The alarm woke the Harry and Rose being, who sat up, prompting it to deactivate. It was six in the morning, which gave them plenty of time to get ready. They grinned, no longer feeling tired or exhausted, Jumping out of bed, the Harry and Rose being gathered clothes together for the day and showered, noticing the Rose half was beginning to go through some expected physical developments. Aunt Petunia had reluctantly spoken to her about them, but had provided the Harry and Rose being with nothing. Perhaps an owl order was warranted, the Harry and Rose being thought. Dismissing the matter for the moment, they finished their shower and dressed for the day, then gripped hands and exited the room.
"Password H. R. P. Change." The Harry and Rose being said to the door, then after a moment added, "Hearts one."
They said the password again after a few seconds and the door unlocked for them. Grinning, they locked the door and made their way to the great hall for breakfast. As Ron came in, he spotted them and hurried over.
"Where were you, mate?" He asked.
"Getting some sleep." The Harry and Rose being responded. "Professor McGonagall gave us a room by the Gryffindor common room. Thanks for telling me to talk to her."
"Well, I just thought it would help, it's nothing." Ron muttered.
"Well, it did help." The Harry and Rose being responded.
"Great." Ron said as he looked down at his schedule for the day. "Looks like it's double potions today."
"With Professor Snape." The Harry and Rose being said. "Well, just because he didn't like me, or appeared to not like me during the arrival feast, doesn't mean he'll transfer that in class, does it?"
"Well, they say he favors the Slytherin's, guess we'll find out if it's true." Ron responded as the mail came. To the Harry and Rose being's surprise, an owl dropped off a note to them. Curious, they read it.
Dear Harry and Rose,
I know you got Friday afternoons off, so would you like to come and have a cup of tea with me around three? I live in a shack on the grounds and want to introduce myself and hear all about your first week. Send us an answer back with owl that delivered this to you.
Hagrid
"Hmm." The Harry and Rose being said.
"What is it?" Ron asked.
"Hagrid wants to get to know me." The Harry and Rose being responded. "Can I borrow your quill?"
"Sure." Ron offered it to them.
The Rose half took it and wrote a short response, letting him know they'd show up before sending it off with the owl. The Harry and Rose being didn't quite know what it would be like to speak with Hagrid, having never actually done so before. After sending the note off, they finished their breakfast and proceeded, with the other first years, to the potions class.
As they walked, they gazed around in wonder. Now that they were fully awake and not exhausted, they were able to enjoy the grand Hogwarts far more than before. Moving portraits lined some of the walls, suits of armor were in some of the coridors, and passage ways were hidden where you might never think to look, such as seeming to be a part of the wall with only a small mark to indicate where they were, or even looking like class room doors until you opened them.
Potions class was held in the dungeons, and within the class room, a number of pickled animals were floating in glass jars. It was colder than the castle, though that wasn't a surprise since it was underground. Professor Snape took roll call to begin his class, his voice soft, but a presents that kept everyone silent. When he Reached the names of Harry and Rose, he paused.
"Ah, yes. Harry Potter, our new celebrity. And Rose Potter, the unknown Potter."
Draco Malfoy and his friends snickered behind their hands. After finishing calling out the names, he spoke, his black eyes containing no warmth, only a cold emptiness.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion- making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses. ... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death-if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Dunderheads sounded like an insult, the Harry and Rose being thought, glancing at Ron who looked at them in turn. Hermione Granger was sitting on the edge of her seat, eager to answer a question and prove she was intelligent, perhaps. So far, this class was turning out to be disappointing with a teacher that was rather unkind.
"Potter!" Snape said suddenly, looking at the Harry half. "What would I get if I added powdered root of Asphodel to an infusion of Wormwood?"
The Harry and Rose being had spent hours studying the potions book, trying to imagine what it would be like to begin this art of magic. Cooking was something they enjoyed a great deal, so they wanted to take that to Potions as well. That was easy. Hermione's hand had shot into the air, but the Harry and Rose being answered anyway.
"The Draught of Living Death, sir." The Harry half responded promptly.
Hermione put her hand down, looking disappointed. The Harry and Rose being, on the other hand, felt better about the class. Perhaps they would learn something useful, though they still thought Professor Snape's aditude to be questionable at best.
