The Beginning
While they waited for Dumbledore to speak with the school in the evening, Cassius and Siria planned their summer. With the exception of the occasional visit from Madam Pomfrey, they were alone until after lunch. Hermione snuck into the hospital wing with Colin, his camera, and Cedric. The three shifted the curtains around Professor Moody's bed to hide them. Cedric handed Cassius a change of clothes.
"If you're up for it, how about an interview for the paper?" Hermione asked as quietly as she could. "We'll send it first day of summer, so we can't get the school in trouble. Besides, they'll read who knows what in the Daily Prophet," she pulled a crumpled ball from her pocket, which was a Daily Prophet article. Though, calling it an article was generous.
Hogwarts Wins the Triwizard Tournament
Cassius Warrington and Siria Potter shared victory last night, in the third task of the Triwizard Tournament. The two, who entered tied, left tied and shared victory. Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, issued their winnings late last night. Congratulations to the two Hogwarts winners.
Siria crumpled the article and looked to Cassius. "You don't have to, but—" Siria began
"No, I'm in," said Cassius. She nodded. Hermione took Siria's account while Cedric took Cassius's. Then Cassius changed into the clothes Cedric had brought him. Colin finished off his roll of film before he was content.
"Ron wanted to be here, but we'll both be back tonight, with Alice," Hermione told them. "We're not going to be left out to focus on our 'schooling'."
"Hermione We-Could-Be-Killed-Or-Worse-Expelled Granger says what now?" Siria asked. Hermione raised her head.
"I was eleven and friendless," Hermione said.
"We've got to get these edited and to print by dinner," Cedric reminded her. "See you soon," he told Cassius and Siria then he, Colin, and Hermione left.
"We're in so much trouble," Siria said.
"Regretting it already?" Cassius asked. Siria scoffed.
"Not— one— bit," she assured him and flopped onto her bed. "I just figured someone ought to point out the obvious."
"Yeah," Cassius sat down. "I just wish we could tell the Muggleborn parents too."
"We do," Siria said. "Sirius posts it online— er, a non-magic…" Siria groaned and pressed her hands into her cheeks while she searched for how to explain. "It's like… like a non-magic fireplace head? I'll show you over summer."
Dumbledore had requested the school not approach Cassius or Siria until they were ready (B4, 717). He urged them not to discuss the details of the night, which the school had seen on mirrors. Over their final week of classes, Siria couldn't help but notice Draco Malfoy strutting around the school with the same swagger of two years ago, when his father forced Dumbledore out.
On Thursday, when they would have had their final Defense Against the Dark Arts class, they visited Hagrid at his cabin. He was more than happy to see them, though he couldn't disclose what he and Madam Maxime would be doing over summer. Hagrid assured Siria that, though she may not be okay now, she would be. [B4, 718-719]
"Breathe," Siria reminded herself. "Just breathe." Her closed eyes focused on the light that pushed through her eyelids. "It's only the Leaving Feast," she inhaled slowly and deeply. Ever since the left the hospital wing, Siria ate first thing in the morning and at the very end of dinner. She would sneak into the kitchens for lunch or Hermione or Ron would bring her something.
As per Dumbledore's instructions, the school had left Cassius and Siria alone. They had heeded the instructions too well and parted whenever Cassius or Siria were near. Siria saw the usual storm of faces in the Great Hall and her lungs froze. They constricted on her. She gasped.
"It's okay!" Hermione called and patted Siria's back. "You're okay. It's okay. I'm right here," she rubbed Siria's back. "You're in our dorm, in Gryffindor Tower, in Hogwarts. You're safe." Siria nodded and tugged on Hermione's arm.
"They stare at me even more," Siria said with her head pressed into Hermione's shoulder. "It's like Wormtail left another scar."
"No," Hermione ran her hand through Siria's hair. "If anything, they're— they're intimidated by your bravery," Hermione nodded. "Siria, you dueled You-Know-Who, in front of Death Eaters, in a graveyard. You cast Fiendfyre and controlled it. There full grown adults who couldn't do either, let along both. Everyone's just… they'll come around."
Their dorm door cracked open and Parvati's head poked in. "Hey," she soothed and sat beside Hermione and Siria. "When you're ready, we're ready to take you," Parvati rubbed Siria's shoulder. Siria stifled a sob, but nodded. Hermione and Parvati helped Siria. "Almost the whole tower's in the common room. You aren't alone," Parvati patted Siria's back. "Just wait until the paper comes out— you're going to be drown in letters of affection."
