Hell Have No Fury

by thehelpinghand

I am Aileen Potter, Daughter of the Sea, Granddaughter to the Goddess of Love. I am the Champion of the Great Goddess Hecate. I am the eyes that see and acknowledge all that lays before me. I am the torch that burns like a beacon in times of darkness, pain and sorrow. I am the protector of the weak, innocent and just. And this…this is the story of my life MAJOR EDIT 20/06/2018

20. Chapter 20: Dementors x2Ed

Chapter 20: Year three: Dementors

The next morning Aileen woke at her normal time of four o'clock. However, instead of her normal run, she did some push up, sit ups, crunches and lunges. So̱ti̱ría watch her do all this through sleepy eyes, huffing in laughter at how she looked but not making the effort to get up since Aileen wasn't going for her run (Aileen thought the only reason he joined her for her runs was to keep her safe because So̱ti̱ría liked his sleep).

Once she was done with that she showered and change into the cloths she had set out the night before. A pair of black jeans, a tight long-sleeved green shirt and black hoody. She also pulled on some boots that went up the back of her calf and had a one inch block heal (something she had decided to wear when she realised that some of the first years were taller than her).

She double checked that everything she owned was in her trunk and then sat on the windowsill, cup of tea in hand and gently stroked So̱ti̱ría's fur. He already had the scarf tied round his neck so that he could be whisked of too Hogwarts.

"I'll come find you at Hogwarts as soon as I can. But you'll be in safe hands. Hagrid's very big but he's gentle and honest. He'll take good care of you." Aileen whispered to So̱ti̱ría just before the portkey activated and he disappeared.

Aileen had just placed her tea cup back on the tray to be taken back down to the kitchens when Ron barged his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable. Aileen raised an eyebrow at the rudeness of the boy. She hoped he didn't go around doing that to his family – especially Ginny. The only reason she wasn't too upset was because she was always up early and wore cloths that covered her body (but more importantly the scars she had).

"The sooner we get on the train, the better," he said. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaced, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy..."

"Ron, you don't drink tea." Aileen said frowning.

Before Ron could reply they were interrupted by Fred and George, who had looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again. Unintentionally informing Aileen that they were the ones to spill something on Percy's photo (most likely as pay back for keeping them up the night before by shouting). Fred and George had gotten closer to Percy in the last year or so in their aim to help Ginny, but they would still prank him if Percy over stepped his bounds or did something to annoy them.

As a group, they all went down to the bar for breakfast. Mr Weasley was up and reading the Daily Prophet with a frown while Mrs Weasley was talking with Hermione and Ginny. When they walked passed, Aileen caught the words love potion and motioned the boys over to their father, figuring that they wouldn't want to over hear the conversation.

During the normal chaos that was the Weasley's preparing to leave, Aileen didn't have the time to stop her friends and talk with them. With careful manoeuvring, they got everyone's trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow and winding staircase, stacking them next to the door. Luckily, so early in the morning there was very few patrons in the pub, but Aileen noticed that there were several Auras sat around watching them – including the tall black man who had been with the Minister (and was the only one currently dressed in uniform and managing to look like he was only there for breakfast with his companion (who had mostly succeed in being as casual as her companion although her eyes kept following Aileen instead of looking at her partner). Since Aileen had already sent Hedwig off, there was only Percy's owl and Hermione's cat to cage and place with the trunks. Hermes was quite, and complacent despite the noise going on around him, but Crookshanks was hissing and spitting loudly in displeasure at being placed in a wickerwork basket.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione cooed through the wickerwork. "I'll let you out on the train."

"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers was curled up in his pocket.

Mr. Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside.

"They're here," he said. "Aileen, come on."

Mr. Weasley marched Aileen across the short stretch of pavement toward the first of two old-fashioned darkgreen cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

"In you get, Aileen," said Mr. Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

Aileen rolled her eyes discreetly in annoyance but got into the back ofthe carand was shortly joined by Hermione, Ron, and, to Ron's disgust, Percy. To stop any potential arguments on the way Aileen swopped seats with Ron. She didn't understand Ron's problem with Percy – even the twins got along with him now and they despised most people with any kind of power over them.

Since they were being driven by ministry cars they arrived at the station on time. The Ministrydriversfound them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats in salute to Mr. Weasley, and drove away, using magic to jump to the head of an unmoving line at thetrafficlights.

Mr. Weasley keptcloseto Aileen's elbow all the way into the station, as though he was acting as her guard.

"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Aileen."

Mr. Weasley strolled toward the barrier between platforms nine and ten, pushing Aileen's trolley and apparently very interested in the InterCity 125 that had just arrived at platform nine. With a meaningful look at Aileen, he leaned casually against the barrier. Aileen imitated him.

In a moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train.

Percy and Ginny suddenly appeared behind Aileen. They were panting and had apparently taken the barrier at a run.

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and robes out nervously. Ginny caught Aileen's eye, and they both turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair.

Once the remaining Weasleys and Hermione had joined them, Aileen and Mr. Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Hermes and Crookshanks in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, and finally Aileen. She was embarrassed, but really quite pleased, when she gave her an extra hug.

"Do take care, won't you Aileen?" she said as she straightened up, her eyes oddly bright. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron...no, they're not corned beef... Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are dear..."

"Aileen," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "come over here for a moment."

He jerked his head towards a pillar, and Aileen followed him behind it, leaving the others crowded around Mrs. Weasley.

"There's something I've got to tell you before you leave -" said Mr. Weasley in a tense voice.

"It's all right, Mr. Weasley," said Aileen, "I already know."

"You know? How could you know?"

"I heard you and Mrs. Wesley talking last night. I couldn't help hearing," Aileen added quickly. "Sorry, but my name and Sirius Black's was mentioned in the sentence and that caught my interest."

"That's not the way I'd have chosen for you to find out," said Mr. Weasley looking anxious.

"No, honestly it's OK. This way, you haven't broken your word to Fudge and I know what's going on." Aileen tried to comfort the troubled man.

"Aileen, you must be scared -"

"I'm not," said Aileen sincerely. "Really," she added, because Mr. Weasley was looking disbelieving. After all she was a thirteen year old girl with two years of magical experiencing, with a mass murder who worked for the worst Dark Lord Britain had seen in centuries: any normal person would be scared. But she wasn't, and she had several reasons to not be. "I'm not trying to be a hero, but seriously, Sirius Black can't be worse than Lord Voldemort, can he?"

Mr. Weasley flinched at the sound of the name, but overlooked it.

"Aileen, I knew you were, well, made of stronger stuff than Fudge seems to think, and I'm obviously pleased that you're not scared, but -"

"Arthur!" called Mrs. Weasley, who was now shepherding the rest onto the train. "Arthur, what are you doing? It's about to go!"

"She's coming Molly!" said Mr. Weasley, but he turned back to.

Before he could say anything Aileen spoke. "I'm not going to hunt him down, Mr Weasley. I'll stay out of trouble the best I can, I promise." Aileen said, guessing what the man wanted to ask of her.

There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut. Steam was billowing from the train it had started to move; Aileen quickly ran to the train and jumped into the compartment where Ron had thrown the door open for her. They then leaned out of the window and waved at Mr and Mrs Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view.

"I need to talk to you in private," Aileen muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed.

"Go away, Ginny," said Ron.

"Oh, that's nice," said Ginny huffily, and she stalked off.

Aileen, Ron, and Hermione set off down the corridor, looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for the one at the very end of the train.

This had only one occupant, a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. Aileen, Ron, and Hermione checked on the threshold. The Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and they had never seen an adult there before, except for the witch who pushed the food cart.

The stranger was wearing an extremely shabby set of wizard's robes that had been darned in several places. He looked ill and exhausted. Though quite young, his light brown hair was flecked with grey and Aileen noticed a scar that ran down the side of his face, just under the eye.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as they sat down and slid the door shut, taking the seats farthest away from the window (Aileen sitting next to the man).

"Professor R. J. Lupin." whispered Hermione at once.

"How'd you know that?"

"It's on his case," she replied, pointing at the luggage rack over the man's head, where there was a small, battered case held together with a large quantity of neatly knotted string. The name Professor R. J. Lupin was stamped across one corner in peeling letters.

"Wonder what he teaches?" said Ron, frowning at Professor Lupin's pallid profile.

"Defence, it was his best subject at school – alongside Care and Arithmancy." Aileen answered before Hermione could.

"How'd you know that?" Ron demanded.

"Because he's Remus John Lupin, one of my father's best friends." Aileen answered. She had looked into all the face she see had seen in the Mirror of Erised so that she could put a name to them. Once she found them she dug a little deeper.

"Well, I hope he's up to it," said Ron doubtfully. "He looks like one, good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway..." he turned to Aileen, "what were you going to tell us?"

Aileen explained all about Mr. and Mrs. Wesley's argument. When she'd finished, Ron looked thunderstruck, and Hermione had her hands over her mouth.

She finally lowered them to say, "Sirius Black escaped to come after you? Oh, Aileen...you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble, Aileen..."

"I don't go looking for trouble," said Aileenadamantly, "Trouble usually finds me."

"How thick would Aileen have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill her?" said Ron shakily.

They were taking the news worse than Aileen had expected. Both Ron and Hermione seemed to be much more frightened of Black than she was; then again she wasn't totally sure he was actually guilty of his crimes.

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban," said Ron uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" said Hermione earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too..."

"I imagine, that if Sirius didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be. When he was in school he was one of the best pranksters, and he was only suspected because the teachers knew that they were the only pranksters in the school. They never had proof. He never got caught unless he wanted to be. And if he's hiding out in Britain, if he's heading to Hogwarts, then I imagine he's already at Hogsmeade." Aileen said. "After all, he's been free for more than a month now."

Her friends fell silent at that. Aileen properly should have kept her mouth shut since they both looked absolutely terrified now. After the silence dragged on for a while Aileen decided to appeal to Hermione's intellectual side. She did not want them anymore scared for her safety then they already where.

"You two got permission to go to Hogsmeade?"

"Yeah, Fred and George have been going on about some of the shops there and how useful it is when they run out of prank items."

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" asked Hermione keenly, rounding on Ron and dropping the conversation. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain-"

"Yeah, I think it is," said Ron in an offhand sort of way. "But that's not why I want to go. I just want to get inside Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" said Hermione.

"It's this sweetshop," said Ron, a dreamy look coming over his face, "where they've got everything...Pepper Imps - they make you smoke at the mouth - and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next…"

"But Hogsmeade's a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione pressed on eagerly. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack's supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain -"

"…and massive sherbet balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them," said Ron, who was plainly not listening to a word Hermione was saying.

Hermione looked around at Aileen. "Won't it be nice to get out of school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?"

"I imagine it will be nice to get away for a little while. Especially closer to the exams… gives us something to help us relax." Aileen agreed as Hermione started fumbling with the straps of Crookshanks's basket to let him out.

"Don't let that thing out!" Ron said, but too late; Crookshanks leapt lightly from the basket, stretched, yawned, and sprang onto Ron's knees; the lump in Ron's pocket trembled and he shoved Crookshanks angrily away.

"Get of it!"

"Ron, don't!" said Hermione angrily.

Ron was about to answer back when Professor Lupin stirred. They watched him apprehensively, but he simply turned his head the other way, mouth slightly open, and slept on.

Aileen picked Crookshanks up, getting the cat to settle down on her lap, then she looked at the professor. Truly taking in his physical condition. After a moment she frowned even more. The man hadn't slept enough, or well, for a while. He obviously wasn't eating enough food – especially protein – which was causing him to be thinner and paler then he should be. The skin of his face was slightly hallow from lack of eating. He had the look of a man who lived on the streets but his cloths told her that he at least had enough money to rent an apartment.

The Hogwarts Express moved steadily north and the scenery outside the window became wilder and darker while the clouds overhead thickened overhead. People were chasing backwards and forwards past the door of their compartment. Crookshanks had now settled on Aileen's lap, his squashed face turned towards Ron, his yellow eyes on Ron's top pocket.

At one o'clock the plump witch with the food cart arrived at the compartment door.

"D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked awkwardly, nodding towards Professor Lupin. "He looks like he could do with some food."

"Let him sleep," Aileen spoke up before Hermione could approach the professor. Aileen then turned to the food cart lady. "If he wakes later, can we send him your way for something to eat?"

"Of course," the lady agreed handing Ron his large stack of cauldron cakes.