"Where would you look, Potter, if I told you to find me a Bezoar?" Professor Snape asked.
"I don't know, sir." The Harry half responded after a moment's thought, Hermione once again with her hand in the air. Though the Harry and Rose being had read their potions book, not all the answers were in it, it seemed.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Professor Snape asked vindictively. The Harry half continued looking into Professor Snape's cold, black eyes, which were full of hate and a vindictive sort of malice. He continued to ignore Hermione, and Draco Malfoy was shaking with silent laughter along with his friends on the Slytherin side of the room.
"What is the difference, Potter, between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?" Professor Snape asked, his upper lip curling into an unpleasant sneer.
"I don't know, sir." The Harry half responded, the Rose half watching Hermione, who's hand was stretched as high as it would go. "Hermione might know, though."
"Put your hand down, silly girl." Professor Snape snapped and the Harry and Rose being got ready to write, just in case. It was a good thing they did, too, as Professor Snape finally began giving them some useful information.
"Asphodel and Wormwood do, in fact, make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A Bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for Monkshood and Wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of Aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?" Professor Snape stated, glaring at the Harry and Rose being, who were writing.
As everyone got quills and parchment but the Harry and Rose being, Professor Snape stated, "A point from Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter."
Professor Snape put everyone into pairs. Their assignment for the day was to mix up a simple potion to cure boils. He swept through the class room in his long black cloak, watching everyone preparing and mixing their ingredients. He criticized everyone but Malfoy, it seemed, who did everything perfectly according to the professor. As he told everyone to look at the perfect way Malfoy had stewed his horned slugs, the class was interrupted by a clouds of acid, green smoke, and a hissing that filled the class room. The Harry and Rose being jumped on their stools as they watched the cauldron Neville and Seamus had been using melt into a twisted blob. The potion within, which seemed to be nothing more than a rather acidic substance, burned holes in people's shoes as it spread across the stone floor. Neville, who had been drenched in the potion, moaned in pain as boils popped up all over his skin.
"Idiot boy!" Professor Snape said furiously, clearing the potion with a wave of his wand. "I suppose you added the porcupine quills before taking the cauldron off the fire?"
Neville only whimpered in response, probably in too much pain to speak.
"Take him to the hospital wing." He instructed Seamus, then turned to glare furiously at the Harry half, who had been working with Ron. "Why didn't you tell him not to add the quills, Potter? Thought it would make you look good if he got it wrong, perhaps? That's another point you've lost for Gryffindor."
The Harry and Rose being said nothing, only continued working with the partners each half had been paired with. They wished they'd been paired together, but that was unlikely to happen with Professor Snape, the bully Professor, teaching. They found they didn't much like him and hoped he would insult them on one of their bad days, just so they could get their revenge in full. At the thought, they mentally grinned a little.
They climbed from the dungeon an hour later, the Harry and Rose being looking rather glum. Two points had been taken from Gryffindor for something they hadn't even done wrong. It seemed that Professor Snape simply didn't like the Harry half, though it went further than that. It seemed he really hated all Gryffindor's, though hated the Harry half in particular for some reason.
"Cheer up." Ron said to the Harry and Rose being. "Snape's always taking points from Gryffindor because of Fred and George. Can I come meet Hagrid with you?"
"Sure." The Harry and Rose being responded.
About five minutes before three, they left the castle and made their way across the grounds. Hagrid lived in a small wooden house that was positioned at the edge of the forbidden forest. A crossbow and a pair of galoshes were outside the front door. When the Harry half knocked, they heard several booming barks and their heart began to race. The encounters they'd had with Ripper, Aunt Marge's beloved pet dog, didn't make them comfortable with that sound.
"Back, fang, back!" Hagrid's booming voice called from beyond the closed door before he opened it a bit, his large face appearing in it. "Hang on, back, fang."
The Harry and Rose being were more comforted that Hagrid was keeping a handle on Fang. He let them in as he struggled to keep Fang from leaping on them, who turned out to be a giant black boarhound. Once inside, he said, "Make yerselves at home." He then released Fang, who bounded at Ron. The Harry and Rose being tensed in fear, but relaxed when it turned out Fang only wanted to get friendly, licking his ears.
