Book 2: Astoria Greengrass and the Haunt of Azkaban
Song rec: "On the Train Ride Home" by The Paper Kites

You-Know-Who didn't make the news until the Sunday after Pariah had recorded their new album, which Rhiannon had titled Fylth. The recording had been rough and time-consuming, since all of the girls were preoccupied. By the end of the session, Rhiannon hardly even cared about hearing Mr Davis estimate the release date. It was all marketing guff.

The Daily Prophet had published Harry Potter's original Quibbler interview as if to validate it. It praised Harry and Dumbledore, and, to the best of its legal ability, criticised the Ministry. There were things Rhiannon already knew by that Sunday, like the conviction of the Death Eaters, the return of Professor Dumbledore to the school, and the return of You-Know-Who to the world. There were some things, however, that Rhiannon hadn't known until she read the Prophet, like the insurrection of all of the Azkaban dementors and the death of the innocent Sirius Black.

Though final exams were over, Rhiannon would be visiting class with Professors Trelawney and Hagrid present once more. It seemed silly to her that the students weren't simply shipped home after exams. They had to show up to all of their classes except far-flung Astronomy. Professor Sinistra, therefore, had been placed as a substitute for the hospitalised Umbridge, and as Rhiannon's schedule dictated, she would be facing Sinistra on Monday afternoon, the twenty-fourth of June, which had been a Saturday the previous year. It was hard to believe it had been a whole year since the last Task changed everything.

Professor Sinistra and Rhiannon decided to clear out Umbridge's office. Astoria, whom Rhiannon couldn't hold a grudge against for drying Draco's self-pitying tears, came to help. Then came Hestia and Flora, then Montel Davis and Curtis Evercreech, then Manami Ichijō and Alexa Crover. Most people, it turned out, really wanted to have the opportunity to put something of Umbridge's in a box, apart from the ten-or-so sourpusses in the back of the room. And nobody stopped Sinistra and the cluster of Slytherin fourth-years when they put all of Umbridge's boxes in the Entrance Hall.

"I think that was a very valuable lesson in Defence Against the Dark Arts," Professor Sinistra said once they returned to the classroom.

"Best one all year," Montel agreed.

"Rhiannon, Astoria, I meant to speak with you about your library passes…" Professor Sinistra said, summoning the pair to the desolate office.

She stepped to the side but left the door open, and when Astoria tried to close it, the professor stopped her with an urgent wave of the hand.

"I put a weak Imperturbable Charm over this room before class started. They can come in, but if they are outside, they cannot hear us. I ask that you step toward me so they cannot read your lips."

"Yes, Professor," Astoria said.

Rhiannon acquiesced.

"I want you two to learn the Patronus Charm as soon as possible."

What a day to say this.

Professor Sinistra squirmed.

"Those things have broken loose," Sinistra reiterated the Prophet. "When you come back to school, I want you to start practising Patronuses straightaway. You are in contact with Professor Lupin, Rhiannon. He knows plenty about them, so write to him for help. God knows he needs something to do. You may practise them wherever you wish, since they have no effect on solid matter. I will renew your pass to my library, Rhiannon, and Astoria, as a N.E.W.T. student, will naturally have one, but I ask that you no longer practise D.A.D.A. in there. The room is outgrowing your spells, and it's making me nervous for my books."

From Astoria, "Yes, Professor."

Sinistra stopped talking, but neither of the girls felt like they should leave. It was all over her face that she was trying to prepare her words.

"War…" she said, doubted herself, and then began again. "War tears people apart. Easily. It can tear — ah — erm, separate… people — friends — easily. Don't let it."

Astoria and Rhiannon looked at each other. All of their disagreements throughout the year were flashing in Rhiannon's mind. But no war could divide them as long as they made no war between themselves. So far, they had been able to overcome all of their problems. Rhiannon was actually insulted that Sinistra would suspect them to be able to split so easily. Perhaps she sensed from their behaviour that they had had a recent row, a row when Astoria wanted to try to comfort Malfoy.

"We won't," Rhiannon said.

"We certainly won't," Astoria followed.

Sinistra gave each of them a good, long stare, and then motioned for them to leave. Astoria was back in the classroom and Rhiannon's foot was out the door when the professor's voice sounded through a cough.

