"Who's that?" drawled a teenage boy with sleek blond hair and a pointed chin.
"Dunno," said a shorter boy ,built like a boulder. "Must be new"
They were sitting on the Hogwarts Express, a large bright red steam train, zooming through ample countryside. They were talking about a
very pretty girl who had just passed their compartment. She had long brown hair , twisted into perfect even ringlets that framed her
delicate featured face, and fell around her forearms. She paused outside the boys compartment , clearly lost, and her large blue eyes,
fringed with long black lashes , met those of the boy with blond hair.
"Can we help you?" said the boy. "I'm Draco Malfoy." He said as he invited her into the compartment, sliding the door shut behind her
.
"Erm, yes you could actually. I'm new to Hogwarts and I couldn't find a seat. Do You mind if I join you three"
"Yes, Of course." Draco said with a glance towards the other two boys, Crabbe and Goyle, who smirked, knowingly.
"Oh thank you so much. I was getting quite worried that I'd have to spend the journey in the bathroom," she said with a giggle. "Oh! I'm
Aquanette Demeter - but usually I get called Aqua." she said extending her arm towards Draco to shake his hand. He took it in his own
and looked into her eyes."Deligh-"
"Who is she?" squealed a high-pitched voice that sounded as though it's owner was on the verge of tears. A fairly pretty with a short,
black bob was standing at the sliding door of the compartment, glaring at Draco and Aqua. "Ah, Pansy," said Malfoy coolly. "This is
Aqua Demeter. She's new"
"Hello," said Aqua, standing up. "Pansy, is it?" she added politely, smiling sweetly.
"Yeah. What's it to you?" said Pansy Parkinson, looking her up and down with a look of absolute rage on her face, taking in every detail
of Aqua's skinny jeans, baby pink top - embellished with two pink bears and the phrase "Shake Your Bear Behind!" (it was her prized
possession.) - turquoise nails , and a sparkly pink diamond at her belly button." Draco! What do you think your doing"
"Pansy,I told you before the summer! We are finished! Over! What bit didn't you understand?" Draco said.
Pansy looked furious.
She stormed from the room and Aqua was sure she heard a whimper. Draco signaled to Crabbe to close the door. "So, anyway, where
were we?" Draco asked her.
"Erm, I'm not sure; just getting round to introductions I think." "Ah, oh yes! So, which school did you move here from"
"Well I attended the International Wizarding School in Portugal until my third year and then my mother decided to accept a job with the
Department of Foreign Relations in the Wizarding World," began Aqua, in her soft London accent. "So we've been travelling all over
since and I've just been picking up what I can along the way"
"Oh! So you haven't been to school for 3 years?" asked Draco, intrigued.
"Nope." said Aqua casually, but with an obvious wish to end this topic of conversation.
Malfoy glanced at his watch and then said to the room, "We'd better get our robes on then, it's almost half seven"
The three boys got up from their seats and opened their trunks. Aqua bid them all goodbye - with an extra glance at Malfoy - and
walked down the corridor to find her trunk.
Aqua entered the compartment near the end of the train, where she'd left her trunk. It had only been a white lie that their had been
nowhere to sit, she thought innocently to herself. The compartment was no longer empty, however, there were now 3 people sat in there.
A very tall boy with flaming red hair looked up as she slid the door open and slipped into the compartment.
"Erm, alright?" he said.
"Hello, I'm sorry to just barge in but I had left my trunk in here and I need to get changed into my robes"
"Oh! Yes! Come in!" said a girl about Aqua's height with light, mousy brown hair and a pretty face. "I'm Hermione Granger"
"I'm Aquanette Demeter, but most people call me Aqua." The red haired boy stood up, staring at her, "I'm - I'm - R-r-ron Weasley." he
said, is ears going crimson.
"Hi Ron." said Aqua, laughing slightly.
The third occupant of the compartment was sleeping in the right-hand corner, head propped against the window. He had messy brown
hair and round glasses and, there under his fringe, was a oddly shaped scare...shaped like a bolt of lightning.
"Oh, that's Harry. Fell asleep bout half an hour ago." said Hermione with a disappointed look toward the boy."Would you like to sit with
us?" she added turning back to Aqua.
"Oh OK thanks" she replied taking a seat beside the sleeping Harry.
"Your new I assume , Aqua?" said Hermione.
"Oh yes"
Aqua crossed to her trunk, opened it and took out her new robes and uniform while Hermione did the same.
The girls changed into their robes, while Ron went to find his younger sister Ginny, to borrow some money for a chocolate frog, and
Harry slept.