"Or Ministry hate mail," Siria muttered, but Parvati had been right. The common room was filled with Gryffindors, waiting for Siria.
"We've got you," Fred cupped his hand to his mouth.
"Come on, Potter-Black," George winked. Siria's chin fell to her chest. She wanted to say "thank you," but the words got lost on their way.
"Whatever," came out instead, but Hermione nuzzled Siria's shoulder. Parvati walked Siria to Ron, who took Siria's arm in Parvati's place. The trio headed to the Great Hall, in the middle of a sea of Gryffindors.
Normally, the Leaving Feast was decorated with the colors of the winning cup. Tonight it was decorated with its usual banner for each Hogwarts House, but two additional banners, one for Beauxbatons and another for Durmstrang. Though Karkaroff had not been seen, the Durmstrang students sat with the Hufflepuffs. Madame Maxime had her seat at the professors' table and the Beauxbatons sat with the Ravenclaws, as they had.
Further down the table, beside Professor McGonagall, Siria noted Snape. He watched her for a moment with a stare she didn't recognize on his face. It wasn't the usual loathing, but, with how deep the bags beneath his dark eyes were, she supposed he was too tired to hate her today.
For a Leaving Feast, things were subdued. The small hum of light chatter died at the end of the feast, when Dumbledore rose for his parting speech. "The end of another year. There is much I would like to say to you all tonight," Dumbledore confessed, "I suppose I must start with the news that Lord Voldemort has returned." [B4, 721-722]
He stood before them, quiet as the night, as a pankied whisper rushed over the Great Hall. There were glances to Cassius, at the Slytherin table, and Siria, at the Gryffindor, as if they would say Dumbledore was only joking. Beneath the table, Siria held Hermione's and Ron's hands. Cassius nodded to her from across the hall.
"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this", Dumbledore continued once the silence returned. "It's possible some of your parents will agree with them, either because they do no believe Lord Voldemort has returned or because they believe you too young to know. It is my belief that the truth is generally preferable to lies," he explained. [B4, 722]
"As you saw on the enchanted mirror, Cassius Warrington and Siria Potter-Black managed to escape Lord Voldemort," at the mentions of their names, heads turned like fans from Cassius, at the Slytherin table beside the door, to Siria at the Gryffindor table on the opposite side of the Great Hall. "They risked their lives for the other that night and showed the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort. For this, I ask you to honor them with me," and he raised his goblet. [B4, 723]
First, he raised his goblet to Cassius. "To Cassius," he said as most of the hall echoed his motion and words. Then "To Siria," where nearly the same number echoed her name. She tried to sit up and proud, but Siria's shoulders flinched up when so many eyes were on her. Through the crowd she caught the cold silver eyes of Draco Malfoy. He whispered to Crabbe and Goyle who, like him, had not raised their goblets. [B4, 723]
"Wonder if he'll still want you honored after the paper comes out," Ron said through the side of his mouth as he put his goblet down. Siria wondered the same. They watched Dumbledore turn from the students to Madame Maxime and Hagrid then to Fleur Delacour and her fellow Beauxbatons students at the Ravenclaw table. His eyes fell on Viktor Krum and the other Durmstrang students. Krum stiffened, as if he expected Dumbledore to be unkind to them. Cedric Diggory patted Krum's shoulder and Krum nodded in silent reply.
"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understand. In light of Lord Voldemort's return, such ties are more important than ever before," Dumbledore explained. "Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. In light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. We can only combat Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading enmity with trust, his discord with friendship. [B4, 723]
"It is my belief that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you have already suffered at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, two students were almost taken from our midst," Dumbledore reminded them. Siria's throat constricted as heads turned to her or Cassius. [B4, 723-724]
"If the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember Cassius and Siria. Remember the two students who took the path of what was right and difficult, and returned." [B4, 724]
Hedwig slept in her cage on top of Siria's trunk, while they wanted in the entrance hall for the carriages to take them to Hogsmeade station. Ron and Siria sat, back to back, on her trunk while Hermione talked with the Hogwarts Herald members. Ernie MacMillan asked if he could write to Hermione over summer, and Ron elbowed Siria.
