Emmeline's school letter was greeted with a shriek of happiness that had her father wincing as her mother laughed. "I'm going! I have to tell Benjy!"

"Go on dear, give me your school list…" Catherine trailed off as her daughter bolted up the stairs to her room for a quill and parchment. The school list was tossed over the railing of the flying staircase a moment later, and Mrs. Vance caught it as it floated down. "Are you coming to Diagon Alley with us, Chris?"

"I think I will. There's been some talk about a man rising in power… I wouldn't like you going alone. When are we going?"

"Saturday, I was thinking. We can take Benjy along as well. Honestly, I don't know why she has to write him—he's coming over later today anyway. We'll ask him if he'd like to go then. And what new man rising?" Catherine cleared the plates from their interrupted breakfast as Emmeline pounded down the stairs and attached the letter to Mercury's leg, sending him out the window quickly. The owl gave an indignant hoot but flapped away into the early morning.

Christopher Vance stood up, gathering his traveling cloak from the stand beside the door. "It's probably nothing, we get rumors all the time. I'll be off, and home in a few days. Come give me a kiss, Emmeline." His daughter bounded up to him and pecked him on the cheek with a hug. Then she ran outside and looked out over the cliffs and down to the smoky blue sea beneath. Her hair whipped back in the wind as her brown eyes filled with happiness. She was going to Hogwarts!

When she turned around at the distant sound of the creaky door, she saw Benjy running out the door of the Tower, having just Floo'd over, with his lanky fifteen-year-old stride. "Benjy Benjy Benjy!" She shouted, and started running to him. They met each other halfway, his smile mirroring her own as he picked her up and swung her around. "I'm going to Hogwarts with you this year!"

"I knew you'd get in, little sister." He set her down and slung his arm around her shoulders, having to stoop slight to do so. They walked into the Tower together where Catherine was washing the dishes from breakfast.

"Ah, Benjy, I take it you've heard our news." Mrs. Vance's eyes glittered with suppressed laughter.

"I heard something, yeah. Emmie here is very good at getting the point across." Benjy grinned lazily at Mrs. Vance, who laughed. He was quickly becoming good-looking, and he had the arrogance to know it, Catherine thought with a smile at the soapy water in the sink.

"Benjy," she said, turning from the sink to look at him. "Would you like to go to Diagon Alley with us? Emmeline needs her school things, and I know she'd have more fun if you were there."

"Yeah come on, Benjy! You can show me where to get everything—my robes, books, Potions ingredients, and my wand! I get a wand, Mummy, I get a wand!" The eleven-year-old was flushed with excitement and her hair fell in tangles around her face.

"I know you get a wand, Emmeline, and I shudder at the thought. Now, run along. I have things to do. You two can go flying to celebrate, how about that? Just stay nearby. Benjy—"

He grinned that leonine grin again. "I'll look after her, don't worry about a thing, Mrs. Vance. Come on, Emmie." The two left with a door slam, and Catherine let her giggles out. Benjy was a cute one and he knew it. She was certain that if not already, soon the girls would be falling all over themselves when he flashed them a grin and wink of those bright, spring green eyes.

Emmeline and Benjy took the broom out of the shed and flew off over the cliffs, then zoomed out over the village of Tinworth, looking like a small patchwork quilt with all the different colors and designs of wizard houses. Emmeline leaned back into Benjy's warm chest, chattering away which made him have to suppress a smile. She only talked as much as she was doing when she was really excited or nervous. And right then, he suspected it was a bit of both.

They returned to the Sea Tower later that day, where Catherine served them lunch. Both the older people listened to Emmeline ranting away about how amazing Hogwarts was going to be, careful not to look at each other.

The next few days passed slowly for Emmeline, even though her father returned and Benjy was over every day. Eventually Saturday came and Emmeline was with the people she loved most in all the world as they Apparated into the Leaky Cauldron. Mr. and Mrs. Vance nodded cordially at the barkeeper and then took the kids out back, where Christopher tapped a certain brick with his wand and the archway clinked into place.

Emmeline needed about six more eyes as she tried to see everything. Benjy leaned down and she jumped up onto his shoulders, strong from playing Quidditch Beater at school. She observed the Alley from her new perch, still wishing she had more eyes. "You okay way up there, Emmie?" He asked.

"There's so much stuff!" She shouted back, then giggled. "And the ground's so far away!"

Benjy jumped about a foot in the air and she shrieked delightedly. "Benjy, this way," called Catherine. "We need to get her robes."

Benjy put Emmeline down before they entered the shop. He removed his school bag from his side as well, taking from it a few sets of robes that needed letting out so they were longer. "Dear, I could do that for you," Catherine said.

"That's all right, Mrs. Vance. I think you're going to have your hands full with Emmie over the next few weeks without having to extend my robes as well." Benjy wasn't telling the full truth, Emmeline could tell, but she'd promised her mother that she wouldn't ask awkward questions before she was old enough to understand. And with that strange, child-like sense of things, she didn't feel like she'd properly understand yet.

After Madam Malkin's they went to buy books for Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, Defense, History, and Astronomy. Her parents also bought her a few extra books, for the things she seemed more interested in. Benjy had been right five years before—she did like the sound of Transfiguration.

