The young Witch pulled the Invisibility Cloak over her head and shoulders, walking several streets over before finding an area where there were no houses. Rebekah shifted into her lioness form, settling in between all three animals for some rest. Her black nose was buried into Emperor's fur when he wouldn't settle down. He jumped from the little huddle and walked into a nearby bush.
Her instincts went on overload. The prickling sensation at the base of her head said she was being watched. Where did Emperor go? It couldn't have been safe here, not at all! She jumped up with Fidele around her neck loosely and she tried to find him. When she did, she had to blink and think to herself, was she dreaming?
Emperor was pouncing onto a large black dog, almost looking like a Grim. Rebekah saw that Emperor and the unknown dog were having fun but Rebekah needed to get to London by morning.
"Emperor, come," Rebekah said. "We need to get to London before Vernon finds us."
"Vernon?" It took a moment for Rebekah to process that the dog had spoken. It had sat down and tilted its head. "Vernon Dursley?"
"What's it to you?" Rebekah growled a little, brandishing her teeth as Fidele slipped off of her and showed her scar when she turned to look at the tree line.
"Rebekah?" The voice was shocked. The dog suddenly turned into a man, Sirius Black. Rebekah snarled and jumped, he dodged as he yelled for her to stop. "Rebekah, I didn't kill your parents! I swear I didn't. They were family! Look, look, no Dark Mark."
He bared both his forearms quickly and more than once. Rebekah turned to her human form and tossed her hair to the side.
"What do you mean you didn't kill them? Who did then? Who told Voldemort where my parents were?!" Rebekah wanted to get closer but she didn't trust him, he could have been lying.
"It was Pettigrew, the rat turned to the Dark side and told him. He was the Secret-Keeper but no one knew besides Lily, James and I. He betrayed their trust, not me,"
Rebekah could quite quickly deduce that he was telling the truth. Emperor wasn't attacking him and Fidele hadn't hissed that he could smell the lies. Rebekah sighed and rubbed a hand down her face, scratching the scar a little.
"I can't have a normal year, can I?" She said to Emperor. "First Quirrel, then Ginny Weasley, and now Sirius Black."
"Weasley? Like the family who got the trip to Egypt?"
"Maybe," Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "What's it to you?"
"You look like Lily when you do that," He chuckled deeply, as a car passed several metres behind them, Rebekah could finally see how malnourished he looked. "That family, one of the boys, has a rat in the picture in the newspaper. That's Pettigrew in his Animagus form, lost a finger trying to fake his death."
"Scabbers,"
"What?"
"One of my friends, Ron Weasley, has a rat named Scabbers. He's missing a finger," Rebekah wanted to scream. "For the last two years, he has been under my nose and I didn't know? I couldn't have known though. Argh, I don't care. I'm just gonna go through this year without almost killing someone."
Sirius snorted, crossing his arms loosely around his thin frame. "How long have you been an Animagus?"
"Since the start of June," Rebekah said and lifted Fidele as he slithered back to her feet and tried to climb her leg. "That reminds me, I need to get to London. Argh!"
"Just get the Knight Bus, Cub."
"And how do I do that?"
"Stick your wand into the road and it will appear," He shuffled his feet. "I need to go before I'm caught."
"You're gonna try and kill Pettigrew, aren't you?" He nodded and shifted into his dog form, running off quickly. "See ya, Padfoot."
The Knight Bus was a triple-decker in the colour of violent purple that made Rebekah want to wince. The conductor wore his uniform in the same shade and said, "Welcome to the Knight Bus, emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. Just stick out your wand hand, step on board, and we can take you anywhere you want to go. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conductor this evening. What's your name?"
"Lilianeth," Rebekah said. She wouldn't give out her name because she didn't know if the Ministry was looking for her.
"Last name?" He glanced wearily at her.
"Evans," Rebekah stepped on. "How much to London?"
"Eleven Sickles," Stan said, "For thirteen you get 'ot chocolate, and for fifteen you get an 'ot water bottle an' a toothbrush in the colour of your choice."
"Hot chocolate, keep the change," Rebekah said as she handed him a Galleon and he showed her to a bed. There were no seats, only large beds and some of them were occupied but not many.
"You 'ave this one," Stan whispered after shushing a passenger at the back. He patted the bed right behind the driver, an elderly wizard with thick glasses. "This is our driver, Ernie Prang. This is Lilianeth Evans, Ern." Stan then sat in the armchair next to Ernie's "Take 'er away, Ern."
For the next hour or so, the Knight Bus went from this corner of England to that side of Ireland to a little town in Scotland until they reached near London. Rebekah laid back on the bed, her hands behind her head as she began to think. She had finished the hot chocolate already.
Just how much trouble would she get in? It wasn't enough to send her to Azkaban, surely? Last year, Hagrid had gone for only two months and he did not want to relive it. Was it as bad as it seemed?
Would she have a home when she returned from Hogwarts? She knew Uncle Vernon would be extremely angry with her when she returned but the look on Aunt Petunia's face. That woman just knew Rebekah would have reacted that way, and had accepted that. She wouldn't be angry, she didn't like Marge all that much anyway.
"Where in London," Stan asked suddenly and brought her out of her thoughts.
"Diagon Alley, please," Rebekah said and sat up, Emperor had shifted to be no bigger than her hand and Fidele hid within her top
It took a few minutes but the bus halted before the Leaky Caldron. Rebekah had no clue what she was going to do now. She walked off.
