Chapter V
They made it in time for Transfiguration as McGonagall was giving roll call to everyone that was present except for three. James, Sirius and Peter had been so caught up with their latest prank that they forgotten the time and when they realized, headed as fast as they could but still to make a good entrance for everyone to look at them come in.
"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black and Mr. Pettigrew, and what do I own the pleasure of having not one but three of my students coming in late to class?"
"In other words, 'what is your excuse this time?'" Remus whispered to Hermione to translate on what McGonagall was saying. Hermione hid a smile and tried her best not to laugh as Sirius cleared his throat, as if preparing to give a speech he had prepare for their viewing audiences.
"Ah well you see we were giving these 1st year directions as they got lost and seeing how we are supposed to be responsible and show any new students how to get to their classes…" And Sirius babbled on and on until McGonagall told them to take their seats before taking ten points off each, five for being late and five for making a ridiculous excuse.
James took a seat next to Lily while Peter took a seat with someone else because Remus was with Sonja, McGonagall having made the seat arrangement for her to share notes with him and Sirius took the only seat left offered by one reluctant student: Keller.
NO WAY! NO BLOODY WAY I'M SITTING WITH HIM! Keller yelled inside Hermione's head so loud that it made her ears almost ring. Remus noticed Sonja touching her forehead and rubbing it as the pain slowly faded.
"Are you all right? Do you need to see Madam Promfrey?" He whispered after McGonagall had her back turned to the class casting the notes on the board. Hermione shook and told him she was fine before trying to tune out her cousin before bad became worse with another ear-splitting headache.
Sirius seemed to have taken this all too well as he took the empty seat and tried to make conversation with her but she ignored his tactic and talked to him once only to ask for some parchment and quill to write the notes.
"Well if you must insist." He fetched a parchment from his bag and transfigured into an origami phoenix that looked like Fawkes from Professor Dumbledore's office with the quill to look like its' long tail.
She pretended this didn't seem funny as it flew around her head but thought secretly to herself it was cute, the phoenix not Sirius as he was annoying, childish and many things that she could write down maybe later if she wanted to.
She caught the paper phoenix and changed it back to what it was and began taking down her notes.
Sirius may have seemed down and out but he was never one to give up a challenge.
Especially with this new girl who would find him too irresistible and soon fall for him and be begging to be ask on a date like all the others. Keller sensing his oh so cockiness, scoot away as far as possible without giving him a hint of what she thought to be foolishness.
If he thinks he can get me begging like one of his lap bitches, he's got another thing coming to him...
Remus watched as Sirius was giving it all his charm and Keller dodging every one of his attempts before turning his glance back on Sonja. She was more interested and excited about their lesson as she listened to McGonagall on what she told them to do. They were to learn how to transfigure animals into a musical instrument.
"Now I want you to think of something that represents the animal you've been given…" Remus got a tabby cat and Sonja got a nightingale and he transformed the cat into a violin while she turned her bird into a flute.
"Well done Miss Lucian." McGonagall said as she heard the flute play beautifully for the whole class to hear then turn when she heard the lovely melody of Keller's. "Now you Miss Corvin…excellent work too." Keller's rabbit had been changed into a mini harp and was strumming its' string with an accurate tune.
Keller's eyes looked over to Hermione. Not bad, huh cousin?
James and Lily also got it right on the first try and Sirius had to do it twice before getting his duck to turn into a trumpet and honk in his face the whole time. Hermione could have sworn she saw a slight hint of amusement from Keller's eyes before it changed when Sirius turn to look at her while she pretended to be jotting down the homework that McGonagall assigned them.
Charms were the next thing on their agenda after Transfiguration and Flitwick was going to teach them how to do a Patronus.
"Now can anyone tell me what a Patronus is?" He looked to the class, expecting two out of, well everyone to raise their hand but was surprised to see two extra raised. "Hmm, let's see, how about you Miss Corvin?"
Keller looked to the side where Hermione was and she nodded to her and then said, "The Patronus is a silvery phantom-like form, its shape is usually that of an animal, which is the embodiment of the positive thoughts or memories of the caster when cast. A Patronus will drive away Dementors which are also known as the Lethifold."
"Very good Miss Corvin, five points to Gryffindor." Keller blushed. Everyone seem impressed with her knowledge, even Sirius was. "Wow." He muttered under his breath. Soon the class was expected to practice said charm.
"One of your most happy thoughts and then say 'Expecto Patronum'." It took everyone for a while to think of any happy thoughts that would work. Hermione at first thought of Harry and Ron becoming her best friends back in first year but then she look over towards Keller and remembered the day they met.
"Is everyone ready?" Everyone nodded. "Good now on the count of three. One…Two…and…THREE"
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Everyone said at the same time, many of them just getting silvery wisps or blurs but only two made a patronus.
Instead of a silvery otter like she used to have, Hermione got a sort of a large beast, like a wolf only had more of a different structure to its body. It jumped and yapped about her as she watched its' cute tactic and scratched its' head before it did back flips and other silly treats like a puppy.
Keller's however looked more human than animal but more angelic or demonic than human with an elegant form and large silvery wings that flew around the room, flapping as it moved with delicate grace and then turn to stare at her and gave a resounding melancholy howl that echoed followed by Hermione's patronus before they disappeared into silver mist.