"It happened right there."

She looked up at Rhiannon as she pointed to an empty spot on the floor.

Rhiannon, Astoria, Hestia, and Flora hurried onto the train on Friday to score a private compartment. It was in that private compartment that Flora discovered after much prying that Astoria had only had five hours of sleep the day they recorded Fylth. Rhiannon could only partially blame herself; though she had fought with Astoria about her desire to comfort Malfoy and sent her stomping out of the room, it was Astoria who decided to stay out until three in the morning.

"Were you with Malfoy the whole time‽" Flora gasped.

"Of course I wasn't with Malfoy the whole time!" Astoria protested. "I tried to sleep on the couch, and it didn't work at all!"

"Was Malfoy on that couch too?" Hestia laughed maniacally.

"You're absurd," Astoria groaned and violently bit into a Chocolate Frog.

"Did anybody hear when Mr Davis said the album would be released?" Rhiannon finally asked.

"Next Friday," Flora said.

"Bollocks!"

"It really is next Friday," Hestia said. "Remember, Rhi, our music industry is as magical as we are."

"But when's the promotion? When's Mongaby gonna take care of the promotion?" Rhiannon squawked.

"It'll be in the Prophet and Witch Weekly," Hestia said smoothly. "I'm excited for it."

"You were the only one fully awake during recording," Flora said to her sister.

"We sounded splendid," Hestia reported. "In the final mix, that is… Anyway, I'm glad they're sending mine and Flora's cheques straight to Gringotts. It's been lovely getting money that stays my money."

"For sure," Rhiannon said.

That trip to King's Cross was the best Rhiannon had ever had. It was full of food and friends and conversation. Rhiannon's two biggest worries — You-Know-Who and living with the Greengrasses — were pushed to the back of her mind. Tracey and Montel squeezed into the compartment about halfway through the journey, and Rhiannon told them all about the upcoming record. But the best part was at the end; Rhiannon looked out the window and saw Professor Lupin standing right there in the station.

"I need to — I've gotta — I'll be with you in a bit!" Rhiannon spluttered as she Shrunk her luggage to fit into her pocket and tried to climb over Hestia and Montel's knees.

Rhiannon remembered that nobody knew she was going home with Astoria.

"I mean, I'll say goodbye in a bit! I mean…"

"Settle down; it doesn't look like Lupin's in any hurry," Flora said.

In a slow, orderly fashion, everyone in Rhiannon's compartment waddled out and started hopping down the steps to the platform.

"Bye, Hestia! Bye, Flora!" Rhiannon waved as they stepped into the crowd outside. She was happy to see them approach a solitary figure in normal-looking clothes unlike the cloaked pair she had seen in Knockturn. Hestia gave the wizard a huge hug. That must have been their dad.

"Bye, Tracey! Montel!"

"Bye, Rhi!" Tracey said, trying to fight against the forming tidal wave of outpouring students to get to her and her brother's luggage in another compartment.

Rhiannon got off the train and tried to figure out where she had seen Professor Lupin in the throng. The Greengrasses would wait for her; they'd have to. Besides, Tracey had just hopped down from the train screaming and sent her younger brother and Astoria back up to investigate whatever the problem with the luggage was. Given Tracey's fright, Rhiannon guessed Astoria would be a while.

What naturally caught Rhiannon's eye was a mass of six bright red Weasley heads, and those Weasley heads put her on quite an easy path to Professor Lupin. She efficiently moved through the crawling people, hoping that the professor wouldn't have to leave too soon. The year had been viciously marked with his absence more than Rhiannon's third year. For Professor Lupin's safety from Umbridge's snooping, Rhiannon had only written to him at Christmas. It felt like Rhiannon had been steadily losing Professor Lupin ever since he told her he was leaving Hogwarts at the end of her second year. Professor Lupin was facing the other way, watching Harry Potter leave the station.

"Who do we have here?"

Rhiannon stopped walking. Two people collided with her and complained that she should "watch it." She hardly had time to work out the voice she was hearing before she was looking into one beady eye and watching a massive one revolve. Alastor Moody lowered a dirty bowler hat over his glass eye both to cover it and to give an old-fashioned greeting to Rhiannon, who felt like she had been placed under a Full Body-Bind Curse.

