Chapter Three

At dinner, Hermione left room for Tamora at the table. "She'll be here any minute. We have important things to discuss."

"Who?" asked Ron.

"Tamora."

Ron smiled broadly. Hermione's expression changed. "She's come here to talk, not to be with you. So don't even assume–"

"Here she comes, Harry." Ron urged everyone to move down so that Tamora could sit next to him. Every single Gryffindor on Ron's side of the bench groaned and tried to shut him up in so many words uttered with full mouths. Harry thought he even caught a few highly offensive choice words amidst the angered nonsense. Tamora sat beside Hermione and greeted Harry with a smile, "Finally. I've been trying to meet you since Ron told me about you on the train."

"Oh," Hermione said cheerfully, "He must have told you about me then."

"...No, actually."

Ron shied when he saw the fury blazing on Hermione's face. "Well," she said cooly, "That's all right. Ron's been quite slow since he arrived at Hogwarts his very first year. Did I tell you about when he attempted to curse Malfoy to vomit slugs?"

"So," said Harry, changing the subject as tempers flared, "Sirius... was your father."

Her face was suddenly overcome with sadness, "Yes. I miss him terribly... I'm sure you do as well... He was your godfather after all."

Harry looked up, "You knew? But how come he never told anyone about you?"

"...Can we talk about this later? Somewhere quiet?"

"We can sneak you into the common room after supper," said Hermione, switching to a softer tone of voice, "Harry has an invisibility cloak."

"My father told me about that! He said he and James had had the most wonderful time sneaking into Filch's office with that cloak..."

(A/N: Well I got my first negative review. Oh well. Isn't it strange how the people who give you reviews that say your fic is dumb never use a s/n? Also, if you don't like a story, why would you read a second chapter? If you don't like the first chapter, wouldn't it be a waste of your time to send a negative review? Oh well. Just my opinion.)

"Sirius told you about my father?" Harry asked.

"I'll talk with you later. Meet me in the girls' bathroom- all three of you."

"How will you avoid Snape?" Ron asked.

"Don't worry about that. I've got it all planned. Just meet me in the bathroom."

Ron agreed, watching her walk away. Hermione was still furious. "RON! You didn't tell her anything about me?!"

"Sorry, Hermione. She was just–"

"–She's almost as smart as I am, and she plays Quidditch. I'll never get your attention for more than five minutes ever again!"

He blinked, "Sorry, you were saying?"

Hermione huffed angrily, following Tamora out of the dining hall. She walked straight to the girls' bathroom to wait for her, opening the door wide. She nearly stopped breathing when Tamora caught her eye.

She was sitting on the bathroom floor, her extremities changing slowly. Her knuckles were white as she curled her fingers into paws, though they were completely out of proportion. Her back rounded then straightened out, a tail protruding from her backbone. Hermione nearly screamed, but let out a small squeak trying to stop herself.

Tamora took great gulps of air, quickly returning to her original form. Hermione whispered awestruck, "...You're an animagi?"

"I have tried. I've been working at this all summer. I'm not really supposed to," she said, wincing and clutching her side. "I haven't mastered it yet, and it's painful to try." She whimpered now and then, holding her back where a tail used to be, "I think I should find a simpler animal. I can only choose one, though." She winced again, then muttered to Hermione, "I'll try again. He never finished teaching me how to turn into an animal. My father, I mean."

She whispered "animagus" and shut her eyes, a contorted smile on her face, "Finally." She quickly transformed from herself to her animagi. Hermione stared, then watched her transform into herself again. She nodded approvingly, helping her up off of the bathroom floor, "Let's go."

Ron walked into the bathroom and looked around, asking Hermione, "...Where's Tamora?" The small black cat leapt into Ron's arms. "Tamora?"

"Only temporarily," Hermione informed, "Until we can get into the common room." Harry stood behind Ron, completely bewildered. "Ready?"

Snape walked past them on the way to the common room, slowing when he was closer to them, "Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley." Snape stopped, immediately followed by Ron.

