December 17, 1977
Madam Pomfrey fusses over Aurora for a long time before she is finally discharged from the hospital wing with an extra bottle of Pepperup Potion and a handful of chocolate bars. Not having the courage to immediately return to the Ravenclaw common room, Aurora opts to seek refuge in the school library instead. With this being both a Hogsmeade weekend and the last Saturday before the Christmas holiday; Aurora is confident that the reading room will be next to empty.
Quiet as a mouse, she borrows a spare Standard Book of Spells, Grade 7 from Madam Pince and finds a seat in the back of the room. She has every intention of getting a head start on her homework for the upcoming week and putting this week's unfortunate events behind her.
Aurora spots some spare parchment and a few left-over quills and busies herself in her work. She is so immersed in the process of turning solid bread back into dough that she fails to recognize the figure that slithers into the seat just opposite of her.
"My brother is a real tosser. Thinks that life is one big joke. Has no regard for anyone but himself," the young Slytherin states this without a hint of malice in his voice, as if these words were just simple truths.
Aurora sighs and looks up from her textbook, not really in the right state of mind to be considered pleasant company.
"What do you want Regulus?" she asks in an annoyed tone. "I really don't have time for this."
"Why didn't your parents come?" he continues as if she had not spoken, "Surely Dumbledore has notified them by now?"
Aurora winces at the implication. He knows why they did not come. Everybody always seems to know what her parents are up to. With her father serving as Minister of Magic and her mother being a legendary curse-breaker, her parents were nothing short of being celebrities in the wizarding world.
Their every meeting, every outing, every movement is always being closely monitored by the press and by extension the wizarding community at large. The price of fame and fortune means that the family enjoys no sense of a private life. This also means that their daughter has no sense of a private life either.
Currently, her father is meeting with the muggle Prime Minister in London and her mother is on a secret expedition in Siberia looking for a cursed object of some sort. Appius Allen has sent his daughter a vague letter about the incident and has promised that they will discuss it when she returns home for Christmas. Aurora is not looking forward to that discussion.
"Just leave me alone, okay, I don't want to talk about this." as she speaks, she is also quickly gathering her things. Her body stands to leave.
Regulus Black rises from his chair at the same time that she does. He opens his mouth as if to say more, but then thinks better of it. He does not follow her when she exists the library abruptly.
Hurriedly turning the corner in search for the Ravenclaw Tower, Aurora hears a voice that makes her blood go cold.
"Oi, Allen, wait up!"
She stops in her tracks and pivots to come face to face with the boy that she has now come to despise. Not far behind him are his three moronic friends. All of them are sporting oafish grins on their faces. All except Lupin, who at least has the decency to look ashamed as he keeps his eyes fixated on the floor.
"Dumbledore has commanded," Sirius rolls his eyes as he says this, "that I apologize to you, so when you see him you can mention that I've done it."
Aurora laughs ironically, "You call that an apology?"
Students returning from Hogsmeade have now began to gather around the Minister's daughter and the Marauders. Following the scandalous events from Thursday night, the student body is keen to bear witness to any follow up drama between the two sides. Looking behind him, James intends on controlling the outcome of the discussion.
"Lighten up, will you?" he frowns slightly, "It was only a prank. No need to get your knickers in a twist." This statement earns him a few chuckles from the growing crowd.
At the growing number of people now stopping to watch them, Aurora starts to feel uneasy. This situation is practically unfolding in the same way that it did a few days ago. Regardless, she is more determined to stand her ground this time around.
"A prank? A prank?" Aurora feels her voice rising, "It wasn't funny! You are the worst! The most despicable, most vile, most egregious, most unfeeling snake that I have ever met-"
Sirius narrows his grey eyes at her, "Nobody forced you to spill your guts in those letters. Nobody forced you to meet me at the boathouse. Nobody forced you to get lost in the Forbidden Forest. You're just embarrassed that you were thick enough to believe that someone could actually care for you."
Aurora does not wait for Sirius Black to continue. She pushes past the group and dashes toward her common room.
The bronze knocker blocks her entrance into the tower with a riddle:
"I speak without a mouth,
I hear without ears,
I have no body,
But I come alive with wind.
What am I?"
"A secret?" the door does not budge, "No, you're an echo."
The door swings open. Aurora barely makes it onto her bed when the tears begin to flow. Her sobbing becomes so loud that her dormmates are quick to shuffle out, leaving her alone with her misery.
It had started earlier summer. She had been at home, alone as usual, when out of the blue one day a peculiar letter had arrived by owl. It supposedly came from someone calling themselves an aspiring poet. The letter had stated that they admired her wit and her work with the Interhouse Cooperation Club (a club that she had co-founded back in her fourth year).
