gryffindor common room so that he could collect his forgotten history book. "It's not due for another week and Professor Binns barely even glances at them."

"That's not true!" Hermione argued. "He grades them which means he must look at them."

"I still don't understand how he can grade papers," Aria said, hoping to keep the two from diving into a worse argument. "I mean, he can't hold a quill, he's a ghost. Who do you think helps him?"

"Can you imagine Professor Binns asking Snape to help him grade papers?" Harry asked. They laughed at the absurdity.

As they reached the top of a staircase, they heard a loud commotion coming from up the corridor in the direction of the Gryffindor common room. A large crowd of students were gathered in the corridor, their chatter alarmed and afraid.

"What's going on?" Hermione cried as they hurriedly approached. Lavender and Parvati came pushing through with Neville.

"The Fat Lady!" Lavender cried. "She's gone!"

"Gone?" Hermione questioned. "Did she just take a walk? Why's everyone so upset?"

"Come see!" Parvati cried, grabbing Hermione's hand, and dragging her into the crowd. Lavender grabbed Aria's hand and pulled her after them. Aria shot a look over her shoulder and saw Neville grabbing Harry and Ron.

At the portrait entrance, Aria and Hermione gasped. A chill ran up and down Aria's spine as she took in the damaged portrait. The Fat Lady was, indeed, gone from the portrait, but the canvas was slashed multiple times as if something with claws had ripped at the portrait trying to gain access to the common room.

"Let me through! Out of the way! I'm Head Boy, that's why!"

Percy's strict tone had most of the Gryffindors quickly moving to the side. He was followed closely by Oliver, Professor McGonagall, and Headmaster Dumbledore. They all stopped short seeing the portrait. McGonagall gave a small cry of horror. Several first years attached themselves to Oliver, as if being right next to the burly Quidditch player would keep them safe.

Dumbledore stepped forward and gently ran a hand over the damaged canvas. Then he turned and his gaze began sweeping all the portraits within sight.

"Mr. Weasley, Gryffindor Prefects," Dumbledore addressed, "take all students to the Great Hall. Minerva, we must find the Fat Lady."

Aria gazed about at the muttering portraits as she and Harry joined the mass of students trudging back towards the Great Hall. Where had the Fat Lady gone? She ran a hand over the walls of Hogwarts as she walked. A sudden spark hit her hand, much like it had when she had been fighting the basilisk, and she watched as a golden spark zipped across the walls of the castle towards a particular painting. A painting of a sleeping boar. As she looked a little closer to the painting, she realized that there was someone peaking out from the top of the boar's back.

"There!" Aria shouted, pointing. Everyone stopped. "There she is! In the painting of the Sleeping Boar!"

Dumbledore came rushing by and every student froze to hear the conversation.

"My dear lady," Dumbledore cried. "Who has done this to you?"

Weeping, the Fat Lady slowly stood. Her Grecian gown was wrinkled, and her ornate headdress of laurel leaves and berries and other flowers was askew and completely disheveled.

"It was terrible, Headmaster!" the Fat Lady sobbed. "He was deranged! Eyes, full of madness! I wouldn't let him in because he didn't have the password! And I certainly knew he was not a student. Not anymore."

"Who was it?" Dumbledore demanded.

"It was him!" The Fat Lady wailed. "Sirius Black!"

Aria grabbed Harry's arm, immediately drawing her wand. She was pleased to note that several of the nearby Gryffindor third years also pulled their wands, pressing closer to Harry as they did so. All around them older Gryffindors cried out in horror or younger Gryffindors burst into terrified tears.

"Everyone to the Great Hall immediately," McGonagall ordered. "Prefects, you're in charge of getting everyone there in one piece. Mr. Weasley!" Percy stepped towards his Head of House. "You're in charge of Mr. Potter." She glanced at Harry and the third years. "And his third year bodyguards. When you have safely dropped him off at the Great Hall, you are to get the other three houses to the Great Hall as well. You and Miss Clearwater are in charge until we professors return from searching the castle."

Percy stepped to Harry's other side and put a hand on his shoulder, guiding Harry along as the whole of Gryffindor house moved en masse to the Great Hall. Harry's grip on Aria's hand was tight, the only indication that he might be feeling something other than calm. Outwardly, he appeared stoic, his eyes straight ahead, mouth tight.

In the Great Hall there were still enough prefects dawdling over dessert that it was easy for Percy to order them to fetch their houses and get them to the Great Hall. Once it was explained that Sirius Black might be in the castle, the prefects left with at least another housemate. Percy settled the Gryffindors, Aria, and Harry, at the Gryffindor table. He knocked on the table and declared loudly,

"Hot chocolate!"

Within seconds cauldrons of steaming hot chocolate appeared on the table along with bowls of marshmallows and whipped cream. Towers of mugs also popped into view and the students immediately began doling out mugs of hot chocolate to each other.