"I suppose he is asleep?" said Ron quietly, as the witch slid the compartment door closed. "I mean - he hasn't died, has he?"

"No, no, he's breathing," whispered Aileen, unwrapping the ham and lettuce sandwich that Mrs Weasley had made her (she had learned during her stay the summer before that greasy or fatty food didn't generally agree with Aileen after having caught her throwing up one day).

He might not be very good company, but Professor Lupin's presence in their compartment had its uses. Mid-afternoon, just as it had started to rain, blurring the rolling hills outside the window, they heard footsteps outside in the corridor again, and their three least favourite people appeared at the door: Draco Malfoy, flanked by his cronies, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

"Well, look who it is," said Malfoy in his usual lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty and the Weasel." Crabbe and Goyle chuckled trollishly. "I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley," said Malfoy. "Did your mother die of shock?"

Ron stood up so quickly he knocked Crookshanks's basket to the floor. Professor Lupin gave a snort.

"Who's that?" said Malfoy, taking an automatic step backward as he spotted Lupin.

"New teacher," said Aileen who was still sat down while Hermione had got to her feet to hold Ron back, "What were you saying, Mr Malfoy?"

Malfoy's pale eyes narrowed; he wasn't fool enough to pick a fight right under a teacher's nose – asleep or not.

"C'mon," he muttered resentfully to Crabbe and Goyle, and they disappeared.

Hermione and Ron sat down again, Ron massaging his knuckles.

"I'm not going to take any crap from Malfoy this year," he said angrily. "I mean it. If he makes one more crack about my family, I'm going to get hold of his head and -"

Ron made a violent gesture in mid-air.

"Ron," hissed Hermione, pointing at Professor Lupin, "be careful..."

But Professor Lupin was still fast asleep.

The rain thickened as the train sped yet farther north; the windows were now a solid, shimmering grey, which gradually darkened until lanterns flickered into life all along the corridors and over the luggage racks. The train rattled, the rain hammered, the wind roared, but still, Professor Lupin slept.

"We must be nearly there," said Ron, leaning forward to look past Professor Lupin at the now completely black window.

The words had hardly left him when the train started to slow down.

"Great," said Ron, getting up and walking carefully past Professor Lupin to try and see outside. "I'm starving. I want to get to the feast..."

"We can't be there yet," said Hermione, checking her watch.

"So why're we stopping?"

The train was getting slower and slower. As the noise of the pistons fell away, the wind and rain sounded louder than ever against the windows.

The train came to a stop with a jolt, and distant thuds and bangs told them that luggage had fallen out of the racks. Then, without warning, all the lamps went out and they were plunged into total darkness. Aileen drew her wand and immediately cast a light spell.

"What's going on?" said Ron squinting in the dim light from Aileen's wand

"Ouch!" gasped Hermione. "Ron that was my foot!"

"D'you think we've broken down?"

"Impossible." Aileen answered frowning as she reached her free arm out to the professor and gently shook his arm to wake him.

There was a squeaking sound, and Aileen looked over to see Ron, wiping a patch clean on the window and peering out.

"There's something moving out there," Ron said. "I think people are coming aboard..."

The compartment door suddenly opened and someone fell painfully over Aileen's legs.

"Sorry! D'you know what's going on? Ouch! Sorry -"

"Hullo, Neville," said Aileen, reaching down and pulling Neville up into the seat next to her.

"Aileen? What's happening?"

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on," Hermione voiced. She pass her, slide the door open again, and then a thud and two loud squeals of pain.

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron -"

"Come in and sit down -"

Aileen reached forward and grabbed Ginny's arm, leading her to the seat next to her since Neville had shuffled up.

"Quiet!" said a hoarse voice suddenly. Professor Lupin appeared to have woken up at last.

There was a soft, crackling noise, and a shivering light filled the compartment allowing Aileen to put her wand out. Professor Lupin appeared to be holding a handful of flames. They illuminated his tired, grey face, but his eyes looked alert and wary.

"Stay where you are." he said in the same hoarse voice, and he got slowly to his feet with his handful of fire held out in front of him.

But the door slid slowly open before Lupin could reach it.

Standing in the doorway, illuminated by the shivering flames in Lupin's hand, was a cloaked figure that towered to the ceiling. Its face was completely hidden beneath its hood. Aileen's eyes darted downward, and what she saw made her stomach contract. There was a hand protruding from the cloak and it was glistening, greyish, slimy-looking, and scabbed, like something dead that had decayed in water...

But it was visible only for a split second. As though the creature beneath the cloak sensed Aileen's gaze, the hand was suddenly withdrawn into the folds of its black cloak.

And then the thing beneath the hood, whatever it was, drew a long, slow, rattling breath, as though it were trying to suck something more than air from its surroundings.

An intense cold swept over them all. Aileen felt her own breath catch in her chest. The cold went deeper than her skin. It was inside her chest, it was inside her very heart...And then, from far away, she heard screaming, terrible, terrified, pleading screams.

Aileen took a deep breath and pushed away the memory that was clawing at the barriers around her mind. She blinked, she could hear roaring in her ears but she saw the professors lips move. He was saying something but the roaring was too loud. Aileen turned her eyes to Ginny and saw her shaking. Crookshanks had buried himself against Aileen's stomach and Aileen could see that Neville was shaking in fear. Being careful of the cat Aileen pulled Ginny into a reassuring hug and using the arm that was behind Ginny, she placed it on Neville's shoulders.

Suddenly a white light filled the compartment and Aileen was filled with love and warmth. When the light had faded Aileen noticed that the thing had gone, but so had the feeling of love. She was left feeling cold and empty. The lights flickered on and the train lurched forward as it began moving.

"Ron, Hermione, are you alright?" Aileen asked thickly as she looked over at her friends, still holding Ginny close and offering Neville support. The both of them needed time to get over their memories.

"Yeah," Ron muttered thickly.

"I'm alright." Hermione whispered.

"Professor?" Aileen looked at the older man who was assessing them all.

"I'm alright, what about you?" he asked frowning as he looked at the position they were in.

"I'll be fine. Does anyone have any chocolate?" Aileen asked. She knew the creature that had entered the compartment. It was a Dementor, the guards of Azkaban. They suck the happiness out of their victims and could remove your soul.

"Yes, I knew that the Dementors would be guarding the school so I brought plenty with me." Professor Lupin said bringing a bar of chocolate from his robes and breaking it into six pieces and handing it out. Aileen, Ginny and Neville got the largest bits.

The moment she placed the chocolate in her mouth Aileen felt warmth spread through her limps and she relaxed slightly. Ron and Hermione also ate their pieces but Neville and Ginny just stared blankly at it. Aileen carefully removed Crookshanks from her lap and knelt in front of them.

"Ginny, Neville." She began softly. "You're safe, it was just a memory. I need you both you focus on my voice…" Aileen continued talking softly, reassuring them that they were safe, that they weren't alone. Slowly they both came back to themselves and Aileen was able to get them both to eat the chocolate.

Once they both had a bit more colour in their cheeks, Aileen stood up but then she stumbled and nearly crumpled to the floor had Lupin not caught her.

"Aileen?" he called her name in worry as she was lowered to the ground.

Aileen blinked, trying to focus her eyes on the withered face that was hovering above her. There was a rushing sound in her ears and the warmth that the chocolate had returned to her seemed to disappear.

"Aileen, eat." A voice called. Aileen just blinked, confused. "Eat." He encouraged again and Aileen felt something in her mouth. Slowly she started chewing. It took a few moment for her to realise that it was another piece of chocolate. As she ate, feelings returned to her and her eyes focused.

Everyone was staring at her in worry and Lupin was the one holding her up. Aileen took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Centring her magic which was churning wildly inside her. With her magic centred she assessed her physical condition. Tired, cold but otherwise she was physically fine.

"Aileen, you okay?" Hermione's voice said worriedly when Aileen finally opened her eyes.

"Yeah, apparently Dementors have a very strong effect on me." Aileen answered, slowly climbing to her feet with the aid of the professor who still had his arms supporting her and returning her to her seat. Crookshanks was sat on Hermione's lap and did not make a move to return to Aileen. "Thanks, professor." Aileen added, smiling gratefully at Lupin, who nodded as he straitened up.

"What was that thing?" Ron asked Lupinnow that everyone was alright.

"A Dementor. One of the Dementors of Azkaban." Professor Lupin crumpled up the empty chocolate wrapper and put it in his pocket. "I need to speak to the driver, excuse me..."

He strolled past Aileen and disappeared into the corridor.

Aileen look to Ron and Hermione who appeared to be the least affect out of the lot of them. "What happened?" Aileen asked them causing the others to look at her in worry.

"Didn't you hear?" Ron asked confused.

"I was barely holding onto consciousness, Ron. I couldn't hear a thing." Aileen answered.

"Well - that thing - the Dementor - stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) - and it seemed to focus on your three - you started shaking and leaned to the side…"

"You went sort of rigid-"

Hermione agreed timidly.

"And Professor Lupin stepped forward, and walked toward the Dementor, and pulled out his wand," said Hermione, "and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the Dementor didn't move, it just continued to look at you, so Lupin muttered something, and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away..."

"It was horrible," said Neville, in a higher voice than usual causing Aileen to wrap him in a half hug. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," said Ron, shifting his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again..."

Ginny gave a small sob prompting Aileen to wrap her arm around the younger girl as well.

Professor Lupin had come back. He paused as he entered, looked around, his eyes lingered on Aileen. "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," said Professor Lupin. "Are you all right, Aileen?"

"I will be," Aileen answered not willing to admit to being fine just yet.

"Are you sure, that Dementor was focused mostly on you when it entered?" The professor frowned.

"I'm sure," Aileen confirmed.

They didn't talk much during the remainder of the journey. Fred, George and Percy all stopped by to make sure that they were alright and they exchanged information about what happened. Apparently they hadn't had it as bad because the Dementor didn't enter any of the other compartments so the effects weren't as strong.

At long last, the train stopped at Hogsmeade station, and there was a great scramble to get outside; owls hooted, cats meowed, and Neville's pet toad croaked loudly from under his hat. It was freezing on the tiny platform; rain was driving down in icy sheets. When the rain hit her the last of the affects from the Dementors left her, the water returning her strength and colour. Although rain didn't have the same strength in restorative powers as a shower or bath, and especially not as strong as a lake, river or the sea, it was enough to push away the reminder of the weakness. Although there was a chance it would return when she was out of the rain since it generally just gave her a temporary boost instead of completely healing her (in a similar way to adrenaline).

"Firs' years this way!" called a familiar voice. Aileen, Ron, and Hermione turned and saw the gigantic outline of Hagrid at the other end of the platform, beckoning the terrified-looking new students forward for their traditional journey across the lake.

"All right, you three?" Hagrid yelled over the heads of the crowd. They waved at him, but had no chance to speak to him because the mass of people around them was shunting them away along the platform. Aileen, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the school along the platform and out onto a rough mud track, where at least a hundred stagecoaches awaited the remaining students, each pulled by a skeletal horse. Aileen grabbed Ginny and Neville, not wanting to leave them alone right now. Her memories were still lingering in her mind, despite the fact that the effect of the Dementors was gone, and she doubted that Ginny and Neville had been able to move on from what they had scene that quickly.

The coach smelled faintly of mould and straw. Ron and Hermione kept looking at her sideways, as though frightened she might collapse. They didn't seem as concerned with Neville and Ginny since they hadn't collapsed, simply gone catatonic, so their silence was ignored by Ron and Hermione.

As the carriage trundled toward a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, flanked with stone columns topped with winged boars, Aileen saw two more towering, hooded Dementors, standing guard on either side. A wave of cold sickness threatened to engulf her again; she leaned back into the lumpy seat, pulling Ginny and Neville back with her until they had passed the gates. The carriage picked up speed on the long, sloping drive up to the castle; Hermione was leaning out of the tiny window, watching the many turrets and towers draw nearer. At last, the carriage swayed to a halt, and Hermione and Ron got out.

As Aileen stepped down, a drawling, delighted voice sounded in her ear.

"You fainted, Potter? Is Weasley telling the truth? You actually fainted?"

Malfoy elbowed past Hermione to block Aileen's way up the stone steps to the castle, his face gleeful and his pale eyes glinting maliciously.

