Diary of an Orphan (re-written)

by StrangeLittleWeirdo

Jenna grew up alone in an orphanage with no knowledge of who she was or where she came from. It wasn't until an owl arrived with a letter for her, and a man named Remus Lupin walked into her life, that she learnt she was so much more than she originally thought and her life would never be the same again.

7. Suspicions

Chapter 6

Suspicions

The day after our encounter with the troll, Harry, Ron and I were already at breakfast when Hermione arrived. She was walking down the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables with her head bowed and a book clutched in her arms. Her eyes flicked up just as she was about to pass us and she stopped. She seemed to hesitate, not knowing whether to continue down the aisle to find an empty seat at the table or take the empty one between Ron and Dean Thomas. The four of us stared at each other in an awkward silence.

Harry cleared his throat.

'Do you want to join us, Hermione?' Harry asked her.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly, shocked by Harry's invitation. She looked at me as if to ask what to do. I nodded, encouraging her to sit down.

'Er, sure,' she said quietly.

Hermione put down her bag and book and took the seat next to Ron. Nervously she poured herself some juice and took a sip. I took another mouthful of my cereal before I noticed that both Harry and Ron were sitting there as awkwardly as Hermione was. I rolled my eyes.

'Hermione,' I said, 'I think Harry and Ron have something they want to say to you.' I looked pointedly at the two boys. 'Don't you?'

'Er, yeah,' said Ron. 'We just wanted to –' he started to say but then seemed to change his mind. He looked at Harry for support.

'We wanted to thank you for getting us out of trouble last night,' Harry said. 'If it wasn't for you, McGonagall would have probably given us a month's worth of detention.' Harry looked at me; I gave him a pointed look in return. 'And we're sorry for what we said,' he added. 'We didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I know if we hadn't of said those things, then you would have been at dinner and would have known about the troll. Then none of this would have even happened.'

'Yeah, sorry,' muttered Ron. I guess that was the best we were going to get from him. Hermione stared at them for a moment. A small smile then came to her face.

'It's OK,' she said. 'Thank you for saving me, and,' Hermione paused, 'I'm sorry too.'

'What for?' asked Harry.

Hermione glanced at me, 'While I was in the bathroom, Jenna and I talked and she sort of told me how I could be really annoying during class. I guess I was being a bit over-enthusiastic and acting a bit like a know-it-all. Being here was just so exciting for me. I guess I just wanted to impress those from the wizarding families with what I knew so I'd fit in, being a Muggle-born and all. I'm sorry for being so annoying the last few weeks.'

For the first time, Harry, Ron and Hermione shared a smile. In the distance the bell ran signalling class. Quickly we finished our breakfasts and, grabbing our bags, the four of us headed out of the Great Hall to go to our first lesson, Double Potions.

Life at Hogwarts was a lot different once Hermione became our friend. For one thing, she became a lot less uptight. In class she no longer put her hand up to answer every question asked (although she did still give long worded answers) and she managed to contain her enthusiasm a lot more as time went on. Outside of class, Hermione would provide us (mainly Harry and Ron) with help with our essays, finding useful passages in books for us to reference whenever she visited the library. Even the knowledge she had already was impressive as she could quote almost anything in one of core books saving a lot of time in trying to find the right bit we needed. Harry found her help invaluable, especially as he was now training for Quidditch almost every night as the first Quidditch match was merely days away.

The weather turned colder as November arrived. The once blue sky became icy grey as clouds surrounded the castle with the lake becoming a darker opaque blue in comparison. There was a chill around the castle and so I started to wear the school jumper that was part of our uniform and changed my socks for the less than comfortable tights. As much as I disliked them, they did keep out the cold. A cold breeze would whip round the windowless corridors creating horrible drafts that you sometimes had no choice but to walk through to get to your next class. In the grounds Hagrid was frequently seen either working in his pumpkin patch or over at the Quidditch pitch defrosting the school brooms before the Flying lessons, wearing a mole-skin overcoat with rabbit-fur gloves and large beaver-skin boots, all of which somehow managed to dwarf even his huge frame.

Despite the cold weather it didn't stop Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain, from dragging the team out as often as possible to practice. Saturday was to be the first match and so he was pushing the team as much as he could, especially Harry. He was, he told Ron, Hermione and me, Wood's "secret weapon". Unfortunately though, the news of Harry playing Seeker for the Gryffindor team had somehow got out and so in the coming week students were frequently stopping Harry in the corridors as we went between lessons wishing him good luck or, in the case of some students, telling him they'd be running underneath him with a mattress. Harry always looked vaguely green after hearing these comments.

Hermione's knowledge surprisingly came in handy for Harry before the match. Having read Quidditch Through the Ages from cover to cover, she let him borrow her copy from the library telling him some of the more helpful chapters in it so he could have a better understanding of the game. Ron also provided Harry with as many helpful tips as he could, although I think some of them were a bit less helpful than he intended them to be.

'You could always try knocking the other Seeker off his broom,' he suggested. We were out in the Clock Tower Courtyard, standing in one of the corners. We were huddled together from the freezing wind trying to keep warm with a small jar of blue flames Hermione had conjured. The first Quidditch match was tomorrow and Harry again was re-reading Quidditch Through the Ages for any last minute help. 'If he can't play then you'll be more likely to find the Snitch first.'

'I think Harry's probably going to be spending most of his time trying not to fall off his own broom rather than trying to knock someone else off theirs,' I said.

'Have it as a backup then,' suggested Ron. Hermione and I shared a look of exasperation.

'Never mind that,' I then said quickly. 'Snape's coming.'

Quickly Hermione put her jar of flames behind her back, the four of us moving closer together to hide it. Knowing Snape, he'd probably try to tell us off for having them, as it would be a breech of the "no magic outside the classroom" rule. He looked at us as he walked across the courtyard. I say walked, on closer inspection, it looked like Snape was limping. His eyes narrowed when he saw the four of us watching him and he hobbled over to us.

'What's that you've got there, Potter?' he asked in his slow drawl. He was looking at the book in Harry's hands. 'Library books are not to be taken outside the school,' said Snape. 'Give it to me. Five points from Gryffindor.'

Reluctantly Harry handed the book over to Snape who then limped away.

'He's just made that rule up,' muttered Harry behind his back. 'Wonder what's wrong with his leg?'

'Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him,' said Ron.

That night in the common room Harry was restless while we did our homework. Hermione had joined us in our favourite chairs in the corner by the window. He sat next to me as I did my Charms essay, aimlessly repeating some of the seven hundred fouls in Quidditch to himself and getting frustrated when he couldn't remember the correct terms. Opposite us Hermione was going through Ron's homework for him to check his answers were right and pointing out any mistakes he had made.

'Cobbing is the excessive use of elbows,' Harry muttered quietly. 'Blocking is deliberately putting yourself in the way of the opposition's Seeker to stop them getting the Snitch. Haversacking is putting your – no making the Quaffle –'

Harry let out a frustrated noise. He stood up, drawing our attention.