Finally, her wand. She was the first one to enter the cool and dusty shop, and the man with silver eyes sought her out after greeting her parents and Benjy. "Christopher Vance, eleven and three quarter inches, dragon heartstring. And dear Catherine, lovely to see you, fifteen inches and phoenix tail feather. Benjamin Fenwick, also phoenix tail feather, fourteen and a quarter inches." The three nodded and murmured when he addressed them, then he turned to Emmeline.

She shrank back slightly, then stopped herself. Nothing was going to hurt her—she was the safest girl in the worlds, with her parents and Benjy to guard her. She met his eyes curiously, banishing her fear. "Miss Emmeline Vance, I am Mr. Olivander. Let's see what we have for you." He turned away and set a wand in front of her, polished and golden in the faint lamplight. "Dragon heartstring and oak, thirteen and a half inches. Give it a swish."

Feeling slightly foolish, Emmeline picked up the wand only to have it snatched out of her hands by the old man. "No… here, this one. Dragon heartstring and beech, nine inches." Emmeline picked up the short wand and had that one taken away from her as well.

"This," he handed her the next box. "Rowan and unicorn hair, fourteen and a quarter inches." She picked it up and felt a warmth in her fingers as she brought the wand down in an arc over her head and silver sparks shot forth.

She looked around with a huge smile at her family. "Did you see? Did you see?" Her parents nodded proudly as Benjy gave her a thumbs up and a wink. She winked back at him. Benjy looked very proud of something, and Emmeline realized that her wand was the same length as hers. She gave him a huge smile, showing almost all her teeth, and he laughed.

"There we have it then. That wand is particularly good for Transfiguration." Benjy mouthed I told you so at Emmeline who nodded happily. "Enjoy your new wand, and have a good time at school, Miss Emmeline." Olivander smiled gently at her as her parents passed over the money for the wand and then led the way back out into the sunlight, Emmeline staring at her wand.

Mr. Vance checked his watch and mentioned something about ice cream, to which Emmeline agreed happily. They went and sat down at Florean Fortesques Ice Cream parlor and Catherine took her daughter up to get the ice cream while Mr. Vance stayed with Benjy to remind him to look after Emmeline at school that year, out of his proud daughter's hearing. Benjy assured him repeatedly of protecting her which Christopher felt relieved at. Once they were all eating ice cream Emmeline was forced to be silent for fear of all her ice cream melting over her hand.

The few weeks leading up to September first were exciting for Emmeline, as she studied her books and tried to memorize as much as she could. She couldn't believe that she would be actually doing real magic soon enough, and kept looking over at her wand lovingly.

On the morning of the train Emmeline was up early, and to her surprise her parents were both sitting at the table waiting for her. Her mother rose and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "Emmeline, dearest, your father and I have a present for you."

"Really?"

"Indeed, my dear," her father continued, smiling at her. "Go look in the Owlery." The Vances kept a tiny but proper Owlery for Mercury, tucked away with access above the kitchen sink. Emmeline darted into the kitchen and pulled a chair over to the small door to stand on.

Opening the door she sat not one but two sets of shining eyes. She gently reached into the transformed cupboard and felt a set of talons latch onto her hand. Drawing it out slowly, she gasped as a barn owl's moon-like visage looked at her, tawny ruff fanning out perfectly from the snowy face.

"It's a female. You may name her whatever you like—and she is yours on one condition." Her parents had followed her into the kitchen. Emmeline nodded, entranced. "You must write to us at least once a month, preferably more."

"Of course," the eleven-year-old breathed. She remembered flying with Benjy when the moonlight sparkled on the waves. "I'm going to call you Arrow, is that okay?" She murmured to the owl. The bird hooted and rustled her wings softly.

"Arrow it is, then," Christopher said. "We've got a cage and everything you need for her all ready. You better go finish packing everything, princess."

Emmeline set the owl back in the dark Owlery slowly, then turned and leapt on her parents, hugging them both at once. "Thank you so much!" She darted up the spiral stairs as there was a whoosh at the fireplace. "Benjy!" she called, debated about coming down, then turned and descended in a controlled fall to skid to a stop in front the grate. She greeted him with a beam and dragged him into the kitchen. "Look Benjy! Her name's Arrow and Mummy and Daddy gave her to me! Isn't she beautiful?"

Benjy nodded and ran a knuckle along the owl's soft feathers. "She is. Are you excited, Emmie?" He grinned as she nodded quickly.

"I'll be right back—I have to go get my trunk!"

Benjy ran up the stairs after her, calling back to her parents, "I think I better help her with that."

In Emmeline's room she was frantically looking around for anything she might have forgotten. "Calm down, Emmie." Benjy said, though he was remembering doing much the same thing when he was about to take the train for the first time. "If you forget anything you can just have Arrow fetch it to you. Why'd you call her Arrow, anyway?"

"Remember last year, when we went flying out over the cliffs?" She waited until he'd nodded. "Well, she reminded me of the moonlight on the waves because it was so beautiful and she's so beautiful, and we were riding a Silver Arrow and I didn't want to name her Silver. So, she's Arrow."

"Well, it's a great name. Now come on, help me pick up this trunk." Benjy carried most of the load down the narrow twisting stairway but Emmeline tried to help. "I think she's ready, Mr. and Mrs. Vance. I was also wondering…" he stopped and then said quietly, "Could you take me to the station as well? My Mum isn't feeling well."

