Chapter 29: The Last Straw.
School ended and we returned to our homes. I had not been back a week when things began to get worse at home. Getting beaten now was a daily event. I don't know what he was trying to do with it all, but it hurt a lot. Then he began to start in on Addi.
I didn't mind as much when he hit me. I could just shut it off, and pretend I was somewhere else. But it was worse when he made Addi watch. Then it was always worse. He would make her watch and then make me watch. Then when he was satisfied, he would leave us there, letting us make our own way up the stairs and to our rooms where he would lock us in for the night. But one night, late in June, he went too far.
I was sitting on my bed, reading a letter I had just gotten from Remus, asking me and Addi to come visit. I was not supposed to have any contact with the magic world over the summer and so he would be furious if he knew I was writing. Lily, whose parents were muggles and knew how to understand phones, usually made the calls and invited us. My grandfather was unaware that Lily was a witch. He simply thought she was one of Addi's friends from school.
So I was sitting on my bed, when I heard footsteps and angry voices. They were heavy, mounting the stars quickly. I did the only thing I could and shoved the letter under my mattress just as the door burst open.
Grandfather was standing there, his eyes burning and looking to kill. He seized my collar and dragged me to my feet. He pulled me down the stairs, not even bothering to stop and let me get my balance. When we got to the main staircase, I guess he thought pulling me was taking too long and he shoved me. I lost my balance and tumbled to the bottom.
Luckily, I was unhurt, for the moment. I saw Addi standing in the doorway to the office, her eyes wide and scared. I got to my feet just in time for Grandfather to take my collar again and push me towards Addi. I stumbled, and then regained my balance and Addi rushed to help me.
"What did I do this time?" I asked, sarcasm dripping from my voice. He slapped me and held up a letter. Throwing it at me, I picked it up and opened it.
Dear Mr. BlackYour grandson, Sirius, had been nominated for a scholarship to the Magical School for the Trainers of Aurors. This is a vary rare scholarship, given out to only the very best. It involves very rigorous training, and experiences needed in these coming dark times. Brave talented souls are needed now more than ever to join in the fight against the Dark Arts. Among all the students at Hogwarts, only a precious few are selected as aurors, and your grandson fits all our requirements. We would be thrilled to see him next year after he graduates.
Yours truly
Leea MorgansmoothHead of Department of Magical Scholarships and Funds.
In spite of myself, I grinned. I had done it. I had earned myself a scholarship. I had wanted to be an auror ever since my career interview in fifth year. I guess it was part of that whole revenge thing. If I was an auror, I could help track down the man who killed my parents.
But suddenly, the brief smile was slapped off my face. Grandfather was standing there glaring.
"So you think it's funny?"
"No, I'm glad. I've been wanting this for the longest time." I told him, truthfully. He seemed to explode.
"No grandson of mine is going to become one of those, those" he couldn't bring himself to say the word. He tore the letter out of my hands and slapped me again. Then he shoved me backwards. I tripped over an overturned chair and tumbled to the floor. Once I was on the ground, he kicked hard. Again and again, he kicked until I could barely move.
"That is the last straw. You are never going back to that thing they dare call a school! I should have pulled you out the moment I got my hands on you! You are nothing but a filthy mudblood who killed his own parents!"
My eyes snapped open. Unknowingly, he had just called me a mudblood, and that made me mad. I was just fed up. He had torn me from my friends, my school, my home and he had stolen from my sister and me. He had stolen too much. He was not going to deny me my future. No. I got to my feet, breathing hard. It hurt to breath.
I only shook my head. "You don't know anything, do you? You have no idea about anything." I was getting very mad, my temper boiling.
"Get out of my way, you foolish little boy." He shoved me hard against the wall, and I knew I heard something crack.
"No! Sirius!" Addi cried. As she hurried to my side, grandfather seized her and threw her. She flew across the hall, her head impacting hard with the wall.
