On the morning of November thirteenth, Vieara woke up the entire girl's dormitory with a delighted whoop at the pile of presents at the end of her bed. Sophie was the only other occupant who stayed awake and didn't grumble. Everyone else went back to sleep, as it was a dreary rainy Saturday morning perfect only for sleeping in and missing breakfast. Or opening birthday presents. The twins rushed at the small piles of gifts, eagerly tossing glossy wrapping paper to the side.
Their mother had bought both a large collection of Zonko's products and Honeydukes' Sweets, in addition to a new book called A History of the Most Magical Places in Britain for Sophie and a Broom Servicing Kit for Vieara. Vieara had given Sophie a box of Deluxe Sugar Quills as she had an awful habit of chewing on her sister's quills. And Vieara laughed when she opened her sister's gift; Sophie had given her a box of Spell-Checking Quills, because of her atrocious spelling. After the customary clothing gifts from their grandparents, they were surprised to find a small pile of gifts still remaining.
Vieara picked up a badly-wrapped little package and turned it, looking for a tag. There was none. She tore at it, and its contents spilled into her hands, silvery and slithering.
"Wow!" She gasped. Her hand had just disappeared. She unfolded the cloth, whipping it around her. Her body disappeared, her head bobbing happily out of thin air.
"Who's it from?" Sophie asked, also awed. Vieara shrugged.
"Dunno," she said. "No tag."
Sophie tore her eyes away from her sister's gift to tear open her own unmarked package, which was considerably smaller and more solid, but just as poorly wrapped. She opened a little box. Inside it, on a bed of cotton, lay a small silver locket with an intricate pattern. Her eyes roundened. This was an extremely expensive piece of jewelry. She had read enough to recognize it as goblin made and extremely old. She took it from the box, holding it out for her sister to see.
"Oh cool! It's really pretty!" Vieara grinned. "I reckon we've got secret admirers then."
Sophie laughed. She motioned for her sister to help her with the locket. It shone pale against her throat, as she pulled her thick curtain of dark hair out from under the chain. On her bed lay two more presents, but on Vieara's only one. She tucked one package under her pillow, hoping Vieara hadn't noticed the discrepancy. They opened the last packages, which were wrapped in identical plain paper. Vieara's was the latest edition of Quidditch Throughout the Ages and Sophie's was a very old looking, worn copy of the same book. At first she thought it might be a mistake, seeing as she wasn't really much of a Quidditch fan, but when she opened the front cover what she saw made her smile. In thin faded writing on the cover was scribbled:
Property of Sirius Black. If that's not you get your filthy hands off my favorite (and possibly only) book!
She snorted and leafed through. Her father had made notes in the margins, underlined bits and circled especially pretty girls on the team pictures. She leaned back on her pillow, enjoying the read. She would have a delicious excuse to put off her homework this weekend. Not only that, but she had two whole days to begin speculating who had sent her and her sister two sets of un-identified presents. It was possibly the best birthday she'd ever had.
After breakfast Sophie remembered the extra present she had received, which she'd tucked under her pillow, and spent the rest of the day trying to return to her dormitory alone for long enough to open it, but failed. Seeing as it was Saturday, and pouring outside, Ginny, Calliope and Vieara were happily having an impromptu sing-a-long to the radio. Sophie gave up and joined in for a bit, then finally went to the library to write her Defense Against the Dark Arts Essay. Finding that she could not focus on Cornish pixies for more than five minutes at a time, she gave up on writing, found a remote corner of the nearly-empty library, facing a window and screwed up her face in concentration.
Her lessons with Snape had been going extraordinarily well, according to him, but Sophie disagreed. She had not been able to apply the things she had learned in her lessons to finding out more about Sirius. She couldn't very well ask Snape how to perform the spell with the person whose mind she was attempting to break into not present, and she couldn't quite think of how to word a question about her precise circumstances. And Sophie had learned to block her own mind so well that she never got the spontaneous flashes of anything anymore. And she wasn't stupid enough to go near the dementors to see if she still felt her father's worst memories instead of her own.