"Oh I do hope you are put into Gryffindor! I'd really like it if we could be friends! Sometimes I need another girl to talk to just as a
change from these two" said Hermione, rolling her eyes but laughing with Aqua.
Chapter 2- The Fairytale Dad
When Harry had awoke, Aqua introduced herself. Then Hogwarts Express came to a halt at a small train station lit only buy elegant
lamps with flickering candles inside them. The four descended from the train together and made their way toward to the castle by
carriage. As they entered the Entrance Hall, a tall woman with grey hair pulled back into a very tight bun , walked briskly towards them.
"Miss Demeter? Could she follow me please. You are to be sorted with the First Years when they arrive." she said in a brisk voice, and
led Aqua into the Great Hall away from Harry, Ron and Hermione. She smiled at them and mouthed "see you later" to them.
"Professor Dumbledore, this is Miss Aquanette Demeter. She is a new addition to our sixth"
"Yes, yes Professor McGonagall, I've met Miss Demeter before. She was only 6 weeks old at the time but no matter, we've met all the
same." said Dumbledore smiling kindly at Aqua, shaking her hand. "Well, if you would like to sit here until you are to be sorted into your
prospective house," he conjured a chair out of thin air."And Professor McGonagall will help you to arrange your chosen timetable."
McGonagall left Aqua at the teachers table, after picking her subjects for her 6th year, and went out into the entrance hall to gather the
first years. When she entered again with a group of around 100 nervous looking students, staring around them with looks of awe on their
faces, she pulled a roll of parchment from her robes. She unrolled it to reveal a long list of names and she read out the first name.
"Abercrombie, Euan." "Students are not permitted to sit at this table," said a cold, nasty voice in Aqua's left ear. "So if you'd kindly move
yoursel-"
"Severus, this is Miss Demeter. She is a new sixth year student and is awaiting to be sorted. I asked her to accompany us at the staff
table until she knows which students to join." said Dumbledore, interrupting a greasy haired man who Dumbledore introduced as
Professor Snape.
"Demeter, Aquanette"
Aqua rushed down to Professor McGonagall and sat on the stool beside her. She caught a glimpse of Harry, Ron and Hermione and
then also Draco.
She held her breath as the Sorting Hat was placed upon her head.
"Ah," it said coolly. "A Demeter. I remember sorting your mother, almost 23 years ago. Christine Demeter. She was a Gryffindor you
know. And your father too. Odd couple they were, one a smart studious girl, the other an absolute trouble maker"
"How can it know my father if I don't!" thought Aqua. "Well my dear, of course I know! I live in Dumbledore's office don't I?" replied the
Hat.
"C-can you tell me?" asked Aqua, hopefully.
"No, no dear. Not my place. Anyway on with the sorting...Gryffindor"
The hall erupted with cheers, claps and whistles. Aqua crossed the hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table next to Ron, across from
Hermione and Harry. As she did she caught a glimpse of bright blond hair and craned her neck to see Draco. He looked as though he
might scream.
When the sorting was over, the feast began. Aqua couldn't remember the last time she'd ate so much! Not that she didn't have food but
she was never hungry enough to eat it. Infact, she was so hungry now that she forgot all about the Sorting Hat's comment about who her
father had been. This, however was very odd as Aqua had never stopped thinking about who her father might be since she was 2 years
old. Her mother had only ever talked about her Dad as if he was a character in a fairytale or something. Like a knight in shining armour
who had saved the beautiful princess from her wicked parents (coincidentally, Aqua had never met her grandparents. She wasn't even
positive they knew she was alive, or whether they were).
Aqua's mother had given birth to her when she was eighteen, only 5 months after she finished her seventh year. The story Aqua had been
told, everytime she asked to hear it was every bit like a fairytale but even at the age of two, Aqua suspected some of it wasn't true but
didn't question her Mum.
"Once upon her time," her mother would say. "Their was a beautiful witch named Christine. She lived in a big castle called Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But in the holidays she lived with her wicked and evil parents. In her 6th year of living in the castle,
Christine met a wonderful, handsome young man. They were very happy together but Christine's evil parents made her leave him when
they finished their seventh year and move to Portugal with them. Then, a marvellous thing happened, Christine found out she was going to
have a baby! She knew she couldn't live with her parents anymore because they would despise the baby, just as they had it's father. So
one night she packed her trunk and ran away. She went straight to the boys house but she was told that he no longer lived their and was
turned away. She never found the boy, but then she was given the greatest gift of all, a beautiful baby girl named Aqua. She was the most
beautiful baby Christine had ever seen. She had big blue eyes, just like her dads, and her hair was his colour too, a dark velvety brown,
but curly like her mums." At this point her mother always, gave a slight sniff and looked longingly out of a window. "But Christine and the
beautiful little girl lived wonderful lives even without their prince. The end" Aqua knew the story by heart now and sometimes even told
herself it when she couldn't get to sleep.
