disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just Arabella and her story. Hope you guys like it!

The Leaky Cauldron

BLACK STILL AT LARGE

Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.

"We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."

Fudge has been criticized by some member of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.

"Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it – who'd believe him if he did?"

While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.

Arabella put down the paper and turned back to her food. She pushed the cereal around in her bowl, watching it get soggy before her. Days have slipped by and the holidays were coming to an end. Remus was in contact with Mrs. Weasley, who agreed to take Arabella to King's Cross with the other Weasleys. He still had some preparations to do for Hogwarts and it was the full moon that night as well.

Remus took her to the Leaky Cauldron that day and booked her a room for her. It was strange standing there in front of everyone. It seemed as though someone was staring at her, whispering at her. She turned her head many times to look at the other guests. It looked as though they were preoccupied, but that did not ease her worries. The prickling feeling of someone watching her did not leave her.

"Arabella!"

Hermione, Ron, and Harry entered the pub and the other Weasleys soon followed them. Hermione was the first one to reach her, hugging her tightly. Ron seemed much more freckly than before while Hermione tanned quite considerably from her vacation in France. Harry grew a couple inches and he smiled at her as he drew closer but he had some sort of orange beast in his arms.

"Finally!" said Ron, grinning. "We've been looking for you but then Tom said that you haven't been here yet so we looked around Diagon Alley just in case–"

"That's my fault," said Remus, smiling down at them. "Took us a while to get here. Good to see you, Molly."

"Remus! Good to see you," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "And Arabella, how have you been?"

"Good," said Arabella, nodding.

Mrs. Weasley was smiling at her, but there was a certain amount of pity in her face directed at Arabella. Mr. Weasley then came forward and shook Remus's hand. They muttered some words to each other and they were soon at the bar, speaking lowly to each other. Mrs. Weasley soon joined her as Ginny muttered a small 'hello' to her.

"Anyway, you won't believe what Harry did," said Ron, grinning. "He blew up his aunt!"

Ron began to laugh as Hermione frowned.

"Really?" asked Arabella, turning to look at him. She knew he never liked his aunt, but to blow her up? "And what's that?" she was pointing at the beast.

"I didn't mean to," said Harry. "Just lost control, and she's my uncle's sister, so she's really not my aunt anyway. The cat's not mine, he's Hermione's."

The beast was then transferred onto Hermione's arm and the cat was purring contentedly in her arms.

"His name is Crookshanks," said Hermione adoringly, "and isn't he beautiful? Poor Crookshanks, the witch in the shop said he's been in there for ages, no one wanted him."

"Wonder why," said Ron sarcastically. "He's a monster, I tell you."

"He's gorgeous," sad Hermione, glowing.

"Matter of opinion, really," Harry whispered to Arabella.

Crookshanks's ginger fur was thick and fluffy, but its face looked grumpy and oddly squashed, as though it was hit by some brick wall. Scabbers was in Ron's hand and he did not look too happy at the sight of Hermione's beast. In fact, the rat looked thinner than the last time she saw him.

"Bloody thing nearly scalped me," Ron muttered angrily, eyeing the cat.

"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?" cooed Hermione.

She was holding her cat close and staring at him adorably.

"Anyways," said Ron, still keeping an eye on Crookshanks, "we're staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight and Hermione's here as well. Her parents dropped her off this morning and Harry's been here for weeks. Are you staying here as well?"

Arabella nodded. "Yeah, Remus was just dropping me off."

"Did you get all your books?" asked Hermione.

"Yeah, a while ago."

"Arabella!" said Fred, elbowing Ron out of the way and bowing deeply. "Simply splendid to see you, old sport –"

"Marvelous," said George, pushing Fred aside and seizing Arabella's hand. "Absolutely spiffing."

Percy came over and was now scowling at the pair. "That's enough, now."

"Percy!" said Fred as though he had only just spotted him and seized his hand too. "How really corking to see you –"

"That's enough," said Mrs. Weasley, coming closer and frowning at the twins. "I suppose you've heard the exciting news, Arabella?" She pointed to the brand-new silver badge on Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" She was swelling with pride.

"And last," Fred muttered under his breath.

"I don't doubt that," said Mrs. Weasley. "I notice they haven't made you two prefects."

"What do we want to be prefects for?" said George, looking revolted at the very idea. "It'd take all the fun out of life."

Ginny giggled.