She tried to concentrate on the idea of her father. Her forehead wrinkled. A flash of lightning struck somewhere beyond the forest and the sky lit up for a split second. Nothing happened. She sighed. All she could think of was her presents. Who would send her and her sister anonymous gifts? She couldn't think of anyone she was friends with sending her something and not putting their name on it. She put her chin in her hand, resting it and staring out the window absentmindedly.
"Rotten weather for a birthday, isn't it?" Sophie heard a quiet voice behind her. She nodded without turning.
"Happy birthday." Sophie whipped her plaits around and smiled at Lupin.
"Thanks, professor."
"Did you get anything good?" He asked, his eyes twinkling, with a slight smile.
Sophie grinned, nodding. "Actually, we did. I got a very special copy of Quidditch Throughout the Ages and a locket." Of course, it had been Lupin!
He raised his eyebrows, and then jumped from the seat as if burned. "A locket? Where is it?" He said desperately. "Is it in your dormitory? Has anyone touched it?"
Sophie looked dazed. "What? But I thought you-"
"No, I didn't! Not a locket! I must see it immediately."
Sophie reached behind her neck to unfasten the clasp. "Alright."
He gasped. "You put it on?! You shouldn't have touched it! You should have notified me immediately if someone was sending you anonymous gifts."
"But professor-"
"Oh I know, but I only sent a book, and it was rightfully yours anyway," He continued in the same urgent voice as she continued to wrestle against the clasp.
"But professor, I'm fine. It's not cursed or anything." She finally got it off, handed it to him. He held it gingerly, as if waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and began muttering under his breath. After a few long minutes, he stopped, still staring at the locket diligently. Nothing happened.
"Sirius Black could have sent that to you, it could have been cursed!" He looked Sophie in the eye sternly. She nodded. "And if anything happened to you or Vieara, I'd be the one answering to your mum!" He added and they both laughed quietly.
"Sorry, I just didn't…"
"It's alright; I shouldn't be sending anyone anonymous gifts either. I just thought, you know, as a teacher, I ought not to show favoritism."
Sophie grinned. "Oh darn, you mean you won't give me top marks just because you dated my mum and she's wicked hot, even if I don't go to class?!"
"Well when you put it that way…"
Sophie didn't want to venture out of the warm castle, but after she had successfully nicked nearly half a chicken, mashed potatoes and bread rolls from the Great Hall, she had no choice. She stuffed her booty in a large glass jar and wrapped her cloak tightly around her. Hopefully Snuffles hadn't drowned in the downpour, or her efforts would be useless. She walked out.
It was like walking into a cold shower, with the added bonus of fierce wind and occasional lightning bolt. She swore under her breath and trudged on. The edge of the forest neared. She slipped on the mushy mud and fell on her bottom, the glass container slipping from her grip and bouncing a few feet away. She shuffled toward it angrily, dripping mud over ever inch of cloth that covered her. She was so angry she didn't realize what was happening until she had slipped again and sat on the ground. Suddenly, she saw her new locket, on a neck. The neck of a young girl, with long flowing dark hair.
"Mum!" She whispered. She shut her eyes desperately trying to penetrate her dad's mind. She got another short flash of a young man laughing, kissing the girl's neck and toying with the chain on the locket. She wished she hadn't seen that! She remembered why she was down here in the first place and regained her footing. She reached the end of the forest and called for Snuffles loudly.
He bounded out, miserably soaked to the bone, looking mangy and thin with his shaggy coat stuck to him. Sophie looked at the pathetic animal and her anger disappeared. She look off her cloak, sat on the ground and pulled it over the two of them like a tent. She found her wand and muttered a quick spell. The cloak became water-repellent, and her wand began to spew hot air. Snuffles yelped happily, and pawed at the jar of food. Sophie laughed and opened it for him, feeding him piece by piece to avoid putting the food on the ground, which would have meant a meal of mud-coated everything. Soon he had finished, licked the jar clean (and Sophie's face) and curled up on her knees. Her wand was still producing hot air, and the two of them were nearly dry. She moved to leave. He protested, yelping at her.
