A/N: I know not alot of people had voted in my poll as to whether or not they wanted this posted up or not, but I decided to post this chapter to help yous make the desicion whether i should post more of it or not. As i said on the poll, its undecided wether or not i want this to be a Harry/OC or a Ron/OC so you will just have to bare with me just now until i figure it out. Suggestions on what pairing yous would like are welcome and i appreciate any criticism or feedback given. Hope yous enjoy reading and please READ and REVIEW! :]
Chapter One: Chocolate Frogs
Sitting in an empty compartment on a mobbed train was not exactly how I had wanted to start my third year of school. I immediately felt like a total idiot. The noise of laughter and shouting filtered through the closed doors and the sudden urge to pull the curtains closed was quickly vanished when someone suddenly entered the compartment making me jump slightly at their abrupt appearance. The book I was reading clattered to the floor as I turned to stare at what I thought for a moment was a tramp.
"Oh sorry, didn't mean to scare you" the tall man said as he entered the compartment and shut the door silently behind him. His tweed suit was shredded at the seams slightly and extremely thin looking as if it had been worn for several years straight. He shuffled uncomfortably under my gaze for a few seconds before he took a seat across from me at the window.
"Alice in wonderland?" he asked as he bent over and reappeared with my forgotten book, "Not seen this version of it before though" He squinted his eyes in confusion at the cover which depicted a very dark and cartooned version of Alice with over emphasized features.
"It's a graphic novel version" I stated as I accepted the book off him and stuffed it carefully into my purple backpack. "I think it's a better depiction of the world than Disney's version at least"
He smiled at me causing numerous creases and wrinkles to appear on his brow. He had boyish features that hinted at youth still, but his expression and aged skin hinted at something older. A hard upbringing maybe or possibly it was just a case of bad genetics. Either way, I felt instant sympathy for the man in front of me. Then it hit me like a bolt of lightning, man. He was an adult male on the Hogwarts Express. I mentally slapped myself for not noticing it before.
"Excuse me" I started, he turned his gaze from the window to meet mine and had a slight look of fear and curiosity in his eyes, "I don't mean to be rude but why are you on the train?"
He looked puzzled for a second before he laughed; the sound light, carefree and not fitting with his appearance in the slightest. "I'm a teacher, well I will be at least when I get to Hogwarts. My names Rem-Professor Lupin"
It was now my turn to stare at him like he had just said something bizarre like basilisks were friendly or something. There was no teaching positions opened in the school, was there? Then the past years events came flooding back to me like an un-welcomed dream; petrified students, snakes, Gildery Lockhart's mysterious case of amnesia and Hermione Grangers month as a human cat. I looked Professor Lupin over once more and decided right then that he would not even make it through the year as the new Defence Against the Dark arts teacher. He looked frail enough as it was; God only knows what a few months in Hogwarts would do to him. "I feel mandatory to say good luck then if you are indeed the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. If you know anything about Hogwarts, then you should know the job is cursed and the last five Professors have lasted no longer than a year"
He looked slightly taken aback at my boldness before composing himself again, "well I appreciate the warning, Miss ehm…"
"Black, Amelia Black" I smiled softly expecting him to react like all the others and draw me a deep look of disgust. What I didn't expect him to do was to look merely taken aback and become totally engrossed in staring me up in down, like trying to commit every last ounce of my appearance to memory; my piercing emerald eyes, jet black wavy hair and every last freckle on my face. I felt my cheeks flush and I stared down at my acid washed jeans, embarrassment practically radiating off my every pore. I knew what everyone else was thinking when they looked at me, but not him. His expression was mixed and slightly unreadable which made me nervous and embarrassed all at the same time.
