Chapter ten:
Are you Sirius?
The next few days, Victoria and Harry just relaxed through the rest of the holiday break, having Harry visit the burrow off and on after having written his friends about the good news. Harry had came back from the burrow and back to Victoria's house when he heard an owl coming towards the house, carrying a rather long, wrapped package before dropping it from its grip and down to Harry who caught it. Walking inside the house with the package after picking up the mail that was on the doorstep, Harry shut the door and examined the package before Victoria walked into the living room from her bedroom. "Mail is here?" Victoria asked, noticing Harry's broom-shaped package. Harry nodded and handed her the mail while looking at his package. Victoria sorted through the mail, taking out one addressed to Harry for his list of school supplies he needed to get, handing that letter to Harry before reading the confirmation letter that she was the official guardian of Harry. "Happy New Year, Harry." Victoria smirked, showing Harry the official paper. Harry had began opening his package before he looked at the paper his aunt was showing him, flashing a smile on his face.
"Brilliant. I'm finally free from the Dursleys." Harry said with a happy, soft grin. Victoria was pleased that her nephew was comfortable and happy to live with her - she only wanted what was best for him. Harry then turned back to the package, fully unwrapping it and noticed it was a brand new broom - a Firebolt. Harry's expression was of surprise. "Who sent that to you, Harry?" Victoria asked curiously. Harry looked through the wrapping but didn't find a name or location. "Doesn't say. Nowhere on the packaging does it say." Harry pointed out. Victoria thought it was odd, cautious about who might've sent it but figured she could look at it that night. "Harry, if it's alright with you, i would like to inspect it to make sure there's no specific jinx or curse on the broom." Victoria offered. Harry furrowed his eyebrows. "I doubt that it is cursed, aunt Tori." Harry refuted. Victoria quirked a brow. "I would still prefer to look at it just in case, Harry. It's for your protection. If not me, surely Professional McGonagall will take her time to thoroughly look at it." Victoria explained.
Harry figured that his aunt had a point and agreed to let her inspect the new broom he had gotten. That night, Victoria inspected the broom in her bedroom, using the revealing charm. "Aparecium." Victoria casted with her wand at the Firebolt, having the broom hover in the air inches from the floor. It took a couple of hours to inspect the broom but there was nothing to be found. No jinx, no curse, just an ordinary broom. The next morning, Victoria had handed the broom back to Harry. "I found nothing wrong with the broom, I'll alert Dumbledore and McGonagall I've inspected it prior to arriving back to school." Victoria explained. Harry was glad that there was nothing wrong with the broom but still, both of them were still puzzled on who sent it. There was obviously no address on the package, just Harry's name therefore the owl that delivered had to find Harry. It was now time to head back to Hogwarts for the rest of the school year, Victoria had dropped Harry off to platform 9 3/4 before heading to the castle in order to get prepared for the continuation of classes the next day. As Victoria made her way up to the castle from the grounds, she arrived back into her classroom and set her things into her living quarters. Putting her corrected papers onto the shelf of corrected papers, of course separated by tabs, Victoria exited her classroom and made her way down the hall and up to the next floor, towards Dumbledore's office. "Sherbet Lemon." Victoria spoke, the password being accepted and she entered through the gargoyle. Upon entering Dumbledore's office, Victoria stopped in the midst of the room when she spotted Dumbledore speaking to McGonagall. McGonagall then exited the office before Dumbledore turned his attention onto Victoria. "What is it that you wish to tell me, Victoria?" Dumbledore asked as he put his focus onto the ginger haired professor.
"Over the holidays, Harry had stayed with me until the hearing, in which i was granted guardianship, and...he received a Firebolt from an unknown source at my doorstep. I wanted to inform you that i had taken the entire night that night to inspect it for any kind of curse, jinx or dark magic. I didn't find any." Victoria informed him. Dumbledore was alerted at the broom incident and found himself rather curious. "Which incantation did you use to inspect such broom?" Dumbledore asked. Victoria folded her hands in front of her. "Aparecium." Victoria replied simply. Dumbledore nodded. "I will inform Professor McGonagall. However, congratulations on gaining guardianship over Harry, Victoria." Dumbledore stated. Victoria smiled in response before being dismissed from the office. Upon leaving the office, the students began arriving back to the school after the holidays and the halls filled with commotion the rest of the day. By the next few months, classes had resumed like normal despite the talk about Sirius Black once more. Her birthday in which she shared with Lily, had passed though she never spoke of it, Harry remembered his mother's and gifted his aunt some sweets from Honeydukes for a birthday present. Victoria had given homework and essays like normal while picking up the responsibility of patrolling the corridors herself. As she walked the dark corridor on the first floor, she thought about how real everything had gotten for her since she moved from America.
