✧OCTOBER 31ST✧

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While that didn't scream of being an issue, it was the sudden mention of their Uncle that caused Romulus to suck in a breath. "There's an emergency Prefect meeting right now, we've got to go." The entire line of Lestrange children had hurried from the Dungeons up towards the Gryffindor tower.

Clearly the commotion had still been heavily affecting the rest of the school. Romulus had called Ronan to keep both the younger siblings nearby as both he and Imara entered the Gryffindor Common room.

It hadn't been their first time inside, but it certainly wasn't the same energy as it was in the nights before. "I've got Romulus, Professor McGonagall," Imara called out and Minerva let out her held breath.
"Thank you Ms.Lestrange—I'm sure your sister informed you of—"
"Yes, she did. What happened here exactly?" Romulus dwelled, and it wasn't hard to see that Harry Potter's entire dorm room with his mates had been demolished in its entirety.

"Goddess—What's the plan then?"
"I'm not sure yet Mr.Lestrange, Professor Dumbledore is still out searching the rumors that the portraits have seen." He nodded and eyed the fact that none of the Gryffindor students seemed comfortable.

"If Black could get in here, I wouldn't put it past him to try for the others...Would it be possible to have everyone in one place? I don't feel comfortable with my siblings in the dungeons and I doubt the Gryffindors would want to be here after that." McGonagall had stared towards the very face that stuck terror in this tower, but the brightness of Aurora Lestrange had graced her at this very moment.

"I'll take that with the Headmaster, ten points to Ravenclaw—For thinking on the spot." The Gryffindor prefect of their year had scoffed behind their own head of house as she walked out.

"Make your uncle's job much easier, isn't that right Lestrange?" Imara's fists curled towards the nameless Gryffindor as she let her hair flare in damnation and Romulus just took hold of her shoulder.

"Let's make it very clear, that I don't have anything to do with what my uncle does. None of us do." Romulus claimed, holding back his sister as he no doubt could see that turning violent. He didn't wait for a reply and continued to escort his sister back, though she slashed her shoulder out from under his hold.

"What's that face for?" Ronan questioned.
"What's going on?" Cara followed up, while Lori looked around with caution. This certainly wasn't the best start of her first year, that's for sure.

"We're probably going to be all sleeping in the Grand Hall by the looks of it, it's what that bloody lion said to Rom—Why'd you stop me, could've dropped him off the tower's edge."
"That's the last thing we want Imara, it's bad enough he's our Uncle. We're already being watched as is with mum and everyone, alright? Let's just follow suit and get ready for whatever they tell us." It hadn't taken long after that for the Head Boy and Girl to claim that sleeping bags would be provided in the great hall.

"Alright, we'll head to Ravenclaw's tower first and then head back down to the Dungeons so Roe and Lori can grab their things. Sound good?" He was met with instant nods from his four siblings and thus they hurried on their way, Ronan was thankful that he wouldn't have to venture by his lonesome.

Though he wasn't the biggest fan on waiting out in front of the door, granted the Ravenclaws weren't as judgemental—If anything, a few had asked if he and Lori were alright.

"I swear, they're more like Hufflepuffs than I first thought," Lori mumbled and Roe snorted. "Nah, they're curious is what. Remember what Romulus said? We have to be careful cause they think this is our fault."
"How could it? Romulus is the nicest and Imara might be a bit hyper but she isn't rude." She offered and Roe had to agree as his eyes wandered back to the opening common room door.

But it wasn't his siblings.

Within the common room however, Romulus said that they'd meet back here—Course Imara had given Cara a moment or two and before following Romulus off to his room. "You found us with the map?" He questioned and Imara had simply taken it out of her robe.

"Course, but I didn't see Black's name anywhere. I have my mirror if you can't find—" He waved his hand, clearly his roommates had already bolted to the Grand Hall and he knocked to his mirror.

A method of emergency and close to instantly the face of Regulus Blackwell had shown in retaliation. "Romulus! My boy, did you have a talk with Lori...? She was very worried this afternoon if—"
"Yes we fixed it, we have more issues right now Uncle, Black broke into the Gryffindor common room." Romulus hurried out, and Imara had a keen eye on the door.

They did not need to look suspicious.

"What did he do?"
"Slashed the fat lady and managed to wreck Potter's room. We've already had a few comments this year about him being our uncle but it's already gotten worse. The entire school is going to be sleeping in the grand hall." Romulus had looked up and motioned the mirror off to his twin, and she waved to her uncle after she finished.

"Merlin...Fuck, Sirius, what are you doing?" The stress was clear and Regulus only shook his head. "I think you two need to call your mother, this is worrying."
"We have the map uncle, we'll take turns tonight to look."
"Your mother will probably tell you to do that as well, I can't tell you not to worry—There's plenty to worry about. He isn't the same man he once was when he entered, if you do run into him—Hope he doesn't have a wand." Romulus swallowed thickly and questioned how powerful that he was.

"It's not that he isn't powerful, he is, but it's the unpredictability that I'm worried about. His mind is most likely rottened down to the steam, speaking to him isn't an option." The twins had shared an unsure look between them both as they agreed.

But deep down, they couldn't just blindly follow.

In following their Uncle's advice, Imara and Romulus had given the mirror their mother's sort of number. However the twins had instantly pushed the mirror up and away as Cara stood in the doorway.

