Chapter 4
Author note:
Hi, sorry i haven't been updating, but you know, School. So this is the fourth chapter. I want to make it niiiiiice and long. She's going to get to find out about her parents in this chapter and go to Hogwarts. Then the fun and adventure starts.
Dumbledore led Lierre out of the Palace of Beaxbatons, and over to a horseless carrige. He held the door open for her and she climbed in.
"So," said Lierre, trying to make conversation, "What will I do at, 'Ogwarts? Why must I go 'zere in 'Ze first place?" Dumbledore sighed, a twinkle in his light blue eyes.
"Well, my dear Lierre," he began, "We think that the Dark Lord may send some of his minions after you. Your mother, Serefine, was one of the best spies for the Light Side. She put many Dark Wizards in Azkaban."
"But, why would 'e be aftair moi?" Lierre asked him.
"Isn't that quite obvious? He thinks that you may become a spy, also. If you take after your mother, which you do, he would most likely want you dead." Lierre was taken aback.
"I nevair knew 'zat I was so eemportant." she said, wringing her now pale hands.
"Lierre," Dumbledore said kindly, "Everyone is important somehow. A few more important than others."
"Zank you, Monsieur Dumbly-dorr. But anuzzer 'zing," Lierre looked up at him, "What was my fazzer like? Do you know anyzing about 'im?"
"Ahhhh," Dumbledore chuckled, "Languire Sarment. He was a very likable man, Lierre. You have his green eyes. He went to Hogwarts, not Beaxbatons, though. However, Languire was always making people laugh! His favorite thing to say was, 'Viva La Dungbombs!' I still remember when he used to say it!"
"Really?" Lierre was curious about her parents. She had never really known that much about them. Not even their names, for that matter. "Do you know more?"
Dumbledore grinned.
"Also, your mother, she was in Corbeau house, at Beaxbatons. Very smart she was. Got full marks, and top of her class. She was almost the complete opposite of your father! Funny, huh? Serefine had hair just like yours, Lierre." he smiled at her.
"Wow." Lierre was kind of stunned. "Well, what 'appened to zem? 'Ow did zey die?"
Lierre didn't really know why she asked this, but she did. She actually did want to know.
"Lierre," Dumbledore's eyes turned sort of grave, "They were murdered by Lord Voldemort." Lierre shuddered, "Your mother and father, were attending their posts at one of the Deatheater meetings. But someone had found out, and told Voldemort. When they got there, Deatheaters ponced upon them. Your father had told your mother to run, and go find you......"
*Flashback*
"Go, Serafine!! Go, find Lierre, and run away!!" Lierre's father pushed her mother farther away from the mob. Her mother looked sadly at him, but then ran as fast as she could from the meeting place.
"WHERE IS SHE!?" Lierre's mother heard a shout from behind, "TAKE ME TO HER!"
"Never!!" Languire shouted back, "I'D RATHER DIE!!"
"That can be arranged...AVADA KEDAVRA!" there was a rushing sound.
"No, Languire!!" Serefine knew what had happened. Crying out in sadness, she pushed her way through the trees, desperate to find her cottage. She finally reached it. But she could hear the mob of Deatheaters getting closer and closer. She flung open the door and ran inside, locking it behind her. Serafine ran upstairs, and saw her friend, Mariette, holding her daughter, Lierre.
"Mariette," Serafine panted, as she reached her, "Zey 'ave come! 'Urry, give Lierre to me!"
Mariette quickly handed Lierre to Serafine, and nodded encouragingly. Serafine ran to the front door, but by that time, the Deatheaters were already there. She quickly headed to the back door. Flinging it open, she ran out into the woods once more, praying that she would find a safe haven. Lierre started to cry, and Serafine tried to comfort her and run, at the same time.
"This Way!!" she heard a shout from behind her.
No, she prayed, no, no.
Then she reached a clearing. There were trees around in a circle with flowers and faeries all around it. Panicking, she looked frantically around for a place to hide. Suddenly, she heard a noise overhead. Shielding her eyes, she looked up into the sky only to see-
"-A motair-cycle?"
A giant motercycle was hovering above the clearing. She couldn't see the driver, but Serafine didn't think it was a Deatheater.
"Please!" she called up to it, "'Elp me and my child! Please, I beg of you!" the Deatheaters' shouts grew louder as they came closer. Then she heard a voice from up on the motercycle.
"Serafine," it called, "Give me your hand!" Serafine suddenly recognised the voice.
"Sirius! Take Lierre!" the Deatheaters broke through the trees.
"No!" Sirius reached down to take Serafine's hand, but she pulled it away. She thrust Lierre up into the air near the motercycle.
"TAKE 'ER! NOW!!" Sirius took Lierre into his arms.
"I'll keep her safe."
"GO!" Serafine gave the motercycle a shove. Sirius took off into the sky. Then a scream pierced through the night sky and Lierre started to cry.
*End Flashback*
"That's what 'appened?" Lierre had tears in her eyes.
"I'm afraid so." said Dumbledore sympathetically, "They both died for The Light Side."
"Monsieur," Lierre said suddenly, "Oo is, Sirius? I 'ave 'eard zat name, I know it!"
