The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

23. Old Acquaintances

Eliana was running late for the feast. She had never quite gotten over Snape's slight that morning and had spent a sizable portion of her day fumbling simple potions. Having finally finished what she needed done for the day, she had begun to make her way toward the Great Hall when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw a large, black shape. Turning quickly toward it, she smiled slightly to herself. She must be going mad.

.

"Professor," Althea said quickly, approaching the high table where Professors McGonagall, Lupin, and Snape as well as her mother were still sitting with Professor Dumbledore.

Looking up, Dumbledore fixed his bright eyes on her with a kind smile as he said, "Yes?"

"It's the Fat Lady, Professor," she said quickly. "Someone's...the canvas has been slashed and she's nowhere to be found, sir. Gryffindor can't get in."

Instantly, he was on his feet. As he strode toward it, Althea and the other professors followed behind at a fast pace. Althea felt a hand on her shoulder and was unsurprised when she turned to see her mother. Taking her hand, Althea walked with her mother up to the portrait hole that the others had already reached.

"We need to find her," Dumbledore was saying. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" shouted the cackling voice of Peeves.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" Dumbledore asked.

"Ashamed, your Headship, sir," he said in an oily voice, "Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful. Poor thing."

"Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore asked.

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

Althea went deadly pale. Eliana's eyes widened. Even when Dumbledore sent away all the Gryffindors into the Great Hall, neither of them could move.

"Mum," Althea whispered once her voice could finally work again.

"I know," Eliana replied softly, ignoring the glowering look Snape was sending the two of them. "Go to the Great Hall, Althea. I'll need to assist with the search."

"Okay," she said quickly, embracing her mother before beginning the short walk back.

As she entered the Great Hall, the ringing voice of Percy was shouting, "Everyone into their sleeping bags! Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

Scanning the students, Althea quickly spotted Harry, Ron, and Hermione who were grabbing four sleeping bags.

"Hey," she said, joining them and relieving Hermione of the second bag.

"Where were you?" Hermione asked as they moved into a corner.

"Mum wanted to talk to me," Althea lied.

"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," Ron said with a shrug.

"It's very lucky he picked tonight, though," Hermione said softly. "The one night we weren't in the tower..."

"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," Ron mused. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise, he'd have come bursting in here."

Althea could see several flaws in this statement, but she uttered not a word, fighting hard to keep her expression from revealing too much.

Voices around them were whispering also, but the most common one they heard was, "How did he get in?"

Close to them, some Ravenclaws were discussing this very same issue amongst themselves.

"Maybe he knows how to apparate," suggested one. "Just appear out of thin air, you know?"

"Disguised himself, probably," another said.

"He could have flown in."

"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts: A History?" Hermione muttered incredulously.

"Probably," Ron said. "Why?"

"Because the castle's protected by more than walls, you know," Hermione explained. "There are all sorts of enchantments on it, to stop people entering by stealth. You can't just apparate in here. And I'd like to see the disguise that could fool those dementors. They're guarding every single entrance to the grounds. They'd have seen him fly in too. And Filch knows all the secret passages, they'll have them covered..."

Althea shifted uncomfortably.

"Lights are going out now!" Percy shouted. "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

Instantly, the lights went out. As Althea curled up in her sleeping back, staring up at the starry ceiling, she was glad they could not talk more. The closer they came to any semblance of truth, the more fearful she became that they or anyone else would know of her connection to Sirius. Malfoy knew, of course, but...would he tell? She then determined not to make it look like she cared if people knew in front of him. The last thing she needed was to be blackmailed by her own family tree.

Althea had just begun to drift asleep when voices reached her ears.

"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy asked softly.

"No," Dumbledore admitted. "All well here?"

"Everything under control, sir," Percy replied.

"Good. There's no point moving them all now. I've found a temporary guardian for the Gryffindor portrait hole. You'll be able to move them back in tomorrow."

"And the Fat Lady, sir?"

"Hiding under the Argyllshire on the second floor," Dumbledore explained. "Apparently she refused to let Black in without the password, so he attacked. She's still very distressed, but once she's calmed down, I'll have Mr Filch restore her."

"Headmaster," a new voice said softly. Althea instantly knew it was Snape. "The whole of the third floor has been searched. He's not there. And Filch has done the dungeons, nothing there either."

"What about the Astronomy Tower? Professor Trewlawney's room? The Owlery?"

"All searched," Snape supplied.

"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger," Dumbledore admitted.

Hesitating slightly, Snape asked, "Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?"

"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next," Dumbledore said.

In a quiet, constricted tone, so soft as though trying to shut Percy out, Snape began cautiously, "You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before - ah - the start of term?"

"I do, Severus," Dumbledore replied, a slight edge appearing in his tone.

"It seems," Snape began again, choosing his words carefully. "Almost impossible - that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concerns when you appointed - and with her already here-"

"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," Dumbledore interrupted in a tone so cold and firm Althea knew even Snape would say no more. "I must go down to the dementors. I said I would inform them when out search was complete."

"Didn't they want to help, sir?" Percy asked.

"Oh yes," Dumbledore said icily. "But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."

One by one, the three of them left. Althea did not look around, but she knew, somehow, that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were now sharing looks.