IN WHICH Sirius Black breaks into Gryffindor Tower

A tall wardrobe rattles violently as Harry, Ron, and several classmates regard it warily. 

"Intriguing, yes? Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what's inside?" Professor Lupin inquires.

"That's a Boggart, that is," Seamus says in a hushed voice.

"Very good, Mr. Finnigan. Can anyone tell us what a Boggart looks like?" Lupin smiles. 

"No one knows," Hermione replies.

Ron jumps, and glances at Hermione, then whispers to Harry and Aubery.

"When'd she get here?" Ron questions.

"Boggarts are shape-shifters. They take the shape of whatever a particular person fears most. That's what makes it so-" Hermione says.

"Terrifying, yes. Luckily, a very simple charm exists to repel a Boggart. Let's practice it now, shall we? Without wands, please... Riddikulus!" Lupin says.

"Riddikulus!" Everyone repeats.

Remus nods. "Good. So much for the easy part. You see, the incantation alone is not enough. What really finishes a Boggart off is... laughter. You need to force it to assume a shape you find truly amusing. Neville, come up here, will you?" 

Neville eyes the rattling wardrobe, stepping forward queasily.

"What would you say is the thing that frightens you most?" Remus questions. 

"Profter... Snafpt..." Neville mumbles.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry." Lupin apologizes. 

"Professor Snape," Neville says. Everyone laughs good-naturedly.

Lupin nods thoughtfully.  "Hmmm... yes. Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Yes, but I don't want the Boggart to turn into her either," Neville answers, panicked.

"It won't. But I want you to picture her clothes, only her clothes, very clearly in your mind. Can you do that?" Lupin asks. 

Neville closes his eyes. "She carries a red handbag..."

"That's fine. We don't need to hear it. If you see it, we will. Now, when I open this wardrobe, Neville, here's what I want you to do..." Remus leans close to Neville, and whispers. Neville's eyes pop open in shock and consider Lupin uncertainly. 

"You can do this, Neville," Lupin says.

Neville nods nervously and takes a deep breath. 

"Right then. Wand at the ready. One. Two. Three!" Sparks jet from Lupin's wand, striking the doorknob, and the wardrobe bursts open. Instantly, Snape appears, eyes flashing hideously as he stalks forward. Neville backs away in fright. 

"Think, Neville. Think!" Lupin calls out.

"R-r-riddikulus!" Neville screams. 

Crack! Snape stumbles in a flash of light and reappears in a long, lace-trimmed dress, a towering moth-eaten hat, and crimson handbag. Instantly, the class roars with laughter, except for Draco and his fellow Slytherins. 

The crowd jostled each other for a better look, knocking Aubery into Seamus.

"Oh, hey Sea." Aubery smiles.

"Hi, Aubery." Seamus blushes.

Neville blinks, amazed, then slowly, grins himself. Lupin drops the needle on an old gramophone. As a scratchy rhumba fills the room, he points to Ron. "Ron! Forward!" 

Snape dissolves into a mad whirling mass, then mutates into a giant spider. As Ron gasps, Harry, Aubery, and Hermione exchange an uncertain glance. Lupin puts his hands on Ron's shoulders to steady him. 

Ron raises his wand. "Riddikulus!" Crack! Roller skates materialize on the spider's hairy feet and it begins to shuffle crazily in place. Instantly, Ron relaxes as the class' laughter rings out. 

"Parvati!" 

As Parvati steps up, the spider SPINS faster and faster, a dizzying blur, then reappears as a mummy. 

"Riddikulus!" Parvati yelled, and a bandage unwrapped itself, making the mummy's head fall off.

The student roared in laughter.

"Mr. Finnigan!" 

Seamus ran up to the wardrobe, and immediately, in a whirring mess, a Banshee appears, screaming.  "Riddikulus!" The banshee clasped her throat. It had lost her voice. 

"Mr. Thomas!" 

As Dean steps up, the Banshee's body attenuates, into a severed hand. 

"Riddikulus!"

