Avateine Black grinned as she plopped down in her seat next to Aria Fletcher at the Gryffindor house table. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were seated across the way, and Hermione Granger was on Ava's left. "Quidditch match coming up." commented Harry, excitedly.

Ron grinned. "Smashing. Who are we up against?"

Ava cut in quickly. "Slytherin. And if you two don't keep your wits about you, and beat their brains out; I'll be forced to do something drastic." The others laughed.

"I second that motion," exclaimed Aria cheerfully. Avateine and Aria were both in their seventh year, while Harry, Hermione, and Ron were in 6th; and Ginny was beginning her fifth.

It was their fifth day back at Hogwarts, and the general mood was a good one; though the group was still profoundly grievous of their recent loss of Sirius Black. Sirius had been Avateine's brother, and she was struck the hardest. He had always been there for her, when her parents died. Always the one to stand up for his little sister, and beat off the bullies with a club. Now he was gone. Avateine frowned. The summer break had done nothing to ease the pain of his passing, and all of her bottled up emotions were escaping suddenly; hitting her with full force. Ginny looked oddly at Ava. "Are you alright?" She asked, curiously.

Avateine instantly pushed her feelings back. "Er...yes. Fine."

Ginny arched an eyebrow at her. "It's Sirius isn't it?"

"Mmmnmm." Mumbled Avateine, as she shifted her food around on her plate. The mood instantly darkened. Moments later, however, it was revived as Peeves burst into the Great hall caroling slightly disturbing songs, and overturning ink bottles onto student's heads. Draco was struck with one such bottle, the black liquid streaming down his back and matting his hair.

"Peeves you bloody-"

Aira's eyes danced wickedly, an emerald green as at that moment she jumped up from her seat, running over to Malfoy. "Ferret! Darling! Look what that mean Peeves has done to you! Your just covered in ink! Here-let me help you!" Malfoy's eyes widened, as he tried to scramble away from her, but she was quicker. Taking out her wand, she did her 'cleaning spell'. Malfoy was now a great big white ball of fluff, as he was now covered in chicken feathers. Aira grinned, exclaiming dramatically. "Oh no! My poor ferret! You're a chicken! Oh no! This just won't do!" With that, she turned him into his true form. A ferret. Of course. He landed to the ground with a 'thud' and he scampered away, before she could do anything else. She frowned. "Wait ferret! Wait for me my love!"

Avateine, Harry, Ron, and Ginny all broke out into simultaneous gales of laughter, as they watched Aira scramble out of the great hall after Malfoy. "Waiiiiit for meee!!!!" Echoed back into the Great hall, and the group was forced to sober down as Professor McGonagal gave them a sharp look. Quickly turning her laugh into a hacking cough, Avateine looked back down at her breakfast, trying to hide the glint of amusement in her eyes. McGonagal looked at them once more, before sweeping away after a group of third year Hufflepuffs who had gotten into a small food fight.

Once she was gone, the group quickly wolfed down the rest of their lunch and exited the hall in a pack. Avateine said her goodbyes to the group, and went off to meet Aira for Charms, supposing the girl ever showed up. She usually didn't turn up for a while after her favorite pastime of tormenting Malfoy, but you never know.

Ava was right, Aira didn't show up for Charms, and showed up only halfway through Transfiguration. "Mrs. Fletcher," McGonagal huffed, annoyed. "How many times must I tell you? Punctuality is everything. You had best learn it. 20 points from Gryffindor, and I will see you tonight." Aira just nodded, smiling to herself as she took her usual spot next to Ava. Today they were turning their very large tabby cats into umbrellas. Aira didn't see the point in this, but succeeded, as usual on her first try. She grinned lopsidedly as McGonagal awarded Gryffindor the 20 pts she had just lost. Ava glared at her, before attempting to turn her cat into an umbrella, succeeding after two more tries. Transfiguration was Aira's best class, along with potions, and care of magical creatures.

Avateine glared at Aira behind McGonagal's back, muttering, "Show off." quietly.

"And you know it!" Replied Aira cheekily.

Ava's grin returned, however, when Aira lost yet another five points for talking out of turn. It's not that Ava was bad at Transfiguration, in fact, she was anything but. The only problem was, simply, that Aira was better. They both had nearly all O's on their 5th year O.W.L.S, and were bloody advanced young witches; but they tended to get into trouble. A lot. Avateine laughed silently to herself. She'd show Aira tonight, by transforming into her animagus. It always scared the shit out of her metamorphagis friend.