"He just escaped from Azkaban, Lierre." Dumbledore said. Lierre clapped a hand to her mouth.
"Sacre Bleau'. Cest' impossible." This man, this Deatheater, he couldn't have saved her. Could he?
"Yes, it is possible, I'm afraid. Oh, look, we're here already!" Dumbledore pointed out the window. Lierre looked also, and saw what looked like, a Bus Station.
"Come now, my Dear." Dumbledore opened the carrige door, and offered Lierre his hand. She took it and stepped out of the carrige, marveling at her surroundings. She had never know life other that Beauxbatons grounds. But she was in a small village, with small houses and small yards. Ahead of her, she saw her bags levitating in front of Dumbledore. She folllowed him to a small corner.
"What are we doing, Monsieur Dumbly-dorr?" Lierre asked him.
"We're waiting for the Knight Bus, Lierre." And so they were.
After a few minuteds, there was a bang like a gun and a bus appered in front of them. It was a triple-decker, violently purple bus, Lierre noted. Dumbledore led the way onto it, where, Lierre was fascinated to see, instead of seats there were brass beds. A boy in his late teens led Lierre to a bed with a purple comforter, and Dumbledore to a bed with a blue one. Then he stood at the head of the bus and spoke to them.
"I'm Stan Shunpike," he said in a much to loud voice, "And I'll be your conductor this evening. Enjoy your stay." Stan then went to the driver and whispered something in his ear. There was another bang like a gun, and they were off.
"Now, young Lierre," said Dumbledore sleepily, "Get some sleep." and he tucked himself in under the blue comforter and, within a few minutes, issued a light snore. Lierre too got under her warm purple blanket, and tried to drift off to sleep. But she was still restless. This was all happening so fast. One day, she was playing tricks with Pierre and Jannine, and the next, she was on her way to Hogwarts. She sighed, and sleep finally came.
"Lierre. Lierre." someone was calling her. Lierre groggily opened her eyes, and saw the face of Albus Dumbledore peering down at her.
"Oui," she mumbled, "What is it now?" Dumbledore smiled, ignoring her grumpiness.
"We're here," he said cheerily, "At King's Cross Station."
Lierre slowly got out of the nice, soft, warm bed, and stood up. Dumbledore handed Lierre her bags, and held open the door for her. He stepped out and walked ahead of her.
"Jurer!" Lierre cursed, as the bright sunlight of the day hit her. She shouldered her bags and made her way through the crowds after Dumbledore. People stared at her, and she didn't really blame them. Lierre looked quite out-of-place in her ice blue robes and shoes. She made a face at one of the on-lookers and continued after Dumbledore. She stopped when he stood in front of a Platform Border.
"What are we waiting for, Monsieur?" she asked him, uncertainly. Dumbledore smiled at her in response.
"Well, we have to go through the barrier, and we will reach the Hogwarts Express. Don't worry," he added at Lierre's horrified face, "If you're a witch or wizard, then you can go through it. Now, since Beauxbatons starts term a month earlier than Hogwarts, you can enroll in the beginning of our year, alright?" Lierre smiled slightly.
Dumbledore walked through the barrier without a backwards glance. Lierre rubbed her eyes, as if to see if she saw what she saw. She did. If Dumbledore did it that easily it mustn't be that hard. Lierre was just about to walk through, when a noisy family of red-heads walked up behind her, saying things like,
"-Packed with muggles, undoubtable!"
"-Do you have the Dungbombs?" and
"-Fred, do you have everything?" Lierre turned around to grab her bags, and she saw six people, four of which, had trunks and owls. They all had flaming red hair. Lierre's cat, Rouge, let out a low hiss from her basket. She quickly grabbed her bags and Rouge's basket and closed her eyes. Bracing herself for impact, she walked towards the barrier, and was surprised when no impact came. Opening her eyes once more, she looked around to see a train station. A scarlet steam engine was, on the tracks, labled, 'Hogwarts Express.'
"Ogwarts Express? Now, I've seen everyzing." Lierre dragged her bags and Rouge's basket, over to drop off her cart, and put her things on the train. She looked around for Dumbledore, but he was nowhere in sight. Lierre passed a boy with dreadlocks, who winked at her, and two, obvious, twin boys with flaming red hair. One of them smiled at her, and the other whistled.
"Idiots." she said loudly in french. They got a bewildered look on their identical faces, and turned to talk to a woman, who must have been their mother.
Lierre pushed her way through the crowds until she found a, practically, empty compartment at the end of the train. There was a young man asleep in the back, and when she shoved her cat and trunk inside, he didn't even stir. She sat down in the chair across from the man, and took out a book (Hogwarts: a History). She began to read, when Rouge let out an angry yowl from her basket.
"Coming, my kitten, coming." she cooed in french, to her beloved cat. Lierre fumbled with the straps on her basket, and opened up the lid. Rouge leapt out lightly and stretched. She meowed happily and began sniffing her new surroundings. When she sniffed the young man, however, she leapt back and hissed.
"No, Rouge, bad cat!" she shooed the kitten away from him, and went back to her book.
