It was all fun and games until someone started banging on her portrait.

The Fat Lady was only pretending to be asleep, trying her very best and even craning her ears slightly just to hear a little bit of some juicy gossip. It had seemed like ages since she and Violet had had something good to chat about. And it seemed like a few more ages were going to have to pass. There was nothing of interest said.

Her acting had never been good, and only when the little lioness Alexa stopped banging on her portrait, did she 'wake up'. The Fat Lady wiped the side of her mouth, just in case she had been drooling in her pretend sleep before raising her chubby arms above her head in a stretch. She blinked rapidly at the students, as if she was surprised to see them all there.

"Hello, my little lions! And you, snakes!" She was practically singing, despite the look of 'surprise' on her face. "Why wasn't I woken up?"