"Interesting place." The Harry and Rose being said.
"Professor Dumbledore got it for me. Great man, Dumbledore." Hagrid said with a beaming smile. "And yer Harry, I suppose."
"I'm the Harry half." He said. "This is the Rose half. We have the single soul bond."
"Knew both of yeh as kids, did everythin' together." Hagrid said as he poured tea into some mugs and put rock cakes on the table. "Both of yeh were always fairly happy."
"Well that's good to know. This is Ron, Hagrid. He's the first who is trying his best to fully accept me as I am." The Harry and Rose being said with a smile, the Rose half slinging an arm around his shoulders. Ron's face turned red and he shrugged her off.
"Another Weasley, eh?" Hagrid glanced at his freckles. "I spent half me life chasin' yer twin brothers away from the forest."
"They sound like they get into trouble a lot." The Harry and Rose being said.
"Tha's right, sure do." Hagrid said.
"What do you do here, Hagrid?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"Tha's right, yeh don' know." Hagrid said with a grin. "I'm the Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts."
"That explains the crossbow and galoshes." The Harry and Rose being replied.
"What are galoshes anyway?" Ron asked as Fang moved to the Harry half and made to put his head in his lap. The Harry half gently pushed him back and Fang let out a little whine.
"No, don't do that." The Rose half said with a gentle firmness in her voice, then added, "Galoshes go over your shoes, they're rubber waterproof things that stop your feet from getting wet."
"Oh." Ron responded. "That's kinda cool."
"So, how abou' yer first week?" Hagrid asked. "Likin' it here, are yeh?"
"Oh, yes!" The Harry and Rose being said with a wide grin. "Once we got our sleeping problem solved, that is."
"Sleepin' problem?" Hagrid asked with concern.
They went on to explain what had happened to them their first week. Ron filled in where they'd been out of it, and when it came time for them to tell him about how Professor McGonagall had lent them a room they could use to sleep in, Hagrid said, "Tha's good yea got it solved, wouldn'ta been good to have yea not sleepin'."
"No, I was starting to snap at people." The Harry and Rose being said.
The Harry and Rose being told Hagrid about the lesson with Professor Snape and he told them not to worry about it, though Hagrid didn't quite meet their eyes when he asked why he should hate them. The conversation went on and the Harry and Rose being was delighted to hear Hagrid call Filch an old git. Eventually, the conversation moved to Charlie, one of Ron's brothers. As Ron told Hagrid all about the work Charlie did with dragons, the Rose half caught sight of a piece of paper on the table under the tea kettle. Curious, they carefully moved it and pulled the piece of paper out, starting to read.
ANOTHER POTTER DISCOVERED
It has been commonly known to witches and wizards for some time that Harry Potter, who survived the killing curse and vanquished He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, was going to attend Hogwarts on 1 September this year. However, what was less commonly known was the other Potter.
Rose Potter is not Harry Potter's sister as one may think. In fact, reports would seem to indicate that she shares the single soul bond, a legendary bond which would make the two Potter's one person rather than two.
"They always move and talk at the same time, it's really freaky!" A fourth year at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry indicated.
Since the reports seem to be nothing but speculation on the parts of the students, it is believed that the Potter's share the more commonly known soul bond instead. After all, the single soul bond is not recorded in any verifiable historical books, simply a tail told to children.
"Unbelievable!" The Harry and Rose being said angrily, slapping the paper down on the table before they read the rest. "Who do they think they are to get into our personal, private life?"
"Yeh may want ter calm down there, Harry and Rose. Yer famous, it's bound ter be in the news." Hagrid said.
"I'm going for a walk, you mind?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"No, yeh go ahead." Hagrid said pleasantly.
"Uh, Harry and Rose?" Ron asked. They spun to face them and his hand shook a little as he held out the paper.
"I don't want that." The Harry and Rose being responded coldly.
"You should read the rest." He said. "It concerns Rose... The Rose half, I mean. And her family." His voice was nervous, but he didn't back down, a true Gryffindor. The Rose half snatched the paper and the Harry and Rose being walked from the house toward the lake, feeling furious. After they sat, the Rose half gazed down at the paper and skimmed it until reaching the unfamiliar part of the article.