Lierre was just reading about the Chamber of Secrets, when the compartment door slid open. Three people were standing there. One of whom, she recognised as one of the Red-headed people from before. One of the others was a boy with jet-black hair, and startling green eyes. The last, was a girl with bushy brown hair, and cinnamon colored eyes.
"Oh, what should we do?" the girl whispered to her friends, "There's someone here already." the boy with red hair looked at Lierre for awhile, then widened his eyes, as though figuring out something.
"She's the exchange student! She's from Beauxbatons, and I don't think she speaks english very well." the girl with bushy hair, smiled, showing two, slightly over large, front teeth. Lierre looked up from her book once more, annoyed.
"Well," she said in perfect, though slightly accented, english, "Sit down, and, please, be quiet. I am trying to learn about zis country, and would greatly appreciate it, if you would be much quiter zen 'zis!" she slammed her book shut.
"Sorry, geez." the red-head sighed. He slid into a seat, and the other two did also. Lierre put her book away.
"I am Lierre Sarment, from France. 'Ow do you do?" she held out her hand to the boy with black hair. He looked slightly surprised, but none-the-less, shook her hand lightly.
"Harry Potter," he said, "And this is Ron Weasley," Ron waved, "And Hermione Granger." Hermione smiled at her.
After they were introduced, everyone became allot friendlier with the exchange student. They all asked her what life was like in Beauxbtons, and if she learned magic on their level. She explained everything patiently, and was happy to answer their questions.
"So," Ron asked her, "Why did you name your cat Rouge?" he stroked the, now purring, cat.
"Well," said Lierre, "It means red. Because Rouge always 'ad a temper." Ron looked as though he were about to ask her another question, when the compartment door banged open. Three people stood there: A boy with blonde hair and a pale ponted face, and two big, hulks of flesh. Lierre heard Harry mutter distinctly, "Malfoy."
"Well, look what the dogs dragged in," the pale boy said, in a lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty, Weasle, and Beaver."
Harry and Ron stood up, but Lierre spoke first.
"And 'oo might you be? Anozzer one of 'Arry's friends?" Lierre asked him, feeling her wand in her pocket. The boy smirked.
"Draco Malfoy. Pleased to meet you-"
"Lierre. Lierre Serafine Sarment." Lierre innterupted him. He grinned.
"Well," he stepped inside the compartment. "Lierre, what are you doing hanging out with trash like this?" he motioned to the others. "You'll find that, in Britain, some wizarding families are better than others."
"I believe I can tell for myself 'oo is better, Draco." Lierre smiled sarenely at him. He scowled, and a pink tinge appeared on his cheeks.
"I'd watch myself if I were you. You go around with mud-bloods like the Weasley, Potter, and Granger," he stepped up close to her, "It'll rub off on you."
Harry and Ron stood up, but Lierre stopped them.
"Well, Draco, 'Ow, exactly, do you get off zinking, zat you are better 'zen ozzer people? Hm? I 'appen to zink 'zat zese people are vairy nice."
"You won't be so confident when you don't get in Gryffindor, with your new friends." Malfoy sneered, "I'll bet you anything you're a Slytherin!"
And he and his 'Bodygaurds' left, slamming the door behind them.
"Well," said Lierre, "Zat was a nice boy, non?"
Ron, Harry, and Hermione looked as though they had been force-fed poison.
"Just Keeding! My, you British really are 'Igh-strung!" and she went back to her book, Rouge purring in her lap.
Ron muttered something indistinct, and he and Harry went on about Quidditch. After a few minutes, Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, tried to eat Ron's rat, Scabbers, and knocked over Harry's trunk. A strange glass spinning device flipped out, and started making a very loud whizzing noise.
"Is 'zat a sneakascope?" Lierre asked, as it whizzed out of control.
"Yes," said Ron, "Mind you, it's a very cheap one."
"But it doesn't matter 'ow cheap it is." said Lierre, "Zey all work 'za same."
"I guess that makes sense. Doesn't it Ron?" Harry bent down to inspect it.
"Let me see." Lierre yanked the whizzing sneakascope from Harry's hands. She began to walk around the room, holding the sneakascope out in front of her. It stopped whizzing at Harry, Lierre and Hermione, but when she reached Ron-
"WHIZZZZ!!! WHIZZZ!!" it was spinning so fast, that the whizzing was deafaning. Lierre quickly pulled it away, looking at Ron strangely.
"Curious," she muttered, resuming her check, "Very curious."
It started whizzing loudly again when she reached the sleeping man.
"What is going on, wiss zis zing!?" Lierre tossed it back to Harry, and plopped down into her chair.
Lierre had fallen asleep soundly, when the train jolted to a stop, startling her awake.
"Mardre! What's going on!?" said Lierre loudly, looking around, the now dark, compartment. "I was in za middle of my nap!"
"I don't know." came Hermione's voice from her left, "D'you think we've broken down?"
"Dunno...."
Lierre wiped a patch on the window, and peered outside. It was about 8:30, so she couldn't really see anything. Then she saw moving shapes.
"Eek!" she cried, causing Harry and Ron to jump. "Zere are zings moving about out 'zere! Zey are coming aboard!"
Then, the compartment door slid open, and two dark shapes ambled in. One tripped over Lierre's legs.
