Blaze

Amber and Ruby

Disclaimer: We don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 9: The story

Everyone, excluding me, was excited. Why? Because of Quidditch, that's why. Technically, I was glowering at Remus who was trying to convince me to watch the game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

"Rem, I really appreciate you concern," I lied, "but I'll be more than happy to spend quality time with the library."

"Come on. It will be fun…"

I scoffed.

"Fun? You mean standing out in the cold and watching some guys and girls moving around on a broom are fun? That's why I know that I'm sane."

"You're boring." His voice was teasing me. My eyes widened. "Am not! I can talk politics, discuss literature and… can discuss history; both wizardry and muggle."

"For a 17 year old, you're boring," Remus said smiling.

"Then it's a good thing that I rarely hang around any 17 year old," I said glaring.

So here I am. My socks wet, my hair in a mess and shivering watching the bloody game. The Slytherins were on the Hufflepuff's side and were winning… I sighed. I wanted to open the book that I had in my satchel but it wasn't a good idea… I decided to stare at people and observe their reactions.

Then it happened quickly. A broom was shattered by a bludger. The Hufflepuff spiraled downwards. Was he hurt? Although on the inside I was concerned, my face didn't show it. I didn't want to look concerned.

Then a lightning strikes Angela (or is it Angelina? Whatever.)'s broom. A black umbrella flew in the wind.

"NOooo!"

A Gryffindor fell from his broom… Remus' face was shocked. He was Harry Potter.


I sneezed and glared at Remus. "See! I told you watching Quidditch was a bad idea," I announced. My head was aching even though I went to the hospital wing.

Remus' eyes were alight with humor. He looked younger. The tired, pessimist Remus must have gone; washed away with the rain. There was a short-lived silence. The werewolf got up from the faded red settee while I remained perched on the chair, drinking the black coffee. The man strolled towards me with chocolate in his hands. "It will make you feel better;" he said without taking his eyes off my sober face.

"Chocolate won't make me feel better," I said with a voice that could turn the rain which was dripping outside into ice, "or are you trying to fatten me up?" Remus hunched his shoulders and grinned. "That idea might have crossed my mind," he laughed and then, his gaze steadied on me. "Eat it!"

Giving in to his request, I grabbed it and started chewing slowly as my mouth was stiff. Remus seated himself back to the settee and ran his pale fingers through his hair. Now that I learnt to control my fear and perform the Riddikulus charm after what seemed eternity, he decided to teach me how to disarm my opponent but all of his attempts were ineffective. My aim was rubbish and I nearly broke my nose.

"You should go to your dorm. It has become dark," my teacher said as he stared at the window. No sun rays gave light to the room. Rays of moon entered instead. I nodded and got up from the chair. "Yeah. It is late."

"Solly?" "Hmm?" His tone made me suspicious. "Harry is in the hospital," I crossed my arms across my chest, "and it would make me really happy if you visit him. Even if you visit him when he's sleeping."

"Sorry to disappoint you but Potter is in my blacklist. Firstly, he is a heedless Gryffindor and secondly it was his father who along with other Gryffindors pulled the prank which sentenced me to this punishment; to this hell!"

"Being a Gryffindor has absolutely nothing sinful and Harry is not "heedless". He is a good young man and secondly, James, Sirius and Peter didn't mean to harm you," he said in a clear voice which echoed around the four walls around us. I felt my skin growing darker.

"But they did."

Remus approached me. His intelligent face was set in a business-like form.

"You should melt your stone heart. You must forgive."

"Forgive?! Forgive Black who breathes freedom while I'm chained in this soul-destroying life?!"

My hands turned to fists. He took my hands and grasped it firmly.

"You're chained because you won't forgive."

I snickered and pulled my hands away.

"Or should I forgive the resting corpses of James and Pettigrew?!"

My voice was loud by the end of the sentence. His rock-hard glance pierced my body. His face crumbled. He seated himself on the sofa.

"Maybe I should even forgive the ministry for not letting these lads face justice! But you know what? The irony is that these people who helped you face the unjust world were unjust to me!" I was hysterics.

"Talk to me!"

Remus faced me. "When you calm down, I shall." I fumed, and then I started sobbing. I felt so ashamed. However anger still boiled in my blood.

"You're forgiven."

"How can you forgive so easily?"

"You're my sister. How can I not forgive you? You're Solstice Lupin. Our parents were Eric and Katherine Lupin. Eric was a half-blood wizard. Mum was muggle. Father died ten years ago and mum died seven months after you disappeared. She was really down in the dumps."

I stared into his eyes, unable to believe his words. "Dad was angry. The ministry inspected the potion but it was harmless. He toured over the globe to find you. Of course, he didn't locate you. You were in the future."

"Potion? What was the prank?"

"They poured the Laugh inducing potion in your drink. You were too serious for a child. You only smiled when Dad read you stories, or mum hummed you songs or when I was with you... but only with us you smiled. With strangers you were like a block of ice."

"A block of ice?"

"Something destroyed the innocent child that you were and created a worldly child."

"What could possibly have happened?"

"You found me lacerated. Just after I was attacked."

"Then it's you... the demontors..."

I opened my eyes. I felt a bit strange… Like last time, the Dementors brought back the saddest memory that I had; the memory that I didn't remember. The vision was hazy.

There was a boy with brown hair… I couldn't see his face. He was on the ground… his clothes were torn and bloody…

It was a short vision but it connected me to my past. Who was the boy?

"After I hadn't returned back home, a search party was started… you were hapless enough to see the sight. You were only five. You realized that life was… was not all roses. I remember how much you cried when I started attending Hogwarts."

"But how can you be sure that they didn't want to hurt me?"

"They shared the memory." Remus put his hands in his pocket and handed me a picture.

"That's father, mother, you and me. That's grand pa; our mother's father. You were seven. I was twelve."

"Do you have other pictures?" I asked, craving to learn more. Remus smiled.

"Open that drawer. There's an album. You can have it."

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