Soon the Great Hall was full of the other three houses. The third years made space at the Gryffindor table for other third years to join them. Daphne, Tracey, Blaise, Theo, and even Draco snagged spots near Aria and Harry. Ginny squirmed her way in between Ron and Hermione. Susan, Hannah, Ernie, and Justin came over from Hufflepuff, and Padma came over from Ravenclaw.

"Why do you think Black was trying to get into Gryffindor Tower?" Padma asked, accepting a mug of hot chocolate from her sister. "Everyone knows that Harry's in Slytherin."

"Black was in the same year and house as my parents," Harry told her. "Gryffindor. But he should know that I'm in Slytherin. Minister Fudge was touring Azkaban just before Black escaped and gave him a newspaper. It had an article about Ron's family going to Egypt and it mentioned that Ginny was in Slytherin with me."

"Well, no one ever said Black was sane," Seamus said. "I wouldn't want to be you, mate."

"Gee. Thanks."

"I think it's rather selfish of you," Fay Dunbar suddenly cut in angrily. Everyone within hearing distance turned to look at her. Sophie was nodding her head too. How had they not noticed that the two girls had joined them?

"I'm being selfish?" Harry questioned.

"Yes. You know there's a mass murderer out hunting you and yet you still insisted on coming here for school."

"Well . . . I do attend Hogwarts. Where else was I supposed to go? To another school and drag Black right along there?"

"You should've stayed home and been homeschooled until this mess got sorted. It's your fault there's Dementors crawling all over the place."

"Right, because my Muggle family would've done loads of good towards my magical education," Harry snapped. "It's not like I asked to have a mass murderer come after him. He's supposed to be in prison! If anything, it's whomever was in charge of keeping prisoners inside Azkaban that's to blame."

"Still, I don't think you should be here if you're going to make it dangerous for those of us who also attend Hogwarts," Fay said.

"Hogwarts is meant to be the safest place for Harry," Neville stated.

"And he still go in!" Sophie finally piped up.

"And who's fault is that?" Neville snapped right back. "Is Harry in charge of the wards or the safety of the school? Last I knew, that was the headmaster's responsibility."

Fay and Sophie stared slack jawed at Neville. The other third years also stared at him in shock, but with growing admiration as well.

"Well said, Neville!" Dean cried, thumping the table with a feast.

"I couldn't have said it better," Theo agreed. The other Slytherins nodded their heads.

"If you're done lowering the IQ of those around you," Daphne said to Fay and Sophie, "you can leave now. The rest of us prefer to keep our brains sharp."

Fay and Sophie stomped off to the titters of other students.

"Don't let them get to you," Padma told Harry. "No one of sound mind's actually blaming you for anything."

"They do have a point," Harry said.

"No, they don't!" the third years cried. Harry hurried to raise his hands in surrender.

"All right! Okay! They don't!" he grabbed his hot chocolate. "I'll just sip this quietly."

Percy and Penelope came over to check on them a few minutes later.

"We just got a note from Dumbledore," Percy told them. "They're having everyone sleep in the Great Hall. In a few minutes prefects will take groups of students to get pajamas and a few things from your dorms to help pass the night. You are not to go out without a partner, and you must tell a prefect where you're going. Even if it's to the rest room." He gave Harry a sharp look. "Harry, you're supposed to always have a prefect or myself go with you wherever you go tonight."

Harry sighed.

"Don't look so sad!" Aria cried. "It'll be a giant slumber party!"

The only downside to the slumber party was that the boys and girls, even though they each got their own individual mattresses, had to sleep on opposite sides of the Great Hall. The third year Slytherins, Gryffindors, Padma, and the four Hufflepuffs arranged their mattresses to be as close to each other as possible on the farthest end of the Great Hall from the doors. The group chatted until Percy, a little exasperatedly, told them to go to sleep.

Sometime that night Aria woke up. She was just rolling over to try and go back to sleep when she noted Professor Snape and Lupin strolling around the third-year mattresses. She hurried to close her eyes.

"—I told Dumbledore I thought bringing you on was a bad idea," Snape was saying to Remus.

"Believe me, Severus," Remus answered, "if I had been given a choice, I wouldn't be here."

"And where would you be?" Snape demanded. "Off with your . . . mad lover?"

"Black and I parted ways the moment he betrayed Lily and James," Remus growled. "I would be with someone else. I wish I still was."

"Yes . . . I did hear of a Remington Johnson this past summer. Don't give me that look, Lupin. I did grow up in the Muggle world and I still happen to be the neighbor of Kenneth and everyone's favorite little Muggleborn."

Aria tried not to bristle. She was not little!

"She does seem to have quite a following," Remus agreed. Aria almost frowned. A following? She did not have a following! What was Remus talking about?

"If I'd had my way, Severus, I'd have left the wizarding world behind for good," Remus said quietly. "I'd have contented myself to just corresponding with Harry. But . . . Dumbledore can be . . . persuasive. So, I am here. Watching over Harry. Black'll have to get through me first if he wants a piece of him."

"Get in line, Lupin," Snape sighed. "Get in line."