When they finished eating, Ron and Hermione, who were prefects, led they students up to the Gryffindor common room. Aqua and
Harry walked up to the common room together. Half way through their conversation about quidditch and Aqua's awe of Harry being
Gryffindor seeker since first year and now captain too, Aqua felt a slight pang of guilt in her stomach. Here she was wishing insesantly for
a father she never knew (the thought had come back to her when she'd finished her food) and there was Harry without a mother or a
father. She thought about how lucky she really was to have her Mum and tried to push her dad from her mind and concentrate fully on
Harry.
They entered the common room through a large portrait of a large woman sitting on a chair in what looked like a parlour, sipping what
she insisted was tea, (she was hiccoughing slightly, so Aqua thought it was probably her mother's friend, Declan's favourite - tea with a
splash of fire whiskey - and she smiled to herself)
She had been put in a dorm with some other 6th year girls thankfully including Hermione.
There was a tall girl with chin length auburn hair and small green eyes named Drizilla Tremaine, who spoke to aqua as though she was
something on her shoe. When Drizilla left the room, Hermione told Aqua that Drusilla spoke like this to anyone prettier than her and it
had been something she had started during her childhood towards her stepsister and kept it up ever since.
Another of the girls was smaller than Aqua, and had dark brown hair who said her name was Lavender Brown. Her friend Parvati Patil,
who had dark eyes outlined neatly with black eyeliner, (which gave her a kind of feline look and Aqua wondered if she was an
Animagus.) was very nice too and offered Aqua a chocolate frog.
Lavender and Parvati left the dormitory and went down to the common room, ten minutes later, leaving Hermione and Aqua alone.
Aqua was sitting down on her four-poster bed looking at a photo of her Mum and her friends that had been taken just before she had left
for King's Cross Station. Then she remembered her train journey and laughed to herself.
"What?" said Hermione.
"Oh nothing. I was just thinking about my journey." She looked up. "You don't know a boy called Draco Malfoy"
"Him!" said Hermione rolling her eyes. "He's a bit of a git to say the least. Why?"
"Oh I was just wondering." said Aqua turning away pretending to look in her trunk, so that Hermione wouldn't see that she was smiling.
"Oh, for goodness sake! You don't like him, do you?" she asked, with a note of holding back laughter to her voice.
"No." said Aqua in a fake innocent voice, and the two collapsed in fits of giggles. She was so glad she had met Hermione on the train,
otherwise she might be stuck with someone like Drizilla and her sister, Anastasia.
She reminded Aqua very much of her cousin, Violette. Violette's dad was Aqua's uncle and the only relative of her mother's she knew.
David Demeter was six years older than Christine, and had already moved out of his parents house and was married, when Christine had
ran away, so, naturally after her discovery that her child's father was gone, she went looking for her older brother, whom she knew
would help her no matter what. Violette and Aqua had been brought up as sisters until they were about four when Christine and Aqua
found a house of their own, and moved out of David and his wife's flat. Violette and Aqua had remained best friends and attended the
International Wizarding School in Portugal together, while their parents lived in London.
Aqua and Hermione left their dorm, a little later and met Harry and Ron in the common room. They talked for a while about their homes
and how Harry felt that Hogwarts was more of a home to him than his aunt and uncle's house, second to the Weasleys' of course. Soon
the topic of families came up. Aqua found it odd that Ron and Hermione were parading the fact that they had both parents around Harry,
but this obviously didn't seem to bother him. They asked Aqua about her family,
"Well it's just me and mum. No brothers, sister, or dads." she said with a little laugh, although inside she felt like crying.When they asked
her if she'd ever met her father she told them about the story her mum had always told her and then what the Sorting Hat had mentioned
that evening when she was being sorted.
Chapter 3 -
The months passed quite quickly as the students were so busy working. Soon winter had crept up on them and it was time for most
students to go home for Christmas. However Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to stay on through Christmas because just a week
earlier, Aqua had received a letter from her mum saying that she would be spending Christmas with a friend of hers who had been taken
ill and house bound for a few months so Aqua would be better off staying at school with her new friends.
Aqua was only a little disappointed but then again she would rather spend her holiday with people her own age.
"Oh what?" said Harry sounding very annoyed."Malfoy's staying over Christmas too!" Ron and Hermione let out groans of annoyance
and Aqua followed suit, although secretly she was glad Draco would be there at Christmas. She let her mind slip a bit at the thought of
Draco, until Hermione apparently noticed her glazed eyes and dream-like expression, and stepped on her foot.