"I have to go, they'll kill me if they find me wandering the grounds in this weather after sundown," She argued to him. "Not that the sun ever rose today with this storm," She made a face. "I have to go. You can stay here, under the cloak. You won't get wet. But I need by wand."
He picked it up in his teeth and gave it to her. She grinned.
"Did I ever tell you, you're one smart dog?"
He barked, then bounded next to her, sending a lick to her cheek, and then playing with her locket with his tongue. She pulled away, putting a hand over it.
"What d'you think you're doing exactly? Don't try to eat my birthday present!" He barked happily, and staring into his huge blue eyes, Sophie could have sworn she heard "happy birthday". She shook her head. Don't be stupid, dogs can't speak.
When Sophie returned to Gryffindor Tower, soaked and miserably looking, most everyone had gone to bed. The common room was littered with a few fifth years with books piled high around them, scribbling desperately. Sophie took a long hot shower and climbed into her warm bed, drawing the curtains. Vieara snored lightly next to her.
"Lumos," she whispered, digging under her pillow. The package was small and rectangular. She unwrapped it eagerly. It was a little book called Mind Games: The Art of Legilimancy and its Many Uses. Sophie grinned, opening the book. It looked very old, and some of the pages had been chewed on by some rodent. There were notes in the margins written in small cramped writing here and there. Snape may never admit to it, but he had just sent a student a gift. Sophie almost laughed, excitedly paging through. She deserved an award, she was sure.
Her locket brushed her book and she looked at it for a moment, noticing a chip, a tiny dent in the back. She removed it from her neck, examining it. She opened the tiny hinges, realizing there might be a picture inside. Sure enough, a young couple grinned at her. Sirius looked about twenty and had his arm around her mum's neck. On that neck, the very same locket Sophie had in her hand sparkled. Her parents waved at her. She moved her finger over the old silver, feeling the fine engravings. Opposite the picture, a tiny emblem had been engraved. It was a family crest, it seemed. Sophie pointed the light toward it, making out a tiny B in the center. She gasped.
Her mum hadn't sent the locket. She would never give Sophie more presents than Vieara, much less something that belonged to Sirius. Maybe he hadn't cursed it, but Sophie realized Sirius Black had sent her the locket after all. He knew where she was. He knew it was her birthday. And he hadn't killed her, he'd sent her a present. She smiled into her pillow as she drifted off to sleep.
"Professor, can you teach me more… subtle… Legilimency?" Sophie asked Snape, after she had successfully broken into his mind twice in a row. He raised his eyebrows, and she continued. "I mean, it would be quite rare, wouldn't it, to use it in the manner we've been practicing?"
He nodded. "The art is much more subtle that what we've been doing, that's true. It is just as much about interpretation as it is about the power to see another's mind."
"Can I learn that sir?"
He nodded again. "Let's start with the simplest form. Lying. First you shall learn to lie in a manner in which any Legilimens looking into your mind will not be able to find evidence against your lie. Tell me five statements, as many or as few of these as you wish can be lies. I shall try to tell you when you are lying and when you are not. When you've mastered this, we'll reverse."
Sophie nodded, screwing up her face, thinking.
"My sister and I are best friends," She said, staring into Snape's searching eyes. A memory of her awful fight with Vieara pushed to the front of her mind. She blinked, trying to shove it back.
"Liar," Snape hissed. She bit her lip.
"I'm a really good Quidditch player," she lied, hopefully in a convincing manner. He glared at her and she felt as if a hand was caressing her thoughts. She shook her head slightly to rid herself of the sensation, trying to keep her mind blank. Snape nodded.
"I love Charms," she said, trying not to ruin her lie by grimacing. She smiled at Snape innocently. A feeling of exasperation tried to rise but she stifled it before he got wind of it. He nodded again.