At first, Aurora thinks that the letter is someone's idea of a joke and so she ignores it. But the letters keep coming. No seal. No signature. No indication whatsoever who the sender was. As the summer drags on, she became more intrigued.
On a whim, she responds to one the letters and before she knows it, the two parties are corresponding frequently. The sender reveals parts of themselves through secret riddles in their letters. Aurora is clever enough to keep tabs of everything that she learns about the poet in her journal.
The handwriting is exceptionally neat and the distinct lopping of their p's leds Aurora to believe that the writer is a girl. When she teases the sender about her suspicions, he assures her that he is most certainly not a girl. For some reason she believes him. He explains that his cursive skills are a result of penmanship classes that his mother forces him to take.
From this, Aurora has deduced that this mystery man must a pureblood based on traditions like these that are almost exclusive to pureblood families. However, his knowledge of Muggle literature throws her for a loop. How could he possibly know about Shakespeare? Tolstoy? Dickens? Aside from the Potters, Prewetts, Weasleys and Longbottoms, very few pureblood families allow their children to occupy themselves with Muggle hobbies.
Perhaps he is a half-blood? His knowledge and disdain for pureblood traditions contractes the idea that he is from a mixed family. With that in mind, Aurora is reluctantly forced to abandon thoughts about his blood status for the time being. Not that it matters anyway. Another piece of the puzzle, really.
As the school year progresses, she had expected that the letters would stop, but they only intensify. Soon the pair are writing to one another a few times a week. At breakfast, she often scans the Great Hall desperately looking for anything out of the ordinary that would lead her to the mystery wizard. She never finds anything.
Disappointed at her lack of being able to solve the riddle, Aurora has turned her attention toward studying for her N.E.W.T.S. Her responses to the poet become shorter and she could tell that he is getting frustrated by her lack of engagement. It is around that time that her admirer requests to meet after dinner on the 15th. At the boathouse.
December 15, 1977
She remembers that day very well.
"You look pleased," Remus smiles slightly, pulling out his Transfiguration textbook.
"Pardon?" she looks at him distractedly.
"I mean that you don't usually look this happy."
"Are you implying that I don't like transfiguration? I'll have you know that I quiet enjoy it," she smiles again involuntarily.
She is meeting her pen pal for the first time. She has a right to be somewhat excited.
Remus shakes his head. At this point, only Bertram Aubrey knows the truth about her secret poet after he sees one of the letters in the common room and inquires about it. Aubrey comes to the conclusion that the poet is a fake and has advised Aurora to stop responding.
However in this moment, Aurora decides to confide in Remus. He will not betray her secrets. She knows about his lycanthropy. She can trust him. Besides, another interpretation could only be helpful, right? Two heads are better than one?
When McGonagall turns her back to the class, Aurora quietly murmurs her story to her seatmate. In hindsight, his lack of surprise and subsequent nervous demeanour had been a dead giveaway that he knew more than he was letting on.
"Maybe," he hesitates. "Maybe you shouldn't meet this person."
"Why not?" she scoffs. "Because he could be dangerous? I know my share of curses. I am trained in the Dark Arts and I'm quite fond of a certain Bat-Bogey Hex."
Remus looks even more agitated than before.
"Maybe he's ugly. Or maybe he's–"
She waves her hand, "Who cares if he's ugly. I'm not looking to date the bloke. I just want a friend."
Aurora flinches at what she just said. She had not meant to reveal the extent of her loneliness to the Gryffindor. At her admission, Remus shoots her a melancholic sideways glance.
The bell rings and the two go their separate ways. Remus looks back at Aurora's retreating figure, but she is too consumed in her own world to notice.
She decides to skip dinner. The reason? Well, her rational goes like this. First impressions do matter. Every pureblood knows this. She wants to make sure that if this bloke is cute that she does not jeopardize an opportunity to turn this friendship into potentially something more.
With that in mind, she goes to work styling her hair into a partial updo. For good measure, she even uses a splash of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. She chooses a softer makeup look rather than her usual smokey eye and dark lipstick combination.
The snowstorm picks up just as she steps foot outside. Shivering slightly, she wraps her blue and bronze coloured scarf more securely around her neck and slips on a pair of grey gloves. Walking slowly, she savours the evening night and catches snowflakes on her tongue. The air is brimming with magic and anticipation.
She enters the dilapidated shed and peers around the room cautiously, lest this be an elaborate hoax to lure her away from the castle for some unseemly reason. This has been an original concern of hers to which the poet has assured her that his intentions are well-meaning. We should make certain moments count… I'm scared too, but we're in this together right?
Inhaling softly, she lights the tip of her wand and makes her way to the edge of the dock. The waning moonlight streaming from outside bathes the building in an ominous light. Aurora can see her breath and shivers again.
