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The Hall was buzzing with tales of Hogsmeade, as students swapped stories, sampled sweets, and sent soap bubbles of all shapes, sizes and colours into the air.

A marionette of a harlequin cavorted atop the Gryffindor table, moving its limbs in response to the strands of light that extended from Neville's fingertips. Seamus passed his hand through the light beams and the Harlequin collapsed.

"And the post office! It's about two-hundred owls, all sitting on colour- coded shelves, depending on how fast you want your letter to go!" Hermione was recounting the trip in an excited tone.

"And Honeyduke's is brilliant! Sugar Quills, Fizzing Whizbees and blood-flavoured lollipops for Halloween!" Ron added on.

Harry nodded, picking quietly through the spray of brilliantly coloured sweets on the table.

Iris noticed and swiftly kicked her two friends in the shins underneath the table.

"But, I mean, after a while, it got a bit boring. Don't you think, Ron?" Hermione switched quickly.

Ron looked confused for a moment, "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Dead depressing."

Hermione cut in leaning over the table so Iris could hear her better, "Hey, where did you disappear off to, Iris? We were worried sick!"

Iris grabbed herself a slice of pumpkin pie that was sitting in front of her, "I met up with someone else, it's fine, I'll... uh, tell you later," she dodged the question.

Ron suddenly reached into his pocket, "Hang on. I almost forgot. I got you something wicked at Dervish and Banges. It's a Pocket Sneakoscope."

Ron placed a small glass spinning top on the table.

"If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's meant to light up and spin. Mind you, Fred and George say it's rubbish, sold for wizard tourists, but I thought, you know, it can't hurt, given that..." he drifted off.

"Sirius Black's trying to kill us," Harry finished for him, glancing at Iris.

Harry looked up, grinning at the three of them.

"I'm glad you had a good time. Really. And thanks for this," he eyed the Sneakoscope, "Rubbish or not, you're right. It can't hurt."

With that, Harry popped a pepper imp into his mouth.

"Oh, I wouldn't..."

Before she could finish, smoke starting curling from Harry's ears and nose.

"Never mind," she chuckled.

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

Later that night, after the feast, Iris, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were climbing the stairs to get back to the Gryffindor common room, but they found a crowd gathered on the Seventh Floor landing.

"What's the hold-up? Only Neville ever forgets the password," Ron questioned out loud.

Iris elbowed him in the ribs and nodded at Neville, who was standing a few feet behind them with more students.

Iris felt someone push past her and looked to see it was Percy Weasley, "Let me through, please. Excuse me, thank you, I'm Head Boy..." he stopped dead in his tracks, "Back! All of you! No one is to enter this dormitory until it has been fully searched!"

"Iris, what's happening?" Hermione asked her.

She focused on the students up ahead and her eyes widened,

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

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged dark glances but Iris' face was ashen.

"Probably stuffing her face with the apples in that still life on the second floor again," Ron said, trying to ease the nervousness.

"No. You don't understand --"

Hermione gasped, grabbing Harry's arm.

They all looked to see the Fat Lady's portrait had been slashed viciously, great strips of canvas hanging from the frame.

"Move, it's Professor Dumbledore," Iris heard a student say farther down the stairs behind her.

She looked back to see him quickly making his way through the parting crowd.

Everyone was watching, holding their breath as the Headmaster slowly walked toward the slashed up painting. He touched one of the tears, examining it carefully.

"Mr Filch. Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady," he requested urgently.

Filch's rheumy eyes peered up, searching the upper shadows, then... narrowed.

"There'll be no need for ghosts, Professor..." Filch extended a crooked finger. High up, near the ceiling, the Fat Lady cowered in a portrait trembling.

The students dashed to the landing, where all the paintings were whispering fearfully. Iris was shoved around, latching onto Harry's hand so as not to be trampled by the stampeding students.

Dumbledore moved his way to the front, "Dear lady. Who did this to you?"

The Fat Lady was practically hysterical, almost sobbing, "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," she paused, terrified,

"Sirius Black!" she shrieked.

Iris remained calm and looked at Dumbledore as he looked at her, making eye contact. An understanding passed between them, they both knew why he had come.

Iris looked away as Harry tugged on her hand to bring her closer to him as the students reacted, screaming and scrambling around.

Dumbledore's voice cut through the noise, "Secure the castle, Mr Filch. The rest of you... to the Great Hall."

Iris followed her friends and the professors, once again getting jostled around as she tripped down the stairs.

When they reached the bend in the stairs where the Fat Lady portrait hung, ripped, Iris stopped in her place.

Her head whipped around as she heard something whispering in her head.

