In the morning, Sirius had rented a muggle minibus to take everyone to the train station, Remus would drive it back, with Molly, once they were all on their way to school. Sirius was going to go to Hogwarts by train, with them, though he'd have to spend his time patrolling the corridors and play professor for the first time in his life, something that made him very nervous.
He looked very serious in his professor's robes and Harry smiled when he saw Fred and George looking at him, almost expecting Sirius to make some joke or add sparkles to his robes, after all, teachers didn't have a uniform, they could dress in different robes. Sirius promised them to wear something a little more excentrique once in a while and, to show it, whispered something they couldn't hear and red and gold sparkles appeared all over his robe for a few seconds, making them laugh. He promised them that he'd do little things like that once in a while, as long as they all stayed behind the invisible line and behaved, mostly.
"I think they're going to expect him to pop out a joke the whole year." Ron said, speaking of his brothers Fred and George.
"I wouldn't be surprised if they turned into his shadows through the year." Harry whispered to Rose.
"They'll be his personal bodyguards." She nodded.
"Or his slaves." Ron added.
"It could be fun to watch." Ginny smiled.
"They might end up putting the house elves out of work." Ron chuckled, making them all laugh as well.
They said their goodbyes and went on the train.
For once, they had arrived with plenty of time to spare and they were able to take an empty compartment that was well placed. Ginny left to join her friends, and boyfriend, while Ron and Hermione went to the head of the train to get their instructions and promised they'd join them again after having patrolled the train a bit and so Harry and Rose found themselves alone with Fred and George, but it didn't bother them much. Rose was especially happy about this because Fred kept giving her smiles that sent tingles to her stomach.
At some point, Lee Jordan came to greet his friends and was introduced to Rose before he left them to join his own girlfriend. Apparently, Fred had written to his friend about Rose because Lee mentioned that she was "as pretty as Fred described" and that he was eager to get to know her better.
The train ride went just fine.
Rose saw Neville again and got to meet more of her brother's school mates. At some point, a girl came over with Ginny, who introduced her as Luna Lovegood and gave them an issue of the Quibbler, her father's newspaper that Rose loved to read once in a while. Rose found her funny and nice, in a very innocent way and decided to keep an eye out for her and to try her best to be her friend.
Ron and Hermione came back after a while and they even saw Sirius walk past their compartment as he patrolled the train, looking very serious and professional in his professor role. People who didn't know him would think he had always been responsible and serious.
Draco Malfoy and his friends came by to try and get them in trouble, and because Draco was curious about Rose and wanted to meet her, but they hadn't seen Sirius around and got themselves in trouble instead.
Sirius' primary role on the train was for security purposes, in case Voldemort decided to attack, but he seemed happy to scare a few students, while most 6th and 7th year girls fantasized about him already. Though he wasn't alone working on security. The Ministry of magic had send 4 Aurors to travel with them. The Aurors would also be stationed at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.
"I don't need to be an expert in divination to say that all signs point to a great year." Ron declared after Malfoy got told off by Sirius for the second time and sent back to his own seat.
"I'm surprised at how easily Sirius manages to remain serious and professional. I thought it would be a bit harder for him." Rose told her friends.
"Remus really worked hard on this with him." Hermione defended.
"That's true. I can't wait to have a class with him." Harry nodded.
"So do we." George agreed.
"It's going to be awesome." Fred added with an eager nod.
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Once they arrived at the castle, Harry and the others were forced to leave Rose with Professor McGonagall so she could be sorted with the first year students.
"Don't worry Rosie, it's all going to be all right. You're not alone." Harry told her before he left to take his seat.
"We'll save you a seat with us." Fred told her confidently before he, too, entered the Great Hall.
"Please wait here Miss Potter, we'll sort you after the first years." McGonagall told her before she went to call the names of the first years, leaving Rose slightly to the side, where she could hear and see everything.
"Now, this year, we have another student to sort. I'm sure you've all read the articles about Harry Potter's twin sister and the discovery of her survival. She's studied, like you saw in the articles, at Beaubaton for 2 years, then at Durmstrang, where she was one of the best students in her year. We're very lucky to have her with us. She's agreed to come to Hogwarts with her brother to finish her education and so, today, she needs to be sorted. A bed will be added in the girl's 5th year dormitory in the house that will be lucky enough to have her. Miss Rose Potter, if you could please join us." Dumbledore announced.
Nervously, Rose walked to the front and sat down, like the other did, trying to ignore all the looks that were now on her, expectant. The hat had barely touched her head when it screamed:
"GRYFFINDOR!"
She was relieved, no deliberations or negotiations needed for her apparently. She was a true Gryffindor and that made her proud deep down, because so were her parents.