"Ouch!" said Aqua.
"What's wrong?" asked Harry.
With a quick glance at Hermione which told Aqua that Hermione knew exactly who she was thinking about, she said "Just hit my leg off
the table."
On the days leading up to Christmas, the four of them spent a lot of time in Hagrid's cabin.
"Y'alright there Aqua?" asked Hagrid, handing her a bucket sized cup of tea and a rock hard biscuit."You're lookin' a bit ...dazed"
"Hmm?" asked Aqua absent-mindedly, scratching behind Fang's ear and sipping her boiling tea.
"Well, just thought you were a bit out of it, I think," he said. "Not been gettin' alot of sleep"
"Erm..no." Aqua lied. She was really in this dreamy state nearly all the time now, she didn't know what had brought it on because she
hadn't been like this after she first met Draco, or when she saw him in the Great Hall nearly every night. This had only been since she had
found out he was staying over Christmas.
"Aqua snap out of it!" said Ron. "Come on, look sharp girl!" he added with a grin.
"Or yeh could be love sick," chuckled Hagrid.
Aqua snapped back to the room at5 the word "love". "What!" she said, genuinely puzzled.
"Well thats how I get when I'm around Olympe"
"Who?" she asked.
"Madame Maxine," said Hagrid with a sigh.
"Erm..no, no that's not it. Definitely the sleep thing. Yeah that's right..." her voice trailed of as she went back into a day dream.
"Well if you say so," said Hagrid with a grin to the others. "More tea anyone?"
They left Hagrid's cabin around eight o'clock and walked back to the castle under the invisibility cloak. They were really allowed out until
nine but none of them was in the mood for Filch's interrogations tonight. They entered the empty common room and Harry, Ron and
Hermione went and sat next to the fire. Aqua, however, decided to go to bed early for a change.
"Goodnight," she said with a yawn."See you in he morning." And with that she left the common room and went up to her dorm.
She entered the empty room, slipped her pyjamas on and got into bed.
"What d'you think's really up with her these days?" asked Ron, looking puzzled.
"I know what it is," said Hermione grinning.
"Oh alright," said Hermione though it was obvious she couldn't wait to say."She fancies Malfoy"
"What?" said Harry. Ron was rolling on the floor with laughter.
"Malfoy?" he said, tears of laughter rolling down his face.
"Yup," said Hermione." Since the day she arrived apparently"
Harry and Ron where laughing their heads off by this point.
"Anyway," said Hermione. "Do you think we can trust her"
"With what?" asked Harry and Ron, in unison.
"Sirius!" said Hermione. "Can we tell her about him"
"Erm, well I think we can. She's our friend and also we haven't spoken to him in a while so this way we can do it when she's around."
said Harry.
"Yeah I think so too. I mean if she's our mate, she won't go shootin' her mouth off at everyone in sight will she?" said Ron.
"Hmm...well when will we tell her then"
"Tomorrow probably." said Harry. "But there's something else I wanted to ask you as well"
Hermione and Ron looked at him curiously.
"Have either of you thought about who might be Aqua's dad?" he continued.
"Err..no. how would we know who he is?" said Ron, and Hermione shook her head.
"Well think about it : Aqua's mum had her when she was 18, when she went looking for her dad, the person at his house said he didn't
live there anymore. And remember what the sorting hat said "the other an absolute trouble maker". And look at her, in that story her mum
said she had her dad's eyes and the same colour hair"
"Harry loads of people have brown hair and blue eyes." said Hermione.
"What are you trying to say mate?" said Ron, still looking puzzled.
"I think Sirius is her dad!" said Harry.
Hermione looked at him speculatively, and then said "Harry, you can't be certain about that - "
"Well we'll ask him then." interrupted Harry.
"Where will we get Floo Powder from?" asked Hermione.
"Fred and George had some stashed somewhere in the common room. I remember them telling me." said Ron looking around the room,
as though it might jump out at him.
"Where!" said Harry.
"Erm...I think it was behind a loose brick around the fireplace"
So the three of them began checking around the fireplace for loose bricks.
"I've found it!" squealed Hermione.
They took a hand full of the powder and each threw it into the fire. They each stuck their head into the acid green flames and said
"Twelve Grimauld Place.
They could feel their heads spinning and then the kitchen of number twelve Grimauld Place came into view. Sirius, who had been sitting at
the table, looked up at the fire and said, "Harry! Ron! Hermione!" withe a beaming smile on his face.