"I've finished my Potions essay," She continued confidently. She hadn't. She had been too busy reading her father's copy of Quidditch Throughout the Ages and her Legilimency book to start. The thought of those distracted her, and again Snape whispered.
"Liar," but he wore a faint half smile that might have resembled a sneer to anyone but Sophie. She grinned back.
"I'll do it tonight, I promise." She played with the end of her plait, thinking of her final statement.
She lowered her eyes. "I really wish I could meet my dad." She tried to keep her voice from quivering. That was stupid, she scolded herself, the last thing Snape wants to hear about is my dad. But to her surprise, the Potions master didn't look angry the way he usually did when he mentioned Sirius Black.
"You're much better off without him, take that from someone who knew him. Sometimes you're better off alone, without a scumbag father." He too had lowered his gaze.
Sophie lay in bed that night, trying to break into Sirius Black's mind. It wasn't working. She just got another flash of Snuffles, hanging around with Hermione Granger's bowlegged orange cat. Distracted, she picked up her father's notebook and leafed through. Snape was making her brew Wolfsbane the next day. It was nearly full moon. She didn't need to ask to figure out who the potion was for. Lupin always looked worn around the full moon. She opened the notebook to the chapter entitled "Remus' Secret". She traced the words with her eyes lazily, not quite comprehending what she was reading.
Of course when we figured it out we couldn't just do nothing. One Marauder turns creature of the night, we all do. I just had to be the big creature, to keep the wild one in check. It took us forever, but we finally did it. We roamed the woods like no other student before or since. (Note: Stay away from where all the spiders congregate. It's not a barrel of laughs, I guarantee it.)
Sophie stopped suddenly and re-read the paragraph once, twice. Creature of the woods? Her father? Surely not, everyone would know if he'd become a werewolf. But what if he hadn't? What if he'd become an animal? A creature of the night. A big one.
"Snuffles!" Sophie whispered, shoving the book aside. Dumbledore said the reason she could do Legilimency without meaning to was empathy, love. She'd thought all those visions of Snuffles were mistakes. But what if…
She shook her head. No way. Sirius Black wasn't Snuffles. He was a convicted, escaped murderer. Sophie slipped her thumb into her mouth and started chewing at the nail. Snuffles was oddly smart and obedient. And why had he shown up at Hogwarts if was just some town stray from Bulgaria? But it can't be, the rational side of her brain protested, wizards don't just become dogs. Or did they? She racked her mind. Animagi! Those were wizards who turned into animals! But… there were only been a handful. McGonagall turned into a cat, the Weasley twins had said that she always did that first day of third year!
She had to see Snuffles. Maybe she was crazy, but that dog had always been too oddly sympathetic and understanding and smart. Sophie opened the curtains of her bed a crack and peeked out. Vieara was sprawled on her bed, an inkbottle dangerously tipping near her pillow, the sheets covered with parchment and her Transfiguration book. Everyone else had the curtains drawn around their beds. Sophie grinned at her sister's awkward pose, picked up the inkbottle and the Spell-Checking Quill and put them on the nightstand. She opened Vieara's trunk as quietly as she could and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak, wrapping it around her. If she was found wandering the grounds at midnight, her detention file in Filch's drawer would definitely give Vieara's a run for its money.
She made it all the way to the Great Hall before she met a teacher. Snape was just coming out of the dungeons. She froze in her place, waiting for him to pass. He cocked his head to one side and listened, but then continued up the staircase. She sighed in relief and waited five minutes before pushing the door open.
The night was damp and windy. She held the cloak tight and walked as fast as she could to the edge of the forest, where she had given Snuffles his dinner just hours earlier.
"Snuffles!" She whispered fiercely, afraid her voice would carry with the wind toward the castle. Nothing. She took another step into the forest. The faint sound of hooves reached her ears and she wrapped the cloak even tighter.
"Snuffles!" She said, louder. She heard a faint yelp and then the sound of paws hitting the dry crumbles leaves on the forest floor. He looked at her sleepily, turning his head to the side, watching her. It's now or never, she thought.
"Are you Sirius Black?"