Aileen simply coaxed her head to the side. "Mr Malfoy," Aileen said calmly (she had taken to calling him that because it irritated him that she was being so formal), "Are you aware what a Dementor does?" Aileen locked eyes with the boy, completely ignoring the rain that pounded on them as Neville and Ginny stepped out of the carriage. "They take away a person's happiness. They drag up the deepest darkest memories a person has. And do you know what mine is?" the gleeful smirk had fallen from Malfoy's face. "The death of my parents. So Mr Malfoy, tell me, what would your reaction be if you heard the murder of your parents?" Aileen had stepped forward so that only Malfoy could hear what she was saying.

"Is there a problem?" said a mild voice. Professor Lupin had just gotten out of the next carriage.

Malfoy gave Professor Lupin an insolent stare, which took in the patches on his robes and the dilapidated suitcase. With a tiny hint of sarcasm in his voice, he said, "Oh, no - er - Professor," then he smirked at Crabbe and Goyle and led them up the steps into the castle.

Hermione prodded Ron in the back to make him hurry, and the five of them joined the crowd swarming up the steps, through the giant oak front doors, into the cavernous Entrance Hall, which was lit with flaming torches, and housed a magnificent marble staircase that led to the upper floors.

The door into the Great Hall stood open at the right; Aileen followed the crowd toward it, but had barely glimpsed the enchanted ceiling, which was black and cloudy tonight, when a voice called, "Potter! Granger! I want to see you both!"

Aileen and Hermione turned around, surprised. Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration teacher and head of Gryffindor House, was calling over the heads of the crowd. She was a stern looking witch who wore her hair in a tight bun; her sharp eyes were framed with square spectacles. Aileen moved through the crowd of students – having some difficulty since she was going against the flow – Hermione behind her.

"There's no need to look so worried - I just want a word in my office," she told them. "Move along there, Weasley."

Ron stared as Professor McGonagall ushered Aileen and Hermione away from the chattering crowd; they accompanied her across the entrance hall, up the marble staircase, and along a corridor.

Once they were in her office, a small room with a large, welcoming fire, Professor McGonagall motioned Aileen and Hermione to sit down. She settled herself behind her desk and said abruptly, "Professor Lupin sent an owl ahead to say that you were taken ill on the train, Potter."

Before Aileen could reply, there was a soft knock on the door and Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, came bustling in.

"I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey. Professor Lupin gave us all chocolate once the Dementor had left. He had come prepared."

Madam Pomfrey clucked disapprovingly. "Setting Dementors around a school," Madam Pomfrey said feeling Aileen's forehead to make sure she wasn't clammy. "Terrible things, they are, and the effect they have on people who are already delicate -"

"Madam." Aileen cut across her, not appreciating the way the Madam Pomfrey was completely disregarding her thoughts, words and considerations. "I am perfectly fine. Ginny and Neville had a similar reaction to me due to our pasts. However, we are all fine." Aileen emphasised this. The only difference between her reaction and theirs was that she nearly fainted and the Dementor was more focused on her then the others.

"Are you sure you feel all right, Potter?" Professor McGonagall said sharply.

"Yes," said Aileen tiredly.

"Very well. Kindly wait outside while I have a quick word with Miss Granger about her course schedule, then we can go down to the feast together."

Aileen went back into the corridor with Madam Pomfrey, who left for the hospital wing after telling Aileen to come to the hospital wing the next day so that she could arrange a time for them to continue Aileen's lessons now she had the basics down. She had to wait only a few minutes; then Hermione emerged looking very happy about something, followed by Professor McGonagall, and the three of them made their way back down the marble staircase to the Great Hall.

It was a sea of pointed black hats; each of the long House tables was lined with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in mid-air. Professor Flitwick, who was a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, was carrying an ancient hat and a three-legged stool out of the hall.

"Oh," said Hermione softly, "we've missed the Sorting!"

Professor McGonagall strode off toward her empty seat at the staff table, and Aileen and Hermione set off in the other direction, as quietly as possible, toward the Gryffindor table. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the hall, and a few of them pointed at Aileen.

She and Hermione sat down on either side of Ron, who had saved them seats.

"What was all that about?" he muttered to Aileen.

Aileen started to explain in a whisper, but at that moment the headmaster stood up to speak, and she broke off.

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard. "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as several of them are very serious, I think it best to get them out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast..."

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued, "As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business." He paused, the twinkle in his eyes dimming a little, showing how unhappy he was with the arrangement. "They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he added blandly. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors," he said. Dumbledore paused again; he looked very seriously around the hall, and nobody moved or made a sound.

"Furthermore, it has come to my attention that changes need to be made in the way we discipline the students. Therefore, a bullying policy has been written; cruel words and actions will no longer be overlook by the professors. You will find a copy of the policy on your beds, ignorance will not be an excuse by the beginning of next week so I'd advise you read it well. Linked with this, I have gone over the point system and found it to be abused by the staff. There are no guide lines in place for how many points gave been given or taken for any particular action, and at the end of every week I will be reviewing the point book. If you feel like you have been unfairly punished – this includes detentions – than students can appeal to their head of house. If their head of house is the one to issue the punishment then they are to approach one of the others. However, be warned, if you bring forward a point of discourse it could lead to a greater punishment. Copies of this new point system will also be found on your beds beside a code of conduct for students."

As Dumbledore spoke, there were whispers and grumbling going throughout the hall. A couple of people looked please – particularly Slytherin when the change to the point system was mentioned. Up at the staff table, Aileen noticed that Snape looked distinctly pleased with Dumbledore's announcement if the spark in his eye meant anything. The other teachers seemed mostly neutral to the changes, but Professor Flitwick was watching his own house closely. Aileen assumed that Dumbledore had asked about Luna.

"On a happier note,"

Dumbledore continued when the students had quietened down. "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks this year. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause. Only those who had been in the compartment on the train with Professor Lupin clapped hard, Aileen among them. Professor Lupin looked particularly shabby next to all the other teachers in their best robes.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Professor Lupin died away. "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his game keeping duties."

Aileen Ron, and Hermione stared at one another, stunned. Then they joined in with the applause, which was tumultuous at the Gryffindor table in particular. Aileen leaned forward to see Hagrid, who was ruby red in the face and staring down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

"We should've known!" Ron roared, pounding the table. "Who else would have assigned us a biting book?"

Aileen, Ron, and Hermione were the last to stop clapping, and as Professor Dumbledore started speaking again, they saw that Hagrid was wiping his eyes on the tablecloth.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance," said Dumbledore. "Let the feast begin!"

When Aileen, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, the first thing they saw was Draco Malfoy, who seemed to be entertaining a large group of Slytherins with a very funny story. As they passed, Malfoy did a ridiculous impression of a swooning fit and there was a roar of laughter.

"Hey, Potter!" shrieked Pansy Parkinson, a Slytherin girl with a face like a pug. "Potter! The Dementors are coming, Potter! Woooooooooo!" Aileen simply titled her head and stared at the group of Slytherins blankly. Absolutely no emotion showing on her face. The Slytherin stopped laughing and shifted uncomfortable in their seats, particularly when they noticed Professor Snape descend on them. Since she had moved onto her own table, she didn't hear what he had said, but she figured he was reminding them of the new bullying policy. Having been bullied when he was in school, Professor Snape was probably relieved to be able to have an excuse to punish such behaviour from his own house.

"New third-year course schedules," George greeted, motioning to the pile of time tables, when Aileen fell into the seat between him and Fred. "What's up with you lot?" he asked, taking in Ron's and Hermione's face and Aileen's tight smile.

"Malfoy was trying to make fun of my reaction to the Dementors." Aileen explained.

"That little git," George insulted calmly, as he started putting food on his plate. "He wasn't so cocky last night when the Dementors were down at our end of the train. Came running into our compartment, didn't he, Fred?"

"Nearly wet himself," Fred agreed.

"I wasn't too happy myself," George continued, offering Aileen a comforting smile. "They'rehorrible things, those Dementors..."

"Sort of freeze your insides, don't they?" said Fred.

"Dad had to go out to Azkaban one time, remember, Fred? And he said it was the worst place he'd ever been, he came back all weak and shaking...They suck the happiness out of a place, Dementors. Most of the prisoners go mad in there."

"Anyway, we'll see how happy Malfoy looks after our first Quidditch match," said Fred. "Gryffindor versus Slytherin, first game of the season, remember?"

Hermione was examining her newschedule.

"Ooh, good, we're starting some new subjects today," she said happily.

"Hermione," said Ron, frowning as he looked over her shoulder, "they've messed up your timetable. Look - they've got you down for about ten subjects a day. There isn't enough time."

Aileen also looked over Hermione's schedule. It seemed that Hermione had indeed been allowed into all her options, but Muggle Studies clashed with Ancient Runes and Divinations classed with Arithmancy since students who generally took Muggle Studies or Divination wouldn't take Ancient Runes or Arithmancy. If there was an odd student that did take such an odd combination, then they would be placed into a different class so that their time table would fit (generally losing a study session for the clash, and gaining one in a different place for whatever lesson they didn't take). It seemed like whoever wrote up Hermione's time table was keeping her in her own house group, and yet allowing her into all the subjects.

However, Ron had exaggerated the number of subjects Hermione had in a day. Their lesson were split into four blocks a day, and a fifth study period three times a week (not counting astronomy which was always placed so that the students had a free the following morning and made up a fifth subject on that day while the following day only had three). With two double ups Hermione had at most five lessons and a study session. But even that would be too much for her to cope with since she lost two study sessions a week to Care. This meant she would be trying to do homework for twelve subject in her one study period and this wasn't taking into account the cause work that was mandatory towards there grade for Ancient Runes (and she thought Arithmancy as well, but she wasn't sure). If Hermione wanted to stay on top of her homework and attend all those lessons – assuming she could be in two places at once six times a week – then she wasn't going to have the time of day to stop, breathe, eat, sleep and relax. And this wasn't taking into consideration Hermione's overachieving and independent research.

"I'll manage. I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall." Hermione tried to brush them off as she took her time table back.

"But look," said Ron, laughing, "see this morning? Nine o'clock, Divination. And underneath, Arithmancy, nine o'clock. I mean, I know you're good, Hermione, but no one's that good. How're you supposed to be in two classes at once?"

"Don't be silly," said Hermione shortly. "Of course I won't be in two classes at once."

"Well then -"

"Pass the marmalade," said Hermione, making it obvious she was closing the topic and wasn't willing to talk about it.

"But -" Ron tried to protest, while Aileen passed the marmalade, sharing a look with Fred and George.

"Oh, Ron, what's it to you if my timetable's a bit full?" Hermione snapped. "I told you, I've fixed it all with Professor McGonagall."

Just then, Hagrid entered the Great Hall. He was wearing his long moleskin overcoat and was absent-mindedly swinging a dead polecat from one enormous hand.

"All righ'?" he said eagerly, pausing on his way to the staff table. "Yer in my firs' ever lesson! Right afterlunch! Bin up since five getting' everthin' ready...hope it's OK...me, a teacher...hones'ly..." He grinned broadly at them and headed off to the staff table, still swinging the polecat.

"Wonder what he's been getting ready?" said Ron, a note of anxiety in his voice.

The Hall was starting to empty as people headed off towards their first lesson. Ron checked his schedule.

"I'd better go, look, Divination's at the top of North Tower. It'll take me ten minutes to get there..."

"I'll see you in transfiguration," Aileen said heading in the direction of the south wing, fourth floor, where Arithmancywas. She had just gotten to the classroom when Hermione turned up looking mildly exhausted. Aileen frowned in worry but didn't mention it. She just entered the class and took a seat near the front, Hermione taking the empty space next to her.

Arithmancy was taught by Septima Vector who was a very strict women and the only teacher who was in the house of Slytherin besides Severus Snape. Professor Vector immediately began her lesson the moment the last person had sat down, not even waiting for some of the students to get out their parchments and quills.

"Arithmancy was first used by the ancient Greeks. It is the art of divination from numbers. The ancient Greeks used to assign values to the letters in the names of the combatants to foretell the outcome of battles. In the ninth century, BC, the Chaldeans, who we derived our number system from, practised a form of Arithmancy that divided their alphabet in three parts, each part composed of seven letters which they attributed to the, then known, seven planets. We still use a similar system today due to the notable power behind the numbers three and seven.

We use Arithmancy as a logical way to help predict trends in the future – the most likely outcome as it were. Arithmancy is also used when combined with Ancient Runes to create spells, however we will not be looking into this due to the level of difficulty that Spell Crafting requires and the fact that not everyone here has taken Ancient Runes. If you wish to do Spell Crafting then there is a session for it when you are in your seventh year that you can sign up for if you've obtained adequate grades.