"Of course, Benjy. Come along, you two." Mr. Vance Levitated the two trunks out the door, Emmeline carrying Arrow in her cage and Benjy hefting his broomstick over his shoulder. He'd bought Christopher's old broom, the famous Silver Arrow, the year before when he'd made the Quidditch team. Mr. Vance led the way down the lane, then Catherine Apparated the students to the station, followed by her husband with the luggage.

The four of them walked into the train station, Benjy getting trolleys for the trunks and helping Christopher set the bulky items on them. Emmeline knew what to do at the barrier and went through without a hitch after Benjy did, pushing her trolley quickly. She felt a slight tingle of fear. The scarlet train was there, and she was actually going to get on it this year. Then she shook her head. Benjy would be there too, and so there was nothing to fear. With that in mind she trailed him to the train cars. Her parents watched her as Benjy helped get her trunk on board, then she went back to say her goodbyes.

Benjy was already there, giving her mother a hug goodbye. He shook her father's hand and they exchanged handshakes and words, then laughed together. He kissed her mother on the cheek and then tactfully drew back to let Emmeline say farewell.

Her father was first. He knelt down and held out his arms, swallowing hard. "Come here, princess." She hugged him tightly then kissed him on the cheek. "Be good, sweetheart. If anyone hurts you, go to Benjy. He'll help you with whatever you need."

Emmeline nodded and whispered into his collar, "I will. I love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, princess. Now, say goodbye to your mother and don't miss your train." He released her and kissed her forehead.

Emmeline went to her mother, who held her close. "You be good and listen to Benjy, all right Emmeline? And write us."

"I will, Mummy." Emmeline breathed in the unique smell of her mother, that clean scent and light hints of the jasmine soap she used every day. "I love you."

"I love you so much, my dearest. I know you'll be brilliant at school." Her mother drew back and looked at Emmeline with tears sparkling in her eyes. "Go on now."

Benjy placed a hand on her shoulder and gently drew her towards the train, which was billowing steam in preparation to leave as a final whistle blew. Benjy made sure Emmeline was on the train and then turned around to wave goodbye as the train started moving. Emmeline waved her hand frantically, watching as her parents vanished as the train pulled out of the station and away from London.

They eventually shut the window they were leaning out of and Benjy looked down at Emmeline. "I'll help you find a compartment with people your age, alright? I'm a prefect again this year, so I have to go to the prefect's compartments up front. But if you need me, don't hesitate to come up there and ask for me. I'm always here for you, Emmie." She nodded as he picked up her trunk and hauled it down the train, looking in compartments.

He eventually found on with a few young girls in it and he set down the trunk, motioning her to knock on the door. She did so, and he asked as she door slid open, "Can Emmie sit here? She's new this year."

A dark blond girl looked up. "Emm? Is that you?"

Emmeline smiled back as she recognized the other girl. "Alice! Hi. Benjy, I know Alice." She turned to look up at him and he winked down at her.

"All right then." He set her trunk up in the rack and knelt down to give her a quick hug, whispering in her ear, "Make lots of friends because you're amazing and people like amazing people, okay little sister?"

She nodded and hugged him back, then turned in to the compartment. He shut the door behind her.

"Was that Benjamin Fenwick?" An older girl asked her. This girl looked like Alice and Emmeline thought she recognized her… "Marlene McKinnon, Alice's older sister. We've met a few times, at parties."

"I thought I knew you." Emmeline sat down opposite Alice by a tearful red-haired girl. "Yeah, that's Benjy. Why?"

"Because he's just about the cutest boy in Gryffindor Tower, that's why! Alice, you never said your friend was Ben's friend! Or are you related? You look a lot alike."

Emmeline smiled and shook her head. "No, we're not related. Benjy's my oldest friend, I've known him forever. He always looks out for me."

"That's so sweet…" Marlene drifted off dreamily. "He looks after his first-year friend… such a nice guy."

"You know him well?"

"Hah, I wish." Emmeline was slightly confused and so she didn't ask any more questions. She looked instead at the tearful girl.

"Are you scared to be leaving your parents?" She asked kindly.

"N-no," The girl sniffed. "It's something else."

"Oh. Okay." Emmeline didn't know what else to say so she started speaking to Alice instead. "What house do you think you'll be in?"

"Gryffindor. Like Leeny here."

Her sister scowled at her. "Don't call me that, Leesy."

Alice stuck her tongue out at Marlene and her older sister sighed in disgust. "You are so immature, Alice. If Ben Fenwick stops back in here, don't you dare embarrass me."

Emmeline resolved to ask Benjy later about why Alice's sister seemed to want to impress him. She didn't think she'd get any decent answers out of Marlene McKinnon.

The train ride passed quicker than Emmeline expected. She had changed into her school robes when the sun went down, and now the train was stopping. She and Alice looked at each other, scared. The other girl, the sniffing one, had left earlier with a greasy-haired boy who came into their compartment apologizing profusely. She'd smiled at him and forgiven him, then they went away. Alice and Emmeline had shrugged.

Now, as they stood out on the platform, Emmeline felt a hand on her shoulder. She squeaked slightly and turned, then grinned shakily at Benjy. "You okay, Emmie?"

"Yeah, thanks Benjy! Where do we go now?"

"I'm taking the carriages up to the castle, you get to go across in the boats. See that man? The big one shouting for the first years? He's Hagrid the gamekeeper, follow him. I'll see you at the feast later. Good luck!" He vanished into the crowd as Emmeline grabbed Alice's arm and dragged her over to the big man. They ended up with a bunch of other terrified-looking first years and followed Hagrid down to the boats. Alice and Emmeline were joined in their boat by a pink-cheeked smiling girl and a nervous looking brown-haired girl who had her lips pressed together tightly.