A tall figure is leaning against a dock pole with his back to the approaching Aurora. He takes a drag of his fag and flicks it into the water before abruptly turning around. Sirius Black now stands face to face with Aurora Allen. A moment passes before a trademark smirk plays across his handsome face. She cannot help but gasp.
"You actually came? Wow." The young wizard genuinely looks surprised.
"What – what are you doing here?" she is confused, really confused. Black is the aspiring poet? But he's a clown! A buffoon! His family is dark!
"I'm your secret admirer." he actually has the audacity to wink at her. "Surprised?"
"No – no – no you're not. You can't be, you don't read Muggle literature…" she is shaking her head. Remus must have told Sirius her secret and now he is here to tease her about it.
"Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, That I shall say good night till it be morrow," he quotes Shakespeare straight out of one of her letters. No, this cannot be happening.
"But how did you…?" she trails off, not liking for a minute where this is going.
Snickering in the background causes her to jump. Multiple students soon step out of the shadows, all sporting triumphed grins. She begins to feel like a deer cornered by a pack of wolves.
"Moony did all the hard work. Figuring out about your interests and all. Who would have thought that you were such a miserable wreck?" James Potter's voice spooks her. Where did he come from?
"Wait! This is my favourite part." She glances toward the direction of a new voice.
Peter Pettigrew is holding one of her letters. The broken wax seal bears the Allen crest. Her heart sinks in her chest.
"Sometimes I feel so unwanted. So unloved. After my brother was born a Squib, my mother prayed to Odin for another son. She's always been so disappointed me…My father sees me as a bargaining tool, something to be paraded around. To be showed off at parties, like some priceless jewel…I dream of a life that is my own…When I write to you, I don't feel so alone…Do you feel the same way? Are you alone too...Do you want to be my friend?"
At the last part, everybody in the room bursts into laughter. Aurora mostly recognizes the faces of the Gryffindor students, but there are Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and a few Ravenclaws too that she does not recognize. She feels ill.
"Poor little rich girl," Sirius drawls. "Why no friends? Is it because you love the Dark Arts? Well, I'm sure the Slytherins would take you in. Oh wait, they don't like blood traitors. Guess it sucks to be you."
"I'm not a dark witch!" she narrows her eyes. "Considering where you come from, I'd say that honour belongs to you."
"WHY YOU–" He steps forward with his wand outstretched. James is quick to react by placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Padfoot, I'm sure Rory didn't mean-" Sirius shakes him off.
"There's a reason that you don't have any friends, you're a stuck-up pureblood prude who walks around as if she owns the place. We all know what your mother went to Durmstrang. You hang out with Death Eaters." A few of the Slytherins hiss at the accusation.
"YOU'RE AN IDIOT" Aurora is shouting, "THAT'S WHAT THE COOPERATION CLUB IS FOR. TO BREAKDOWN MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT OTHER HOUSES. IF YOU CAME TO ANY OF THE MEETINGS YOU'D SEE!"
"You're nothing but a loner and a loser. How could you think that any bloke would want you, even as a friend?"
"You're a prick." Her eyes begin to water.
"What did you do to your hair?" Sirius' voice is softer, more dangerous. "Merlin's trousers! Did actually try to look good?" People are starting to laugh again.
Tears are starting to stream down her cheeks. She looks at Remus, who lifts his head to meet hers.
"How could you?" her voice is barely above a whisper before she takes off.
Hugging her frame tightly, she begins to walk in a dangerous direction. She is too lost in thought to pay any attention to her surroundings. Too busy chastising herself for being so careless, so foolish. She is heartbroken.
Before Aurora even realizes where she is going, she has now entered the Forbidden Forest. Her fingertips and toes begin to freeze and the tears on her eyelashes crystallize. Oh no, this isn't good. She turns to take in her surroundings. Where am I? Her heart begins to pound. If she cannot find her way back soon, she will die of exposure.
She walks around the forest for what feels like hours. The temperature has dropped from when she originally stepped out of the castle. She is shivering so violently that her teeth are chattering uncontrollably.
In the event that a search party is out looking for her, she decides to stay put in one place. Aurora finds a few dry branches and bunches them together to resemble a hearth. With a flick of her wand, she conjures a small fire and rubs her hands together to keep warm. At least the snow has stopped, and the night is now clear.
Gazing into the flames, she lets her mind wander to happier thoughts. Drinking warm apple cider with Blinky on Christmas Eve. Learning about Ancient Runes with her grandfather. Her brother Doak taking her to her first muggle rock concert back in Norway last spring.
She blinks back tears again. Maybe James Potter is right. I am a miserable wreck.
A bright light catches her attention as she diverts her attention to the heavens. A shooting star passes above her so quickly that she almost misses it. Please don't let me die out here.
