My third year of Hogwarts began bad. First, while riding on the train, dementors decided that they wanted to make their presence known to us before we got to school. The girls in my compartment screamed, but I used a spell that I was required to use my wand for, it was the Patronus. Thank goodness it was only one though, if it were more, I doubt mine would be strong enough to fight off more then five.
"That was awesome, Nat!" Hillary exclaimed. "Where'd you learn that spell?"
"MY father." I smiled, and sat down.
They tried to focus a conversation on me, but I didn't really pay attention. All I was wondering was why a dementor would be on the train?
Little did I know, I answer was soon answered by Dumbledore. He told us that unfortunately, due to Sirius's breaking out of Azkaban, the Ministry wanted to give Hogwarts protection, probably because of Potter. All I know is that I can't go on my walks through the grounds as far as I used to for fear that I would be attacked by those foul creatures. On the first day of classes things were pretty normal, but a little more challenging than previous year.
What I was excited for was Car of Magical Creatures. And since it was with the Gryffindors I didn't need to talk at all because of Miss-know-it-all Granger. Today would be good. The class I'm going to is to be taught by Hagrid and it's Care of Magical Creatures. I have waited for too long to take this class. I used to go and Talk to Gubbly-Plank and try to be alone with the animals, but it never happened. He was just too protective over them as if I wanted to hurt them. But Hagrid was different, he knows how much I love these animals and would die protecting it.
First he told us to open our books. Most people didn't understand that it had to be stroked, like and animal, in order that we may read it. Then Hagrid showed us the creature that we would be studying that day: Hippogriffs. I wasn't really listening to everything Hagrid was saying since I was so entranced with the Hippogriff. This is only the second time I ever laid eyes on one. The first one I saw was killed by humans, I cried for an hour. This Hippogriff was beautiful, probably seven years old. His feathers were snowy white and his talons so sharp it could slash a tree trunk. And magnificent eyes, I just couldn't stop looking at such a marvelous creature. I would love to pet it, but I didn't want to draw a lot of attention to myself. If my class was with Hufflepuff or Slytherin, Hagrid would have picked to tame the Hippogriff first. But since Harry was here, Hagrid let him go first. He probably didn't mean to, but as usual, he showed off. When he came back, Malfoy insulted the Hippogriff. Which, as Hagrid plainly pointed out, was the stupidest mistake you could make and may cost you your life. His arm was hit, but nothing severe. Class was dismissed so Hagrid could bring Malfoy to the hospital wing, which was annoying since Malfoy could plainly walk by himself there, it was his arm, not his leg. Everyone left, but me. I wanted to tame a Hippogriff just before I left.
I approached the one that had hit Malfoy and bowed to it, and he bowed back. Slowly, I approached it with my arm outstretched and petted it. While I was in some kind of a trance with the hippogriff, I rudely interrupted.
"Help," someone said. I slowly turned around and saw Sirius Black. My eyes widened and my heartbeat quickened.
"What do you need help with?" I replied.
"Food." he collapsed on the ground. I looked at my watch, I had plenty of time.
I elevated him and brought him to a cave near the school and took out two apples from my bag that I was saving for later. "Thank you." and he ate it hungrily as if he hadn't eaten for days.
"You know that the Dementors are patrolling Hogwarts grounds? Right?"
"Yes." he grumbled before returning to the apple.
"What idiot would escape from prison and then go to the second-most heavily guarded place?"
He half-smiled. "Nothing is better than a good adventure."
"But that is idiocy, unless you truly are trying to kill Harry Potter, which I doubt."
"You believe that I'm not trying to kill Harry?" That caught his attention, I don't think anybody truly believes that he is innocent.
"Yes, I have seen your memories, you were always friends with James Potter. Never the enemy. And then I saw memories of Death Eaters, you were never there."
"You've seen memories of me? Aren't you still a student?"
"I am. But I am viewing these memories for different reasons than just for my own entertainment. So why have you returned?"
"That will remain a secret for now if you don't mind. Thank you for the apples, that is the most food I have had in a while. Could you bring me more?"
I looked at my watch. "No, sorry. I have to go back to the castle. However, I have Saturdays off, so I will come to this cave every Saturday with a weeks supply of food. And if your going to leave, just leave a note or something so that I'll know. Okay?"
"That sounds like a plan. And thank you again."