Anyway, the most basic form of Arithmancy is used with the names of people you want more information about. Now I would like you to use the chart in your books to write out the corresponding numbers to each letter in your name; if you haven't read the first few chapters in the book put your hand up so I can explain to you how it is done."

Aileen opened her book and found the chart:

1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9

A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H-I

J-K-L-M-N-O-P-Q-R

S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z

Underneath her notes Aileen wrote out the chart and then her name. Under her name she wrote the corresponding numbers: 1,9,3,5,5,5 – 7,6,2,2,5,9. Once she had finished Aileen swopped with Hermione so that they could check each other's work. Hermione had also written her name and then the corresponding numbers under it: 8,5,9,4,9,6,5,5 – 7,9,1,5,7,5,9.

"Next, you "reduce" your number by adding your numbers together until all you are left with is one digit. By reducing the numbers down to a single number you are finding your "Character Number", which can be used to find out the general personality type of the person."

"Professor, how do we reduce a number?" Susan Bones asked from Aileen's other side.

"You add up all the numbers." Professor Vector answered calmly. "I will go around the room checking to make sure that you have everything right." She added.

Aileen looked down at her numbers:

1+9+3+5+5+5+7+6+2+2+5+9 = 59.

5+9 = 14.

4+1 = 5.

This meant that her Character Number was 5.

Professor Vector returned to the front of the classroom after looking at everyone's parchment to make sure that they were right.

"Miss Granger, which number did you get?" Professor Vector asked.

"4." Hermione answered.

"Do you know what that means, Miss Granger?" Professor Vector asked.

"No, ma'am." Hermione answered, sounding disappointed in herself.

"Can anyone tell me what the number four means in relation to their Character Number?"

Aileen was the only one to raise her hand and at the professor nod she began speaking, "The number four indicates stability and firmness. People with the number four generally enjoy hard work, are practical, reliable and down to earth. Fours are good at organisation and getting things done but," Aileen hesitated here and shot Hermione an apologetic look, "they are also predictable, stubborn and suspicious. Sometimes they can be overly practical, staying firmly inside the metaphorical box, and are prone to angry outburst. Since four is twice two, they are twice as likely to engage in a conflict as someone who's Character Number is two."

"And what was your number, Miss Potter?" Professor Vector leaned forward slightly her eyes narrowed on Aileen in interest.

"5, ma'am." Aileen answered.

"And can you tell me what 5 means?"

"Someone with the Character Number of 5 is drawn to many things at once but commit to none because 5 is the number of instability and imbalance. They are adventurous, energetic and willing to take risks. They like travelling and meeting knew people but won't stay in one place for long. Fives can be vain, irresponsible, quick-tempered and impatient." As Aileen had spoken the entire class took notes.

"Very good, Miss Potter. Do you know the rest?" Professor Vector asked curiously.

Aileen looked at Hermione out of the corner of her eye to see the other girl give her an encouraging nod.

"1's are independent, focused and determined because 1 is the individual, solitary unit. When a 1 sets a goal they will stick with it. Because of this they are generally leaders and inventors. Despite being leaders, 1's can find it difficult to work with others and in some cases they can be loners, self-centred, egotistical and domineering.

2's are imaginative, creative and sweat natured because 2 represents interaction, cooperation and balance. Peace, harmony, commitment, loyalty and fairness are characteristics. However, like in all partnerships, 2 also introduces the idea of conflict, opposing forces and contrast. Some 2s can be withdrawn, moody, self-conscious and indecisive.

3's represents the idea of completeness which is why we have threesomes such as past-present-future and mind-body-soul. 3 can indicate talent, energy, artistic nature, humour and social ease. They are often lucky, easy going and highly successful but they can also be unfocused, easily offended and superficial.

I've already explain 4 and 5 so I shall move swiftly onto 6. 6s are often loyal, reliable and loving because it represents harmony, friendship and family life. And like any good parent they can generally adapt easily to the situation. They do well in teaching and the arts but are often unsuccessful in business due to the heartless nature in that area. Sometimes 6s can be prone to gossip and complacency – they don't fight back or join conflicts easily.

7s are generally perceptive, understanding and bright. They, like 4's, enjoy hard work and challenges. They are often serious, scholarly and interested in all things mysterious. Originality and imagination are valued more than money and material possessions. However they can also be pessimistic, sarcastic and insecure.

8s opposed to 6 have great success in the areas of business, finance and politics. They are practical, ambitious, committed and hard working. However they can also be jealous, greedy, domineering and power-hungry. 8 is said to be the most unpredictable of numbers because there is always the potential of going either way: the pinnacle of success or the depths of failure.

9 is the last number used in Arithmancy and represents completion and achieving to the fullest degree – some believe this is because 9 is the complete number 3, expressed 3 times. Nines dedicate themselves too service, often as teachers, scientists and humanitarians. Strongly determined, they work tirelessly and are an inspiration to others. However they can also be arrogant and vain if something doesn't go their way."

"Well done Miss Potter. 35 points to Gryffindor." Professor Vector then turned to the rest of the class who were just finishing of their notes. "For homework I would like everyone to pick ten people – dead or alive – and analyse their Character using the information Miss Potter has just given you about the Character numbers which can also be found in your books."

Just then the bell went and the entire class packed up and left. Aileen turned to speak with Hermione as she left the classroom only to find that Hermione was no longer behind her. Aileen frowned but continued onto Transfiguration.

Aileen sat at the back of the transfiguration class room and frowned in confusion at the looks the rest of the class were shooting her – it was as though they were expecting her to drop dead. Even Ron looked at her sorrowfully when he sat on her right. Hermione was the only one acting normal as she sat on Ron's other side, looking more warn then before.

Because Transfiguration was not an elective it had been split so the entirety of Gryffindor third year was together, while the other three houses where in Charms, Herbology or History. The only lessons where the classes double up (or more) was electives, astronomy, defence and potions. Although this only happened after third year. This meant that the rest of her transfiguration class had taken Divination, which, Aileen figured, was probably why they were looking at her like she was about to die.

Professor McGonagall began the lesson by telling them about Animagi (which Aileen was very interested in because she wanted to become one) but most of the class weren't paying attention. They didn't even react when she transformed herself in front of their eyes into a tabby cat with spectacle markings around her eyes.

"Really, what has got into you all today?" said Professor McGonagall, turning back into herself with a faint pop, and staring around at them all: only Aileen and Hermione had looked impressed. "Not that it matters, but that's the first time my transformation's not got applause from a class."

Everybody's heads turned toward Aileen againcausing her to frown, but nobody spoke. Then Hermione raised her hand.

"Please, Professor, we've just had our first Divination class, and we were reading the tea leaves, and -" Aileen frowned even more, Hermione had just been in Arithmancy not Divination. How had she been in two places at once?

"Ah, of course," said Professor McGonagall, suddenly frowning. "There is no need to say any more, Miss Granger. Tell me, which of you will be dying this year?"

Everyone stared at herbefore Hermione spoke again.

"She didn't actually say a name, professor."

"She was looking into my cup and she said that the leaves predicted the death of the lightening child. She said the death omen – a grim – followed its master loyally until their death." Ron spoke.

"And what, you all assumed that I was going to die because I have a scar shaped like a lightning bolt?" Aileen demanded, supressing the sudden sinking feeling she had. She only knew one lightening child – Thalia – and although they had never met Aileen had grown to like and admire the loyal, stubborn and spunky girl.

"I see," said Professor McGonagall, fixing her beady eyes on the entirety of the class. "Then you should know that Sibyll Trelawney has predicted the death of one student a year since she arrived at this school. None of them has died yet. Seeing death omens is her favourite way of greeting a new class. If it were not for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues -" Professor McGonagall broke off, and they saw that her nostrils had gone white. She went on, more calmly, "Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I shall not conceal from you that I have very little patience with it. True Seers are very rare, and Professor Trelawney..."

She stopped again, and then said, in a very matter-of-fact tone, "You look in excellent health to me, Potter, so you will excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die, you need not hand it in."

Hermione and Aileen laughed, the only two who didn't believe in Trelawney's ability to predict the future. Not everyone was convinced, however. Ron still looked worried, and Lavender whispered, "But what about Neville's cup?"

When the Transfiguration class had finished, they joined the crowd thundering toward the Great Hall for lunch.

"Ron, cheer up," said Hermione, pushing a dish of stew toward him. "You heard what Professor McGonagall said."

Ron spooned stew onto his plate and picked up his fork but didn't start.

"Aileen" he said, in a low, serious voice, "You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere, have you?"

"Yeah, I have," saidAileen. "He's names So̱ti̱ría and he's currently staying at Hagrid's hut because I'm not allowed to bring him into the castle."

Ron let his fork fall with a clatter.

"You adopted astray," Hermione calmly observed – ignoring Ron.

"He followed me everywhere – what else was I supposed to do?" Aileen shrugged picking up an apple to eat since she wasn't very hungry.

Ron looked at Hermione as though she had gone mad.

"Hermione, if Aileen's seen a Grim, that's - that's bad. And do you not remember what Trelawney said: 'the omen of death shall follow loyally in its master's footsteps till their death'" Ron said, paling dramatically. "My uncle Bilius saw one and - and he died twenty-four hours later!"

"Coincidence," said Hermione airily, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" said Ron, starting to get angry. "Grims scare the living daylights out of most wizards!"

"There you are, then," said Hermione in a superior tone. "They see the Grim and die of fright. The Grim's not an omen, it's the cause of death! And Aileen's still with us because she's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better kick the bucket then! Hell she adopted it!"

Ron mouthed wordlessly at Hermione, who opened her bag, took out her new Arithmancy book, and propped it open against the juice jug.

"I think Divination seems very woolly," she said, searching for her page. "A lot of guesswork, if you ask me."

"There was nothing woolly about the Grim in that cup!" said Ron hotly.

"You didn't seem quite so confident when you were telling Trelawney it was a sheep," said Hermione coolly.

"Professor Trelawney said you didn't have the right aura! You just don't like being bad at something for a change!"

He had touched a nerve. Hermione slammed her Arithmancy book down on the table so hard that bits of meat and carrot flew everywhere.

"If being good at Divination means I have to pretend to see death omens in a lump of tea leaves, I'm not sure I'll be studying it much longer! That lesson was absolute rubbish compared with my Arithmancy class!" She snatched up her bag and stalked away causing Aileen to sigh: quick to engage in conflictespecially when communicating with someone with the Character Number of 1: someone who is hard to work with at times due to their independent nature.

Ron frowned after her.

"What's she talking about?" he said to Aileen. "She hasn't been to an Arithmancy class yet."

Aileen decided not to answer.

Aileen's first lesson after lunch was Care. Fortunately the rain from the day before had cleared, leaving the sky as clear pale grey. The grass was still damp underfoot, but it wasn't wet enough to yield beneath their feet and cover their lower legs in mud.

Ron and Hermione weren't speaking to each other. Aileen was forced to walk between them in silence as they went down the sloping lawns to Hagrid's hut on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. In front of her walked three very familiar heads, alerting Aileen to the fact that they shared this lesson with the Slytherins; once again Aileen questioned why the most hostile houses were together in a potentially dangerous subject (particularly later on). Malfoy was talking animatedly to Crabbe and Goyle, who were chortling.

Hagrid was waiting for his class at the door of his hut. He stood in his moleskin overcoat, with Fang the boarhound at his heels, looking impatient to start. On his other side sat So̱ti̱ría who bounded to Aileen's side the moment he spotted Aileen, barking happily. The girls screamed and Ron paled dramatically while Aileen just laughed and kneeled so that she could properly greet her friend.

"C'mon, now, get a move on!" Hagrid called as the class approached, most of them shooting So̱ti̱ría distrustful looks. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Right, follow me!"

For one nasty moment, Aileen thought that Hagrid was going to lead them into the forest. However, Hagrid strolled off around the edge of the trees, and five minutes later, they found themselves outside a kind of paddock. There was nothing in there.

"Everyone gather 'round the fence here!" he called. "That's it - make sure yeh can see - now, firs' thing yeh'll want ter do is open yer books -"

"How?" said the cold, drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.

"Eh?" said Hagrid.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of The Monster Book of Monsters, which he had bound shut with a length of rope. Other people took theirs out too; some, like Aileen, had belted their book shut; others had crammed them inside tight bags or clamped them together with binder clips.

"Hasn' - hasn' anyone bin able ter open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen.