Everyone was staring at them astounded. Flitwick was the one to break the silence as he said, "Well done that very impressive, Miss Corvin, Miss Lucian. A patronus on a first try! Fifteen points each to Gryffindor!" The class applauded them when class was over with an assignment of explaining the theories of the Patronus.
The Marauders were standing around the two of them, giving them many praises and compliments just like half the class did.
"Man that was bloody amazing I mean I thought I was going to get it right seeing my happy thought was when Lily admit to me that she liked me and agreed to go out!" James said causing Lily to go as red as her hair while punching him in the gut. Hermione giggled. "It was simple really I only thought of the most important memory and held on to, gave it enough positive strength until I cast it."
"So what was your happy memory then?" Remus asked and she couldn't help but blushed as he asked her. She looked to where Keller was and said, "I just thought of the first time I made friends with someone who understood me."
"Oh who would that be?" Peter asked but she pretended not to hear as she said, "Keller. Keller was my first friend and always will be."
Keller smiled. Lily looked confused. "But I thought you guys were cousins and family."
Oh crap that's right! Hermione wanted to slap herself now. She tried to think of something quick but Keller beat her to it.
"What she meant to say was that when we were little, we were both introvert with others as we didn't much really care about until we met and found a lot in common. Our families kind of separated due to our grandfather." Who's an asshole thank you!
"Our moms are related but were disowned when they married our dads and never saw one another until well we met at the bookstore by coincidence one day and then our moms instantly recognized each other and then that's it! End of story." She felt like she said the craziest thing anyone has ever heard and wanted very much to slap her mouth hard for the idiotic thing she just said.
"You mean to tell us, you guys never met one another, never knew you were even related or exist because of your own grandpa kicking your moms out and meeting at some bookstore and finding out that you guys were cousins?" Sirius asked not really convinced and not believing every word that Keller said. He thought she was hiding something from them but didn't know exactly what it was.
James decided to play savior for the two girls from further embarrassment. "So what about you Keller, what was your happy memory and what was that Patronus exactly? I've never seen any animal like that before." Keller's eyes widened and then her hazel eyes dimmed as the question she had dread to answer came to play and recalled the only happy memory she ever had, before years to come everything would fall apart.
'Mummy!' A five-year-old Keller who was going to be six was running towards her mother who was in the kitchen with her father talking and setting up the presents on the table for her to open later.
Her dad was wearing an apron that made him look rather silly and had to giggle while her mom picked her up and kissed her husband on the cheek.
'Come on Kell let me show you something while Daddy finishes cooking dinner. He's making your favorite: Steak a la Queen.' Dinner was always meat, cooked but still red in the middle with blood dripping to make it satisfying. Her mouth watered but didn't feel really hungry as she looked to her mother who was smiling at her. Her mother was so beautiful and she was told she would one day grow to look just like her.
She took her upstairs to their bedroom and set her down on the bed before walking over to the cabinet looking for something and took out from one of the drawers and hand it to her.
It was a photograph of a family, a man with three woman and two little girls around her age. 'Do you know who these are?'
Keller peered at the picture closely and saw one of the women looked just like her mom with longer hair and was smiling. She pointed to her excitedly, 'You mummy, you're in that picture.'
'That's right. This is a picture of mommy's family, my parents, your grandfather and your grandmother, here and here.' She pointed them out, 'your grandfather was an ingenious builder who knew how to make the most amazing architect just like—"
'Like Daedalus and Icarus!' Daddy had told her all kinds of stories and loved to hear the legends and myths, but mostly about their kind, vampires and werewolves.
Her mother nodded and then pointed again to the picture, 'And this was your aunt, Cecilia and your cousins, Mary and Anna.' The other woman looked a lot like her mother and could've passed as her twin if possible. She was holding the hands of the two little girls. They all looked happy in the photo.
Her mother sat down next to her daughter as she looked to her mom and felt her pulled her close, 'Keller I know how you always wanted to know more about your family, well we've already told you about your daddy's didn't we?' Keller nodded.
Her grandparents died before she was born and never got the chance to meet them but her mother always seem sad if something was mention to talk about hers. 'Mummy?'
Keller watched as her mother kissed her forehead then pulled out a gold heart-shaped locket with the initial 'K' from behind her back. She hand it to her and Keller opened it and saw inside a picture of her mother and father on one side and the words, 'We will always love you, from mom and dad.'
'Happy birthday Keller.' And Keller jumped into her arms, hugging her with all the happiness in the world.
The memory of her mother giving her that locket with the words 'Always love you' had been the most precious memory to her that she had come to treasure all her life.
She wanted very much to touch that locket again but was gone, gone with the rest of her family and life and in its place hollowness and emptiness.
I can't tell them anything; if I do I might lose it and show my weakness. Then I won't, I'll make a bluff, a lie, anything as long as they don't know the truth!
"Sorry I can't you see I rather not say and if I did then I might have to kill you…" She smiled a smile that unnerved them. "It's no offense it just more on personal basis and like to keep quiet about it, you guys should understand. I just don't like to talk about anything about myself."
Hermione noticed the way her hands were trembling terribly by her side and clenched tight with no one looking and realized what she must be getting at. She knew because she had done something similar when seeing Keller's family picture and almost saw the same reaction, but this one was completely different, she had told them coldly and had an icy tone added as if she wanted no one else to ask her anymore questions. She reached out and felt the tension slightly faded under her touch and turn to stare at her.
