The train pulled slowly into Hogsmeade station and I carefully dragged my trunk off the luggage rack and picked up the cage which housed Pepper my tawny owl. I still felt a little clammy after the experience with the dementors, but luckily I'd managed to conjure a patronus before anything awful happened. I knew what I'd see if the dementor got too close. My past is just as haunting as my future.

I clambered into a carriage and sat against the window, slowly closing my eyes, resting my head against the cool glass, listening to the thump thump thump of rain against the roof. I could feel my hands shaking, and the air in my lungs felt colder than usual.

"Are you alright?" A deep, masculine voice asked as the carriage trundled into motion. I opened my eyes and saw a man, probably about mid thirties sitting across the carriage from me, he looked about the same age as Sirius.

"Yeah, just a bit shaken up by the dementors." I replied, my heart seemed to pump a little harder in my chest as our eyes met. His blue with my brown. He paused, as if entranced before suddenly pulling away.

"Have some chocolate." He said, handing over a bar. "I'm the new defence against the dark arts teacher by the way, in case you were wondering."

"Thank you." I said, putting a piece of chocolate into my mouth and immediately feeling warmth course through me.

"It helps, doesn't it." He said. I nodded in acknowledgment, glancing at his clothes, they were patched and looked as though they were on the brink of falling apart.

Suddenly the carriage ground to a halt, the journey seemed to have taken much less time than usual.

As I got up to leave I felt a hand rest on my arm.

"Please can you wait a moment." He said, softly.

"You guys go on ahead, I'll meet you in the great hall." I gestured to my friends.

I sat back down on my seat wondering why he'd asked me to stay.

"Are you Cassiopeia Black, Sirius Black's sister?" I sighed, I had hoped that people wouldn't put two and two together and treat me badly because of it.

"I am," I replied, "but please don't shout about it because teenagers are generally very judgemental people."

"Don't worry, I know from experience how difficult hiding a secret is from a whole school of eavesdroppers and gossipers." The professor said, "I only asked because you have a remarkably similar face and I saw your name on my register."

"You knew him?" I asked.

"Yes, at least I thought I knew him." He replied, looking a little shady, "we were friends in school."

"What was he like?" I questioned.

"Kind and loyal." He replied, looking down at the dirty floor of the carriage.

"If he was loyal then why did he betray his best friends to Lord Voldermort and blow up a whole street of muggles?" I asked, I felt almost angered by how calmly he described Sirius.

"You say Voldermort's name?" He replied, "I'm impressed, and are you a slytherin? Because you don't seem the type"

"I'm a gryffindor but you're dodging my question." I felt angry, I wanted to know more about my brother. But then I saw the look in his eyes and realised I'd pushed it to far. He was my teacher after all, I shouldn't have been so rude. "Sorry professor, that was rude of me."

"Miss Black," he replied formally, "I accept your apology and I will endeavour to keep your secret but some questions I do not know the answer to." He was staring me deep in the eyes, I felt a kind of urge to kiss him. What was I doing? I lost myself in his gaze. I knew he was lying about not knowing the answer, he just didn't want to think about it, but I felt captivated as I stared into his blue eyes. He leaned closer, then suddenly backed off.

"I suppose we ought to get going or we'll miss the feast." He said quickly, and before I could even nod he was up and scrambling down the steps and away from the carriage.

I was confused. I'd never felt like that before. My stomach felt as if it were squirming and the thought of the feast made it worse.

I stood and made my way out of the carriage, quickly stumbling towards the entrance hall and out of the rain. My feet slipped and slid on the wet grass and more than once I thought I'd fall. Reflecting on the conversation I realised I'd been rude, I'd spoken to him like a friend but in truth I'd only just met him.

What was going on? I cleared my mind as I made my way into the great hall, professor Flitwick strode past carrying the sorting hat and a three legged stool and I glanced up to the staff table to see the new professor sliding into his seat. I drew my gaze away and stopped walking, looking around for my friends.

"Hurry along now miss Black." The harsh voice of McGonnagal called out behind me, I turned to see her walking briskly into the hall followed by Harry Potter and a girl with rather bushy hair.

I muttered my apology and quickly scurried to my friends about halfway up the table.

"You took forever." My best friend Alice Chalker moaned.

"Yeah sorry, he just wanted to make sure I was okay. What with the dementors and everything." I lied, I would tell Alice the truth, at least most of it, once we were in our dorm but amidst the prying eyes and ears of gryffindor house was not the best place to tell someone you're the sister of an escaped murderer.