"There you are, Rebekah," A familiar voice said. She felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned and looked into the eyes of Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic himself.
"Evening, Minister," She said. "Is this about my Aunt Marge?"
"Kind of, come on, we need to have a small chat," He increased the pressure on her shoulder but Rebekah shrugged it off as it loosened when Fidele peaked his head out of her top. She smiled and gently stroked his head as Fudge led the way into the pub.
A stooping figure bearing a lantern appeared through the door behind the bar. It was Tom, the toothless landlord. "You've got her then, Minister!" Tom the toothless landlord of the Leaky Caldron said. "Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?"
"Perhaps a pot of tea," Fudge suggested.
"And one for me too, please," Rebekah said.
"And a private parlour, if you please,"
They marched after Tom's lantern and walked down a narrow passage and into a room. The once dark room was lit with fire as Tom clicked his fingers and then he left with a small bow.
"Sit down," Fudge took a seat by the fire, gesturing to the one opposite to his. He took his cloak off and placed it to the side. "I presume you know who I am?"
"Yes," Rebekah kept up with the important people in the Wizarding world, from models and athletes to Healers and Judges. "You're Minister Cornelius Fudge. The Minister of Magic."
"Well, Rebekah," Fudge said after Tom came in with the tea. "You've had us all in a right flap, I don't mind telling you. Running away from your aunt and uncle's house like that! I'd started to think, but you're safe, and that's what matters." He ate a crumpet and then shoved a plate to her. "Eat, you look dead on your feet. Now then… You will be pleased to hear that we have dealt with the unfortunate blowing-up of Miss Marjorie Dursley. Two members of the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad were dispatched to Privet Drive a few hours ago. Miss Dursley has been punctured and her memory has been modified. She has no recollection of the incident at all. So that's that, and no harm done."
Rebekah remained silent as she sipped her tea, quickly finishing it and pouring herself and the Minister another cup. "Well, I wouldn't call it unfortunate. She was insulting my parents, and you know how us Slytherins react to slander. Aunt Petunia looked quite pleased actually, we both didn't like the woman."
"Really?" He said, almost surprised. "I suppose you'll need a place to stay."
Tom got her room Eleven and showed her in, placing a key in her hand and wished her a good night as he yawned. With the rush of adrenaline she had, Rebekah couldn't fall asleep and so decided to curl up with The Monster Book of Monsters and a cup of tea.
By the time six o'clock came, Rebekah had showered, brushed her hair and teeth, and dressed in her runed robes with a white button-down top tucked into slacks. It looked much like her school uniform but it didn't have the tie and the robe was much fancier and well made.
"Good morning, Tom," Rebekah greeted the landlord.
"Good morning, Miss Potter," He smiled sleepily. It was still early for everyone. "What will you have?"
"Just simple toast, strawberry jam and English tea, please,"
"Are you going out?" He placed the plate and teacup in front of her.
"Yes," Rebekah said, stirring the sugar in.
"Stay within Diagon Alley," He said. "We don't need Black getting to you."
"Oh," She said, sucking her teeth for a second. "I'll stay within Diagon Alley and I'll be back before dark. The Minister said that was what I should do and I'll take his advice."
"Good."
Rebekah rolled her eyes when he left, beginning to eat the toast as Fidele settled himself on her shoulders and acted like a necklace around her neck. Rebekah wasn't going to stay within Diagon Alley, she had a desire to explore Knockturn Alley since last summer.
"Ah, Mr Allor," Rebekah grinned and bowed a leg before the Goblin. "Merry meet and greetings to you."
"Many do not study the traditions enough to know that," He said and bowed his head. "Greetings to you. What may I assist with, Miss Potter?"
"Within the last year, I have realised that I am a descendent of Salazar Slytherin, by blood and conquest," Rebekah said as Allor raised a low eyebrow. "Tom Riddle, the last heir, is dead and that leaves me as the nearest descendent."
"And you wish to claim the title of Slytherin?"
"No, not until I am mature," Rebekah kept a pleasantly neutral expression on her face. "I wish to claim the title of Heir for the time being, I don't want anyone else claiming it."
Mr Allor had her do an identification exam again and it confirmed that she was the closest living heir that met the conditions. One had to be a Parselmouth to inherit Salazar Slytherin's fortune and class. Her ring didn't change, instead, she got an emerald brooch that had a silver lining in the shape of two snakes. It could be clipped onto the top of a tie if she was at school, or used as a necklace.
Two snakes, very creative…
Rebekah explored more of Diagon Alley before she pulled her hood up and wandered into Knockturn Alley. She purchased hard to come by ingredients from Mr Mulpepper's Apothecary, several Dark books from Cobb & Webb's after she summoned the courage to go past the spider webs on the door, and a pair of thick lock pads from Trackleshanks Locksmith. She could place this on any trunk and no one would be able to get into them without the key.
Carkitt Market had a few shops but Rebekah wasn't very interested in any of them. Of course, she went into the local apothecary shop and got an ingredient or two. Rebekah began to realise that her endless pouch was too worn by use and so decided to buy a newer, more expensive and better quality one that was designed as a black clutch with a silver latch.
Rebekah told herself that she would not buy the new Firebolt. Her broom was good and she trusted it. Why replace something when it worked well still?