Fat Lady's Portrait

[Felixir]

If you're wandering around the seventh-floor corridor and you suddenly have the urge to cover your ears, you know you're steadily approaching the Fat Lady's portrait. While it isn't an uncommon fact that the vocal portrait guards the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room, getting past the Fat Lady without the correct password is no easy feat. Her passion for tip-top security is just as great as her love for good food and drink.

Though the Fat Lady is very particular about who she allows to pass through the portrait hole, she really doesn't mind anyone hanging around in the corridor. At every opportune moment, she will insist that you stop to listen to her "amazing" singing voice or engage in very loud conversation about the latest gossip. Even the Gryffindors themselves have to put up with the antics of this loud and flamboyant woman -- sometimes she won't even let them inside their common room until she is satisfied with their response to her singing or finds the gossip juicy enough to go share with her friend Violet.

OOC: Please do not role-play for the Fat Lady.

[The Narrator]

Is it just you, or has the Gryffindor Common Room entrance seemed a little sluggish recently, perhaps taking a few seconds longer than usual to open up after the password has been given?

No. Not just you. All at once, the portrait has become unquestionably unreliable. At times, it works fine, perfect working order, while at other times it will leave you stuck outside the common room for ten or fifteen minutes at a time before suddenly springing into action. Whatever enchantments maintain the entrance are undeniably on the blink.

If you're lucky, someone might just happen to force the portrait open from the inside, where a password isn't needed, otherwise you'll just have to be patient. At least the Fat Lady herself is still perfectly capable of conversation, so you'll have some company out here.

[Anna Banana]

... ... ...

Delilah called out the password a second time, this time being sure to pronounce each syllable as accurately as possible. Nothing.

GREAT.

The password had been changed, and she had somehow missed the memo. Basically, she was stuck outside the portrait until someone else came along or until somebody opened the door from the inside. "Can anybody hear me?!" she called out, hoping someone from the inside actually would. "What's the new password?"

She held up her Gryffindor tie as a sort of display for the portrait to see. "See? I'm a GRYFFINDOR," she said. Maybe the lady would let her have a free pass and actually open the door for her. Just in case, she said the password a third time.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Fortunately, Atlas WAS on the other side of the portrait.

Unfortunately, Atlas had string beans for arms despite their somewhat bulky appearance.

So, really, there was unlikely to be much that the fourth year could accomplish in pushing the heavy door open. That is...once he picked himself up off the ground. You see...usually when he left the common room in a hurry, all he needed to do was give the door a reasonable push and it would just swing open and he could be on his merry way. Today, rudely, as he came barreling down the stairs from his dorm and charged towards the door with every intention of meeting up with a certain blonde later...the door did not budge, not even a tiny bit, and the fourth year ricocheted off the wall like a deflated quaffle. Which was to say he struck, smushed, and flopped to the ground in a bit of a daze.

It was at this point that he heard someone yelling on the other side, though it was a bit muted since the door WAS thick.

"OI! YOU BETTER APOLOGIZE TO HER!" he shouted, assuming whoever it was on the other side had somehow managed to insult the Fat Lady to profusely that now the portrait. "YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SING LIKE...TEN DUETS WITH HER TO MAKE UP FOR IT!"

Was he aware the castle was seemingly crumbling around them all? Of course, but it did not come to mind in the moment. The Fat Lady could really be a stubborn ox at times so CLEARLY this was one of those.

"AND HURRY!"

[Charely Potter]

Freddie couldn't believe he forgot his books, he had to run all the way back from the grounds up the towers. He was wanting to finish up his classwork outside in the fresh air when just outside he realized he had forgotten it. Silly me. He ran most of the way which explained his somewhat labored breathing, not noticing the younger Gryffindor (Delilah) shouting at the portrait until he caught her insight. He watched for a moment so he could catch his breath again.

"What's the matter? You forgot the password?" He asked only to think about what other possibility. "Oh no, the password isn't Caudlafhergibblispokeeenosha anymore??" How he managed to mimic it was a testimate of the practicing he had to have done.

"CAUDLAFHERGIBBLISHPOKEEENOSHA!" Okay, screaming it was probably not the brightest thing in case someone who wasn't a Gryffindor was within earshot, but look. Nothing happened! "Can you please let us in??" Still nothing. He turned back to Delilah. "Maybe someone inside can let us in if we're loud enough."

That's when Freddie heard screaming. Wow, the Fat lady's voice sure has changed. Wait. That was Atlas. Now they were saved.... sorta? "But I can't sing without my toad!" His time in the Frog Choir had improved his voice but without the trusty toad companion of his? It was a trick. "Can you not just let us inside? Are you stuck too?" If so, this was major.

[ArianaBlack]

Kinsay was on her way down the stairs just as Atlas made contact with the ground.

....... Weird.

She didn't intend on making conversation - she had places to be - but then there was yelling. "....." So she stared openly. Blink. Blink. Blink. Did he mind? "Who are you yelling at?" And why? And, more importantly, could he not?

You see, Kinsay James had not, in fact, heard any of the yelling from the other side of the portrait. She had missed it entirely.

