Harry and Grace spent another hour out on the quidditch pitch, just flying around before they were hungry and decided to get some lunch in the Great Hall. After lunch they went up to their common room and Grace "helped" Harry with his Divination homework. He usually just goofed and fluffed off his Divination homework when he did it with Ron, but when he did it with Grace he actually tried and put real thought into it. It wasn't because she scolded him about it, like Hermione did, but because well… she made it fun. It was fun in a different way than fun with Ron. He liked seeing her get excited over the tea leaves and the interpretations and trying to figure out what they could mean.

"Er…I was wondering," Harry spoke up when Grace came back down from her dormitory, with a book in hand. "Next Divination class, er… willyousitwithme?" he asked quickly and she blinked.

"What?"

"Will you sit with me?" He asked again, this time slower. She blinked a couple more times. She had bounced around sitting with her housemates in Divination. Commonly going between Dean, Seamus, and Neville. She had Lavender once, only because Parvati wasn't feeling well that day due to well… her time of the month. She sat with Hermione once, and it was the most dreadful time. The two didn't speak to each other for almost a week because of it. However, she hadn't had the chance to sit with Ron or Harry.

"You…want me to sit with…you?" she asked slowly, making sure that she understood him right.

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"You've sat with everyone else in our house…"

"But you and Ronalwayssit together in Divination…" It was true. While this year, she's found herself sitting next to Harry in both Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts, but their other five classes she sat with Neville.

"Well he can sit with you the week after," Harry said simply and she blinked.

"Are you suggesting you and Ron sharecustodyof me in Divination?" She asked, trying to sound offended, but it was difficult.

"Well… yeah? I'm sure the other guys will be happy to join in on the schedule," he teased, and she scoffed.

"I'm not a class pet to be bounced around every week," she said, trying to sound upset, but Harry grinned when he saw her try to fight the smile on her face.

"Are you sure? You've got that lovable pet quality going-ow!" Harry laughed when Grace hit him lightly with her book. "Okay, okay!" He called out, trying to grab her hands and make her stop.

"Hmph," she huffed. "I think I'm all Harry Potter'd out for the day," she said teasingly. "I'm going to go read."

"Where?" he asked curiously, watching her walk to the portrait hole.

"That's a secret," she answered before leaving the common room.


"I'm glad you had a good time. Really," Harry assured Ron and Hermione for what felt like the millionth time that evening, as they made their way up the staircase to the Gryffindor Common room. They had just come from the Halloween Feast. "Grace and I had fun here at the castle,but, I will need you guys to stop somewhere for me next trip, or the trip before Christmas."

"What for?" Hermione asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Er… I may have had sent a mail-order to Dervish and Bangs earlier today…" Harry started.

"For?" Hermione pressed for more.

"It's for…er… Grace's Christmas present," Harry muttered, feeling embarrassed. Hermione's eyes widened and Ron looked at him confused. "It was something she mentioned earlier today when were looking through theDaily Prophet," he started explaining. "She saw something and mentioned she liked it so I er… sent in an order. I wrote a note saying that either of you two could pick it up-"

"Why don't you just have it delivered here?" Ron asked.

"Because I can't very well have her present delivered when she sits by me at breakfast now can I?" Harry asked.

"He's got a point- What's the hold up?" Ron started, but stopped when he noticed a crowd outside the Gryffindor common room. "Neville must've forgotten the password again," he muttered.

"Hey!" Neville exclaimed from behind him.

"Sorry."

"Back! All of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!" Percy exclaimed. Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other, feeling uneasy.

"The Fat Lady… She's gone!" Ginny told them fearfully.

"Serves her right, she was a terrible singer," Ron muttered but Hermione hit his harm.

"It isn't funny Ron!"

"No, you don't understand-" Ginny started, but Hermione's gasp cut her off as she grabbed onto both Harry and Ron. The Fat Lady's portrait was shredded, with deep scratch marks.

"The Headmaster's here! Make way!" Percy ordered all the students.

"Come on, Move!" Filch gruffed, pushing the students out of the way as he followed Dumbledore.

"Mr. Filch, round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady," Dumbledore ordered as he gently touched the shredded painting.

