Chapter 12 The Azkaban Guards

"I need to talk to you in private." Harry muttered quietly to our friends.

"Go away, Ginny." Ron said to his sister.

"Oh, that's nice." Ginny huffed and stalked off.

"Sorry!" I whispered after her.

She waved over her shoulder.

Harry lead me down the corridor, we attempted looking for an empty compartment but all were full except for one at the very end of the train. It only had one occupant, and I was really happy to see him. Remus was fast asleep and he had a blanket over him that was slipping.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed as I walked over to Remus and pulled the blanket up farther on him.

"Professor R. J. Lupin." Hermione whispered at once.

"How d'you know that?"

"It's on his case," Hermione pointed at the luggage rack.

There was a small, battered looking case being held together by neatly tied string.

"Wonder what he teaches?" Ron frowned at Remus' profile.

"Either Defense, or Potions. Snape really wants that Defense position." I answered, sitting next to the sleeping man.

"Well I hope he's up to it," Ron said in doubt. "He looks like one good hex will finish him off."

I couldn't help but agree with him.

"Anyway, what were you going to tell us?" Ron turned to us.

Harry explained the situation about the argument Ron's parents had, and the warning Mr. Weasley gave us that morning. I let Ariel out of her carrier and Crookshanks was let out of his by Hermione. Ron was thunderstruck at the end, and Hermione had her hand over her mouth.

"Sirius Black escaped to come after you guys?" Hermione asked, looking between the two of us. "Oh Harry... you'll have to be really, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble-"

"Me? What about Cassie?" Harry gestured to me.

"Between the two of us, trouble finds us when we're together. You're just a bigger magnet." I winked at him.

He gave me a sassy look but grinned at my comment. Though Ron and Hermione weren't laughing about it. They looked more frightened about the Black situation than Harry and I both were.

"How thick would Harry and Cassie have to be, to go after a nutter that may want to kill both of them? No one knows what he wants with Cassie, now that we know he did get her letter."

That made me pause. Sirius knows I'm at Hogwarts. The only way he would know about that was if he had gotten my letter.

"No one knows how he got out of Azkaban." Ron said uncomfortably. "No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" Hermione asked earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles out looking for him too…"

I leaned backwards as Ariel curled between me and Remus. Crookshanks sat on the little table that was pulled out at the window. He would flick his ears back towards Ariel if she moved, but they ignored each other for the most part.

"What's that noise?" Ron asked suddenly.

A faint, little whistle was sounding through the compartment.

"It's coming from your trunk, Harry." I pointed above Harry's head.

Ron stood up and reached into Harry's truck. He pulled out a strange top that was spinning in the palm of his hand.

"Is that a Sneakoscope?" Hermione asked, standing to look at it closer.

"Yeah… mind you, it's a very cheap one." Ron sighed. "It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errol's leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" Hermione asked suspiciously.

"No! Well… I wasn't supposed to be using Errol. You know he's not really up to long journey's...but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

"Stick it back in the trunk," Harry pointed at the Sneakoscope.

Remus was starting to stir from the noise.

"It'll wake him up." I said, leaning a little away from him.

Ron shoved the top into a rather ugly looking pair of socks and shut the trunk on it, muffling the sound.

"We could get it checked in Hogsmeade." Ron said as he sat back down.

Harry and I shared a look. He hadn't gotten his slip signed, and I completely forgot to send mine to Charlotte.

"They sell that sort of thing at Dervish and Banges, magical instruments and stuff. Fred and George told me." Ron continued.

"Do you know much about Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked. "I've read it's the only entirely non-Muggle settlement in Britain-"

Harry gave a small sigh as he stared at me. I gave a small smile and shrugged at him.

"Yeah, I think it is," Ron shrugged. "But that's not why I want to go. I just want to go into Honeydukes!"

"What's that?" Hermione asked.

I was glad that Hermione and Ron had something to talk about together, they usually were arguing over anything.

"It's this sweetshop," Ron's face had a dreamy look to it. "Where they've got everything… Pepper Imps - they make you smoke at the mouth - and great fat Chocoballs full of strawberry mousse and clotted cream, and really excellent sugar quills, which you can suck in class and just look like you're thinking what to write next -"

"But Hogsmeade is a very interesting place, isn't it?" Hermione tried to talk over Ron and get him to talk about what she was interested in. "In Sites of Historical Sorcery it says the inn was the headquarters for the 1612 goblin rebellion, and the Shrieking Shack is supposed to be the most severely haunted building in Britain-"

"-and massive sherbert balls that make you levitate a few inches off the ground while you're sucking them." Ron did not hear a single thing Hermione said.