I left the cave, just far enough that Sirius won't see me apperating back into the castle. I hate walking by the dementors, they always like to leech on me. But as I walked to the Great Hall, a thousand questions entered my brain. Why was here? Who really betrayed James Potter? And the most important, why did he trust me?
The next day, Malfoy kept complaining about his arm hurting, how he needed others to do things for him, such as in potions class. It was enough for me to yell at him. And I did.
"Hey, Malfoy, cut the act already, just because you have no respect or dignity left in you doesn't mean you have to make the rest of us suffer."
"I'm sorry. And who are you?" if he doesn't know me after three years of being in the same class, that means I do a good job of being invisible.
"Your worst nightmare if you don't cut the act."
He and his friends started to laugh and mock me. "Oh! Look at me, I'm trebling out of fear." They all laughed at the joke, except for Pansy who remembered the last conversation I had with her the year before. But instead of telling Malfoy that I meant business, she kept quiet. "Wait, I do know you. You're that freak Mudblood, ruining the Slytherin house's pride with your presence all because of your freak of a father."
That was it, no one insults me or my father and get away with it. I closed my eyes and gave him the wedgie of his life that was given to him by his good friend, Goyle.
"Goyle! Stop, what the hell are you doing?" Malyfoy cried.
"I can't help it. My arms have a mind of it's own." Goyle answered, even more dumbstruck than usual, pulling harder on Malfoy's underwear. twenty seconds later I let him stop when I saw Professor Snape appear.
"And what seems to be the problem here? Mr. Malfoy, fix your trousers."
"Sir, Goyle just gave me a wedgie."
"No, sir. I didn't do it. I mean my arms did it but I didn't do it. I mean-"
"I believe you mean to tell me that your actions were involuntary?"
"Yes, sir." As if he understood what that meant.
"Now who would have made you do such a tactless action?" He scanned the area, trying to think if Potter was around.
"Natalie. She said she would be my living nightmare," Malfoy pointed at me.
"Now how do you know she did it? Did she pull out a wand and say a spell?"
"Well, er, no"
"Then how do we know she is to blame?"
"I don't know, sir." Malfoy's cheeks began to turn red.
"Glad we could clear this up. Goyle, detention." He walked toward me and whispered, "come with me."
I followed him, scared that he found out my secret. I am so stupid! How could I have done that when Snape was around. We came to a stone gargoyle and he said, "Lemon Drop." a strange password, but the gargoyle reacted to the password and let me though the entrance into an office that was tastily decorated.
"Severus, what brings you here." Dumbledore appeared from a back room with a book opened in his hands.
"Professor, I believe that Natalie has powers that she hasn't told us before."
"Really?" he looked down at me. "Well that certainly is intriguing. Severus, would you mind?" Snape left. "Well Miss Ogoticks, would you care to tell about your powers?"
"No, sir."
"I think it might be easier for you to tell me and then I can give you advice on what you can do with these powers, and possibly help you get ahead of people in your grade."
"Well, Professor, I know my powers and practiced them to the fullest extent. So I don't need my powers trained or anything."
"But even if you can comprehend your powers to the extreme, sometimes it is nice to be at the correct learning level so that you may be challenged." He sounded very calm and patient as if he could and would ask me all day to reveal my secrets to him all because he asked me to.
"Sir, I like my powers to remain invisible currently. I don't like being the center of attention, and you know that in this school nothing is kept a secret especially when it involved power. So if I told you my powers than the rest of the school will know as well, and then people will keep bothering me."
"I can assure you that if I give you personal lessons, without you breathing a word to anyone, then no one in this school will even detect that you are taking lessons with me."
"Would you mind if I think it over tonight?"
"By all means. Have a good night, Miss Ogoticks, and I hope that you do change your mind." I left and apperated home.
"Hello, Father."
"What brings you home Natalie? Did you find him already?" We hugged. I knew that he meant the Dark Lord.
"No, Father. Uh, Professor Dumbledore suspects my powers and wants to give me lessons that will help me be challenged. Is that all right?"
"Does anyone else know about your powers."
"Well, one student claims that I put a spell on him without a wand and Harry knows that I speak to snakes like he does. But that is it."
"Well, since some already know about the powers, then I guess that is all right. But don't let on to anyone else that you have powers more extreme than theirs or there might be problems later on."
"Okay. Thank you."
"Are you going to stay for dinner or for you have to go back now?"
"I have to go back. But I'll come visit soon I hope. Goodbye, Father." I apperated and he waved goodbye.