The class all shook their heads.

"Yeh've got ter stroke 'em," said Hagrid, as though this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Look -"

He took Hermione's copy and ripped off the Spellotape that bound it. The book tried to bite, but Hagrid ran a giant forefinger down its spine, and the book shivered, and then fell open and lay quiet in his hand.

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We should have stroked them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I - I thought they were funny," Hagrid said uncertainly to Hermione.

"Oh, tremendously funny!" said Malfoy. "Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Mr Malfoy do you know how many books there are out there for Care of Magical Creatures?" Aileen demanded. "Five – out of that limited selection do you really think that it is Hagrid's fault that the one most fitting for his third year class happens to bite?"

"Righ' then," said Hagrid, after a moments silence now that Malfoy had fallen silent and was glaring at her in utter hatred. "so - so yeh've got yer books an'...an'...now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on..."

He strode away from them into the forest and out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs," said Malfoy loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him -"

"Hagrid is far more qualified than you would think, Mr Malfoy, as the minister can attest to."

"Careful, Potter, there's a Dementor behind you -"

"Oooooooh!" squealed Lavender Brown, pointing toward the opposite side of the paddock.

Trotting toward them were a dozen of the most bizarre creatures Aileen had ever seen. They had the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly, orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly looking. Each of the beasts had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all of these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock behind the creatures.

"Gee up, there!" he roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures toward the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid roared happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

Aileen could see what Hagrid meant. Once you got over the first shock of seeing something that was half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, changing smoothly from feather to hair, each of them a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut, and inky black.

"So," said Hagrid, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, "if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer..."

No one seemed to want to. Aileen, Ron, and Hermione, however, approached the fence cautiously. So̱ti̱ría at Aileen's side as he stared warily at the animal.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud," said Hagrid. "Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do."

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle weren't listening; they were talking in an undertone and Aileen had a nasty feeling they were plotting how best to disrupt the lesson.

"Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move," Hagrid continued. "It's polite, see? Yeh walk toward him, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt."

"Right - who wants ter go first?"

Most of the class backed farther away in answer. Even Aileen, Ron, and Hermione had misgivings. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their powerful wings; they didn't seem to like being tethered like this.

"No one?" said Hagrid, with a pleading look.

"I'll do it," said Aileen after a moment of indecision.

There was an intake of breath from behind her, and both Lavender and Parvati whispered, "Oooh, no, Aileen, remember the tea leaves!" even So̱ti̱ría had misgivings about this. He winded and lightly touched the back of her hand with his nose.

Aileen ignored them, the tea lives weren't about her and she felt safe with Hagrid there. Shejumped over the fence with ease – using her hands to vault up in the air and land gracefully on the other side.

"Good girl Aileen," roared Hagrid. "Right then - let's see how yeh get on with Buckbeak."

He untied one of the chains, pulled the grey Hippogriff away from its fellows, and slipped off its leather collar. The class on the other side of the paddock seemed to be holding its breath. Malfoy's eyes were narrowed maliciously.

"Easy now, Aileen," said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not ter blink...Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much..."

Aileen locked eyes with the proud beast, bending her legs and then her back in a deep bow. Buckbeak had turned his great, sharp head and was staring at Aileen with one fierce orange eye.

"Tha's it," said Hagrid. The Hippogriff was still staring haughtily at her. It didn't move. Aileen imagined it was sensing the fact that she was a demi-god and trying to decided whose child she was and whether or not she was worthy of his trust.

"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right - back away, now, Aileen, easy does it -"

But then, to Aileen's enormous relief, the Hippogriff suddenly bent its scaly front knees and sank into what was an unmistakable bow.

"Well done, Aileen!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right - yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

Aileen moved slowly towards the beast, raising her hand to indicate what it was she was going to do. The Hippogriff allowed her to approach and when she gently ran her hand down his beak he closed his eyeslazily, as though enjoying it.

The class broke into applause, all except for Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were looking deeply disappointed.

"Righ' then, Aileen," said Hagrid. "I reckon he migh' let yeh ride him!" This was more than Aileen had bargained for. She was used to a broomstick; but she wasn't sure a Hippogriff would be quite the same (not to mention the fact that she was also a Daughter of Poseidon and flying would be a really bad idea).

"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint," said Hagrid, "an' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that..."

Aileen put her foot on the top of Buckbeak's wing and hoisted herself onto its back. Buckbeak stood up. Aileen wasn't sure where to hold on; everything in front of her was covered with feathers.

"Go on, then!" roared Hagrid, slapping the Hippogriffs hindquarters.

Without warning, twelve-foot wings flapped open on either side of Aileen, she just had time to carefully grab the feathers on the back of the Hippogriff's neck before she was soaring upward. It was nothing like a broomstick. The Hippogriff's wings beat uncomfortably on either side of her so Aileen adjusted her leg placement. She moved so that her legs rested on the muscles just above the wings, and leaned forward slightly like a horse racer would.

Buckbeak flew up and away from the paddock. Aileen wasn't sure how, but she directed him over the lake, keeping him low, by the placement of her arms and knees. But other than this she let the Hippogriff fly freely – the both of them enjoying the feeling of the wind whipping against them and the freedom that enveloped them. After a few minutes Aileen directed Buckbeak back to the paddock were he flew once around and headed back to the ground. As the hippogriffs front quarters hit the ground Aileen let go of his feathered neck and leaned backwards so that she didn't get thrown forward over his neck.

"Good work, Aileen!" roared Hagrid as everyone except Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle cheered. "Okay, who else wants a go?"

Emboldened by Aileen's success, the rest of the class climbed cautiously into the paddock. Hagrid untied the Hippogriffs one by one, and soon people were bowing nervously, all over the paddock. Neville ran repeatedly backward from his, which didn't seem to want to bend its knees. Ron and Hermione practiced on the chestnut, while Aileen stood back with So̱ti̱ría and watched.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful.

"This is very easy," Malfoy drawled, loud enough for Aileen to, hear him. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it...I bet you're not dangerous at all, are you?" he said to the Hippogriff. "Are you, you great ugly brute?"

Without thinking Aileen ran forward and placed herself between Malfoy and the Hippogriff, pushing the boy back and onto the ground. In a flash of steely talons Aileen felt a searing pain in her arm before Hagrid was wrestling Buckbeak back into his collar as he strained to get at Malfoy, who lay curled in the grass, clutching his arm that had caught something sharp – most likely the knife he carried in his sleeves.

Aileen turned on the boy, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him to his feet – completely ignoring the blood that was pouring from her own arm.

"You idiotic boy. If you had listened to Professor Hagrid's instructions at the start of the lesson you would have known that insulting a Hippogriff would have dire consequences. If I had not stepped in-between you that scratch would have been far worse." Aileen glared - her normally calm eyes churning like the ocean during a storm. "Crabbe, take him up to the hospital wing, I'm sure madam Pomfrey would love to know how you got that scratch on a knife you carry in your sleeves despite weapons being banned from school grounds without permission from the headmaster."

Crabbe didn't dare disagree as he grabbed Malfoy's arm and escorted him off to the hospital wing.

"Class dismissed!" Hagrid called to the shocked group of students who started to drift of. "Aileen, you should get your arm looked at too." Hagrid said as they made their way to his hut, So̱ti̱ría hovering worriedly around her.

"It's alright, I'll be able to patch it up without going to Madam Pomfrey." Aileen promised. Once they were in his hut Aileen got a clean bowl of water and a towel from Hagrids cupboards and cleaned out the cut that was now only bleeding sluggishly. Then she ran her wand along the cut, causing it to scab over.

"Ferula" Aileen murmured causing bandages to appear. It would stop the scab from being torn and reopening the wound.

"'Spect it's a record," Hagrid said thickly from his seat once Aileen lowered her arm. "Don' reckon they've ever had a teacher who lasted on'y a day before."

"They aren't going to fire you Hagrid," Aileen said confidently.

"Yeah, it wasn't your fault." Hermione agreed.

"It was that git, Malfoy's. He didn't listen to you and his injury wasn't caused by the hippogriff." Ron agreed.

"I had better go and speak with Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore - explain why two students were injured." Hagrid said abruptly.

Aileen, Ron and Hermione went back down to Hagrid's latter that night. They knew that something bad was going to happen because of the way the students at the Slytherin table sat and talked. They were probably thinking of a way of spinning the lesson in such a way as to get Hagrid fired.

"What happened?" Hermione asked once they were all seated in Hagrid's hut - So̱ti̱ría sat curled with his head on Aileen's lap.

"School gov'nors have bin told, o' course," said Hagrid miserably. "They reckon I started too big. Shoulda left Hippogriffs fer later...done flobberworms or summat...Jus' thought it'd make a good firs' lesson's all my fault..."

"It's all Malfoy's fault, Hagrid!" said Hermione earnestly.

"We're witnesses," said Aileen. "You said Hippogriffs attack if you insult them. It's Malfoy's problem that he wasn't listening. Besides he wasn't injured by the Hippogriff. We'll tell Dumbledore what really happened."

"Yeah, don't worry, Hagrid, we'll back you up," said Ron.

Tears leaked out of the crinkled corners of Hagrid's beetle-black eyes. He grabbed both Aileen and Ron and pulled them into a bone-breaking hug much to So̱ti̱ría's annoyance since he was knocked from Aileen's lap.

"Listen, it was good of yeh ter come an' see me, I really -" Hagrid stopped dead, staring at Aileen as though he'd only just realized she was there.

"WHAT D'YEH THINK YOU'RE DOIN', EH?" he roared, "YEH'RE NOT TO GO WANDERIN' AROUND AFTER DARK, AILEEN! AN, YOU TWO! LETTIN' HER!"

Hagrid made to stride overand grab Aileenbut So̱ti̱ría wasn't having any of it. He stood in front of Aileen and barked angrily, most likely recognising Hagrid's tone and movement as threatening. Aileen spoke quickly, her voice sharp enough to stop Hagrid in his tracks and So̱ti̱ría quietened to a growl.

"I have not been informed that I am to remain in the castle after dark. Curfew had yet to hit so we decided to come down and see you – good thing too since you had just gotten out the ale to drown your sorrows." Aileen's eyes narrowed. "I refused to be confined to the castle just because people believe that Sirius Black might attack me." Aileen stated firmly.

"As that might be, it's nearly curfew now. I'm takin' yer all back up ter school." Hagrid said after a moment.

Over the next few nights Aileen would spent two hours with Hagrid pouring over the limited Care resources and Hagrid infinite knowledge on creatures to create a suitable syllabus for the entire year. Aileen did the writing – briefly outlining when Hagrid would speak about the creatures and a few key things that they needed to know. Just like she had done with the history syllabus, she called up old exam papers and class schedules to help Hagrid make his.

For third year they started with the friendlier and common creatures that would engage the students but not cause them any harm. There was a list of twelve of the most common creatures one was to come across in Britain or Europe that they would go over throughout the year plus a further ten safe, cute creatures that wouldn't be on the test but Hagrid and Aileen agreed were important to know.

Fourth year was slightly more advanced, going into category two and three creatures. This list also included learning about beings such as goblins, centaurs, house-elves, werewolves and vampires (the last two of which were also touched on in defence against the dark arts). Aileen didn't like how beings were classes as creatures by the examiners but Hagrid new the distinction and promised to emphasis it when he got to that block of five lessons.

Then in fifth and sixth year they dealt with the category four creatures. This included creatures such as the thestral (which Aileen learnt where the skeletal horses that pulled the carriage), mer-people, phoenix, unicorn, Pegasus, trolls, giants and fire-crabs.

Seventh years began with a recap of all the creatures they had dealt with in the previous years before they went onto the category five creatures – Aileen extracting a promise from Hagrid that the only class five creature he would actually show the class were Acromantulas and, even that, he would keep it in a cage so as to not endanger the students (she got a similar promise about the trolls and fire-crabs which were the only class four creatures he had on his list that would hurt a student).

By writing out this plan (which Aileen created three copies off) it showed that Hagrid had learnt the error of his first lesson and would now be focusing more on age appropriate creatures. This meant that the board of governors couldn't fire him (which also helped Dumbledore with his defence of Hagrid).

Malfoy didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions (the only class that was double period, but according to the elder Weasley's was just the start. From their fourth year on wards, more lessons started doubling up. Potions was the first to double up because it was taking longer to brew the assigned potions, and Professor Snape also spoke for about thirty minutes at the beginning of most lessons – something he didn't do in the previous years since they learnt the theory through their homework). Malfoy swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting, in Aileen's opinion, as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle.

