The Adventures of Glasses and Grim
Chapter 4
Tamarah
It was late in the afternoon when a very hungry and incredibly tired Minerva curled up on a bench just outside of the candy store. One eye opened curiously as a door across the path slammed shut and a young witch with a basket full of potions ingredients hurried across, tears rolling down her pale cheeks from her dark brown eyes, her black hair waving gently in the light wind. She walked over to the bench and sat down, burying her face in her hands as she sobbed.
Minerva didn't quite know what to do about this, but the poor woman needed some sort of comforting. She carefully moved closer to the woman, then gently rubbed her soft cheek against the woman's arm.
She jumped and looked down at McGonagall. Oh, I didn't see you, poor thing, she whispered, still sniffing but trying to smile. At least the tears seemed to stop. You look hungry. I was just on my way home to help a sick dog I found in the forest, would you like to come get some food?
Not only the news of the found dog, but most especially the promise of food caused Minerva to yowl happily and jump directly to the ground.
The woman laughed. I suppose I should name you. Because of my morbid sense of humor, I name the dog Grim, but he does bear a remarkable resemblance to one. Oh, and my name is Tamarah, Tamarah Brooks. Now let's look at you... you've got the most adorable markings around your eyes! Oh, that's it! I'll call you Glasses! That's perfect! Now let's go on home, Glasses, and get you something to eat!
Though Tamarah did finally cheer up, she seemed like one who was quite accustomed to keeping herself company. The paleness of her cheeks and the soullessness in her eyes also led Minerva to believe that this woman had been under the influence of Dementors recently. The very thought of those horrible creatures made her shiver. She would welcome the rat creatures with open arms before getting within a ten meter distance of a Dementor.
Tamarah lived in a very small house on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. It seemed very run-down, and the inside of it was very empty and only had three rooms. A pile of pillows lay in the corner where Minerva assumed Tamarah slept, except something large and hairy was on it just at that moment...
she mewed happily as she bolted over to him.
Careful, Glasses! He's a big one compared to you, and he hasn't been feeling well, Tamarah called.
Minerva jumped onto one of the pillows and prodded the dog testingly. He opened one eye and smiled as best he could, saying,I'm glad you made it, I was worried.
So was I! A snake helped me, ironically enough.
To be sure. I got into some horrible kind of poisonous plant and was too weak to continue on.
That was intelligent. You should have paid more attention in your Herbology classes.
I was lucky, he continued, ignoring the good professor's comment, that this wonderful lady chanced to find me. Otherwise I might have been left for those rat creatures.
Yes... I wanted to ask you about her. Do you think-
That she's been around Dementors too long? Yes. She has only been away from them for a short time, too.
Then she was a prisoner in Azkaban?
Sirius cringed a bit as he said, Yes, she was. I... was sort of nosing through her things while she was out and found her papers. The Ministry of Magic found her out to be a werewolf and a vampire just around the worst parts of the chaos caused by You-Know-Who, and knowing how skittish they were about anything remotely considered dark' at those times, they were quick to throw her in jail, even though she hadn't actually done anything wrong.
Minerva sat silently regarding Tamarah for a moment. Well, she does look a little sickly, but not sickly enough to be a werewolf and a vampire. Besides, I don't smell that horrible sunblock stench on her at all.
Sirius gazed at Tamarah dreamily and sighed, I think she looks and smells absolutely perfect!
Minerva growled in her throat. Oh, come on!
Alright, sorry! Well, you see, the one condemned wasn't exactly the one who served the time.
What do you mean?
I mean that when she was in court, her twin sister pleaded to the court many times saying that they had no proof that the accused had done anything wrong, and also said that the accused would never be able to survive in Azkaban due to her condition.
And what does that have to do with who served the time?
Well you see, the accused's name was December Brooks, and the sister's was Tamarah.
Minerva stared at him for a minute, letting all of the information process. So... so you're saying that her twin sister pretended to be December and was thrown in Azkaban instead?
Yes, because she knew it would have killed December in a matter of days.
Well that was very Hufflepuffy Gryffindor, she mused, with a touch of Sytherinic Ravenclaw.
What are you babbling about?'
I wish I knew.
I'm seeing three of you... too many cats.
Then look at the three Tamarahs if it will make you feel better.
Oh, you have no idea how much it does!
Tamarah walked out of the kitchen area with a small steaming cauldron, then knelt down next to Sirius, smiling. My, you two seem to get along well! That's rather odd... I'm sorry it took so long to prepare the potion, Grim, but I just didn't have the right ingredients. But drink this down now and you should be fine when you wake up in the morning. She tipped the cauldron slightly so that Sirius could easily drink without moving much, then gently stroked his head, causing him to melt into her palm. Minerva swore she heard him purr.