The next day, I did tell Dumbledore that I would do his private lessons, which is when he found things out about me that I never revealed to anyone. "Well, Natalie, how about you tell me about your powers."
"I can talk to snakes and cast spells without a wand or saying anything."
"Those are extremely rare gifts. How come you never told me about the second one? In class the teachers tell me you use the wand and the words."
"Because I hate being the center of attention. I knew that I could do spells without needing to say any spells since I was very young."
"What else can you do that you are aware of?"
"Several things, but I think right now, I'll just leave it at the first two."
"Very well, I just want to practice this. Can you take this book," he pointed at the large spell book on his desk. "And move it on the shelf." I did it rather quickly, I'm not even sure if he saw it. "Excellent." He brought the book back. "Now, can you transfigure this book cover into the one used for Hogwarts, a History."
This was a little trickier and required more concentration. But after a few more seconds I managed to change the book covers.
"Excellent, quite extraordinary. With these powers you honestly could be the greatest sorceress alive. Even greater than Merlin himself." I just looked at him, not caring what would happen next.
"I'm not exactly sure what I, or anyone for that matter, could teach you anything else. You seem to have complete control of your powers. You are able to look at something logically and attack logically. The only thing you seem to lack is emotion. I noticed that your closest friend is a person who is extremely out there and emotional. The total opposite of you. How did you two become friends?" "We became friends when we were partners in potions first-year."
"At that age, I think most people find there dearest friends. In later years they will make others, but at age eleven is when we make our closest friends."
Professor Lupin introduced the Boggart to us on the first day of Defense against the Dark Arts. He asked various questions that no one knew the answer to even though we were with Ravenclaw, so I stepped in and calmly answered the questions becoming the new teacher's pet. After introducing the concept, he let us try out a spell called Ridikulus which is meant to repel us from the evils of the boggart. We all lined up and waited. There were some pretty good fears of the classroom: Snake, lions, zombies. The most pathetic was the fear of a Slytherin girl which was the fear of an empty bank vault. Everyone laughed at her and I just rolled my eyes at her vanity. My turn, I didn't know what to think. The fear took over me, and I couldn't even utter the spell.
My father in his animagous form, frozen, and dead, blood pouring from an invisible wound, and his eyes open in fear. Most people didn't know how to respond to my fear since all they saw was a dead cobra. I tried, I really did, but my incantation wasn't strong enough to take the boggart. Someone was forced to take control since I wasn't able. I sat at the opposite of the room in the shadows hoping the darkness would cloak me. Yeah right, I thought everyone would be looking at me because I thought the scariest thing was a dead cobra. They all stared at me, and I just gave them the death stare to make them uncomfortable and look away.
After class, Professor Lupin asked me to stay late. "Natalie, would you like to explain your fear to me?"
"No," I whispered.
"Well it isn't going to go away since are final exam might have a boggart. So it might be easier to conquer the hear now."
"Well, sir. My father is an animagous in the form of a snake. If he dies then I don't know what I will do."
"Ah, that is a hard fear. I think the fear that is the hardest for people to overcome as a boggart is dead loved ones because you don't want to hurt them. But there is a way to make it seem ridiculous. You have to think of him doing the silliest thing possible. Like, my father once just broke down and started dancing, looking completely ridiculus. Do you understand."
"But I can't see my Father doing anything like that."
"Think about him juggling, or making balloon animals."
"All right, I could try it."
I faced the boggart once more. It shaped into Father, and I imagined him producing a family of rabbits from a hat. He used to do this for me as a child. "Ridikulus!" I said. The cobra jolted. I said it more strongly this time. "Ridikulus!" this time I saw him dead, but with Voldemort standing over his dead body. I couldn't help myself, I screamed, "NO!"
Lupin jumped in front of me, making the boggart a full moon and put the boggart back into the drawer.
"What the hell happened?" I asked breathlessly.
"I think the boggart sensed your fear and decided to make it stronger. Don't get me wrong, Natalie. You are an amazing witch, but I think spell needs serious help. SO I want you to come to my office every Friday night to work on it. Understand?"
All I could do is nod.
"Excellent, I'm sorry I kept you so late."
"It's all right. Have a good day." And I left.
The day that we were allowed to go into Hogsmade, I made a detour trip to Sirius Black. I was going with Natalie, but I needed to know what was up with Sirius.
"Natalie, I just forgot something at the castle, I need to go back and get it."
"No worries, I'll go back with you."
"No, you go on ahead, I'll be there soon."
