Ron's habit of betting with his nonexistent girlfriend couldn't be changed.
If it were just that, it would be one thing—he could do as he pleased, and others were too lazy to care.
But the key was that every time he said something like this, good predictions never came true while bad ones always did.
Sherlock didn't care, and Hermione was still in a cold war with Ron, so she couldn't be bothered.
However, Harry had never been a simple materialist warrior.
So, when he heard Ron about to spout off again, he quickly stopped him.
Hermione looked away from the two of them somewhat helplessly, turning to Sherlock beside her and asking, seemingly casually.
"Speaking of which, Gemma hasn't come looking for you again this Halloween... ow!"
Too focused on talking to Sherlock, she bumped into the student in front of her.
"Sorry, Parvati."
"It's fine."
At that moment, they were following the usual route to the tower with the other Gryffindor students, so when someone suddenly stopped, collisions were inevitable.
"Why did we suddenly stop?"
Seeing this situation, Hermione forgot about Gemma and asked in confusion.
"I dunno," Parvati Patil shook her head bewildered. "Everyone in front stopped."
Sherlock had grown quite tall over the holiday. His gaze went over the heads of the students in front and saw that the corridor to the Fat Lady's portrait was packed with Gryffindor students.
His brow furrowed—he sensed something was not quite right.
"What's going on? Why isn't anyone going through?"
The speaker was Percy Weasley.
As usual, he pushed forward in an officious tone while inquiring.
"I'm Head Boy, excuse me, let me through, sorry, I'm Head Boy, let me through first!"
Ginny also took the opportunity to squeeze through, standing beside Harry.
She glanced at Percy somewhat helplessly, then looked back at the group and spoke. "Don't mind him, he's always like this... what are you doing?!"
"Nothing."
Harry somewhat sheepishly released his hand from Ron's mouth and stood on tiptoe to look ahead.
He saw that the Fat Lady's portrait entrance seemed to be closed.
Ron, finally able to speak, asked instinctively. "Did someone forget the password?"
"Please, there are so many people here. They can't all have forgotten the password!"
Ginny was exasperated.
Her brother hung around with Sherlock and Hermione every day, why hadn't he gotten any smarter?
Just then, Percy, who had reached the front, suddenly spoke in a shrill voice.
"Someone fetch Professor Dumbledore, quickly!"
When Percy shouted this, the crowd fell silent in an instant.
You could hear a pin drop.
Sherlock looked at Ron.
"Wh-what?"
Noticing Sherlock's gaze, Ron panicked too.
"Your prediction has proven accurate again, my dear Ron."
Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all looked at him.
"Wh-what?!"
Ron thought of what he had just said to Harry, and his face turned deathly pale. "I-I was just joking."
Just then, Headmaster Dumbledore appeared.
The Gryffindor students quickly pressed together to let him through.
"Let's go!"
Sherlock immediately took the opportunity to call his companions to follow.
"Oh no—!"
When they saw the scene clearly, Hermione and Ginny cried out simultaneously, both instinctively grabbing the arm of the person beside them.
The guardian of Gryffindor Tower, the Fat Lady, had vanished from her portrait.
This time, even without Sherlock's analysis, everyone could see that the portrait had been savagely slashed.
Pieces of canvas lay scattered on the floor, and a large section had been torn away.
Under these circumstances, the Gryffindor students naturally had no way to enter the common room.
Sherlock, whose arm was grabbed by Hermione, quickly scanned the damaged portrait, then began examining everyone present.
Soon, he ruled out the possibility that the culprit was a student.
Harry, whose arm was gripped tightly by Ginny, felt a chill run straight up his spine to his skull.
Though he couldn't say why, he instinctively felt this had something to do with him.
Meanwhile, the other professors arrived one after another.
"We need to find her."
Dumbledore said gravely, "Professor McGonagall, please go find Mr. Filch and have him search every painting in the castle to find the Fat Lady."
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to wish you luck!"
Before McGonagall could respond, a voice cackled with laughter.
Everyone present looked in surprise toward the source of the voice, wanting to see who dared to be sarcastic at such a time.
Unsurprisingly, they saw Peeves, who most loved making mischief.
Even though the scene before them was quite distressing, it seemed completely unaffected, still appearing gleeful.
Professor McGonagall frowned and was about to speak when Dumbledore's voice sounded first. "What do you know, Peeves?"
For most students, they feared Professor McGonagall more than Dumbledore.
But Peeves the poltergeist was different.
Even though Dumbledore's voice was calm, it immediately restrained its laughter.