"'Ey! 'Oo is zat?"
"Who's that?"
"Lierre."
"Fred. Hey, listen, do you wanna' go find a compartment and-"
"Fred!" howled Ron's voice. "Leave her alone!"
"Oh, Ronniekins!" came another voice, similar to Fred's. "What? You got dibs on her?"
"George," came Harry's voice now, "We aren't in the mood to-"
"Awwww, come on!" whined Fred, "I don't think she'll-"
"Quiet!" said a different voice. It sounded quite hoarse.
It seemed the Professor R.J. Lupin had finally awoke. Lierre could sense his movements in the corner he was sleeping. No one moved.
There was a crackling noise and a gray light illuminated the entire compartment. Professor Lupin was holding, what looked like, a handful of flames. They lit up his face, showing pale brown eyes, that looked tired, but alert.
"Stay still." he said, in the same hoarse voice as before. He slowly got to his feet, and walked toward the door, holding out the flames in front of him.
But the door opened before Lupin could reach it.
There, in the doorway, stood a towering figure, in a dark black cloak. It reached the ceiling, and it's face was hidden by the cloak it wore. Lierre knew what it was immediately: A Dementor.
Before she knew what was happening, an intense cold swept over her. It chilled her, and made her shiver deeper than skin. She plunged her hand into her pocket and yanked out her wand, all the while wracking her brain for the Anti-Dementor charm. She remembered.
"Expecto-Patronum!" she shouted, pointing her wand at the Dementor. A silver phoenix came out of her wand at charged at it. The Phoenix tackled the Dementor and circled once before coming back to Lierre. The Dementor quickly turned around and glided out of the compartment. Lierre got several surprised looks from Ron, Fred, George, Hermione, and Lupin. Not Harry.
"'Arry?" Lierre asked, putting her wand away. No answer. Lierre quickly turned to Lupin for an answer but then she heard Hermione squeal. Lierre looked over at her to see her finger quivering in the direction of the floor. Lierre looked down, only to see Harry laying, face-down, on the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione squealed again. Lierre turned to Professor Lupin.
"I'm going to 'za front of 'za train." she said slowly. "I will make sure we are close to 'Ogwarts." then, before Lupin could say a word, Lierre pulled open the compartment door, and sprinted down the hall and to the front of the train. She was almost there, when a foot stuck out of a compartment and she tripped and fell hard onto the floor. She whipped her head around, only to see Draco Malfoy.
"WHY," Lierre shouted at him, "DID YOU DO 'ZAT?!" she jumped up and stood in front of him. Even though Lierre was a head shorter than him, she wasn't the least bit intimidated by him. Malfoy smirked.
"Well," he drawled, "You were obviously in a hurry. So I decided to slow you down."
Lierre pulled out her wand.
"Stop bozzering me. I am in a major 'urry." Malfoy didn't move. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Make me."
"Accio Draco's hair!" Lierre shouted. Malfoy's hair flew into her hand and she twisted the platinum blonde locks, HARD.
"AUGH!" Malfoy yelped, as Lierre grabbed his hair. "Let GO woman!!"
"When you apologize!" Lierre twisted his hair harder.
"Fine!" Malfoy whimpered, "I'm sorry!" Lierre let go of his hair, and without a backward glance, ran to the front of the train. She pulled open the door to it, and stepped inside, clutching her chest.
"Are," she panted to the conductor, "We almost 'zere?"
"Yes." the conductor answered. "Why?"
"No reason." and Lierre turned and ran all the way back to the compartment in the back of the train.
Leaping over Malfoy's foot again, she called over her shoulder, "Nice Try Idiot!"
"Mud-blood!" Malfoy shouted to her, but she didn't hear him. She reached the door to the compartment and pulled it open. Lierre stepped inside and looked around. Everyone was bent over Harry, who was still on the floor.
"We are almost at 'Ogwarts." she announced, when they all looked up.
"Good." said Lupin, who stood and walked over to Lierre. "How long?"
"I zink about feefteen minutes, at za least."
"Very nice." Lupin reached into his pocket and pulled out a large bar of chocolate. "When Harry wakes up, give him and everyone else, some of this." he handed the bar to Lierre. Lupin reached out for the door, when he stopped and turned to Lierre again.
"What?" Lierre asked, opening the chocolate.
"Well," Lupin seemed to be searching for the right words. "How did you know the Patronus charm? You're only thirteen, afterall."
Lierre laughed a little.
"Well, Professor," she took out her wand, "We study more advanced magic at Beaxbatons, you see. And my best class was Deffense Against Za Dark Arts."
"Wonderful." muttered Fred from her right. "A girl that fights evil. Well, we lost our chance George, ol' bean." Lierre gave him a funny look.
"Oh, yes." Lupin turned to the door again. "I have some business to attend to, and I must contact Headmaster Dumbledore."
Lierre was about to ask him where Dumbledore went in the fist place, but he was already gone.
"W-What?" Harry had woken up.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked him nervously.
"Yeah, but-"
Lierre started breaking he chocolate into seperate pieces, and everyone jumped.
"Really," she said as she handed it out. "Breetish are 'Igh-strung."