Cheers erupted from her brother's table, her new table, as well as the teacher's large table, where Sirius and Hagrid were smiling brightly at her (she could also see what looked like a hint of a smile on Snape's face but it was barely noticeable) and she took the seat her brother had saved for her next to him. She was now sitting between Harry and Neville, with Fred in front of her, and was happy. She belonged, she was home.
Once Rose had sat down at her new table, Dumbledore introduced Sirius as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and reminded them of a few school rules (the Forbidden Forest being forbidden, objects that weren't allowed…) before letting them enjoy their feast.
"This is so great, Rose, you and I are going to be sharing a dormitory!" Hermione said excitedly after she sat down.
"Yeah, you two can push Lavender and Parvati out of the room and start your own house library there." Ron mocked them, in a tone that made Hermione frown, so Rose came to her new friend's defense.
"Liking school and wanting to be the best isn't anything to be ashamed of, Ronald. You seemed to enjoy my intelligence this summer when I was helping you and Harry catch up in Potions." Rose snapped.
"What, do you sleep with a book, too?" Ron asked Rose, his tone half aggressive, half teasing.
"Leave her alone, Ron." Harry defended his sister.
Rose noticed that Fred had been about to speak too and by the frown on his face, he wasn't about to agree with Ron. As much as she'd love to see fred play the role of her knight in shining armour, she needed to make it clear from the beginning that she could defend herself or ot would set a bad precedent.
"I can defend myself Harry, don't worry. And yes, I do like to read in bed, that's probably why I actually have the best grades in every class I take. It's called being cultivated, and having an education. You should try it sometimes." Rose replied.
"You'll be able to challenge each other and put the rest of us to shame." Harry smiled, trying to ease the tension that was growing between his sister and his best friend.
"Well, in any case, if you find yourself in need of help in any subject, I'll be happy to be the one to tutor you." Fred told Rose in the usual flirtatious tone he always seemed to use for her but that nobody had ever seen on anybody else.
"He'll take it as a personal affront if you ask anyone else for help before him." George added seriously as his twin nodded.
"I'll keep that in mind." Rose replied with a small blush.
.
When they were done eating, Ron gave them the new password, "amorentia", and helped Hermione lead the first year students to the tower and to their dormitory while Harry already had to answer classmate's questions about Quidditch tryouts.
"You guys have a good night, and call me if you need me, alright?" Sirius told them before they left the great hall.
"You can't always be behind us, Sirius. You have to act like we're just any Gryffindor students." Rose replied with a little smile.
"Don't say that! I might need him to tell us a goodnight story before I fall asleep!" George declared, making his friends chuckle.
"How about, if you have top grades in every class by Christmas, I'll tell you a Goodnight Story when classes start again in January? I'll sit by your bed tuck you in and everything." Sirius told the twins.
"I don't think anyone could have ever found a better way to motivate them." Lee Jordan commented, knowing his friends and who Sirius was because of the mail they had exchanged during the summer.
"See you kids tomorrow. Have a good night. And please don't force me to act like a teacher and be good kids, I'd hate to have to be responsible on my first day. James would roll in his grave if I had to take points from our own house so soon." Sirius told them before he took the general direction of his new office, and quarters.
Rose followed her brother to Gryffindor's tower and, on the way, she got to know Lavender and Parvati a little. She knew that they'd never be best friends but they'd at least get along well enough to live together.
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Sirius knew that he couldn't push it back so, once he knew everyone was asleep, or at least out of corridors, he left his private appartement and made his way to Gryffindor tower.
"You?" The fat lady asked, surprised.
"Yes... hum... Dumbledore hired me as Defense against the Dark Arts Professors and I came to apologize to you, for what I did that night, when I tried to force you to open up. I was blinded by rage and anger and I didn't think. I could have written to Dumbledore to tell him the truth, I could have thought of another way, but I went with the worst option and hurt you. I'm sorry." Sirius told her in a quiet voice.
"I was shocked, and angry after it happened, you used to be such a sweet and charming boy... But once I heard the truth, I understood. I would have been angry too in your position. Of course you're forgiven." She smiled at him.
"Thank you. And now that I'm a professor, I have the passwords, so you have nothing to worry about. I also have people on the inside." He winked teasingly at her, relieved that she had accepted his apology.
"As long as you don't use any more knives." She smiled back, having always liked the charming young man he used to be and was again.
"Good night then, I have to go, classes to give in the morning." He said, waving and turning around.
"Now that's something I'd like to see." he heard her whisper as he walked away, wondering if she'd be able to spy in his classroom, if there would be any interesting paintings for her to go in.
What did you think? Should the discussion between Sirius and the Fat Lady have gone differently?
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Lorelei Candice Black