"I think we better get going then, come on." She grabbed her hand and led them away before the others saw what was wrong.
"What was up with her? She looked like something was bothering her, do you really think she meant what she said that she'll…you know?" Peter saw everyone looked to him and had to agree as they were as much confused as to why Keller reacted like that and when Sonja had taken her hand and quickly ran off. Remus was about to go after them but stopped and thought of the form Sonja's patronus was.
It look oddly familiar, the form and basic structure one he almost recognized himself but still something seem off. Lily decided she would go after them before the rest of the guys followed as they too had Potions next.
"Wait a minute…" Remus said more likely to himself but the Marauders heard him as he said, "They're new here and Potions is in the dungeon."
"Yeah so?" Sirius said. "They wouldn't know their way around here yet they're heading in the direction without asking us where it is or where exactly Potion takes place."
"You're right Moony. But maybe they'll get lost and eventually have to ask someone for direction."
"Maybe. You might be right on that Prongs." Remus said as he and the others head to the dungeon but he still had his doubt and suspicion all the way down to the classroom.
Potions was different as for the last five years with professor Snape had been nothing but an endless torture for Hermione and her fellow Gryffindor, minus the one and half where he had been DADA, now that was a nightmare. But now Snape was the one in class being taught by Professor Slughorn, their former potion master from sixth year in her time. He was still as large and wearing the lavish clothing but his head was cover with thinning blond hair instead of it being entirely bald.
"Now it seems we have two new students in our class, Ms. Corvin and Ms. Lucian, and hopefully will be promising as I will be assigning you in a group for the time being and then have separated ones later on, I shall partner you out as I see fit." He started pointing and calling people's names.
"Longbottom and Lestrange." Frank look a lot like his son back in the future and seem just as nervous in potion as he looked at the Slytherin sitting across from him.
"Evans and Parkinson." An ugly version of what Pansy was going to be looking like leered at Lily while she look none too happy about the arrangement and James had to restrained himself not take drastic measure to whip out his wand and hex the Slytherin. Hermione felt the same way.
"Potter and Crabbe." Speaking of familiar look-alikes, the Crabbe and Goyle senior were going to be passing their trademark looks off to their sons in the future along with their big bone structures.
"Black and Goyle." He had only two students left, one was Remus who was bad at potion and Hermione was willing to help if anything possible and there was a pale skin boy with his face buried in a book, not paying attention to the professor that she knew who he was judging from the oily hair and hooked nose.
"Lupin and Lucian. And that leaves Ms. Corvin with Mr. Snape." Hermione was both relieved and shocked, relived to be assigned with Remus while initially shocked to hear her cousin be set partners with her future potion master.
It also didn't seem to go as well for some others as Sirius stood up in his seat and said, "WHAT ARE YOU CRAZY PROFESSOR! SHE CAN'T SIT NEXT TO SNIVELLUS; HE'LL TRY TO POISON HER OR SOMETHING!"
Slughorn didn't seem bothered by this outburst but chuckled, "Oh Mr. Black come now don't be ridiculous. Mr. Snape will surely treat Ms. Corvin as an honored guest as she and Ms. Lucian are both from a fine school. Now please get back to your seat and start turning your books to pages… "
And he started to write on the board with his wand along with the key ingredients for the Felix Felicis and explaining the sole purpose of the potion.
"You remembered I discussed this in class so please make sure you follow everything in your books and have the whole class time to…" He pulls out a large tawdry pocket watch and said, "Begin." Everyone started grabbing their things and sat down together and gather the material they needed.
"Sorry you have to be partnered with me on this; I'm not great in potion like my other classes." Remus said, wishing he hadn't said that last part. It made him sound like a show off or something, so he decided to keep quiet as he lend Hermione his potions book while he set to work with setting the cauldron's fire. She saw he was trying to do his best to not mess everything up by getting the ingredients that they require and turn to see her cousin looking over towards them.
Better get started then Keller. Keller nodded in their direction and went to look to her partner. He seemed engross with that book of his and seem to be scribbling something in it. She tried to get his attention, "Excuse me, hello we have to be doing our potion here?" He ignored her. She tried clearing her throat, "Eh hem…yo!" She waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello anyone home in that head of yours? Hey get your nose out of that book now before I shut it on your face!" This time, finally having enough of her ranting, he turned and looked at her. "Yes what do you want?"
"Shouldn't we get going on that Felix Felicis? The professor had said we have the whole class time to work on it." Or were you too busy sticking your nose deeper into that book of yours, she noticed something written in it, looking like chicken scratch but he put it aside, away from her prying eyes.
"Whatever just be quiet and follow my instructions and then we'll be done before you know it." Turning the pages of his book to a different page while Keller looked at him.
"What you want me to follow your orders! No way!" She huffed and he turn to her and said, "I have the book, you don't, so unless you have a photographic memory of watching everyone else without screwing it up the first time then you better pay attention." She gave him one last glare before grimly muttering to herself as she grabbed the ingredients and followed his instruction.
Class had twenty minutes left before everyone's cauldron was either a jet-black slimy mess or green smelly acid like Longbottom as it ate away at the bottom of his cauldron.
"Oh dear." Slughorn said, noticing the way it was eating away and dripping to the floor. He was explaining to him that he must've stirred it four times instead of three as was said on the board and continue on down to see the rest.
