A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Seriously Black

"Please, Colin," his mother said, exasperation in her tone of voice. "Please don't bother the Granger girl about this crazy idea of yours." He opened his mouth to protest. "Her father isn't Sirius Black, so don't go accusing him of all that nonsense going on in that head of yours." This was followed by, "And I see you looking around, ready to cause trouble."

Colin sighed. "But what if I'm right."

"Colin, the chances of that man your classmate calls father being Sirius Black, that's like next to nill, you know," his father said, trying to hold back his amusement. Colin's younger brother Dennis watched, lips together, choosing not to say anything and side with their parents, even though he had agreed with Colin that on the off chance, it was Sirius Black—

"Now, you head off to the train, dear," his mother said before repeating. "And don't bother your classmate with this nonsense."

"No promises!" Colin blurted out, hurrying off before they could lecture him some more, noting that he would be late for the train if he didn't leave now. As he retreated, he could see both of his parents shaking their heads while Dennis looked like he wanted to laugh, almost as if the support he'd shown over the summer was, in reality, hopes of seeing what kind of trouble his older brother would cause.

Colin brushed it aside and set out on his mission of finding Hermione Granger, to warn her that someone terrible was near her, hoping it wasn't too late given the man was known for having killed twelve Muggles and a friend, meaning he could have already killed Hermione Granger and his mother. As he continued not to see her, his worry continued to grow until—

A sigh of relief rushed out as he spotted the familiar sight of the bushy brown hair. He lifted a hand in the air, calling out to her. "Granger! Can I talk to you!"

Ron Weasley, who was with her, turned, the red freckles on his face becoming even more prominent as he grimaced at Colin, a lump under his shirt, although the second-year Griffindor didn't know what Ron could have under his shirt. "Great. It's Creevey."

The displeasure at seeing him wasn't lost on the younger Griffindor as he took a deep breath. "I really need to talk to you. Honest."

"About what?" Harry said, having opened the door of the nearby train compartment where a man was sleeping—which Colin, of course, found strange, yet he brushed it aside.

"Yes, well," Colin said. "It's kind of…."

"Just spit it out, Creevy," Ron sighed, hands on the lump in his shirt, his eyes glaring at a wicker basket Hermione was carrying that contained the most peculiar flat-faced orange cat, an absolute fluff ball.

Creevy stared at the cat, muttering. "I caught Sirius Black on camera."

The man in the compartment stirred, a snort coming from them, this Professor Lupin, if the trunk up above was anything to go by. One of Ron's red eyebrows shot up, and his mouth twisted in amusement. "Sure you did."

"I did! While we were on vacation in Dijon! That's why," Colin said, frustrated that he was being brushed off.

"You need to talk to me?" Hermione Granger said, smiling.

Harry looked at her, worried. "Shouldn't we all hear?"

Colin opened his mouth, feeling, despite how much of a hero the Harry Potter was, that it was something he should say in front of Hermione, given what his suspicions were.

"I'll be fine," Hermione said. "It's probably nothing. Could you take Crookshanks for me?"

"No," Ron said, glaring at the cat as if the cat were trying to murder him, or at least that was the impression Colin got from the look on Ron's face.

"I will," Harry said, not hesitating in taking the cat. "Tell us later?"

"If need be," Hermione said, smiling at him, the compartment doors closing behind them. "So, what is this about?"

"Let me show you the picture!" Colin said.

"Here, in the middle of the corridor?" Hermione said, taking a deep breath. "You can't just open up your trunk in the middle of the train corridor Colin."

"Oh," Colin said, looking around before pulling it off to the side, to the spot where the train car ended, and students could move from that to the next one. The trunk clicked open, and he pulled out the pictures just as the train car door opened. "See, Sirius Black."

Hermione took the photo from him as one of the people entering the train car said, "Sirius Black? What are you getting at Creepy Creevy."

"Can it, Malfoy," Hermione said, rolling her eyes, still in a pretty good mood despite everything: Colin's parents saying he shouldn't bother her regarding his suspicions, to Ron Weasley not being pleased with seeing him, to even the strange lump under Ron's cardigan. But then, the smile faltered into a frown, and Hermione took a deep breath. "Colin, this isn't Sirius Black."