Upon further investigation, it was revealed that Rose Marie Potter was not originally a Potter, but is in fact a Black. As far as magical rights are concerned, however, Rose Marie Black is married to Harry Potter, and thus, shares his last name.
The family records of Rose Marie indicate that her father is Sirius Black, who is currently incarcerated in Azkaban for the brutal murder of twelve Muggles as well as the murder of Peter Pettigrew, for which only a finger was found for evidence. Sirius Black was not only godfather to Harry Potter, but was also the Potter's secret keeper when they were hiding. For reasons unknown to us, Sirius Black betrayed the Potter's, leading He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to them and to the murder of the Potter's, and subsequent vanquishing of You-Know-Who. One wonders what Rose Marie must think of her father, and if she's even aware of her own family line. After all, it was the cohorts of Sirius Black who murdered her mother, Sarah Black, in Diagon Alley on November 12, 1981.
For more information on Sirius Black, see page six. For information on Peter Pettigrew, see page seven.
The Harry and Rose being felt raw rage welling in them. Sirius Black, the father of the Rose half, had killed, murdered, had been allied with Voldemort! It was his fault they'd been with the Dursley's! It was his fault they didn't have a mother! It was all his fault!
The Harry and Rose being let out a furious shriek and the paper burst into flames as the Rose half flung it away from her as hard as she could. It passed over part of the lake and landed harmlessly on some rocks. Hot tears poured down their faces and they clutched each other, sobbing hard and feeling emotions pouring through them. The Harry and Rose being didn't know how long they'd been outside crying, but felt hands rest on their shoulders and looked up at Ron through tear-filled eyes, their faces filled with emotion.
"Come on, mate. We need to get going for dinner." He said carefully.
The Harry and Rose being stood and controlled their emotions, feeling a hot rage toward Sirius Black, the traitor. They thought deeply as they went to the great hall for dinner, wiping their eyes free of the tears before entering Hogwarts again. Nothing could be done about Black. It was best to let it go, though it wouldn't be easy.
September 12, 1991.
The Harry and Rose being were getting plenty of sleep because of Professor McGonagall's generosity. Even though the news of Sirius Black was weighing heavy on their mind, they still managed to sleep well, though dreamt of a faceless man who, with an eager tremor in his voice, told Lord Voldemort the location of the Potter's. A high, cold laugh proceeded it and they woke, feeling a fury toward Black and a powerful desire to kill him for what he'd done.
On Monday morning, the Harry and Rose being spotted a notice pinned up in the Gryffindor common room. They often visited it and did their homework there, though wondered how such a thing would be handled by the other teachers, given that their writing was precisely the same, as was the wording on their work. Curious about the notice, they read it and smiled. The Harry and Rose being had been looking forward to flying, but they soon frowned when they realized the class would be held with Slytherin.
Surprisingly, Professor Sprout took their homework without comment, scanning it pensively before sending them to join their classmates. Professor Quirrell also said nothing, though the Harry and Rose being didn't consider him much of a teacher anyway. Professor McGonagall simply smiled at the two of them and put them to work with the rest. Throughout the days leading up to the flying lesson, Malfoy did quite a bit of bragging about flying, how good he was, as well as all the adventures he'd been on. The Harry and Rose being didn't give it much stock, but was nervous about making a fool of them self on the broom in front of Malfoy. No doubt, he would take that opportunity to bully them and laugh at their misfortune.
Quidditch was spoken of quite a bit by the wizarding families. The first years were excited to begin their flying lessons and spoke of them constantly. Ron longed to join the Quidditch team one day, though didn't know when that would be. The Harry and Rose being didn't think they'd be joining the team any time soon, so decided it best not to get their hopes up. If they always kept their expectations and hopes low, they wouldn't be disappointed. It was a lesson they'd learned at the Dursley's, one that was both sad, but true.
