Urania left her bed late that night, she felt revitalized after taking some tea herbs from home. She felt unsure about telling Joao of her encounter with Sirius. Entering the dining hall full of vibrant faces enjoying the ghost's show, she felt lonely for the first time since she arrived at England, it finally had hit her, she was alone in a foreign land on a mission that could end up killing her.
She barely heard Hermione complain about professor Trelawney, their divination teacher.
"Don't you think Urania?"
"Mmm? Oh sorry I was... what were you saying?" She turned to face them.
"Ms Trelawny scared Harry with a "vision" but I told him he doesn't need to worry about it because those are only delusions of her." The skeptical girl sipped the cup of tea in front of her.
"Mmm... I don't think you should worry about vague visions" Hermione's face lit up, finally someone agreed with her.
Urania kept her eyes on her fork while she stabbed the boiled pumpkin in front of her.
Harry examined her face curiously " is there something wrong?"
"Nothing to worry about" she smiled kindly "now tell me about this vision and why is it troublesome for you?"
Harry told her about the black dog he had seen before coming to hogwarts and what Trelawny saw in his cup.
"How did you feel when you saw the dog? I mean the real dog..."
"I was scared... If the bus doesn't arrive on time I was ready to use some spell on it" he paused "there's always something going on around me..."
Urania took his hand in hers " When I was little my parents were killed by a dark wizard too, the royal family took me as their own... my parents didn't give their lives to save me, that man simply chose not to kill me, so I was granted with a powerful protective charm by the royal wizards" she examined his face "I can extend that charm to you, it doesn't make you immortal but it improves your inner magical source."
Harry examined his probabilities in his mind "that would be awesome Rania... if you could do that for me I could not thank you enough"
Rania took a piece of parchment and draw a few symbols and phrases in a foreign language, then she grabbed the boys hand and place the piece of paper on his palm. "Now this will hurt a little" with the tip of her wand she burned the little piece and only the drawings and letters remained burning in bright red.
"This doesn't hurt that... ouch!" Urania kept his hand still, eyes focused on his palm speaking rapidly concealing spells until the letters and scribbles where no longer visible.
Harry took his hand away caressing his palm. Hermione examined Harry's hand and Urania was sure that the girl would probably ask everything about the spell.
"I'm sorry, it will hurt for a few minutes..." she put her wand back into his pocket.
"Can you do that for scabbers too?" Ron took the rat out of his pocket "someone's devil pet has been trying to eat it, he needs protection" the innocent boy caressed the rodent's fur, small bald patches covered its little form, black pupils looked at Urania full of hope.
Urania felt nauseous "I'm sorry, this is a very special spell Ron, I can only use it in extremely special occasions... I know he's important to you and I wish I could help you, but I can't" How she wished to suffocate the life out of its little pathetic life.
*
She left the dining hall early, and when she was about to open her door crookshanks was there with it's scrutinizing eyes. " oh don't tell me..." she ran after him through the empty halls, it didn't take long for her to see the moving stairs leading to the gryffindor tower, all the paintings were chatting loudly and there he was, Sirius yelling at the fat lady, next thing she saw was he stabbing and destroying the painting.
She took her wand out and hexed him, his body flew falling against the wall, with all that noise Filch could arrive at any moment and she couldn't risk it. She took the knife from a perplexed Sirius and placed it on his neck "do as I say... trust me" she whispered and with the wand pressing his back she took him away from the fearful looks on the paintings.
" nasty Sirius caught by a foreign student..."
Peeves stood floating blocking the way.
They kept walking ignoring the laughs and jokes the poltergeist made at their expenses.
Her heart was about to explode on her chest, she felt cold sweat running down her spine and their steps in the empty halls as loud as if they belonged to giants.
"This is by far the most stupid thing someone has ever done, I should have never concealed your aura... the first thing I told you not to do was exactly the first thing you did." She was now pushing his form through the halls elaborating a plan on how to help him escape.
"I had to do it... I can feel dementors breathing on my neck... I can't sleep or breathe knowing I might be back in that horrid place while that rat..." Urania slapped him as hard as she could.
"The students are almost finished with their dinner, let's go to my room" she then took him by his hand.
Once in her room she hid him in her bathroom "stay there and don't even think on trying anything" and started to make a few cuts in her arms when she heard a frantic knock on her door. " one second!" She ran a hand through her hair making it look disheveled before opening it.
As expected Mcgonagall, Snape, Remus and Dumbledore where all standing in front of her.
"Miss Rivadeneira" the witch was the first to speak " we need to discuss a serious matter with you"
"I tried to stop him... he was stabbing the portrait with a knife... I'm sorry I let him escape professor" she started sobbing, tears running down her cheeks.
