Chapter 27

School would start tomorrow. I had spent the last few weeks learning as much as I could. My patronus was perfect. I had actually succeeded in making my body change. All that was left was the head and then I would be an animagus. The elemental powers proved to be interesting. I had started small. I soon found that I could shape the water. It did what I wanted. Same with the earth. It was an exhausting excursus but it was getting easier.

I found that I could do wandless magic pretty easily. Anything I could do with a wand I could do with out only it was harder and more tiering. Apparation proved to be a challenge. No matter what I tried, no matter what I read, I just couldn't do it. I can't even apparate and inch to the left. It was so frustrating.

I had my growth spurt. I was taller and had...filled out a little. I decided that if my appearance had change anyway then I was going to change it more. I have always wanted to permanently straiten my hair. I don't think it looks that good in it's usual mess of curls. My mum never let me though. She said the chemicals were bad for me. But now I can use magic. I had easily straitened my black hair and god was it long! It now reached past my waist. I also had a bit of a tan from all the time I spent outside.

It was eight and the Hogwarts Express was leaving today in three hours. The forest where I am is pretty far so I'm leaving now. I hailed a taxi and asked th driver to take me to Kings Cross Station. My trunk was in my pocket but I had taken out my money bag for this reason.

...

Just over two and a half hours later, I was pushing a trolley with my trunk on it through Kings Cross Station. I soon found the barrier leading to platform nine and three quarters. There was no one looking this way so I quickly walked through it. The big steam train greeted me on the other side. I saw parents saying goodbye to their children and younger siblings begging to go. The train wouldn't leave for another half an hour so I decide to wait for my friends on the platform. If I still have any friends. I hope Harry isn't too mad at me for leaving.

It wasn't long before I saw Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys walk onto the platform. I walked up to them a little nervously. I didn't know wether Harry was still mad at me. They hadn't noticed me yet. "Hi." I said. They looked up and stared at me for a second. "Can I help you?" Ron asked. Ouch! Did Harry tell them what happened. Are they icing me out already? Hermione was looking at me curiously then I saw recognition flash across her face.

"Joanne?" she asked. I looked at her funny.

"What?" Ron asked dumbly. Harrys eyes widened. Fred looked up at us and his mouth fell open. I saw George push it closed for him.

"Umm, yeah. Who else would I be?" I asked with a confused frown.

"You look different." Ron said bluntly.

"Oh well, I straitened my hair." I told them with a shrug.

"It looks great!" Hermione squealed as she hugged me. "I barely recognized you."

"We didn't." Harry said for Ron as well. I laughed and we all took turns hugging each other. Fred was still staring at me funny. I wonder whats wrong with him. George was looking at Fred and then at me with a knowing look. I don't know what thats about.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I quickly caught up. Harry seemed to have forgiven me. Once Neville showed up we found a compartment together. The only one left had a sleeping Remus Lupin in it. We settled down and Harry shut the door.

"I over heard Ron's parents talking last night." He told us. He then explained what he heard.

"So Sirius Black is trying to kill you?" Ron clarified when Harry was finished talking.

"I think he's innocent." I said suddenly.

"What?" They all asked. I saw Lupin twitch in surprise. So he wasn't asleep. I knew it! No one else seemed to notice.

"The poor man never got a trial. He could have been framed." I explained. "There was never any proof. There were two wizard on the street when he supposedly killed those muggles. All witnesses saw was an explosion and one of the men disappear. The man who supposedly died could have easily framed him they never found his body." I made sure Remus was listening before I said. "What if he was an animagus. Something small like say...a rat. He could have cut off his finger, transformed and disappeared." I saw Remus was having trouble pretending to be asleep. "I did some reading on him when I found out he escaped. Apparently, he betray your parents Harry. He was their secret keeper." Harry growled audibly but I put my hand up so I could finnish. "Thats why everyone jumped to the conclusion he was guilty. Your parents could have changed secret keeper though. Why would they make it Sirius if everyone knew they would. Wouldn't they make the secret keeper someone no one would suspect. Someone like Peter Pettigrew."

When I finished my rant, I saw Remus's eyes snap open. He quickly caught himself and closed them. Luckily everyone was still looking at me. "He betray my parents!" Harry growled.

"Might have betrayed them." I corrected. "You should still stay away from him though, since he never got a trial we don't know if he's actually dangerous or not."