The severed hand bobs back and forth, and the hand was stuck in a mousetrap. 

Lupin grins. "Next!"

Aubery ran up, smiling. The boggart regarded her for a second, and then turned into pure darkness, wrapping around Aubery, until she was in the dark.

Remus sat up straighter, holding out his wand.

Everyone else in the classroom stared at the whirling darkness for a while, before a small voice called out: "Riddikulus!" 

Snap! The darkness falls down and turns into animals, but they were dressed as humans. The class roared in laughter, as Remus let out a sigh of relief. 

A small puppy walks over to Harry, and Remus yells out."Here!"

Crack! -- the puppy vanishes and a roiling mist appears, which becomes clouds. Something glows within the clouds, white, silvery, and round... 

"Riddikulus!" 

Pop! The orb deflates like a punctured balloon, whizzes. crazily about the room, then darts back into the wardrobe. 

The door slams shut and the class cheers. 

"Well done, everyone. I think that's enough excitement for today." Lupin smiles.

As the students exit, chattering loudly, only Harry, subdued, remains behind. At the doorway, Lupin glances back, exchanges a private glance with him. As he exits, the wardrobe gives one last rattle. 

"I really wish I gotten a turn." Hermione mourned.

"You don't wanna." Aubery shudders.

"Seems like you came out alright." Ron comments. "And, Hermione, I'm pretty sure your boggart would be a test, you got 9/10 on."

"Haha." Hermione sniffs. 

The next morning, in the cold October day, the Gryffindor girls got up, and each started to get ready for their Hogsmeade trip.

"Oh yeah, I think Seamus is going to ask you out Aubery." Lavender comments.

"What?" Aubery gasps.

"I overheard it." Lavender shrugs.

Aubery pulled over a blue sweater over simple leggings, and put on some sneakers, and quickly pulled her hair back in 2 pigtails, grabbing a jacket, and looking around for her beanie. 

"Eliza." Aubery stared at the brown-haired girl, which had her beanie.

"Sorry. I was waiting until you noticed." Eliza smiles, throwing the beanie, with a blue pom-pom at the end of it. 

"Haha." Aubery smiles, grabbing the slip off her dresser.

A loud wailing sound met her outside, and she heard a person tumble down. She slid down the slide, laughing.

"Ooo, who wanted to get in the Common Room?" Aubery giggles, tapping the person's nose.

"But you and Hermione's been in our dormitory before!" Harry protests.

"Well, the Hogwarts Founders thought that boys were less trustworthy than girls, so they placed this charm," George says.

"Gred, Forge. I never knew you were smart." Aubery smirks.

"Ahhh." Fred did a cheap imitation of Professor Trelawney. "You see Aubery, the Inner Eye can see beyond the mundane." 

"Why were you trying to get in our dorm?" Aubery questions.

"Ask Loverboy," Ron mutters.

"Pardon?" Aubery asks.

"Nothing." Harry shook his head.

"First Hogsmeade trip of the year! Got to go to Zonko's for some things." George clapped his hands eagerly.

"Pranks?" Aubery raises an eyebrow.

"Of course." Fred nods.

"My dad left me a book of pranks that they did in their year, maybe we can look through it." Aubery comments.

"Wicked." George and Fred answers.

A great buzzing queue of students- Third Years and older- each clutching a permission form- pass by a glowering Filch. 

"Remember! These visits to Hogsmeade Village are a privilege. Should your behavior reflect poorly on the school in any way, that privilege shall not be extended again." Professor McGonagall calls.

Harry approaches her, but before he can utter a syllable: 

"No permission form. No visiting the Village. That's the rule, Potter." 

"Yes, Professor, but I thought if you said I could go-" Harry asks.

"But I don't say so. A parent or guardian must sign, and since I am neither, it would be inappropriate." McGonagall gives Harry a flicker of pity. "I'm sorry, Potter. But that's my final word." 

Ron, Aubery, and Hermione- watching Harry expectantly from across the way- see him turn, shake his head. Their faces fall. Harry raises his hand in farewell and watches them go. 