"You are not going to start now too, are you? I always thought you were smarter than that, girl." And he slapped her. My temper that had been brewing finally snapped.
"Don't you touch her." I growled, hold my bruised side in support.
"Now don't tell me you're getting delusions of grandeur in your head too, boy."
"Fine then, I won't. But don't touch her again." He sneered. In that second, he reminded me of Snape.
Then he reached down and pulled her to her feet. Addi stared at him with large frightened eyes. With one hard slap, he sent her back to the floor.
In one second, I held out my hand and pulled out my wand I had hidden in my pocket. I pointed it straight at him.
"I said, don't touch her." He froze, staring in fear at my wand. Addi scrambled to her feet and dove behind me. My grandmother chose that moment to appear.
"Taurus, do you know- oh my!" she started at seeing me holding my grandfather off with my wand. "What is going on?" no one said anything. It was getting very hard to breath now. Every breath was painful, and I was clutching the wand hard, in a vain attempt to stop the pain.
Suddenly, a flash of hot white light burned across my vision and my chest burned for a moment. I stood, immobile for a moment, unable to stand the pain. Grandfather took that opportunely to disarm me. He twisted my arm back so far I heard it pop. A burning now shot up my arm.
Then he dropped me again. I heard Addi cry out in pain. Struggling to get to my feet, I saw through blurred vision, my grandfather approach me. I felt rather than saw him wrap his hands around my throat and tighten. Things dimmed, then I felt him lighten up a bit. He took one hand off. Then I heard Addi scream.
" Sirius!" I looked up and for one horrifying instant, I saw what she saw. My grandfather had let go, not to release me, but to grab the nearest heavy object. He had decided on a fireplace poker. I saw him raise it high, and then he brought it down swiftly. A wash of pain swept over me and a suffocating darkness overtook me.
I awoke on the floor of my room. How I'd gotten there, I didn't know. I climbed onto the bed, unable to breath or bear the pain in my arm and chest. My throat felt raw and sore. I touched my head, which was pounding. There was something sticky there, blood. I winced. Slowly, I managed to tear strip of cloth from one of my robes and wrap it around my arm, like a brace. Glancing in the mirror, I winced. My face was covered with bruises, and cuts. My throat was red and there were two huge bruises on it, in the shape of handprints. My hair was sticking together and the blood had dried, though it still seems to be a bit damp.
Quietly, I gathered my things and put them in my trunk, trying to keep my hands from shaking as I did so. I tapped my trunk with my wand and it shrank until I could easily fit it into my pocket. I no longer cared about the laws for underage magic; I simply knew I had to get out of there.
Once it was dark, I climbed out onto my roof. Taking one last glance around, I climbed on my broom, the one James's mother and father had given me last Christmas to replace the one lost in the fire, and jumped off the roof into the air. Flying quietly down to Addi's room, I hovered outside her window and knocked. She answered it, amazed.
"Siri, what are you doing?"
"We're getting out of here tonight. Get your stuff." My voice was hoarse too.
"But it won't fit." She said, eyeing the broom.
"Yes it will. I already have my things. I can just cast a spell on it." she gazed at me.
"But you aren't allowed to cast spells over the holidays."
"Addi, I think they may let us go on this one. It's an emergency." She nodded and spent a few minutes gathering her things. I added them to mine and she climbed on behind me and we flew off into the night. Well, down to the garage anyway. I wasn't about to leave Dad's motorbike in the hands of a great git like my grandfather, now was I? I slipped off my broom and shrunk it too, taking care to wrap it in a scrap of cloth before tucking it into my pocket along with our belongings. Then I kicked the engines and my faithful bike sped off into the night. Once I was out of sight of the mansion, I flipped the switches and we rose into the air, invisible. Addi's grip tightened, making me wince. But I drove on. Now I had to think.