Hermione feared the worst.

"...Animals are not allowed anywhere in this school other than the common rooms. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Professor. We're on our way to the common room now."

Snape passed Harry with the cold stare he saved just for him. It had given him chills since he had first met Snape, and now was no different. They rounded the corner to the seventh level, Harry still looking back to see if Snape had left. "What's the matter, Harry?" asked Tamora. Hermione clapped her hand to her mouth, taken by surprise when she saw that Tamora was no longer a cat, but was still being carried by Ron. Harry snickered, a grin sneaking onto his face.

"Oh how clever," Hermione said sarcastically, "Put her down..."

Ron put Tamora down, then tried to get Hermione's attention to no avail. "Oh come on Hermione- it was just a joke."

"Let's not, Ron. I don't need another argument," said Hermione stiffly.

Tamora ran down the hall, transforming into a cat as she did. "Miss Black!" exclaimed Professor McGonagall sharply. She picked up the small black cat off of the ground, walking quickly towards Ron and Hermione, Harry close behind. Ron looked up in horror.

"McGonagall."

"So," said McGonagall curtly, "How many of you can... transform yourselves?"

There was uninterrupted silence.

"How many of you are animagi?" she repeated, looking from one to the other.

"Only Tamora," said Hermione truthfully. McGonagall believed her, though she remained poised and kept her gaze on Ron and Harry (who were apt to danger and rule-breaking, I might add), "Thank you for your honesty, Miss Granger. But ten points will be taken from Gryffindor, and awarded to Slytherin." With a light sound of paws hitting the floor, the small black cat that was Tamora changed back into her former self. McGonagall turned on her heel, smiling at Tamora, "Not every student can successfully transform themselves into another creature. As for you three- you'd ought to stay out of any mischief this year, now that our foremost disruptions have left. Yes, Mr. Weasley, I do mean your brothers!" She added thoughtfully, "...Though their attacks on Professor Umbridge were a work of sheer brilliance (a faint smile reminiscence turned once again to fury) that is beside the point! Report to your dormitories, all of you."

"Even professors from our house like her," grumbled Hermione.

"Come off it," Ron said, "I don't know why you hate her."

"Shh! Ron!" she hushed.

"I know you don't really like me at all," Tamora said. Hermione stood before the portrait, looking at the ground. "That's all right, Hermione- I haven't had close friends since my father's escape from Azkaban. When they knew that I was his daughter, my neighbors moved. So you see, it's not very different." Tamora turned to the black cat again, bounding gracefully into Harry's arms.

Harry gave her the password, but the fat lady refused them, "Whose is that? I didn't see that cat last night."

"Ah... It's... It's Neville's. He left it on the stairs yesterday." She pondered this, "Well I don't believe you, so if Dumbledore comes to yell at me I'll know who to send him to.." The portrait swung open.

Hermione felt a stab of guilt, "Tamora... I..."

But the cat was nowhere to be found. The flames of the fireplace splashed light and shadow into sharp contrast. "Oh, there you are." She was seated by the fireplace (in her original form, naturally) in one of the large armchairs.

"It's fine, Hermione. I don't care anymore. No one can replace him. Nothing can bring him back... And no one...can tell me any differently. Goodnight, Hermione. I'll find my way back to Slytherin unnoticed."

"Tamora-" Harry stopped her before she opened the portrait hole, "I need to know about Sirius." She made to leave again, but he grasped her hand, "Please. You're the only one who knows what it was to lose him."

She sighed, turning and sitting back in the armchair. "Well. I would rather talk to only those who can sympathize."

Ron sat at an armchair. Hermione took his hand, pulling him up and almost literally dragging him to the boys' dormitory stairs. "What? –Hermione- let go! Wha–" The confused speech continued, echoing until it could be heard no longer.

Harry and Tamora sat across from eachother by the fireplace. "Well," began Harry, "Anything you can tell me. You said you knew about my father. What did Sirius tell you?"