"You want to set a better example for your sister!" snapped Mrs. Weasley.

"Ginny's got other brothers to set her an example, Mother," said Percy loftily. "I'm going to change for dinner." He then glanced at Arabella. "Good to see that you are well, Black," he added stiffly before disappearing.

Arabella watched after him. That was possibly the nicest he has ever been to her.

George heaved a sigh. "We tried to shut him in a pyramid," he told Arabella and Harry. "But Mum spotted us."

Remus was done speaking with Mr. Weasley and looked even more exhausted than before. He rubbed his eyes and made his way over to Arabella, gesturing her away from the group. He then handed her a small key.

"Room fourteen," he said. "Tom has already put Shay and your trunk in the room. Molly and Arthur know where you will be sleeping and they have assured me that you will be on the train no matter what. Right?"

Arabella smiled a little. "Promise. What were you the three of you talking about?"

Remus sighed. "Nothing, don't worry about it. I'll see you at Hogwarts tomorrow. Have a safe journey. Be careful."

"All right, then," said Arabella. She really wanted to know, but she could practically see the energy draining away from him just by standing in front of her. The full moon was hastily approaching and he still wanted to look over the syllabus before tonight. It was going to be a terrible and busy night for him. "I'll see you later then, Moony," she added.

He kissed her forehead, waved to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before disappearing through the Leaky Cauldron's fireplace. She made her way back to the small table Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at. Ron and Hermione were arguing about their pets, both going red with each word. Harry sat in front of them with a smile and he pulled out the chair next to him for Arabella.

"Some things just don't change," Harry whispered to her.

Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlor and all of them ate their way through five delicious courses. Each course was as delicious as the previous. Fred and George were naturally teasing Percy with Ginny giggling at their antics. After a while, Percy stopped arguing with them. It seemed as though the twins were trying to put a smile on their little sister's faces and Percy didn't seem to mind after noticing that. Hermione and Ron resumed their conversation about Crookshanks and Scabbers, whether or not Scabbers was going to be safe with Crookshanks nearby while Hermione reminded him that cats naturally chased after rats anyway.

Once the chocolate pudding had come out, the conversation soon turned to how they were going to get to King's Cross tomorrow.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr. Weasley.

Everyone looked up at him.

"Why?" said Percy seriously.

"It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flag on the hoods, with HB on them –"

"– for Humongous Bighead," finished Fred.

Arabella, Percy and Mrs. Weasley did not snort into their pudding like the others.

"Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again in a dignified tone.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley while Ron avoided everyone's eye, "– and as I work there, they're doing me a favour –"

"It's because of Sirius Black, isn't it?" asked Arabella quietly.

Mr. Weasley's ears had gone red, much like Ron's, and dinner became very silent and very awkward by her. None of them were meeting her eyes and they looked very interested with the table cloth all of a sudden. It seemed as though they had all forgotten who her father was before this dinner.

"Have they caught him yet?" Arabella asked him.

"No," said Mr. Weasley, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money –"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "Sirius Black is a very dangerous wizard and he is not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back. And mind you, it's a good thing that the Ministry is providing us with cars. Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground…. You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table.

Ron scowled at Percy.

It wasn't the most smoothest transition into another topic, but Arabella supposed it was much needed. There was still something bugging her though – they were all acting as though it didn't matter that she's related to Sirius Black. She was eyeing everyone at the table before Ron nudged her side.

"Mum gave us a good talking to before you got here," he whispered, leaning in close to her. "Told us that if she heard that any of us were treating you badly, she was going to make us regret it. Then reminded us that it was you and Harry that went down to get Ginny in the Chamber. That's why Percy's acting all nice to you." He glanced at Percy. "Well, as nice as he can be."

Arabella turned red and shook her head, hiding her face behind her hair. The Weasleys, especially Mrs. Weasley, they were too good to her, too kind and generous. Maybe it was the memory of Kassandra that compelled Mrs. Weasley to be kind towards her, or maybe it was the fact that she helped Harry rescue Ginny. Either way, it was nice of her to do so.

"And it's not like Hermione or Harry are going to stop being friends with you," Ron continued to whisper. "Been through too much, the four of us. Be stupid to stop being friends now."

Ron nudged her side teasingly before turning back to his pudding. Arabella looked at everyone at the table and she was grateful for their kindness, even Percy's, though it wasn't much really. She then looked at Hermione, her best friend who did not seem to want to leave her side, Harry, who stood between her and Tom Riddle, and then Ron, who reassured her worries.