James's and Crabbe's was red and spitting fire in different directions and Sirius was pink and bubbling then exploded in his and Goyle's faces. The only reason why was he had been too busy looking over at Snape and Keller's table, trying to keep a good eye on them before realizing too late he added too much of almost everything which resulted in the explosion. The only ones who got a molten gold were Remus, Hermione, Lily, Parkinson, Keller, and Snape.
Slughorn beamed at the three cauldrons bubbling before him. "Excellent, excellent, I award each of you fifteen potions for outstanding work on the Felix Felicis and as a bonus I shall allow each of you to bottle a small sample of your concoction but do not use it for anything like school election, Quidditch matches or any organized competition."
Everyone went to clean up their ruined potions and cauldrons and those who passed got to bottle it and take the vials with them. Keller finished placing her sample and tucking it in her bag before turning to Snape and see that he hadn't filled his up. She grabbed the ladle again and poured the potion in Snape's vial before making the potion disappear and the cauldron clean as a whistle. She set his next to him and he looked at the vial and then at her like he was expecting something to happen.
"What?" She said after she finished placing all the leftover material back in the cupboard and stuffing her things in her bag. "Did you think I poisoned it or something?"
"No but why would you be giving it to me?"
"Because haven't you been listening to what Slughorn said, you get to keep a free sample and you had been ok to at least help with given me the instruction, sort of, but still here." Before Snape had a chance to say something Keller got up and grabbed her bag. She followed after her cousin and the other Marauders, still unaware that Snape was still watching her and had reluctantly taken the potion and secretly hid it in his pocket.
Keller and Hermione were heading to the Great Hall with everyone just as they were about to eat when a wave of nausea suddenly washed over them, causing them to choke and sputter.
"Sonja, are you all right? You look pale." Remus had turned to see Hermione holding her stomach while looking ready to throw up. The same could be said of Keller as she seemed to turn Slytherin green and holding her hand to her mouth while leaning against the wall.
Oh shit! Their bodies were rejecting the food they had this morning but how, why, they only ate about—her stomach spasm and tighten as thought it was being stretched inside her right now.
Dear Merlin, this was worse than she ever imagined. A cold sweat was breaking out and she thought any minute she would retch out everything until it was emptied and then…
Oh no…Keller told her that blood was the only sustainable food for them.
What if the only thing she could want was blood and she doubt that the clone's blood was invented and developed yet since they were in the 1970s! Shit!
"Hey are you two alright?" They could heard everyone concern but that was of little importance to them as they had to get away from everyone and find something to keep from attacking and sucking away half the student body.
Dumbledore. They had to go see Dumbledore and fast.
"We-we got to go!" Hermione said, the words rushing out of her mouth as she grabbed Keller and hurried away before anyone could stopped them as they ran all the way to the Headmaster's office, shouting the password and barging in without knocking. The headmaster looked up at them, "Ms. Corvin, Ms. Lucian, what is it? Is something the matter?"
"Professor we have a major prob—" Hermione blurted out before Keller put it more bluntly as she slump down to the ground and emptied her stomach of the undigested breakfast on his floor. "…blem." Phineas Black along with the other portraits saw what happened and had a look of disgust on his face at the mess. "And I told her to keep that mouth of hers shut…"
"Oh my I see this is a problem." Dumbledore said after he had first conjure two buckets, in case Hermione, which she did as well after and Keller, and then clean the mess by the door and after the girls had gotten rid of what had been left explain to Dumbledore of their condition.
"You cannot rely on food, other than perhaps raw meats or blood, wouldn't agree in your system if that's correct. But I'm surprised it happened after your third class, which was potions you said although with some cases students usually feel nausea or sick with what they are brewing..."
Both girls felt depleted and sick with nothing in their empty stomachs. Hermione never felt so hungry before as of now and she had to restrain herself from attacking the headmaster, seeing his blue veins showing in his pale skin, pumping blood.
For Merlin sake's he's her headmaster and now she wanted was to drain him dry.
"Professor is there any way that I don't know to help us." Dumbledore stood up from his seat and placed a finger on his lips, thinking. "There might be perhaps…" Then walking to the cabinet where an assortment of items were stacked until he pulled out a small box and set it on the table. On the lid showed like an Egyptian like woman with two lions on the side of her.
"I do believe this may work." He set it out in front of them and opened the box. Inside sat two ruby stones. Or at least they looked like stones.
"These happen to be Sphinx hearts. Said to be the most tangible part of the Sphinx. It was once said that if consumed, that the person would be allow to eat anything or anyone it wants, if a person was a cannibal hopefully not for you two in this situation, without feeling ill or allergic. Also was used for poison testing back in Egyptian times. Now I had been given these by an old colleague who had done autopsy on maybe one or two dead sphinx but sometimes the organs were still useful after being frozen and preserved and wanted me to have in case. But seeing as I don't and you two need it more then by all means."
He pushed the box in front of them like if he was offering them candy and Keller and Hermione look to one another reluctant.
"I'll take it first." Keller grabbed one, holding it in her hand and took a small bite, trying to swallow then another until it was gone. Dumbledore watched and waited for a minute before pushing a bowl of sweets in front of her.
"Chocolate frogs." Keller took one and held it between her thumb and middle finger before take a bite off the head and swallowed. They waited again longer and Keller didn't feel anything.