"I'm Emmeline," she introduced herself. Alice did the same and they learned that the pink-cheeked girl was named Hestia Jones while the nervous one was called Mary McDonald.

As they crossed the lake the castle emerged. Even though she had rarely been away from her home, Emmeline thought she knew what a big place looked like. The McKinnon Castle, for one, but even it was dwarfed by the immense Hogwarts. The Sea Tower had seven floors as well, but it looked like a toy tower compared to the school. Lights reflected on the still water of the lake from all the windows. Emmeline felt her mouth drop open from the sheer size of it as the boats bumped the shore. They stumbled their way up to the main doors, which opened as Hagrid knocked.

In the wash of light from the Entrance Hall, Emmeline made out a stern looking witch. "I am Professor McGonagall," the raven-haired youngish-looking woman said. "I am the Transfiguration teacher here, as well as the Head of Gryffindor House. Some of you will be Sorted into Gryffindor, while others will go into Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Should you do well in class you will earn points for your good behavior, whereas if you misbehave points will be taken away. It is a very great honor to win the House Cup, which is awarded at the end of the year to the House with the most points.

"While you are here, your House will be like your family. You attend classes, sleep, and eat with them. Each House is known for different traits in its students, and all have produced worthy witches and wizards." She turned and led them into an antechamber off the Great Hall, then continued. "Wait here until I return to fetch you. Try and make yourselves presentable. You are about to be Sorted."

As she left, a babble of whispers broke out in the stone room. Alice turned terrified eyes to Emmeline, who smiled somewhat reassuringly at her. "It's okay. Benjy told me all you have to do is try on a hat, and it talks to you and tells you where you should go."

"Oh, good," Alice said fervently. "The Prewett twins are already here and they kept going on about fighting a giant."

Professor McGonagall returned soon and beckoned imperiously to the first-years, who all tried not to be the leader as they walked up between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Emmeline looked over at Gryffindor where Benjy caught her eye and mouthed go, go, Gryffindor! She smiled at him and bit her lip so she didn't giggle nervously.

The Hat sang a song, as Benjy had told her it would. She knew she ought to pay attention, but she couldn't bring herself to. She settled instead for looking over the Hall, the banners displayed proudly above the tables as the Hat's gruff voice echoed out. After the end there was applause.

She was at the end of the list, with a name like Vance. Her attention was caught, however, when a black-haired and light eyed boy sauntered forward, a crest on the breast of his robes. She squinted and read Tojoures Pur. Always pure… Alice shrank up against Emmeline. "That's Sirius Black!" She breathed. Suddenly Emmeline understood. The Blacks were a Dark family through and through. She was looking at the heir to the Black family legacy and fortune, and she knew that the Sorting hat would put him in Slytherin, where his kind belonged.

She was therefore in shock, as was the rest of the Hall, when the Hat shouted out in a piercing, defining voice, "Gryffindor!"

There was silence, then the sound of two people clapping, one slow and proud, the other frenzied and delighted. "Oh, Sirius!" A brown-haired girl at the Ravenclaw table shouted as she clapped quickly, a huge smile breaking out all over her face. "Well done Sirius!" The other clapper, up at the High Table, was Headmaster Dumbledore.

A girl with heavy lidded eyes stood up at the Slytherin table as Sirius shakily stood up and removed the Hat, looking at it like it had just stabbed him. "Auntie will hear about this. Blood traitor!" She shot at him. She swept out of the hall, figure-hugging robes swirling behind her as she slammed the doors.

Sirius walked slowly to the Gryffindor table, where they were regarding him confusedly and some of them slightly hostile. He sat down and several people scooted away from him, causing his face to fall even more. But then Emmeline thought she saw, just barely as Professor McGonagall called up the next person in an unsteady voice, a tiny smile at the corner of his mouth. But then she wasn't quite sure. After all, why would a Black be happy to be Sorted in Gryffindor?

There were several other Gryffindors named before Emmeline was called. Mary, the crying girl on the train, and Alice were all in Gryffindor. Hestia was Sorted in Hufflepuff, and she looked pleased with her House as they welcomed her with pats on the back and hugs. Then… "Vance, Emmeline!"

Emmeline stumbled out of line, biting her lip again. She sat quickly down on the stool before she fell and felt rather than saw the Hat drop over her eyes.

So, a Vance. Been a long time since your parents, girl.

Emmeline stifled a gasp. Oh yes, I talk. But you already knew that, didn't you? Bright girl. You'd do well in Ravenclaw, but I'm getting something else here… Bravery. And loyalty. Well, loyalty is a classic Hufflepuff trait, but it's known to Gryffindors as well because you can't have bravery without at least a touch of it… I suppose that does it. Off you go, chop chop, into—She almost thought it was amused as it shouted out "Gryffindor!" to the general Hall. She practically ran to the Gryffindor table as Benjy stood up and gave her a hug.

"That's my Emmie!" He shouted. "Come on—your friends are over here." He led her to where the other first year girls were sitting and sat down as well, John next to him. She recognized a some people as she watched the last few first-years being Sorted. Emmeline had taken the seat next to Alice and they both stared at the Headmaster as he rose to speak after the Sorting.