The only two who didn't seem excited about learning to fly were Neville and Hermione, Neville who had never been allowed near a broom, and Hermione who hadn't grown up around the magical ones. Neville was already rather clumsy on the ground, and keeping a broom from him would prevent him from having any accidents in the air, so the Harry and Rose being understood Neville's nervousness. Hermione didn't know what to expect, and from the manner in which she spoke from her books, trying to pass on all the flying tips she could, was perhaps afraid of heights. Neville hung on to every word Hermione said, though, trying to get as much knowledge as he could. Flying couldn't be learned from books, though, it had to actually be done.
Hermione's lecture on flying was interrupted by the arrival of the mail Thursday morning, something everyone was glad for. The Harry and Rose being had only received the single note from Hagrid, which Malfoy had been quick to note. His owl was always bringing him packages of sweets, which he gloatingly opened at the Slytherin table.
A barn owl brought Neville a package, which he excitedly showed to the Gryffindor's. It appeared to be a small glass ball, large enough to be held in the fist and filled with white smoke.
"It's a Remembrall! My gran knows I forget things, so it tells you if there's something you've forgotten to do. You hold it like this and if it turns red... Oh..." Neville's face fell, as the smoke did indeed turn red.
Draco Malfoy, who was passing bye, snatched the Remembrall out of Neville's hand with a grin. The Harry and Rose being along with Ron jumped to their feet, but before they could do anything, Professor McGonagall swept toward them, able to spot trouble faster than many of the other teachers.
"What's going on?" She asked.
Malfoy's got my Remembrall, Professor." Neville responded.
Malfoy scowled and dropped it on the table, then stated, "Just looking." He then left with Crabbe and Goyle.
After Professor McGonagall left, the Harry and Rose being sat back down with Ron, saying, "It's too bad she had to come."
"Yeah, I'd have liked to take a swing at him." Ron responded in a disappointed voice.
"You shouldn't be fighting, you know." Hermione said disapprovingly.
"And you shouldn't be sticking your nose in our business." Ron stated in reply.
"Please, don't, Hermione." The Harry and Rose being said when it seemed she was about to speak again. "I know you're trying to be helpful, but you come off a bit abrasive. I understand you don't mean it that way."
Hermione looked down, blushing.
At three thirty in the afternoon, the first year Gryffindors made their way down to a smooth, flat field that was opposite the forbidden forest. Twenty broomsticks lay on the ground and the Slytherin's were standing in wait. Fred and George had complained about the school brooms, pointing out ways in which they malfunctioned. Looking at them, the Harry and Rose being weren't surprised as they didn't seem to be in the best condition.
The teacher, Madam Hooch, arrived. She had yellow eyes like a hawk and short gray hair. When she spoke, she seemed quite strict.
"Well, what are you all waiting for? Stand by a broomstick, come on, hurry up." She barked.
Everyone scrambled to do so and the Harry and Rose being glanced down at their brooms. They were old and some of the twigs stuck out at odd angles. It didn't seem like a very good thing to be riding.
"Stick your right hand over the broom and say up!" Madam Hooch called from the front.
"Up!" The Harry and Rose being called along with the other first years.
Their brooms jumped into their hands immediately, but their's were the few that did. Hermione's had rolled over on the ground, and Neville's broom hadn't moved at all. The Harry and Rose being wondered if brooms, like horses, could sense if you were nervous or not. Neville clearly seemed to want to keep his feet on the ground.
Madam Hooch next showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off the end, walking among them and correcting their grips. The Harry and Rose being and Ron were delighted to hear her tell Malfoy she'd been gripping his wrong for years. She then returned to the front of the class.
"When I blow my whistle, kick off from the ground hard. Keep your brooms steady, rise a few feet, and then come straight back down by leaning forward. On my whistle, three, two..."
Neville, who was nervous, jumpy, and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched her lips. The Harry and Rose being watched in horror as he rose twenty feet into the air, gasp, then slipped sideways off the broom and crash to the ground with a nasty sounding crack. The broom kept rising and started to drift toward the forbidden forest as Madam Hooch hurried to his side, her face white.
"Broken wrist." She muttered. "Come on, boy, up you get, it's all right." She turned to the rest of the class and spoke strictly. "None of you is to move while I take this boy to the hospital wing! You leave those brooms where they are or you'll be out of Hogwarts before you can say Quidditch. Come on, dear."