'I need to get my book back,' said Harry. 'The first Quidditch match is tomorrow. He's got to let me have it back if I tell him Wood said I need to make sure I know all the rules before the match.'

'Rather you than me,' said Ron, Hermione and I all in unison.

'Don't be surprised if he takes more points from you for asking for it back,' added Ron.

'Thanks for the vote of support.'

Harry left the common room.

'Hermione, the Softening Charm is mostly used as a form of protection, isn't it?' I asked Hermione next. 'Duellists use it to cushion their falls and provide them with softer landings.'

'Generally,' said Hermione. 'But they are also used for more household related tasks as well. While Muggles have fabric softener, a wizard will use this charm instead after washing their clothes. Ron,' Hermione continued, 'the wand movement is a more of a slanted "S" shape than a "wiggly diagonal line" as you've put. And the accent is on the first syllable, not the second.'

Ron took back his essay and corrected the parts Hermione had pointed out. He showed her the re-written sentences and she gave a nod of approval.

'Is that it now?' Ron asked.

'Well Professor Flitwick wanted the essays to be at least one roll of parchment,' I said. My eyes scanned my own. 'Mine's just reaching the end of the scroll. I've written all I can think of about Softening Charms so hopefully it's enough.'

Across from me, Hermione was rolling up the two and a half scrolls she had written for her own essay. Ron let out a huff when he saw he was one inch short of a full scroll. He grabbed his quill and began scribbling something to make his essay longer. Ron handed his essay to Hermione for a third time and, with a nod of approval, he let out a sigh of relief and fell back into his chair.

'I hate writing essays,' he said. 'We don't have anymore to do, do we?'

'Not anymore due for Monday,' I replied. 'Herbology we've done and History of Magic isn't due until our Wednesday class. I think that's everything.'

'Yes, we've done all the homework that's important,' said Hermione. 'And we have still got the weekend after the Quidditch match tomorrow to do anything we've missed. We can probably stop for now.'

I smiled. At the start of term Hermione would have been freaking out if she hadn't done all her homework the night it was set. Now she was the one suggesting we took a break from homework having done the necessary ones. With Hermione's confirmation we'd done enough for tonight, Ron dove into his bag and pulled out a deck of Exploding Snap for us to play.

We were halfway through our second game, Ron's Bowtruckle cards exploding because he'd thought he'd found a pair but one had branch-like arms and the other had tiny twigs, when Harry came running into the common room. We looked up when we heard him shout our names. His face was red as if he'd just run all the way back from the dungeon and his hair was messier than usual. He fell into the chair beside me out of breath.

'Are you OK?' asked Hermione.

'Did you get it?' asked Ron too. 'What's the matter?'

'Snape,' said Harry. He took another breath. 'I saw Filch helping Snape fix up his leg in his office.'

'So?' I said. 'What's so important about that?'

'It's what he said,' whispered Harry. 'Snape was telling Filch about that three-headed dog we found in the third floor corridor and how it had bitten him. That's why he's been limping. You know what this means? He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Hallowe'en! That's where he was going when we saw him – he's after whatever it's guarding! And I'd bet my broomstick he let that troll in, to create a diversion!'

Hermione's eyes widen. Ron's mouth dropped open.

'Harry, that's ridiculous,' I said. 'I know you don't like Snape but do you really think he'd try to get past that dog?'

'He said it himself,' said Harry firmly. 'He got bitten because he couldn't keep track of all its three heads. He must have tried to get past it.'

'No – he wouldn't,' said Hermione. She shook her head, her bushy hair flying. 'I know he's not very nice, but he wouldn't try and steal something Dumbledore was keeping safe.'

'Honestly, Hermione, you think all teachers are saints or something,' snapped Ron. 'I'm with Harry. I wouldn't put anything past Snape. But what's he after? What's that dog guarding?'

'That's what we still need to find out,' said Harry.

The next morning there was a buzz round the school like I hadn't seen before. While the feasts that were held at Hogwarts created a stir, the excitement caused by a Quidditch match was twice as much. When I got to the Great Hall with Hermione we were greeted by a sea of colour in front of us, not to mention the delicious smell of pancakes and fried bacon. It seemed every student in the school who wasn't a first year was ready for the Quidditch match. Jumpers and banners and flags of the different House colours were everywhere. The match was to be Gryffindor versus Slytherin. At the far right of the Hall was a thin strip of silver and green, all the Slytherin students dressed in their colours to support their Quidditch team who were gathered in the middle of the table. I could just see the shock of Malfoy's white hair sitting next to a member of the Slytherin team, a burly looking sixth-year student. As for the rest of the school, it was clear whom they were supporting. While the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws wore jumpers bearing their own colours, yellow and black and blue and bronze respectively, their flags and banners were the same as the Gryffindors', red and gold.

Harry and Ron arrived a few minutes after us. The Gryffindors cheered when Harry appeared. The attention seemed to make him pale even more than he already was. He slid into the seat opposite Hermione and put some food on to his plate. He kept his eyes aimed downwards as he pushed his bacon aimlessly around on his plate.

'Maybe you should try eating it instead of just moving it around on your plate,' I suggested after a moment or two of this.

'I'm not really hungry,' said Harry quietly.

'Harry, you've got to eat something,' said Hermione.

'I don't want anything,' Harry replied.

'Just a bit of toast.'

'I'm not hungry.'

No matter what we tried, we couldn't get Harry to eat anything. He must have been really nervous if even his appetite had gone.

'Harry, you need your strength,' said Seamus who was sat beside Ron. 'Seekers are always the ones who get nobbled by the other team.'

'Thanks, Seamus,' muttered Harry.

With no lessons on Saturdays there were no bells. The four of us remained in the Great Hall until an announcement was made informing us that it was time to head down to the Quidditch Stadium in the grounds. Harry seemed to pale even more at this news. While Ron and Hermione got up to leave the Hall with the rest of the students, I hung back to speak to Harry. We followed behind the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. We could hear Wood talking loudly about the team's prospects.

'You feeling OK?' I asked Harry. We followed the crowds of students walking back up to fourth floor. The Quidditch pitch was apparently located in the grounds somewhere near to Hagrid's Hut and so we had to go out the castle via the Clock Tower Courtyard.

'I'm fine,' said Harry. His voice didn't sound as confident though.

'Harry, it's all right to be nervous,' I said. 'I'd be surprised actually if you weren't.'

'Well then don't be surprised,' said Harry.

I rolled my eyes but smiled nonetheless. At least his sense of humour hadn't been affected.

'You know, it's going to be OK, right?' I asked him. 'You've been training really hard and Wood's told you everything you need to know. You're also a natural on a broom so you have that on your side too. You don't have anything to worry about.'

'Apart from playing a game that I'd never heard of before until a few months ago,' said Harry, 'and embarrassing myself in front of the entire school.'

Harry and I walked out into the Clock Tower Courtyard. The morning outside was bright and clear but there was still the November chill in the air. I was glad I had my scarf with me. The students were all heading down the hill on the other side of the Stone Circle, veering off to the right away from Hagrid's Hut where I could see a series of towers visible in the distance.