"She's ashamed, Headmaster!"
Peeves said in a flattering, ingratiating tone to Dumbledore.
"She's in such a dreadful state, she doesn't want anyone to see her.
As it happens, I saw her run into that landscape up on the landing, hiding in the trees.
Oh, she was crying something terrible—ah, such a poor thing!"
Everyone present could hear the false sentiment in its last words—essentially, it was gloating.
Dumbledore didn't comment on its behavior, only asked quietly.
"Did she say who did it?"
"She did, Professor-Head!"
Peeves used yet another form of address, somersaulting in midair and making a gesture of holding something.
"Because she wouldn't let that fellow in, he got angry.
What I mean is, he had a terrible temper—it was Sirius Black."
When Peeves named Sirius as the culprit, the area in front of Gryffindor Tower became dead silent.
You could hear a pin drop.
Ginny, holding Harry's arm, felt Harry's body trembling slightly.
Dumbledore's expression grew even graver.
He immediately made arrangements, requiring all Gryffindor students to return to the Hall.
About ten minutes later, the Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin students returned as well.
By then, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick had closed the Great Hall doors.
Besides the Gryffindor students, the young wizards from the other three houses all looked confused.
"I must conduct a thorough search of the castle with the teachers."
Facing the gazes of the young wizards, Dumbledore said crisply.
"For your own safety, you'll spend the night here.
I want the prefects to guard the Hall entrances, and the Head Boy and Girl to maintain order during this time. If anything happens..."
Dumbledore spoke to Percy and Gemma, who stood beside him, "Please send a ghost to report to me immediately."
Hearing Dumbledore's words, Percy puffed out his chest with an extraordinarily proud expression.
Compared to Percy, Head Girl Gemma's expression was calm as she nodded slightly.
"By the way, you'll need these..."
Just as Dumbledore was about to leave the Hall, he waved his wand lightly, and the tables flew to the sides of the Hall, automatically standing against the walls.
This display of the Levitation Charm left all the students stunned.
Then, with another wave of his wand, hundreds of soft purple sleeping bags appeared on the floor.
This feat amazed the young wizards once again.
Truly Dumbledore, the greatest wizard of the age!
Though the choice of color was somewhat puzzling.
Why purple?
"Sleep well."
With these words, Dumbledore walked out and closed the Hall doors.
As soon as he left, the Hall erupted with chattering discussion.
"Does anyone know what happened?"
"Ask those little lions—something seems to have happened on their side!"
The Gryffindor students didn't hold back, telling students from the other houses about Sirius Black appearing in Hogwarts castle.
"What, Black actually got into Hogwarts!"
"Are those people at the Ministry eating sh*t?"
"How did he get past the Dementors!"
"What did the Fat Lady do wrong? She's just a painting."
Percy called out loudly at this moment.
"Everyone into your sleeping bags, quickly, no more talking, lights out in ten minutes!"
Gemma frowned at him but ultimately said nothing.
"Sherlock, shall we go over there?" Harry pointed to a corner.
Sherlock's gaze swept over and he nodded. "Yes."
So, the four of them grabbed sleeping bags and dragged them to the corner.
Hermione placed her sleeping bag next to Sherlock's, then looked at Harry worriedly and asked. "Sherlock, do you think Black is still in the castle?"
"Too few clues available, no way to deduce." Sherlock shook his head.
Ron said quietly. "But Dumbledore seems to think he is."
"Good thing he picked tonight when we weren't in the tower."
Hermione said this while looking at Harry with lingering fear.
Earlier she had been trying to persuade Harry not to go to Hogsmeade, but now it seemed that if Harry had really listened to her, the consequences would have been unthinkable!
The other students didn't know, but they knew very well that Black was coming for Harry.
"I think because he's been on the run, he's lost track of time," Harry said slowly, thinking aloud. "He probably forgot it was Halloween."
Sherlock: "Given his ability to escape from Azkaban and evade pursuit, he shouldn't make that kind of mistake, though we can't rule out the possibility..."
"Hey, so you're all here!"
Just then, Ginny also came over with her sleeping bag.
She had heard that Harry had spent the entire afternoon at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade with Cho Chang today.
Opportunities always go to those who are prepared—she couldn't be as shy as before!
Her brother was Harry's good friend, if she didn't take advantage of such a huge advantage, sooner or later someone else would steal him away!
"What are you doing here?"
Ron frowned when he saw her. "Second years are all over there."
"I'm your sister, Ron. Why are you always trying to chase me away!"
Ginny was furious.
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