Neville hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him. His face was streaked with tears from the pain he felt, and perhaps fear as well. The Harry and Rose being felt a wave of compassion toward him. As soon as they were out of earshot, Malfoy burst out in laughter.
"Did you see his face, the great lump?" Malfoy asked with a grin.
"How would you feel if you were dropped from a great height, Malfoy?" The Harry and Rose being asked, feeling the familiar hot rage and fury burning within them.
"I wouldn't whine like him, I can tell you." Malfoy said, laughing with the other Slytherin's. "Oh, look what he dropped. That stupid Remembrall his granny sent him."
The Remembrall glittered in the son as Malfoy held it up.
"Give that here, Malfoy." The Harry and Rose being stated quietly and coldly.
Malfoy smiled in a nasty sort of way as everyone went quiet to watch.
"I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about up a tree?" With a grin, Malfoy got on his broom and kicked off.
Malfoy could fly quite well. It seemed he hadn't been lying about that part. With a burning fury, the Harry and Rose being got on their brooms and kicked off, ignoring Hermione's warning they'd get them into trouble. Wind rushed through their hair and their robes soared out behind them. Fierce joy overcame their anger and they realized this was something they could do without being taught. It was easy, wonderful! With wide grins, they leveled with Malfoy, pulling their broomsticks up to do so. With a sharp turn, they were facing Malfoy, who looked stunned.
"Give it here or I'll knock you off that broom!" The Harry and Rose being said.
"Oh, yeah?" Malfoy said, trying to sneer.
"You think I'm bluffing? I'm not." The Harry and Rose being responded.
They grasped their broom in both hands, turned a little in opposite directions, then shot forward and turned toward Malfoy, moving quite quickly. Their heart pounded with the rush of adrenaline and fierce joy. Malfoy barely got out of their way and they spun to face him. It was slightly dizzying to move so quickly in different directions, but they imagined they'd get used to it soon enough. A few people were clapping and cheering.
"No Crabbe and Goyle up here to fight your battles for you, Malfoy!" The Harry and Rose being said coolly.
"Well then, catch it if you can!" Malfoy cried, then threw the Remembrall as hard as he could.
The Harry and Rose being saw the ball moving in slow motion as it rose up, then headed back down. They leaned forward and pointed their broom handles down, picking up speed. They whooped with fierce joy as they sped toward it, though as the Rose half started picking up speed, her broom started to vibrate horribly under her and she quickly headed back to the ground. The Harry half was still headed toward it moving faster and faster, wind whistling in his ears mingled with the screams of people as the Rose half dismounted and dropped her broom. The Harry half stretched out his hand and caught the Remembrall a foot from the ground, just in time to pull his broom straight and topple gently to the ground. As he rolled to a stop, then jumped to his feet, the Harry half grinned widely along with the Rose half, who had been running to keep up with him. She reached his side as a voice rang out across the grounds.
"Harry Potter!"
Professor McGonagall sounded utterly furious as she ran toward the Harry and Rose being, who's heart sank faster than the Harry half had dived. The Harry half let his broom fall to the ground and stood, trembling.
"Never in all my time at Hogwarts..." Professor McGonagall was shocked. "You could have broken your neck!"
"It wasn't his fault, Professor..."
"Be quiet, Miss Patil..."
"But Malfoy..."
"Enough, Mr. Weasley. Potter, follow me, now."
"Me too, Professor?" The Rose half asked in a trembling voice.
"Yes of course." Professor McGonagall snapped.
The Harry and Rose being held hands tightly as they followed Professor McGonagall, catching sight of Crabbe and Goyle, along with Malfoy. They looked triumphant. As they followed Professor McGonagall toward the castle, they knew they were going to be expelled. If anything, that would give them time to think about Black and their situation with him.
The Harry and Rose being hadn't even lasted two weeks. In ten minutes, they would be packing their bags. Weren't the Dursley's going to be in for a surprise when they showed up after so little time. They'd probably kick them out before they could even get back in the house, though perhaps not. Perhaps Uncle Vernon would gleefully laugh and say in a boisterous voice, "What did I tell you? Mad, the lot of them!"