Hermione looked at Harry.

"Won't it be nice to get out of the school for a bit and explore Hogsmeade?" She asked.

" 'Spect it will," Harry shrugged. "You'll have to tell us when you've found out."

"What d'you mean?" Ron asked.

"I can't go. The Dursley's didn't sign my permission form, and Fudge wouldn't either." Harry answered.

"I forgot to send my slip to Charlotte." I shrugged with a smirk.

"You're not allowed to come? But - no way - McGonagall or someone will give you permission -" Ron couldn't comprehend what was said to him.

Harry gave a hollow laugh.

"-or we can ask Fred and George, they know every passage out of the castle -"

"Ron!" Hermione's voice sharp. "I don't think Harry, or Cassie, should be sneaking out of school with Black on the loose-"

"Yeah, I expect that's what McGonagall will say when I ask permission." Harry said bitterly.

"I'm trying to avoid all speculation that I'm in contact with Black, so I think I'll play it safe and stay at Hogwarts honestly." I shrugged.

Ron gaped at me.

"But if we're with them, Black wouldn't dare -"

"Oh, Ron, don't talk rubbish." Hermione snapped. "Black's already murdered a whole bunch of people in the middle of a crowded street. Do you really think he's going to worry about attacking Harry and Cassie just because we're there?"

I pointed at Hermione and gave Harry an agreeing look.

We were only thirteen years old. And Black had a lot of time to sit in a prison cell and think of plenty of ways to kill anyone who gets in his way.

I didn't see Crookshanks jump on Ron's lap, but I watched in time to see the lump in Ron's pocket shake and Ron shoved Crookshanks off of him.

"Get out of here!"

"Ron, don't!" Hermione was angry.

Ron opened his mouth to retort. But Remus stirred. We all froze and watched as he turned the other way. His mouth opened a little bit and started to snore a little.

"Maybe we should make an effort to be more quiet?" I suggested.

"Yeah, okay." Ron nodded.

We kept quiet the rest of the trip. Crookshanks was now sitting in the empty seat between me and Hermione, but he was focused on Ron's pocket. I pet Ariel, who was quietly purring. Hermione was reading one of her books and I was reading over her shoulder. I leaned my head against her shoulder and dozed off a couple of times.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" The witch who pushed the trolley on the train showed up.

"D'you think we should wake him up?" Ron asked, nodding towards Lupin. "He looks like he could use some food."

"No, let him rest. Get him some chocolate, he'll have it when he wakes up." I said absentmindedly.

"How do you know that?" Ron asked, raising his eyebrows suspiciously.

"This is Remus Lupin, the guy who my mum wrote about in her letters, we've talked through summer." I answered.

"Really?" Hermione looked between the two of us.

"Yeah. He's got a thing for chocolate." I nodded as Harry handed me a pumpkin pastie.

"What's he like?" Hermione asked.

"He's really nice. I don't know what kind of a professor he's going to be though." I said.

They didn't get a chance to keep asking questions.

Draco and his goonies, Crabbe and Goyle found us in our compartment.

"Well look who it is," Draco sneered. "Potty and the Weasel."

He turned his gaze to me, and something flashed in his eyes.

"Hello, cousin." He said cousin with malice.

"Oh no." I stood up.

"You are not going to come in here and attempt to insult us. We've got the new professor in here and he may be sleeping now, but I'm sure he would just love to take points from Slytherin before the start of term if you wake him up." I gestured to Remus who gave a snort and turned his head.

Draco sneered before muttering, "lets go."

He and his friends left.

"Cousins?" Hermione asked.

"That was quick thinking." Harry complimented.

"Thank you, and he must know about my connection to Black. There's probably some connection between our families if he's calling me cousin." I sighed as I sat down.

"I'm not taking any crap Malfoy this year." Ron was grumbling to himself.

I shook my head at him.

"I'm being serious. If he makes one crack at my family I'm going to take his head and -" He made a violent gestured with his hands.

"Ron, be careful." Hermione pointed at Remus who was still sleeping.

