Chapter 1: The Locket
She walked for what seemed like forever, down a long dark hallway.
"Great," She thought, "I'm in a horror movie."
Suddenly she saw a hooded figure at the end of the hall. As she came closer the figure began to turn towards her. She stretched out her hand, ready to unmask the figure before her. Her heart raced faster and faster with each step she took.
Suddenly her jaw dropped and her eyes widened…
Vivian's body jerked and she sat straight up in her mahogany canopy bed. She pulled her hands up from under her red satin sheets to find them shaking. She finally rested them on her lap. Vivian swung her legs out of her bed and let them touch the cold hard wood floor. She stood up. Her white night gown fell to her ankles as she strode over to her window seat. She looked out the stained glass and watched the leaves fall in the moonlight. Vivian was rested on a soft cushion, her mind racing with thoughts of her dream. She glanced around her room. Her nightstand, bed, desk and dresser seemed untouched by the fairies of sleep.
"Wait a minute," she thought as she stood up.
Vivian quickly walked over to her dresser and whispered quietly, "Accio Wand." Suddenly a secret compartment on the side of her dresser appeared. Vivian pulled it open and found her wand exactly where she had left it. She grabbed her wand and her satin red robe and walked to the middle of her room. She lowered the wand to the floor and tapped it, "Reccio Staium."
Before her, a large spiral staircase appeared and Vivian descended in to them.
Vivian's heart began to race and her mind wondered from excuse to excuse of what to tell Professor Dumbledore if her school supplies were misplaced. Dumbledore usually came on Saturdays for their weekly visits so Vivian had a couple days to think of a good excuse.
When Vivian's foot hit the bottom stair of her privet classroom she noticed something very odd. There in the center of the room she found Professor McGonagall weeping into her hands.
"Professor, what's wrong?" Vivian asked putting her arm around her.
"Oh, nothing my dear," she said as she wiped her tears with a damp hanky, "I need to talk to you."
Vivian walked over to the seat Dumbledore always sat in when he came to teach her. Professor McGonagall sat across from her.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news," she said as she held back tears.
Vivian sat awestruck as Minerva described Dumbledore's death.
"In a couple of months you will become of age," she told Vivian, "Even though you will be seventeen, I want you to finish your seventh year at Hogwarts."
"I shall be both Transfiguration instructor and Headmistress."
Vivian sat in Dumbledore's chair for a while, thinking of what was to become of her.
"I'll do what you think is best for me," Vivian said sounding frightened. She had never been to school before, not publicly anyway.
"Vivian Black! I want you to be happy and live up to your potential," Minerva exclaimed.
Vivian was then reminded of her secret and why she was home taught in the first place. Vivian was born a Black. Her father had died two years ago and she was kept a secret from the world and the Ministry of Magic. Even her father hadn't known about her till three years ago. Since her father and Uncle were "followers" of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but her father was never part of the followers and her Uncle betrayed him, she's had to live with Minerva McGonagall all her life. The only mother Vivian had ever known.
"What about my secret?" Vivian asked wide-eyed.
"I've already thought of this," Minerva said calmly, "I got you a fake last name, and with help from some friends at the Ministry, you have record of having a serious skin disease for the past seventeen years."
Vivian gave Minerva a look of terror.
"It's cured now."
Vivian looked around her classroom as she thought of the possibilities of going to an actual school. "I could make new friends. Would if some one finds out about my secret? I could try-out for the Quidditch team. What about my secret? I'll finally be with boys!"
"So what do you say Viv?" Minerva asked forcing a smile.
"I say yes!" Vivian hugged the tired old woman and sat back in Dumbledore's chair that was molded over the years of secretly teaching Vivian.
"Professor Dumbledore instructed me to give this to you right before he passed," Minerva said handing Vivian and gold plated box.
Vivian examined the cover. It had a picture of the sun rising over a lake and disappearing over a lake and then it was the moon and stars turn to appear and disappear. Around the picture was a gold frame that had the inscription: "The Sun Shines on the Water with the Moon."