"Are you sure you're allowed to?"
"If I don't come back you know why. But I need to get something. Sorry." I ran back before she could protest. When I was far enough away from prying eyes, I apperated to Sirus's cave.
He grunted in acknowledgement when I entered his cave and dove at the sack of food I brought.
As he ate, I asked him question. Slowly, he answered some of them like how he got out of prison and how the Dementors affected him. But the reason why he came to Hogwarts was amazing. It wasn't for Harry, it was for someone else in Hogwarts. Someone who betrayed him, a dear friend. I knew I could trust him and I knew he was telling the truth.
He was after Ron's rat, Scabbers.
"I'll help you get into the castle. Tonight, while everyone is at the feast, you could get in and try to get the job done while no one would see."
"That could work. But how?"
"I can apperate on the school grounds, I can't bring you into the Gryffindor Tower, but I'll leave you at the entrance."
"That would be perfect. But how do I get out?"
"I'll give you twenty minutes to get in and out. Then you meet me in the broom closet and I'll apperated you back out so you won't cross any Dementors."
"I like it. All right, it's a deal." He held out his hand and I shook it.
I couldn't believe our luck. It was just so perfect, but it failed. He tried to force the Fat Lady into letting him in, but that failed. Then Peeves saw him. Aw man, I could the anger in Sirius's eyes, he just wanted to be done of one simple action. But everyone seemed against him. He waited for me in the broom closet like we talked about. Then I took him back to the cave. The weather was getting colder and all he had was his prison clothes. While he acted all depressed, I created a fire that would never die out and a bed with thick blankets.
"Thank you, Natalie. You are probably the only who believes me, period. But I need to get into that dreaded tower. I need my revenge. He sent to jail wrongly for twelve years! Why should he live comfortably while I suffer?" He growled.
"Do you anything else, or could I go?"
"No, nothing. Only that rat. I don't suppose you want to get it for me?"
"Sorry, I can't go in the room. There is some magic that even I can't break."
"Oh well, if you find him running around, just bring him back to me alive. If you want you can hurt him, but I can't let him die without knowing what he did to me. He must know what he did to me before he can go to Hell!"
I actually progressed with conquering the boggart. I imagined a very good thought of what Father did when I was sick. It was so vivid, so real, that when the boggart came out, I barely thought about Father on the ground, only of the thought of me as a child.
"Ridikulus!" I cried. I actually succeeded, I defeated the boggart, I smiled.
Lupin slapped. "Excellent, Natalie, I knew you could do it."
"Thank you."
"I guess you don't have to come to private tutoring anymore. You are by far the best student I have ever taught in my life."
"Thank you."
"Have you ever considered just moving up to O.W.L. level next year?"
"No, I'm fine where I am."
"Are you sure? You'd be challenged?"
"No, thank you. I'm really fine where I am."
"All right, but if you change your mind, just ask."
"Natalie, it's Christmas, I want to give Harry a present. Do you have any idea of what he could want?" Sirius asked me a week before Christmas.
"Well, he loves Quiditch and I don't think he bought a new broom, yet."
"Yeah, maybe the firebolt. I owe him twelve years of presents."
"Where are you going to get the gold?"
"I have a few hundred galleons hidden in my house. If you could apperated me there, that would be wonderful. I don't think I could do it just yet."
"Of course. Now?"
"That'd be great."
He took my arm and I apperated to a Muggle street corner. I looked around wondering where his house. He muttered something and house grew between two of the Muggle homes, it was….strange. I followed him into a grimy house.
"Who goes there?"
It was a house-elf. He appeared in front of us. "Oh, Mistress wouldn't like this at all. Kreacher is to protect the Black family, Not Master Sirius."
"Kreacher, I forbid you to tell anyone or anything that you saw me understood?"
"Yes," he said weakly.
"Good." He turned to me. "Wait for me here, I'll be right back."
True to his word, he came back a few minutes later with a sack.
"Where is Master going with that?"
"None of your business, Kreacher. Remember Kreacher, don't even hint that I'm here."
We apperated now to Diagon Alley. Because Sirius couldn't possibly go into a store, I made a purchase of the Firebolt to be delivered to Harry Potter on Christmas anonymously. The store clerk looked at me as if I wanted to be Harry's secret admirer or something. I paid her the hundreds of galleons for a stupid broom and left. And With Sirius, once more I apperated back to his cave.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." I turned and left. I felt strange helping the bad guy.
