"Everyone up!" said a voice, pounding on the third year Ravenclaw's door.
"What, what's going on?" asked a yawning Morag.
Lisa walked to the door and peaked her head out. "What is it?"
"Let's go. Everyone's sleeping in the Great Hall," said the prefect who had knocked on their door. The girls got out of bed, some slipping on socks or slippers, others carrying blankets wrapped around their shoulders and began the walk down to the Great Hall. Upon arriving there, they saw Gryffindor house clumped together already as the other two houses walked in with them.
Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick closed all doors but one as they relayed instructions to Percy Weasley, the Head Boy, and the Head Girl. Lalia caught whispers of her father being in the school. She panicked looking for her dad, but couldn't see him. She ran to Professor McGonagall with tears in her eyes.
"My dad...," she choked. "Professor, where is my dad?"
McGonagall grabbed the girls hand tightly. The Head Girl had walked away to inform the prefects of the situation and Dumbledore was waving his wand making sleeping bags appear.
"Shh.. shh..." she comforted the girl. "He's searching the school with the other professors."
"But... he can't... if dad," the girl tried to force words out.
"He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it." McGonagall called over Percy. "Take care of her for me."
Percy nodded looking at the crying girl. He walked her over to his family.
"Hermione," he said, unsure how to handle the crying girl.
Hermione stood up, putting an arm around the crying girl and pulling her into a sleeping bag by the golden trio in a corner.
When the professors left, the Great Hall exploded into conversations.
"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
"Do you think Black's still in the castle?" Hermione whispered anxiously, looking down at the head of the crying girl in her lap.
"Dumbledore obviously thinks he might be," said Ron, scowling at the girl.
"It's very lucky he picked tonight, you know," said Hermione as they climbed fully dressed into their sleeping bags and propped themselves on their elbows to talk. Hermione kept one hand firmly grasped on one of Lalia's. "The one night we weren't in the tower... ."
"I reckon he's lost track of time, being on the run," said Ron. "Didn't realize it was Halloween. Otherwise he'd have come bursting in here."
Everyone looked at Lalia who whimpered and shuddered at the thought of her father rushing in the Hall. Ron gulped as Harry and Hermione glared at him. He was beginning to feel bad, realizing how terrified the girl was of her dad.
They could hear the conversations of people wondering how he got in.
"Honestly, am I the only person who's ever bothered to read Hogwarts, A History?" said Hermione crossly.
Lalia ignored Ron and Hermione discuss the protections of Hogwarts. Instead she looked at Harry, who stared at her worriedly. They just quietly looked at each other.
"Are you okay?" Harry finally asked her.
"Remember how you weren't allowed to do the boggart in front of the class and why?" Lalia asked him. Her voice caught the attention of the other two.
"Yeah, cause your dad thought it'd be Voldemort and scare everyone."
"Exactly, well I did mine in private too. He thought everyone would panic if my dear father appeared in front of me in class." Tears fell down her cheeks as she wondered why she was telling them this, but looking at Harry, she felt as if he was meant to know. "Sirius Black appearing in Hogwarts, even just as my biggest fear, wasn't something he wanted to happen."
Harry and Hermione both sent her sad smiles, while Ron went red from guilt.
The lights went out after Percy announced they would and the girl began shaking, scooting closer to Harry who was on her other side.
The four laid there quietly, pretending to sleep as students around them fell asleep. The girls were still tightly clutching hands. Footsteps drew near, causing Lalia to tense.
"Any sign of him, Professor?" Percy asked Dumbledore in a whisper.
"No. All well here?"
"Everything under control, sir."
"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 in a map of Argyllshire on the second floor. 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."
The door to the opened and more footsteps were heard.
"Headmaster?" said Professor 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 Trelawney's room? The Owlery?"
"All searched..."
"Very well, Severus. I didn't really expect Black to linger."
"Have you any theory as to how he got in, Professor?" asked Snape.
"Many, Severus, each of them as unlikely as the next."
"You remember the conversation we had, Headmaster, just before - ah - the start of term?" said Snape.
"I do, Severus," said, Dumbledore with something like warning in his voice.
"It seems - almost impossible - that Black could have entered the school without inside help. I did express my concern when you appointed -"
Lalia recognizing what the man was hinting at, glared at the man's shoes. How dare he insinuate her dad would help that murderer. No one hated that man more than her dad.
"I do not believe a single person inside this castle would have helped Black enter it," said Dumbledore, and his tone made it so clear that the subject was closed that Snape didn't reply. "I must go down to the dementors. I said I would inform them when our search was complete."
"Didn't they want to help, sir?" said Percy.
"Oh yes," said Dumbledore coldly. " But I'm afraid no dementor will cross the threshold of this castle while I am headmaster."
Lalia could feel the golden trio try to understand what Snape meant, but she simply closed her eyes with a rough sigh. She knew that man was evil.
The next morning, Lalia left before the trio had woken up.
"Interesting series of events?" said the ghost floating besides her.
