UNVEIL | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 2)

[ 08 ]

Aine stood in front of the Gryffindor common room, her eyes staring huge at the large gash across the painting that always welcomes her back. Where once the Fat Lady stood singing, now replaced with several deep scratches that cut through the painting, revealing the wooden door beneath. She gasped, what could have happened? Did a student do this? Why? Several questioned ran through her head, but she could only think of the missing person in it. Fred and George behind her, shocked at the brutal sight, it was as if a beast had caused the accident. 

Her friend, Ginny, ran backwards after catching sight of her other brother and his friends: Ron, Harry and Hermione. "The fat lady... she's gone!" she exclaims in horror to the confusing faces and as soon as they saw the vandalism on the painting, their eyes widened too. "What happened?" Hermione breathed, and the onlookers simply shook their heads, they too, didn't know.

"Excuse me!" Percy sounded from a distance, his voice, as usual, was full of authority and his face held a frown as he pushes through the hoard of students, "I'm a head boy!" he bosses, squeezing through, as soon as he came to the front, he turns with eyes darting at every single student he can see, "Get back all of you!" 

George places a hand on Aine's shoulder while Fred gulps, "I wonder where she went."

"No one is to enter the dormitory until it's been searched!" Percy announces, and Ron merely rolled his eyes, he snorts at his brother being arrogant, "Serves her right, she was a terrible singer." he spat, taking his frustration out on the topic about the fat lady.

"It's not funny, Ron!" Hermione snaps, looking very worried.

Aine looks at the other paintings, everyone was trying to find the fat lady and the message had spread through the other frames. Soon enough, there was even more noise and ruckus both in Aine's world and the painting's. Some even started sobbing, it was getting ominous as the skies started rumbling, spiralling with grey clouds in one frame. 

Just what in the world was happening, first Sirius black escaped, and then he was spotted nearby Hogwarts just weeks ago. Now, the fat lady was missing and Hogwarts has once again been threatened by inside evil.

"Everyone move in fours away from here." Aine could hear Percy shouting once again, but as eager as he was to know what happened, so were the others. So, instead of dispersing, they crowded nearer. "Headmaster's here!" a student yelled and all eyes turned to Professor Dumbledore, with Filch behind him. His face was filled with anxiousness and distraught, Filch spun around, eyes glaring at the paintings around the castle, hoping to find a familiar lady in them while the Headmaster stepped towards the horrendous sight of the attack.

His wrinkled fingers stroked and caressed the tears of the painting, with a serious expression he told Filch, "Mr Filch, round up the ghosts, tell them to search every painting in the castle to find the fat lady." and scanned around too, in hope to find her as well.

However, Filch simply stared at a certain distance, and with a ragged voice, he spoke, "There is no need for ghosts, Professor Dumbledore."

Aine turned her head to the direction of his vision and saw, hidden behind a hippopotamus. "She's right there." he pointed. Students began hurrying towards her, shoving Percy aside who continues to nag, Aine was too pushed ahead, almost tripping on the stairs but two pairs of hands grabbed her before she could taste the stone floor, Fred and George. She smiles in relief, thanking them before moving on.

Professor Dumbledore eyes twinkled with ease, "My dear lady...", she was found at last. Aine looks up at the fat lady, she was wailing uncontrollably, grey tears dripping from her eyes and she was filthy, her white lovely dress was dirtied with what seems like soil, and she wore a hat made with sticks and leaves, almost meant to camouflage herself. The fat lady's hair was messed up, perhaps she had been running away from something.