"How is it, Draco?" simpered Pansy Parkinson. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," said Malfoy, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But Aileen saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when Pansy had looked away.

"Settle down, settle down," said Professor Snape idly.

Ron scowled; Snape wouldn't have said 'settle down' if they'd walked in late, he'd have given them detention. But Malfoy had always been able to get away with anything in Snape's classes; he wouldn't punish his own students in front of the class. Fortunately, if Malfoy did something that obviously crossed the line, he would immediately be punished as Snape had showed at breakfast that first morning.

They were making a new potion today, a Shrinking Solution. Malfoy set up his cauldron right next to Aileen and Ron, so that they were preparing their ingredients on the sametable.

"Sir," Malfoy called, "sir, I'll need help cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm -"

"Weasley, cut up Malfoy's roots for him," said Snape without looking up.

Ron went brick red.

"There's nothing wrong with your arm," he hissed at Malfoy.

Malfoy smirked across the table.

"Weasley, you heard Professor Snape; cut up these roots."

Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots toward him, and began to chop them roughly, so that they were all different sizes.

"Professor," drawled Malfoy, "Weasley's mutilating my roots, sir."

Snape approached their table, stared down his hooked nose at the roots, then gave Ron an unpleasant smile from beneath his long, greasy black hair.

"Change roots with Malfoy, Weasley."

"But, sir -!" Ron had spent the last quarter of an hour carefully shredding his own roots into exactly equal pieces.

"Now," said Snape in his most dangerous voice.

Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across the table at Malfoy, then took up the knife again.

"And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," said Malfoy, his voice full of malicious laughter.

"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Aileen the look of loathing he always reserved just for her.

Aileen took Malfoy's shrivelfig as Ron began trying to repair the damage to the roots he now had to use. Aileen used quick, precise movements and skinned Malfoy's shrivelfig in a matter of seconds before passing them back to Malfoy without speaking. Malfoy was smirking more broadly than ever.

"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?" he asked them quietly.

"None of yourbusiness," said Ron jerkily, without looking up while Aileen carefully added the next ingredient to her solution that, for now, was looking the right colour and consistency.

"I'm afraid he won't be ateachermuch longer," said Malfoy in a tone of mock sorrow. "Father's not very happy about myinjury-"

"An injury sustained by your own stupidity." Aileen informed him, her eyes focused on the frog she was dissecting so that she could get to the heart.

"…he's complained to the school governors. And to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. And a lasting injury like this" - he gave a huge, fake sigh - "who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?"

"I have been training under madam Pomfrey," Aileen spoke softly so as to not attract Snape's attention. "If your injury had been serious I would have stemmed the flow of blood and sealed the wound before sending you to Madam Pomfrey. However, your knife only cut 5mm into the skin, missing all the nerves that would have caused lasting movement damage. A simply healing spell, a mild pain reliever and two days would have been enough to completely heal your arm leaving no reminder as to what happened." Aileen informed him, her eyes focused on the five caterpillars that she was cutting into eight identical portions each because they needed to be added exactly fifteen seconds after the frog heart.

"Weasley, slice my caterpillars for me." Malfoy said getting Ron to glare at him in utter hatred but at Aileen's prompting look he took the caterpillars while Aileen took both of the boy's frogs and effectively dissected them.

A few cauldrons away, Neville was in trouble. Neville regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape made things ten times worse (Aileen had been trying to help him with his fear and his potion making but was not currently having much success). His potion, which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned –

"Orange, Longbottom," said Snape, ladling some up and allowing to splash back into the cauldron, so that everyone could see. "Orange. Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one cat spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

Neville was pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears and Aileen wished to either punch Snape or hug Neville - she was leaning towards punching Snape.

"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it right -"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to yourtoadand see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly."

Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear.

"Help me!" he moaned to Hermione.

"Hey, Aileen," said Seamus Finnigan, leaning over to borrow Aileen's brass scales, "have you heard? Daily Prophet this morning - they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."

"Where?" said Ron quickly

while Aileen carefully added five drops of mildew, stirring once clockwise between each drop, and keeping an ear on the conversation going on next to her (thanking the gods her ADHD had developed in such a way that allowed her to focus on multiple things at once without screwing up). On the other side of the table, Malfoy looked up, listening closely.

"Not too far from here," said Seamus, who looked excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggles think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone."

"Not too far from here ..." Ronrepeated, looking significantly at Aileen who was now stirring her cauldron twenty times clockwise and twenty times anti-clockwise; it seemed both Malfoy and Ron had forgotten that they were supposed to be making a shrinking potion. He turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely. "What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?"

But Malfoy's eyes were shining malevolently, and they were fixed Aileen. He leaned across the table.

"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"

"Yeah, that's right," said Aileen sarcastically as she changed the direction of her stirring.

Malfoy's thin mouth was curving in a mean smile. "Of course, if it was me," he said quietly, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy, I'd be out there looking for him."

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" said Ron roughly.

"Don't you know, Potter?" breathed Malfoy, his pale eyes narrowed.

"What, that Sirius betrayed his best friends to the Dark Lord and that was what led to their deaths? That Sirius Black is my godfather who has broken out of Azkaban too kill me?" Aileen asked shocking everyone in hearing range into silence – even Ron since she had kept most of her information to herself after seeing their reactions on the train.

Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh. "Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck," he said. "Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? But if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself."

"What's the point in revenge when justice can be given through a fair trial and appointed punishments that have been put in place by our government?" Aileen said calmly turning her flame down so that the cauldron could simmer.

"You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's..." Snape called across the class.

Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. Hermione was muttering instructions to him out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see. Aileen packed away her equipment, whipped down her table then went to wash her hands and ladles in the stone basin in the corner.

The end of the lesson in sight, Snape strode over to Neville, who was cowering by his cauldron.

"Everyone gather 'round," said Snape, his black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned."

The Gryffindors watched fearfully. The Slytherins looked excited. Snape picked up Trevor the toad in his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which was now green. He trickled a few drops down Trevor's throat.

There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then there was a small pop, and Trevor the tadpole was wriggling in Snape's palm.

The Gryffindors burst into applause. Snape, looking sour, pulled a small bottle from the pocket of his robe, poured a few drops on top of Trevor, and he reappeared suddenly, fully grown.

"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."

Aileen, Ron, and Hermione climbed the steps to the entrance hall. Ron was seething about Snape.

"Five points from Gryffindor because the potion was all right! Why didn't you lie, Hermione? You should've said Neville did it all by himself!"

Hermione didn't answer. Ron looked around.

"Where is she?"

Aileen turned too. They were at the top of the steps now, watching the rest of the class pass them, heading for the Great Hall and lunch.

"She was right behind us," said Ron, frowning.

Malfoy passed them, walking between Crabbe and Goyle. He smirked at Aileen and disappeared.

"There she is," said Aileen, reaching into her bag and pulling out a fruit.

Hermione was panting slightly, hurrying up the stairs; one hand clutched her bag, the other seemed to be tucking something down the front of her robes.

"How did you do that?" said Ron.

"What?" said Hermione, joining them, catching the fruit that Aileen threw her. Hermione glared slightly but began eating it since Aileen had taken to giving her small thing's to eat whenever she would mysteriously disappear then reappear. Aileen didn't know how exactly she was doing it but Aileen knew Hermione was somehow travelling in time to attend all her lessons and get her homework done. Because of this her days were around 36hours long (at a guess from when Hermione disappeared) so Aileen made sure Hermione had plenty of energy.

"One minute you were right behind us, the next moment, you were back at the bottom of the stairs again."

"What?" Hermione looked slightly confused. "Oh - I had to go back for something. Oh no -"

A seam had split on Hermione's bag. Aileen wasn't surprised; she could see that it was crammed with at least a dozen large and heavy books.

"Why are you carrying all these around with you?" Ron asked her.

"You know how many subjects I'm taking," said Hermione breathlessly.

"Hermione do you want me to take your Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Care books?" Aileen said, picking up the before mentioned books while Hermione repaired her bag with a quick spell. "After all I share those lessons with you."

"That would be great, thanks Aileen." Hermione gave her a brilliant smile before getting her other books and things so that they could be returned to her bag.

"You haven't got any of those subjects today. It's only Defence Against the Dark Arts this afternoon." Ron said confused as the books disappeared into Aileen's bag.

"Oh yes," said Hermione vaguely, before she began marching towards the Great Hall, finishing the fruit Aileen had given her despite the fact that they were heading to lunch.

"D'you get the feeling Hermione's not telling us something?" Ron asked Aileen who simply laughed before jogging to catch up with Hermione.

Rather unusually, when they arrived at the defence classroom, there was no professor there to greet them. However, the door was open so they entered the classroom and found seats near the front. Professor Lupin had already show he was skilled in defence so Aileen had no trouble retaking her normal front of the room seat that hadn't been sat in in this class since their second defence lesson in first year. Since they didn't know what kind of teacher he was going to be, the students all took out their books, quills and parchment prepared to take notes since it was their first lesson with the man.

Everyone had taken their seats and gotten ready by the time the bell rang and Professor Lupin walked in through the door. He was carrying his battered briefcase with him (most likely containing his lesson notes and the register) which was placed on the desk before he turned to face the class with a vague smile. Despite the shabby state of his robes, he looked much better than he had the night of the train. A couple of good night's sleep and decent food had returned colour and life to the professor's face.

"Good afternoon," Professor Lupin greeted them all with his calm, unassuming voice of his. "Would you please put all your books back in your bags? Today's will be a practical lesson. You will need only your wands."

The defence class that followed was probably the most exciting and educational class their year had ever had.

Instead of staying in the classroom, professor Lupin led them through the classroom to the staffroom which had been emptied. Before he even began the lesson, Professor Lupin earned the classroom respect by not only knowing names prior to the lesson but also by using a spell to send gum up Peeves nose.

Most of the chairs had been cleared to one side in the staffroom and a wardrobe was stood centre of the room. It was the same wardrobe, in fact, that Aileen and Ron had hide in the year before. Inside the wardrobe, Professor Lupin revealed, was a boggart and that was what their lesson was going to be about that day.

"So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a Boggart?" Professor Lupin asked, calmly standing in front of the rattling wardrobe while most of the class eyed it warily.

Hermione put up her hand although she did not appear to be the only one to know the answer, she was the only one who raised her hand. "It's a shape-shifter," she said. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione glowed. "So the Boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a Boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears.

"This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror since he had mentioned when they entered the staffroom that Neville would be helping him (most likely to prove to Professor Snape that Neville wasn't useless), "that we have a huge advantage over the Boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Aileen?"

"There are so many of us so the Boggart won't know what shape it should be." Aileen answered confidently. Monsters were her area of expertise, so applying her normal analysis of weakness and strengths too magical creatures wasn't that difficult. Especially when she had gone through so many magical creature books when looking for the basilisk last year and she was currently going through even more as she helped finalised Hagrid's lesson plans beyond the basic description he currently had.

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin. "It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a Boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a Boggart make that very mistake - tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a Boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a Boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing. We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please...riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

By the end of the second week of school, Defence had become most people's favourite class. Only a select few people found anything bad to say about the man, and most of that criticism wasn't even about what he was teaching. They normally targeted his appearances since Professor Lupin didn't seem to own a single pair of robes that hadn't been sewed back together.

It seemed that Professor Lupin was sticking to the standard third year lesson plan, and was teaching them about all the different magical creatures that were commonly dangerous to wizarding folk (which was why they were in defence and not care). He taught them how to identify and repel creatures from boggarts, to red caps and kappas. He had promised that the further in the material they get, the more dangerous the creatures would become.

A month into the term Aileen finally found some time to herself. She had spent so much of her time in the hospital wing, helping Hagrid, studying,, teaching Ginny how to fly and practising her sword techniques that she had not even had the time to go down to the lake and swim. The last time she had been in such a large body of water was a week after the Chamber incident the year before. However, she could not go down to the lake that night since she had other, more important things, to do.

It was a Friday night and Hermione and Ron had turned in early (Aileen may have placed a sleeping potion in Hermione's cup). As soon as she was on her own Aileen left the Gryffindor common room and headed into the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore was still arranging with the goblins a time for them to come in and harvest the basilisk. He had sent a note saying it would probably take until the Christmas break for the goblins to have everything arranged and for their best curse breaker to be finished with his current mission (the same curse breaker the headmaster also wanted to hire to look at the wards).