"Did you ever know a girl called Christine Demeter?" asked Harry before even saying hello - he had had conversations like this with
Sirius before and knew it was best to get straight to the point.
Sirius looked startled. "Err-err-err, yes I did. Why"
"Because we know her daughter." said Hermione.
"Her daughter?" said Sirius."Oh. Did she marry that git Macnair then? He was always after her when we were goin' out"
"The executioner?"
"That what he's doing know?" "Yeah, along with being a Death Eater!" said Harry.
"What? He's a Death Eater?" asked Sirius.
"Yeah, and no she didn't marry that git. She didn't get married at all from what we've heard. Felt she couldn't do it to her daughter's
father - Her seventh year boyfriend." said Harry, watching Sirius for a reaction.
A reaction that he got.
"What?" whispered Sirius, looking at them, waiting for one to say "April Fool!", but none of them did."Me ?" he asked.
"Well that's what we wanted to find out. All the evidence points to you, Sirius so we thought the best to ask you." said Hermione.
Suddenly Sirius raised his head and look furious.
"I HAVE A DAUGHTER AND NO ONE THOUGHT TO TELL ME?" he shouted in his raspy voice.
"Well, Sirius," said Hermione, tentativley."Her mother did try and find you when she found out but from what Aqua's told us, you weren't
there"
"SO SHE DIDN'T THINK TO SEND AN OWL OR ANYTHING"
"Well maybe she thought it was a sign? We've never asked"
"Does, what did you say her name was? Aqua?" asked Sirius. When the three heads nodded he went on."Does she know I'm her dad?
Or has Christine not told her her dad's a fugitive ?" said Sirius, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, no she's never been told who her dad is but she's always wondered and wanted to find him. She's been talking about searching for
him - you - next year when she becomes of age -" Herminone started but was interupted by Sirius.
"SHE'S SIXTEEN! I'VE BEEN A DAD FOR SIXTEEN YEARS AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH MY LITTLE GIRL"
Harry noticed Sirius had tears in his eyes. He looked away at this point. Even though Sirius was the closest thing he had to ral family - as
in the type that actually cares what happenes to you -, he felt Sirius would be embarrassed to let Harry see him cry. Then with a jolt, the
words "my little girl" went round and round in Harry's head. Would Sirius care for Aqua more than him? Would he be replaced? Then he
thought to himself - Harry get a grip!
They left Sirius when he had calmed down a bit. Then just 5 mins after they'd pulled their heads from the fire, Aqua appeared at the girls
dormitory doors in her turquoise pyjamas ad pink ballet-pump slippers. She sat down next to them in a seat by the fire, and said with a
yawn, "Couldn't sleep."
Hermione nudged Harry who knew what for : she wanted him to tell Aqua about Sirius.
"Erm..Aqua, we have something we want to tell you"
She looked at him with a puzzled look on her face. "Yes?" she asked.
"We...erm...we...erm...," Hermione nudged him again, harder this time.
"We know who your Dad is." he blurted out, as though saying it faster would make her understand.
She looked very confused. "How can you know who he is? I don't even though," she said.
"Because he's Harry's godfather," said Hermione "Sirius Black"
"Sirius Black? The one who escaped from Azkaban?" said Aqua Then she rememebered something her mother had said when it was
reported Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban - "He was always a cheeky bugger, my old Sirius." At the time it had meant nnothing
to her, but now that someone else had mentioned him in another context than he's a dangerous escaped murderer, she thought it over
again.
"You know this for certain?" she asked them quietly.
"Well nnot for certain. We haven't exactly done a DNA test or anything but from what he's said and what you mum - "
"You've spoke to him recently about this?" said Aqua, a bit louder than before.
"Well we spoke to him via the fire while you were in bed just to clarify that he knew your mum before we went rushing to put ideas in
your head that mighn't even have been true, or possibly true"
"Can i speak to him ?" asked Aqua slightly quieter than before, and raising her head to look straight at Harry.
"Well yeah if you want"
The four of them got up from their seats and walked towards the fire. Ron took the tin of Floo Powder from his troser pocket and threw
some into the fire. When the flames turned green, they all looked at Aqua. She looked terrified.
"Can one of you do it with me?" she asked.
"Harry , I think you should as your his godson." said Herminone, and Ron nodded.
"OK then. " said Harry and he walked forward with Aqua, who clasped his hand in hers, and Harry could feel them shaking.
They kneeled down in front of the flames and put their heads into them. Harry said "Twelve Grimauld Place" in a loud voice and their
heads began to spin, while their bodies remained stationary, kneeling on the common room floor, Harry's hand still grasping Aqua's.