Yes, Aira was a metamorphagis as well; which made her very useful in the Order of the Phoenix. Avateine and Aira were only admitted to their ranks recently, when Sirius had overpowered Molly Weasely, saying that they were old enough to make their own decisions. They both had accepted eagerly. But now...He was gone...Nope. Ava wasn't going to let herself go back to that... CRACK A Ravenclaw girl screamed as her hair puffed out in the form of an umbrella, sending a group of Slytherin girls into fits of giggles in the corner.

Transfiguration ended, and Aira and Ava went off to dinner, meeting up with the gang again. They talked a bit about the upcoming quidditch match, and about their load of homework. Harry and Ron left soon after, going to play a game of quidditch. Hermione left too, taking off for the library. Leaving Aira, Ava, and Ginny. Bored, they decided to return to the common room to get some of their homework done. Aira immediately went to her favorite spot near the fireplace, and curled up with a piece of parchment and a quill.

Unnoticed by Aira, Avateine prowled into the common room behind her. She was in her unregistered animagus form, a black tiger with white stripes. Sneaking up behind Aira, she let out a tremendous roar; causing her friend to fall off the couch she was sitting on, with a yelp. Some Gryffindor first years were peering around the dormitory door, looking terrified, but Avateine was already back in her human form. "No need to worry...must've been Peeves again." Ava called out reassuringly, watching the looks of relief cover their small faces before they disappeared back into the girl's dorms.

Aira whirled on Ava. "Don't do that you insufferable feline!" she yelled, prodding Ava with one long index finger. "I was so comfy too." Aira sighed before plopping back down. "Now I need to take the 5 seconds that it took me before to have that same comfy ness-thank you so much puss."

Ava just grinned happily. "Your welcome." Before sitting down next to Aira. Together they skimmed through their history of magic homework. They were just starting parts of potions when Aira accidentally snapped her quill in half.

"Sheiße." She muttered, tossing the now useless quill aside. "Be right back, need to get another quill." Ava just nodded.

Aira marched off, into their dormitory, looking through her bag for a spare quill. Not finding one, she figured 'mione wouldn't mind if she borrowed one of hers. Going over to her bed, where her bag was, she saw something glittery that caught her eyes. It was coming from 'Mione's nightstand.. Sadly one of Aira's worst strength was resisting her curiosity. Going over to the nightstand Aira picked it up, quill forgotten and examined it. It was a hourglass, filled with white sand; a gold chain attached to it.

Carefully she put it on, still staring at it curiously. Leaving the dormitory, she was going to show Ava what she had found, she heard someone scream. Every sense on alert, Aira quickly ran down the hall, turning into the common room. There stood Ginny, breathing heavily, glaring at Ava. Aira sighed with relief, and joined the others as they went outside for a game of quidditch. The hourglass completely forgotten.

Avateine and Harry were the first into the air, speeding around on their firebolts. They were the only two at Hogwarts to have such broom, mainly because Harry had gotten his as a gift, and Avateine was one of the few that could afford it. Ava loved quidditch, and was nearly a match for Harry on a broomstick. Aira was good too, and was playing chaser. The teams were pretty much Harry, Ron, Dean, and Seamus against Avateine, Aira, Ginny, and Angelina. Neither were a full quidditch team of seven, but they made do. Harry and Ava sped around in the heights, searching for a certain glint that would alert them to the position of the snitch. Angelina passed the quaffle to Aira, who darted past Dean, nearly missing a bludger that was sent speeding toward her head. She glared piercingly at Seamus. "Do try to watch your aim. This is not a house match, and I'd prefer not to be left in the hospital wing." She said tartly, whilst tossing the quaffle past Ron, and into the center hoop.

Below, Luna, 'Mione and Neville watched the game. Well, Luna read her quibbler. Aira passed the quaffle to Angelia, but Ron intercepted it. Grinning mockingly, he sped off for the goal posts, passing to Dean who shot, but the goal was blocked by Ginny. The game went back and forth, the score 60 girls; 50 guys. Ava and Harry zoomed around the field relentlessly, searching everywhere for that glint of gold...Angelina intercepted the quaffle from Dean, passing it quickly to Aira who zoomed towards the goal posts, ready to score when-

"Mrs. Fletcher!"

Aira nearly ran head on into Seamus.

"Get down here this instance!" McGonagal fumed, pointing downward. "You did not show up for your detention!" Aira stared at her, grimacing. She had completely forgotten. "Two more detention will be added on to the one you already must serve-and you will serve that one now. Come along." If it wasn't McGonagal talking, Aira would have been tempted to just ignore her and continue playing. Instead she sadly returned to ground. How she loved the sky so. Immediately Professor McGonagal grabbed her arm, dragging her across the field towards Hogwarts.