As she ventured through the tunnel leading to the chamber, she cast repetitive cleaning spells and structural support spells, as well as banishing charms to get rid of the skeletons. She had made sure to research the spells last year and over the holidays because she knew she would be returning although she hadn't anticipated returning alone. However, she didn't want to wait and she figured it was probably safer for her to secure the chamber since she was of Slytherins magic before she invited any guest down.

When she got to the collapsed part of the tunnel she cast an overpowered repairo followed swiftly by a support spell. Once everything had stopped moving and she was sure the ceiling was secure, she cast her standard banishing and cleaning charm to get rid of the remaining rocks, skeletons and dirt.

Her routine was broken when she came across the skin of the basilisk. It did not look any different from what it had a few months prior. Aileen carefully lit a fire then levitated the skin into it: "For you dad, makes some use out of it." Aileen whispered as it disappeared. Unlike the children at camp Half-blood she could not make daily sacrifice to her father – instead a couple of large ones once in a while would have to do. She was confident that there were other skins in the basilisk's nest, and she wanted to make a worthy sacrifice to her father.

When she got to the main chamber Aileen used her powers over water to clean the room and sent the water out through the pipes and up to the lake that rested above her and to the left (she could sense it) before blocking of the entrance to prevent any more water from entering. Following were her water had gone, she started casting support spells and preservation spells. Luckily the basilisk hadn't started decomposing yet due to the magic of the beast. With the preservation spells on the chamber, it should stop the decomposition from happening and also keep out any more water or rodents.

With that done, Aileen began explore the main part of the chamber. Behind the statue of the old man (opened with the same password she had seen Tom use), there was a wide chamber were it was clear the beast had spent the majority off it's time. Like she had predicted, there was at least seven shed skins (from what she could see) and teeth that had fallen out. Aileen cleared away the dust, but otherwise left all of it untouched as she searched along the walls.

Eventually she found a door. It opened to the same paseltongue password as the other doors she had come across so far (when she left she also made a mental note to try that password on the statue: there's a good chance Tom was just grand standing).

The door opened slowly to reveal a room that took Aileen's breathe away. It was large and lined with bookshelves. Down the middle of the room was another five rows of books. By the looks of things there was around five/six thousand books in the room. Aileen carefully walked into the room, taking in the lack of dust, and wondered between the shelves. The books were obviously old but, when she pulled one of the shelf, in good condition. When she got to the other side of the room Aileen saw a group of three green chairs arranged around a large fire. And above the fire was…

"Salazar Slytherin." Aileen breathed.

Salazar Slytherin looked like the statue that resided in the chamber, but there were several clear differences. Slytherin had shoulder length black hair that was tied back at the nape of his neck, he had emerald green eyes, pale skin and the sharp features that most aristocratic lords generally had. The painting was fall body and from what Aileen could tell he was tall with broad shoulders that fell away into slim hips. He was wearing a forest green tunic, fit to his body so that Aileen could see muscles and his wore black leggings that fit to his shapely legs. Tied at the man's hip was a long, thin sword that was light and efficient instead of heavy like Godric Gryffindor's sword.

"A decedent?" Slytherin hummed turning his intense gaze to Aileen and examining her petit frame, thin shoulders, heart shaped face, long plaited hair and Hogwarts uniform that she was still wearing.

"Not by blood, lord Slytherin." Aileen answered slightly hesitant as she recalled the inheritance test she had taken at the bank. It said she was the heir by magic, most likely because she had defeated his previous heir and he had transferred magic to her at the same time.

"What do you mean? Only a blood heir of mine could enter this chamber." Slytherin said, his sharp eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Your heir, Tom Riddle attacked me and there was a transfer of magic. I hold a connection to him and it is believed that is how I have the ability to speak with snakes. No one in my family had this ability before me because my mother was a non-magical born and my father a pureblood from Gryffindor's line. It could not have come from my ancestry. When I went to Gringotts and got an inheritance test done, it showed I was the Slytherin Heir through magic." Aileen explained.

"Tom Riddle?" Slytherin asked.

"Yes, he is a descendent of your oldest son." Aileen elaborated, remembering the family trees she had poured over in the hopes of getting her answers.

"I have not had a visitor here since my son's grandchild." Salazar informed her.

"But Tom found the chamber fifty years ago." Aileen informed the founder, confused. Not understanding how the boy who was viewed as a genius could not find this room.

"I am telling you the truth child." Slytherin answered, his tone slightly sharp.

"I'm sorry, Lord Slytherin, I did not mean to sound like I was doubting you. But Tom was, and still is, a genius. The fact that he did not look for another room here is just shocking." Aileen hastened to explain, not wanting to offend one of the greatest magicals in the history of the wizarding world.

"Tell me of him." Slytherin ordered.

"Tom is a half-blood. I believe it was his mother who was the witch but I am not certain. For reasons I don't know, he grew up an orphan in non-magical London. At the time there was a war going on, in the non-magical world as well as the magical. I doubt his childhood would have been ideal." Aileen answered easily, calling on all the knowledge she had researched and memorised when she realised who Voldemort was and that she was a target.

"When he was introduced to magic at the age of elven, Tom finally found somewhere to belong. He excelled in all areas of magic, was handsome and charming. He later became prefect and head boy. However behind the mask of the charming boy, Tom had started to go dark. He found the chamber in his sixth year and unleashed the basilisk on the school. When a student died and the school was threatened to be closed he framed a student and closed the chamber. For this he received an award for special services to the school." Aileen explained.

Slytherin's eye's had narrowed in anger when she mentioned the attack on the students. "Why did he attack the students?"

"He believes non-magicals and those born of non-magical blood to be inferior."

"Why would he believe such a thing?" Slytherin asked confused.

"You are believed to be one of the most evil wizards in our history. It is believed that you led a campaign against all non-magicals and non-magical borns. That you left the basilisk in the chamber so that your decedents could finish your work." Aileen answered.

"I DID NO SUCH THING!" Slytheirn roared. "I may not have wanted the mundane families aware, I may have wanted a separate school for mundane born and I may have advertised that mundane borns should be taken from their families early on in life; but I never wanted them murdered."

"Unfortunately, this has been twisted over time. Tom's actions later on in his life has not helped your cause either." Aileen replied softly.

"What did he do?" Slytherin asked cautiously, dreading to know what had been done in his name by his blood.

"He went out and started a group that he called the Death Eaters. He began a war – trying to take over the magical world. He wished to eradicate mundanes, use mundane born's as sport and make the magical world completely pureblood. He even changed his name to one he believed that everyone would one day fear – Voldemort. There was a group that opposed him, the Order of the Phoenix, which is led by the current Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. My parents where in that group and they paid the price for fighting for what they believed in. They were murdered by Voldemort in person, when I was only one year old. However Voldemort was thrown from his body and left nothing but a wreath. I met him the last two years, here in Hogwarts – he is attempting to get a body back so that he may continue his war against the wizarding world."

"And how did you come by the chamber?" Slytherin asked.

"Tom had left an imprint of himself inside a diary when he realized that he would have to close the chamber. This diary then possessed a first year and forced her to open the chamber. Several students where petrified and the school was about to close when myself and a friend found the location of the chamber. My friend, I and our fraud of a defence teacher entered the chamber because my friend's sister had been taken into the chamber. She had already been down there several hours and we did not have time to locate a competent teacher. I got separated from the two of them and proceeded on alone. I faced the memory of Tom and was forced to kill the basilisk."

"There was magic cast on her, to stop her from attacking any of the students and only answering the command of my heir. It seemed that time had made it so she could no longer recognize when she was being ordered to attack those she was asked to protect." Slytherin said sadly.

"There was only one death and that occurred outside the entrance to the chamber. It could have easily been an accident. I think that maybe she did recognize that what she was being asked to do was defying her previous orders." Aileen said, trying to comfort the painting.

"You are my heir by more than magic." Slytherin suddenly said after a moment of silence.

"What?" Aileen asked confused, not sure how the man came to that conclusion.

"It is impossible to transfer the gift of parsltongue in a magical transfer, even if you had ended my line in magical combat." Slytherin explained. "Only someone of my blood could speak parsltongue. You said your mother was mundane born?" he asked. Aileen nodded. "Then there is a chance that she is one of my oldest grandson's great decedents. My grandson was born without magic, as were all his children. However they all carried the possibility to speak parsltongue. If you were born to a powerful pureblood father it could have activated the recessive gene in your mother. You became my heir because you were of the secondary line and you showed yourself to be greater than the primary."

Aileen took a deep breath at this revelation. "I will need to go to Gringotts, and have a family tree done as opposed to just a blood test. It will show if my mother was one of your decedents." Aileen decided.

"What are you planning on doing with the room?" Salazar asked.

"I'll return soon and take out any books written in parseltongue or anything you don't want to be given to the public. At some point in the next few months, I'll be leading a group down into the chamber to harvest the basilisk. The money will then be used to found a search of Hogwarts's wards and to replace dangerous equipment." Aileen explained to the founder.

"A worthy goal. I will go over the books in the library, and give you a list of those I don't want getting into the public hands. However, much of the books in this room contains knowledge that I think the students will benefit from – particularly the older ones. Even the books written in parseltongue will be of great use."

"I won't keep them from the population but I will need to translate them." Aileen explained. "I'll leave a list on your desk of the titles of the books I'm translating, and I'll give the headmaster the titles of the books I'm removing. I'll keep them safe in the Black family library when I go and see it over the summer." Aileen promised.

With the start of October, there was another responsibility on Aileen's time even though she was no longer helping Hagrid with his lesson plans (they had finished them and he was just following what they had written now). Instead of the three hours a week (normally on the Saturday or after care), she was dedicating to Hagrid, she know had at least five hours a week dedicated to Quidditch practise since the season had started again.

The first Thursday of the month, Oliver called the team meeting, even Ginny was invited. Having learnt his lesson from the year before, Oliver called the meeting in the evening so that his team was awake and could actually take in the information that was being imparted.

"This is our last chance - my last chance - towinthe Quidditch Cup," he told them, striding up and down in front of the team. He was more anxious this year than he had been for the last two, since he was now in his seventh year and he wanted to win the cup at least once since he had joined the team. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it."

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world - injuries - then the tournament getting called off last year." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the best - ruddy - team - in - the - school," he said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye. "We've got three superb Chasers."

Wood pointed at Alicia, Angelina, and Katie who smiled back at him. Her first year when Aileen had been unconscious during the last match they had been able to score one hundred points between them, and with Wood guarding the goals, they had only lost by seventy points when the Ravenclaws caught the snitch as had been inevitable.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," said Fred and George together, pretending to blush.

"We've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at

Aileen with a kind of furious pride.

"And we have, quit probably, the best reserve flyer in the history of the school." Oliver said, causing Ginny to blush violently. Ginny would watch from the ground and if she was needed in any position but beater, take to the air. She was best as either a chaser or a seeker, but she wasn't half bad as a keeper. "And me," he added as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good too, Oliver," said George.

"Spanking good Keeper," said Fred.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Aileen joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.

"Oliver, this year's our year," said Fred.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" said Angelina.

"Definitely," Aileen and Ginny agreed.

Full of determination, the team started trainingsessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish the team's determination to train and do their best for Oliver.

When she had the time Aileen would go down to the chamber until Salazar gave his permission to remove all twenty parseltongue books and a further ten dark books that he didn't want anyone getting their hands on. He also asked Aileen to take his portrait and place it in the empty classroom she had been using to practise her sword skills in since he wasn't ready to be revealed to the school. Aileen placed runes on the door to stop anyone from wondering into the classroom

Salazar also gave Aileen the task of finding the other founders. Like Salazar, they had portraits made and then hidden so only their family could speak with them. However, with most of their families losing the knowledge of their location, Salazar wanted them to be reunited and discuss if they wanted to be placed in public once more to guide the students and their school head of house.

Aileen returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly.

"What's happened?" she asked Ron and Hermione, who were sitting in two of the best chairs by the fireside and completing some star charts for Astronomy.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," said Ron, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old bulletin board. "End of October. Halloween."

"Excellent," said Fred, who had followed Aileen through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's. I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

Aileen rolled her eyes before taking a seat on the floor and grabbing her bag which she had discarded earlier.

"Aileen, I'm sure you'll be able to go next time," she said,noticing the way that Aileen didn't comment. McGonagall had held her back after transfiguration and informed her that she would not be allowed to Hogsmeade despite the fact that her permission slip was signed. "They're bound to catch Black soon. He's been sighted once already."