Tamora replied, "Every day he'd have a new story about the Marauders. They were best friends, my father and James. He and James were both animagi, and that's why he taught me; because he wanted me to teach you, Harry. He told me more about you than anyone. He wrote letters to you, letters trying to tell you about me. He never sent any of them. It was too dangerous for me. He was a wonderful father though. He'd always think of a way to make Christmas and summer memorable. Flying to other countries, sometimes even to other schools. It was a long trip to visit my classmates from Durmstrang."

Harry interrupted her, "...Durmstrang?"

"Yes, I went there while he was in Azkaban. Lupin said it was all for the best because the reporters were everywhere around Hogwarts, and I was too young to know how to avoid them. I was so sure he'd escape. And I was right. He wrote me a few letters, though I'm surprised Azkaban didn't drive him mad." She handed Harry four pieces of rolled parchment. She was more emotional now than before, her eyes filled with grief, "I miss him. I refused to believe it when Moony told me he died. Remus was so sad, so hollow. I knew what had happened before he even spoke. I knew he was dead. He'd spent years trying to reach me, and then he was taken away. I'd never gotten the chance to say goodbye. I've always rejected his death, even now. Trelawney only worsened it..."

"She's never had a correct prediction. Only once," said Harry, "and that's when she was unconscious."

"I know. But there's one thing I truly wanted to ask you...Harry... How did Sirius start the fight with Bellatrix?"

He had avoided thinking of the night Sirius died as much as possible, but every night he dreamt of it, and now, he knew it was the most he could to for Tamora, for Sirius.

"Sirius tried to save me. Just like everyone else for the past sixteen years. Everyone that I knew that died was saving me at the time, or killed by Voldemort because they were trapped between us."

"It's not true. It was never your fault... Bellatrix hated Sirius. She always did. It was only a matter of time before she challenged him to a duel. And if he was trying to save you, like you said- then... I'm glad he did." Harry smiled slightly, feeling in a sense that Sirius was watching. "Thanks, Tamora. But... how could you say that? He was your father, after all."

"But he loved you too. You were as close to a son as you could have been. That makes you a brother to me. When's your birthday, then?"

He was taken aback by the random question, "Erm... the 31st of July."

"Then you're also my older brother," she snickered. "I was born in November. November the first."

"...I don't know why... But it's odd to think of myself as a brother to anyone."

Tamora laughed, "You've never had family in any form, Harry! Of course it's odd. Only my father. Surely those people, those Muggles, weren't anything like a family."

"Not at all." said Harry. "Not at all... Tamora?"

"Yes?"

"...How is it that you ended up in Slytherin? What house was Sirius in when he went to Hogwarts?"

Tamora began to explain the Marauders, completely captured in her own story, "My father was sorted into Slytherin because of his family history, even though he wasn't evil at heart. Being a member of the Black family, he had the potential to become a dark wizard like his other Slytherins, but he eventually befriended James... then Remus... then the most regrettable. He befriended Peter. You do know about Peter don't you?"

"Yes... I tried to destroy him, but..."

"He's an animagi, I know. Difficult to catch. They were the Marauders. None of them had any idea that Peter had become a servant of Voldemort. He and Bellatrix are the only people I've ever set my mind to killing."

Harry's eyes widened, "You're going to kill them?"

"Oh yes," she said casually, "Both of them. As soon as she escapes from jail, and as soon as I can find him."

"Tamora... You can't. She'll kill you. She and Wormtail... They're working for Voldemort. But... I will help you. Never go after them alone, do you understand?"

"You sound like my father when you try to discipline me." She smiled, "...Thanks." She kissed his cheek. "Goodbye, brother." She began walking towards the archway out of the common room. Harry's mind clouded. He'd never felt so loved, to have someone to relate to. Some type of family to cling to and to fight beside. It was the most wonderful feeling of his life. He returned to reality, "Tamora, wait!" She stopped halfway out of the portrait hole.

"...When will you teach me to become one of the animagi?"

"Soon. I'll have to get my things in order."