"I wish Mum would get custody of Harry. Then he could've come with us." Aubery sighs.

"Well, maybe next time. Let's just get as much things as we can for Harry." Hermione replies as Seamus runs up to them.

"Hey, Aubery. D'you wanna go to Hogsmeade together? Just the 2 of us?" Seamus questions.

"Oh uh." Aubery looks at Hermione and Ron. Ron shrugged, and Hermione nodded so vigorously, that Aubery thought her head was going to fall off.

"Sure." Aubery nods, and Seamus beamed. "See you later." 

The 2 break off from the crowd, walking together.

"So, uh, where'd you wanna go?" Seamus asks.

"Come on Finnigan, it's like you're asking me on a date. Stop being a gentleman, come on." Aubery rolls her eyes, pulling Seamus to a random shop.

"Well, it is kinda like a date," Seamus muttered.

"Oh? Well, we'd better spend it nicely, as friends." Aubery says. "Dervish and Bangs, no. Honeydukes. Sure." 

"As friends?" Seamus asks.

"Yeah, so it wouldn't be that awkward," Aubery replies, grabbing a small bag of chocolate. "What are you waiting for, come on, let's chose some candy." 

At the end of their spree, they met up at the front, and Aubery reached in her pocket to pull out some money.

"I should pay though." Seamus reached in his pocket to pull out some money.

"No. No. I'm paying." Aubery shakes her head.

"No, as a guy, I should-" 

"No, I don't like those stereotypes." 

"I'm paying."

"No, no. I'm paying." 

"Hello, lovebirds." Eliza declares, striding in with Arwin.

"Oh hey, Lizzie, Arwin." Aubery greets.

"On a date?" Seamus questions.

"Of course." Arwin and Eliza smiled at each other.

"Well, have fun!" Aubery smiles, grabbing Seamus's bag of candy, and her's and quickly paying the cashier. 

"Wha-?" Seamus turns around, seeing Aubery setting the bag in his hands.

"You snooze, you lose Hotshot." Aubery smiles, setting the candy in her pocket, and grabbing Seamus's hand. 

"Oh." Seamus stared at his bag of candy before running after Aubery.

"Ooh, the 3 broomsticks." Aubery smiled, before walking in.

"I thought I was the one asking you out." Seamus chuckles.

"Nah, I've taken over this ship." Aubery smiles.

Seamus set a few coins on the table, in front of Madam Rosmerta, who indeed looked pretty, but Seamus only had eye's for Aubery.

"2 butterbeers please." Seamus requests.

"Right away. Take a seat." Rosmerta walked away.

"So." Aubery and Seamus sat down at the chairs they stood in front of. "What did push you to ask me out? As friends." 

"Well, I thought we'd could have some alone time." Seamus explains.

"I know it's a date." Aubery replies.

"Oh." Seamus says.

"Oh indeed." Aubery nods, as the butterbeers come in.

They drank their butterbeers, occasionally joking about random things, and before they knew it, their time at Hogsmeade had run out.

"That was fun." Aubery smiles at Seamus, as they walked hand in hand towards the castle.

"It really was." They made their way up to the common room, meeting Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As they climb the stairs, they find a crowd gathering on the Seventh Floor landing. 

"What's the hold-up? Only Neville ever forgets the password." Ron says.

"I'm right here!" Neville protests.

"Oh. Sorry Neville." Ron apologizes.

Percy Weasley starts pushing past mounds of children. "Let me through, please. Excuse me, thank you, I'm Head Boy..." He suddenly stops dead. "Back! All of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Aubery exchange dark glances, as Seamus and Dean looked at each other, Eliza just arriving, when Ginny emerges from the crowd, her face ashen. 

"The Fat Lady... she's gone." Ginny answers.

"Probably stuffing her face with the apples in that still life on the second floor again." Ron snorts.

"No. You don't understand-" Ginny protests.