"Thought you'd call mum, I grabbed your stuff too, Imara." She claimed holding up a large satchel and letting it fall onto the floor as she dropped onto Romulus' bed.

"Mummy!" She cheered and that certainly caught the attention outright.
"Rabastan Lestrange you give me that damn mirror back or else I'll castrate you myself!" Now Aurora didn't have any knowledge of who could be on the call besides Romulus, but Imara couldn't help but let out the largest cackle at the sight of her father's face.

"Cruel, you're simply cruel."

"I can be much crueler, tempt me." Aurora finished and Romulus sighed. "Lovely, can you bloody tempt each other elsewhere. We have a situation." He said with his eyes towards the ceiling, he didn't mind the doe eyes to one another or the flirting. But goddess sakes this was too much to bare.

"You watch your tone Romulus Dimitri Lestrange." Aurora ushered, her finger already pointed in damnation. Ready to place a punishment once they come home for holiday. "We're supposed to be going to the Grand Hall, we don't have enough time for it. Sirius Black broke into the Gryffindor Common room." Imara had bit her lip and Cara stared in awe to see how their mother had responded.

"Aurora!" Hearing their father's panic as the Lestrange children could only assume that she fell. "A-are you all alright? Where is Lori, goddess—I knew we shouldn't have sent them!" The cry of the desperation of their mother had stricken a cord.

One that even Cara could feel as well.

That Sirius Black was not just a name to be afraid of, it wasn't just a joke anymore. He was out for blood.

"Romulus, I need you to watch out for your siblings. Under no circumstance are they to be alone...Who's with you right now?"
"Cara and Imara, Roe and Lori are outside the common room. We were told to get our things and head back downstairs. Just thought this was better than hearing it in the Prophet."
"Well done son, make sure you stick together. That man is unpredictable as can be, call tomorrow in the morning or owl when you can."
"Of course, and mum please don't worry. We'll be alright." His sisters showered their mother in affection and showed praise, Imara even going as far to tell them that they earned points for Ravenclaw that it was Romulus' idea himself to have everyone stay in the Grand Hall tonight.

With that all set, the three birds met with their siblings to make their way down. It seemed the commotion in the castle hadn't slowed down, as the news reached every corner imaginable. Multiple times a few students had asked either Romulus or Imara questions, but they were simply directed in the same sentence—Get some things for the night and then head to the Grand Hall.

As everyone was as confused as the next.

When arriving to the Grand Hall, the Lestrange children had taken over the corner of the room. Course the given glares had followed with the taunts.

"Good, they'll be the first to go."

"It's their Uncle after all."

In addition to the sense of their father being a famed Death Eater, Lori had fallen suit into becoming mute and Ronan had to soothe her worries. She wasn't that much a shy Slytherin, but this grouped-up effort and isolation was truly starting to weigh on her.

Weigh on all of them.

It didn't help that both Romulus and Imara were off doing their Prefect duties either, course Ronan knew it's what they were assigned and meant to do. However, it was a blessing of any given information that settled, Romulus had taken one look at his family and sighed.

"We'll be doing group walks to the loo, better get to it before this becomes too crowded." That certainly caught everyone's attention, but it was the gal's loo that started to grow crowded with ease.

When the time came for 'lights out,' Romulus had laid down onto his sleeping bag and smirked off towards Cara. "Used mum's spell?" She nodded, but clearly she was tired with the slow flicker of her eyes. She was sleeping beside Imara and Ronan while Romulus held onto Lori and her stuffie.

Course it was tucked until the sleeping bag to hide it from the general public.

Rom's mind was going back and forth as to what his uncle was possibly thinking into breaking into Harry's dorm room. What was the purpose of that, or was what his parents and Regulus said was true?
Was the bloke just too far gone?

"I've done the dungeons, Headmaster. No sign of Black. Nor anywhere else in the castle..." Professor Snape had dwelled, and Romulus rolled his eyes. How was it that this important conversation simply out in the open?

"I didn't really expect him to linger," Dumbledore responded as though this bored him, but Romulu just shifted to his side. Thankful that Lori had taken to falling asleep so easily.

"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts castle on one's own, completely undetected...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." Romulus's eyes grew wide, and without of a surprise, his eyes locked onto Cara's.

"Lupin." She mouthed and he nodded, but then when the small inkling of her tap to her wrist—He frowned. "What?"

"Moon." His mouth gawked, of course! Lupin was too busy with preparing for the full moon to have helped Sirius at all. Though there could still be a possibility, it didn't seem likely. Not when Lupin did not have contact with their own mother.

"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...It's astonishing what the body can endure when the mind allows itself to rest." 

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Date Posted: 04-17-2021

Time: 10:52

Words: 2254

Author's Note:

So I finally did it, I updated the covers!
What do you think? Should I keep playing around with them?
Let me know what you think!
ALSO:
I'm afraid I'll be extremely busy this coming summer as I plan to take a few summer courses, with that being said I also am working/editing on an Original Series with book two starting to post in the next couple of weeks.
IN ADDITION
I sent in a submission to become a Wattpad Ambassador!

If I miss a Saturday of posting, I apologize in advance. I haven't written as much as I would've liked in the past few weeks, the semester is ending and I'm swamped with work and it feels never-ending...Anywho, I'll try to be as active as possible.

 Let me know if you have any questions about the series!
Maybe I'll hint at some spoilers that I've planned;)