THE DOG STAR
By Rose de Sharon
Disclaimer: any recognizable characters belong to J.K. Rowling and the Time Warner Brothers.
Author's notes:
- English isn't my native language and I don't have a beta-reader, consequently all mistakes are mine.
- This is my first attempt at a Harry Potter fan fiction: please be nice!
- I am a fan of Sirius Black, which means I'm NOT a fan of Albus Dumbledore or Severus Snape. Consider yourself warned! ;-)
- This story isn't canon to the events described in OOTP, HBP and DH.
Chapter 1: The Hogwarts Express
Aboard the Hogwarts Express, an eleven-year-old boy was sitting on the compartment's seat and he was absently staring at the panorama displayed through the window. The countryside was an enchanting sight with its display of mountains, farms, harvested fields and trees whose leaves were already showing the first colours of autumn, but the boy wasn't attentive to the beauties of the panorama. His young face was handsome, enlightened by his beautiful grey eyes and framed by his dark hair, cut short following the strict orders of his mother. He was wearing a dark green knitted sweater and jeans, and his discarded black leather jacket was lying carelessly on the seat.
He was on his way to attend his first year of studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but his eyes were already clouded by worries. At eleven years of age, this boy already had his share of troubles with his parents, mostly with his mother who wanted him to show the proper behaviour according to his family's standards. Unfortunately, the boy had his own standards, which were in complete opposition to his family's; consequently, he had been the subject of various punishments, from being consigned to his room many times per week to be violently slapped across the face in public. But neither intimidation nor brutality had been efficient to discourage the boy from sticking to his principles.
The boy's name was Sirius Orion Black, oldest son of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, a family which prided itself for having produced pure-blooded wizards and witches for over a thousand years. Heated arguments were actually raging in Britain about the so-called superiority of Pureblood wizards against Muggle-born ones ("Muggle" being the term designing non-magic people; however, a child gifted with magic powers could be born from Muggle parents). For the whole Black family, there were no doubts that only the pure-blooded were the cream of the crop and Muggle-born wizards should be exclusively designed by the injurious term of "Mudbloods". Except for young Sirius, who thought this kind of ideology was complete and absolute nonsense.
And there was the shadow of a powerful wizard who called himself Lord Voldemort roaming around; this man was gathering followers with absurd promises of a world "cleansed" of Muggles, Mudblood wizards, and even death so he and his minions would rule forever. His reputation was getting so frightful that he would only be designed as "You-know-who" or "He-who-must-be-named" by the general public or "The Dark Lord" by his fans, known as "Death Eaters". For Sirius, this man was nothing but "The Dark Idiot".
The young boy sighed, and then he glanced at the paper bag containing sweets for the trip and a folded copy of the Daily Prophet. Right now, his stomach was knotted so tightly he couldn't even think to eat a few Chocolate Frogs, his favourite kind of candy.
Sirius wasn't nervous because he had left his home to go to a boarding school, in fact he had whooped in joy the day when the owl had delivered his acceptance letter for Hogwarts, on the first day of July. At last! He would be free from his parents' permanent scorn for months! His younger brother Regulus had been green of envy, since he had to wait two more years before he'd go to Hogwarts. His parents, Orion and Walburga Black, had considered sending their prime heir to another school since they had their doubts about the headmaster Albus Dumbledore, "that Muggle-loving old fool" to quote Walburga, but Sirius had argued that his own parents had themselves made all their studies at Hogwarts and he wanted to pursue the family's tradition. Finally, they had relented, albeit reluctantly.
Sirius had been so happy to receive his acceptance letter, he had spent the rest of his summer packing his trunk and avidly reading his school books purchased at Diagon Alley! His mother had been furious to see Sirius so eager to escape from the Black Manor, but what could she do? Complain because her son wanted to study?
But now, even if young Sirius had escaped from his parents' mind control, he still had apprehensions about the forwarding months. Hogwarts was divided in four students' houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Each house had its qualities and faults, but Slytherin had the reputation of being the place for Pureblood elitists. Sirius didn't want to be placed there, but he was worried that with his family's name and background, his doom would be spelt before he'd even start his studies.
