"Can I help you with your homework, Hermione? I got all of mine done."
"No thanks, Calleigh. But how is that you seem to know so much more then we do on this subject?"
"When you are done with your homework, I have something to show you. I would at the very least like to keep one of my friends. You already trust me, but Harry doesn't and I don't think it would help any. He has to hear it from my father, not me."
Before Hermione could say anything in return, Calleigh headed downstairs for lunch. Even if she wanted to avoid Harry as much as possible, she still wanted her food. Afterwards, while Harry and Ron were upstairs with Hermione, Calleigh went to the library to see if she could find a good book. That should keep her occupied for a good while.
Soon enough it was Christmas Eve and even sooner it was Christmas morning. Harry had been awoken by Ron who had thrown his pillow on him.
"Oy! Presents!"
Harry reached for his glasses and put them on, squiting through the semi-darkness to the foot of his bed, where a small heap of parcels had appeared. Ron was already ripping the paper off his own presents. They each had gotten a sweater from Mrs. Weasley, and even some Christmas sweets. They both put on their sweaters before Ron had noticed long thin package.
Harry promptly ripped it open to find a Firebolt. They both looked astonished, Harry brought the room down to the common room, where they both examined it a little closer. Soon enough, Hermione and Calleigh came down.
"So what did you guys get?" asked Ron excitedly.
Harry glared at Ron while Hermione answered, "I got some clothes and a muggle board game."
Calleigh decided it would be better to just leave the questioned unanswered. She didn't feel like saying she didn't get anything but a letter from her dad. The best thing she has ever gotten for Christmas for as long as she could remember. It felt to depressing, and she was still angry at Harry and didn't want him to enjoy her depression at the moment. What she didn't realize was that while she was lost in thought, he had actually spoken to her.
"What are we now to good for you?" Harry growled. "What did you get?"
Hermione didn't even know of the letter she had been up before her, and was able to put it away before she woke up.
"What? Oh – sorry. I would rather not say," she whispered.
"What are we too good for you to tell us what you had gotten?" growled Ron, looking just as angry as Harry.
"I didn't get anything alright! Are you two happy now? The most I have ever gotten for Christmas for as long as I can remember is just a beating. Are you happy now?" Calleigh cried before running back up to the girls' dormitory.
"She is just being dramatic," Ron said, still fuming.
"No she's not. Every Christmas she has been here, and she hasn't gotten anything. Not even a stupid pair of socks. And I hope you two are happy now!" Hermione snapped.
This seemed to shut both Ron and Harry up the rest of the day. Calleigh didn't even come down until lunch time and walked silently down with them to the Great Hall for lunch. The house tables had been set aside and the table had been set for fourteen people.
At the table sat Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, Flitwick, and Trelawney. There were two other students some very scared first years and a rather glum looking fifth year from Slytherin.
Before the holidays were over, Hermione finally told Calleigh that she had finished all of her homework.
"Good, then. I have something I want to show you. Mind you, it could be tampered with. But it would have to be someone very good at tampering with things for it to unnoticeable," Calleigh said happily going up to their dormitory.
"Why are we going up here?"
"Because, I don't want Harry or Ron to come bursting in," Calleigh replied. "Now sit."
"What is that?" Hermione asked quizzically.
"It is a memory orb and holds many of my parents memories that they wanted to preserve. It was my mothers. The memory I am going to show you is my fathers. It is of the night that Voldemort killed Harry's parents, and my dad went after Peter," Calleigh stated. "I am going to be with you, because it can be very delicate and I haven't mastered how to access them all freely yet though."
About fifteen minutes later Calleigh and Hermione's bodies became active again Hermione looked at her in utter disbelief.
"It was so real. I believe, you know that Calleigh. But I need to support Harry. I am sure, in time he will see that Sirius didn't do what everyone says he has done," Hermione said.
The most remotely interesting thing for awhile had been when the Marauder's Map had been confiscated by Professor Lupin. Sometimes, Calleigh hated knowing why people did the things they do. Lupin had done that to hide the fact that he wasn't entirely sure that Sirius had done the deeds he was accused of. She understood all of that, but she hated it as well. Knowing things became more of a burden then a blessing to her.
Their last day of exams, the same day Buckbeak would be excuted started uproar. When they got back from their Divination exam Hermione had told them how it had went. Buckbeak was to be excuted at sunset.
"We have to go!" Hermione pleaded looking at them.
"Alright, we can go get the invisibility cloak and head down there," Harry sighed reluctantly.
"I want to go too!" Calleigh exclaimed almost out of nowhere.
"Now what reason would you have to go?" Ron snapped.
"I – I just want to be there. What Malfoy got his father to do is unfair, and Hagrid doesn't deserve to have it happen to one of his, er, animals."
"Let her go. She knows some very good charms. We can be under the cloak and she can trail behind us," Hermione comprised angrily.
It wasn't long before they made it in and out of Hagrid's hut. But, as they started up the hill Scabbers began to go crazy.
"Ron, what is wrong with your rat?" Calleigh snapped from behind them.
"I don't know?"
The four of them turned around when they heard a loud thud. They had executed Buckbeak. They continued towards the castle which only made Scabbers even more anxious.
"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still – ouch! He bit me!"