'Harry, they wouldn't have put you on the team if they didn't think you were up to it,' I told him.

'Well what if they were wrong?' said Harry. 'What if I'm not the "secret weapon" Wood thinks I am?'

'I find that hard to believe, Harry.' Harry gave me a strange look. From my pocket I took out a photograph. I handed it to Harry. 'Take a look at this. I thought you might need it to give your spirits a bit of a boost.'

Harry looked at the photo. His eyes widened when he saw a familiar face staring back at him.

'Where did you find this?' Harry asked.

'In the library,' I said. 'It has records of all the school's previous House Cup winners and Quidditch teams, things like that. I was looking through one of them to see how many times Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup when I came across this photo from the seventies. I thought you'd want to see it.'

Harry looked back at the photo. Gathered with the rest of his team was his seventeen-year-old dad, James Potter. He was dressed in his Quidditch jersey, the number three on the left chest part, implying that he was a Chaser. He was grinning from ear to ear as his team held up the Quidditch Cup for that year. It was then that I saw just how similar Harry looked to his dad. They had the same messy black hair, the same glasses, and the same grin. The only thing that was different were his eyes.

'Wow, you really do look like your dad,' I said. 'But you have –'

'My mother's eyes,' Harry said. I looked at him. We shared a smile. 'It's not the first time someone has said that to me.'

'Come on, Harry!' Wood was calling him from the entrance to the changing room. 'I've got a few last plays I need to go through with you!'

'I better go,' said Harry. I nodded.

'Hope that made you feel a bit better,' I said. 'I'll see you after the match.'

I left Harry and headed to one of the stands containing the Gryffindor students. Draped in red and gold material, I climbed the wooden stairs to the seating area. At the top I finally got my first look at a Quidditch pitch. It was a large stretched oval pitch at least a few hundred feet long with a goal at either end. In the goals were three tall poles of varying heights each with a hoop on the top and a sand pit at the bottom. I assumed that was in case the Keeper was knocked off his broom or something. In the centre of the pitch was a circle where I could just see Madam Hooch standing waiting for the teams to arrive. Slowly I made my way through the Gryffindor students until I found Ron and Hermione sitting in the top row with the other Gryffindor first-years. Neville was waving a small red and gold flag while Seamus was holding up a banner saying "Go! Go! Gryffindor!". Beside them, Dean was sat wearing an odd pale blue and dark red shirt under his jacket saying "West Ham".

'What's Dean wearing?' I whispered to Ron and Hermione.

'He says it's his football team's colours,' said Ron, 'whatever football is.'

'It's a Muggle sport, Ronald,' said Hermione. 'Honestly.'

'Ladies and gentlemen!'

A loud voice suddenly started over the stadium. It sounded like one of Fred and George's friends, a boy they'd introduced to us as Lee Jordan. I guess he was the commentator for the match. A loud cheer greeted his voice.

'Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the year!' Jordan was saying, his voice magically magnified throughout the entire stadium for everyone to hear. 'For today's match, it's Slytherin versus Gryffindor!' There was another loud cheer. 'Now please give it up for the teams! Slytherin!'

Down on the pitch I saw two lines of students walk out on to the grass. The Slytherins were dressed in green and silver robes, the burly looking sixth-year from earlier at the front of the line. He must be the Captain. The only cheers came from the quadrant of the stands that contained the rest of the Slytherin students, while the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students reluctantly applauded.

'And Gryffindor!'

The cheers for the Gryffindor team were three times louder than they were for the Slytherin team as the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws welcomed them on to the pitch. It didn't stop the Slytherins from booing though. Seven students walked on to the pitch dressed in red and gold, Harry and Wood standing at the front of the line. Ron, Hermione and I cheered as loud as we could when we saw him.

The two teams gathered around Madam Hooch in the central circle. We couldn't hear what she was saying to them but after a few moments Wood and the Slytherin Captain shook hands before taking their places beside their teammates. The fourteen players mounted their brooms, ready. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and the players shot into the air. They levelled themselves to wait for her second whistle. From a box on the ground the two Bludgers flew from their restraints followed by the Golden Snitch. The three balls zoomed off. Madam Hooch then picked up the Quaffle. With a second whistle she threw it high into the air. The game had begun.

'And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor –' Jordan announced over the stadium, '- what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive, too –'

You didn't need a loudspeaker or spell to hear Professor McGonagall's reprimand of Lee Jordan's commentary. He sheepishly apologised then carried on.

'And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve – back to Johnson and – no, Slytherin have taken the Quaffle and off he goes – Flint flying like an eagle up there – he's going to sc – no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and Gryffindor take the Quaffle – that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and – OUCH – that must have hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger – Quaffle taken by Slytherin – that's Adrian Pucey speeding off towards the goalposts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger – sent his way by Fred or George Weasley, can't tell which – nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a clear field ahead and off she goes – she's really flying – dodges a speeding Bludger – the goalposts are ahead – come on, now, Angelina – Keeper Bletchley dives – misses – GRYFFINDOR SCORE!'

I cheered along with the rest of the Gryffindors as Angelina scored the first goal of the match. I couldn't believe how fast the game was played. I'd never seen any Muggle sport go this speed before. Just trying to keep your eyes on whoever had the Quaffle was almost impossible. It was enough to make you dizzy. Above all the action Harry seemed to just be hovering around. By now Hagrid had joined us, taking up almost all the available space that was left on the back row. Ron filled him in on what had happened so far.

'Kept outta trouble, though, that's somethin',' muttered Hagrid.

I watched the game with mounting anticipation. The Gryffindor and Slytherin Chasers flew around the pitch with such speed and accuracy, passing the Quaffle with precision to one another before –

'AND GRYFFINDOR SCORE AGAIN!' shouted Jordan's voice.

Another loud cheer rang through the stadium.

'Slytherin in possession. Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys and Chaser Bell and speeds towards the –'

Jordan's commentary came to a sudden stop. I looked round to see what was going on.

'– was that the Snitch?'

Sure enough Harry had gone into a dive, shooting past the Slytherin Seeker. I could just see a flash of gold fluttering in front of him. The Slytherin Seeker chased after him. Everyone's attention was now on the two as they dove for the Snitch; even the other players had stopped what they were doing to watch what was happening. The only player who didn't was the Slytherin Captain, Flint. He was flying towards where Harry and the Slytherin Seeker were headed. Harry was ahead. He had raised his arm and – WHAM! Harry smacked straight into Flint. The Gryffindors erupted in anger, shouting "Foul" and calling for a penalty to be taken.

'Send him off, ref!' Dean was shouting. 'Red card!'

'This isn't football, Dean,' said Ron. 'You can't send people off in Quidditch – and what's a red card?'

'They oughta change the rules, Flint coulda knocked Harry outta the air,' shouted Hagrid.

Even Jordan was voicing his objections.

'So – after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating –'

'Jordan!' growled Professor McGonagall's voice.