Rain was falling and the windows showed that it was already dark. My stomach was growling even though we had eaten just moments before.

"We must be nearly there." Ron said when he heard my stomach.

Just as he said the words, the train started to slow down.

"Great! I'm starving, I want to get to the feast." Ron had stood up and was trying to get into his trunk.

"We can't be there yet." Hermione looked down at her watch.

"Then why are we stopping?" I asked, my stomach grew a pit.

Harry stood up and poked his head out of the compartment. The train stopped with a jolt and the sound of crashing along the train told me the luggage had fallen out of the racks. I turned and saw Remus had opened his eyes but he wasn't moving.

I gave him a friendly smile. His eyes twinkled when he saw me but he didn't say anything to let the others know he was awake, so I didn't say anything either.

The lights went out. Everything was in complete darkness.

"What's going on?" Ron asked.

I pushed Ariel off the seat and nudged her underneath it. She growled in protest but she moved.

"Ouch! Ron, that was my foot!" Hermione gasped.

"Come on guys, sit back down. That way we won't lose each other, and we can make room for company." I said, scooting next to Remus.

"What company?" Hermione asked.

"There's something moving out there. I think people are coming aboard." Ron said.

He must have been looking out the window.

The door opened suddenly and there was a thud.

"Sorry - d'you know what's going on? - Ouch - Sorry."

"Hullo Neville." Harry greeted the voice.

"Harry? Is that you? What's happening?" Neville asked.

"One more." I said.

"No idea - Sit down -"

I couldn't see anything, but the feeling of dread grew bigger in my stomach.

"I'm going to go and ask the driver what's going on." Hermione left my side.

Remus moved slightly and leaned against me, "what do you feel?" He whispered.

"Dread." I whispered back.

The door to the compartment slid open and there were two loud squeals of pain.

"And now we're full." I said.

"Who's that?" Hermione asked.

"Who's that?"

"Ginny?"

"Hermione?"

"What are you doing?"

"I was looking for Ron-"

"Come in and sit down -"

"Not here!" Harry spoke up. "I'm here!"

"Ouch!" Neville got stepped on.

"Oh no." My head started to hurt.

"Quiet!" Remus finally spoke up.

He shuffled around next to me. Then there was a cackling sound and he was holding fire in his hand.

"Stay where you are." He stood up and gave each of us a look.

I grabbed the back of my head, where it was hurting the most for some reason. He gave me a quizzical look but I waved him on. I didn't see the door open, or what came through the door. Remus was in the way. But I felt cold, and sad.

"Ugh!" I grabbed my head.

' "I'm going to kill you!" '

I couldn't focus on anything else. Gertrude's voice echoed in my head.

"Cassie!" I felt my hair being moved and something warm pressed against the pain of my head.

I gave a groan.

"You're going to be okay. Take your time. Is Harry alright?" Remus' voice asked.

"Harry! Harry! Are you alright?"

I opened my eyes a little bit to see Harry on the floor. Ginny was in the corner of the seats and she was shaking like a leaf.

"Ginny." I muttered to her.

She quickly scooted over and wrapped her arms around me.

"Me too." I muttered to her as she sobbed quietly.

She was remembering last year. Like how I was remembering my eleventh birthday.

"What's wrong with Cassie?" Harry's voice asked.

"My head just hurts." I said through squinting eyes.

The lights had been turned back on and the train was moving. There was a loud snapping noise and I flinched. Looking through my eyes, Remus was breaking a large slab of chocolate.

"Here." Remus passed out the chocolate.

"Eat this, it'll help."

"What was that thing?" Harry asked.

"A dementor. One of the dementors of Azkaban." Remus answered.

I took a bite of the chocolate and warmth spread from my ears to my toes. Surprisingly, the pain in my head weakened a bit.

"Eat. It'll help. I need to speak to the driver, excuse me…" Remus said and walked out of the compartment.

"Are you sure you're okay, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Ginny had stopped shaking but was occasionally shivering.

"I don't get it… What happened?" Harry asked, getting off the ground and sitting in his seat.

"Well - that thing - the dementor- stood there and looked around (I mean, I think it did, I couldn't see its face) - and you - you -" Hermione struggled to explain.

"I thought you were having a fit or something. You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching -" Ron added.

"Cassie was making funny noises but she didn't faint." Neville pointed at me.