The boy sighed again; worrying himself to death before even reaching the school was pointless. He'd cross that bridge when he reaches it! Making up his mind, he grabbed the newspaper and started working on a crossword puzzle printed in the funnies section.
After a long while, his compartment's door opened and a messily-combed, bespectacled boy of about his age pocked his head in.
"Hello!" said the boy. "Mind if we come in? We're looking for some peace and quiet!"
"Er… Not at all!" answered Sirius, jumping on the occasion to make some friends.
"Thanks, mate!" and the boy pushed forward a shy-looking kid hugging a bunch of books to his chest, just before slamming the door behind them to sit heavily on the seat.
Sirius put down his crossword puzzle and considered his new travelling companions. The boy wearing glasses had dark hair, blue eyes and there was an aura shining from him, which could mean either self-confidence or arrogance; right now, he was twisting between his fingers the cloth of his jean jacket, sporting a button pin proclaiming he was a fan of the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team. The other boy was his complete opposite: light brown hair, amber-coloured eyes, he was wearing earth-toned clothes and his gait was as if he was bearing the world's weight on his narrow shoulders.
"Please forgive our intrusion, but my friend here…" said the bespectacled boy while gesturing to the quiet kid, "… had a run-in with a bunch of idiots who wanted to give him a hard time. So, after a fistful of arguments, the said idiots ran away like the disgusting cowards they were and my friend wanted to find a safe place to recover from his ordeal."
"Actually," interrupted the brown-haired boy with a small smile, "I wanted to prevent you from hexing those guys all the way from here to China."
"And it would have served them right, too!"
"Do you want to get into trouble before even reaching Hogwarts?"
The bespectacled boy snorted in disdain, as if he couldn't care less about being punished for using magic outside the lawfully-allowed perimeters of his home or the school grounds.
"Have you tried to ask for help from a teacher?" asked Sirius. "I mean, they are supposed to maintain discipline aboard the train, aren't they?"
"Teachers?" scoffed the boy, "Oh, come on, adults? They are never here when you need them. Besides, they'd probably bore us to tears with a lecture about proper behaviour in public before turning a blind eye and going back to their businesses, so what's the use?"
Sirius couldn't repress a smile: there was something about the boy's free-spirited and rebellious attitude that echoed deep inside the young Black's mind.
"I'm James, by the way" said the wild-haired kid while extending his hand to the Black's prime heir. "James Potter and this is my friend, Remus Lupin."
"Pleased to meet you guys! My name is Sirius."
After a vigorous handshake, the boys started talking about their upcoming arrival at Hogwarts. Sirius passed along the bag of sweets and the sugar quickly loosened the tongue of his new friends. Within thirty minutes, Sirius had learned that James loved the Chudley Cannons Quidditch team, sports in general, playing pranks and causing mischief; on the other hand, he hated the Pureblood elitism, people who thought too highly of themselves, and detentions. Around a mouthful of Bertie Bots every flavoured beans, Remus had confessed his fondness for books, libraries, architecture and forests – that last point being the most surprising. But he strongly disliked bullies, injustices and indifference, especially from adults who were supposed to protect children.
Sirius couldn't think of an odder pair of future students: Sirius was an outdoor guy, Remus a bookworm, they had met for the first time while waiting for the Hogwarts Express on Platform ¾ at King Cross' Station and yet, they were already the best friends of the world!
"Who were the guys harassing Remus, by the way?" asked Sirius.
James snorted in disgust: "Same old, same old: Pureblood imbeciles! They picked on Remus because he has Muggle grandparents; consequently, he's not "pure" enough for those gits! Besides, Remus isn't what you call athletic, so they thought him an easy target."
"I may not be an athlete, James, but I know how to defend myself!" said Remus, his cheeks reddening in anger. "It isn't my fault if I have some… health issues."