'I mean, after that open and revolting foul –'

'Jordan, I'm warning you –'

'All right, all right. Flint nearly kills Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue play, Gryffindor still in possession.

'Spinnet sets off down the pitch – passes to Chaser Bell but is intercepted by Pucey – Pucey dodges Johnson – one of the Weasleys sends a Bludger his way – it hits and the Quaffle is taken back by Gryffindor – not for long though as the Slytherin Beater sends a Bludger back in return.

I watched as the Quaffle went back and forth between the players, up and down the pitch. As my eyes went across the pitch they glanced over where Harry was. I did a double take when I saw what I thought was his broom bucking. I nudged Ron and Hermione who had also noticed Harry's broom was acting strangely. Slowly the entire stadium began to realise what was happening.

'Slytherin in possession – Flint with the Quaffle – passes Spinnet – passes Bell – hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose –'

'JORDAN!'

'– only joking, Professor – Slytherin score – oh no …'

Higher and higher Harry's broom went. It continued to buck and try to throw Harry off it, thrashing about as Harry struggled to stay on it. People gasped each time it looked like Harry was going to be thrown from his broom. The Slytherins meanwhile were cheering.

'Dunno what Harry thinks he's doing,' muttered Hagrid, confused. He looked through his binoculars at where Harry was. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say he'd lost control of his broom … but he can't have …'

'Harry!' shouted Hermione and I in unison.

Harry's broom had given a particularly violent jerk and he was thrown forwards over the handle. He swung off his broom, one of his hands losing its grip. A gasp went round the stadium. Harry was hanging on to his broom with his other hand, dangling from it as it continued to jerk about.

'Did something happen to it when Flint blocked him?' asked Seamus.

'Can't have,' grumbled Hagrid. 'Can't nothing interfere with a broomstick except powerful Dark Magic – no kid could do that to a Nimbus Two Thousand.'

'Dark magic?' repeated Hermione. She looked sharply at Ron and me then snatched Hagrid's binoculars out of his hands. She was looking frantically all around the stadium in the stands for something. 'There!' she burst. 'Quick, take a look!'

Hermione handed me the binoculars and pointed over to the stand where some of the teachers were sitting.

'What are you doing?' moaned Ron.

I ignored him as I followed Hermione's point through the binoculars. Several of the teachers were sitting in the top stand including Professor Snape, Professor Quirrell, Professor Sinistra and Professor Vector. All were watching the match and were shocked by the antics of Harry's broom, their eyes fixed on him. Especially Snape's. In fact he was staring at where Harry was floating fixedly, his eyes unblinking and he was muttering something under his breath.

'Snape,' I said. 'It looks like he's muttering something.'

'I knew it,' said Hermione. She took the binoculars from me and handed them to Ron. 'It's Snape – look. He's doing something – jinxing the broom.'

'What should we do?' asked Ron.

'Leave it to me.'

Before we could even stop her, Hermione was pushing her way through those sat on the back row and disappeared out of sight. With her gone Ron and I turned back to watch Harry. Fred and George were now trying to help him by getting him on to one of their brooms but every time they got close enough to him the broom went higher and higher. They ended up circling beneath him in hopes to catch him if he lost his grip. All the while this was going on the Slytherins had scored another few times bringing the score to twenty-fifty. Ron, the rest of the Gryffindors and I waited with bated breath for something to happen. Whatever Hermione was doing she better do it soon.

Harry's broom gave another shudder. It looked like Harry's grip was going to slip at any moment. But then it stopped. Harry hung there for a few moments before pulling himself back on to his broom. With his broom no longer acting up Harry went shooting off. The crowd cheered as he soared to the ground. Before he even had time to pull out of his dive Harry had hit the ground and was knocked off his broom on to his back. He rolled over on to all fours as he seemed to wretch from the landing.

'Is he OK?' I asked.

'I don't know,' said Ron. 'He looks like he's going to throw up or something.'

'I've got the Snitch!' came Harry's distant shout.

'Harry Potter's caught the Snitch!' repeated Jordan's magnified voice. 'Gryffindor gets an extra one hundred and fifty points for Potter's catch bringing the score to one hundred and seventy to sixty. GRYFFINDOR WINS!'

With the match over, Ron and I climbed down from the stands to go meet Harry at the changing rooms. Hermione reappeared from wherever she had gone with a pleased smile on her face. Harry appeared a few minutes later having escaped from the team's hugs and cheers. He was grinning from ear to ear about his catch but the second we were away from the changing rooms and walking towards Hagrid's Hut where we'd been invited to have a celebratory cup of tea, Harry was asking what had happened to his broom during the match. We knocked on the door and Hagrid let us in. Fang started barking and jumping up at us until Hagrid took hold of his collar and dragged him away so we could get inside. We took a seat at his table and started telling Harry what happened while Hagrid made the tea.

'It was Snape,' Ron told him without hesitation. 'Hermione, Jenna and I saw him. He was cursing your broomstick, muttering, he wouldn't take his eyes off you.'

'Rubbish,' said Hagrid dismissively. He laid out four large teacups in front of the four of us and began pouring out the tea. 'Why would Snape do somethin' like that?'

Harry, Ron, Hermione and I shared a look. We all seemed to be thinking the same thing. Do we tell him?

'I found out something about him,' Harry then said. 'He tried to get past that three-headed dog at Halloween. It bit him. We think he was trying to steal whatever it's guarding.'

Hagrid dropped his teapot. It shattered on the floor near to Fang's basket causing him to yelp in surprise and jump on to Hagrid's bed.

'How do you know about Fluffy?'

'Fluffy?' chorused the four of us.

'That thing has a name?' I added. 'It's anything but "fluffy".'

'Yeah, course he's got a name – he's mine – bought him off a Greek chappie I met in the pub las' year – I lent him to Dumbledore to guard the –'

Hagrid stopped, his eyes wide.

'Yes?' asked Harry eagerly.

'I shouldn'ta said that,' muttered Hagrid. 'Now, don't ask me any more,' he then said louder to us. 'That's top secret that is.'

'But Snape's trying to steal it.'

'Rubbish. Snape's a Hogwarts teacher, he'd do nothin' of the sort.'

'So why did he just try and kill Harry?' said Hermione.

'We don't know that for sure, Hermione, we don't have any proof,' I interrupted, trying to be reasonable in amongst the accusations, but she dismissed it.

'Nonsense,' Hagrid was saying.

'I know a jinx when I see one, Hagrid, I've read all about them! You've got to keep eye contact, and Snape wasn't blinking at all, I saw him!'

'I'm tellin' yeh, yer wrong,' snapped Hagrid. 'I don' know why Harry's broom acted like that, but Snape wouldn' try an' kill a student! Now, listen to me, all four of yeh –' he gave us a stern look, pointing at each of us in turn, 'yer meddlin' in things that don' concern yeh. It's dangerous. You forget that dog, an' you forget what it's guardin', that's between Professor Dumbledore an' Nicolas Flamel –'

'Aha!' said Harry. 'So there's someone called Nicolas Flamel involved, is there?'

