Chapter 8

There was a silence as he studied her, his mind momentarily away from the rat. Amelia didn't worry about that, knowing Lupin would keep an eye on the man. He was about to say something, when the golden trio decided to cut in, turning back to the more pressing matter at hand, namely the man who had, apparently lived his life as a rat, after ratting out his friends. Soon the story of how it all happened started to flow out, every little detail being mapped out and talked about. Amelia had let herself fall down on the bed, keeping her own eyes trained on Pettigrew as well, making sure the little son of a bitch didn't go anywhere. The story they were telling was cut short when none other than Severus Snape appeared, apparently out of nowhere. Snape attacked Lupin, making him fall on the ground, consequently angering her, Harry and her dad. They attacked him in the same moment, knocking him out cold, obviously resulting in Hermione breaking out into a panic attack. Soon Lupin was freed from the binds Snape had put him in, and the men were, once again after the rat. It took them some convincing and explaining, but there came a moment where Ron finally agreed to let them try and force Peter into coming back into his human form, and of course they succeeded, making a, severely un-attractive man appear. The man, true to his cowardly nature, tried to touch everyone's emotional and forgiving side, not succeeding in the least. When her dad got ready to kill the coward, both her and Harry stepped in between the two of them.

"What are you doing?" Her dad said, murder in his eyes. She knew the hateful look was not aimed at her, so she stayed in place as Harry told him to back down. Amelia was thankful for Harry's quick thinking. Of course they needed to take Pettigrew up to the castle. How else were they going to prove that Sirius Black, her dad, was indeed innocent. She felt so much lighter now she knew he had not betrayed his best friend. She would have hated the thought of her mother hating her father for betraying her uncle. She chanced a glance at Harry, a small smile making its way to her face. Her nephew. He was currently telling Sirius and Lupin how Pettigrew deserved to rot in Azkaban, more than anyone else in the wizarding world at that moment. Thankfully they agreed and they were soon on their way, a bound Pettigrew, unconscious Snape and wounded Ron dragged with them. When they were out in the open again, Harry and Sirius had been talking for the whole way back and her dad was now making his way towards her.

"I'm sorry we didn't get to talk until now." They sat down a little bit further down the road from the rest of the group they had been traveling in.

"It's okay. You know, given the circumstances." He grinned at her joke.

"You have my sense of humor, I see."

"And your temper, if Lupin is speaking the truth. " This time he let out a barking laugh.

"You seem like a great girl. I like you." She raised her dark eyebrows at him.

"Well, you kind of have to. Being my father and all."

"I can't believe you followed Harry and Hermione down that tunnel. I should be mad at you, but at the same time I'm strangely proud."

"You'll be even prouder when you meet my best friends. They're pranksters, just like you and your friends used to be." She noticed his eyes slightly glazing over and patted his hand, before standing up and giving him a little extra time with Harry. She was just looking over Snape, trying to figure out how bad his injuries were, when he started to wake up. When the confusion had gone from his eyes, he sat up, ready to berate her, like a teacher should, for being reckless. He didn't get a chance to do so, however, due to Hermione screaming out and pointing out at the moon. Amelia's eyes widened as she realized what was happening. Without thinking, she jumped in front of Harry, just as the werewolf clawed at him, resulting in her vision turning black, before she even hit the ground.

X- Harry Potter –X

She had woken on a bed in the hospital wing, just in time to hear Hermione tell Harry what she was wearing around her neck. Shortly after they disappeared into thin air, they walked back in through the large wooden door that led into the hallway. As Harry and Hermione neared the beds she and Ron were laying in (conveniently placed next to each other), Amelia sat up, ready to hear what had happened. So as Hermione sat down on Ron's bed and Harry sat down at the end of Amelia's bed, they told the story, not leaving one detail out.

"HE WHAT?!" Amelia ground her teeth. "What do you mean he escaped?! Are you telling me that Peter Pettigrew, the measly little rat, has managed to escape... Yet again, might I add?" Harry hung his head.

"I'm sorry, Amelia. We really tried to stop him." Amelia calmed down a little.

"It's okay, Harry. You saved my dad, and that's the most important thing." She hugged him, taking him by surprise. "I'm not going to be mad at you. Family should stick together." This made him look confused again.