"Another year, my dear students. There are words I must say, but they are not for now. Dig in, all of you!" Food suddenly appeared on the plates in front of them, massive amounts of all kinds of food imaginable. Benjy helped her reach for some of those too far away, then they all started eating and for a few moments, the noises of chewing, clinking goldware against gold plates, and drinking were all the noises that Emmeline could hear.

After she'd sated some of her hunger she sat back and ate only little bits at a time, looking down the table at some of her new Housemates. There was a little knot of first year boys and a separate one of the first year girls that Emmeline was sitting in. And then there was Sirius Black, pushing some potatoes around on his plate with his fork while sitting three feet from anyone, a feat at the crowded Gryffindor table. Emmeline was very curious about him—all she'd ever heard about Blacks was that they were bad. But then again, she figured in the privacy of her mind as she munched on a green bean, everyone thought all Vances were for the light and had been since Gryffindor's time. But there was that not-too-distant relation of hers, Loxias. He had a wand of immense power, some said, while others thought it was just the wizard himself. He'd terrorized England in the early eighteen hundreds, then perished at a relatively young age.

We can't choose who we're related to, Emmeline decided as she finished off her beans. She resolved to get to know Sirius Black, or at least try to, starting the following day. Her parents had explained why the Dark families, and the Black family in particular were so awful, of course, but she thought that Sirius could hardly help being related to them. And he was eleven, after all. He was hardly able to distance himself from his family at that age. Benjy had escaped from whatever his problems were by coming to Emmeline's house, but Sirius probably didn't have any friends to help him away.

As dessert appeared she took a piece of blackberry tart, then grinned as she noticed Benjy eating the same, albeit a larger serving, thing. After that was gone the food vanished again and she sat back with a sigh, feeling pleasantly stuffed. The prefects in their fifth and sixth years—she blinked sleepily at Benjy, who was in the sixth year, when he winked at her and that made him laugh—showed them the way to the common room. It was apparently hidden behind a portrait of a very fat pink lady, and the password was tarantallegra. Benjy chuckled and explained that tarantallegra was a jinx that made your opponent do a funny dance out of their control. Emmeline noted that away in her memory and resolved to use it on James Potter the next time he tormented her and Benjy wasn't around to punch him in the nose. James Potter was in her year and her house, so she knew there'd be no escaping him. But she always had Benjy.

As she went up the stairs to her dormitory she was joined by Alice, Mary, and Lily, who was the crying girl. She'd introduced herself earlier at dinner, but she hadn't said why she was crying. She looked much more cheerful now, even though they were all so tired that they practically fell into bed the moment they'd changed into their pajamas.

The next morning Emmeline was up early and trailed an older Ravenclaw down to breakfast. She scanned the Gryffindor table and located the lone first-year with black hair and grey eyes, who was nibbling on a piece of toast. She nodded to herself and walked over to him. "Can I sit here?"

He looked up at her, tucking away shock behind an ambivalent mask. "Like I care where you sit."

"Thanks." Emmeline sat down and pulled some toast and an apple over to herself, taking a bite out of the fruit as she buttered the toast. "I'm Emmeline, by the way." Looking across the way she saw Benjy frown at her company and start to get up, but she shook her head slightly. His eyes narrowed and he continued to watch them, but made no further moves to come to her defense.

"Why are you sitting here?"

Emmeline glanced up from her apple and met those grey eyes. "Because you looked lonely."

"Well, I'm not," Sirius Black bit out.

"Sorry for the mistake then. But now I don't feel like moving." She reached for a bit of toast.

He glared at her. "Why don't you just go off and sit with your friends?"

"Because they don't look lonely."

"I'm not lonely!" He snapped, but quietly so as not to draw attention.

Emmeline shrugged as she set her butter knife on the table. "As you will. Lie if it makes you feel better."

Something in him seemed to slump down and he looked away. "If you want a story you're not getting one, so just go away and save yourself the bother."

"And if you want a friend in Gryffindor, this isn't the way to get one, so move and save yourself the bother of my chatter," she shot back.

Warily, his eyes found her shoulder. "I don't need any friends in Gryffindor. I'll change Houses."

"Mmm, I don't think they'll let you do that. And even if they did, what's the point? You're marked as a Gryffindor, and it's not so bad."

"Not for you, with a Light family. I'm Black as I'm named."

"And your name's getting blacker every day, it's filthy," Emmeline quipped. Sirius Black opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off and pressed on. "But you've got a chance to change that. You're in Gryffindor. My family had a horrible time after Loxias had had his say in England. Loxias Venz, know him? We changed our name and moved south to Tinworth, but for a while people still hated us and feared us. Well, you've got a chance to do the opposite. People hate and fear your family—change that." She stood up and smiled at him as the bell rang. "Think about it."

Trotting off to catch up with Lily and Alice and Mary she grinned to herself. Her good deed for the day was done, but the day was far from over. And that was perfectly fine with her.

Her first class of the day was Charms with the other first-year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Emmeline grinned with anticipation. This was what she had been waiting for, ever since Benjy had written that first letter. She hoped something more exciting would happen in her class like it did in Benjy's—not that Levitating feathers wasn't going to be exciting. But something like the flower petals…

She should have remembered—there was never a dull moment with James Potter around. A stentch radiated through the classroom and Emmeline saw Potter tucking away a suspicious-looking package into his bag. She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. She knew he could do better than a Dungbomb. And she was looking forward to it.