But again, places to be. So she continued on her way and pushed the-

She continued on her way and pushed the-

Pushed the-

................. You have got to be kidding.

[love-for-HP]

There seemed to some kind of trouble at the Gryffindor common room enterance, which didn't bode well for Maxine, seeing as she was dog tired and just wanted to lay down in her bed. What could possible the hold up? "What's all the yelling about?" She wanted to plug her ears. "Did they change the password again and not tell anyone?" Like jeez people .. just go in already ..

[Anna Banana]

Delilah's eyebrows wrinkled inward in confusion. What was that slight sound she'd heard on the other side of the door? It had been Atlas trying to bust down the door, but she had no way of knowing that. She was just about to knock again, when she heard another faint sound, but this time it was words.

Apologize?

Sing ten duets?

Oh, for the love of Merlin! At this point, she'd have better luck knocking on the Ravenclaw's door and being let inside. By that time, Freddie had shown up. Oh, good! An older student! He'd know what to do! ... Or not. She shrugged. "I didn't forget it. It just won't work," she pointed out. "Or maybe they changed it, and we just didn't get the memo?" Rude. Could somebody just let them in?

"Uh, ma'am?" she tried, looking toward the portrait. "If we've done anything to upset you, I apologize." As for the ten duets? Freddie over there could have that job. Then Maxine showed up, and Delilah explained the whole ordeal. "We can't get in. Do you know the new password?" she asked.

[Watson]

Simon heard the commotion from down the way and decided to investigate what exactly was transpiring. He approached the growing gaggle of gregarious students, noting several words that stuck in his mind. SINGING, TEN DUETS, CAULDA-something something password. Regardless there was a lot of loud voices and he knew he should have expected such a commotion from outside the Gryffindor Common Room.

“Whats going on?” he asked approaching the group of students with eyebrow raised. Was Mr Flamesteed trying to break into his own common room? Simon blinked SEVERAL times refraining from tutting. Instead, he looked… somewhat amused?

He directed his gaze towards Miss Prescott as she spoke explaining more of the situation to her peer and Miss Ruby first before glancing at the older students (Miss James, Mr Flamesteed, and Mr McLeod). “Door …. Problems?”

This was certainly perplexing and news to him.

[Lissy Longbottom]

"Why are you all screaming?" Adam asked as he approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, raising an eyebrow at the crowd. "I could hear you all down the corridor!" Didn't they realize they were causing a ruckus? Unless Sirius Black had risen from the dead and tried to break into the common room, he couldn't fathom why they were all screaming.

And he was just a LITTLE cranky from all the studying he'd been doing.

He paused, however, when he realized no one seemed to be able to get in. "The password shouldn't have changed again, it was fine this morning," he mumbled to Professor Holden as he noticed him nearby. He'd literally been there an hour ago to grab some textbooks from his dorm and he'd been able to get in now.

[sweetpinkpixie]

"GESUNDHEIT!" Atlas shouted when he heard his dormmate CLEARLY sneeze all loudly and such. He ought to take a trip to the hospital wing to get something for that. Atlas did not want to be kept up late with all the sneezing, thanks. He would just stay up late working on his latest project by wandlight.

An icy chill shot up his spine and the fourth year jumped when a voice suddenly came from behind. His mood did not lighten much either once he saw who it was and all he could think about was how upset and stressed Aries had been. Rattled and disturbed. Thankfully Aries was still passed out and likely drooling on to his pillow at the moment. "Not sure...but I can hear Freddie on the other side," he shrugged. "It won't...." But before he could finish his guidance, she was pushing on the door to try and open it up. "...bother...it won't budge."

Already on his feet, Atlas set to fixing his clothes so things were not as disheveled as he felt on the inside and closed the gap between himself and the door in a couple of strides before pressing his ear firmly to it so he attempt to hear things better.

"At least she hasn't started singing...we'd be in a real ruckus then." Hard enough to hear people as it was. "BUT...thankfully for everyone...I AM a bit of an expert when it comes to doors that won't budge." It was, to this day, his greatest accomplishment and had been in a time of great need during the war AND one that had earned him a kiss on the cheek from the one and only Phoebe James. Turning his head, Atlas cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify the sound. "EVERYONE STAY BACK! IT WON'T BUDGE ON THIS SIDE SO I'M GONNA BOMBARDA IT OPEN!" He paused and waited a couple of counts for everyone to move. "IN 3...2..."

[Charely Potter]

It was looking to be just the three outside, him, Delilah, and Adam trying to get inside and whoever else was inside the common room. Sigh, since one of them was apologizing now he had to sing without his partner." Ahem.... Double, troubleeee, something wicked this way comes!" Nope, nada. And he sang quite well maybe a little flat on a few words. Nothing changed.

Finally, there was some hope in this dilemma as he saw Professor Holden arrive. "Professor, the portrait won't let us in even though we got the password right." Freddie knew for sure having spent his spare time pronouncing the gibberish-sounding word that was required. "I don't think Atlas and Kinsay can even leave the common room to let us in," That was when he heard Atlas say something about a bomb. Wait. a Bomb?

