I wrapped my fingers around the handle of my trunk, and placed my hand in Severus' outstretched one. I closed my eyes and we disaperated.

"Alright spill it." I said turning to him.

"Honestly it was nothing. That rat could just possibly be an old acquaintance from our Hogwarts days. Really nothing. Now let's enjoy the rest of our vacation it will be time for Hogwarts before you know it."

He was right about that much. Before I knew it I was standing on Platform 9 ¾ with my trunk in hand waving good-bye to Remus. I pulled my trunk on board and tried to locate my brother. I found him about three compartments down sitting with his Ron and Hermione. Ron helped me put my trunk in the overhead compartment and I took a seat next to Hermione.

"MERRR-OW!"

"What the bloody hell was that?" I asked jumping up from my seat.

"That's Hermonie's cat, Crookshanks." Harry explained agitated. I sat across from the animal, staring at its flat face.

"Are you sure it's a cat? What's wrong with his face?"

"That's what I asked!" Ron exclaimed.

"Nothing is wrong with his face. It's just flatter than most cats. That's all."

"Well I'm glad I'm not going to be sharing a room with it. That thing looks like it's ready for its next meal!" I exclaimed. Ron chuckled across from me.

"Oh stop it you two! He just doesn't like Ron's rat. They're cat's natural enemy you know…" Hermione launched into a long drown out tale about the history of the animosity between rats and cats. But I wasn't listening to a word she said. I was occupied staring at a pocket in Ron's shirt that I knew contained his pet rat Scabbers. What was it Severus had said? An old acquaintance? I was pulled out of my wondering when I noticed Ron and Hermione in a near duel, wands drawn and Harry shouting at them.
"That's it, I've had enough of you two!" Harry shouted. Harry hardly ever raised his voice, I assumed it was because he was just tired of listening to Ron and Hermione's bickering. "Alice can't you be of any help?!"

"Yeah, Sorry." I forced Hermione back into her seat. "Alright you two that's enough. How was everyone's summer holiday?"

"Mine was great, thanks for asking." A bouncing bunch of blond curls answered as they sprung down next to me.

"Em! I've missed you so much!" I said wrapping my arms around her neck. Emily Smith had been my best friend since we were both sorted into Slytherin first year.

"I wouldn't know. Someone barley sent me any owls this summer."

"I'm sorry, Remus and I were traveling so much, I barely had time to unpack before we were moving on to the next place!" Most of that was the truth. In an attempt to keep my mind occupied, Severus had us moving house throughout his several estates. We never stayed any one place longer than a week, and he always had tons of activities planned to keep my mind occupied.

"Forgiven." She said smiling. Emily was never one to hold a grudge. She also never looked at anything in a negative light. I smiled back, I had really missed all of my friends, but I had missed Emily the most. "Um, Harry, how have you been holding up?" I looked at Harry confused.

"Fine. um thanks for asking Emily."

"What's going on? Harry what happened?" Everyone looked down at their shoes, and Crookshanks hiss at me with his ugly squished up face. Emily looked simply horrified.

"You mean you don't know?" Emily asked guiltily. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't have said anything, if I would have known you didn't know. It should have been Harry who told you. I'm sorry forget I said anything. Really it wasn't my place too…"

"No, Em, what's going on?" But Emily had already turned away from me towards Harry begging for forgiveness with her eyes. No one said anything for a long moment. The silence was closing in on us when finally Ron spoke up.

"Well somebody's got to tell her! If you don't I will." He let about thirty second pass before starting again. "Well, I guess you didn't read The Daily Profit this summer or else you'd know."

"Yeah the only Profit article I read this summer was the clipping you sent me about your family's trip to Egypt. But what's the Profit got to do with Harry?"

"Well if you'd read the Profit you'd know that Sirius was arrested this summer." Everyone in the compartment made a deliberate attempt not to look at Harry. Everyone except me. I stared horror struck at my brother. I felt like the worst sister in the world. How could I not know that my brothers guardian and only person who cared about him in the world as much as I did, was arrested? How could Severus and Remus not tell me? They read the Profit practically every day, and they never thought to mention it?

"But I just don't understand, why would they arrest Sirius?" And for the first time Harry looked up from the compartment floor, his green eyes starred right into my brown ones.

"They think Sirius fed information to Voldemort. They think he help Voldemort kill Mom and Dad."