She was different only a little over a year ago, now she had been at the same school her twin attended, became guardian over her twin's son and had caught the attention of a professor she found herself drawn to. Using Lumos on her wand, Victoria scanned up and down the hall she passed through, seeming eerie as the castle was dark before she crossed paths with none other than Severus Snape. "What are you doing, wandering the corridors at night?" Snape asked with a small, quiver of a smirk on his lips, obviously entertained. Victoria played an amused smile onto her lips before responding to the dark haired professor. "I was put on patrol duty for the week as Professor Lupin was unable to." Victoria stated. Snape found himself intrigued, not that he would make it obvious. "Interesting as it may, there might be a specific friend of Lupin crawling among the castle. I hope that i be the one to find him." Snape replied in confidence. Victoria would be lying if she were to say that she wasn't curious about whom Snape was referring to as Lupin's friend but she surely was hoping that he wasn't referring to Sirius Black. "Who exactly are you referring to, Severus?" Victoria asked curiously while they continued walking down the corridor, patrolling. "Who else besides Sirius Black himself?" Snape asked rhetorically, lifting a brow for a mere second.
Victoria was surprised to hear the theory that Snape had brought forward to her. "You're not intending to say that Remus is friends with that criminal, Severus?" Victoria pointed out. Snape paused his steps and turned to Victoria. "Surely, it is what i said." Snape said dryly. Victoria wasn't sure if she believed that but she did remember Lupin telling her they went to school with Snape. "I'm not doubting you, Severus...you do know Remus more than i do. I suppose i just need to see it for myself for evidence." Victoria stated. Snape had to admit - he was rather relieved that she wasn't considering him a liar but knew there had to be evidence to his suspicions. "In time, perhaps, evidence will reveal itself." Snape replied. They then continued patrolling the halls together for the night and the rest of the week. Victoria had crossed Lupin within the week who thanked her for covering his patrol, although she was tempted to ask him about his connection to Sirius Black, she remained hesitant on the idea of doing so.
Months went by with teaching History of Magic and before she knew it, it was June. During one late evening in June, Victoria exited her classroom after tidying up the desks and chalkboard to notice Snape leaving the castle in a rather agile manner. Remembering not seeing Harry or two of his friends since class, she decided to quietly follow Snape to his destination. As Snape edged down the hill and closer towards the whomping willow, Victoria followed as well, spotting him pick up something from the ground then become invisible. He was gone as the whomping willow froze for only a moment before going back to normal. Victoria had not known that Snape found the invisibility cloak on the ground that Harry dropped before entering into the shrieking shack. Victoria edged closer to the whomping willow before spotting an entrance into the tree but then stepped back as the tree began to swing it's branches at her, barely missing her as she tripped and fell on her bottom. Taking out her wand, Victoria pointed it at the whomping willow. "Immobilus." Victoria casted, causing the tree to freeze. Upon the tree freezing, Victoria rushed over to the entrance and walked inside the whomping willow, following the steps up until when she saw Snape remove the cloak and confront those inside the shack.
"Expelliarmus!" Snape casted towards Sirius and Lupin. "Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you." Snape added in spiteful tone. Victoria decided to walk up behind Snape, curious. "Severus..." Lupin said in a warning tone, noticing Victoria had stepped behind Snape, watching the scene but Snape and Sirius seemed too focused to notice. "I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof." Snape stated, his expression was of disdain. "Brilliant! And, as usual, you come to the wrong conclusion. Now give us our wands back. Remus and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to." Sirius spat out. Snape edged forward a step, pressing his wand against Sirius' neck. "Give me a reason. I beg you." Snape sneered. Victoria watched the scene play out before her before moving her focus onto Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Don't be a fool, Severus!" Lupin pointed out, his eyes remained on Victoria. "He can't help it. It's habit by now." Sirius refuted. Victoria bit her cheek, she was beginning to put the pieces together on exactly why Snape had been cynical towards Lupin. "Quiet, Sirius!" Lupin warned his old friend before pointing in Victoria's direction.
