The Dumbledore family was truly something else.
This was the silent consensus reached by Harry and Malfoy.
Gazing at Ariana, who couldn't have been a day over twenty, they couldn't help but conjure up images of a centenarian Dumbledore.
Their parents must have been remarkable people.
They couldn't help but think of Dumbledore's preference for older men over beautiful women.
Yes... Albus Dumbledore is the most remarkable of all.
The two finished their meal in silence.
After paying, they offered a hasty excuse and departed the Hog's Head.
As Ariana cleared the table, Aberforth watched them go, a thoughtful glimmer in his aged eyes.
...
Leaving the Hog's Head, Harry and Malfoy found their enthusiasm for Hogsmeade had completely evaporated, their minds preoccupied by the image of Ariana calling Aberforth "brother."
This persisted until the end of their trip when the group finally returned to Hogwarts.
...
Hogwarts Castle.
As they ascended the stairs, Harry and Malfoy noticed a crowd of a dozen or so students blocking the spiral staircase.
Intrigued, they went to investigate.
Reaching the back of the crowd, they saw that the gathering consisted entirely of Gryffindor students.
Suddenly, it dawned on them: they were at the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room!
The portrait of the Fat Lady stood before them; this was the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Malfoy wondered if the students were struggling to remember the password.
Harry doubted it; it was improbable that a dozen people had all forgotten it.
Squeezing through the throng, the two discovered the truth: it wasn't a case of collective memory failure, but rather… the Fat Lady was gone!
The canvas of the tall portrait was slashed and torn, and the Fat Lady, who should have been within, was nowhere to be seen.
Harry and Malfoy exchanged a look of surprise.
Suddenly, a red-haired figure pushed his way to the front, addressing the crowd sternly, "I am a Gryffindor prefect and Head Boy. Everyone, go back to your dormitories. No one is to enter until a thorough investigation has been completed."
The other students were indifferent, but the Gryffindors were stunned.
Where the hell are we supposed to go?! They won't let us into the dorms but tell us to go back... we might as well sleep outside on the grass. What a joke!
The Gryffindor students were on the verge of rebellion, ready to drag their prefect, Percy Weasley, away and…
But then, a voice echoed from behind, "Quiet, please, make way, the Headmaster is coming."
Instinctively, the students parted, and Albus Dumbledore, adorned in a sky-blue wizard's robe, approached, followed by a cluster of professors.
Tom, of course, was nowhere to be seen. Whether he'd stumbled upon something interesting or simply felt restless, he'd wandered off to entertain himself.
Cassandra was also absent, but it was a safe bet that following Tom would eventually lead to her.
The portraits on the surrounding walls were wailing and moaning, but Dumbledore ignored them, focusing his attention on the damaged portrait.
Reaching it, he assessed the situation at a glance, then called to Filch, who shuffled along in his wake. "Summon the castle ghosts, if you would, and ask them to assist in locating the Fat Lady."
But Filch simply pointed in another direction. "No need, Professor," he rasped, "The Fat Lady is over there."
Hearing this, the students surged towards the direction Filch indicated.
Percy Weasley attempted to follow, but the Gryffindor students barred his way.
This guy just condemned me to sleeping on the street! I'm doing him a favor by not trampling him to death.
Even Percy Weasley's cries of, "I'm the Head Boy!" were ignored.
To the Gryffindor students, titles like "prefect" or "Head Boy" were meaningless. They cared nothing for status; they refused to listen.
The group arrived before a landscape painting depicting a rolling grassland.
"My dear Madam Fat Lady, could you tell me what happened?"
Dumbledore asked the Fat Lady in a soothing tone.
Hearing Dumbledore's reassuring voice, the Fat Lady peeked out from behind a boulder in the painting, whimpering…
"It was him, Headmaster! That Black fellow!"
Many of those present recognized the name. "Sirius Black!"
"He has the eyes of the devil and a soul as dark as his name!"
Indeed, "Black" literally meant "dark."
But the Fat Lady wasn't finished.
"Though I must say, even in his current state, he's still quite the man, with that wild beard, those strong arms..."
A strange blush crept onto the Fat Lady's rather aged and plump face.
It seemed Sirius Black was her type; even his actions in capturing her didn't diminish her attraction.
Of course, it was also possible the Fat Lady was simply a masochist.
But none of that mattered. No one present cared about the Fat Lady's opinion of Sirius Black.
They were concerned with one thing: why was Sirius Black here?
The Fat Lady's portrait had served as the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room for centuries. Sirius Black, being a former Gryffindor himself, would know this!
So, he was here in Gryffindor, looking for someone or something.
And the only person anyone could imagine Sirius Black seeking was…
Under the scrutiny of Dumbledore and the others, Harry's lips twitched involuntarily. Why are they all staring at me? Just because they assume I'm from Gryffindor... is that my fault?
Everyone assumed Sirius Black was in Gryffindor to find Harry, unaware he was a Slytherin.
However, that wasn't the case. Sirius Black was indeed in Gryffindor looking for someone, but not Harry; he was looking for Peter Pettigrew.
"Very well, now that we've found Madam Fat Lady, all students, please return to your dormitories. We'll handle the rest."
Dumbledore waved for the students to retreat. Classes had been cancelled, so it was best for them to simply go home and get some rest.
The students dared not disobey the Headmaster and reluctantly followed their prefects back to their dormitories. This left Wood and the others, who had hoped to practice Quidditch, feeling disappointed.
Ron Weasley and his housemates returned to their dormitories, played wizard's chess, and idly discussed the day's events.
Peter Pettigrew overheard the entire incident from their conversation.
Sirius Black must have discovered I'm still alive! He's come looking for me!
Peter Pettigrew was certain of it.
The realization consumed his thoughts even as he tended to his mice.
If Sirius Black catches me, he'll kill me for sure!
It's no longer safe here. Should I leave now?
But he'd finally found peace and quiet after so many years…
Thinking this, Peter Pettigrew glanced at the female mice playing around him… and realized it wasn't so peaceful after all.
He could still fool Ron Weasley for a while, but if he was found outside, he'd be doomed.
"Squeak… (Sigh…)"
Let's wait and see.
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