After their large dinner, they were all very full and very tired. They began to make their way up their stairs to their rooms to check their trunks and belongings for the next day. Arabella was the last one to get up, rubbing her very full belly.

Mrs. Weasley gave her a warm smile as she saw Arabella get up. "All ready for tomorrow, dear?"

Arabella nodded. "Yeah, got everything all packed and ready to go. Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, for, er, letting me come to King's Cross with you."

She hesitated before finishing, wondering what else she could say to Mrs. Weasley. She wanted to thank her for so much more but she didn't know how to exactly say it without embarrassing herself too much. It seemed as though Mrs. Weasley sensed her hesitation as she brought Arabella in for a tight hug. It was warm and loving and Arabella couldn't remember being hugged like this ever before. Her arms were firm and reassuring, and Mrs. Weasley smelled of some sort of flower that she could have found at the Burrow.

"Good night, dear," said Mrs. Weasley. "Best get to bed right now, you've got a long journey tomorrow."

Arabella nodded and smiled at her once more. She made her way up the stairs and she heard angry voices coming from Ron and Percy's room. The door was ajar and Harry was standing at the frame of the door.

"I haven't touched it, all right?" roared Ron.

Harry turned and saw her coming towards him.

"What's going on?" Arabella asked, worried.

"My Head Boy badge is gone," snapped Percy.

"So's Scabber's rat tonic," said Ron angrily, dumping the contents of his trunk on the floor. "I think I might've left it in the bar –"

"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.

"I'll get Scabber's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron. He then turned towards Arabella and said, "Wanna help me? Could sneak another hot chocolate before bed."

Arabella chuckled softly and they went downstairs. They were halfway along the dark passage to the back when they heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlor. It was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Arabella and Harry looked at each other for a moment, hesitating before making their way back along the passage, but then something made them stay.

"Harry's just a boy, Arthur!" said Mrs. Weasley. "This is the last thing he needs to know!"

Harry looked at her for a moment before they hid amongst the darkness. They huddled together and sat on the ground.

"It makes no sense not to tell him," said Mr. Weasley heatedly. "Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and –"

"Arthur, the truth would terrify him!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Do you really want to send Harry back to school with that hanging over him? And what about his friendship with Arabella? It would completely destroy them. For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!"

"I don't want to make him miserable, I want to put him on his guard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. "You know what Ron, Harry and Arabella are like, wandering off by themselves – they've even ended up in the Forbidden Forest twice! But Harry mustn't do that this year! When I think what could have happened to him that night he ran away from home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm prepared to bet he would have been dead before the Ministry found him."

"But he's not dead, he's fine, so what's the point –"

"Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he was clever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to be impossible. It's been a month, and no one's seen hide nor hair of him, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet, we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands. The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after –"

"But they are safe at Hogwarts."

"We thought Azkaban was perfectly safe. If Black can break out of Azkaban, he can break into Hogwarts."

"But no one's really sure that Black's after –"

There was a thud on the wood, and Arabella was sure Mr. Weasley had banged his fist on the table.

"Molly, how many times do I have to tell you? They didn't report it in the press because Fudge wanted it kept quiet, but Fudge went out to Azkaban the night Black escaped. The guards told Fudge that Blacks been taking in his sleep for a while now. Always the same words: 'They're at Hogwarts… they're at Hogwarts.' Black is deranged, Molly, and he wants Harry dead and he wants to kidnap Arabella if you ask me. Black lost everything the night Harry stopped You-Know-Who, and he's had twelve years alone in Azkaban to brood on that. He thinks murdering Harry will being You-Know-Who back to power."

"Well, Arthur, you must do what you think is right, but you are forgetting two people. Remus and Albus Dumbledore. Remus would not appreciate you telling Arabella the truth of the matter –"

"He would rather forget that Black is Arabella's father completely."

"But he doesn't want you telling them anything that could ruin their friendship or their year at Hogwarts, and it's his right to tell her the whole truth."

"He's happier pretending that nothing is wrong, Molly. He's not in his right mind when it comes to this. He's ignoring what is right."

"He doesn't want to ruin Arabella's third year. For god's sake, Arthur, the girl has already been through enough! Don't you remember what happened to Kassandra? Sirius Black left them behind and look at what happened! It is up to Remus as to whether or not he wants to tell Arabella the truth."