Sirius then turned his focus onto the ginger haired female behind Snape and nearly froze for a moment while in front of Snape, wearing the wand at his neck. "Listen to you two. Quarreling like an old married couple. The creature and the criminal." Snape continued to taunt. "Piss off, Severus." Sirius spat before Severus dug his wand a little deeper. "Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors?" Snape threatened. Sirius turned his focus from Victoria and onto Snape once again. "Do I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must be like to endure the Dementor's Kiss. It's said to be unbearable to witness. But I'll do my best..." Snape added, continuing the taunt. Sirius was still rather bewildered to see Victoria, thinking she was Lily back from the dead. "You are far more experienced in the dark arts than we realized, Severus...were you that obsessed with Lily that you had to bring her back from the dead?!" Sirius spouted. Snape gave off a vague expression as to what Sirius was talking about before Victoria stepped passed Snape and into the room.
"That is not Lily, Sirius." Lupin warned Sirius. Victoria edged over to her nephew, Ron and Hermione. "Is everyone alright?" Victoria asked. Sirius noticed Snape's attention onto Victoria for a mere moment before it turned back onto him. "It is too, Remus!" Sirius shouted, Snape kept his wand at Sirius' neck. "Care to explain? Otherwise, run along and play with your chemistry set!" Sirius spat. Snape edged forward, backing Sirius against the broken, rusted piano. "No..." Snape said in a snide remark. Lupin looked from Victoria and back onto Sirius. "That is Victoria, Lily's long lost twin...she was adopted and raised in America soon after birth." Lupin explained in a rushed tone before Snape gave him a piercing glare. "Thanks for the rundown, Remus." Victoria stated, approaching them, her wand out as well towards Sirius. "Victoria...i wouldn't." Lupin warned. Snape shot a rather arrogant, sly smirk at the corner of his mouth before quickly dropping it. "Siding with Severus? Definitely not Lily." Sirius pointed out. "Wouldn't, Remus? This is the mass murderer, Sirius Black isn't it?" Victoria asked assuredly. Sirius began to laugh in amusement. "Severus surely has you brainwashed, doesn't he?" Sirius sneered, causing Snape to press his wand harder into Sirius' neck which made Sirius quit his banter. "Sirius..." Lupin warned him before turning to Victoria. "It's not what you think..." Lupin attempted to explain. Victoria was confused by the comment of her being brainwashed. "After you." Snape stated with intimidation.
Harry had taken Hermione's wand and pointed it at Snape. "Expelliarmus!" Harry casted, causing Snape to fly and hit the wall with a thud before landing in the old bed in the shack. Victoria along with Ron and Hermione stood there in shock. "Harry!" Victoria shouted in a puzzled tone, sounding like a parent, backing towards the bed to check on Snape before turning her attention back onto the scene. Harry didn't hit it at his aunt because he knew she wasn't hostile as Snape was. "You attacked a teacher." Hermione stated in shock. Sirius had gathered his and Lupin's wands before Harry went to speak. "You said Peter before. Peter who?" Harry asked. Victoria kept her wand up towards Sirius and Lupin, keeping on guard in attempt to protect her nephew. "Pettigrew. He was at school with us. We thought he was a friend." Lupin began explaining. Sirius wasn't fond of Victoria keeping her wand pointed at them. "No. Pettigrew's dead. He killed him." Harry pointed out. Sirius laughed ruthlessly. "I thought so, too. Until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map." Lupin stated. Sirius then went to turn his wand onto Victoria quickly.
"Stupefy!" Sirius casted, causing Victoria to fly back onto the floor near the bed, knocked out. "Why did you do that for?!" Harry shouted in irritation. "She had her wand pointed at me, i cannot trust her, Harry." Sirius explained. Lupin hung his head for a moment. "Victoria is Harry's aunt and newly made guardian, Sirius. Way to start a first impression, i must say." Lupin pointed out to Sirius. Sirius rolled his eyes before they continued the conversation. "The Map was lying then." Harry stated, he kept turning his attention onto his unconscious aunt then back onto Sirius and Lupin. "The Map never lies. Pettigrew's alive. And he's right there." Sirius pointed towards Ron in the corner of the room, holding Scabbers. "M-me? It's mental." Ron replied, scared. Sirius became unhinged a little in frustration. "Not you, your rat!" Sirius spewed. "Scabbers? Scabbers has been in my family for-" Ron spoke in panic before being cut off by Sirius. "Twelve years. A curiously long life for a common garden rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?" Sirius pointer out bluntly. "So what?" Ron refuted. "All they could find of Pettigrew was his-" Harry began figuring out. "Finger. Dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. Then he transformed into a rat." Sirius explained bluntly.
