A/N: ok so I ended the last chapter on kind of a cliffie and I've made you all wait forever for the next chapter so here's chapter 5 and chapter 6 should be up too! Read, Enjoy, and Review!
Thanks!
***StarliteStarbrite***
Chapter 5
Sirius
"First off please welcome our new defense against the dark arts teacher, Professor Figg."
Harry's jaw dropped. Mrs. Figg was their new teacher? But it did make sense. She had said that she and her husband had worked for the ministry, maybe she used to be an Auror. Mrs. Figg stood up and waved, smiling at the polite applause she was receiving.
"And I think our second new professor would like to introduce herself." A short woman with shoulder length curly brown hair stood up. It was Annette Waterfield, Charlie Weasley's fiancé. The hall politely clapped for her too. Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys clapped the loudest.
Annette cleared her throat and began, "Hi! Actually I'm not a professor, I'm a doctor. I usually work in the Wizardry Relations department at the ministry. I'm here because I know some of you might have a hard time dealing with the events that have recently occurred with the Dark Lord's return and all. Um, you will all have bimonthly sessions with me and if you ever just need to talk I'm here. Thanks." She sat down. Most of the hall watched in silence. Harry looked around a bunch of people had relieved looks on their faces. Harry personally didn't want to discuss anything with Annette. He didn't want to have to relive any of the events anymore! A few of the Slytherins sniggered as Annette sat back down. Suddenly the plates and goblets filled before them. They all then realized how hungry they were and dug into the food in front of them.
After the whole hall had had their fill they all started out and up to bed. Hermione rounded up the 1st years and took them up to Gryffindor tower. Ron and Harry walked sluggishly behind. When they finally made it to the portrait of the Fat Lady that guards the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, there was already a group of students filing through the portrait hole. Ron and Harry climbed into the common room and up the stairs to the circular dorm room that read '5th Years'. Their trunks had been brought up to the room and placed at the foot of their familiar four poster beds. They changed into their pajamas and fell into bed.
* * *
A tall man sat in a high throne in the middle of a dark area. Large trees loomed up on all sides of him blocking all outside light from the clearing. The only light was from a small fire to the side of the throne. The man's wide, blood red, eyes reflected the slowly flickering flames.
"Yes my lord, you called?" a small cloaked figured had scurried into the clearing. He scuttled right up to the other, bent down, and kissed the hem of the seated man's robes.
"Yes, Wormtail. I've been thinking. I've been going about this all wrong . . ." the tall man spoke.
"How so my Lord?" the shorter man, called Wormtail, asked.
Before Wormtail could say anything else the tall man pointed his wand at Wormtail and muttered "Crucio!" Wormtail fell into a heap on the ground screaming and twitching. A moment of so later the tall man withdrew his wand. Wormtail slowly got to his feet and said "Forgive me my Lord."
"Do not interrupt. As I was saying, I'm going about this all wrong. I need to take this one step at a time. Capturing that wretched Potter boy will have to wait. My first step is to prevent something like that Halloween 14 years ago from ever happening again." The man paused and turned his cold eyes upon Wormtail expectantly.
"Wh-What do you mean my Lord?" he stuttered trembling still.
"I must become immortal you fool," he spat. "And I suppose you don't know what I'll be needing then? Oh course you don't you incompetant fool!" he gave a disgusted look to Wormtail. "I need control of the elements, the carriers, I need the carriers to complete the spell. I need you to find me the elemental carriers. All four of them."
"Yes my Lord," Wormtail breathed as he backed into the shadows.
The shadows took over Harry's mind as the dream ended. He would wake the next morning and not remember a thing.
* * *
Harry walked down to breakfast late the nest morning. He plopped sown into the chair next to Ron and a short 2nd year he'd never talked to before. Just as Harry was reaching for the bacon Professor McGonnagall walked by dropping course schedules in front of students.
"Hey, we've got Defense Against the Dark Arts 1st thing this morning!" Ron exclaimed, "I wonder how Mrs. Figg will be."
"Yeah but look, we've got Divination this afternoon," Harry said glumly, "What a great way to end Mondays!"
"If you two hate that class so much why do you continue to take it? It's never gonna help you in life unless you wanna turn into an old bat like Professor Trelawney and work in a circus!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry laughed while Ron looking confused asked, "What's a circus?" Harry just laughed harder.
Hermione suppressed a giggle and said, "It's a kind of traveling freak show that muggles go to for entertainment."
"Oh."
Twenty minutes later the 3 of them were trooping down a corridor to their Defense classroom. They walked inside and took 3 seats in the middle of the room. Just as the bell rang Professor Figg walked in. "Good morning class! I'm Professor Figg, but you only need call me that around other teachers. In here, we're all equal so call me Bell please. My actual name is Arabella." Bell took role and glanced up at every student as they call out "here!"