"Popular now, is she?" Ron asked. Siria sighed.
"If you want Ernie to write you, just ask," she said. Ron tsked and looked back to Hermione and Ernie.
"Do you suppose she fancies him? Probably not, with Krum around…" Ron said. Siria sighed again. She closed her eyes and focused the warm summer sun on her skin. Privet Drive would probably be in full color and she already couldn't wait to leave it.
"Write you over summer?" Lily Moon asked. Ron elbowed Siria, who sat up and opened her eyes.
"Sorry, Moon, what?" Siria asked.
"Oh," Lily Moon's face mirrored Ron's hair. "Could I— could I write— write you over— over summer?" she stammered.
"Of course," Siria smiled, "letter are the highlight of my summer." Lily Moon smiled in reply and nodded. She ran off to tug on Susan Bones's arm.
"You're popular too," Ron noted. He slumped against Siria with his head down.
"If you want more friends, I could give you a cool scar," Siria flicked Sirius's knife open.
"What are you doing?" Ron hissed and threw Siria into a hug to hide the knife.
"What are YOU doing?" Siria asked as she shoved him off. She closed the knife and dropped it back into her pocket.
"You could have cut your hand off," said Ron. Siria's jaw dropped, then clicked closed.
"I don't know what sort of knife Wormtail used to saw through bone, but my knife isn't that good," Siria said.
"Zerria!" Fleur Delacour sand and hurried over the stone steps. Siria hurried down them and met her in the middle. She saw, in the distance, Hagrid and Madame Maxime putting the harnesses on the giant horses of the Beauxbatons carriage. "We will see each uzzer soon, I 'hope," Fleur extended her hand. Siria shook it and nodded. "I 'hope to get a job 'ere, to improve my Eenglish."
"It's very good already," Ron assured her from the top of the stairs. Siria fought to urge to look her shoulder.
"Not that my English is great, but I'd be more than willing to write you, if you'd like the practice," Siria told Fleur.
"Zat would be lovely. It 'az been a pleasure and I look forward to your lettaz," Fleur said and left.[B4, 724-725]
"How do you suppose they're getting back?" Ron asked as Siria climbed back up the stairs. "You know, with Karkaroff gone?"
"Karkaroff did not steer," the gruff voice of Viktor Krum told them. He looked up at Hermione and the group of Herald students parted for him. "Could I have a vord?" Krum asked her. Hermione tucked a lock of bushy brown hair behind her ear, only for it to bring back.
"Of course," Hermione said and she walked with him, down the stairs. [B4, 725]
"The carriages'll be here any minute!" Ron called. "Don't look at me like that," he told Siria. She shrugged. Ron turned around, so his back faced the stairs.
"Dunno what you're talking about," Siria said. She scraped the dirt out from under her nails.
"You're not watching them?" Ron asked. "For the carriages."
"They'll be here when they get here," said Siria. "Besides, we'll still get on before third and under."
After a few minutes, Krum and Hermione returned. Hermione kept her head up and her face impassive. Ron watched Hermione as if she would give something away. Krum held out his hand and shook Siria's. "Vill you tell Varrington I send my best?" Krum asked. Siria nodded. As Krum walked away, Ron suffered an internal struggle that ended with him asking for Krum's autograph, which Krum provided. [B4, 725]
Near the back of the train, Hermione, Ron, and Siria set up in the compartment across from Cassius, Cedric, Cho Chang, Maddy, Patricia, and Travers. They hoped to be left alone, even from each other for awhile. When the train started to move, Hermione rustled a jar out of her bag and handed it to Siria.
"Thanks?" Siria said and looked to Ron. He shrugged and looked closer. There were a few leaves and sticks in the jar. A large, fat green beetle filled a good part of the jar. Ron laughed.
"That's a weird beetle— it's got little glasses on it," Ron said. He and Siria examined it closer. "Hermione… how long have you been waiting to tell us?"
"Since the hospital wing," Hermione smiled. "It's Rita Skeeter— she's an unregistered Animagus."
"You're kidding," said Ron and he swept the jar from Siria's hands. "It is her!" [B4, 727-728]
Hermione explained how there had been a beetle on the statue in the garden at the Yule Ball. There has been one in her hair at the second task and that Rita must have been on the window when Siria was at the hospital wing earlier in the year. No one would notice a beetle on the grounds and Moody's magical eye wouldn't notice either. [B4, 728]
"Once we get back to London, I'll let her out and she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year, unless she wants me to spill the beans on her," Hermione smiled. She put the jar back into her bag. "I used an Unbreakable Charm and it's worked quite nicely." [B4, 728]
"Thank Merlin you're on our side," Ron said.