"Show me." Harry stated. Sirius then went over to grab the rat from Ron. "What are you going to do to him? Leave him alone!" Ron shouted. Sirius placed the rat onto the piano and pointed his wand at the rat as it ran off, spells hitting off the piano before finally getting it and the rat turned into a chubby, balding man. Sirius pulled him over towards him and Lupin, with their wands pointed at him. "S-Sirius... R-Remus. My old friends." Peter Pettigrew stated before attempting to dart away but Harry blocked the exit while Sirius and Lupin caught him. Along the way back, Peter spotted the unconscious Victoria on the floor, also mistaking her for Lily as he was too worried in rat form to pay attention to every word before. "L-Lily is alive? She will forgive me, show me mercy." Peter shouted as he lunged towards her but was withheld once again. "That is not Lily, for the hundredth time." Lupin corrected. Peter seemed baffled yet fearful of his old friends. "Shut up!" Sirius spat out. Peter cowered. "I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself what you would have done, Sirius. What would you have done!" Peter explained in fear.
"Died! Died rather than betray my friends! And you should have realized, Peter, if Voldemort didn't kill you..." Sirius trailed off. "We would." Lupin added. They went to point their wands at Peter. "Your father would've shown me mercy..." Peter attempted to convince Harry before Harry stepped in the way. "No." Harry stated. Lupin and Sirius gave off a disappointed reaction. "Harry, this man..." Lupin began to plead, but Harry was quick to respond. "I know what he is and what he did. We'll take him to the castle..." Harry declared. Peter figured he was off the hook. "Bless you, bless you." Peter began thanking him before Harry shoved him off. "Get off me! I said we'll take him to the castle and then the dementors can have you." Harry stated. They then made their way out of the shrieking shack, Lupin keeping his wand and grip at Peter while Sirius helped Ron with his injured leg. "Turn me into a maggot. A dung beetle. A Flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors." Peter begged but it was ignored.
Harry had walked off with Sirius to talk with him feet away while Remus kept watch of Peter along with Hermione and Ron talked among each other, knowing they couldn't simply walk into the castle with Sirius at the moment. Snape had woken up from the old, rustic bed with a neck and back ache from the spell. Placing his feet onto the wooden floor of the shack, Snape noticed Victoria laying unconsciously on the floor - Harry couldn't have knocked out his own aunt, or did he? Snape went over to check on her, reassuring himself that it wasn't a repeat of his worst fear reoccurring again. Walking over swiftly and kneeling halfway as his black cloak brushed the floor, Snape examined the unconscious Victoria, realizing she was still alive by her heartbeat. Standing up, Snape edged towards the door of the shack and came to a halt when he heard movement from behind him. Victoria had woken up from being unconscious and looked up to spot Snape at the doorway. "What happened? Where's Harry?" Victoria asked, standing up and rubbing her neck. Snape studied her for a moment before parting his lips to reply. "No idea..." Snape replied in honesty before adding, "Who knocked you unconscious?" Snape asked. Victoria thought about it for a moment. "It was Sirius Black. I didn't see it coming." Victoria replied. Then there was noise from above the shack, noise of Sirius and Harry shouting, not knowing that Lupin was transforming into a werewolf under the full moon. Both Snape and Victoria looked up at the noise. "Stay here." Snape demanded before exiting the shack.