"Oh no, Take COVER!!" Freddie reached out to Delilah's arm/hand to pull her away from the entrance of the incoming blast over to the Professor's side.

[ArianaBlack]

........................

This was terrible timing. Kinsay was about to try the door again (surely she could open it on her own), when Atlas took over instead. Trying not to frown, Kins fixed him with a proper look when his head was turned. And then to make matters even worse--

"NO!" Kinsay James didn't often raise her voice (read: literally never), but this reaction was immediate. "You'll destroy the Fat Lady!" Kins wasn't her biggest fan, but someone had taken the time to paint her and magical portraits weren't easy to produce. She had been part of the castle for ages. It wasn't fair to blow her up because of a jammed door. Atlas was being brash.

And a little cocky, she thought.

[Anna Banana]

SPECTACULAR!

A professor had arrived, which meant all their troubles were officially over! Delilah began to talk a mile a minute trying to explain what was going on. "So I was the first person to get here, and I tried the password three different times, but it didn't work any of the times. Then there was someone on the other side of the door telling me to apologize and sing ten duets, but Merlin only knows what that was all about. Then Freddie came along and tried the longest possible password ever, which didn't work either. Maxine came along, and she can't get in either, and...and...and...," she said.

AND.

AND. AND.

That was when she noticed Adam had arrived, and was pretty much pointing out the obvious. Could anyone tell that she was starting to feel like a toddler deprived from its nap? No? Yes?

UMM.... "You guys? I think someone's about to try to blow the place up," she said. You know, just in case anybody wanted to get out of the way. It wouldn't hurt the Fat Lady would it? It would. Uhh... Someone was pulling at her arm then, and that was just fine, because she was a little too shocked to actually move. She followed their lead and got out of the way.

...and who in the name of Merlin was actually singing?!

[Watson]

He tried to get up to speed as quickly as possible between Mr Luck’s direct explanation and Miss Prescott’s hurried explanation. He certainly lost a few words here and there in the latter’s explanation. He frowned. This wasn’t good.

Singing. Now there was singing. Why was there SINGING? How chaotic could this group be? He pinched the top of his nose to quieter the ever growing headache from all the noise. Had he and his mates been this noisy at school? Absolutely

The root cause of the issue was that the password wasn’t working or was it the door itself wasn’t working and shut the students in?

Now… okay.. let’s see who he was dealing with. Simon did a quick recount of the students on the outside of the portrait and his tired eyes had deceived him. Miss James and Mr Flamesteed were not over here but… where were their voices coming from?

Oh.

Mr. McLeod’s comment couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. Inside they were. Before he could react, Mr. McLeod was grabbing Miss Prescott and running towards him. Take Cover? “Stand back students,” he called out as he cast a non-verbal shield charm over him and the students. He had missed the mention of explosives but Mr McLeod’s hurried guestures were enough to make him think that whatever the two inside were doing could potentially have repercussions out here.

[sweetpinkpixie]

Had he entirely thought his way through with this decision? Of course not. Where he to have taken the time for that and gone over every single possible conclusion and methodology...well, it would have taken entirely too long and he also got the short end of the stick with inaction. Really, life was just not fair.

And speaking of not fair, Kinsay shouting at him was on that list and his aim missed and struck the wall just to the side of the portrait. He did not fear for the Fat Lady so much and her prolonged silence in this whole matter had lead him to believe she had departed her portrait and gone to have tea or whatever with another on the seventh floor. So, Kinsay half got her wish...and since stone was MUCH more sturdy than canvas or wood and he was already not the most powerful of wizards...Atlas' spell really only managed to blast a fist sized hole through the wall. But hey...at least they could see through to the other side now?

Cue a sheepish wave to anyone who may peek through at this moment...um...

Whatever. The castle had been falling apart and cracking of its own accord anyway recently, so one more hole really was not going to make all that much of a difference ultimately. He was, however, a little embarrassed that he had missed...but if she had the audacity to say anything, he would have a come back for that.

"...it's not like you're offering any ideas," he grumbled under his breath while tucking his wand back into his pocket and idly kicked some rubble aside with his foot. He was, immediately after, struck by another idea. "...maybe combined...we can push open the door...together...we failed as individuals..." Huffing, he moved back towards the exit, he pressed his palms against it again. "...lions survive best in a pride...after all..."

[ArianaBlack]

Kinsay winced as Atlas' spell went amiss. At least the portrait was left unharmed, but ... the same could not be said for the wall. What wasn't fair, however, was his accusation. Kinsay hadn't offered any ideas, not because she didn't have any, but because he never gave her the chance to. As soon as she learned that the door was jammed, he had pushed past her to try out his ideas and he was doing it again. It was difficult to offer ideas when you didn't have the space to and it wasn't like he was asking her for her input either.

And to be quite honest, she didn't want to work with him to push the door open together because he always left her feeling small. But knowing she'd never hear the end of it, she nodded and moved towards the door anyway. It wasn't for him though. It was just so that she could help the people on the other side and get to where she needed to go.

"Push on the count of three?"