"Alright," she said as she rolled up the parchment with the list of names, "go ahead and put your books away. Today we're just gonna talk. Professor Lupin informed me that you all have a very good understanding of evil creatures, and Dumbledore tells me you were learned extensively of curses last year. So my job this year is to teach you guys what it was like during Voldemort's rise to power," most of the class flinched at the name. She continued, "and teach you how to better protect yourself against it. I know this is going to be a difficult subject for some of you," she glanced pointedly at Harry and Neville, "because some of you have suffered great losses. I myself lost my husband and my brother to the fight against the Dark Lord."
The whole class sat stunned. Harry was holding back the sad thoughts that were fighting their way into his head. This is gonna be a long year, he thought.
The rest of class was spent getting to know Bell. She told of her job at the ministry and how she'd retired after her husband died. She also told of her many cats and her dog, Snuffles.
"She has a dog named Snuffles?" Ron asked incredulously to Harry. "You don't think that it's --- OW!" he exclaimed as Hermione kicked him under the desk.
Just then the bell rang. "Harry! Can I speak with you a moment?" Bell called out as the class started filing toward the door. Harry stopped and turned.
"D'you want us to wait?" Hermione asked him.
"Nah. Go on I'll meet you at lunch," he replied. Ron shrugged as he and Hermione started down to lunch. Harry walked back to Bell's desk. "You wanted to talk to me?" he said.
"Yes, well first off, I know this class in gonna be particularly hard for you this year, we'll be discussing your parents on multiple occasions. They were a big help to the resistance movements, and if you're ever uncomfortable during one of our discussions feel free to leave," she said sympathetically.
"I'll be fine," Harry replied firmly. Harry would be glad to hear about his parents. He wanted to know everything he could about them, even if it was a bit painful. "And second?" he asked.
"Yes I'm sure you know my dog Snuffles!" she said with a small smile on her face. "And I know he's itching to speak with you. So why don't you come back here after dinner and you two can talk in private for a while. Sound good?"
A smile spread across Harry's face. Snuffles was the code name for Sirius, Harry's godfather, when he was in dog form. After thanking Bell and saying he'd hurry back right after dinner Harry headed down to lunch looking forward to that evening.
* * *
The rest of Harry's afternoon was great. He even got through Professor Trelawney's death prediction without too much complaining. As soon as Harry finished dinner he rushed up to the Defense classroom. Ron and Hermione had wanted to come and talk to Sirius too, but Harry had refused. He wanted to talk with Sirius alone.
Harry knocked tentatively on the door. Bell stuck her head out and let Harry into her classroom. A black dog as large as a bear sat on the floor next to her desk. "I'll just be going now!" Bell said as she walked out the door. Harry turned to the door as she left and he heard the lock click. When he turned back to the room the dog had transformed into a man. He had short black hair and he had filled out since Harry had last seen him; probably because he wasn't living off of rats anymore. A side smile spread across his face as he wrapped Harry in a hug.
"Hey kiddo, how was your summer?" Sirius asked Harry as he hopped up on Bell's desk.
"It was fine, I mean, as fine as it can be living with the Dursleys," Harry replied.
"Harry, I'm so sorry you have to put up with them. I mean if only that weasel hadn't've gotten away!" He slammed his fist on the desk as he said that last part. Harry knew exactly what Sirius was talking about. At the end of Harry's third year Peter Pettigrew, the person who actually committed the crime Sirius had been imprisoned for, had gotten away before they could turn him in and clear Sirius' name.
"Yeah well enough on that depressing subject. How have you been? I've barely heard from you all summer," Harry said grinning.
Sirius launched into the story about how he and Remus Lupin went around the country gathering up the "old crowd" and letting them know about Voldemort's return and the need for the resistance again. It was an exciting story filled with narrow misses by muggle dogcatchers and stuff of that sort.
The two of them sat talking for a long time, well into the darkness that crept in from over the forest. They only left when Bell cam and knocked on the door. "You guys," she said as she stuck her head in, "it's after midnight and Harry you've got classes tomorrow. Go to bed."
"Yeah kiddo, she's right I didn't realize how late it was. Get up to bed," Sirius said smiling at Harry.
Harry said good-bye to Sirius and Bell and just as he was about to wlak ou the door Sirius stopped him. "I have something for you, I almost forgot!" he called to Harry. He took something out of his pocket and walked over to Harry. He placed a small silver ring in Harry's hand. It had carvings of small flames etched into it that seemed like real fire. "Wow, thanks. It's amazing!" Harry said.
"It was your mother's. She'd want you to have it," Sirius replied.
"Thanks, well, g'nite!" Harry said as he walked out the door of the classroom shutting it gently behind him.
He turned the ring over and over in his hands examining it the whole way back to Gryffindor tower.