He quickly shut his agape mouth and then moved his gaze to back outside the window before finally finding his voice, "Black did you say? Quite an unusual name to have at a time like this"
I instantly knew to what he was referring to; Sirius Black and his impossible escape from Azkaban. He was the reason I was sitting myself in a crowded train and why people instantly started looking at me with disgust since the middle of summer. I might have been in Gryffindor and not as smart as Hermione Granger or most Ravenclaws for example, but I wasn't a complete idiot. Being half blood and having my Muggle mother raise me on her own, I knew very little of the magical world and even less of my Wizard father and the rest of his family. Nothing would actually be more accurate as I didn't even know his actual name, only that I had been given his surname in memory of him. My mother had stated that it was the best romance of her life, although I seriously doubted that as she was seventeen at the time and the fact that he just upped and disappeared after only a month further cemented the idea that my mother was a hopeless romantic idiot. I loved her deeply, but she was always more of a feeler than a thinker and it was always her biggest downfall.
I suddenly found my confidence again and quickly became defensive, "yes Black, you heard quite right Professor. I shall state right now though that although I clearly have a connection with the escaped felon that is Sirius Black, I don't know what that connection is or nor do I care as I have absolutely no time for murderers or followers of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" I quickly stood to my feet, my arms tense and my fists clenched as I snatched my backpack off the seat next to me and made my way over to the compartment doors. Completely ignoring the fact that I was mouthing off to a Professor who currently had the most confused and sympathetic looked on his face that I had ever seen. "Now if you excuse me I have to go and change into my robes"
The loud noise of the slamming door caused the few stragglers still in the corridors to stop what they were doing and stare at me. Whispers followed me when I walked past, lingering long after I had finally made the long walk of shame to the girls bathroom at the far end of the train. I was sick of all the staring and gossiping already and school had barely started. I wasn't even at Hogwarts yet and I couldn't wait to go home to my insane mother and her quiet Muggle ways. I could still hear my fellow students whispered questions in my ears as I changed into my Gryffindor uniform and cloak; do you think she's his daughter? I wonder if she ever visited him? She looks like him you know, I wonder why she wasn't sorted into Slytherin with the rest of th Muggle haters? I gazed at my appearance in the mirror detesting why I looked so much like the murderer and suddenly wishing I had my mother's dirty fair hair and porcelain skin. I had only inherited her vibrant eyes, button nose and freckles which sprinkled the olive skin of my nose and cheeks. I didn't blame them for asking questions and treating me like I had the plague, they were right to. Hell I didn't even know the answers to most of them questions and I even found myself asking them at some points. I had enough brains in my first year to head straight to the library on my first day and look up anything on the name Black. Sirius was there in the Hogwarts Yearbooks looking dashing and young and so was his younger brother, Regulas Black. I even had the joy of finding that quite a lot of the Black extended family had become followers of You-Know-Who as well as they were a pure blood family with pure blood traditions. Little other was there apart from that though. I didn't know to be glad or upset about that at the time, but now I knew better I could tell that I should have been upset. If there was more photos of the family members or even more details on where most of them came from then I maybe could have found out exactly which Black I had come from and put all these stupid questions to rest. My mother was just as much to blame though, she couldn't remember what he looked like or even how she had met him. It was a rather strange thing altogether actually. All she could recall was his last name which she just had to go and stick to me. I sighed heavily as I pulled my gaze away from the mirror and splashed my face with some water before quickly making it back to my compartment. Not lingering in the hallways long enough to even catch a hint of any more accusations. I would deal with Professor Lupin's questions when I got back to the quiet of the compartment.
"His name is R.J Lupin" a very distinct and slightly snobbish voice echoed out of my compartment, making me halt in my process of opening the doors.
"And how do you know that eh?" another voice spoke, this time male and slightly sarcastic. I couldn't not recognise this voice being that I had definitely noticed him around before; Ronald Weasley. The luminous red hair and freckle combo where not to common in Hogwarts and seemed only to spawn from anyone with the surname of Weasley. A family that you could spot from another planet they were that distinctive.
"It says it on his suitcase" the first voice spoke again, this time making me place the name of Hermione Granger onto the owner. I had remembered her distinct smart tone from answering questions in several of my classes. A dreadful thought then crossed my mind about who else would most likely be in that compartment and I immediately let go of the door handle and any ideas of slipping back in to get my things. Harry Potter would be in there with them as the three of them had been inseparable since first year. I couldn't show my face to him just yet, I was petrified of what he would accuse me off to be honest. I wouldn't even blame him in the slightest if he hexed me!