"Oh Dear, we have to take you immediately to the infirmary..." Minerva approached her but Urania stepped back.
"I'm fine... this are just cuts, I can take care of this myself, but you need to catch him... he must be close!"
"And why did you choose to come to your room before warning any of the professors?" Snape raised an elegant eyebrow his small eyes evaluating her reaction.
"I was close to my room and I was desperate to run from him, that man is mad... are... are you implying that I'm hiding something?"
Snape squinted his eyes
"We are losing valuable time here and this man could be anywhere by now! Stop tormenting the girl Severus!" Remus looked desperate
This time was Dumbledore who spoke " Miss Urania, we're sorry this happened to you, we'll continue with this discussion tomorrow, have a good night rest." With this all disappeared at the end of the hall.
Urania closed her door and locked it, she rested her back to it and let herself fall to the floor, she pinched the bridge of her nose thinking about the consequences her actions may bring.
Sirius stepped out of her bathroom, she raised her head, this time real tears falling from her eyes.
He walked slowly to her and crouched in front of her.
"I'm sorry for involving you in this matter..." he examined her bleeding arms, the stain reached her shirt turning her sleeves crimson red.
"It was me who decided to get involved" she went to her cabinet for healing ointments "I lied to you the first time we met... I'm an auror, I came to search for any sign that the dark lord is back, we in America believe he has returned but there's people hiding him"
She started rubbing the ointments on her self inflicted wounds. "You guys did a terrific job keeping those damned death eaters on your side of the map... a few escaped to my country and caused terrible damage" She applied the balms on her wounds biting her lips to lessen the pain.
"You deserved to know the truth after you told me yours, now... why in Merlin's name did you broke into the castle?"
"I can't wait any longer, Harry is in danger, that rat is a loyal server of Voldemort and he'll help him come back any chance he gets."
Sirius ran a hand through his tangled hair
"You need to take a shower... no offense but you really do."
Sirius chuckled "thirteen years..."
She prepared the bath for him with healing herbs she brought from the Amazon. The steaming water turned green and the smoke from it smell of Wiggenweld.
"I'll be outside, the towels are in the cabinet"
Sirius relaxed in the steaming water, for the first time in ages he was feeling human again, he closed his eyes trying to imagine that nothing of this had happened, he was a free man, and his friends were still alive. But everytime he conceded a quiet moment his mind tormented him with the pressure of time and the memories he had accumulated from Azkaban.
He dipped his head under the water and when he went back to the surface, he felt hands on his scalp.
He turned violently splashing water everywhere.
"I just wanted to help you with your hair" Urania was holding a comb on her left hand.
"I... I don't..."
"Don't be a prude..." he let her run her hands on his scalp washing it with shampoo, she massaged his scalp washing it thoroughly, then ran the comb untangling it from roots to tips.
"I'm sorry for hitting you, that was improper of me"
"I deserve a million slaps..." He turned to face her "my life is a living hell"
Urania felt lost in his gray eyes "I... I'll be outside..."
In a mirror hanging from the wall he looked almost as fresh as he looked when he was taken to Azkaban, except for his skeleticall look.
*
He found her by the chimney boiling something in a small cauldron.
"I have to go now... it's too risky"
"I told you I'll help you, and I'll keep my promise, my position here has become compromised by your actions" she stood in front of him " I think Dumbledore saw through my charade... this will be the first time I fail on a mission, but I won't regret anything once I've proved my point"
"What is it?"
"That Dumbledore hides some dark secret..." she paused "why am I discussing this with you?"
"Dumbledore is the only man we can trust... and Remus of course."
Urania examined his face, thanks to her spell his aura was concealed so she couldn't tell about his emotions.
"He misses you..." she poured the content of the cauldron in two small cups " but he believes you betray the potters and by judging how fast rumors travel in this place Harry must think the same" she offered him one cup.
"That's why I can't lose time..." he pleaded "I need to clear my name"
"Drink it, it will clear your mind, that's a priority right now." She sipped from hers. " how are you planning to leave the castle tonight?"
"I know a passage that leads directly to hogsmeade, its hidden by a statue"
"And how exactly is it that you plan to clear your name?" He kept drinking quietly.
"I'm going to catch the rat and torture him until he spits everything in front of everyone."
"It's Ron's pet... he is your god son's best friend"
"Who told you?" Urania rolled her eyes
"It's not like it's a secret... anyway I think I can help with that, poor bastard is feeling sick lately, Ron is worried so I can convince him to let me heal it."
"That's brilliant... that coward twat must be pissing all around by now." He finished his cup in one gulp.
"Now leave, and don't mess up" she pushed a finger on his chest