"Whew that's a relief." Hermione ate hers too and then Dumbledore produce a goblet of pumpkin juice.
"Bottoms up." She said drinking it down and feeling no wave of nausea or churning stomach as it went down, making her drain the whole thing down in one gulf. After taking another bite or sip and seeing no sudden changes, they smiled and thanked the headmaster.
"Now I should warn you that though this allows you to eat normal foods, you also have to have your other nutrients to sustain remember? I'll look upon to seeing one or two trustworthy staff member and ask them to help in this case. Professor Kettleburn from Care of Magical Creatures or Hagrid, our gamekeeper. They'll most likely take you to the Forbidden forest to hunt and feed but not to take too much, just enough to satiate yourselves. Also whatever you do, do not drink the unicorn or centaur's blood.
Centaurs are not too kind to vampires and seeing as you're half will matter to them. Unicorn's blood will curse you if you dare to take their life from them. Understand that you have to keep it to yourselves from letting your craving get the best of you around your fellow students." The girls nodded. "Good now you should hurry down to the Great Hall for lunch, they'll hopefully serve some kidney pie and roasted chicken…" and he dismissed them and they headed to the Great Hall where everyone had been waiting for them.
"What happened, it look like you girls were going to spew the hallway and Filch would have been pissed!"
Keller gave a cold glare over at Sirius when she sat down. "Nice way of putting it but for your information, me and my cousin had had the stomach viruses before we got here and are still getting over it thank you very much for being very inconsiderate and discreet!" She stacked her plate with roast beef and chicken and eating it, not wanting to make any conversation with him or anyone else at the moment. Hermione saw Sirius's shocked and befallen face and thought she should probably have a talk with her cousin on being nicer to him.
Remus looked over to her with a look of concern plaster on his face. "You sure you're all right?"
Hermione saw his eyes were filled with worry and she almost thought she could stare into them forever before saying, "Yeah, we went to see Madam Promfrey and she gave us some medicine and we feel much better now. She's really the best isn't she?" She thought this would be better than telling them about eating a Sphinx heart and how they would have to go to the forbidden forest to hunt at night. As soon as everyone finished eating, they discussed what Professor Kettleburn was going to be teaching this year.
"I hope its something that likes to eat Slytherin or at least be cool and scary looking." Sirius said as he and everyone walked out towards the grounds, close to where Hagrid's hut was and saw the big giant waiting by the smaller man next to him.
"Today we are going to be learning about Hippocampus and will be setting each and everyone one of you to raise one of their tadfoals." He said to the class as some of the girls squeal while the boys and Keller included groan. Everyone followed the teacher and Hagrid but Keller stayed behind and smelled something distinct in the air close to where the hut was behind.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up to you." Hermione looked unsure but Keller told her to go as she made her way past the pumpkin patch, close to where the forbidden forest was.
She was nearing it when she heard a hoarse whining and laughter and leering as she got closer and saw through the clearing. Three young boys, no wait they were centaurs!
The centaur boys were teasing and kicking down a small black foal with bat-like wings quivering in pain and fear.
"Oy Fredrik let me have a go!" A golden-hair youth said as the black one and red turn to him. Keller watched as Fredrik said, "Sure Isaac." And back away as Fredrik went to make a kick at its chest. The creature whined piteous while the boys cruelly laugh and Keller had enough. They want something to laugh about well I'll give them something.
"Hey Jackasses!" She cried as she stepped in and saw all three heads turn to her. Fredrik looked to her and stroll over, supposedly the leader. "Oh it's just a witch from that school. What do you want?"
"I want you to leave that poor creature alone now or else." The boys looked at her and laughed. "Or else what? You're going to go and cry like a girl."
Keller smirked. "No I'm going to teach you boys a lesson." And she moved so fast that one second she was standing there the next she was behind the red haired centaur and gave a swift kick to his hind legs. He screamed while the two turn to look before she appeared in front of Isaac and hit him hard in the chest then turning to make a move on Fredrik.
Fredrik seeing his two friends down and to see the girl, her eyes black not brown anymore and pulling back her lips, showing her fangs and hissed. He paled and started to run. Isaac looked at her and the same reaction.
"Vampire!" And he and the other boy followed after their fallen leader. Keller watched them go before turning her attention to the wounded horse. She approached it slowly.
"It's ok; I'm not going to hurt you…" She said, trying to see how badly its' wounds were. The horse tilt its' head and stared with white shining eyes as she bend down and looked to the gaping wound on its' chest. The ribs didn't look broken but there was a shallow cut that needed healing. She looked to see if anyone was around and quickly bit her wrist until a good amount of blood was in her palm and spread it over its chest. Slowly the gapping wound closed then disappeared, leaving no trace of a scar to show, and then looked over the rest of it.
Nothing but bruises and probably a slight broken wing but otherwise it looked fine. "Well I guess you better go back to your herd then, I bet your own mom is worried sick for you? Don't let yourself get push around by those stupid jerks, go home okay."
Great I'm talking to it like it can understand me; I must be really going nuts …She pat its head, stroking the midnight mane then made to head back to her class before she got caught.