"It's not fair, that you'll be the only one left behind." Ron said grumbling. "I doubt Black will attempt to attack you while surrounded by people."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment Crookshanks leapt lightly onto her lap. A large, dead spider was dangling from his mouth.

"Does he have to eat that in front of us?" said Ron, scowling.

"Clever Crookshanks, did you catch that all by yourself?" Hermione cooed at her orange feline.

Crookshanks; slowly chewed up the spider, his yellow eyes fixed on Ron.

"Just keep him over there, that's all," said Ron irritably, turning back to his star chart. "I've got Scabbers asleep in my bag."

Aileen sighed, she wanted to go down and visit So̱ti̱ría (she saw him every other day or so but wanted to spend more than an hour with him while talking with Hagrid) or the lake but she still had to finish her star chart. She would have to go to the lake and visit So̱ti̱ría as soon as she could – most likely during the Hogsmeade weekend – Aileen decided while she pulled her half-finished star chart from her bag. It would stop her from dwelling on the fact that she was being punished with the removal of privileges because the teachers seemed to be under the impression that her Sworn Godfather wanted to kill her. There were many flaws in their logic, but she still didn't have enough information to act on it.

Crookshanks was still staring unblinkingly at Ron, flicking the end of his bushy tail. Then, without warning, he pounced.

"OY!" Ron roared, seizing his bag as Crookshanks sank four sets of claws deep inside it and began tearing ferociously. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"

Ron tried to pull the bag away from Crookshanks, but Crookshanks clung on, spitting and slashing.

"Ron, don't hurt him!" squealed Hermione; the whole common room was watching ashough Ron and Hermione's interaction were their move time. Normally they would shout at each other but the new dynamic seemed to be that Ron would attack Crookshanks in some way and Hermione would end up defending her cat and an argument would begin.

Ron whirled the bag around, Crookshanks still clinging to it, and Scabbers came flying out of the top –

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks freed himself from the remnants of the bag, sprang over the table, and chased after the terrified Scabbers.

George made a lunge for Crookshanks but missed; Scabbers streaked through twenty pairs of legs and shot beneath an old chest of drawers. Crookshanks skidded to a halt, crouched low on his bandy legs, and started making furious swipes beneath it with his front paw.

Ron and Hermione hurried over; Hermione grabbed Crookshanks around the middle and heaved him away; Ron threw himself onto his stomach and, with great difficulty, pulled Scabbers out by the tail.

"Look at him!" he said furiously to Hermione, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him!"

"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong!" said Hermione, her voice shaking. "All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"There's something funny about that animal!" said Ron, who was trying to persuade a frantically wiggling Scabbers back into his pocket. "It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"

"Oh, what rubbish," said Hermione impatiently. "Crookshanks could smell him, Ron, how else d'you think -"

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" said Ron, ignoring the people around him, who were starting to giggle. "And Scabbers was here first, and he's ill!"

On Halloween morning, Aileen went down to breakfast, not sure what to feel. She had yet to have a good Halloween and she doubted that this Halloween would be any different. She was already being stopped from going with her friends simply because some ministry fools are under the impression that Sirius was after her and the others simply believed it.

Dumbledore didn't interfere since he was still arguing with the minster about the Dementors, the board about funds and the goblins about when they were coming and the price. And that wasn't counting the other two roles he held or the normal paperwork that came with running a school.

"We'll bring you lots of sweets back from Honeydukes," Hermione promised, looking desperately sorry for her.

"Yeah, loads," said Ron. He and Hermione had finally forgotten their squabble about Crookshanks in the face of Aileen's difficulties.

"Don't worry about me," said Aileen smiling softly at her friends. Glad that they were no longer arguing. "I'll see you at the feast. Have a good time."

She accompanied them to the entrance hall, where Filch, the caretaker, was standing inside the front doors, checking off names against a long list, peering suspiciously into every face, and making sure that no one was sneaking out who shouldn't be going.

"Staying here, Potter?" shouted Malfoy, who was standing in line with Crabbe and Goyle. "Scared of passing the Dementors?"

"Yes, Mr Malfoy. That is the reason that the teachers have revoked my privilege of going to Hogsmeade. Because of the Dementors." Aileen answered sarcastically before she turned and made her way up the staircase. She wanted to grab some books to read out on the grounds since it was a sunny day.

Aileen was just passing the defence classrooms, her bag slung over her shoulder, when a voice from inside one of the rooms said, "Aileen?"

Aileen turned to her left to see Professor Lupin, looking around his office door.

"What are you doing?" said Lupin. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Hogsmeade," said Aileen. "They left about ten minutes ago."

"Ah," said Lupin. He considered Aileen for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson."

"Grindylow, the water demon." Aileen commented as she followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

"We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the Kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle." The Grindylow bared its green teeth and then appeared to recognise Aileen so it buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner.

"Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."

"That would be lovely," Aileen said softly, surveying the professor. He had started to look warn and tired again. She wondered if he was going to take the opportunity to talk to her about her parents. She knew that he was one of their best friends but he hadn't made any sign that he knew her in the last two months.

Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout. "Sit down," said Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid."

"Tea bags are fine," Aileen answered.

"How are you?" Lupin asked, handing the steaming cup of tea over.

"I'm well, and yourself?" Aileen asked.

"Tied, but I'm sure it will pass." The professor said with a careless shrug of his shoulder. "Is there anything bothering you?" he asked after a moment of surveying Aileen who had yet to relax in the chair she was sat in.

"There is a lot bothering me, but I doubt you will be able to answer most of the questions I have." Aileen replied easily.

"How about you ask me a question I might be able to answer?" Lupin said giving her a soothing smile. "Remove some of the things bothering you."

"You know that day we fought the Boggart?"

"Yes," said Lupin slowly.

"Why didn't you let me fight it?" Aileen had a few ideas but she wanted confirmation as to why the man jumped in front of her.

Lupin raised his eyebrows. "I would have thought that was obvious, Aileen," he said, sounding surprised.

"You didn't want the class to see what I feared?" Aileen asked after a moment, searching the older man's eyes.

"I assumed that if the Boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."

Aileen smiled slightly at that. Very few people had the guts to say the man's name. She only knew two people, beside herself, who would dare do it. Headmaster Dumbledore, and now Lupin. "I didn't think of Voldemort," Aileen informed him. Lupin's eyes widened in shock. "I thought of the Dementors."

"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well...I'm impressed. That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Aileen."

"I've faced Voldemort several times. And it wasn't the man that scared me. It was the fear of not being able to stop him. The fear that someone was going to die. The fear that he would return. The fear that I wouldn't be strong enough." Aileen said softly.

"You've face Voldemort…?" Lupin began but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," called Lupin.

The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Aileen, his black eyes narrowing.

"Ah, Severus," said Lupin, smiling. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Aileen and Lupin.

"I was just showing Aileen my Grindylow," said Lupin pleasantly, pointing at the tank.

"Fascinating," said Snape, without looking at it. "You should drink that directly, Lupin."

"Yes, Yes, I will," said Lupin.

"I made an entire cauldronful," Snape continued. "If you need more."

"I should probably have some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus."

"Not at all," said Snape. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful.

Lupin smiledreassuringly at Aileen's look of worry. She did not recognise the potion that Snape had just placed on the table and she knew the look and smell of all common, and some uncommon, potions that were used in healing. She was steadily working through the more uncommon stuff, but she had little time for healing outside of lesson with madam Pomfrey and they were focusing on basic healing spells and human anatomy right now.

"Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering.

"Will you be alright?" Aileen asked worriedly. She had grown quite found of this man who used to be a friend of her fathers. He was a brilliant teacher and a kind man. The only probably she had with him was his inability to approach her about her parents and she wouldn't make it easy on him. He had abandoned her for the last twelve year, and if he didn't make the attempt to talk with her about her mum and father, then he obviously didn't want to be in her life like an uncle (as she assumed his role had been when her parents were alive).

"This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it." Professor Lupin took another sip before he drained the goblet and pulled a face.

"Disgusting," he said. "Well, Aileen, I'd better get back to work. See you at the feast later."

"Right," said Aileen, putting down her empty teacup.

Aileen spent the rest of the day by the lake with potion books around her and a journal in her hands. So̱ti̱ría was sat, curled into her side and contently napping. Aileen had played with him for a little while before she sat down and started to work. So̱ti̱ría seemed to understand that it was very important since he had just curled up and watched before he fell asleep.

Aileen was attempting to make a potion that would allow someone to breath underwater. She didn't like the fact that she had to sneak around, going into the lake in the dead of night. If she invented a potion that allowed her to breath underwater then she would no longer have that problem. So far she had only done theory work, but hopefully, with a few more tweaks, she could get to the practical stage. She was taking the day of so she could focus on the potion instead of distracted by everything else she had to work on.

"There you go," said Ron. "We got as much as we could carry."

A shower of brilliantly coloured sweets fell into Aileen's lap. It was dusk, and Ron and Hermione had just turned up in the common room, pink-faced from the cold wind that had picked up about an hour before and looking as though they'd had the time of their lives.

"Thanks," saidAileen as she neatly began putting the sweats into piles that she would transfer to her bedside draw upstairs. It was where she kept all her sweats which were then generally shared during their girl's nights. "What's Hogsmeade like? Where did you go?"

By the sound of it - everywhere. Dervish and Banges, the wizarding equipment shop, Zonko's Joke Shop, into the Three Broomsticks for foaming mugs of hot butterbeer, and many places besides.

"The post office, Aileen! About two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded depending on how fast you want your letter to get there!"

"Honeydukes has got a new kind of fudge; they were giving out free samples, there's a bit, look -"

"We think we saw an ogre, honestly, they get all sorts at the Three Broomsticks -"

"Wish we could have brought you some butterbeer, really warms you up -"

"What did you do?" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Did you get any work done?"

"I had a cup of tea with Professor Lupin, played with So̱ti̱ría and completed what little homework I had left to do." Aileen answered easily. She had come inside about two hours ago and finished the Ancient Runes essay that needed to be in Wednesday. It was the last of the homework she had left to do, and she decided to get it out of the way when the wind picked up and she could no longer work outside.

"What did you talk with professor Lupin about?" Hermione asked.

"Not much, he didn't look too healthy." Aileen frowned in worry. "And professor Snape came in with a potion that professor Lupin had to drink. It was not one of the common healing potions. Professor Lupin said it was very complex and not many potion master can, or would, make it. I'm not sure which he meant."

Ron's mouth fell open. "Lupin drank it?" he gasped. "Is he mad?"

Hermione checked her watch. "We'd better go down, you know, the feast'll be starting in five minutes." Since first year, she had gone back to respecting and defending professor Snape now she no longer believed he had betrayed professor Dumbledore.

Aileen quickly put her sweats and bag upstairs before joining her friends as they hurried through the portrait hole and into the crowd, still discussing Snape.

"But if he - you know -" Hermione dropped her voice, glancing nervously around, "if he was trying to - to poison Lupin - he wouldn't have done it in front of Aileen."

"As much as Snape appears to hate Professor Lupin I doubt he would sink as low as to poison someone." Aileen added her thoughts to the conversation before Ron could refute Hermione's logic.

"Yeah, maybe," said Ron as they reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant watersnakes.

Aileen got several disapproving looks since she was the only student not in school uniform. However they had stopped asking her to wear her uniform on the weekends because there was nothing in the school rules that stated they had to wear their uniform outside of lessons. Ron had not dared wearing his normal cloths and getting on the wrong side of the professors and Hermione respected authority to much. However, there were students (mostly in Slytherin) who had taken to wearing their own cloths during the weekends when Aileen pointed out it wasn't against the rules when they tried to get her in trouble for it.

The food was delicious; even Hermione and Ron, who were full to bursting with Honeydukes sweets, managed second helpings of everything.

The feast finished with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; SirNicolas, the Gryffindor ghost, had a great success with a re-enactment of his own botched beheading.

Aileen, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" said Ron curiously.

Aileen peered over the heads in front of her. The portrait seemed to be closed.

"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password - excuse me -"

And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor. They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick."

People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.

"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived.

A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through, and Aileen, Ron, and Hermione moved closer to see what the trouble was.

"Oh, my -" Hermione grabbed Aileen's armtightly.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely.

Word Count: 23,417

Copied: 10,566

Edited: 24/03/2018