Hagrid looked furious with himself.

'I'm not sayin' anythin' more,' he grumbled. 'You four already know more than yer should. How yeh even came across Fluffy, I don't want ter know.'

'Not by choice,' I said quietly to the others.

'But yeh listen to me,' Hagrid repeated, 'what yeh've found out is dangerous an' yer need ter drop it. Now I want yer to promise me yeh won't go digging fer any more information. You'll forget what yeh've learnt and more importantly yeh won't say anythin' to anyone else. Do yer understand?'

The four of us looked at each other. It looked like Hagrid was serious about this.

'Yes, Hagrid,' said Harry eventually.

'Good,' grunted Hagrid. He turned round and picked up a plate of rock cakes. He put them down on the table in front of us. 'Have a rock cake.'

'I think Hagrid was serious this time,' I said to the others when we finally left his Hut. It was almost lunchtime and there was a rumour that the lunch after a Quidditch match was always a roast of some sorts. 'We shouldn't know about Fluffy or that it's guarding something. It's nothing to do with us.'

'Even if we aren't meant to know about it, we do,' said Harry, 'and we know that Snape's after it. Why else would he try to get past Fluffy if he wasn't after what it's guarding?'

'So what are we meant to do?' asked Ron.

'We find out who Nicolas Flamel is,' said Harry. 'When we find out who he is, we'll find out what it is that dog's guarding.'

'The library,' said Hermione. 'There's bound to be a book which will have something about Nicolas Flamel in it.'

'Let's go then.'

'Am I the only one who thinks this is a bad idea?' I muttered as I followed the others as they ran off back to the castle. I got the distinct feeling that lunch was not on their minds any longer.

I'm not sure what it was, but the more we found out about whatever was going on in the castle that involved that three-headed dog, the less I wanted anything to do with it. I just had a bad feeling that whatever it was that was being guarded was not something we should be involved in. Hagrid himself had said it was dangerous. As for accusing Snape, while I couldn't deny that there was something suspicious about his behaviour at the Quidditch match and had seen for myself him muttering words under his breath while staring at where Harry had been struggling to hold on to his broom, we had no proof of why he was doing it and no proof that Snape had tried to get past Fluffy in the first place. Harry may have heard Snape mention the dog but he didn't actually say he was trying to get past it from what Harry had told us. Either way Harry couldn't be swayed and so I did my best to go along with it despite my concerns.

November soon faded away into December. In the space of one night the castle and grounds were transformed. A thick blanket of snow had fallen and enveloped the school in its frozen glory, a picturesque white landscape that you would find in any Muggle snow globe around this time of year. It was like someone had dusted the place with a layer of icing sugar. The turrets and towers of the castle looked like something out of a fairytale the way they glinted in the sunlight; the grounds in such a perfect layer of snow it seemed a shame that soon it would be broken by dozens of footprints as people went into the grounds for class; and the lake was a frozen grey ice rink, vast and dazzling as the sun reflected off it. Of course with this new wave of cold weather a new wave of cold winds came with it. Nowadays you wouldn't see a single student without their scarves and gloves wrapped tightly around them as they went from class to class. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were no exception, even with Hermione's little fire jar to keep us warm. All it did was make the roaring fires in the Gryffindor Tower just that much more pleasant to go back to at the end of the day.

As the holidays approached I had to start thinking about what I wanted to do for them, whether I wanted to stay here or go home to Lupin's for Christmas. I'd never had a family Christmas before and so I wasn't really sure what to do. I had ordered Lupin a Christmas present I'd seen advertised in a recent copy of the Daily Prophet and was waiting for it to be delivered. Other than that, I didn't really know what it was going to be like. Whenever Christmas came round while I was at The Refuge, it was a very mute affair; we'd have a tree and decorate the main room but that was it. As for Christmas dinner, I wouldn't say getting second helpings made it that much of a treat.

'Such a special time of year, a time to be with ones families,' I overheard Malfoy saying during Potions that Friday. The class was busy brewing the Wiggenweld Potion, a potion that would even wake someone from a sleep-induced state, while he still had time to talk loud enough for everyone to hear. I was sat in the back row with Harry, Ron and Hermione as far away from Malfoy as we could be without being the other side of the classroom door. Like the rest of the class we were huddled around our cauldrons as close as we could be as it was even colder down here in the dungeons than it was up in the main castle. 'I do feel so sorry for all those people who have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home.'

Malfoy's grey eyes flicked over to where we were sitting. Crabbe and Goyle laughed at Malfoy's comment. Harry and I shared a look. Ever since the Quidditch match, Malfoy had been even more unpleasant than usual and had done his best to make anyone who'd listen laugh at his jokes about how a frog would be a better Seeker than Harry. Once he'd realised it wasn't working, he'd gone back to insulting Harry.

'Malfoy think he's insulting me,' said Harry in a low voice to me. 'The joke's on him. I'm glad I'm not going back to the Dursleys for the holidays.'

'You don't have to stay here though,' I said to him. 'You could always come and stay at mine over the holidays. I'm sure my Uncle will be OK with it.'

'I'll be fine, Jenna, really,' said Harry. 'Besides, Ron said he's probably going to be staying too if his parents decide to go visit his older brother.'

'Well the invitation is always there if you change your mind,' I told him.

'You should all be adding the final few ingredients to your potions,' came Snape's voice. He was pacing up and down the classroom, his black eyes peering at each individual cauldron. A sneer twisted his lips when he eyed mine and Harry's then Hermione and Ron's. 'If it turns a pale turquoise when you add the honeywater then you will have made an at least passable version of the Wiggenweld potion.'

I finished stirring our potion and added a few drops of the honeywater. Gradually the colour changed to the turquoise depicted in our books. It wasn't quite as pale as it probably should have been but it was at least the right colour. Beside me Harry increased the heat as the instructions said and we let it simmer until its colour changed again to pink. He then added the last few drops of salamander blood and the potion turned green.

'When you have finished your potion, I want two full phials of it on my desk for marking,' said Snape. He swept back to the front of the classroom to his desk. He sat down behind it and picked up a quill. 'Anyone who does not present a phial will receive an instant fail.'

The bell signalling the end of lessons rang. In front of us Dean was pouring their potion in to a couple of phials as Neville was shaking too much to do so himself. I took a phial out of my bag and handed it to Harry then took one out for myself. Once filled, I went with Hermione to put our samples on Snape's desk. We returned to our desk at the back and gathered our things then left with Harry and Ron. We walked quickly back up to the warmth of the main castle only to find the corridor between the dungeons and Entrance Hall blocked by what looked like a large pine tree. We could just see Hagrid's shaggy black hair over the top branches as he dragged it along on its side. Ron pushed aside some branches and stuck his head through them.

'Hi, Hagrid, want any help?' he asked.

'Nah, I'm all right, thanks, Ron,' puffed Hagrid.

'Would you mind moving out of the way?'