As we dove around the countryside, I thought next about where to go. James's was my first thought. But wasn't he visiting relatives? Besides, I'd gone there last time. Grandfather knew about that hiding pace now. So that escape route was out. Lily's, no, too close to home, besides Lily's parents were muggles, and her sister was hardly better than my grandfather. No, we needed a wizard's home. Remus's. I glanced at the moon. It was almost full. Did I really want to burden him with this just before the full moon? I turned slightly south, deciding to head for our old house, when Addi groaned.
"What?" she shook her head.
"It's nothing. Just my side hurts. I think I bruised a rib." I nodded. No, she needed a doctor, and truth be told, so did I. My side burned every time the bike moved and my arm ached and my throat was still sore. Not to mention my head which was pounding and making any kind of thinking very difficult. Moony's it was then.
Unfortunately, Remus lived deep in the woods of Wales. It would take more than a day to get there, even on a flying motorbike, especially in the condition I was in now. If I could apperate, I would have, but I wasn't sure how. Besides, there was no way I cold have even attempted it with my body in the state that it was in.
My head pounded. After only an hour, I had to put the bike down or we'd be in danger of crashing. I was drifting between dizziness and fainting. But from what I knew before, several matches in which I'd been hit on the head with a bludger, that falling asleep weren't an option. If I did have a concussion, which I was very sure I did, I could never wake up. So I told Addi to rest, while I sat up. After about an hour, I woke her up, though I don't think she was ever sleeping. Then we set off again. I couldn't do more than an hour or two at a time, so our journey went in a stop, start motion. It took us almost two days.
Finally, we landed at the Lupin's village. Their house was on the outskirts of the town, separated by a thick grove of trees. I was so tired, having barely spelt, so ready to lay my head down and sleep for as long as I could. My head was hurting and my vision both blurred and dimmed constantly. But I kept going. I pulled my motorbike up their driveway. I saw Remus come out of the house, an owl on his shoulders. He lifted it up and sent it on its way, a letter tied securely to his leg. He looked pale and tired, but alright. His face lit up when he saw us.
He ran quickly over. Addi pulled off her helmet and almost fell into his arms. I was reluctant to take off my helmet. I'd seen the condition of my head two days ago, and these last days on the road couldn't have improved it. I swung my legs over and I meant to get up. But a wave of dizziness rushed over me and my knees wouldn't work. Remus slipped an arm under my and helped me slid down, leaning against my bike.
"Mum! Dad! Come quick!" he shouted. He helped me pull off my helmet and he saw my wounded head.
"Dear God, Sirius! What happened?" I shook my head. The world swam.
"I'm fine. Addi needs a doctor." I mumbled.
"Addi needs a doctor? Have you seen yourself?" He asked, disbelieving.
"Oh my God!" I heard Mrs. Lupin's voice. Then she appeared, Mr. Lupin soon after her.
"Sirius, what happened?" I could barely talk now, let alone breathe. Things were beginning to get distant.
"It was our grandfather. He went mad." Addi told them. Remus gave a very good growl, and I felt myself being lifted and carried up to the house. I glanced back and saw Remus carrying Addi. We were taken to the guest bedroom on the ground floor, where Mr. Lupin conjured another bed and we lay side by side.
Once inside, Mrs. Lupin called the village doctor. While we waited, Mrs. Lupin fed us and gave me something for my sore throat. It helped a lot and by the time Remus returned with more blankets, my sore throat was gone, but it still ached like any bruise. The doctor arrived fast and was astonished at the extent of our injuries.
As he bandaged us, he asked. "How on earth did you get from Surry to Radnorshire?"
"Flew." I told him, hoarsely.
"You flew? All the way? Sirius, you idiot!" Remus groaned. I said nothing. I was too tired.