"Tío Reg, must you come bug me so early?" she asked grumpily, climbing the stairs.
"Yes."
"Well, can you at least tell me how he did it? How he got in?" she asked.
He stared at her with the usual deadpan expression when she asked such questions.
"You know, I'm not allowed to say things like that. All comes with issue of only being able to be seen by you," he said, rolling his eyes, when his niece said the entire statement perfectly in time with him.
"Yes, I know," she muttered.
"I'm sorry, I wish I could help, princesa." He sounded very upset by his lack of usefulness.
"No, it's okay, tío Reg. I understand," she said smiling at him.
Lalia's next few days passed uneventfully until she entered her dad's classroom to be met by the face that she least wanted to see. Snape sneered at her, while she glared before walking to her seat. She knew what was happening, but that didn't mean that she hadn't wished for anyone but Snape to be her sub.
Snape had barely begun talking to the class when the door opened and Harry walked in.
"Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I -"
Harry's words froze when he saw who was at the front of the class.
"This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter, so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."
Harry stood standing by the door, making Lalia bite her lip in anxiousness.
"Where's Professor Lupin?"
"He says he is feeling too ill to teach today. I believe I told you to sit down?" Snape said with a twisted smile.
Harry still remained at the door.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Nothing life-threatening. Five more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."
Harry sat down in the open seat between Lalia and Ron.
"He's okay," she whispered to him. He smiled gratefully.
"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far -"
"Please, sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows," said Hermione quickly, "and were just about to start -"
"Be quiet," said Snape coldly. " I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."
Lalia hissed, the most fierce glare settling in her eyes. Before she could snap at Snape another student defended her dad.
"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," said Dean Thomas boldly, and students Gryffindor and Ravenclaw murmured in agreement.
"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you - I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows. Today we shall discuss -"
He flicked through their book, to the back of the book, far away from the point they were at.
"- werewolves."
Lalia was practically growling in her seat, understanding Snape's game.
"But, sir," said Hermione, seemingly unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks -"
"Miss Granger," said Snape in a deadly calm voice, " I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394. All of you! Now!"
"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" said Snape.
Lalia, no longer able to hold her tongue, stood brazenly.
"I can tell you how we distinguish between what's considered a monster and what a mosnter really is!" she hissed at the man.
"Miss Black! Sit -"
Lalia had already began walking towards the man.
"See we think monsters are things that are different than us, but no they're men like you. Pathetic men who have nothing better to do than to hurt others all you can. You horrid -"
The class was gasping at the girl's words. They had never heard a student speak to a teacher like Lalia was.
"50 points from Ravenclaw! Sit do -"
"You, you horrid, greasy, ugly man, are a monster!" She screamed at him.
"You will not speak to me -" Snape shouted indignantly.
"Whatever." She stomped back to her desk to grab her bag and stomped out of the classroom.
The girl was running through the corridor in anger, when she ran into a door opening. She fell on the ground, gripping her head.
"Lalia?" Professor McGonagall asked. "Why aren't you in class?"
Tears streamed down the girls face, some from anger, others from the pain on her forehead.
"Snape skipped lessons! He insulted my dad, said he was a bad teacher! He started teaching us about werewolves. We are no where near learning about werewolves," the girl ranted quickly.
"Oh, dear, what did you do?" McGonagall asked, seeing the troubled kid in her eyes that were reminding the woman of her father.
"I... I called him a monster and a lot of other horrid things," she muttered.
"Follow me," McGonagall whispered. The girl stood and followed the professor through the castle to a gargoyle statue. "Fizzing Whisbees."
The statue spun, revealing a staircase.
"Up you go," McGonagall ushered her.
Lalia looked at the woman before sighing and beginning the climb to be faced with a door. She knocked lightly and heard an equally light voice tell her to enter.
"Ah, Miss Black. I was wondering when you would be sent to me," he offered her a small smile. "Now, why are you here?"
With the urge from him, Lalia, blurted out everything Snape had said to her class and her explosion in the class.
Lalia left the Headmaster's office feeling much better. She was walking through the Great Hall towards the Ravenclaw table when the golden trio waved her over to them. Harry moved so she had room to sit next to him.
"What happened?" Ron asked suddenly.
"Got sent to Professor Dumbledore. He understood, said Snape shouldn't have insulted my dad, especially in front of students. Dumbledore said the 50 points would suffice as a punishment. What about you all?"
"No one knew anything about werewovles except Hermione. Snape yelled at her when she answered. Ron yelled at him, defending her and earned himself detention. So basically class was awful," Harry said.
"Aw, you defended her," Lalia said, "That's so sweet, Ron!"
The boy blushed and mumbled that it was nothing.
Lalia stood from the table when Morag walked over and asked if she wanted to work on homework. She turned back to the trio and waved bye, earning smiles and 'goodnight's from them.
"Oh, goodluck tomorrow, Harry," Lalia said with a sweet smile before turning away. Harry's face burned a bright red as he watched her walk away.