"Now, now, Remy! Don't work yourself up!" said James. "I am not criticizing you, just stating a fact. You do look a little under the weather, mate!"
Remus sighed, and then nodded: "I've been sick last week… It takes time to recover from it."
An awkward silence followed; Sirius was feeling sorry for the brown-haired kid, who seemed to have turned into a book-addict simply because his health wouldn't allow him to play outside with friends as often as he'd wanted to. James looked embarrassed, as if he were worried his words might have offended Remus, but strangely it reassured Sirius: the Quiddich fan might be straight-forward and a bit arrogant, but he wasn't heartless.
The young Black opened his mouth, ready to propose more sweet treats to lift Remus' spirits, when the compartment's door opened again: this time it was a blond-haired boy with a nasty smile on his face, followed by a couple of mean-looking kids. Sirius' heart jumped straight to his throat as he instantly recognized the newcomers: the blond was Lucius Malfoy, the son of his parents' friends. The other ones were Victor Crabbe and George Goyle, also children of the Black's Pureblood acquaintances. Malfoy's grin widened when he spotted Remus, who had dropped his books on the floor out of fear:
"There he is, guys! Go get him!"
But before the two goons could make a move, James Potter jumped on his feet, grabbed his wand from under his jean jacket and pointed it at the aggressors.
"Oh no, you don't! Now, back off!"
Crabbe and Goyle instantly stepped back, alarmed at the sight of a wand being waved so closely to their mugs, but Malfoy snorted in disgust while remaining safely behind his acolytes:
"Defending a runt, Potter? Isn't it disgraceful enough your family is friendly with Muggle-born wizards?"
"I defend who I want, when I want, and where I want!" snapped James back. "And I don't need lectures from a yellow-belly boot-licking arse like you, Lucius Malfoy. If you think you're impressive with your high-and-mighty Pureblood attitude, you're sadly mistaken. Now get out of here and leave Remus alone, or you'll get a taste of a great pus-growing hex I've recently learned. And I don't care about using magic off the limits of the school!"
"Crabbe, Goyle! I told you to get the weakling!" barked Malfoy.
The two bullies looked undecided for a moment, but they finally decided it would be better to face James' wand than their leader's wrath. They took a step forward to the frightened Lupin but Sirius jumped into action, pointing his wand straight to the intruders with a resolute look in his face.
"You were told to back off! You're dumb or something?" asked the young Black.
Victor Crabbe and George Goyle's brutish faces paled considerable when two magic wands were pointed directly at them. They stepped back, bumping into Lucius Malfoy in their eagerness to flee the scene and reach the safety of the wagon's corridor. Malfoy slapped both their heads, disgusted by their cowardice, and then he turned around to see that James and Sirius were pointing their wands to him.
"Potter, you've just made a big mistake," sneered the blond boy. "You will learn the hard way that it doesn't pay to oppose me. I will not forget this insolence. I will make your life at Hogwarts a living Hell!"
"Promises, promises," answered James with a wide smile. "I love hearing the threats of bullies – especially when their bodyguards have run away! Not feeling so secure now, are you, Lucullus? Now get outta here or I'll kick your Pureblood butt!"
Malfoy did seem unnerved by both his goons' desertion and the sudden resistance encountered in his plans to beat Remus Lupin up. Sensing that neither James nor Sirius would lower their guards, he finally relented and walked back to the corridor, but he couldn't leave without a last barb:
"You disappoint me, Sirius. I would never have thought the prime heir of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black would defend such a pitiful Mudblood-issued whelp! What will your parents think, after I'll owl my father to tell him about this little incident?"
The compartment's door slammed behind Malfoy. Only then, did James and Sirius lower their wands to tuck them back into their jackets. The young Black turned around to see how his new friends were faring, but his blood turned into ice in his veins when he saw Potter's furious face and Lupin's betrayed eyes.
"Guys? W-What's wrong?" asked Sirius.