"What do you mean?" Amelia smiled, knowing she would take him by surprise.

"Your dad had a little sister. Mary, was her name. Mary Potter. Your aunt was my mother." Harry's reactions, she realized, were really fun to watch. He really looked like a gaping fish in that moment. Just as he was about to say something, Oliver, Katie, Fred and George came storming through the doors, the twins immediately tackling Amelia so she fell back into the bed.

"Ow! Guys you're hurting me! Get off!" They had managed to hit the bruising on the side of her head and the scratches that ran across her side in the same moment. They quickly sat up, George taking place next to Hermione at the end of her bed and Fred carefully pushing Amelia a little to the side, so he could lean against her pillow as well. She shook her head at him, before smiling at Oliver and Katie. The latter looked at her with different emotions in her eyes. Oliver just smiled at her sweetly. "Thanks for coming to visit me." Katie rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. That's what friends do. Blah blah blah. Tell us what in Merlin's bloody beard happened."

"Tut tut, always the impatience, young miss Bell." Fred said with a grin, before turning to Amelia. "Now show us your scars to be." Amelia rolled her eyes.

"There's nothing to see, madame Pomfrey bandaged them." He pouted a little, before dramatically throwing his arms around her.

"If you're dying you have to tell us right now! Just spit it out! How long have you got? Judging by the way you look, it can't be more than a week!" Amelia laughed at his antics, before hitting him for that last remark.

"Oh well, it's still better than what you look like!"

"Enough! Start talking Sterling!" Katie demanded again. So she did. She told them everything from that night, leaving out the fact that Sirius Black was actually her father. She wasn't quite ready for them to know that. Thankfully she had told Harry, Ron and Hermione as much before her friends had arrived.

X- Harry Potter –X

Amelia was forced to spend another five days in the hospital wing, missing the last Hogsmeade weekend of the year. Katie, Angelina and Alicia had opted to stay behind, instead spending the day in the hospital wing with her. She had been released just in time for the end of the year feast, catching the train the day after that. They'd managed to find a compartment to fit them all, even though it was just a little tight, forcing Angelina to almost sit in George's lap. Not that either of them seemed to mind. Right now they were getting off the train in London. Amelia was trying to haul her trunk out of the train, trying not to hiss when the wound on her side, which was not quite healed yet, hurt like a bitch. It didn't help when George pushed her out of the way, him and Oliver grabbing her trunk.

"I knew you were crazy, but I never knew you were stupid." Fred said as he started walking next to her, his steps matching hers. All they knew was that Madame Pomfrey had forbid her from lifting or doing anything heavy.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." Fred raised his eyebrows.

"Oh really? Try me." Amelia grinned.

"Favorite class?"

"Easy. A tie between care of magical creatures and transfiguration."

"Favorite color?"

"Red and gold" Just when she was about to tell him that he forgot one, he continued. "And light blue."

"Okay, okay. You're doing fairly well. How about a hard one?"

"Bring it on!"

"What's the shape of my patronus?" He would never know this one. She had mentioned it once, during a late night in the common room, when they were supposed to study. She was all ready to say 'I told you so', when he answered.

"A dragon." Her mouth fell open, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"H-how? What? How did you- ?" He winked at her, before walking the last few feet to his parents, just in time to see Harry leave with the Dursleys.

"Amelia dear, good to see you." Mrs. Weasley's normally bone crushing hug was a little less tight this time. Amelia suspected this was because of Ron telling her about the claw marks professor Lupin had given her. "Did you have a good time at school?"

"Yes, I did. Where are aunt Cass and Jennifer?" It was no secret that her and Jennifer weren't the best of friends and that they didn't talk at school, unless it could be helped, but she wouldn't actually try, and succeed, to talk Cassandra into leaving without her, would she?

"They went home, dear, we thought it would be a nice surprise for you to stay with us over the summer. Bill and Charlie are coming to visit and we know that you like to spend time with the twins as well." Amelia smiled at Mrs. Weasley, knowing there was probably another reason, she wasn't telling them. So, instead of leaving with her aunt and niece, like she usually would, she left with the red-headed family she loved so much.