Which, of course, brought on laughter from Draco and his companions. Colin's eyes widened. "But it is! I know it is!"

Hermione frowned as Draco Malfoy said, he and his lackeys laughing. "I must know. Who is it?"

"My father," Hermione said firmly, her mouth twisted in obvious disappointment.

"But it is! He looks like Sirius Black!"

Which, of course, caused more laughter from Draco and his lackeys as Hermione's cheeks slightly reddened. "Colin, my dad doesn't look anything like Sirius Black!"

"Black hair and gray eyes!" Colin protested, still quite sure he'd definitely spotted Sirius Black on the trip.

"How can you know that from a black-and-white photo?" Hermione asked as Draco snatched the picture from her. She turned, irritated at Draco. "Hey! Give that back, Malfoy!"

As she reached for the photo, Draco pulled it back while Colin looked down the corridor, noting how far the compartment the Harry Potter was in. He took a deep breath. "How can you not know Sirius Black has black hair and gray eyes? It's been all over the Muggle news!"

"Well," Hermione said, snatching the photo away from Draco. "I haven't been watching the Muggle news."

"Why ever not?" Colin said. And then he gasped. "Is it because he doesn't want you to know that he's replaced your real dad, that he's not letting you watch the Muggle News?"

This made Draco and his lackeys laugh even harder, to the point they were clutching their sides while Hermione stared in horror at what Colin had just said.

"I'm serious!" Colin said. "This isn't…."

"No. You're not Sirius Black," Draco blurted out, unable to resist, which made Hermione turn her head to give the third-year Slytherin a nasty glare.

"It's not a laughing matter," Colin said.

"No. The fact my dad hasn't been watching the news," Hermione hissed, turning on him, quite upset. "Because he has anxiety attacks." She handed Colin back the photo. "Which is why we haven't been watching the Muggle news, so he doesn't know that there is an escaped prisoner out there, Colin!" She then turned on Draco. "And you!"

"What?" Draco said. "I'm not the one with a parent with anxiety, whatever attacks, am I?"

"No, but you are the one with the parent whose childish behavior last summer triggered one!" Hermione snapped.

Draco stopped laughing, his gray eyes flashing in anger. "What are you getting on, Granger?"

"I'm talking about your dad and Mr. Weasley getting into it at Diagon Alley last year in front of my Muggle parents! The right good impression the two of you set of wizards they did, Mr. Malfoy!" Hermione snapped.

"Why would I care about setting a good impression in front of filth?" Draco said, his mouth turning into a snarl.

Colin watched Hermione's hands clench, her glare—

It was enough to make Draco wither, to back up along with his two lackeys, and at that, Hermione puffed out her chest before turning to Colin. "Enough of this nonsense, Colin. That's my dad, not Sirius Black, but you should really find a compartment so you can change into your school uniform, alright?"

"Alright," Colin said, eyes wide.

"And I'm not mad," she said before heading to the compartment where the man named Professor Lupin was, as well as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. The door of the compartment slammed shut behind her.

Colin shook his head, turning to put the photo back in his trunk when he felt it snatched away. He stiffened, then turned to look at Draco. "Hey!"

Draco frowned, looking at the picture. "Well, isn't that something?"

"What?" one of Draco's lackeys asked, not that Colin ever bothered to learn their names as to him, they were just dumb and dumber.

"He does look like Sirius Black?"

"You mean Hermione Granger's father is Sirius Black?" the other asked.

"No, dummy," Draco said, the corner of his mouth twisting into a smirk. "I said he looks like Black, not that he is Black. But that is definitely Granger's father, Creevy." He shoved the photo back at Colin. "So don't let me hear any more of this ridiculous nonsense of her father being Sirius Black, although I'm sure my mother will greatly admire your foolishness when I write to her regarding your blunder."

And then Colin felt him brush by, heading back the way he came. Colin frowned. "That was weird. Why didn't he," and then Colin sighed. " I 'd have thought he'd want to make Granger's life miserable because she's Muggleborn like myself. "