"And Professor Lupin stepped over you, and walked toward the dementor, and pulled out his wand, and he said, 'None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go.' But the dementor didn't move, so Lupin muttered something and a silvery thing shot out of his wand at it, and it turned around and sort of glided away…" Hermione finished explaining.

"It was horrible." Neville's voice was higher than usual. "Did you feel how cold it got when it came in?"

"I felt weird," Ron shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. "Like I'd never be cheerful again…"

Ginny gave another small sob.

"Take a bite, it'll help." I said, blinking away the dull pain that was lingering in my head.

She shakily took a bite of her own chocolate.

"But didn't any of you - fall off your seats?" Harry asked.

"Cassie almost did." Hermione answered.

I nodded slowly, rubbing my head.

"What's wrong with you?" Ron asked me.

"It's complicated. I just want to get food in my stomach and I'll tell you later." I answered.

"No, Cassie." Harry shook his head.

I looked at him and sighed.

"When I was eleven I was attacked, that's how I got this scar. Dumbledore put a lock on my memories because something happened. I don't remember what, but I guess that dementor tried to unlock what's in my head. And it freaking hurts." I blinked into the light.

"Wow." Neville whispered.

"Dumbledore locked your memories?" Remus asked.

I opened my eyes and saw Remus standing the doorway.

"He did the first lock. My first year, I was hearing a voice in my head and Snape put a stronger lock on my memories." I don't know why I was telling them these things.

"We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes." Remus said after a few moments of awkward silence. "Are you all right, Harry?"

The boys left the compartment and the girls got changed. Ginny had managed to pull herself together and helped me out of the compartment. The boys changed and when we arrived at Hogwarts, Harry took me from Ginny and he helped carry me out.

"Cassie?" George called from behind.

"George, help her will you? She is having a hard time recovering from that dementor." Harry said.

"Hello George." I grinned.

"Oh honey." He actually looked pained seeing me.

"Throw me over your shoulder." I tapped his shoulder.

"But won't the motion-?" Fred started.

"Please. Maybe the blood flow will help." I sighed.

George and Fred looked and shrugged at each other.

"Up you go honey." George knelt down.

I may have grown a couple of inches, but George was still a giant compared to me. I flopped over his shoulder and he placed his warm hand on my lower back. The blood flow throbbed in my head but once I got used to it, it was a relief.

I opened my eyes and I started to blush. I didn't realize where my eyes were looking at. I turned my head to look at Fred. He felt my eyes and I grinned at him. He gave me a confused look. I lifted my hand and spanked George's butt. But I didn't just tap it. I kept my hand on it and gave it a squeeze.

His butt was firm with just the right amount of squish. My face was hot and I don't know if it was because of my blood already being down or from what I did. But George did stumble and Fred was cracking up.

"Easy there with your hand toots." George said before giving my own butt a spank and a quick squeeze.

I giggled as he put me in a carriage to be taken to the castle.

Oh boy! Cassie's memory is trying to break through. And don't worry, we'll figure out what happened to her exactly. As for an update about Boyfriend, you need to know about how Workman's Compensation is making him go through all the hurdles.

He needs a doctor to write the people in charge of his case that he needs a surgery. And we live in Small Hick Town, so the closest doctor who "Should" be able to do it is in Small Town. (Please note, it's not a hick town, they have a Wal-Mart, we don't have any traffic lights! That's how small our town is!) So Small Hick Town doesn't have the Big Things, like a hospital, or a movie theater.

Okay, anyways. So Small Town "Should" be able to say to Workman's Comp, 'Hey! He needs a surgery!'

WRONG!

Apparently Small Town, doesn't have "Real Doctors" (they travel from The Big City in our State, and from The Other Big City in the neighboring State. So they're mostly there to do consultations and whatnot.) So Boyfriend and I had to go to The Big City and hear from "The" doctor if he needs a surgery or not.

We're in luck! He's going to get straight into it and "The" doctor approved him for surgery. However, we gotta wait for Workman's Comp to file the paper. So Boyfriend and I are looking at getting a set date in a month or so. I'm very irritated about all this.

Shout out to katie owl and Pamela Hutchins for leaving a review!

katie owl: Thank you so much! As for everyone finding out about who her dad is. We'll get there.

Pamela Hutchins: You're welcome! You're still an absolute doll!