"Now, no shouting. It will only aggravate those ribs." The doctor stood up. "That should do it. The girl had a few bruised bones, some facial bruising, but nothing permanent. Keep her laying down though; I don't want those ribs getting irritated. Same thing for the boy, only he'll have to rest for a bit longer. He's got at least three bruised ribs and at least two broken ones. Not to mention a dislocated shoulder. And the flight only made them both worse. But what worries me also, is the amount of bruises and cuts. Especially on Mr. Black. It looks like you got beaten very badly. Look here," he said, pointing to my neck. "Someone even attempted to strangle him. Not to mention that head wound. Minor concussion, but it had to be a strong blow." Remus stared at me in horror, while Mr. and Mrs. Lupin whispered franticly.
"Addi, right?" I heard him say to my sister.
"Yeah."
"Addi, can you tell me what happened to you and your brother?"
'My grandfather. I dunno why. Siri got a letter, and it made him mad. So mad, he slapped him and then started kicking him. I tried to stop him and then he went after me. Sirius pulled his wand on him and he stopped. But Siri lost his concentration and Grandfather went after him. He went crazy and tried to kill Sirius. Threw me out of the way when I tried to stop him. He was strangling him, but then he picked up an iron poker." Addi paused.
"Go on." I saw Remus squeeze her hand.
"He hit Sirius with the poker and Sirius just sort of collapsed. Then he left. I pulled Sirius up to his room, but then my grandmother found me and took me back to mine and locked me in."
"Thank you. You can sleep now."
"But they will be alright?" Remus asked. The doctor smiled.
"With time and care, they will be just fine and you boys can go back to terrorizing our poor little community again." But he took Mr. Lupin aside.
As I have mentioned before, as a lingering effect of the animagus potion, each of our senses have been changed or heightened in some way. In my case, my sense of hearing and smell more than doubled. And so I found it very easy to hear low voices.
"Chris, I think it would be in the best interests of these kids if you contacted Magical Children's Services. There is no way in hell I'd ever let these kids go back to where they came from." Mr. Lupin nodded. The words children's service stuck out in my mind. They were the people who came and took you from your family. I knew that.
Once, a lady from the muggle children's service came to talk to an old friend of mine. She took him home and the next I'd heard, he and his three sisters were sent to four different homes. I have no idea why and at the time, I was too young to ask.
"Both wizards, right?" the doctor asked, bending over to press a bandage onto my wounded head. I winced and managed to reply hoarse, " Addi's not." That made a frown crosses the doctor's face.
"What?" Remus asked.
Mr. Lupin was also frowning. "Well, Remus, usually muggle and wizarding foster families don't take in kids that aren't their kind."
"What?" Remus asked voicing my thoughts.
"I mean it's a good chance that Sirius and Addi might be split up."
"No!" I tried to sit up, but Remus forced me back down. Mr. Lupin hurried over.
"What is it?"
"You can't. You can't call. I'm not leaving her." Somehow, he managed to understand what I was talking about.
"No one is going to do anything right now. We'll wait till we can get a full report on how you are, then we'll decide. Not before, I'll see to that. But what your grandfather did is wrong, not to mention illegal and harmful to you. He needs to be punished and you need to be safe from him. Can you understand why I need to contract them?" Slowly, I nodded.
And he left. Mrs. Lupin took Addi out of the room to get changed and bandage her up. I was tired, so tired. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep forever. And so I did.
When I opened my eyes next, Remus was frowning over me. Addi was wake and allowing Mrs. Lupin to help her eat a small bowl of soup. My stomach did flip-flops at the sight for food and I winced and looked away. I was debated going back to sleep when Remus spoke.
"Alright, Padfoot. You are going to tell me everything right now." Remus had that no fooling around tone. I sighed.
"Moony, can't it wait? Please? I'm so tired." Remus looked doubtful. He glanced at his parents. Mr. Lupin sighed and sat down.
"Sirius, the reason we need to know now is in case your grandfather comes looking for you." My eyes widened.
"He wouldn't do that, would he?" Mr. Lupin shrugged.
"I don't know. But he might get scared when he finds you gone. People do crazy things when they get scared." He put his arm around Remus and Remus glanced at him. Then he turned back to me.
"Alright." I sighed.