Hermione gasps, and grabs Harry's arm, as the small crowd of 3-years finally sees what happened. The Fat Lady's portrait has been slashed viciously, great strips of canvas hanging from the frame. Just then, Dumbledore appears. 

"Mr. Filch. Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady." Dumbledore orders. 

Just then, there is a scream. The students dash to the landing, where all the paintings whisper fearfully.

Aubery held Seamus's hand tighter, as they looked at each other. Filch's rheumy eyes peer up, searching the upper shadows, then narrow. 

"There'll be no need for ghosts, Professor..." Filch extends a crooked finger. High up, near the ceiling, the Fat Lady cowers in a portrait not her own, trembling. 

"Dear lady. Who did this to you?" Dumbledore questions.

The Fat Lady spoke, like someone in a trance. "Eyes like the devil he's got. And a soul as dark as his name. It was him, Headmaster. The one they talk about. He's here. Somewhere in the castle. Sirius Black."

As the students react, Dumbledore's voice cuts through. 

"Secure the castle, Mr. Filch. The rest of you... to the Great Hall." Dumbledore orders.

At the Clock Tower Door, great groaning tumblers fall. Spindles rotate. Cylinders- one after another- fire into place. 

Iron spikes, sharp as razors, rise instantly, covering the windows. One by one, deep in the distance, the lights of the Great Hall go out. Dementors appear, then separate like a curtain.  

The dementors drift past a window of the silent room, over an ocean of sleeping bags, Harry and Aubery lie awake, staring at the net of stars glimmering beyond the highest window. 

"What do you reckon happened?" Aubery questions, her eyes drifting past sleeping students.

"Sirius Black happened, didn't it?" Harry questions. They scooted their sleeping bags closer to each other, brother and sister.

"Today was great, and then this happens... Harry, please slap me, but I swear that Professor Trelawney's somehow correct." Aubery shakes her head.

"You've definitely gone mad." Harry shakes his head.

"Thanks." Aubery offers a tight-lipped smile.

A gentle creak is heard and Harry and Aubery's eyes shift, seeing Snape pass through the great doors, and converge with Dumbledore. 

"I've done the dungeons, Headmaster. No sign of Black. Nor anywhere else in the castle." Snape says.

Dumbledore nods. "I didn't really expect him to linger."

"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts castle on one's own, completely undetected..." Snape drawls. Dumbledore gazes at the students, refusing to take the bait. "You may recall, prior to the start of term, I did express my concerns when you appointed Professor-"

"I do not believe a single professor inside this castle would have helped Sirius Black enter it, Severus." Dumbledore answers.

As Snape's eyes glitter darkly, Dumbledore gazes out over the slumbering students. 

"No... I feel quite confident the castle is safe. And I'm more than willing to let the students return to their Houses. But tomorrow. For now, let them sleep..." As Dumbledore's gaze finds Harry and Aubery, they shut their eyes, feigning sleep. 

"It's astonishing what the body can endure when the mind allows itself to rest." They leave the room, and their eyes snap open.

"Snape can't mean my dad, right?" Aubery questions. "I mean, there's definitely things that he's hiding, along with Mum, but-"

"I don't think Uncle Remus did it." Harry replies.

The next day, the Gryffindors line up at a new portrait.

"What villains are these that trespass upon my private lands!" The Fat Lady has been replaced by a painting of a t tiny kinight (Sir Cadogan). Stalking a bare stretch of grass as his pony grazes nearby, he brandishes his sword wildly as the 3rd year Gryffindors regard him warily. "Who dares challenge Sir Cadogan! Back, you scurvy braggarts! You rogues!"

"He's barking mad!" Seamus says.

"What d'you expect? After what happened to the Fat Lady, none of the other pictures would take the job." Dean answers.

"But he keeps changing the password. Twice just this morning! I've taken to keeping a list." As Neville holds up a wrinkled piece of parchment, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Aubery begin to exit. 

"Farewell, comrades! If ever you have need of noble heart and steely sinew, call upon Sir Cadogan!"

"Yeah, we'll call you... if we ever need someone mental." Ron mutters.