Just then however, a sudden horrid chill seeped up my spine and into the air around me. I was suddenly vary aware that I was alone in the corridor and that the train was eerily quiet. Cold puffs of air leaked out of my mouth as my breaths became shallower and more ragged. I became scared all of a sudden and had the sudden urge to cry or try to run but I was frozen to the spot. My legs jelly and unmovable. Snarly voices suddenly filled my head with all the taunts and horrid accusations of how I was a Death Eater Black. I could feel the cold squeezing the organs in my body in a painstakingly tight grip and the noise of my heart seemed to be heightened to the point where it was banging in my ears. The urge to cry and scream as the image of my dead dog Perseus entered my mind and the taunts and snarling voices got louder and louder until everything seemed to go suddenly quiet and black. I had learned few things while researching the Black name, one of them though was about the guards of Azkaban and somehow this situation was making me think of them. And that was not a comforting thought in the slightest…
"Are you okay?" a voice sounded, distant and far away but very close at the same time which was the most strangest combination, "Amelia can you hear me? Are you okay?"
I could hear the voice getting clearer, nearer even as if they had suddenly appeared next to me when they seemed so far away mere moments ago. A firm yet soft grip was on my shoulders and I could feel my brain rattling slightly as if being shaken awake. My eyes flickered opened slowly of their own accord and the sight I saw in front of me made me want to close them again; Professor Lupin was holding me by the shoulders as the 'Golden Trio' sat around me with looks of concern on their faces. I did not want to be here.
"Here take one of these" Lupin said as he removed his hand from my shoulder and dug what appeared to be a chocolate frog out of his inside jacket pocket, "It will make you feel better" he pressed at the quizzical look on my face. I smiled bashfully as I tried not to look directly at anyone in particular and took the frog from his grasp and attempted to stuff it in my face before it managed to jump off. I mentally clapped myself after succeeding with little to no evidence left on my face.
I suddenly remembered what had happened and hearing someone screaming through all the madness, "who was screaming?" I bluntly questioned no one in particular as I attempted to stand up, the Weasley boy helping me slightly as I stumbled.
"Did you hear it too!" a voice almost shouted as Harry Potter appeared at my side causing me to look at the one person I was hoping to avoid the most in this situation. His face looked frantic and relieved all at once and I couldn't help but notice the small trace of blood oozing down his nose as I nodded yes at him.
"It sounded male" I mumbled making the smile of relief wash from his face instantaneously, "why where there Dementers on the train?" I was asking too many questions and not the most important one of all; what had happened? I guessed that it was clearly the work of the Dementers forcing all the bad thoughts out me and that I must have passed out, but what had happened after that, in here? I could faintly see looks of shock and awe from my peripheral vision before someone decided to finally answer me.
"They were looking for Sirius Black"
"But why would Black be on the school train?" I gasped as I stood to my feet quickly and tried to ignore the queasy feeling in my stomach as I moved. Lupin's eyes kept shifting from mine to Harry's and then back again. I could tell that he thought it was either something sinister to do with me as I carried the same cursed name, or he had come to finish off what he had most likely started with Harry all those years ago. I couldn't help but wish that it was the former as the other was just too dreadful to even consider, even if it was the most likely of options.
"But you heard a scream yeah? A female scream?" Harry uttered ecstatically as he grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me round to meet his intense green gaze. We were similar in looks although his eyes were not as green in hue as mine and his hair was more dark brown than black. There was some other small facial features also not alike, nose shape etc., but it was almost uncanny how similar we looked. It made my stomach heave to know that i was highly likely related to the man who most definitely had something to do with his parent's deaths. It was all a little too much.
"Ease up on her man, she's only just came to!" the Weasley boy called out as I plopped back down in my original seat next to the window hoping to stop my head from spinning.