"You're a Black, that what is wrong!" growled James, shaking in rage. "Your family is famous for being Pureblood believers! Do you think we're not aware of your Mum and Dad claiming from the rooftops that Muggle-born children should be put down like unwanted puppies? That your relatives have worshipped You-know-who ever since that piece of bat droppings has started babbling about his superiority that has never existed in the first place? Or maybe you think we are so dumb we don't know about the Death Eaters meetings, where garbage-born like Malfoy Sr. and his goons attend with masks over their ugly faces!"
Sirius' handsome face paled after hearing James' accusations. He had feared his family name would bring him scorn from his fellow students, but he hadn't thought it would start as early as the trip in the Hogwart Express!
"No, James, you have it all wrong!" protested Sirius. "My family is in favour of He-who-must-not-be-named ideology, but I'm not! I've never been, actually, and it has brought me enough trouble from my parents!"
"Am I supposed to believe you?" snarled the bespectacled boy. "You've thought of yourself very clever, not telling us about your last name so you would feed on our confessions like a leech, haven't you? Well, for your information, I hate Pureblood fanatics like your folks, even if I'm from a non-Muggle family myself. In fact, all this nonsense about purity makes me feel like to puke all over you!"
"I am not a follower of You-Know-Who!" roared Sirius, loosing his temper. "Never have, never will be! Do you think I would have bothered helping you to protect Remus if I were in league with Malfoy and his bullies?"
"AH!" spat James. "For all I know, it was a ruse to convince us that you are sincere in your fake hate for You-know-who. Well, guess what? It didn't work! The day I believe a Black would be the day the moon will be made of vanilla ice cream! Come on, Remy! Grab your stuff and let's go; it stinks of hypocrisy in here!"
"Look, James," started the brown-haired boy who had picked up his books from the floor, "maybe we could give him the benefit of the doubt…"
"No, Remus! Don't get fooled by his words. Black-named, black-hearted, I'm telling you! My parents told me stories about his family that would make your skin crawl!"
James Potter grabbed Remus Lupin and the two boys left the compartment, slamming the sliding door behind them so hard its window pane cracked. Left on his own, Sirius sat down heavily before burying his face in his hands.
What this whole incident a taste of how it was going to be at Hogwarts for seven years? People scorning him simply because of his patronymic name? Students who wouldn't see farther than his family's reputation? And what about the teachers; would they snob him as soon as they'd read his name while calling the roll for the first time? Would they give him bad grades simply to avenge their Muggle-born relatives who had being harassed by Pureblood friends of the Blacks? Was Sirius already sentenced to a life of misery within the school's walls? Would he be banned from the Quiddich field, or forbidden to go to Hogsmead village during his third year? Maybe he would be so miserable at Hogwarts he'd have to beg his parents to send him to another school!
Warm tears escaped from Sirius' gray eyes but he was too upset to be bothered by how he would look if someone would pass by. The injustice of his situation was clenching at his heart, and for the thousandth time he wished he had a friend, a brother, who would stand by his side and defend him, who would fight with him through thick and thin. But Sirius had never been allowed this kind of relationship: Regulus was too busy playing the part of the "good son" to love his elder sibling. And the only playmates Sirius had known in his life had been children of his parents' Pureblood friends, as insufferable as their folks!
Sirius' eyes flashed in anger above the salty evidence of his sorrow running down his cheeks: he had never been afraid of people like Lucius Malfoy and his goons and it wouldn't start today. He'd punch their noses all year long if needed; and if James Potter didn't want to be his friend, so be it! Sirius would make some other friends!
The young Black sighed, and then he dried the tear tracks on his face using his sweater's sleeve; he was completely unaware that a tall, red-haired man wrapped in a battered cloak had witnessed James and Remus' exit from the compartment just before watching the young Black silently crying.
The red-haired man took a wand from under his cloak, pointed it at the compartment's cracked window, and whispered: "Reparo".
Instantly, the glass pane returned into an intact state. The man sighed deeply at the sight of the distraught Sirius, and then he walked down the compartment's corridor, resolute to have a few words with a gang of bullies lead by an aggressive blond-haired boy.
TBC…