A/N: Smack and I got together and wrote the rest of this story. :) Enjoy.
Chapter 30: Illusions and Escapes.
Dumbledore attempted to dismiss everyone, including Madam Pomfrey, but they were all still arguing. In the mist of the excitement, Nephiro turned to me.
"I saw Black attack Ron; he dragged him into the Whomping Willow. Of course Harry and Hermione followed," Nephiro whispered. "Then, Lupin went in, trailed by Snapoe. At first I was confused, but when they exited, it was clear. Pettigrew was with them, Emi. We were totally correct." I sat there silently and listened to Dumbledore's calm voice. "Professor Lupin changed and then –"
"Changed? Arg! I can't think in here!" Nephiro did a glance around at everybody.
"Quick." She got to her feet and hastily started to the door. I stayed put until she beckoned me, glaring. I slid off the bed and followed her into the corridor.
"What do you mean by 'change'?" I asked again.
"Into a werewolf form. Seriously Emi, do you Defense homework every once and awhile and you might notice a few things." Once again, Nep made me feel completely stupid.
"Oh . . . OK . . . then what?"
"Well, everything went fast. Your dad turned into his Animagus form, then Peter did the same. The effin' rat got way . . . The bastard." She looked at me and smirked. My eyes were staring at the ceiling, and my jaw was wide open due to the fact I didn't have the mind capacity to close it. My head snapped down.
"What was his form?" She appeared puzzled for a moment.
"Oh. A dog. A black, shaggy dog –hey, Black!" I had begun to run. The memories of a painting I saw returned. The conversation I had with Dumbledore back in November played in my mind . . . 'I believe this was done by your father . . .'
We raced through the halls; all were empty and somewhat dark. Nephiro was close; almost on top of my heels the entire time. When I found what I sought, I came to a halt and she ran in to me.
"What the hell are you doing Black?" she questioned, slightly pissed off. I turned to face the wall and before me was a painting. It showed a dog, colored darkly, a stag, a rat, and awolf-like creature. I smirked at my father's artwork.
"It all makes sense now!" I exclaimed. The Whomping Willow was in the background, done in such detail that it seemed to be moving.
"I'm glad you've decided to look at paintings, but that doesn't help your father," she scoffed. I narrowed my eyes. "If we don't do anything soon, his soul will be sucked out by dementors."
"There's really nothing we can do, is there? I mean, I'm sure the room he's in is heavily guarded . . ." I was fully prepared to give up again.
"Relax, I have a plan," she told meas she took hold of my arm.
"Nephiro, what are you doing?" I felt a warming sensation go through my body making me feel . . . light. I could feel a breeze hit me and I was spinning in a sand storm. "Nephiro!" I screamed. I fell to the ground almost instantly. My mouth had sand in it, and I know I was covered in it.
"I told you to relax, Emi," she said, brushing off the small amount of sand she had on her.
"What the hell?" I heard a male voice cry from behind me; it kind of croaked. I whipped around to see a dirty looking man watching us. His hair and beard were long and his striped clothes were ripped and were so gross that it was almost one color. He was skinny and nothing like I imagined. But despite the fact he was caught, Sirius Black's blue eyes glowed.
"Fuck guards," Nephiro muttered.
"Who are you girls?" he answered, backing away. I frowned and took a step toward him.
"My name is Emily Anne Black. This is Nephiro Miketsu. And if you keep backing up you'll go out the window." He stopped and gaped at me. "We're here to rescue you."
"Emily . . . Emi?" he murmured. Suddenly he leaped forward and flung his arms around me. His reaction surprised me and even though I've been waiting for this moment, I wasn't enjoying it. He smelled pretty bad. When he finally pulled away he was smiling. "I thought you were dead!" I didn't say anything. I just stared at him. "Oh Merlin, you look so much like your mum." He brushed a piece of hair out of my face. "It's absolutely amazing . . . " I had to grin. It sounded so much better coming from him.
"We'll find Peter. We have to . . ." I managed to say. "You'll be free and Zandyr and I and you, we could live like a real family . . ." I knew it was wishful thinking, but I still let a tear out.
"Yes, a family. I promise you." He wiped my tear away and hugged me again. Nephiro cleared her throat and he stood up.
"I'm sorry to wreak this wonderful moment, but Potty is at the window." I saw Potter's head floating next to the window, moving up and down; I could see the feathers of the hippogriff. My dad ran to the glass and tried to open it.
"Dammit! Locked . . ." he sighed.
"Stand back!" I heard Hermione yell from behind Harry. "Alohomora!" It sprang open.
"How –how -?" Sirius gaped. I wanted to know as well.
"Get on there's not much time. You've got to get out of here –the dementors are coming –Mcnaire's gone to get them," Harry explained quickly. Dad turned to me.
"I love you Emi. And the same goes for Alex. Tell him." And not a second later, he was out the window and gone.
"We better get going too, Emi. I'll explain things later," Nephiro said, reading the look in my eyes. And, without waiting for my reply, she grabbed my arm and I was sucked up again; this time I arrived in the middle of the forest.
"What the fuck is going on Miketsu? What was that and why are we here?!" I exclaimed, slightly angry and more than a little confused.