"There you are, I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long. What happened to you?" Hermione whispered as Keller made to stand next to her as Kettleburn finished explaining about the tadfoal and the ways of raising it. "I'll explain later ok?" She and Keller moved over to the one assign to them and just as Keller was taking down the notes while Hermione gave the foal its milk, her mind mostly now on that creature she just help and wonder how it was doing right now. She heard a shriek and many people turned their heads to see what the screaming was about and many gasp and some trying to make a cross across their hearts at the thing they saw approaching.
It was that black winged horse Keller saved and it was limping over to where they were. Some looked confused as they couldn't see it or tell what it was, others backing away to keep it from touching them.
"It's a Threstal. Don't let it come near you…bad omen…means death…"
Everyone was whispering to one another as the Threstal moved closer to their class, everyone backing as far away from it to keep it from coming closer but its eyes were on Hermione and Keller. They saw Keller stand up and walked towards it and placed her hand out to it like a dog sniffing a stranger it wasn't sure to trust. Professor Kettleburn heard all the commotion and saw Keller and the Threstal and noticed the blood on her hand.
"Ms. Corvin you're bleeding!" Keller hadn't taken any notice before the Threstal sniffed it and slowly licked the blood off, its tongue, warm and rough tickling her skin. Kettleburn was going to pull her away when the Threstal turn and stared coldly at him and hissed in his direction.
"Um I don't think that's wise professor." Remus was saying as he noticed how loyal yet wild looking it was in the threstal's eyes just now. Keller continued to pet him while whispering softly to calm it down. When it did, it circle around her, rubbing its' head against her like a happy cat.
"Oh 'oy, I think that Thre'stal thinks its' your mum now Ms. Core'vin." Hagrid said as he noticed the way the Threstal was acting. Half the class still didn't know what was the big deal was as they couldn't see it while others did and were staring at Keller with horrid-filled eyes.
"Miss Corvin, did you by any chance allow this Threstal to taste your blood?" Hermione looked at her with concern and Keller was going to tell the professor that she did it to herself but thought better, "I had a rough in with some twigs and got scratch by a couple when I found it by the forest and I had to see if it was all right but—"
"You what! You went to the Forbidden Forest when it is off limits!" Everyone looked half surprised and half impressed that she did. "You went in the forest where you could've been killed!"
"I didn't go into the heart of the forest sir, just close to where I saw it begin tortured and—"
"No excuse! Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention!" He said then looked to the Threstal where it was neighing-hissing at him. "Hagrid I think you should take it back to the forest."
"Professor!" Keller said as she looked to him. "Sir he's weak and malnourished and if he goes back there, he'll die by nightfall. Please, let me take care of it." Kettleburn seem to be thinking this through then turn and said, "Fine, you'll be raising that Threstal instead of tadfoal with Ms. Lucian, and by yourself with Hagrid to answer any question on how to raise it as he'll need to take this one to be fed. I'm sure one or two of the Threstals we have can become a surrogate mother to it."
"Yes 'ir' but we'll have to 'atch out 'or Tenebrus 'ough, he 'ight feel 'reaten 'ith a'other 'ale in the 'erd." He said as he tried to get the small Threstal but snarled at him and went behind Keller. Keller stroke his mane, doing her best to calm him and said, "I think I better go with him."
"Yes you must and I will want a full two parchments on the ways of raising a Threstal, same time when the tadfoals report are due on Friday." He turned back to everyone, "Now back to your Tadfoals this instant!" They did but some were whispering to one another as to what just happened.
Keller didn't return until the end of class where Hermione and the rest of the marauders were asking her many questions at once.
"So how are you going to do it?" Lily asked when Keller return to the group when class was let out and they had only a few more classes to go then dinner and then heading to the dormitory. "How are you going to be raising a Threstal with your classes?"
"Simple, Kettleburn decided I can go during class and after dinner and then return before curfew." They were heading for the north tower for Divination, which was to be the last class between Keller and Hermione before they had to head off to their two different classes with one of the guys. Climbing up the ladder one by one through the ceiling trapdoor and enter the room.
When Keller came in first, she grabbed her nose and was gagging at the strong smell coming in the room and Hermione was following Keller's example as her sense heightens and the strong smell of burning incense and fumes hit like an impending brick wall.
God how much perfume does one need? Somebody could die choking on this stuff.
I couldn't agree with you more but listen go grab that table next to the window over there and open it a crack.
Keller, without another word, rushed over and grabbed it before anyone else did and Hermione joined her as they opened the window and breathed and took time to enjoy the fresh cleanness of the outside air while everyone was taking their seats and their teacher came in.
Professor Trelawney looked exactly like Hermione remember, her huge glasses that enlarge her eyes, making her look rather like an insect, still very thin, even spindly-looking. Her clothesgauzy with spangled shawl and many chains and beads, bangles and rings. Trelawney stared around the room, seeing everyone gather and then said in a misty soft voice. "My inner eye has told me that today we have two new students with us." She looked around and spotted Hermione and Keller. "Welcome my dears, the divine spirits tell me you two will be having some foreseeing coming your way." Keller looked at her grimly and when her back was turn, she mouth to Hermione, 'Crazy'.
I know I had to spend almost half a year, listening to her babble nonsense. I was lucky enough to get out of there while I could but now I have to take this all over again.
Don't worry; at least I'm here for you. Hermione smiled and mouth her thanks. Trelawney was now speaking to the class about the lesson they were going to learn.