I glanced over my shoulder. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind us. An unimpressed smirk graced Malfoy's pale face as he stared at the tree blocking the way.

'Are you trying to earn some extra money, Weasley?' he drawled. 'Hoping to be gamekeeper yourself when you leave Hogwarts, I suppose – that Hut of Hagrid's must seem like a palace compared to what your family's used to.'

'Ron!' shouted Hermione and I when he lunged at Malfoy. He had just grabbed Malfoy's robes when Snape suddenly appeared from the opposite end of the corridor.

'WEASLEY!' he bellowed.

Ron let go of Malfoy's robes.

'He was provoked, Professor Snape.' Hagrid's head appeared from behind the tree. 'Malfoy was insultin' his family.'

'Be that as it may,' said Snape slowly, his eyes glaring at Ron, 'fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid. Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it isn't more. Move along, all of you.'

Snape brushed past the tree and off up the corridor. With a gratified smirk in our direction, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle also pushed past it. I covered my face as a shower of needles flew in our direction.

'I'll get him,' said Ron through gritted teeth, 'one of these days, I'll get him –'

'I hate both of them,' said Harry, 'Malfoy and Snape.'

'Come on, cheer up, it's nearly Christmas,' said Hagrid. He held up some branches so that the four of us could get through. We ducked beneath his arm and slid through the gap between the tree and the wall. We waited as Hagrid let the rest of the class pass by so we could continue our conversation. 'Tell yeh what, come with me an' see the Great Hall, looks a treat.'

Seizing the trunk once more Hagrid dragged the tree up the corridor to the Entrance Hall and across to the Great Hall with the four of us following alongside it. With a grunt he lifted it up so it was standing on its end leaning up against the wall before taking us inside. It had been entirely transformed once more for the season. Twelve towering Christmas trees lined the sides of the Hall, each decorated with a different selection of stars and baubles and tinsel. The walls themselves were bedecked with bunches of holly and mistletoe with colour ribbons holding the bundles together in neat little clusters. Tiny little icicles hung from the torch brackets and glittering snowflakes fell from the ceiling that was reflecting the winter grey clouds from outside. I gazed in awe around the Hall. The Refuge had never looked as pretty as this at Christmas. At the far end of the Hall where the teacher's table was, Professor Flitwick had bewitched the new tree Hagrid had dragged inside to float over to its stand behind Dumbledore's chair and was now decorating it in tiny little golden bubbles that were sprouting from the tip of his wand. It made me almost wish I was staying here for the holidays instead of going home. Having seen the Hall, Hagrid asked us how many days were left until we were to go home.

'Just one,' said Hermione. 'And that reminds me – Harry, Ron, Jenna, we've got half an hour before lunch, we should be in the library.'

My awe of the Hall was quickly replaced with an internal groan. We had spent almost every free moment we had in the library looking for information on Nicolas Flamel since the Quidditch match and hadn't found anything. I'd been hoping with the holidays so close Harry and the others would have forgotten about it but unfortunately Hermione's memory was extremely sharp and so she was always on the ball whenever something needed researching and the library was to be involved.

'Oh yeah, you're right,' said Ron.

We turned and headed back out the Hall. Hagrid followed, intrigued by our need to be researching something at this late time in the term.

'The library?' asked Hagrid. 'Just before the holidays? Bit keen, aren't yeh?'

'Oh, we're not working,' said Harry. 'Ever since you mentioned Nicolas Flamel we've been trying to find out who he is.'

'You what?' burst Hagrid. He hesitated when he realised he was shouting. 'Listen here – I've told yeh – drop it,' he said in a lowered tone. 'It's nothin' to you what that dog's guardin'. Yeh promised me yeh wouldn' go digging for anythin' more abou' it.'

'We're not,' I said. In our defence, it was true and we hadn't broken our promise to him. We hadn't actually looked for anything more about why the three-headed dog was in the castle or what it was guarding. If we just so happen to find out what the thing was that Snape was trying to steal at the same time, it was pure coincidence.

'We just want to know who Nicolas Flamel is, that's all,' said Hermione.

'We're interested in what he specialised in,' I confirmed. 'It's just a bit of research to deepen our knowledge of the different fields of magic.'

'Unless you'd like to tell us and save us the trouble?' said Harry. 'We must've been through hundreds of books already and we can't find him anywhere – just give us a hint – I know I've read his name somewhere.'

'I'm sayin' nothin',' grumbled Hagrid. 'I've said too much ter yer as it is.'

'Just have to find out for ourselves, then,' said Ron.

We walked off up the Marble Staircase, leaving a disgruntled Hagrid behind us.

After almost a month of searching the library for information on Nicolas Flamel and finding nothing, we were running out of areas to look in the library for his name. Every history book we looked in had nothing about what he was famous for and because we weren't sure what area of magic he even worked in we were looking through every subject we could find. One by one we had ticked off the list of books Hermione had written down for us to search in each time we were in here, Hermione then creating a new list from scratch for our next visit. While Ron began pulling books off the shelves he thought would be helpful, I gave Hermione a hand going through what must have been her tenth list of books. After a few minutes searching I overheard Madam Pince's voice somewhere near us. I looked round the corner of the bookcase I was behind to see Madam Pince standing over Harry, her sharp eyes glaring at him. A moment later she was pointing at the door and Harry sheepishly walked off. We'd agreed not to ask Madam Pince if she knew anything about Nicolas Flamel and so if she ever caught us in there wandering around while we looked for books on him, we were to leave as soon as possible and wait for the others outside in case they had found something.

'Harry's been caught,' I whispered to Hermione. I put down the copy of Ingredient Encyclopaedia I'd been looking through. Hermione glanced over her shoulder to see Harry leave.

'We better grab Ron and go, then,' said Hermione. 'We'll leave it for today. We should have known Madam Pince would be suspicious of any student in here on the penultimate day of term.'

Hermione and I grabbed Ron then snuck back out the library while Madam Pince had her back turned to us. Harry was waiting for us outside.

'That turned out to be a bust,' said Ron. 'Madam Pince caught us before we even got through the list.'

'You know what she's like,' I said. 'Madam Pince has eyes like a hawk. She'd be on you in seconds if she ever saw you with any food near a book.'

'So you guys didn't find anything either?' asked Harry.

'No,' sighed Hermione. 'When we saw she'd caught you, we thought it best not to push our luck. But there's always the holidays,' she added hopefully. 'You will keep looking while we're away, won't you? And send me an Owl if you find anything.'

'And you could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is,' said Ron. 'It'd be safe to ask them.'

'Very safe, as they're both dentists,' said Hermione.

'You could always ask your uncle, Jenna,' said Harry. 'He might know something about him, wouldn't he?'

'Maybe,' I said, 'but I wouldn't keep your hopes up.'