"We're here so we won't be overheard," she "answered." "And that was a little technique I picked up from my dear dad called the Sands of Illusion. It is a means of instant transportation."
"I thought you couldn't apparate inside Hogwarts grounds," I stated, kind of side tracked by this new skill of Nephiro. 'A way to get around Hogwarts unnoticed. How convenient. Now I know how she keeps popping up everywhere!'
"It's not apparating; it's the Sands of Illusions. It's a very hidden skill. I doubt anyone on this side of the World, apart from Dumbledore, even know it exists. You technically aren't supposed to use it anymore, not since these people took advantage of it to commit robberies. It's kinda outlawed back home but I'm not home so I don't care," she told me. "Oh, and before you ask, I'm not teaching you it."
"Dammit! I hate you."
"Yeah, I know, we have more important things to talk about now. Do you want to know what happened or not?" I glared at the Egyptian and nodded, grudgingly. "Ok. Then let me talk." 'Grr her!' "So, Peter ran off, in his little rat form. I ran after him and would have caught him except Lupin found me and he was slightly insane so I ch –" She cut off mid-syllable but recovered quickly. "Ran away. I ran away. Very quickly and Peter got away."
I eyed her questionably. The darkness kept me from being able to see her facial expression. 'Not that it'd do much. Nephiro acts very strangely sometimes. She's so messed up.' "You . . . ran away? Very quickly? You sure about that? It sounded like you were going to say something else. Care to share?"
"Come on Emi."
"Where are we going now?"
"To an empty classroom by the Infirmary. Then we're going to take you back to your sickbed," she said to me.
"But you never answered my question!"
"And I don't plan on doing so anytime in the foreseeable future. Now, we could sit here all night or we can go back before you're missed. I opt for choice number one bit if you want to stay here by yourself, by all means, do so. Don't let me stop you. But I'm going. Now."
"You know Nephiro. You really suck."
"So I have been told many times. Let's go."
She grabbed my arm and we were lifted in a breeze that seemed to come at her call. It was a nice feeling. And then we landed in a classroom that seemed empty enough. I looked over at her just in timeto see her being reformed by grains of sand. "Whoa . . . is that . . . how we look before we arrive?" I asked, amazed that such a thing can be accomplished.
"Yes, well, sort of. It is a spell kind of like an extended transfiguration, only in a scale not quite known. I, and you, by extension, are temporarily transfigured into sand, then blown to the destination and reformed. It's a lot more complicated seeing how it is a wand-less spell and performed entirely by a person's force of will. It takes the magic inherited in . . . certain people . . . and uses it to accomplish the goals of the person. McGonagall thinks she's something special with her little tabby cat magic trick but that's nothing compared to what I can do. One of these days . . ." She cut off and smiled her evil smile. "And that day is soon."
I gave her a sidelong glance before smiling too. Seeing a teacher get shown up by a student sounded fun. And I had no doubt Nep could do it. "We should get going back. Before we're missed, right?" I suggested, snapping her back to the present.
"Yeah. Right. Infirmary. Let's go." And she started for the door.
We got out in the hall and made it back to the Infirmary. But the door was locked. "Shit!" I yelled.
"Let's hope the happy helpers are doped up, shall we?" And for the fourth time that night, Nephiro used her trick.
"What was that?!" Potter yelled.
"You . . . can't . . . apparate . . . inside . . . Hogwarts . . ." Hermione stammered, looking like she was about to faint. Her whole world probably just came tumbling down when she saw us appear, along with everything she ever read in that stupid book, Hogwarts, A History.
"Nephiro, do you know what they are talking about?" I asked, smiling sweetly.
"No." She sniffed the air. "I think there's something in the air. Is that pot I smell? Drugs are bad, you know."
I giggled. "Yeah, they mess up your head and you're all pretty messed up already. "And with that, I returned to my bed, and Nephiro went back to her post at the end of my bed.
The door busted open and an enraged Snapoe, followed by Fudge entered. Snape was yelling about how Potter somehow helped Sirius Black escape. I didn't listen because I didn't care. That is, until Nephiro stood up. Snape and Fudge regarded her thoughtfully.
"Professor Snape, listen to yourself. It's pathetic. You're lying to yourself and to everyone else because you can't handle the truth. Just shut up. No one cares. You suck at life. Go wash your hair."
"Nephiro's right, Professor Snape. You're a liar and you don't want to admit that a bunch of 13-year old kids are right and you're not," I said in a sort of hiss.
Snape stood there, too mad to talk, and Fudge looked at Nep and I like we had two heads. Snape regained his tongue and took a step toward Nephiro.
"I wouldn't come near me, Snapoe. I have no qualms against using my skills against a teacher. Just ask my old teacher and head master," she warned, evilly.
"That is enough, Miss Miketsu. You and I spoke of this before. Now, Severus, go to sleep. You've had a hard day. All of you to bed now. Minister, I'll talk with you in the morning. Miss Miketsu, you and I have to have a word. Good night."
A/N: This isn't the end. There's still two more chapters. Wait. I'm not going to post them all at the same time.