Vivian opened the box and found a beautiful ruby in crested locket surrounded by whit velvet.
"He said it belonged to your father," Minerva said softly.
"You mean Sirius Black," Vivian said bitterly. Vivian always referred to her father as Sirius after he died. The only time she had seen him was at Christmas three years ago:
It was a cold winter evening and Vivian was sitting by the Christmas tree rooting through the presents marked for her. She heard Dumbledore and Minerva laughing in the dining room when the door bell rang. Vivian of course paid no attention to the visitor's voice, for it sounded like a beggar. Suddenly there were muffled voices in the hallway.
"I want to see her Albus," She heard the beggar say.
"Are you sure about this?" Dumbledore's voice said.
Of, course I am, I'm a grown man now I'm not a student anymore," the stranger said.
"This is the perfect time," Minerva said in hushed tones.
Vivian heard footsteps coming into the room where she was. Before she could stand Dumbledore, Minerva, and the stranger stood before her. The stranger had tattered black hair that looked somewhat curly like Vivian's. His eyes were a blue-green shade similar to hers as well. The stranger smiled brightly and he walked over to Vivian.
Holding out his hand he said, "I am Sirius, Sirius Black. I am your father and you are my daughter. I loved you before we even met, and my heart is finally complete."
Vivian looked from Minerva to Dumbledore to Sirius. She didn't know what to do. She just stood there gaping at her father.
"Would you like to take a walk with me?" Sirius said with love in his eyes.
"Um, okay, sure," Vivian finally spat out.
They walked slowly side by side on the snow covered path. Sirius explained how he was accused of killing 10 (I Don't Know) muggles and Peter Pettigrew. He told her about Peter betraying him and two of his best friends by handing them over to Voldemort to be killed. Then the conversation turned over to Harry Potter and how this young man was Sirius' Godson, how he had defeated Voldemort three times, and most importantly how he helped Sirius escape from dementors. There seemed to be an invisible bond between them, though they had never met before. They talk for what seemed like hours. The sun began to set and Sirius seemed happier then ever. Suddenly he pulled out his wand and pointed it towards the ground and a sled appeared.
"Shall we?" Sirius asked stretching out his hand to help her on.
Vivian realized that they were on top of the hill overlooking Minerva's home.
She grasped his hand and sat comfortably on the sled. Sirius sat a few inches behind her and he pushed his heels against the snow. They were off.
They had finished dinner when it was time for Sirius to leave. Vivian had gotten so close to her father in such little time.
"I promise I'll write to you as much as I can," Sirius said holding back tears.
He walked out the door in to the snow, "Wait!"
Vivian ran out to him and threw her arms around him. As she did he whispered in her ear, "I love you."
After their meeting Sirius had written to Vivian everyday until he died. Vivian felt so alone without him.
"We'll go to Diagon Alley in an hour to get your school supplies," Minerva said.
"Oh, Yeah," Vivian said putting the locket around her neck.
In an hours time Vivian was in the living room dressed in a white sweater, blue-jeans, and a red cape. She tied her hair half up half down in a red ribbon. "I look like Little Red Riding hood" (For Erin). Her ruby locket was in full sight and it sparkled when it hit the light.
"Vivian, you will be known as Vivian Burns," Minerva began, "You will stay in the Hogshead Inn and you will be placed in the Gryffindor House so I can keep an eye on you. Do you understand me?"
Vivian nodded.
The old woman hugged Vivian in a tight embrace. Finally the two women moved over to the fireplace. Minerva too a handful of whit powder and tossed it into the flames and they turned a bright emerald.
Minerva stepped into the flames and spoke, "Diagon Alley," and she vanished.
Now it was Vivian's turn. She stepped into the flames and yelled, "Diagonalley," and she, too, vanished. There was a whirlwind of dust and green smoke around her. Finally Vivian stopped, and her feet hit a hard wood floor. When the dust settled Vivian came face to face with a cold dark bedroom and a Blond greasy haired boy.