Author note:
Hi, sorry i haven't been updating, but you know, School. So this is the fourth chapter. I want to make it niiiiiice and long. She's going to get to find out about her parents in this chapter and go to Hogwarts. Then the fun and adventure starts.
Dumbledore led Lierre out of the Palace of Beaxbatons, and over to a horseless carrige. He held the door open for her and she climbed in.
"So," said Lierre, trying to make conversation, "What will I do at, 'Ogwarts? Why must I go 'zere in 'Ze first place?" Dumbledore sighed, a twinkle in his light blue eyes.
"Well, my dear Lierre," he began, "We think that the Dark Lord may send some of his minions after you. Your mother, Serefine, was one of the best spies for the Light Side. She put many Dark Wizards in Azkaban."
"But, why would 'e be aftair moi?" Lierre asked him.
"Isn't that quite obvious? He thinks that you may become a spy, also. If you take after your mother, which you do, he would most likely want you dead." Lierre was taken aback.
"I nevair knew 'zat I was so eemportant." she said, wringing her now pale hands.
"Lierre," Dumbledore said kindly, "Everyone is important somehow. A few more important than others."
"Zank you, Monsieur Dumbly-dorr. But anuzzer 'zing," Lierre looked up at him, "What was my fazzer like? Do you know anyzing about 'im?"
"Ahhhh," Dumbledore chuckled, "Languire Sarment. He was a very likable man, Lierre. You have his green eyes. He went to Hogwarts, not Beaxbatons, though. However, Languire was always making people laugh! His favorite thing to say was, 'Viva La Dungbombs!' I still remember when he used to say it!"
"Really?" Lierre was curious about her parents. She had never really known that much about them. Not even their names, for that matter. "Do you know more?"
Dumbledore grinned.
"Also, your mother, she was in Corbeau house, at Beaxbatons. Very smart she was. Got full marks, and top of her class. She was almost the complete opposite of your father! Funny, huh? Serefine had hair just like yours, Lierre." he smiled at her.
"Wow." Lierre was kind of stunned. "Well, what 'appened to zem? 'Ow did zey die?"
Lierre didn't really know why she asked this, but she did. She actually did want to know.
"Lierre," Dumbledore's eyes turned sort of grave, "They were murdered by Lord Voldemort." Lierre shuddered, "Your mother and father, were attending their posts at one of the Deatheater meetings. But someone had found out, and told Voldemort. When they got there, Deatheaters ponced upon them. Your father had told your mother to run, and go find you......"
*Flashback*
"Go, Serafine!! Go, find Lierre, and run away!!" Lierre's father pushed her mother farther away from the mob. Her mother looked sadly at him, but then ran as fast as she could from the meeting place.
"WHERE IS SHE!?" Lierre's mother heard a shout from behind, "TAKE ME TO HER!"
"Never!!" Languire shouted back, "I'D RATHER DIE!!"
"That can be arranged...AVADA KEDAVRA!" there was a rushing sound.
"No, Languire!!" Serefine knew what had happened. Crying out in sadness, she pushed her way through the trees, desperate to find her cottage. She finally reached it. But she could hear the mob of Deatheaters getting closer and closer. She flung open the door and ran inside, locking it behind her. Serafine ran upstairs, and saw her friend, Mariette, holding her daughter, Lierre.
"Mariette," Serafine panted, as she reached her, "Zey 'ave come! 'Urry, give Lierre to me!"
Mariette quickly handed Lierre to Serafine, and nodded encouragingly. Serafine ran to the front door, but by that time, the Deatheaters were already there. She quickly headed to the back door. Flinging it open, she ran out into the woods once more, praying that she would find a safe haven. Lierre started to cry, and Serafine tried to comfort her and run, at the same time.
"This Way!!" she heard a shout from behind her.
No, she prayed, no, no.
Then she reached a clearing. There were trees around in a circle with flowers and faeries all around it. Panicking, she looked frantically around for a place to hide. Suddenly, she heard a noise overhead. Shielding her eyes, she looked up into the sky only to see-
"-A motair-cycle?"
A giant motercycle was hovering above the clearing. She couldn't see the driver, but Serafine didn't think it was a Deatheater.
"Please!" she called up to it, "'Elp me and my child! Please, I beg of you!" the Deatheaters' shouts grew louder as they came closer. Then she heard a voice from up on the motercycle.
"Serafine," it called, "Give me your hand!" Serafine suddenly recognised the voice.
"Sirius! Take Lierre!" the Deatheaters broke through the trees.
"No!" Sirius reached down to take Serafine's hand, but she pulled it away. She thrust Lierre up into the air near the motercycle.
"TAKE 'ER! NOW!!" Sirius took Lierre into his arms.
"I'll keep her safe."
"GO!" Serafine gave the motercycle a shove. Sirius took off into the sky. Then a scream pierced through the night sky and Lierre started to cry.
*End Flashback*
"That's what 'appened?" Lierre had tears in her eyes.
"I'm afraid so." said Dumbledore sympathetically, "They both died for The Light Side."
"Monsieur," Lierre said suddenly, "Oo is, Sirius? I 'ave 'eard zat name, I know it!"