"I heard a man scream, a boy even" I mumbled as I rubbed my temple with my fingers trying to sooth the migraine that was starting, "It sounded like It came from in here before I fainted"
The smart one, Hermione, shot Harry what I assumed was her trademark 'I told you so' gaze before speaking, "it was you that screamed Harry, that's what we have been trying to tell you all this time!"
I looked quizzically at the boy wonder before he tentatively decided to clue me in, "I apparently fainted to…"
I nodded solemnly thinking that whatever he had relived of his tortured past, it was definitely sure to be a lot more sinister than the memory of a tortured beloved pet. "Oh…right…" was all I managed to sigh out before staring at my incredibly plain knee high clad legs. What was there to say in a situation like this? Harry had obviously passed out from the terror of it all like myself and thought he had heard a female scream when it had been his own undeveloped vocal chords it seemed. All too embarrassing for the tall thirteen year old boy shuffling uncomfortably in front of me it seemed.
"I'm going to check with the driver as to when we will be arriving in Hogsmeade" Professor Lupin broke through the silence as he tittered over to the closed compartment doors and made to leave, stopping to look at me and Harry before adding, "you two should just take it easy the rest of the journey. If any of you feel light headed just get a chocolate frog or a cocoa dragon from the trolley when and if it comes round" he smiled at us all solemnly before leaving us alone.
"So Dumbledore thinks that those things are going to keep us safe?" the red haired boy asked sarcastically as he sat down across from me. His face was white with shock also but I admired his attempt to lighten the mood nonetheless, "I would rather face Black than see them again!"
I looked at him quizzically for a moment before asking, "they are going to be guarding the school? But surely Dumbledore wouldn't allow that?"
The frizz ball that was Granger huffed, "well apparently he would. I do not know what Dumbledore is thinking letting them to roam around freely on the train and harassing students. Most un-conventional and dangerous" she perched herself down next to Ron and suddenly whipped a book from somewhere and began reading furiously. I noticed it was a school book, Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky to be specific. Even though I didn't know Hermione personally, I was in Gryffindor and knew enough to say that this was quite usual of her.
"So, what house are you in?" Ron suddenly said, making me turn to look at him. He wasn't what most people would call good looking, what with his orange like hair, freckled covered face and bulging eyes. But he did seem to have a certain bluntness to him that I found instantly endearing. I laughed a little as I pointed to the crest on my school robes and noticed his cheeks flame slightly. "Ah, right..."
"I've not seen you before, are you a third year?" Harry suddenly added as I turned to notice him sitting next to me, casual yet slightly on edge. I once again felt like awkward and cagey. I didn't want to have to explain to them exactly who was considering I had no other place to go and we were still a good three hours away from school.
"Uhm, yeah" I managed to croak out as I fumbled with my hands nervously awaiting the next logical question, the one I had been dreading. "Same year as you lot"
I heard a rather loud scoff and looked up to see Hermione slam her book shut and toss it in her bag like it was a mere book, "what's your name? I have just realized we have been terribly rude and not introduced ourselves" she leaned forward slightly and offered to shake my hand like we were at some formal event before adding, "I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger"
I looked at her outstretched palm for a few seconds before I tentatively took it in mine and said just above a whisper, "I know. You're the smartest person in Gryffindor if not in our year," I then turned from her slightly taken aback expression to that of a staring Ron, "and your Ronald Weasley, the younger brother of the prankster duo that decided to magic all my shoes to float in the great hall ceiling last year before Dumbledore himself had to get them all down for me", his expression changed to regretful and sheepish before I forced my gaze onto the boy sitting next to me, "and everyone knows you are Harry Potter. Don't think I need to explain how I know your name", he looked at me with a solemn smile etched on his face before I looked down at my Mary Jane clad feet before adding my own name to the mix, "I'm Amelia, Amelia Bl-Townsend" I just couldn't face any more accusations and especially from one person who deserve to interrogate me the most. Apparently Sirius wasn't the only Black family member to land himself in Azkaban for reasons I didn't want to even think about. Eyes were burning into my soul and I shifted uncomfortably under everyone's gaze before Hermione decided to break the tension.