A tree branch snaps behind her effectively emptying her mind of any further thoughts. The outline of something massive and black swerves into her line of sight. She is confronted by a pair of gleaming eyes and a set of raised sharp teeth. She backs away slowly before stumbling and falling to the snow-covered floor. The Grim. Merlin help me.
Without a second thought, she begins to sprint in the opposite direction. Aurora can feel the creature running after her. She turns back every so often to throw a hex at the shaggy dog. It dodges them easily and proceeds to advance toward her.
Sweating, panting and running for her life, she begins to scream.
"Who's d'er?" a gruff voice calls out.
"HAGRID, RUN, IT'S THE GRIM, RUN!" Aurora shrieks, running right into the gentle giant.
"Aurora, blimey, t'ank Merlin I found t'er," he grips her shoulders tightly. "Let's getcha in'ter da castle, they be worried aboutcha."
"THE GRIM DON'T YOU SEE?" she turns around expecting to see the monster right behind her.
Hagrid peers above her shoulders, "There's nothing out d'er."
She collapses.
December 23, 1977
Aurora cannot wait to get away from Hogwarts for the holiday season. The last week of classes have been absolutely brutal. Everywhere she goes people tease her mercilessly about the incident with Sirius and the other Marauders. Some make kissing noises at her. Others throw things in her hair. The Slytherin girls would whisper loudly and shriek whenever she passes by.
"I heard she tried to nosh off Black and that's why he messed with her. Didn't want that toad touching him."
"I heard she noshes off Flitwick, that's why she's always in his office at lunch and that's the real reason she got an O in Charms last year."
"TEN POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!" a familiar voice reacts before she can.
The girls squeal in protest, but Aurora does not wait to see what happens next.
"Heard the Grim gave you quite the fright, Allen!" Sirius calls out, as he and James come up behind a dishevelled looking Remus. "Best stay of the Forbidden Forest then!" This statement earns Sirius an elbow to the ribs from his best mate.
"Don't," James frowns as he says this.
Without looking back, Aurora walks into the Transfiguration classroom and takes her usual seat at the front of the room. How did he know about her seeing the Grim? Surely Hagrid hadn't said anything…
A moment later, Remus sinks into the seat next to her. Her body goes rigid. She had really hoped that he would not sit next to her today. She has deliberately avoided all the Marauders this week and she intends to do so for the remainder of the school year.
"I'm a Prefect too, Lupin. I didn't need you there to take points from your own House." She breaks the silence only to be interrupted by an uninvited voice.
"Here this copy is for you." Penny Parkinson slides a leaflet onto her desk with an evil glint in her eye. Remus peers over to get a better look.
'The Whore of Hogwarts: The Attempted Seduction of Sirius Black–'
Aurora crumples the leaflet as soon as she reads the title and throws it into her bookbag. Great. Now Black's fan club was after her too. Perfect.
"Listen Rory," Remus begins clearly distressed by what he has just seen, "I just wanted to-"
"Don't Lupin, just don't," her eyes take on a murderous look. "Don't say another word unless you want everyone to know about your furry little problem." She draws out the words slowly.
"Please I just – you see Padfoot didn't mean for it to go that far…" He goes on, but she stops hearing him as her thoughts begin running wild.
Padfoot? What kind of stupid nickname is that? Isn't it a kind of dog? Where have I heard that name before…Padfoot is another name for hellhound, right? Or is it another name for Garmr? The old Norse word for the wolfdog that guards the gates of Hel. Wait a second…Grim…Padfoot is another name for Grim…
"It's another name for Grim," she is barely able to choke out the sentence.
"-And then when it was too late, and I tried to warn you not to go down there.. wait what?" Remus finally stops rambling to look at her.
"He's the Grim isn't he?" She gives him her deadliest glare, "The same way you're Moony right?"
"I – uh – not sure what you're-" the panic flashes in his eyes before he has a chance to compose himself.
"Liar," she hisses back. "And what are James and Peter; Prongs and Wormtail is it?" she shows him no mercy.
"You can't – I don't know what you mean – I umm…" He clamps his mouth shut and does not utter another word to her for the rest of the lesson.
Chuckling to herself, she pulls out her leather-bound notebook and writes down this new information.
Sirius Black (nickname Padfoot) is either cursed or is an Animagus that can transform into a large dog that resembles the Grim (most likely it's the former)
Remus Lupin (nickname Moony) is afflicted with lycanthropy
James Potter (nickname Prongs) another Animagus? More likely than not. Probably takes the form of a ram, or a goat?
Peter Pettigrew (nickname Wormtail) another Animagus? 4/4? Probably takes the form of an opossum.
Very curious indeed.