"Things?"

Tamora answered him plainly, "You shall see... Goodnight." She transformed to the black cat and crept through the slowly closing portrait hole effortlessly. Mews could be heard in the hallway, then, footsteps. Slow footsteps. Heavier than Tamora's. It was Snape. Harry ran to the portrait hole, keeping his foot in the way of it as it swung closed. McGonagall's hasty footsteps stopped, the sounds of heels finally commencing. "Severus. What brings you our house so late?"

"One of my students has gone missing. Miss Black never returned to the common room after dinner," said the slick voice of Professor Snape. The black cat hid in the shadows, but when her eyes reflected off of the small sparks in Snape's wand clenched in his fist, McGonagall's attention was drawn to the spot. She picked up Tamora for the second time that night. "I believe this is yours."

His brows furrowed in confusion. "...Minerva, what are you implying?" said Snape, McGonagall placing the cat in his arms.

"This is your missing student, Severus. Now take her back to Slytherin; this was not the second time I saw her today. Reprimand her as you will when you return to your house."

"Well, Miss Black," said Snape., "I'll be taking you back to Slytherin, and making sure you choose your comrades from the correct house. Goodnight, Minerva. Send my regards to Mr. Potter in the doorway there." Harry swallowed hard. How long had Snape known he was there?

"Mr. Potter," said McGonagall as soon as Snape left, opening the portrait hole wide. "I realize that you may care about Miss Black under the circumstances, but you must use caution and reason! She is, in fact, from our rival house! If she does, in fact, make keeper like rumor has informed, will you try to protect her during the final season?"

"No, Professor. Not at all." Harry walked back through the portrait hole to the dormitory to his four-poster bed. Ron was lying awake.

"How was it, Harry? She's incredible, isn't she?" Ron said with a yawn.

"Incredible," he answered, crawling into bed. "You were right all along."

At dawn, Tamora stretched and yawned, curling up in her bed. There were a few claw marks in the bed from when she'd crawled in last night, and she stared at them for a while, then laughed. Maybe Malfoy was a rat like Wormtail. Maybe she could hunt him down one day and pick him up by the tail, dangling him above her razor-sharp teeth. The thought amused her, but then she realized that this morning was Quidditch practice, probably the most important morning of the year. Of course, Draco, in an attempt to impress her, would show off in whatever position he played. But she would certainly be better as a keeper than he was as... whatever he was.

She dressed and took her Firebolt down to the Quidditch practice area, walking through the archway into the field, stopping before she ran into Malfoy and a short third-year boy.

"We have a new keeper this year," said Draco, "She's got more talent, and we'll have to take you off the team."

"Snape won't let you get away with this, Draco," piped the boy. "What will you give me if I leave the team?" Evidently, he was no fool. He knew that his position could be bought.

"...Give you?"

"Yes. What do you have to offer me?"

Malfoy smiled, "Ah. So that's the way you want to play it. All right. I'll give you one of the new Firebolts. The Blaze."

"Deal," said the third-year with approval, "When?"

"Tomorrow. I'll write my father," said Draco, sitting against the wall when the third-year left.

Tamora pretended she had just entered the field, "Well. I'm here. When do tryouts begin?"

"Now," he said, standing up, apparently very pleased by her presence. He handed her a broom. She examined it carefully, "But I already have my own. A Firebolt."

"A gift," he said, "Congratulations on making our team. I regret that you won't be quite as good at Keeper as our last. He was quite a player."

"I thought I had more talent..?" said Tamora slyly, glancing him as she walked by him. He returned her gaze with an interested air. She took the broom from him, mounting it and kicking off. Instantly she felt a dramatic difference in speed and velocity of the broom as she soared upward, sailing through the air gracefully. The wind whipped her hair about, and she gave a second boost of speed to further her distance from the ground. She dipped low, only for a second to relish the look of wonder on Draco's face.

"Wonderful broom, excellent model. So, how much will I be buying this for?" she asked.