"Sometimes it said you can look into someone's eyes to see their inner soul, but in rarer cases to most, we can peer past that and pierce through the veil of one's own mind and see their past or possibly their future of what is to become." The students started mumbling to themselves and Trelawney silenced them.
"Now I want each and every one of you to partner with the person next to you, hold their hands and stare deeply into their eyes and do not blink, it will break the connection." Some people look very reluctant because many were boys sitting together and didn't like the idea of holding another guy's hand or staring into their eyes.
Keller rolled her eyes and ignored this as she and Hermione's hands reached across the table and held them. Finally everyone eventually did and Trelawney went to see how people were doing and asking what they saw.
"All I see is his eyes staring deeply in mine in a color that remind me of brownies. Oh dear Merlin, don't tell me my future is going to make me step out of the closet!" Sirius joked as he and James were partnered together and everyone laughed at his joke. Keller snorted at this and continued staring at Hermione. This is so gay…
I know tell me about it…nothing I can make of yours, Keller. Finally Trelawney reached their table and asked how they were progressing.
"Nothing for my future. Must mean its still on hold or something." Keller said and Trelawney scowled and asked to see her hand. She look intensely in her palm, sometimes tracing over it then asked to see Hermione's. She was studying harder on hers then said, "Now I see, your hands tells me that this would never have work as your life, family and love lines are both completely different and need someone with the same lines like your to see deeper." She left them and went searching about the room until she came back with Remus.
"Mr. Lupin line connect with your." She pointed to Hermione. "And Mr. Black with yours." Keller looked like she wanted the floor to eat her as she was practically dragged from her seat to where James had been sitting until he was moved elsewhere in the class and Sirius was now sitting opposite her. She sighed; she knew that she would have to get this done and over with.
Remind me to kill that old fraud… Keller reach out and took Sirius's hands in her, feeling a strange electric wave by contact and passing it as slight nerves and looked up into his eyes then felt something happened. Scenes swirled in her mind like silvery-blue, like his eyes as they came and wrapped themselves around her until a clear image came into her mind.
"Traitor mudblood lover!" A woman shrilled voice cried out to a boy who laid flat on the ground after the terrible torture of his father who had not only used an unforgivable curse on him but physical beatings.
Trying to beat the crap out of his muggle loving son.
Sirius, a cut over his left brow and blood beginning to pour from his lips as he stared disgusting at his so called family, the Blacks. Mostly he stared at his parents. Every year the same thing, the same beating, the same crap. Well he wasn't going to take it anymore.
He gritted his teeth, feeling them bite into his gum and then spat the blood out and said hatefully at them.
"I don't bloody care about your stupid prejudice you have against witches or wizards or any people who aren't bloody pureblood! I'm glad I never got to be in that damn house with those slimy Slytherin like the rest of the bloody family! All you cared was how better you were than other witches or wizards who aren't even purer and call them lower in status. Well your purity is nothing but a bunch of bullocks like the rest of you. You can stuff your goddamn preaching of 'Purebloods' up your bloody asses!"
"You're no son of mine!" The woman, his so called mother yelled while her husband looked ready to give him another taste of his fist but he had had enough.
"Well I wish I wasn't but I guess we can't always get what we wanted right mother?" He said 'mother' with loathing and watched as both his parent's eyes blazed with fury before his father started screaming at him to go to his room and get out of his sight.
"Gladly!" and went upstairs, locking his door and started packing his things in his trunk and grabbing enough money to take with him to take the Knight Bus and head to the Potter's.
At least someone treats me better than my own goddamn family, Sirius thought as he concentrated more on his packing than the tears that threaten to fall…
Keller was being pulled back as someone was calling her name and felt herself looking into the eyes of one Sirius Black as she let go of his hands.
So that's why he's called a traitor, she recalled what Malfoy had said to her and Hermione when they had been walking away from him. Sirius's entire family had been sorted into Slytherin except himself and his family had been bloody well pissed off since. A hand was waved in front of her face.
"Hey Keller!" Keller blinked twice before looking to the owner of the hand and saw Hermione waiting for her by her side. "Class's over finally, time to get moving."
"Oh right..." She grabbed her bag and followed Hermione down the ladder, once staring behind to see everyone else go down. Once they reached the bottom, she grabbed Hermione and pulled her to the side, pretending to be whispering so no one could bother them as they talk in private.
Is it true then? That Sirius's entire family had been in Slytherin, everyone but him and considers him a traitor?
Hermione looked behind her to see Remus was the first one down the ladder, followed by James then Lily and no Sirius yet before she nodded her head to confirm her suspicion. Yes Keller it's true but don't you dare say anything about it! You positively cannot say you know!
Don't worry I won't. When Sirius and the rest of the class had got down from the upstairs class they joined the two girls, heading to their last two classes.
"I'll see you later in the Dorms then before dinner." She waved and watched Keller and Sirius and the others head off to their classes while Remus and Hermione stood in the hall together.
"Well I guess we better be on our way then." He offered out his arm and Hermione reached for it.
Like a perfect gentleman, she couldn't help but not imagine what any girl would give for someone like him who acted and behaved towards a girl and treat them like a lady.
But all girls ever care for was looks and popularity like James or Sirius, or in many cases money. She had been one of those love-struck fools, well more like crush struck over her second year defense the dark arts with Lockhart, god she could never forget that. What had she been thinking at the time? That phony fraud! She looked to Remus again and saw that he made her heart flipped and feel her face becoming red by the minute.
