Part eight: The Marauders Reunion and Crookshanks
Hermione, being the person that she was put her foot down at the first thought of a marauders reunion. Her warnings were of course acknowledged but ignored by the adults. So when she was beaten we stood up to leave taking dad with us. Then when we got back to the tower and had bidden Harry and Ron good night, we went to our dorm. Hermione wanted to get into bed, but the problem was there was someone sitting on it. She was a girl except she had patches of brownish-maroon fur all over. The same colors of Crookshanks. She was licking herself, I guess cleaning. Then she turned her head and saw us.
"I'm a girl you know. No need to call me Crookshanks like you do." She said calmly as if this was perfectly normal.
"You're Crookshanks." Whispered Hermione pointing.
"Yes. No need to gawk. I'm perfectly normal."
"You're a cat-girl." Said Hermione.
"She's a what?" I asked
"Cat-girl. They change into cats on will. They live in Asia usually, but they're illegal to keep as pets." She said changing into textbook mode. "I've been breaking the law for three years. Why are you here?"
"Oh don't worry," said the girl "Dumbledore knows I'm here. I'm supposed to be here. I'm on the League against Voldemort. Voldemort was attacking our colony, so…" She looked down at dad "Ew! Tell him to change back. I hate dogs, he knows that."
"Who is he?" I asked challenging her.
"Sirius Black. And you're his daughter, and that's Hermione. Her friends are Ron and Harry. I know Sirius from before. I helped him try to get Peter Pettigrew. He explained the whole thing to me. We're old friends."
Dad changed back. "Hello Lindsey."
"Hello. I haven't seen you in a while where've you been?"
"Around." Dad answered "why are you reveling your self now?"
"I'm supposed to. Besides it's a lot easier to clean this way. I'll be Crookshanks again before you know it."
With a final lick she changed back into the squished face Crookshanks.
"Oh, dear," muttered Hermione "this is not going to be a normal year, even by our standards. I can tell on the first day; I don't think that's a good sign."
"Oh, joy." I sighed.
Dad chuckled as he turned back into a dog.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
By the end of the week I was used to the bustle of the school. I'd been moved up to the 5th year potions class and found it much easier to bear Snape if I wasn't the only one he was glowering at, and Transfiguration was extremely easy for me (and no, I'm not bragging). Every night after dinner Harry, Hermione, Ron and I would go to the D.A.D.A room and use the passage to go up to talk with Saraan, Maxis, Remus, and dad. I found this to be the best part of my days. They would tell stories about their school days and all we would have to do was sit and listen.
On Friday evening we didn't travel through the passage, because the adults (minus Saraan) were going out to act like kids, running around through the forest. Hermione still did not approve. Anyway, instead of going up to the D.A.D.A room we went up to the astronomy tower where we could see the full moon rise perfectly above the lake. After it did we could see three animals silhouetted on the edge of the forest? Two dogs, and a wolf. They stood still for a second in remembrance of the two marauders who wouldn't be joining them that night; James, and my mother. After this they ran off into the forest probably not to return until the early hours of the morning. We only know that because we tried to stay awake in the tower waiting for them, but fell asleep in a heap on the cold stone floor.
Part Nine: The Girl
I awoke to a rough licking on my cheek. Opening my eyes I could see Crookshanks/Lindsey above my face. When I sat up she leaped off, and grabbed a piece of paper brining it close to my face. I took it from her and read,
Dear Aphi,
Got in late last night, and we bought you and your friends upstairs to your rooms. Left this morning with Maxis on a dementor hunt. Decided to go on a whim. If there are any problems go to Remus or Fleur for help, and don't do anything I wouldn't do.
Love,
Dad
So he had left. I sighed and folded the note putting on it my nightstand. I got off my bed and realized that yes we were in our dorm, and the third bed was still empty. Hermione stirred in her sleep, and I not wanting to wake her up walked quietly to the bathroom. When I got back she was up bustling around.
"Is something wrong?" I asked.
"Sirius is gone." She said
"Oh he left with Maxis. Crookshanks gave me the note he left."
"He must like worrying me."
"Hermione you're a kid. I think he can take care of himself."
"That's what he'll be saying when he gets caught."
"Have faith will you?" I sighed exasperated from her constant fussing.
"Humph!"
Later that week the third bed in our dorm was filled. A girl named Jamie McNulty moved in to our dorm room. She had raven black hair, and a sour look. To tell the truth she looked like a Slytherin, and she wasn't very nice. She said one word to Hermione and I the whole morning, and it was 'move'. And get this, Malfoy liked her. So needless to say she was not my most favorite person of the year.