"There's no need for ghosts, Professor…" Filch started slowly as he lifted his hand and pointed to a painting on a landing above them. "The Fat Lady's there." It was then that all the students started running, pushing and shoving each other to get to where the Fat Lady was.

"Mind where you're going! Slow Down!" Percy shouted as students ran past him. "You listen! I'm Head Boy!"

"Keep moving," Dumbledore called as he weaved through the sea of students.

"Make way! Make way! Go, go, go!" Filch called out, pushing the students out of his way.

"Dear lady," Dumbledore said softly as he stood before the portrait. "Who did this to you?"

"Eyes like the devil he's got," The Fat Lady cried from behind a boar. "And a soul as dark as his name! It washim, Headmaster. The one they talk about! He's here. Somewhere in the castle! Sirius Black!" She cried and hid again. Fearful mumbling erupted amongst the students.

"Secure the Castle, Mr. Filch," Dumbledore ordered solemnly. "The rest of you to the Great Hall!"

A heavy, sickening feeling sunk in Harry's stomach as he tore his gaze from the portrait to look around him. His heart squeezed in his chest as he gulped. He didn't see Grace's face amongst the crowd. He turned to Ron, Hermione and Neville who were following the others. "Where's Grace?" he asked them. They all stopped and turned to him, frowning.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, then looked around them. "She's probably somewhere in the crowd-"

"But have any of you seen her?" Harry cut her off, then turned to Neville. He usually sat with Grace at meals. "Was she at the feast?" he asked the boy. Neville looked around him, hoping to see his friends face, then turned back to Harry.

"I-I-"

"Think, Neville,think!Did you sit with her at the feast?" Harry asked again more frantically.

"No, I sat with Dean and Seamus, I haven't seen since before we left for Hogsmeade, Harry," he answered and that sickening feeling of fear grew in Harry.

"You've been with her all day," Ron spoke up nervously.

"Not since before the feast," Harry shook his head.

"May-maybe she's with Professor Lupin?" Ron suggested, his voice trembling with uncertainty. Harry nodded, hoping that Ron was right and the girl was just with their Professor.

"Let's go see," Harry muttered as the four of them pushed their way through the students. They broke off from the stream of students that were heading to the Great Hall, and went down a different corridor. When they reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom door, Harry knocked urgently, his banging echoing in the corridor. When there was no sign of movement, he knocked again and harder.

"Professor Lupin!" Harry called. "Professor Lupin!" He called again, this time banging on the door.

"Professor Lupin! Please open up!" Ron called out, also knocking on the door with Harry. "We're looking for-"

"Potter! Weasley!" Snape's shouted sharply, making the four Gryffindor's jump and turn to see him briskly walking down the corridor, his black cloak flowing behind him. "I would have thought given the current atmosphere that evenyouwould lower yourself enough to follow orders. However, foolish of me to think that you would as of course you and your friends find yourself away from –"

"Please, Professor," Harry interrupted, and Snape's lips curled in distaste. "We're looking for Grace." At his words, Snape stood straighter and glared down his nose at the four third years.

"We thought since Professor Lupin was Grace's uncle that maybe she would be with him," Hermione spoke up.

"I'm sure Miss Black is in the Great Hall with the other students, which is where you four should be."

"Please, Professor Snape," Neville stuttered nervously, looking up at the man. "She-she wasn't at the feast…" At this, Snape turned to Neville and his dark eyes narrowed more. Harry noticed that Snape looked more stiff than usual and he thought, though it could have been Harry's own worry that caused him to imagine it, he saw a glimpse of concern in his teachers face.

"You four, come with me," He hissed and turned to walk the way they had originally came. The four of them looked at each other, unsure on what to do. They wanted to find Grace, but they didn't want to get into trouble either. "Now!" Snape snapped and that made up their mind quickly.

They followed Snape to the Entrance Hall, where they saw Dumbledore and all the teachers gathered. "I'll have head of houses settle their students accordingly in the Great Hall and-"

"Headmaster," Snape interrupted as he stopped in front of the older man. Professor McGonagall noticed the four students behind Snape, and narrowed her eyes at them and took a deep breath, ready to scold them. "Apologies for arriving late, I heard an annoying disruption and went to investigate, only to find Potter, Granger, Weasley and Longbottom attempting to break down a classroom door," he continued dryly. The Gryffindors wanted to shrink into the ground under the scrutinizing gaze of their Head of House, and the Headmaster.