Ok so she was now having a crush on her future professor. It was so wrong on so many levels. It was breaking one of the rules of time traveling and she didn't know how she got here in the first place.
Whatever you do, don't get emotions involved with someone from the past. Just keep telling yourself that and you'll do fine Mione.
She was so lost in her thought that Remus was calling her 'name'. "Sonja, um Sonja we're here." Hermione looked and saw that they were standing outside their classroom. She blushed, realizing she must've made herself look like a fool in front of him, "Oh sorry, just thinking about some things, some really important things."
"It's ok, nothing to worry I'm sure, you can take a seat with me and copy my notes if you need to. Professor Kilburn is very understanding so he'll go easy on you since you're new and all."
"All right then." She said as she and Remus stepped into the classroom together and took a seat next to one another.
Arithmancy and Ancient Runes passed by quickly as she and Remus made their way to the staircases and headed to the Fat lady who was speaking to a neighbor, Violet before Remus interrupt them, "Lion's Roar." The fat lady opened and he and Hermione stepped in. She saw that the common room looked exactly as how it was back in her time and was about to head to her room upstairs, realizing she was to be new and not knowing which stairway lead to which. "Um Remus, which one do I take to head to the girl's room."
"It's the one on the left." She said thanks and went upstairs and saw to her surprise Lily was already there and that there were four trunks by four beds. She wondered who else was here as she took one of the empty beds between Lily's and another. Lily looked up from her book, seeing Hermione get on her bed and said, "Good to see you, seems like we're the only ones here so far."
"Yeah tell me about it." She said lying down on the bed to which in the future would still be hers. She then looked to the four other beds lying on the opposite side and pointed to them. "Whose are they?"
"Oh they're Serena Donavan and Alice Monroe, Mary McQueens and her twin sister Angelica. Serena's a beater along with Sirius and Alice is our new chaser in Quidditch. James happens to be captain now and is probably going to be setting many practices for the new team soon as he needs all the player he could get after so many dropped out."
"Dropped out why?" They turn to see Keller coming in, dropping her bag to the remaining bed and jump on it, staring at Lily. Lily looked at her confused. "Because of…He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Don't you know?" Keller raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"
"He-Who-Mustn't-Be-Named!" Keller looked over at Hermione to see if she could make her understand what Lily was saying. Seeing as she had no choice she told her. Voldemort.
"Vold-Moldy. What kind of name is that?" Hermione and Lily looked at her peeved, "Not Vold-Moldy, Voldemort! He happens to be the darkest wizard coming into power and the entire wizarding world is afraid of him."
Keller rolled her eyes. "So why exactly should someone be afraid of a name, especially a name that sound so stupid?" She didn't see the paleness on Lily's face but say, "You can't always be afraid of someone whose name you think strikes fear in your heart. My mother once said fear is what gave the enemy power over you and to have nothing to fear but fear itself and I have for one don't think that a simple name will have me cowering in the shadows."
"But he is dangerous! He kills muggles, muggle-born, and wizards that dare oppose and stand in his way! He uses unforgivable curses on them." Keller ignore her and pulled a book from out of her bag, a book that Hermione saw the cover to that of a comic and thought that Keller should immediately put back in her bag that instant but didn't as she turn the pages and read to herself. The cover showed a Guy Fawkes mask, grinning to the reader as if sharing a mysterious secret with one who reads its' pages.
"Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici." She said after a moment of silence and the two looked over at her, not really understanding what she had just said. "By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe." She looked up from her book to them. "My favorite motto by this character 'V'. It means 'To cheat the devil' as he who cheats anyone else in giving them reason to fear and making them weak and fall prey to his whims. And I don't plan to believe that this Vold-moldy guy is going to get me running scared because I bet his name is bogus as well." She said turning to the next page and reading on.
Hermione wanted to pluck the book from her hands and tell her to put it away before someone ask to read it and see the copyrighted date and such but when she turned around she saw something in Lily's eyes. They seem to hold deep thought as she took the words of what Keller had said.
"Do you really believe that? Even with what's happening?" She said turning to look at Hermione for a moment and thinking of what her cousin said and then speaking for herself.
"I think that what one person or wizard can do is try and believe in themselves and find the courage to stand for what they fight for the cause and hoping in others to believe like them for the truth for justice to prevail and see to light overcomes darkness when they know history can repeat over and over again but one can learn their mistake and find new ends to help stop the battle from going any further or losing more people in the war."
"What my cousin is trying to say is don't let fear overcome you, become strong in numbers and you'll kick his dark ass off his high horse when he thinks too high and mighty of himself."
Lily was silent a moment then nodded her head assuring. "You're right. You're absolutely right. Someday someone will do just that and He-Who-Mustn't-Be-Named will fall off on his bloody ass." And the three laughed at the thought of Voldemort indeed falling on his ass while the hero kicked it to high heaven, only Hermione knowing the truth that someday indeed that Harry would do just that.
Blue Kitsune: Well here's Chapter 5 posted and thanks to my editor and myself had it all work out and I promise for all my other readers for my other stories that I will get back to the swing of things as soon as I can. Chapter 6 will be posted later when I finish it up. Keep reviewing! Oh and to answer anyone's question as to why some were seeing the Threstal, well it's easy as some of them had already seen a death in the family or something so work with me on that.