"First of all, is this the first time he's hit you, or has this been going on for a while?" I shook my head.
"He's been hitting me ever since we moved there. Sometimes he hits Addi, but it's mostly just me. He only goes after her if she tries to defend me."
"And this time?"
"Well, I got a letter in the mail, saying that I had qualified for a scholarship to the Magical School for the Trainers of Aurors. I was happy about it, but grandfather wasn't. He went mad, kicking me, and then going after Addi. Then I don't know, something in me just snapped. I pulled my wand on him." Remus gasped. I shrugged and winced. "Then my grandmother came in. I got distracted and he managed to get his hands around my neck. For one second he let go, and then I guess he hit me with the poker. I don't remember. I think I passed out, cause next thing I knew I was back in my room. I hid my stuff and got my broom. Then I flew down, picked Addi up, got my bike and we ended up here." By this time my throat was hoarse, and my head was pounding again.
"Don't worry." Mr. Lupin assured me. Then he left, leaving me alone with Remus. He sighed.
"Sirius, why didn't you tell us?" I shook my head. Then I winced, bad idea Black.
"I couldn't, Moony. I just couldn't."
"But why not? You are my best friend. If someone was doing this to you, then you need to get away from them! Sirius!" I laid my head back. God, I was so tired. I did not want to talk now, but I could see I wasn't going anywhere until Remus got his answers.
"I don't know, Moony. I don't know." I sighed.
"Sirius, I want, we need you to tell us these things. Let me guess, that's why you showed up at my house a few years ago with a broken arm?" I nodded. I was too tired to talk anyway.
"And why you almost never write in the summer." Again I nodded. Remus sighed.
"But what I don't understand is why, Padfoot? Why didn't you tell us? He tried to kill you, Padfoot!"
"Because, Moony. I don't need your pity. I can handle it myself." My voice was harsh. I only wanted to be left alone.
Remus glared at me. I just wanted to be left alone, couldn't he see that? Couldn't he understand I just wanted to sleep?
"Sirius, this is not something you can handle by yourself. This is not like an essay or a prank. This is your life we're talking about, not to mention Addi's. What if he had killed you? You would have died and we would never have known. Is that what you want?" his voice was low, angry, hurt.
"No. But you don't understand." I mumbled. God, all I wanted to do was close my eyes.
"Then tell me. Tell me why he did this." Remus sat back.
"Because he hates me." I mumbled. "He hates me for what I am."
"And what are you?" I winced.
I shook my head. "I don't know, Moony." I was almost close to tears, but I wouldn't cry. Sirius Black never cried. "At school, I get it because I'm half muggle. At home I get it because I'm half magic. I'm not one and I'm not the other. " I looked imploringly at him." What am I? "
"You're Sirius Black, one of the best wizards ever to go to Hogwarts, Sirius Black the ultimate prankster, Sirius Black, one of the most popular guys in school, and you're Sirius Black, my best friend." Remus told me. He grinned and for the first time since I'd gotten my letter, I smiled too.
Then he got up, and made to leave me alone. But in the doorway, he turned.
"By the way, I'm writing to the others. I think they deserve to know." I nodded, too tired to speak. "And, Sirius, I got a letter too." When I looked up, he flashed me a smile and then turned off the light. I was out instantly.
It was much later when I awoke. I heard him in the other room. He was speaking to someone. I groaned inwardly when I heard it was James. Then he passed the doorway again, in his pacing. He saw I was awake.
"He's up." James followed him into the room. He said nothing but gazed at me, horror written over all his features. Remus said down in the chair by my bed.
"Feeling better?" I shook my head. "Here." He pouring something into a cup and helped me sit up to drink it. It was foul tasting and burned going down.
"It may not taste good, but it works." He said, smiling at my disgusted face. "Addi just had to take hers and she almost threw it back up." He said, nodding at my sister who was sleeping across the room.