There were sounds of glasses clanging from the bar and a moment of silence from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"I don't think anything could hurt Harry at Hogwarts," said Mrs. Weasley, defeated. "Not while Dumbledore is headmaster. I suppose he knows about all this?"

"Of course he know. We had to ask him if he minds the Azkaban guards stationing themselves around the entrances to the school grounds. He wasn't happy about it, but he agreed."

Dementors?

"Not happy? Why shouldn't he be happy, if they're there to catch Black?"

"Dumbledore isn't fond of the Azkaban guards," said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Nor am I, if it comes to that… but when you're dealing with a wizard like Black, you sometimes have to join forces with those you'd rather avoid."

"If they save Harry –"

"– then I will never say another word against them," said Mr. Weasley. "It's late, Molly, we'd better go up…."

Arabella and Harry hurried down the passage to the bar and out of sight. The parlor door opened and they could hear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley climbing up the stairs. The bottle of rat tonic was lying under the table they had sat at earlier. They had waited in silence until they head Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom door close.

Arabella's hands were shaking. "I'm – I'm so – I'm nothing like that – Harry, I'm –"

Harry cut her off. "You stood up to Voldemort and tried to protect me during our first year," he said firmly. "As far as I'm concerned, Mr. Lupin is your real father. Not him."

Arabella was taken back by the sheer determination and steel in his voice.

"You're my friend," said Harry more softly, gently touching her arm. "And nothing's going to change that, all right? After all, we can't help who we're related to. Look at my family, the Dursleys!"

"Yeah, but have they murdered thirteen people in one go and are currently trying to kill one of your friends?"

Harry looked very thoughtful at that. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they have, and they're still a little sour about you, Ron and the twins breaking me out last year so I'd watch my back if I were you. The Dursleys are out for you, Arabella."

Arabella laughed at the seriousness in his voice and Harry followed suit, but the urgency of the matter soon hit them again. Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban and was now on the run after them. He was surely going to kill Harry to avenge his old master, but what was he going to do with Arabella? Kidnap her? Train her to learn the ways of Dark magic? Make her a Death Eater like him after Voldemort comes back? The possibilities are endless and Sirius Black must know that. He's had twelve years to think about it.

"Are you scared?" Arabella whispered.

Harry licked his lips quickly and said, "I don't… I think I should be more scared, but Mrs. Weasley is right. There is no safer place on earth than wherever Dumbledore is. Isn't he the only person Voldemort was afraid of?" Arabella nodded. "Then surely Black is just as frightened of him, and with these Azkaban guards, there is no chance of him getting inside the castle. But now the chances of me visiting Hogsmeade are very slim."

"You're not going?" asked Arabella.

Harry shook his head. "My uncle didn't sign it because I blew up his aunt – on accident of course. But I'm not completely useless. I can look after myself and go to Hogsmeade."

Arabella shrugged. "Perhaps it's for the best. Anyway, me, Ron and Hermione can always bring you back some sweets and whatnot."

They began to make their way upstairs with Ron's rat tonic bottle.

"It would be better if I could go," muttered Harry.

Arabella gave him a sympathetic smile and they saw Fred and George. They were crouching in the shadows on the landing, heaving with laughter as they listened to Percy dismantling his and Ron's room in search of his badge.

"We've got it," Fred whispered. "We've been improving it."

The badge now read Bighead Boy. Harry gave them a small laugh, went to give Ron the rat tonic and then joined Arabella in her room for a while. She laid down on her bed while he sat on the armchair.

"I am capable of looking after myself," Harry said at once. "And you're going to Hogsmeade as well and he's also after you."

Arabella snorted. "It took days for Remus to sign the form. I argued with him for days. He thought that it was unsafe as well, but I managed to convince him otherwise."

"What did you say?"

"That if he didn't sign the form I would find some way to go to the village anyway," said Arabella. "Took a while for him to see reason. But really, do you see Sirius Black coming to Hogsmeade to kill you or anything? It's one of the most popular and busiest villages in the wizarding community. He can't just kill you and try to get away alive himself. Also, with those guards stationed around Hogwarts – he should have just stayed in Azkaban."

Harry nodded and for a moment, they sat in silence, mulling over what they had heard.

"I'm not going to be murdered," Harry said out loud.

"That's the spirt, dear," said the mirror in Arabella's room sleepily.

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me what you guys think!