She didn't manage to Levitate her feather, although it did twitch a bit and the end raised about three inches off her desk. Lily Evans got hers flying though, and she looked over pleased with herself.

Potions was after Charms, and they were paired with the Slytherins. Lily ran over to get a desk with her friend Severus Snape, as she introduced him to the girls as, and Emmeline recognized him as that greasy haired boy from the train. Alice and Mary paired together, so Emmeline was left with Sirius Black. She smiled at him as they took out their books.

The professor was a big fat man who looked like a walrus. His name was Professor Slughorn, and he didn't even acknowledge that Sirius Black was on his roll. Emmeline thought he seemed upset whenever he looked at her soon-to-be-friend, but she didn't bother about it. She set up her new cauldron and laid out what Slughorn said they would need for their first potion, a so-called simple potion to deal with nosehair.

Sirius Black scowled at his cauldron and book alternately. "Not so great with potions?" Emmeline asked.

He turned his scowl on her. "You're being nice to me again."

She pondered that for a moment, then nodded brightly. "Yep!"

Sirius let out a groan and dropped his head onto his book. Emmeline bit back a giggle. "Now what's so funny?" He muttered into the pages.

"You sound like you don't want anyone to be nice to you."

"Maybe I don't."

"Less talk over here, please," Slughorn boomed from behind them.

"Sorry sir," Emmeline said. "Won't hear us again." She waited until Slughorn moved away before speaking in a quieter, gently scathing voice. "If you don't want anyone to be nice to you and you don't want to be in Gryffindor, might as well just go home now. There's no law requiring you to go to Hogwarts. Why stick around if you hate it and us so much, and you're not even in the House you think you should be?"

He glared sullenly at her. "Shut up," he muttered. "I can't go home."

"Why not?"

"Because my mother—that's none of your business!"

Something about the Hogwarts atmosphere, or at least trying to befriend Sirius Black, was making Emmeline more talkative than she normally was unless she was scared or angry. "Well, okay, it's none of my business. But I do think you'd like a friend."

"Why would I want you to be my friend? And why do you want to be my friend? I'm a blood-traitor Black, something that's never happened before. Since you're not getting popular by talking to me, or getting to know good people, why bother?"

It was the most she'd heard him speak. She chose her words carefully in response. "Because you look like you need a friend who won't judge you based on your family. I don't want to be popular, I want to be able to feel good about the things that I did today, and one of those would be getting you to accept me as a friend. My Daddy—he said something about that once." Emmeline stopped, trying to remember the exact wording, and she saw that she'd finally caught Sirius Black's attention. "He was talking about his job and he said 'I always tell new recruits not to be Aurors because they think it's a heroic job, or because they want dangerous lives. If you want be a hero, work for the Healers. If you want danger, go into pro Quidditch or dragonhunting or troll taming. Be an Auror because you want to be able to sleep at night calmly, without regretting your actions of the day. Do it because you want to keep your family safe.' It's the same idea, you know?"

"No." He almost unconsciously passed over a spare chopped mushroom that they were supposed to put into their potions.

Emmeline took the mushroom bits, hiding a smile as she fought for better words to explain. "It's like—I'm not trying to be your friend because I want to feel better about myself, or feel okay because I wasn't ignoring you. I want to be your friend because you need a friend and you need someone to stick by you. Until the others see sense, I'm the only one willing to give you a chance."

He looked at her, long and hard. She met his eyes, for a change not smiling or grinning or laughing. Once she grew slightly uncomfortable with his staring she raised an eyebrow easily, having spent a few weeks teaching herself how to do that on one of the times Benjy was at school. His lips twitched at the unexpected movement. "Well?" She finally asked.

"Why me? Why not the boy in my dorm, Peter Pettigrew? He doesn't have any friends either."

Emmeline nodded over to where James Potter was helping Peter. "He doesn't have everything and everyone wanting him to fail."

The bell rang and Sirius packed his things quickly. The next time Emmeline looked up, he was gone. She sighed, but hoped that she'd made a convincing argument.

At lunchtime she sat with Benjy, not wanting to push herself on Sirius. She could spot him at the table anyway, and reasoned that he must be off thinking or sulking by himself. Benjy offered to walk her to her double History of Magic class so she wouldn't get lost. "Emmie? Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Emmeline stopped and leaned against the wall outside her classroom. "Go ahead, Benjy."

He sighed and ran a hand over his face. "Why were you talking with Black earlier?"

Emmeline sighed as well, and felt slightly disappointed in her friend. "Benjy, don't lecture me about not talking to strangers, I'll never meet anyone."

"That's not what I meant and you know it, Emmie."

"Fine then. I was talking to him because he looked lonely."

"And why would you care about that?"

"Don't you recall that's how we met too?"

"You said you were just watching me…"

"I was two and a half, of course I couldn't recognize emotions. But you were lonely, weren't you?"

Benjy didn't say anything about that and changed the subject, which was all the answer Emmeline needed. "But he's a Black, Emmie! I promised your father I'd look out for you, and I can't do that if you go off with the likes of—"

"Likes of what, Benjy?" Emmeline asked coolly. Benjy drew back slightly, startled. She was always nice, and this quiet tone was not like her. "Are you saying that I'm not allowed to even talk to him because of his last name? Because of who his parents are?"