"Hello, sir," she mouthed; she might have even said it.

She would not hear her name in reply from the stranger, no matter how familiar his old, scarred face was. The wizard she missed was both evil and dead.

"Visitor for you, Lupin," said Mr Moody before excusing himself to speak to the Weasleys.

There was Professor Lupin, sporting a worn, fuzzy jumper and a discoloured coat that was too warm for the weather. He nearly matched Rhiannon except his jumper was red and hers was a dingy white. The man looked like he had not slept in days, but his eyes lit up when he saw that company had sought him.

"Rhiannon," he said nicely, "I haven't spoken with you since Christmas. How has everything been?"

"Bit rough," Rhiannon admitted. "Everything with you?"

"Quite, ah, quite rough, sorry," Professor Lupin struggled.

"I'm sorry, sir."

"Well," he inhaled. "Life… is life."

"Yeah…"

Life had not been kind to either of them.

"Umbridge is gone," Rhiannon brought up.

"Then you should have no more trouble with keeping me updated," Professor Lupin said, his expression relaxing.

"Right!" Rhiannon said. "Erm, Professor Sinistra wanted me to learn how to cast a Patronus Charm…"

"I will be happy to help you," Professor Lupin said. "The guides in the Daily Prophet, I'm sorry to say, are barely any good at all. Now, remember that Patronuses are extremely difficult to achieve. Wise wizards and witches who simply cannot cast them are not uncommon. That is not to say that I don't believe in you, Rhiannon; I want you to learn how to cast one as much as Professor Sinistra wants. I merely do not want you to become discouraged or frustrated if it doesn't work immediately."

He knew her too well.

"I understand, Professor," Rhiannon said. "Thank you so much."

"Are you going back to your… Jessica?" he asked concernedly.

"No, sir," Rhiannon answered.

She trusted Professor Lupin more than anyone else.

"I'm moving in with the Greengrasses," Rhiannon said quietly.

She was nevertheless overheard. A pretty woman with short, pink hair, almost as wild as Hestia's, had finished a conversation with the Weasleys and walked up behind Rhiannon.

"Did you say something about the Greengrasses? I know them! I was at their place for their Vernal Feast this spring. It was wild."

The woman shook Rhiannon's hand.

"You're Rhiannon Clarke!" she informed her.

"Er… hello," Rhiannon said. The stranger wore patched up, baggy jeans and a Weird Sisters top. Rhiannon was considering licensing Pariah for merchandising when the woman said, "I'm Tonks."

"I'm Rhiannon."

Oh, piss.

Tonks laughed.

Rhiannon had heard the Greengrasses talking about a Mrs Tonks visiting over the Christmas holiday. Rhiannon had been sulking in her room at the time of the visit but would remember not to do that again if any Tonkses were due to arrive at the estate.

"Do you have plans for another album?" Tonks asked.

"We're releasing our second next weekend," Rhiannon said.

"Can't wait."

Rhiannon guessed that Tonks was the same woman who had looked so ancient at the beginning of the year and gave Rhiannon the "rock on" sign. Professor Lupin, Tonks, and Rhiannon had started chatting about the O.W.L.s Rhiannon would take next year. She was having a grand time.

"Do you mind if I steal her?"

A sweet voice with a French accent meant that Mrs Ciel-Greengrass was going to take Rhiannon away. As Tonks and Astoria's mother were greeting each other warmly, Rhiannon and Professor Lupin were saying goodbye. She gave him a big hug when he told her to be careful, and Daphne Greengrass rolled her eyes at her until she saw Mr Moody approaching again with the much more impressive rolling eye of his own. Rhiannon waved goodbye to Professor Lupin, Tonks, and even the clueless Moody as a variety of tears welled in her eyes.

"We can't find Astoria," Daphne said coldly, seemingly newly aware of Rhiannon's tenancy.

"Do you know where she is, Rhiannon?" Mrs Ciel-Greengrass asked Rhiannon, still trying to hide her swelling concern.

Rhiannon remembered Astoria and Montel getting back on the train when Tracey had leapt out screaming. She had thought little of it then; what was the worst that could happen on the train? But then Rhiannon remembered when Professor Lupin had come to the students' rescue in her second year when a dementor had boarded the Hogwarts Express.

She dashed toward the train without another thought.