"How do you know all that?" Hermione asked. "Why are you so certain Sirius Black is innocent?" What do I tell them? They were looking at me expectantly. I decided what I told Dobby was the best way to go.

"Well okay." I sighed. "I'm not sure but I think I'm a seer." Hermione, Neville and Ron gasped.

"But there hasn't been a proper seer in centuries!" Ron said.

"Umm guys." Harry muttered. "What's a seer?"

"A seer is someone who can see into the past, present and future." Hermione said factually.

"I have been getting these visions." I told them. "It been happening since first year. That's why I always knew that it was Quirrell who wanted the stone. I didn't know what it was at the time so I didn't tell you guys. Lately, I've been seeing these images of your parents Petter Pettigrew and Sirius Black thats how I know the real story. Sirius Black is innocent I'm actually sure of it."

At that moment the trait lurched to a stop. "What's going on?" Hermione asked. "We can't be there yet." Everything suddenly got very cold. The class froze over and our breaths became visible.

"Dementors." I told them. Hermione and Harry looked confused but Neville and Ron gasped. Professor Lupin was still pretending to be asleep. I pulled out my wand and got to my feet. The compartment door slammed open. "Expecto Patronum" I called as Remus jumped to his feet. A beautiful white lioness burst out of my wand. Remus's eyes widened at me. My lioness charged at the dementor and herded it out of the compartment. I let it fade away once the dementor was gone.

"You can cast a full bodied patronus." Neville exclaimed, his tone full of awe as he looked at me.

"Umm. Yeah." I admitted. "I found a book on it and taught myself last year."

Remus regained his composure. "Well done!" He told me. "There are fully grown wizards who can't do that." He then pulled out a chocolate bar and broke off a piece for each of us. "Have some chocolate, it helps. I'm going to go talk to the driver." He left the compartment.

"What's a dementor?" Harry asked when Lupin was gone.

"My dad told me about them." Ron said. "They guard Askaban."

"The wizard prison." Neville clarified after seeing Harrys confused expression.

"They're horrible. They feed off your happy memories and leave you with the unhappy ones." Ron told us.

"What's a full bodied patronus?" Hermione asked.

"The patronus charm is the only defense against them." I explained. "You use a strong, happy memory to power it. It creates a kind of shield. However, a full bodied patronus is when it takes the form of an animal that reflects your soul and the things that influence it."

"Yeah but it is incredibly hard to cast a full bodied patronus. I don't think anyone not of age has ever done it before Annie did it just now." Neville told them before smiling at me. "That was amazing by the way." I smiled at him.

"I still can't believe your a seer though." Hermione said, bringing the subject back to what we were talking about before the dementor came in.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Neville asked.

"I told you, I just didn't know for sure until now." I said. Is it sad that lying to my best friends has become this easy? My mind flashed back to what Harry had said over the summer. I am a terrible person.

...

I slept for the rest of the train ride. Hermione had shaken me awake ten minutes before we would arrive so I could change into my robes. I had brought all my stuff when I was staying in Diagon Alley before Harry showed up. Harry seemed to have forgotten about what happened over the summer. He seemed a bit guarded around me sometimes though. Like he was suspicious of me. I have been keeping secrets so I suppose it was reasonable suspicion.

I wish I could tell them. But I can't. Stupid curse! At least now I knew who was responsible for it and boy is Dumbledore going to get an earful when I manage to corner him.

...

Dinner went as it normally would. When it was over, I said hello to Draco before I went to see Cedric at the Hufflepuff. That proved to me a massive mistake. "So are you going to tell me what you were doing in the forest now?" He asked innocently.

"The forest?" Harry asked from behind me. My eyes widened. I glared at Cedric before turning around to speak to Harry.

"I wasn't really in the forest it's just a joke." I told him. I sent Cedric a look, just daring him to deny it. To my relief he nodded. When Harry wasn't looking he sent me back a look saying 'your explaining that later'. I shot him an innocent grin before I left the hall to go to the headmasters office.

Once I reached the Gargoyle, I didn't even have to say anything before it jumped aside for me. Dumbledore looked up from his desk. He looked surprised that I had managed to gain entry. Maybe he doesn't know that I'm the heir of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. Then again he also looked surprised when he found me in his office almost two years ago. I can't trust anything he says or shows on his face.

...