Malfoy stammered, then said nothing at all. He straightened himself out and took control of his mind... somewhat. "You're the most talented player we have on the whole bloody team..." he said, still awestruck.

"I can see you're not one to talk to right now..." said Tamora, "I'll be going to breakfast, then. See you in Flying class."

He finally managed to call her back without staring at her in any way. "We've got the entire team ready for a practice. Join us to finish your tryouts."

"Fine." She mounted her broom again and kicked off forcefully, soaring at least fifty feet into the air, steadily rising till she found a comfortable height then hovered. The other team members looked just as Draco had when he first saw Tamora flying. They joined her in the air, two flying quickly and darting everywhere, trying to knock eachother off their brooms with their clubs. The beaters obviously weren't the brightest on the team, but they served a purpose. "Who are you then, Malfoy? What position do you play?"

He opened the palm of his hand, showing her a small golden ball that resembled a snitch. "Can you play as a Seeker?" He held the makeshift snitch between his thumb and finger, preparing to drop it. When he did, Tamora dove for it, speeding head-first towards the ground. She wrapped her legs around the broomstick, extending both arms to reach for the snitch. When she caught it, she was a mere twenty feet from the ground. Tamora pulled up, holding on tightly. The ground was closer every second. Draco jumped, nearly flying down to help her, when he realized she had pulled up successfully, or so he thought. The end of the broomstick hit the ground, forcing her to flip over onto her back with a loud thud.

The others laughed, but it was Malfoy who flew down to help her. He landed a few feet away from her. She didn't move, and her eyes were half open. She didn't blink at all, and he began to feel his stomach turn. So very quiet and still, as if... She couldn't possibly be...

The rest of the team hovered at ten feet, becoming worried themselves. He reached for her wrist tentatively.

Suddenly Tamora opened her eyes wide, handing him the snitch with a pleased look on her face, causing Malfoy to jump back in horror, tripping over her broom onto the ground.. She smiled. "Anything else?"

The entire team laughed uproariously. Draco's cheeks were tinged an odd shade of red for a moment, and he took her outstretched hand, pulling himself up from the ground.

"Practices after supper, then?" said Tamora, evidently very pleased with herself. She strode away from him proudly, taking her own Firebolt with her. She called to him, "You can't buy my position in this team- but it was a tempting offer!"

Harry was in breakfast when Tamora walked in and sat across from him at the Gryffindor table. "Hello... Not that I'm complaining, but why aren't you sitting with Slytherin?"

"I don't really belong in Slytherin. Or Gryffindor," she added, greeting Ron in her next breath.

Ron scooted down the bench to sit next to her. "Why don't you belong in Gryffindor?"

"I'm a part of the Black family. I have the blood of a hero and a villain. Just like Sirius." Tamora knew the question to come.

Harry asked next, "Tamora... How come you're not living with your mother?"

"Because my mother is not alive," she answered, "she was killed the day my father was accused of murder. Yes. Peter Pettigrew killed all those helpless Muggles, but my mother was with my father at the time." She waited to see if they wanted her to continue. "Well, That day, I was spending my time with Lupin, or so he told me. I was too young then to remember. But my father and mother were out walking when Peter was sent by Voldemort to destroy Sirius. Everyone in his path died, including my mother. Of course, my father wanted revenge, so he drew his wand to kill him. But, he was gone. And my father was the only one left alive. He was framed, just as Peter had planned."

There was a long period of saddened silence before Harry spoke, "...What was your mother's name?"

"Her name was Rosaline. She and Lily had always been friends. In fact," she smiled, "James met Lily through my mother, and my mother met my father through James. They were all friends through their years at Hogwarts. My mother was on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team as a chaser, even though my father never joined the team. He was too busy with... well, I don't know. Most likely ruining Snape's day with the other Marauders."

"Moony told you all of this?" Ron asked.

"Well he did have thirteen years to tell me, after all."

Harry interrupted her, "I almost forgot- we have an exam in the Forbidden Forest tonight. Professor Ravenwolf's taking us out to the forest after dinner."