"Why is that cat in here?" she asked about three nights after she moved in.
"It's Hermione's," I explained
She groaned, then her head snapped up as if she remembered something "your last name is Black?"
"Yup."
"I know who you are. Oh my gosh, you're Sirius's daughter."
"Yeah, and your point."
"You bought his wand from my dad's shop!" she said triumphantly.
'Damn!' I thought.
"How would you know?" I asked.
"Well my dad kind of runs the shop." She said sarcastically.
"I know that, but how did you know it was me? I made sure not to state my name."
"There's a quill that writes down who buys every thing. Whether they say their name or not. Security measure. My father was thinking of turning you in."
"Oh god!" I rubbed my temples, as always did when I needed to think hard.
"What have I ever done to you?" I asked fiercely.
"You're a Black. That's all that I need."
I sighed, "just please don't do any thing." I pleaded.
She smiled a smile that made me nervous. I didn't give her a second look, but ran out of the room to find Remus. 'If there are any problems go to Remus or Fleur for help' the letter had said, and that's what I intended to do.
Remus wasn't anywhere to be found so I ran down to the little cabin at the edge of the grounds to talk to Fleur, who over the weeks had become sort of like a sister. She loved to talk, and I with her, and we'd sit sometimes in the afternoon just talking. According to Ron she'd mellowed down from last year.
"Fleur!" I yelled into the stables.
She stuck her head out of the stable. Her hair was filled with straw, and she looked very startled. I guess I had scared her. I really didn't care.
"there's a girl, she mean," I babbled "she's gonna tell an I'm gonna go to Azkaban, and I can't find Remus. Help!"
"calm down!" she said "tell what about you. Did you do something bad?"
"I bought back dads wand from a shop. It was just sitting there. I didn't mean to break the law." I was still very hyper with worry.
"you bought 'is wand. Yes I know 'zat. 'e told me, but 'ow does 'zis girl know?"
"her dad owns the shop. They got my name some how, and now the girl's threatning me. I don't know why she's not in Slytherin."
"Now you are judging to quickly. 'as she done any 'zing yet?"
I shook my head.
"well 'zen good. When she does 'zen you will 'ave a real problem. Right now you only 'ave a worry. Maybe she won't tell at all. You must 'ope."
I still wasn't calmed. Fleur saw and smiled "'zey are not about to send a 15 year old to Azkaban."
"what about Barty Crouch Jr?" I asked. I'd heard that story from Harry.
"nothing is going to happen."
"fine," but I still wasn't satisfied. "where's Remus?"
"I don't know. you could check 'ze D.A.D.A room. 'zat is the only place I can 'zink of."
"thank you." I told her and ran back up to the castle.
I never found Remus, so I assumed he was doing something for Dumbledore. I worked on some Charms homework, until I jumped up thinking about something. I was big on details sometimes and I'd just found one that everyone had missed.
Part Ten: Details, Details, Details
As soon as I had this thought I ran off to find Harry. He was in the library working on Divination homework.
"run over by griffin," I heard him mummble as I approached.
"Harry!" I yelled. Madam. Pince glared.
"what?" he was startled.
"the wand!" I whispered sitting down next to him "who came out first?"
"the what? Who came out what?"
I took a breath "the wand. Voldemort's wand. You said you're dad came out before your mom?"
"what does this have to do with any thing?" he asked confused.
"just answer the question."
"my dad came out first and then my mum."
"Dumbledore said that the people came out in reverse order right?"
"yes."
"then the dementors were wrong! Your dad was killed after your mom and you mom was killed first!"
"what?! Aphi!"
"can't you get it? Harry don't be stupid." I was very excited with my discovery.
"wait, but…" Harry stopped. "you're right!" he yelled, even louder than I did. "why were you thinking about that?"
"I wasn't. it came to me during Charms homework. Priori Incantatium (A/N-sorry about the spelling. My brother has the book). It's a charm, and I just started thinking, and well then I realized it. What the dementors made you think was not true, and I want to know what happened."
"that's just weird. I should have realized it."
"um, let me point out that you were quite busy at the time fighting Voldemort, who I might point out we have not heard from all year which is a good thing. But it probably means he's plotting some big 'I'll take over the world plan', with Pettigrew helping him."
"what a joyful thought you've just brought to my mind."
"you're welcome, but that's not the point. Your mom was killed before your dad."
"so the dementors were wrong, so what?"
"I don't know. it just seems like something fishy is going on. There's some thing we don't know."
"there always is Aphi."