"Well I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that we are sorry that we didn't know who you were. I know almost everyone in our year and I just can't seem to recall you, sorry…"
I smiled at her knowing now that their looks where that of sympathy and not hate or suspicion. I thought them, Hermione for definite, would see right through my false name and call me out on it. I had never before been so relieved to have been almost invisible for the past two years, "its fine really" I stated before looking Hermione square in the eye to gauge her reaction better, "It's my own fault for keeping to myself too much for the past two years"
She smiled at me as she opened her mouth to continue before the door opened and the trolley lady appeared looking quite harassed and dis-helmed compared to her usually immaculate self, "sorry to interrupt dears, but would you like anything form the trolley? I'm afraid my supply of chocolate frogs is running quite low, though you four seem quite perky considering the circumstances so I doubt you will be in dire need of any" Her lips were curled into a smile but her eyes were glaring at us like she was trying to suppress the urge to say something a little more colourful should we say. One glance around at us all and I didn't blame her; we all looked quite composed now in our relaxed sitting positions as we sat and chatted while the sudden noise of a low commotion could be heard more clearly now that the door was opened. She obviously had been having a hard time serving most of the other students in their current shocked states.
"I think we're good thanks" Harry quickly spoke as he all but shoved her back out the door again, the sound of what seemed like mumbled curse words filtering my ears for a second before a silence washed over the compartment again as the door clacked shut. He shared a glance with the other two occupants and I took that as my signal to leave. There were obviously things they all wanted to discuss and not in front of someone they had just met and had apparently ignored for two years.
"I'm just going to go to the bathroom and finish ehm, getting ready" I rambled as I grabbed my backpack of the seat and bid a hasty farewell before leaving. I felt like I could breathe clearer now that I was out of there and didn't need to worry about how to converse with them any more as I was most definitely not returning until just before the train terminates. I unexpectedly found myself landing on my bum for the second time that day and looked up to see that I had ran into a somewhat squat boy that I recognised almost instantly as Neville Longbottom.
"Oh Neville I am so sorry!" I started rambling as I quickly picked myself of the floor and brushed myself off, managing to grab Trevor his toad in the process, "I wasn't paying any attention to where I was going. I hope Trevor is alright..."
When my eyes found him I noticed he was shaking slightly, his face ashen looking and a faint trace of sweat was evident on his rather large brow, "I was-I was just looking for Harry" he stuttered as he shot me nervous glances every now and then leaving me slightly bewildered as to why. He must be still in a state after the unannounced appearance of the Dementer I concluded, "have you seen-seen him?"
I held out a croaking Trevor to him and shot him my warmest of smiles, "he is in there with Hermione and Ron" I indicated to the second compartment up from where we were currently standing. He stared at the floor as he nodded slightly in acknowledgement that he had heard what I had said and quickly shuffled past me in the direction I had just came. It was then that I had noticed a small girl standing behind him looking a cross between scared and angry. It was the youngest Weasley, the one who had been taken into the Chamber of Secrets only last year. Neither she nor Neville had been what I would call friends, but they were the closest I had. I had tutored Neville last year in Transfiguration and Potions as all the commotion had affected him badly with his nerves being constantly on edge in the first place. The girl in front of me was another matter completely, I had comforted her last year when I found her crying late one night in the common room by herself and since then had spoken to her a mere handful of times. Each time I concluded that she spoke less and less and was also getting shiftier. The girl in front of me now though was neither of those things and confidently strode pass me and into the compartment after Neville. I stood slightly confused for a moment before the reality seemed to hit me like a ton of bricks; they had decided to believe the rumours of me being Blacks illegitimate secret child and were shunning me like most of my other fellow students. I glanced back hesitantly before making my way speedily to the animal carriage at the very back of the train. I was most definitely not going back to that compartment now. Especially since Neville and the Weasley girl, Ginny had probably wasted no time in spilling the beans to Harry and that. Yes, this year was going to be a very depressing one I concluded as I nestled myself down beside a rather large cage containing a sleeping black cat.