Of course, Victoria wouldn't obey for too long. Victoria left the room and headed up the stairwell, standing just below the entrance. "There you are, Potter!" Snape sneered, confronting Harry after being knocked out and ready to spit out a punishment before his attention was turned onto the werewolf before them - Lupin. Snape drew his wand and covered the trio in protection before Sirius jumped in, in his animagus form of a dog, knocking Snape and the three over before going after werewolf Lupin. Victoria heard the commotion and stepped out from the whomping willow and over to the trio and Snape while Sirius fought with Lupin. "I thought i told you to stay inside!" Snape snapped at Victoria. Victoria narrowed her eyes at Snape. "I appreciate your protection, Severus but I'm also suppose to be watching over my nephew." Victoria pointed out as she took out her wand for in case. Harry then saw Sirius get thrown down hard and a whimper escaped. "Sirius! No!" Harry shouted, darting off. Victoria's eyes widened. "Harry!" Victoria shouted. "Get back here, Potter!" Snape demanded but of course, Harry didn't listen. Werewolf Lupin looked at Harry once he got hit by a rock and as it motioned towards Harry, Victoria was steps behind her nephew with her wand pointed. "Pertificus Totalus!" Victoria casted, body binding the wolf before Victoria grabbed Harry by the arm. The spell wore off within a minute from the werewolf, knowing spells will not work on werewolves long, before a howl echoed from within the forest which distracted the werewolf from lunging at the two and having Lupin dart off. Fifteen minutes later, Victoria and Snape found the unconscious Harry and Sirius by the lake, bringing Harry to the hospital wing along with Ron and Snape handed in Sirius to Dumbledore, having him locked in a tower until his sentencing.
Victoria stayed in the hospital wing until Harry had woken up, very disappointed in how everything went down. "Aunt Tori?" Harry asked, waking up. Victoria turned her attention to her nephew, Harry noticed Hermione was over by Ron. "Harry...I'm glad that you're okay." Victoria replied, smiling warmly at him. Harry felt bad that his aunt had been knocked out and that he didn't get to check on her. "I'm sorry for what happened back there. I didn't exactly mean for all of it to happen. Sirius isn't really all that bad, honestly. Though he is my godfather." Harry apologized. Victoria knew that Harry was just the ordinary thirteen year old but with a rough road ahead. "Don't worry about it." Victoria reassured. Harry sighed. "You're sure?" Harry asked. Victoria smiled crookedly before brushing his hair back and getting up from the chair. "If you like, Harry, i can ground you for a week when summer begins?" Victoria teased. Harry sat up and put his glasses back on. "No, I'm good." Harry replied instantly. Victoria chuckled. "I thought so. Rest up and I'll be back later." Victoria stated before exiting the hospital wing, passing Dumbledore on the way out.
Little did Victoria or the rest of the staff besides Dumbledore know that Harry and Hermione would be going back in time with the time turner and changing the death of Buckbeak and freeing Sirius from the locked tower over the next few hours before returning to the present. By the next day, there was news about Sirius Black escaping the tower and Dumbledore didn't do much about it. On the last day of classes, during the evening, Snape had informed his house of Slytherin that Lupin was a werewolf which had spread around the castle, causing Lupin to volunteer to leave the school and open up his position the morning after. Before Lupin's departure, he had made sure to speak with Victoria one last time, catching her after breakfast, just outside the great hall. "Victoria? Mind if i have a last word with you?" Lupin asked. Victoria obliged and they walked off to a spot in the hall. "Last word?" Victoria questioned. Lupin looked over to the doors of the great hall to spot Snape exiting, before looking back at Victoria. "I've decided to resign from my position, and i wanted to inform you that the Sirius and myself you saw last night, aren't who we truly are. I didn't want it leaving the first and last impression on you. Sirius was rather not himself after twelve years of Azkaban." Lupin explained.
Victoria listened on while Snape had hovered by the doors of the great hall, obviously keeping an eye on the two of them before walking off towards the dungeons. "Resign? And well, i honestly didn't enjoy being knocked out especially while my nephew was in possible danger. I think it over regarding Sirius." Victoria explained, it was obvious that she wasn't fond of Sirius Black from the first meeting. "Fair enough. It seems that someone has let slip the nature of my condition in which is the result of my resignation. I best be on my way. It was quite nice to have met and worked with you, Victoria." Lupin replied before departing the school. It was now time for students to go home for summer break and most staff would be leaving as well. Harry had informed his aunt of his departure to the train and would meet her at Platform 9 3/4. Victoria had packed her things and began heading out of the castle while Snape remained in his office, realizing that he had underestimated Victoria from what went on the night before, she had left an impression on him.