Harry and the guys almost fell off of their broomsticks with laughter, and Avateine took the opportunity to dive for the snitch. She had seen it, hovering just a few feet from the ground. Harry reacted too late, and by the time he caught up with her, she was hovering with the Snitch in hand a few feet from the ground, grinning mockingly. Harry sneered, and she stuck her tongue out at him. This of course, made him leap from his broom to hers, and knocking her playfully to the ground, falling down after her. They both landed with a thud, laughing outright until Hermione and Ron appeared to help them up.

"Really." exclaimed Hermione. "You'd think they'd at least attempt to act their age..."

Ron smirked. "Oh, give it a rest 'Mione," he exclaimed, giving Harry a hand. "Ava and Harry'll never grow up. Just like Siriu-"

Hermione cut him off, "Ronald Weasely if you dare say that name I swear I'll hex you to hell and back." she snapped, pointing her wand at him. He stopped instantly, realizing his mistake.

Sirius was a very touchy subject. Harry and Ava had never really recovered from the incident of the previous year, and in reality; neither had anyone else. He quickly averted the subject. "So.....Hermione, haven't you got that Arithmancy exam to study for?" He asked casually. Hermione gasped, mouthing 'oh my god' before turning and dashing up to Hogwarts. Ginny, Angelina, Seamus, and Dean landed moments later; debating on who had won.

"Ava caught the snitch! Case closed!" Shouted Angelina, crossly. Still, Seamus and Dean insisted that McGonagal had interfered, and it didn't count. Soon everyone was involved in the argument; all except for Luna. She grinned over the top of her latest issue of The Quibbler. Some things never change.....



5 hours later Aira grumbled as she dragged herself along the corridors, heading for the Gryffindor common room. Why did McGonagal have to be so mean? 5 hours of transforming things, and writing things like 'I will learn what it means to be Punctual' on the board. Her head hurt.

"Hey!" The fat lady gasped as Aira ran into her, almost knocking herself backwards.

Shaking her head to clear it, she looked up at the portrait. "Feather head". Nearly crawling in, Aira only had time to flop herself onto the couch before she fell asleep.



Aira awoke to someone shaking her slightly. "mmmnnmuhn....five more minutes...."

Hermione just kept shaking her. "I can't believe she slept this long! The sixth year said to someone standing behind her. "It's nearly time for class! Argh! Aira! Get up!" She cried in frustration, shoving the girl on the couch again.

Aira opened one sleepy eye and blinked. "Oh. It's you. Bugger off Hermione, I'm trying to get some beauty sleep...." She muttered, turning over again.

"Oh no you don't," Said Ava tiredly, appearing beside Hermione. "If I have to suffer this," She glared at Hermione. "Then you do to." she finished, levitating a cold glass of water over Aira's head.

Dramatically, she poured it onto her friend. Aira shot off the couch, sputtering, and shivering. "Avateine Black! I'm going to murder you!" She screeched. Ava took this as a hint to-Run for it! Swerving through the early crowd, Avateine made it through the fat lady's portrait, and out of the Gryffindor common room. However, she knew Aira would not give up so easily, and ran full speed, twisting in and out of the labyrinth of corridors that covered Hogwarts. Aira was just behind her.

Aira sped up, closing the distance between them fast. She was an excellent runner. Taking out her wand she lunged. They tumbled to the ground, and that's when Aira heard something shatter; she gasped. Something sharp now pierced her shoulder...and another piece had pierced her side; another near her stomach. Blood stained her shirt as she tried to get up, but the pain was too intense and she fell back to the ground blinking back darkness. That's when she noticed the sand...

Ava screamed soundlessly. A gritty dust filled her mouth, choking her. There was a sharp stab of pain in her thigh, and a small scrape across her cheek. Ava couldn't breath, she felt dizzy, as if she'd been spinning wildly for hours. Everything was dark. Suddenly, "Oof! Prongs! What in bloody hell are you trying to pull-"



Sirius' POV,

I landed hard, something heavy was sitting on my stomach. "Prongs! What in bloody hell are you trying to pull-" I stopped, realizing what it was. 'Why is there a girl on my stomach?' thought Sirius, incredulously. Not that he minded. Sirius was the notorious lady's man of the year. Suddenly her eyes fluttered open. "Sirius?"