James was slowly approaching the bed. He had plastered a smile on his face, but he couldn't fool me. I shivered and pulled the blanket closer around me. He pulled up a chair beside Remus.
"Hey Padfoot. How are you?" I nodded.
"Alright." James frowned and looked as if he were bursting to ask me something, but was forcing himself to stay silent. I was thankful.
"So, Sirius…" James began. He seemed at a loss for words. Then he shook his head. "Why didn't you tell us?" the words came ripping out of his mouth and I winced at the sound of them. Remus frowned disapprovingly, but James's gaze was fixed on me.
"I thought I could do it alone. I thought I could handle it." I whispered. "I was wrong, alright? Is that what you want to hear? I was wrong!" my voice rose with every word and I sat up a bit, the blanket slipping down, reveling the most obvious of my wounds.
"That son of a bitch!" James muttered. I saw he'd seen my neck. He clenched his fist and Remus nodded. Thankfully, now that my hair had been cleaned, the wound was harder to see, plus the bandage Mrs. Lupin had wrapped around it hid it all the more.
I let out a small whimper and pulled the blanket back up, curled up as tight as my injuries would allow. James sighed and ruffled my hair a bit.
"I'm sorry, Padfoot." He said. I nodded, but closed my eyes. I heard the scraping of a chair, then Remus's soft voice.
"Come on, Prongs." Then they left. About an hour later, James and Remus returned with the chessboard and they set up a game, much to the amusement of Addi and myself.
Lily and Erin arrived a few hours later. They burst into our room and stood motionless at the sight of Addi and me, and then Erin threw herself at me. She pulled me close, crying softly.
"I'm okay, Erin. I am, really." Lily sat beside Addi's bed and smiled at her as she woke up. Remus took her hand reassuringly. James pulled Lily close, and frowned. I stroked Erin's long hair with my free hand.
Erin leaned up and kissed me softly. Then she reached up to push my hair out my eyes. As she did, she saw my neck. She gasped. She gingerly reached out and touched the bandages around my head. I let out a hiss of pain.
"Dear God, Sirius, what did he do to you?"
"Nothing. It's fine. Really." Then Erin glared. It was the first and only time she ever truly got mad.
"It's not nothing! If it weren't nothing, you wouldn't be in that bed! Don't you try and be brave and strong now, Sirius!" I'd never seen her yell before. Neither had any of the others.
"Erin?"
"Why didn't you tell me, Sirius? Why?"
"I didn't want you to worry. Besides, it never was a big deal. This is the first time it's been this bad." I told her.
"That's not true." Addi said, softly. Everyone turned and looked at her.
'He's been using illusion charms when he goes back to school so it never looks as bad as it really is. " Erin turned back to look at me. I couldn't stand all their faces, staring at me, all asking the same question. Why hadn't I told?
Why hadn't I? I didn't know. To this day, I still don't. Why did I laugh when Peter framed me? I don't know. I never will. I turned away and closed my eyes.
"Sirius?" James asked.
"Let him sleep." Erin said. "Let him sleep one more night." They didn't ask me again. James, Lily, and Erin were furious with both Addi and me for not telling them. That much was obvious. But they waited a few days before giving me my full dues. James gave me a huge lecture on the dangers of what I'd done and the stupidity of my grandfather and how dare he try to kill his best friend! Then when he'd run out of steam, it was Lily's turn. I still cringe when I remember all she said to me. Next was Erin's turn. She didn't shout, just sat there next to me and held me tight while she cried. I hugged her back and no one said anything for a while.
Peter, well, Peter didn't say much of anything. He did look mad for me not telling them, but he didn't yell, or really say much at all. He seemed preoccupied with something.
When the social worker came the next day, we were placed in the living room and all my friends were banished to the upstairs.
She was an older woman, forties or fifties. With graying hair pulled back into a strict braid, and spectacles, she reminded me a great deal of Professor McGonagall. She adjusted her spectacles, glared at us, and sat down. Mr. Lupin was then banished to the kitchen with the assurance that, "If you kids need anything, we'll be right outside." I had no doubt my friends were also listening with an ear to the floor.