"He just escaped from Azkaban, Lierre." Dumbledore said. Lierre clapped a hand to her mouth.
"Sacre Bleau'. Cest' impossible." This man, this Deatheater, he couldn't have saved her. Could he?
"Yes, it is possible, I'm afraid. Oh, look, we're here already!" Dumbledore pointed out the window. Lierre looked also, and saw what looked like, a Bus Station.
"Come now, my Dear." Dumbledore opened the carrige door, and offered Lierre his hand. She took it and stepped out of the carrige, marveling at her surroundings. She had never know life other that Beauxbatons grounds. But she was in a small village, with small houses and small yards. Ahead of her, she saw her bags levitating in front of Dumbledore. She folllowed him to a small corner.
"What are we doing, Monsieur Dumbly-dorr?" Lierre asked him.
"We're waiting for the Knight Bus, Lierre." And so they were.
After a few minuteds, there was a bang like a gun and a bus appered in front of them. It was a triple-decker, violently purple bus, Lierre noted. Dumbledore led the way onto it, where, Lierre was fascinated to see, instead of seats there were brass beds. A boy in his late teens led Lierre to a bed with a purple comforter, and Dumbledore to a bed with a blue one. Then he stood at the head of the bus and spoke to them.
"I'm Stan Shunpike," he said in a much to loud voice, "And I'll be your conductor this evening. Enjoy your stay." Stan then went to the driver and whispered something in his ear. There was another bang like a gun, and they were off.
"Now, young Lierre," said Dumbledore sleepily, "Get some sleep." and he tucked himself in under the blue comforter and, within a few minutes, issued a light snore. Lierre too got under her warm purple blanket, and tried to drift off to sleep. But she was still restless. This was all happening so fast. One day, she was playing tricks with Pierre and Jannine, and the next, she was on her way to Hogwarts. She sighed, and sleep finally came.
"Lierre. Lierre." someone was calling her. Lierre groggily opened her eyes, and saw the face of Albus Dumbledore peering down at her.
"Oui," she mumbled, "What is it now?" Dumbledore smiled, ignoring her grumpiness.
"We're here," he said cheerily, "At King's Cross Station."
Lierre slowly got out of the nice, soft, warm bed, and stood up. Dumbledore handed Lierre her bags, and held open the door for her. He stepped out and walked ahead of her.
"Jurer!" Lierre cursed, as the bright sunlight of the day hit her. She shouldered her bags and made her way through the crowds after Dumbledore. People stared at her, and she didn't really blame them. Lierre looked quite out-of-place in her ice blue robes and shoes. She made a face at one of the on-lookers and continued after Dumbledore. She stopped when he stood in front of a Platform Border.
"What are we waiting for, Monsieur?" she asked him, uncertainly. Dumbledore smiled at her in response.
"Well, we have to go through the barrier, and we will reach the Hogwarts Express. Don't worry," he added at Lierre's horrified face, "If you're a witch or wizard, then you can go through it. Now, since Beauxbatons starts term a month earlier than Hogwarts, you can enroll in the beginning of our year, alright?" Lierre smiled slightly.
Dumbledore walked through the barrier without a backwards glance. Lierre rubbed her eyes, as if to see if she saw what she saw. She did. If Dumbledore did it that easily it mustn't be that hard. Lierre was just about to walk through, when a noisy family of red-heads walked up behind her, saying things like,
"-Packed with muggles, undoubtable!"
"-Do you have the Dungbombs?" and
"-Fred, do you have everything?" Lierre turned around to grab her bags, and she saw six people, four of which, had trunks and owls. They all had flaming red hair. Lierre's cat, Rouge, let out a low hiss from her basket. She quickly grabbed her bags and Rouge's basket and closed her eyes. Bracing herself for impact, she walked towards the barrier, and was surprised when no impact came. Opening her eyes once more, she looked around to see a train station. A scarlet steam engine was, on the tracks, labled, 'Hogwarts Express.'
"Ogwarts Express? Now, I've seen everyzing." Lierre dragged her bags and Rouge's basket, over to drop off her cart, and put her things on the train. She looked around for Dumbledore, but he was nowhere in sight. Lierre passed a boy with dreadlocks, who winked at her, and two, obvious, twin boys with flaming red hair. One of them smiled at her, and the other whistled.
"Idiots." she said loudly in french. They got a bewildered look on their identical faces, and turned to talk to a woman, who must have been their mother.
Lierre pushed her way through the crowds until she found a, practically, empty compartment at the end of the train. There was a young man asleep in the back, and when she shoved her cat and trunk inside, he didn't even stir. She sat down in the chair across from the man, and took out a book (Hogwarts: a History). She began to read, when Rouge let out an angry yowl from her basket.
"Coming, my kitten, coming." she cooed in french, to her beloved cat. Lierre fumbled with the straps on her basket, and opened up the lid. Rouge leapt out lightly and stretched. She meowed happily and began sniffing her new surroundings. When she sniffed the young man, however, she leapt back and hissed.
"No, Rouge, bad cat!" she shooed the kitten away from him, and went back to her book.