"Well, no, but Emmie—"

"Because that's like saying you'll end up exactly like your father. Or you already are like him. And your mother. No, I don't know what your problem with your family is but you more than others should understand that Sirius Black needs someone to give him a chance without judging him first!" Emmeline was returning Benjy's glare, even though she was barely half his height. "And don't you look at me like that, Benjamin Fenwick! You know everything I'm saying is true, and you don't like that."

"Of course I don't like it, Emmeline Vance. Saying Black and I are alike is like saying—like saying—"

"Like saying that you're alike. It's the truth! Look," she muttered to him, still glaring up with her dark brown eyes that he'd always found so warm. "We're Gryffindors. That means we stick together through thick and thin. Hufflepuffs might be accepting of anyone but we're vocal about it! You think he feels welcome in our common room? You think he feels wanted? As far as I know, I'm the only person who's addressed him directly besides the Ravenclaw girl and that Slytherin. The teachers don't even talk to him! That's not open and welcoming." She stopped, breathing heavier than she normally would. "I'm all for your protection and I respect that, but there's a severe line between gentle guidance and overprotection. I choose to try and make friends with Sirius Black and until he shows me otherwise, I'm going to act like I'm his friend. If he doesn't want my help fine, that's his choice. But at least I'm giving him a chance. Otherwise… otherwise we're like Slytherins. Judging before we know."

She gave him a thoroughly disgusted look that he'd never thought to see addressed his way, then slipped out from under his arm and walked into her History of Magic class ten minutes early, making a clear point as she sat down sharply at a desk and ignored him. Benjy sighed and walked away, though her words didn't leave him, and he didn't put as much thought into Transfiguring his hedgehog as he should have done.

Emmeline, meanwhile, once she was sure Benjy had gone, put her head down on her folded arms and blinked hard. She hated shouting at him. He was her oldest and best friend, and he didn't deserve shouting at. Then she stopped and swallowed. Did he deserve it? Gryffindor house was about bravery, and that was what it took to stand up to people who were wrong. Maybe Sirius had bravery in him too that would show forth eventually, but he had to be given a chance. And Emmeline knew she was right, as painful as it had been to reprimand Benjy.

She jumped slightly as someone thumped down into the seat next to her. She glanced sideways through tears she was trying hard not to let fall. She offered him a tremulous smile. "Hey."

"I heard all of that." He wasn't meeting her eyes, but fidgeting with a quill. "Do you… do you really believe that?"

"Which part?" She stifled a sniffle.

"Both earlier today and just now. It's not some stupid Gryffindor ploy for self-righteousness?"

"I thought I'd made that clear. I'm willing to be your friend. You're no different because of your name, or you shouldn't be. Like I said, that's what the Slytherins do—judge before they know. Not meaning any disrespect to your relatives in Slytherin, but…"

"You're right." he said quietly, still not meeting her eyes.

"About what?"

"None of my family will talk to me now. I think tomorrow there's going to be a Howler from my mother. No one's talked to me from Gryffindor, and the teachers don't know what to do with me. None of this would have happened if I'd been in Slytherin."

"Do you want to be in Slytherin?" She asked the question bluntly.

He flinched and looked out the window. "I don't know. I don't think so, not any more. It'd be different if I'd gone straight there, but now… you're right, they'll never accept me."

"So… are you going to take me up on my offer?"

Sirius bit his lip, then nodded slowly. "If… if you're sure."

"Of course I'm sure. I try not to say things I don't mean, because you don't have to take back things you've never said. So, let's start this thing properly." She dried all her tears away with the corner of her sleeve and smiled at him, sticking out her hand. "Hi. I'm Emmeline Vance."

He glanced down at her hand then back up at her. A slight smile curled at the edge of his mouth as he gripped her hand in his own and shook it firmly. "Sirius Black. Nice to meet you, Emmeline."

"Call me Emm. Are you any good at Charms?"

"Kind of, why?"

"Because I can't make that feather float even now." She took out her wand and showed him, trying to Levitate a quill on her desk.

"Here—" he started as the doors opened and the class poured in. He raised his voice as the noise grew from the students. "You have to swish your wand before the flick. And it's a swish, not a slash."

She tried it again, her brow furrowed in concentration. The quill raised off the desk a few inches then the spell failed. "My wand is supposed to be good for Transfiguration, not Charms."

"Just work at it, you'll get it soon enou—is that the teacher?" A ghost had drifted through the blackboard, coughing dryly and looking down at the notes on his desk. Without any intro he began the lecture. Emmeline soon found herself dozing off, using her folded arms over a textbook as a pillow. A look to the left showed her that Sirius was flat out sleeping on his own book.

Double History that day was followed by Herbology with the Hufflepuffs. Emmeline and Sirius took turns in pruning the Flutterby Bush they were assigned, and even though there were a few rogue cuts as the plant shied away from the clippers, Emmeline thought that they did a rather nice job.

The two went back to the common room, Sirius keeping that small smile on his face all the way despite the whispers that followed. They left their bags in their dorms and then went down to dinner, seating themselves in a clear patch at the Gryffindor table as food appeared. Lily Evans joined them soon enough, but the rest kept their distance.

She probably didn't know the prejudice, Emmeline though as she smiled at the new arrival. "Hi Lily. Have you met Sirius?"

"No, I don't think so. Hi, I'm Lily Evans."