On Saturday morning I packed the last few remaining things back into my trunk ready for it to be transported down to the station for the train journey back to London. Dressed in some of my own clothes, I went down to breakfast with Hermione to say goodbye to the boys before we left. With the holidays now here, the Great Hall wasn't as full as it normally would be at half past eight in the morning as the students who were staying took the opportunity to sleep in with the breakfast hours extended until ten o'clock. Harry and Ron were sat at the Gryffindor table alongside Ron's brothers and a few other students. They were playing a game of Wizard's Chess when we joined them. Ron had been teaching him in the last week so they had something to do over the holidays besides go to the library.

The train journey back to London was a quiet one. Hermione was buried in one of her books she'd borrowed from the library for the holidays while Neville, Seamus and Dean who were sharing our compartment were arguing about the differences between Quidditch and football. I sat quietly staring out of the window at the passing countryside. The fields were covered in snow just like the castle had been, blurs of silver and white flying by. The journey seemed to go by in a few hours and soon enough we were back in London, pulling into Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. With the train slowing down I got my trunk down from the luggage rack above and joined the queue of students in the corridor waiting for the train to stop. I stepped off the train on to the platform, looking around for any sign of Lupin.

'Jenna! Over here!'

My eyes caught sight of Lupin walking up the platform over to me. I turned and said a quick goodbye to Hermione and the others before dragging my trunk and owl cage over to greet Lupin. He gave me a big hug when I reached him, holding me in his arms for a good minute or so.

'Ah, I've missed you,' he said. Lupin released me and held me at arms length. 'The cottage was oddly quiet with you gone over the term. So how was school?'

Lupin took hold of my trunk and we headed for the exit.

'It was great,' I told him. 'I'm struggling a bit with some of the spells but I'm getting there. My homework is getting good marks though even though my magic's still a bit weak.' I decided it was best not to mention that I'd run into a three-headed dog named Fluffy or that I was nearly killed by a troll on Hallowe'en.

'It'll improve with time,' Lupin told me. 'It took myself a good half a year before I managed to perform my first spell perfectly. Just keep trying and you'll manage it eventually.'

Once out of the station, Lupin and I turned into the same alley we'd arrived at the station back in September and we Disapparated back to Moonlake Cottage.

It appeared Lupin had made every effort to make my first Christmas at Moonlake Cottage a special one. While I'd been away at school he had decorated the house for me. We arrived in a flurry of snow as it kicked up on re-entry. Once it had cleared I saw that the house and garden looked like something off a Muggle Christmas card. The eaves had dozens of icicles hanging precariously off the edge and the windowsills looked like they'd had thick icing piped all over them. On the front door over the window was a large bushy holly wreath glistening with strands of silver and gold ribbons and small bunches of scarlet berries.

Inside, the house had been completely transformed. Small twinkling coloured lights lined the walls of the hallway and in the living room, flashing on and off in repetitive patterns; hanging from the ceiling were miniature golden baubles with tiny little wings that made them look like Golden Snitches; in what I assumed was a nod to my Muggle grandmother, there were some of the more traditional decorations I knew from my time at The Refuge, multicoloured stars and circular snowflakes gently spinning as they hung in the kitchen; the banister had tinsel wrapped around it from the foot to the top of the stairs; and finally, standing proudly in the corner, was a Christmas tree, its branches dusted in fake snow and small delicate figurines of all sorts hanging from them too. Gold and silver stars and moons wove in between more ribbons while coloured baubles dotted here and there. It was the best-looking Christmas tree I'd ever seen, even better than the ones that were in the Hogwarts Great Hall.

'I thought you might like a proper Christmas,' Lupin told me. 'I hope I didn't go too over the top. I haven't really celebrated Christmas for the past few years.'

'It's brilliant,' I said. 'Lupin, it's better than I imagined.'

For some reason, Lupin frowned.

'Jenna, you can call me Remus,' he said. I hesitated and looked down. 'You know that, don't you?'

I nodded, 'I know, I just … I can't explain why. It just doesn't feel right to do so. Not yet at least.'

Lupin watched me a moment or so longer. He seemed to sigh and he gently stroked my hair.

'I'm sorry, Jenna, I shouldn't push you,' he said. 'You're still getting used to everything and I know that. You'll do so when you're ready. Now, how about you come and help me make a cake for granddad? He's coming over in the next few days to meet you and chocolate cake was always his favourite.'

Meeting my grandfather was not something I'd anticipated having to do. Call me naive, but I was under the impression that Lupin was the only family I had. I didn't really think about any other relatives I might have. I probably had them, particularly on my father's side based on what I knew from the Sorting Hat, but I certainly didn't know of any of them. The prospect of meeting other family members was both exciting and scary at the same time. I was eleven years old and these were people who should have known me my entire life. What were they going to expect when they meet me?

My grandfather arrived Friday before Christmas day. His arrival was announced by the sound of whooshing coming from the fireplace as he Flooed to Moonlake Cottage. When I heard the sound of flames blooming in the fireplace I put down my wand and went to the door between the kitchen and the living room. I peered round it to see Lupin helping him out of the fireplace. They hugged and greeted each other. I watched silently, intrigued by the older man. He looked exactly like Lupin, just an older version of him. His hair was grey with remnants of the same mousy brown in it that matched Lupin's and was tied back into a short ponytail; he had the same build too, tall and lean, and was dressed smartly in a pair of navy robes; his eyes though were almost identical, the exact brown of Lupin's own. As I was watching them I leant on the door a bit too much causing it to creak. Lupin and my grandfather looked towards me.

'Is this her?' asked my grandfather, pointing at me. Lupin nodded.

'Why don't you come and say hello to your grandfather, Jenna?' he called to me.

Cautiously I came out of the kitchen. I walked over to them, nervously looking up at my grandfather. He was looking at me with the same curiosity that Lupin had the day he adopted me.

'Jenna, this is your grandfather, Lyall,' said Lupin.

'Nice to meet you,' I said quietly.

'Shy young thing, isn't she?' said my grandfather. 'I can see what you mean though. She looks just like Tala did at her age.'

I blushed. Grandfather knelt down to me.

'So you're Jenna, are you?' he asked me. I nodded. 'Well, it's nice to meet you too, Jenna. You can call me Grandpa Lyall if you want. Or Granddad.' I nodded again. Granddad chuckled. 'You know, Remus has told me a lot about you and about the day he found you. I hadn't seen him so happy in years compared to that day.'

I glanced at Lupin, 'Really?'

'Mmm.' Granddad ushered me over to the sofa. He took a seat and encouraged me to sit beside him. 'He Owled me as soon as he'd got you home. We were both so relieved that he'd found you. We had almost given up hope until your Headmaster told us that your name was still on the register for Hogwarts this year. That was the sign we had to tell us you were alive.

'The last time I saw you though, you were only a baby,' Granddad continued. 'I was one of the first to hold you after you were born. You were so tiny. I still remember the look on your mum's face, beaming down at you in her arms. I, too, couldn't have been prouder of her at that moment, being so young but responsible to choose to have you.'

Granddad looked down at me. He smiled, putting his arm around me. I could hear Lupin busy in the kitchen making a cup of tea.