Lierre was just reading about the Chamber of Secrets, when the compartment door slid open. Three people were standing there. One of whom, she recognised as one of the Red-headed people from before. One of the others was a boy with jet-black hair, and startling green eyes. The last, was a girl with bushy brown hair, and cinnamon colored eyes.
"Oh, what should we do?" the girl whispered to her friends, "There's someone here already." the boy with red hair looked at Lierre for awhile, then widened his eyes, as though figuring out something.
"She's the exchange student! She's from Beauxbatons, and I don't think she speaks english very well." the girl with bushy hair, smiled, showing two, slightly over large, front teeth. Lierre looked up from her book once more, annoyed.
"Well," she said in perfect, though slightly accented, english, "Sit down, and, please, be quiet. I am trying to learn about zis country, and would greatly appreciate it, if you would be much quiter zen 'zis!" she slammed her book shut.
"Sorry, geez." the red-head sighed. He slid into a seat, and the other two did also. Lierre put her book away.
"I am Lierre Sarment, from France. 'Ow do you do?" she held out her hand to the boy with black hair. He looked slightly surprised, but none-the-less, shook her hand lightly.
"Harry Potter," he said, "And this is Ron Weasley," Ron waved, "And Hermione Granger." Hermione smiled at her.
After they were introduced, everyone became allot friendlier with the exchange student. They all asked her what life was like in Beauxbtons, and if she learned magic on their level. She explained everything patiently, and was happy to answer their questions.
"So," Ron asked her, "Why did you name your cat Rouge?" he stroked the, now purring, cat.
"Well," said Lierre, "It means red. Because Rouge always 'ad a temper." Ron looked as though he were about to ask her another question, when the compartment door banged open. Three people stood there: A boy with blonde hair and a pale ponted face, and two big, hulks of flesh. Lierre heard Harry mutter distinctly, "Malfoy."
"Well, look what the dogs dragged in," the pale boy said, in a lazy drawl, pulling open the compartment door. "Potty, Weasle, and Beaver."
Harry and Ron stood up, but Lierre spoke first.
"And 'oo might you be? Anozzer one of 'Arry's friends?" Lierre asked him, feeling her wand in her pocket. The boy smirked.
"Draco Malfoy. Pleased to meet you-"
"Lierre. Lierre Serafine Sarment." Lierre innterupted him. He grinned.
"Well," he stepped inside the compartment. "Lierre, what are you doing hanging out with trash like this?" he motioned to the others. "You'll find that, in Britain, some wizarding families are better than others."
"I believe I can tell for myself 'oo is better, Draco." Lierre smiled sarenely at him. He scowled, and a pink tinge appeared on his cheeks.
"I'd watch myself if I were you. You go around with mud-bloods like the Weasley, Potter, and Granger," he stepped up close to her, "It'll rub off on you."
Harry and Ron stood up, but Lierre stopped them.
"Well, Draco, 'Ow, exactly, do you get off zinking, zat you are better 'zen ozzer people? Hm? I 'appen to zink 'zat zese people are vairy nice."
"You won't be so confident when you don't get in Gryffindor, with your new friends." Malfoy sneered, "I'll bet you anything you're a Slytherin!"
And he and his 'Bodygaurds' left, slamming the door behind them.
"Well," said Lierre, "Zat was a nice boy, non?"
Ron, Harry, and Hermione looked as though they had been force-fed poison.
"Just Keeding! My, you British really are 'Igh-strung!" and she went back to her book, Rouge purring in her lap.
Ron muttered something indistinct, and he and Harry went on about Quidditch. After a few minutes, Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, tried to eat Ron's rat, Scabbers, and knocked over Harry's trunk. A strange glass spinning device flipped out, and started making a very loud whizzing noise.
"Is 'zat a sneakascope?" Lierre asked, as it whizzed out of control.
"Yes," said Ron, "Mind you, it's a very cheap one."
"But it doesn't matter 'ow cheap it is." said Lierre, "Zey all work 'za same."
"I guess that makes sense. Doesn't it Ron?" Harry bent down to inspect it.
"Let me see." Lierre yanked the whizzing sneakascope from Harry's hands. She began to walk around the room, holding the sneakascope out in front of her. It stopped whizzing at Harry, Lierre and Hermione, but when she reached Ron-
"WHIZZZZ!!! WHIZZZ!!" it was spinning so fast, that the whizzing was deafaning. Lierre quickly pulled it away, looking at Ron strangely.
"Curious," she muttered, resuming her check, "Very curious."
It started whizzing loudly again when she reached the sleeping man.
"What is going on, wiss zis zing!?" Lierre tossed it back to Harry, and plopped down into her chair.
Lierre had fallen asleep soundly, when the train jolted to a stop, startling her awake.
"Mardre! What's going on!?" said Lierre loudly, looking around, the now dark, compartment. "I was in za middle of my nap!"
"I don't know." came Hermione's voice from her left, "D'you think we've broken down?"
"Dunno...."
Lierre wiped a patch on the window, and peered outside. It was about 8:30, so she couldn't really see anything. Then she saw moving shapes.
"Eek!" she cried, causing Harry and Ron to jump. "Zere are zings moving about out 'zere! Zey are coming aboard!"
Then, the compartment door slid open, and two dark shapes ambled in. One tripped over Lierre's legs.