"Tonight, I must do it tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, apperated me into the castle, tonight."
"But everyone will be in there."
"I have the passwords. It'll be quick. All I have to do is get in their and kill the bastard."
"But what if he's like the Fat Lady?"
"He won't. But I refuse to wait any longer. I need my revenge. And it must be tonight."
"All right. Let's do it." I held out my hand and he squeezed it while I apperated us in front of Gryffindor Tower. "I will give you fifteen minutes to get into the broom closet before I leave, understood?"
"Yes."
Within eight minutes he returned with an urgency in his voice. "Go, go." he whispered. I quickly apperated us back to the cave.
"What happened?"
"He wasn't their," he said calmly. "He wasn't bloody their!"
"What do you mean he's not their? Ron lets him sleep with it in his bed."
"I went in, and he wasn't their. But that Ron saw me. Thought I came to kill him. But he was mistaken. I don't shed innocent blood. But Peter doesn't deserve me just killing him. He needs to be punished for what he's done. Go to Azkaban and understand what true pain is. Then he'll understand what he did to James and Lily. He betrayed them! And everyone thinks I did it! How they think that? I'm his best friend! I could never do something that horrible. Only that horrible Petrigrew. I don't know how he got into our House. He doesn't deserve to be apart of our House. Hell, he doesn't even deserve to be a wizard. If I could only get my hands around his neck I'll-"
"I don't mean to be rude, but I'm going." As I left him to sort out his mental problems, I apperated back to the castle, which is when I got caught.
"Well, well. Look who is wondering the corridors at night." I turned, it was Snape.
"Hello, Professor."
"Fifteen points from Slytherin. Now get into you dormitory before you get more points off."
The rest of school was pretty much a blur. I saw Sirius once a week with the weeks provisions. I tried to talk to Hillary as much as possible, even though I was so distracted by everything else in life. And then there was Hagrid's trial, I wasn't as supportive as I would have liked. But I was preoccupied. For the past three years, I have dedicated myself to watching Harry in search of the Dark Lord, but the closest I ever got was in the Forbidden Forest as a first-year. Is my mission even worth it now? Harry's been in the wizarding world for three years, but nothing. Was he merely biding his time? I'm not sure. But the waiting is scaring me. I keep expecting him to pop out during our exams to kill Harry.
After my last final, I got an urgent letter from Father. All it said was, "Come home now. And I obeyed.
"Father, what's the matter?"
"I believe we are one step closer to finding where the Dark Lord is hiding."
"Really?"
He held a Pensieve in his hands. "This is a memory of Bellatrix Lestrange's house-elf. He describes the Dark Lord. Well, you'll see."
I stared at the silvery liqued until the memory came into was the house-elf crying since his beloved was gone.
"Ponty betrayed Mistress. She trust Ponty with He-who-must-not-be-named secrets and he let her down." he started to hit himself with a frying pan. "Bad Ponty! Bad, bad!" Then he stopped. "Ponty will make it up to Mistress. He will make sure the bad wizard is taken care of."
The memory faded. And a scene appeared with Ponty now in some kind of forest. There was someone else there too, a man. But his face was hidden so I couldn't identify him.
"Did you bring him?" the man asked.
"Yes," whimpered the house-elf. He handed a pile of blankets to the man.
"Stand back." the man warned Ponty. He obeyed. The cloaked man uttered a spell a there was a stream of light so I couldn't see what was happening. When the light disappeared, I recognized who the cloaked man was, it was Quirrell. This was he was able to attach himself to the Dark Lord. And that was where the Dark Lord was hiding for ten years. It all made perfect sense. But where was he now?
The memory was over and I looked at Father. "But where is he now?"
"Well," Father said. "I know that he is not wit Ponty anymore or I wouldn't have gotten this memory. But I'm not sure. The only one who would know would be the Dark Lord himself. But it is quite obvious why it wouldn't be him. If you don't mind, I want you to leave school for the last week so we can try to answer these questions as fast as possible."
"That would be great."
"All right, I shall send an owl to Dumbledore saying that there is a family emergency that you must attend to so that you'll be able to get here within a decent amount of time. But for now pretend like this never happened."
"All right."
Father's plan worked, and now the summer was going to be full of traveling and trying to decipher where the Dark Lord is now. It is going to be great.
I'm hoping to get chapter 4 up by the end of October. The year that Voldemort actually gets in the picture. Dum Dum Duuuuuuuuuuum! reviews and suggestions are welcome!