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𝐍 𝐄 𝐅 𝐄 𝐋 𝐈 𝐁 𝐀 𝐓 𝐀
𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 November came a shapeless, monochromatic sky, bearing warnings of incoming showers and speculation.
Hogwarts talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. The theories about how he had entered the castle became wilder and wilder; Hannah Abbott, from Hufflepuff, spent much of their next Herbology class telling anyone who'd listen that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.
Melody had written to Petar about the situation the very moment she returned to the common room after her night in the Great Hall. His response had been worried, but she assured him she'd be alright — or at least, she hoped she would.
The Fat Lady's ripped canvas had been taken off the wall and replaced with a new portrait; one of Sir Cadogan and his fat gray pony. Nobody was very happy about this. Sir Cadogan spent half his time challenging people to duels, and the rest thinking up ridiculously complicated passwords, which he changed at least twice a day.
"He's a complete lunatic," said Seamus Finnigan angrily to Percy. "Can't we get anyone else?"
"None of the other pictures wanted the job," answered Percy. "Frightened of what happened to the Fat Lady. Sir Cadogan was the only one brave enough to volunteer."
Sir Cadogan, however, was hardly a front-runner of Melody's newest worries — both she and Harry were now being closely watched. Teachers found excuses to walk along corridors with them, and Percy Weasley (acting, Melody suspected, on his mother's orders) was tailing them everywhere like an extremely pompous guard dog.
To cap it all, at the end of the week, Melody's grandmother called Harry up to her desk, bearing an incredibly somber expression.
They had just finished a Transfiguration lesson —an outstandingly simple one, Melody thought, covering the history and background of the Draconifors Spell— and Harry shot her a very frightened look before gathering his books and making his way to the front of the classroom.
Little by little, the rest of the third years trickled out into the hallway on their way to History of Magic, but Melody stayed glued to the ground, taking much longer than necessary to pack away her books. Finally, when only she, her grandmother, and Harry were left in the room, she heaved her bag off of her desk, and pranced over to the shoulder of her best friend.
"If this involves Harry, it involves me as well," Melody announced, surveying her grandmother's stony-faced appearance.
"I assure you, it doesn't," her grandma said gravely. "Please go to your next class, and shut the door behind you."