"Ofallthe foolish things you lot could have done,thisis the most- I haveneverthought you four would be so – so – " McGonagall started, her face turning red from anger.

"But-" Harry started, but Snape interrupted again.

"As foolish as they are, Minerva," Snape started. "I found them banging on ProfessorLupin'sdoor," The teachers looked at them nervously. "It seems that they were looking for Miss Black, who has yet to make an appearance." McGonagall gasped quietly and tried to keep herself composed, then looked over the four of them. "I assured them that Miss Black must be in the Great Hall, but they claim she wasn't at the feast."

"When was the last time any of you saw Miss Black?" Professor Dumbledore asked them seriously. The four of them looked at each other, then at their Headmaster.

"Well… we haven't seen her since we left for Hogsmeade this morning," Hermione spoke up, gesturing to her, Ron and Neville. All the teachers eyes then went to Harry.

"I-I er… I haven't seen her since before the feast," Harry told them.

"When was the last time you saw Miss Black, Harry," Dumbledore asked gently, but didn't mask the urgency in his voice.

"A little before the feast, before everyone came back from Hogsmeade –" Harry started but Dumbledore shook his head.

"Whenexactly, and where?"

"Er… I-I don't know the exact time… we went to the common room after lunch and did homework for a few hours. She went to her dorm, got a book and left the common room. I think it might have been around four?" Harry answered, looking from Professor Dumbledore to Professor McGonagall.

"What else, Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked gently but Harry shook his head.

"I-I don't know, what else, that was the last time I saw her…"

"What did you do after she left the common room?" She asked and Harry frowned, wanting to know why it was relevant.

"I-I filled out an order slip from theDaily Prophetand went to the Owlry to see Hedwig and send it off," he continued. "Then when I was coming back to the Castle, that's when I saw Ron and Hermione coming back from Hogsmeade. We went up to the common room, then down to the feast." The professors turned to Ron and Hermione, who both nodded.

"And you, Mr. Longbottom, you two are usually attached at meals," McGonagall asked and Neville shook his head.

"I haven't seen her since this morning, Professor," he answered.

"Why did you think she would be with Professor Lupin?" McGonagall asked them.

"Well… we know that he's kind of her, er… her uncle?" Ron answered with a shrug.

"Grace and I," Harry started again, the teachers turning to look at him. "Earlier today, we went for a walk with Professor Lupin. Grace invited me to join them, I-I figured since no one saw her at the feast that she might have been with him and lost track of time…" There was a shared look between McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape that made Harry confused, and made him even more curious when he saw how nervous they were.

"Thank you, Potter," McGonagall nodded, squeeze Harry's shoulder gently. "Now, you four lets head the Great Hall-"

"What about Gracie?" Neville asked, interrupting her.

"We will find-"

"But what if she's hurt!? Or…or worse! What if Sirius Black has her? Or did something to her?!" Neville asked, his shaking voice rising. Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement with Neville as they looked at McGonagall worried.

"Once we have word on Miss Black," Dumbledore spoke up softly, and all their eyes went to him, "we will let you know. I'm sure Professor Lupin must have showed her a secret spot in the Castle, and she is simply there reading. You did say she left with a book, correct, Harry?" He asked, and Harry nodded. "Yes, I'm sure she is simply lost in a fictional world. We'll have her back with you in no time. Now, please follow Professor McGonagall to the Great Hall."

Dumbledore's words left no room for objection, as McGonagall ushered the four students into the Great Hall. None of them spoke, they were to worried for their friend. Something in Harry didn't like the worried glances and looks the Professor shared, thinking that he wouldn't have noticed. He even noticed the faint look of concern on Snape's face, and that… that made Harry even more worried. Because if Snape, who hates all Gryffindors (and probably children in general) was concerned that Grace was missing then… Harry wasn't going to rest until he knew she was okay.