'Ah, listen to me, going on,' said Granddad. 'I'm an old wizard of few pleasures these days. At least I now have a granddaughter I can spoil.' He raised his eyebrow at me. 'Want to hear some stories of the trouble your mum and uncle used to get into?'

He grinned at me. I couldn't help but grin back.

Granddad stayed until Christmas. I actually really enjoyed having him around. The stories he told about what Mum and Lupin were like when they were my age were brilliant. Mum was quite the troublemaker apparently, which explained his surprise that I was so shy when he met me, while Lupin, though the sensible one, had had his fair share of detentions while he'd been at Hogwarts. If only he knew, I thought. I wouldn't say a three-headed dog and a troll was keeping out of trouble. It was funny watching Lupin cringe at the stories Granddad told about his misbehaviour and what he used to get up to at school with his friends. But Lupin's level-headed nature prevailed in his later years and he was made a Prefect when he was in his fifth year. Grandma and Granddad had been proud of both of them and, even though Grandma had died just before I was born she would have been proud of me too like he was.

On Christmas morning, I awoke to find a small pile of presents stuffed into a stocking at the end of my bed. I couldn't believe it. I had presents. The Refuge could never afford to get us things for Christmas and so only Matron would ever get us something small for the occasion. When I got downstairs, I found there were more under the tree, a small pile of different shaped packages for us. Lupin and Granddad were both already up, Granddad busily preparing a special breakfast for us.

Christmas Day as a whole was a quiet affair. Lupin allowed me to open my stocking presents while we sat in the living room eating the waffles Granddad had made for us. They were delicious. Apparently it was an old Muggle recipe of Grandma's. In my stocking I got a good selection of sweets as well as some more practical things that I could use for the new term of school in January. The rest of the presents were to wait until after lunch. The day passed by in a pleasant haze; we sat in front of a blazing fire playing some Muggle board games that Granddad had brought over to help make me feel more at home, being aware of my Muggle background, before sitting down for a traditional roast lunch that he and Lupin prepared. I eagerly helped myself to slices of chicken and lashings of potatoes and gravy, enjoying such a perfect day with my family.

When lunch was finished we sat back down in the living room to open the rest of the presents. Not knowing I had a Granddad, Lupin covered me and presented him with the homemade chocolate cake we had made a few days ago. While Granddad tucked into a slice, I gave Lupin his gift from me. It was a book about magical defence I'd seen advertised which I thought he'd like. The majority of the presents were for me to my surprise with there being ones from Harry, Ron and Hermione there as well. The two boys had each given me a box of cauldron cakes and Chocolate Frogs while Hermione had given me a diary. Even her presents were school orientated. Lupin and Granddad had got me the best present though. I knew Lupin didn't have much money, so when he presented me with a broomstick I was lost for words at how he could afford it.

'Your Granddad and I both paid for it,' said Lupin. 'We wanted to get you something useful and that you'd enjoy. We figured as your mother always enjoyed flying, maybe you would too.'

I couldn't deny Lupin was right in his estimation that I enjoyed flying. I had been doing OK in Flying lessons and Madam Hooch had been pleased with my progress over the course of the term, despite the fact we were flying on very outdated brooms. The school really needed to replace the Shooting Stars they had. I looked over my broom. It looked brand new judging by the sleek polished handle and the twigs of its tail were all neat and straight. At the tip of its shaft were the letters "Thunderbolt III" which I assumed was its make. I felt a slight twinge of guilt at the thought of how much this might have cost Lupin but I promised myself I would take care of it and get as much use out of it as I could.

Before Granddad left on Boxing Day, he had one last present for me. It was another diary but this time it was one that had belonged to my Mum. When he had gone, I started reading it at the kitchen table while Lupin prepared us some dinner out of the leftovers from Christmas lunch the previous day. My eyes skimmed page after page of her neat handwriting, reading every word she had written. It had loads of entries in it, especially in her later years at Hogwarts. She certainly mentioned my father a lot. They had seemed very close, it made me wonder just exactly what had happened that made him disappear. One thing intrigued me though about her later entries. It was clear they were caught up in the war that was going on judging by the context of the entries, almost as if she and her friends were in the centre of it. But the way they were written, they were different to the others. It was like she knew bad things were going to happen, as if she could predict them.

'Lupin, did Mum have any special talents?' I asked.

'Other than a talent for trouble?' countered Lupin. I smiled at his joke. 'Your mum was a talented witch. She was certainly very good at pushing me out of her bedroom when she wanted some privacy. Was there anything in particular you were meaning?'

'I'm not sure,' I replied. 'It's just her diary entries and the way they're written.'

Lupin walked over to the table. He picked up the diary and read what was there. He seemed to recognise something in them.

'Tala always knew more than she let on,' he said. 'She was very observant, more so than most. She excelled in Divination during her third year at Hogwarts but chose not to pursue it, finding it boring and unchallenging. Professor Mopsus was very disappointed when she left his classes. Her perceptive skills were second to none though. She always did seem to know things that others didn't.'

Lupin handed back the diary and returned to cooking dinner. I continued to read it, wondering what else my Mum could do and had known.

The full moon had been and gone by the end of the holidays, arriving just before Christmas. With Granddad visiting, he looked after me during Lupin's transformation and then helped me heal Lupin the following morning. He spent the following day in bed as he recovered. While he was resting Granddad told me about how Mum used to keep him company during the full moons by transforming into a horse with her own gift so that he wasn't a danger to her. It had been one of the things that made her and Lupin very close as teenagers. It was something that Lupin missed most about her according to Granddad, her company. This saddened me. I guess the full moons were a very lonely time for Lupin. Later that afternoon I went to check on Lupin. He was tired but feeling better after getting some sleep. Braving it I asked about Mum keeping him company during the full moons, and whether he'd ever let me do the same. I didn't want him to face them alone if he didn't have to.

'It is a thought that has crossed my mind,' said Lupin tiredly. 'But it'd be very irresponsible of me as a parent to allow you to do that at such a young age, especially when you don't know how to use your gift.'

'I could learn,' I said. 'You could teach me, can't you?'

'I can certainly help you learn,' reasoned Lupin. 'But it would have to wait until you're back from school for the summer. As for being with me during the full moon, I have been looking into it. There has been word around the werewolf community that a potion has been created to help us during our transformations and I have been in contact with someone who knows some inside information. As soon as I have more, we can look into it properly.'

I hadn't really thought about my "gift", as Lupin called it, since I accidentally transformed when I first learnt Lupin was a werewolf. Being able to transform into animals wasn't exactly high on my priority list nor did I really consider it to be a useful ability to have. But I shared this gift with my Mum and it was something that she and Lupin had shared together when they were younger; perhaps if I learned to control it, maybe it could be something I could share with him too.

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AN: so changes to this chapter include the fact that Lupin's father, Lyall, is actually still alive according to the information on Pottermore and so I decided Jenna should get the chance to meet him and get to know him too. I hope he'll make more appearances in the future. like the previous one, this chapter has also been split in two and 'A Different Kind of Bravery' will be the next one.