"Well I'd better be going. Malfoy's calling me over, probably to try to get me onto the Quidditch team again." She waved goodbye, and Ron was the only one of the three to wave back.

This time, Hermione simply glared, words obviously having no effect on him.

"We've been up against every single creature Ravenwolf mentioned, Ron," said Harry.

"Yeah," said Ron, "I think we can manage to pass this." Ron thought of Aragog in the forest four years earlier, "...She didn't mention giant flesh-eating spiders, did she?"

"No, no... But she did say we would be faced with a giant. You don't think she meant Grawp, do you?" he remembered the giant well from last year, and hoped beyond hope that they would not have to be his caretaker ever again.

"I don't think... but you never know with these Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, new one every year..." Ron laughed. "This one looks like some kind of monster."

"Why thank you, Mr. Weasley," said a resounding voice from behind Ron. The shock turned to dread when he turned around to see Ravenwolf standing directly behind him, a pistol in her hand. He went ghostly white, almost to match her complexion, and he shook slightly with every word she spoke. "It's touching to find that so many of my students respect me. Hello Miss Granger. I was wondering if you could assist me in a bit of werewolf hunting around the end of October. I've been hunting one in particular, in the Forbidden Forest. He seems to elude me still." She was silent. "...How about you, Mr. Potter? It would be quite an experience, don't you think- putting those beasts out of their misery?"

"No thank you, Professor. And I was wondering, how is it that we will be dealing with giants?"

"Ah. We will be observing them in their natural habitat. I found a village of them not very far away." Harry was completely expressionless, far too surprised to react. Ravenwolf joined Dumbledore at the head of the dining hall, chatting jovially and acting as if their conversation hadn't taken place. When the shock was lessened, Harry finally began to speak again. "We were there. Do you remember? Ron, they'll try to kill us!"

"Harry," said Hermione, "Eat up. There's something else more important. You've got Quidditch practice after classes tonight."

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update! I wanted to complete an entire chapter so that I could begin a new one and you would know that I had updated (I don't think replacing chapters is shown as an update...right?) So from now on, I'm going to update chapter-by-chapter. Until then, keep reading! Harry Potter Numero Tre comes out in theaters this coming Friday! Huzzah! Everyone must go see it, and I found a pic of Sirius AKA Gary Oldman which is much much hotter than what you have seen in previews! tear I'm so proud! But still, he should've had black hair and no beard. And Lupin! Well, I won't go there... That's infuriating. Oh, and I apologize for not answering reviews last time.

Ps: Let J. K. make up witty chapter names. I'm here to tell a story, not to title it.

Silvern Falcon- Yaaaay my first reviewer! I'm so proud! jumps for joy I was hoping I'd be able to pull off two OC's without altering the other characters' personalities too much. See? That's what most people don't do. I took three days thinking up character traits and backgrounds for Ravenwolf and Tamora and how they'd fit with everyone else. I think I'm starting to be a Potterholic. Oh well. More like a Dracoholic. Mmm Tom Felton! Well thank you, thank you, thank you.

n6uos: I don't know who you are, and you didn't give your name. Whatever. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion.

Lady Rumbottom: My sentiments exactly. SIRIUS- I LOVE YOUUUU!!! NOOOOOO! Oh, I'm putting the hot Sirius pic from the movie on my profile. Huzzah! I love that word. Let me say it again. HUZZAH! Mwahahahaha! Well, we must indeed get our parody up and running again!

Potterfan8807- Feisty! Good word, good word. Once again, I am glad you liked it.

Aimee Damita- Wonder how it happened, eh? Well, when a man and a woman love eachother very much... Hehe just kiddin'. Awww thank you! tear

Natalie Trace- Hehe BUM BUM BUMMMMM. Thank you. I shall update more often over summer vacation, which starts June 16 in the majority of NJ public high schools.

Silvern Falcon: Thank you, thank you. I'm now obsessed. You reviewed twice! WoOt WoOt!