Harry's hand had lost hers but he pushed through the students travelling the opposite direction to stand in front of her.

"Iris, what are you doing? Come on!" he urged, confused as to why she had stopped.

She looked at him with wide eyes, "You go ahead, I'll be down in a minute," seeing the sceptical look on his face, she pressed farther, "Go! I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

Rolling his eyes at her stubbornness, he turned and followed the thinning mob down the stairs.

Iris turned back to the portrait frame, the whispers were louder now, much louder, to the point where they were screaming in her head.

A frail but strong hand landed gently on her shoulder, and she didn't have to turn to know it was Professor Dumbledore.

She took a step forward toward the torn canvas and flinched as the voices screamed louder.

Her hand unconsciously reached out toward one of the tears and grazed it and she whispered softly, "Legilimens."

Her mind whooshed and whizzed into a long hallway, different to anything Iris had ever seen.

It was narrow and dark, though the walls were covered, lined with large rectangular paintings.

The paintings though did not have scenery or portraits painted on them, but golden numbers, starting at the number one and going higher down the hallway as far as Iris could see.

She had been in many hallways like this before, but never this corridor in particular.

Iris knew what to do, she'd done it countless times before;

She started walking.

She didn't have to walk for long, as the passage seemed to know where she was headed and shortened the distance.

She stopped at the painting marked in shiny gold paint with the numbers 3-1 and just stared at it for a moment.

Sighing, Iris lightly pressed her palm against the side of the canvas and it swung open like a door.

She stepped through and found herself outside the Gryffindor common room entrance, although the painting was still intact and the Fat Lady was still inside.

Turning around, Iris noticed a big black dog walking down the corridor toward the portrait.

Her eyes widened with the realization that it was the same black dog that was in the alley.

Iris then watched as the dog changed before her eyes into a man. Iris recognized him immediately as Sirius Black.

"An animagus..." Iris whispered to herself.

He walked briskly up to the Fat Lady's portrait. Iris watched as the woman looked at Black in fear.

"I need to get in," he requested in a deep gravely voice that sounded as though he hadn't used it in years, and with a sad jolt, Iris realised he probably hadn't.

The Fat Lady looked flabberghasted as she recognized the criminal and refused him.

He looked to be getting angrier as she continued to not let him in as he yelled at the painting.

"You don't understand! I have to tell them! I have to stop him!" Black exclaimed, "Before it's too late," he finished with a dark look.

Iris was confused by what was taking place, she didn't understand who he needed to tell, and what he needed to tell. And who was the 'him' he had to stop? Harry?

Iris watched a few moments longer as Sirius tried one last time to demand the Fat Lady let him enter the common room, yet she again refused.

Finally, with a face full of rage, Sirius Black changed back into a large black dog and leapt at the painting slashing through it.

Iris gasped as she came back to reality. As usual, when she used legilimency, no time had passed.

Dumbledore still stood behind her, waiting patiently for her to say something.

"I saw it, Professor. I saw him."

Iris turned to face the old man and he had a concerned look on his face.

"You went through an object? This hasn't happened before..." he pondered with a worried face, "Perhaps you should write to your special friend, ask if this is possible. Anyway, I doubt Sirius Black will be coming back tonight, I recommend you get some rest within the company of your brother and friends."

⌗ ⌗ ⌗

A few hours later, a gentle creak sounded through the Great Hall and Iris' eyes shifted, seeing Snape pass through the great doors, converging with Dumbledore.

Harry, who was also awake next to her, quickly closed his eyes and pretended to be sleeping. Iris, however, left hers wide open to watch the two professors as they waltzed through the Great Hall.

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

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

"A remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts castle on one's own, completely undetected..." Snape hinted.

Dumbledore gazed 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 --"

Dumbledore's tone shifted into a warning, "I do not believe a single professor inside this castle would have helped Sirius Black enter it, Severus."

As Snape's eyes glittered darkly, Dumbledore gazed out over the slumbering students.

He continued, "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 found Iris, she met his wise blue eyes with her knowing hazel ones.

"It's astonishing what the body can endure when the mind allows itself to rest," Dumbledore said slowly and Iris felt her eyes start to drift closed.

With the last moment before she fell asleep, she looked at her brother and wished for his safety and happiness. She didn't know what she would do if she ever lost him.

Sirius Black was up to something, and Iris was going to figure out what.

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Hey guys!

It's been a while since I made an author's note, but I thought I should because I have some news!

I've joined a Harry Potter Community as an Admin on the team!

You can find the account at 

We're still looking for people to join the team, so if you're interested, go check it out!