Sirius regarded her warily and Emmeline nudged him in the side. "Say hello, Sirius."

"Hello."

Emmeline rolled her eyes and whispered loudly to Lily. "I'm going to try and train him to be nice and social."

Lily darted a glance at the quiet boy. "Good luck with that."

Emmeline nodded and sighed. "You should help. You can be his friend too."

Lily looked at Sirius and grinned. "Okay." The boy seemed to consider her for a moment, then looked down at his plate again. Lily shrugged and took out a book, propping it up against a jug of pumpkin juice. She started reading it and then shook her head wearily.

"Honestly, I have so much to learn. You're so lucky Emm, coming from a Wizarding family. I still can't get used to the pictures moving! Severus told me they were going to, but I can actually talk to them!"

"Muggle paintings don't move, that's right. If you ask me, that's the funny thing." The two girls continued chatting as Sirius watched them carefully. He'd never met a Muggle-born, and Emmeline knew that if she was going to get Gryffindor Tower to accept him he'd have to get used to not being prejudiced against Muggle-borns.

The next day the three of them made their way down to the Great Hall together. Alice and Mary gave the other two wary looks when they saw their company, and James Potter's lip curled as he spied the other dark-haired boy. James was already making friends with the other boys in his dorm, if not Sirius—a tired-looking one named Remus Lupin and a Muggle-born called Peter Pettigrew that Emmeline had seen him helping in Potions the day before. True to his prediction, a red envelope was borne to Sirius on a black owl, who promptly took off again and managed to cuff Sirius on the head.

The boy didn't even notice, but was looking gloomily, with a hint of trepidation, at the smoking envelope. Other Gryffindors were stopping to look at it too, and Sirius sunk down low into his seat as he slid a grudging hand out to slit it open.

"HOW DARE YOU!" The letter shrieked, drawing the attention of the rest of the hall. "I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE ASHAMED IN MY LIFE! A GRYFFINDOR! WE THOUGHT WE RAISED YOU WITH PROPER IDEALS, NOT ONES THAT WOULD HAVE YOU MUCKING AROUND WITH MUDBLOODS AND BLOOD TRAITORS AND SCUM! DON'T YOU DARE SHOW YOUR FACE AT CHRISTMAS, YOU UNGRATEFUL, TRAITOROUS BRAT! I'M IN HALF A MIND TO DISOWN YOU AS IT IS! IF YOU WANT TO STAY A MEMBER OF THIS NOBLE AND ANCIENT FAMILY YOU WILL STAY TRUE TO THE WAY OF LIFE AND HONOR IT, NOT MESS AROUND WITH DIRT-BLOODED THEIVES AND THOSE WHO HAVE NO RIGHT CALLING THEMSELVES MAGICAL! YOU ARE THE SHAME OF MY HOUSE!" The letter burst into flames in front of the slumping Sirius and ash piled up on his plate over his now-cold bacon.

Lily was looking confused, having not understood most of what the Howler was about, or indeed, what it was. However, she was tactful enough to restrain herself to a puzzled glance at Emmeline, who in turn was distracted by James Potter. He had stood up and picked up his plate as well, and was walking over to where the trio was sitting. "May I sit here?" He asked politely, and yet with that firm hint that suggested 'no' wasn't an answer.

Sirius glanced up at him and gave a twitch of his shoulders. His face was pale as Arrow's feathers, Emmeline noticed. She leaned over and poked him in the chest, causing him to shoot a glare up at her. "Just because your mother's a dragon who hates Muggle-borns like Lily and blood-traitors like me doesn't mean we hate you. Remember what we talked about?"

He met her eyes as James set about to eating industriously. "Why?" He asked quietly. "That was nice for my mum. Why in the world do you still want to give me a chance?"

"Because we're not her, and neither are you." A deeper voice said. Emmeline tipped her head as far back as it would go to see Benjy standing behind her. He smiled abashedly down at her, then went on. "Emmie was right. You're not her. And we're Gryffindors, who're supposed to defend our own. You just need to be given a chance to not be an arse."

Emmeline looked back over at Sirius, who suddenly had turned very red with all the attention. They were all very aware that the rest of the Hall was watching and listening intently, although pretending not to. "Give us a chance to be nice to you, and we'll give you one too. We'll teach you to be a decent person. Gryffindors are gool."

The purebloods looked over at her. "Gool?" James asked.

"Yeah, Alice told me about it. It's a Muggle thing, they use it to stick those cars things together. The things that Muggles use to get around instead of brooms and the Floo and Appartion. So, like a car, Gryffindors stick together."

Lily coughed as though hiding a giggle. "Um… do you mean glue?"

Confused eyes turned to the one Muggle-born among them at the moment. "Does that stick cars together?" Emmeline ventured slowly.

"Um, no. You can stick together pape-parchment, though. Cars are held together by welding and nuts and bolts and things…" Lily trailed off at the completely lost purebloods. "It's really simple."

She went off trying to explain how a car works to the group of first-years as Benjy watched Sirius look around himself covertly. The boy seemed shocked and amazed at having people around him, and James's friends had come over as well, as had Alice and Mary. Benjy smiled halfway at him when the younger boy caught him looking, thinking silently about the goodness in people. He had the feeling that if Emmeline hadn't befriended Sirius first, or at least put forth the effort, he wouldn't have been so well received when he got his Howler.

Not for the first time, he considered himself lucky to be his little sister's friend.