"Well, let's get started, shall we?" the woman said. "I am Mrs. Flammer and I am from the Children's Regulation. Now tell me, what is your full name and how old are you?"
"Sirius Lee Black. I'm 16."
"Adhara Fiona Black, same." She nodded and wrote it down in her small black notebook.
Then she looked up again. " Just how long has your grandfather been abusing you and what provoked the first attack?"
I glanced at Addi. She looked frightened and I sighed.
"He's been going after us since our father died."
"Which was when?" Her voice was matter of fact and to the point.
"Christmas, our third year."
"So three years." I nodded and she wrote it down in her notebook. "Describe the first attack." I did so as well as I could remember. She wrote that down too. She questioned us for almost an hour; about how often did he hit us, had he ever done anything else, whether we told anyone, countless questions. So many, my head was spinning by the time she'd finished. Then she got up and called the Lupins in.
"Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, I would strongly recommend that for now, we move the children to St. Mungo's. From there, we will decide what to down with them. There are two months until school. It is possible they may not need foster care, what with so little time until school begins. But if they do, they will be separated." then she marched out. Addi and I glanced at each other, looking still worried. Our fates had yet to be decided. Addi slipped her hand into mine and I held on tight. Remus, James, Lily, Erin, and Peter all but tumbled into the room, begging to be told what she'd said. We told her and Remus pulled Addi close. Erin let me lay my head on her shoulder and she stroked my hair slowly, comforting me. James watched, Lily in his lap. Then he smiled.
"At least you'll be in Diagon Alley. I can visit you." He reassured us.
So we were taken to St. Mungo's. It was close enough to Diagon Alley that James could visit us every day, which he did. I got daily letters from Remus, Lily, Erin, and Peter, all begging me to make a full recovery.
After about two weeks and much to the relief of the staff, I was allowed to move into James's. As time went by, I got my strength back, my bruises faded, but to my great annoyance neither James nor his mother would allow me to do very much. I was restricted to my bed for the better part of June and the beginning of July. The only thing that really made me mad, was the doctor forbid any Quidditich until my arm had fully healed.
Mrs. Potter took great delight in babying both Addi and I, and we enjoyed it as much as she did. She made our favorite meals, took us out, and was more importantly, just there, ready to hold us and whisper in our ears that everything was going to be alright if we needed that.
They arrested my grandfather and charged him with child abuse and neglect. But I really did not want to have to deal with all that legal rubbish, so I did not press charges. He was released, but told if he came near my sister, or me he'd be thrown in jail. I was satisfied and so was he. He'd gotten rid of us, and we'd escaped him. Both parties were happy and I never heard from him again. I can only imagine what he said when he heard about my arrest and imprisonment.
As the years had passed, Voldemort was becoming more and more powerful. Every day, you'd heard of new attacks, new disappearances, and new deaths. He was gaining followers and fast.
A month after we left, Remus's father was killed. He was a tester for some magical objects and something had gone wrong. There'd been an accident and he'd been killed. It was a senseless and unexplainable death. It was a few weeks after I'd moved into James's house. We all returned to the Lupins for the funeral. I'll never forget the look on Remus's face when they lowered his father into the ground.
We all went. Like I said, my father's was the first funeral I'd ever been to, but it wasn't to be my last. I've been to many since, too many. Mrs. Lupin was sobbing as they lowered the coffin into the ground. Remus comforted her, staring into space. My heart went out to him. I knew exactly what he was going through.
When we returned to school, Remus put on a mask. Acting like nothing had happened, he continued to study and play pranks with us. But when he was alone, or not busy, he would draw into his own little world. Many times, we found him, seated in the window, gazing out at the sky.
As they had done for me, my friends and I slowly drew him out. It was like first year all over again. And slowly but surely, Remus did come out. By the end of that year, things were almost back to normal.