"'Ey! 'Oo is zat?"
"Who's that?"
"Lierre."
"Fred. Hey, listen, do you wanna' go find a compartment and-"
"Fred!" howled Ron's voice. "Leave her alone!"
"Oh, Ronniekins!" came another voice, similar to Fred's. "What? You got dibs on her?"
"George," came Harry's voice now, "We aren't in the mood to-"
"Awwww, come on!" whined Fred, "I don't think she'll-"
"Quiet!" said a different voice. It sounded quite hoarse.
It seemed the Professor R.J. Lupin had finally awoke. Lierre could sense his movements in the corner he was sleeping. No one moved.
There was a crackling noise and a gray light illuminated the entire compartment. Professor Lupin was holding, what looked like, a handful of flames. They lit up his face, showing pale brown eyes, that looked tired, but alert.
"Stay still." he said, in the same hoarse voice as before. He slowly got to his feet, and walked toward the door, holding out the flames in front of him.
But the door opened before Lupin could reach it.
There, in the doorway, stood a towering figure, in a dark black cloak. It reached the ceiling, and it's face was hidden by the cloak it wore. Lierre knew what it was immediately: A Dementor.
Before she knew what was happening, an intense cold swept over her. It chilled her, and made her shiver deeper than skin. She plunged her hand into her pocket and yanked out her wand, all the while wracking her brain for the Anti-Dementor charm. She remembered.
"Expecto-Patronum!" she shouted, pointing her wand at the Dementor. A silver phoenix came out of her wand at charged at it. The Phoenix tackled the Dementor and circled once before coming back to Lierre. The Dementor quickly turned around and glided out of the compartment. Lierre got several surprised looks from Ron, Fred, George, Hermione, and Lupin. Not Harry.
"'Arry?" Lierre asked, putting her wand away. No answer. Lierre quickly turned to Lupin for an answer but then she heard Hermione squeal. Lierre looked over at her to see her finger quivering in the direction of the floor. Lierre looked down, only to see Harry laying, face-down, on the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione squealed again. Lierre turned to Professor Lupin.
"I'm going to 'za front of 'za train." she said slowly. "I will make sure we are close to 'Ogwarts." then, before Lupin could say a word, Lierre pulled open the compartment door, and sprinted down the hall and to the front of the train. She was almost there, when a foot stuck out of a compartment and she tripped and fell hard onto the floor. She whipped her head around, only to see Draco Malfoy.
"WHY," Lierre shouted at him, "DID YOU DO 'ZAT?!" she jumped up and stood in front of him. Even though Lierre was a head shorter than him, she wasn't the least bit intimidated by him. Malfoy smirked.
"Well," he drawled, "You were obviously in a hurry. So I decided to slow you down."
Lierre pulled out her wand.
"Stop bozzering me. I am in a major 'urry." Malfoy didn't move. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Make me."
"Accio Draco's hair!" Lierre shouted. Malfoy's hair flew into her hand and she twisted the platinum blonde locks, HARD.
"AUGH!" Malfoy yelped, as Lierre grabbed his hair. "Let GO woman!!"
"When you apologize!" Lierre twisted his hair harder.
"Fine!" Malfoy whimpered, "I'm sorry!" Lierre let go of his hair, and without a backward glance, ran to the front of the train. She pulled open the door to it, and stepped inside, clutching her chest.
"Are," she panted to the conductor, "We almost 'zere?"
"Yes." the conductor answered. "Why?"
"No reason." and Lierre turned and ran all the way back to the compartment in the back of the train.
Leaping over Malfoy's foot again, she called over her shoulder, "Nice Try Idiot!"
"Mud-blood!" Malfoy shouted to her, but she didn't hear him. She reached the door to the compartment and pulled it open. Lierre stepped inside and looked around. Everyone was bent over Harry, who was still on the floor.
"We are almost at 'Ogwarts." she announced, when they all looked up.
"Good." said Lupin, who stood and walked over to Lierre. "How long?"
"I zink about feefteen minutes, at za least."
"Very nice." Lupin reached into his pocket and pulled out a large bar of chocolate. "When Harry wakes up, give him and everyone else, some of this." he handed the bar to Lierre. Lupin reached out for the door, when he stopped and turned to Lierre again.
"What?" Lierre asked, opening the chocolate.
"Well," Lupin seemed to be searching for the right words. "How did you know the Patronus charm? You're only thirteen, afterall."
Lierre laughed a little.
"Well, Professor," she took out her wand, "We study more advanced magic at Beaxbatons, you see. And my best class was Deffense Against Za Dark Arts."
"Wonderful." muttered Fred from her right. "A girl that fights evil. Well, we lost our chance George, ol' bean." Lierre gave him a funny look.
"Oh, yes." Lupin turned to the door again. "I have some business to attend to, and I must contact Headmaster Dumbledore."
Lierre was about to ask him where Dumbledore went in the fist place, but he was already gone.
"W-What?" Harry had woken up.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked him nervously.
"Yeah, but-"
Lierre started breaking he chocolate into seperate pieces, and everyone jumped.
"Really," she said as she handed it out. "Breetish are 'Igh-strung."