Siria thought about the mandrake leaf under her tongue. How obvious would she be as an Animagus? It would be handy to be large enough to fight, but much better to avoid trouble if she was small enough to sneak around. The image of rat flashed through her mind and Siria clicked her tongue. She would rather be the size of a bear than anything remotely rat like.
Not long after they got food from the trolly, their compartment door slid open. Siria sighed at the pale boy with a pointed face, who stood in the doorway like he owned the train. He was flanked, as usual, by the bulky Crabbe and Goyle. "And here I thought you forgot your traditional visit," Siria said. "Did you come to say you want to friends again and braid each other's hair?"
"You should want to be friends with me," Malfoy told her, "I told you, in our first year, time and time again to ditch the two of them, but here you are— on the losing side. If you had just listened, you might have been fine, Potter." [B4, 729]
Siria leaned her head onto Ron's shoulder and sighed. She wished Hermione had sat on the same side, instead of opposite, with Crookshanks. "One of these days you're going to realize that no one wins in war," Siria told him. "Sure," she sat up, "Voldemort's going to kill me, but we've already killed one Death Eater— so don't worry about me, but tell your papa to watch out."
"Don't you dare—" Malfoy reach for his wand, but an explosion of color and bangs caught him first. [B4, 729]
Crabbe and Goyle fell, stunned, onto the floor of the hall while Malfoy crashed onto the compartment floor. Hermione, Ron, and Siria had each used a different hex, and were not the only ones. The compartment across the hall was opened and Fred and George were in the hall, with their wands out as well. [B4, 730].
"You'd think he'd check his surroundings," Patricia shook her head Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy.
"Or be inconspicuous," said Fred, as he stepped on Crabbe to get into the compartment.
"When he parades through," said George while he stepped on Goyle to enter.
"Looking for trouble,"
"Especially 'Siria'," George winked to Siria, who rolled her eyes, as he sat down beside her.
"My hopeless cousin," Travers pointed her wand at Malfoy and lifted him into the air. She winced as head hit the doorway of the compartment, before she put him down in her compartment. She and the others moved into Siria's compartment. Colin and Dennis arrived soon after.
Despite the compartment being more packed than any Siria had been in, it still wasn't full. When Neville came by a little later, there was still space. Colin and wedged himself between Siria and Ron. Dennis had squeezed in between Siria and George. With all the snacks that Siria had brought, there were still enough for everyone.
"Oh yeah," Siria clicked open her trunk and pulled out a jar, labeled "Creepy Crawlies". "What are these?" She asked George.
"Don't open that!" Fred told her.
"I didn't know Ron was giving it to you," said George.
"They're a joke gift,"
"Enchanted fake bugs,"
"Like Chocolate Frogs,"
"The kind you don't eat, though."
"Please use the winnings to make something better than Charmed insects," Cassius requested.
"Already working on it," said George. Siria eyed the jar in her hands.
"I understand if you don't want it," said Ron.
"No; it's more like I wish I could mail them to Voldemort and see him freak out over it," Siria confessed. She sighed.
"You know, I've been wondering," Ron confessed as they waited to push through the barrier. "You had decided to call," his eyes shifted around, "You-Know-Who, 'Tom', but you haven't."
"Well, the point was to remind him he can't get what he wants and I can remind him by living until I have to die," Siria shrugged. "Besides, it boils my blood when someone calls me 'Potter', and he," she rolled her eyes at it, "he at least called me 'Potter-Black'."
"I'm sure you'll call him 'Tom' when you get real cross," Ron said. Siria cracked a smirk.
"Maybe."
They returned the Muggle world. When Siria saw Chloe and Mrs. Weasley talking, she wondered if there was really a divide. Tom Riddle was a boy from a Muggle orphanage that grew into Lord Voldemort. Siria Potter-Black was a horcrux raised by Muggles as a girl. She hugged Chloe then Mrs. Weasley. In the warm arms of Mrs. Weasley, in King's Cross Station, Siria felt the weight she had carried since the graveyard finally lift off her. After all, this was only the beginning.