Thump!
Tom had no idea what was happening outside. All he knew was that he and Ariana had landed together on something soft—a thick carpet that muffled the impact.
He lifted his head cautiously.
A warm, comfortable room unfolded before his eyes. A fireplace crackled cheerfully across from them, flames dancing as they radiated a steady, soothing heat. Plush furniture was arranged neatly around the room, and the air carried a faint scent of old parchment and polished wood.
"Oh? Guests? Wait—what? Merlin's beard! Where did you come from?!"
A startled female voice rang out behind them.
Tom turned and saw a noblewoman seated by the window in a tall, high-backed chair. She wore an elegant court gown, its fabric rich and heavy, and held a feather fan half-raised in one hand. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she examined the two unexpected intruders.
It was the lady from the painting.
(￣▽￣*)
Well, even if I can't speak human language, my ability to enter portraits still works~
Tom didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the "window" behind her—the opening that showed the outside world beyond the painting.
Filch was pacing furiously along the corridor, lifting fallen bedsheets and inspecting the floor as if searching for traces of spellwork. Peeves darted back and forth through the walls, muttering to himself, looking utterly offended by reality. Madam Norris crouched where Tom had been moments earlier, her nose pressed to the stone as she sniffed the air with obsessive intensity.
(´-ω-`)
Phew… lucky escape. If I'd gotten caught by that perverted cat, my heroic reputation would have been completely ruined.
Filch and Peeves didn't worry him much. But Madam Norris was another matter entirely. Being discovered by that fanatical cat would have been unbearable. Tom shuddered internally at the thought.
"Um… could you please answer my question?" the woman asked again.
"Meow~"
Tom replied politely.
The noblewoman blinked, clearly baffled.
Her confusion made Tom pause. So it's not working, he realized. Communicating with Ariana earlier must have been a special circumstance—either due to that strange space, or his own unusual condition at the time.
With a small sigh, Tom reached into his bag and pulled out his whiteboard. He quickly wrote:
[Sorry to disturb you, Madam. We only wished to use your portrait briefly to avoid some trouble.]
"I see." She nodded thoughtfully. "I am Madam Margaretha. You are welcome here. However, dear, allow me to correct one thing—this is not merely a portrait. This is my home."
Her fan fluttered as she studied them more closely, curiosity glinting in her eyes.
"To be able to enter the world of paintings from the outside…" She paused, clearly impressed. "You are truly special beings."
Her gaze lingered on Ariana, and her brows knitted together slightly, as if she sensed something unusual.
Tom noticed the shift immediately.
[Thank you for your understanding. Please don't worry—we won't stay long. We have other matters to attend to.]
Outside the painting, Filch and Madam Norris finally gave up and stalked away, frustrated. Only Peeves remained, stubbornly diving through walls for no apparent reason.
As long as the cat wasn't around, Tom felt safe.
As for the woman in the painting?
(￣ω￣)
People in paintings aren't real anyway. Once I leave, she'll return to her original state—just like last time with Jerry.
He had completely forgotten one important fact.
Hogwarts portraits were different.
"Wait, dear." Madam Margaretha rose quickly from her chair. "What are you doing out so late at night? Perhaps I could help."
Tom paused mid-step.
She hadn't seemed eager to interact with them earlier—so why the sudden enthusiasm?
Still, he didn't dwell on it and wrote his reply.
[I'm afraid this is beyond your help, Madam. We're heading to the Headmaster's Office to see Headmaster Dumbledore. You should know Hogwarts—it's the castle where your portrait hangs.]
Her lips curved into a knowing smile.
"Dear child, I have lived in this castle far longer than you. Aside from the Four Founders themselves, I doubt anyone knows Hogwarts better than we do."
With that, she walked toward the corner of the room.
A small door appeared where there had been nothing before.
"Come along," she said lightly. "I shall take you to the Headmaster's Office."
"…?"
Tom stared.
An office inside a painting?
And that door—where had it come from?!
He hesitated, glancing back through the window. Peeves was still flitting about, unpredictable as ever. Tom knew all too well that Peeves could provoke Madam Norris into returning at any moment.
(￣ω￣)
Worst case, I can just turn back.
Decision made, Tom guided Ariana through the door behind Madam Margaretha.
The painting behind them became an empty shell—nothing left but its background scenery.
Peeves, seeing this, merely assumed the figures had wandered off to visit another painting. Uninterested, he continued harassing the castle walls, unaware that his quarry had already escaped.
Wait… another painting? Tom thought as they stepped through. Paintings can connect to each other?
The room they entered was completely different.
Outside the "window," the view showed a different corridor altogether.
A knight clad in full armor stood in the center of the room, swinging a longsword with practiced precision, striking poses as if in the middle of a heroic performance.
"My dear Madam Margaretha," the knight said, lowering his sword. "What brings you here so late? And who might these two be?"
His gaze sharpened as it fell on Tom and Ariana. He could tell immediately—they did not belong to the painted world.
"Forgive the interruption, Sir Knight," Margaretha said with a graceful nod. "These two young wizards seek the Headmaster. I am merely taking a shortcut through your quarters."
"An honor, as always." The knight bowed deeply. "Please, proceed."
A door appeared in the corner of the room.
Margaretha curtsied in return and led them onward.
They passed through painting after painting—six in total.
Tom glimpsed fleeting figures along the way: wizards mid-argument, nobles sipping tea, and—just for an instant—a familiar silhouette that vanished before he could focus.
Then they stepped through the final door.
An old man with a long white beard stood with his back to them, facing a wall of portraits.
Tom recognized him instantly.
They had arrived.
"Headmaster Albus," Madam Margaretha said respectfully. "These two rather special guests wished to see you, so I took the liberty of bringing them here. By the way… one of them appears to be an Obscurial."
"An Obscurial?!"
Dumbledore stiffened.
He spun around, disbelief flashing across his face.
An obscurus… inside a painting?
Impossible.
He hurried forward, stopping directly before the portrait—and froze.
"Tom?"
His breath caught.
Then his eyes fell on the girl beside him.
"Wait… who is this beside you?! (;ﾟДﾟ)"
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