Professor McGonagall didn't say a word to them as they followed her up marble staircases and through doors that she wrenched open. She was probably taking them to Dumbledore, the Harry and Rose being thought miserably. Hagrid had also been expelled and he'd been given the job of grounds keeper. Perhaps the Harry and Rose being would be assisting him, or in some other job, perhaps helping Filch to keep the castle clean and tidy. Their stomachs twisted into knots of nervousness as they thought about watching their friends becoming wizards as they did odd jobs around the castle, never to learn magic again.
Professor McGonagall stopped outside a classroom and poked her head inside.
"Excuse me, Professor Flitwick, could I borrow Wood for a moment?"
The Harry and Rose being stared around, recognizing the charms class room and the corridor beyond. Their heart still pounded and they wondered what Wood was. It turned out he was a student who was looking rather confused.
Together, the Harry and Rose being and Wood followed Professor McGonagall down a corridor until she directed them to enter a classroom that was almost completely empty. Peeves, who had been writing rather rude words on the chock board was dismissed by Professor McGonagall. He threw the chock into the bin as he left and Professor McGonagall vanished the words with a wave of her wand. She then slammed the door and turned to the Harry and Rose being and Wood.
"Potter's, this is Oliver Wood. Wood, I've found you a seeker." Professor McGonagall said.
Wood's expression changed to delight and he grinned.
"Are you serious, Professor?" He asked.
"Absolutely." Professor McGonagall responded. "Boy's a natural, I've never seen anything like it before in my life. Was that your first time on a broomstick, Potter?"
"Yes." The Harry and Rose being said. "If the Rose half's broom hadn't been vibrating, she would have kept going."
"You were up there, too?" Professor McGonagall asked sharply.
"It was so easy!" The Rose half said with a grin of delight. "It was wonderful, Professor!"
"He caught that thing in his hand after a fifty foot dive, go on, hold it up, Potter." Professor McGonagall said.
The Harry half held up the Remembrall, which he still held clasped in his hand. The Harry and Rose being sighed with relief and relaxed, their grip on each other's hands loosening.
"Charlie Weasley couldn't have done what he did." Professor McGonagall continued.
Wood was looking as if all of his dreams had come true at once. Excited, he asked, "Ever seen a game of Quidditch, Potter?"
"Wood's Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team." Professor McGonagall explained.
Wood and McGonagall talked among themselves as Wood examined the Harry half, pointing out the Rose half as a possible reserve seeker. When she sternly looked at the Harry and Rose being, they returned her gaze.
"I want to hear you're training hard, Potter, or I may change your mind about punishing you." Her voice was firm and stern, but quite suddenly, she smiled.
"Your father would have been proud. He was an excellent Quidditch player himself." She added.
The Harry and Rose being gazed on for a moment, then said, "Which half?"
"Oh, the Harry half, of course." Professor McGonagall replied, though that gave them an idea.
"Professor McGonagall, can I speak with you for a moment?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"Certainly." She said.
"I'll just be outside." Wood said, excusing himself.
"What is it, Harry, Rose?" Professor McGonagall asked in concern.
"I found out about who the father of the Rose half is." The Harry and Rose being stated.
Professor McGonagall sighed, looking weary.
"I had hoped you wouldn't have such a burden placed on your shoulders at such a young age, but I never agreed to withhold that information from you." She said.
"It's okay. Professor." The Harry and Rose being responded. "I'm angry at Sirius Black for what he did, but I've made a decision. I want to see him. I want to know why he betrayed my parents."
"I don't believe that's such a good idea." Professor McGonagall said after a long moment. "Azkaban is a place where many prisoners lose their sanity. I would shutter to think of what the Dementors would do to either of you."
"I'm just one, Professor, remember?" The Harry and Rose being said.
"Of course." Professor McGonagall replied. "It's difficult to get used to that fact."
"Professor McGonagall, he is family. Don't I have a right to see him?" The Harry and Rose being asked.
"I would think so. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, only high ranking ministry officials are allowed to visit convicts in the prison." Professor McGonagall responded. "I am afraid that you will be unable to do so."
"Oh." The Harry and Rose being said. "Professor, was Black ever given a trial?"
"The evidence against him was irrefutable. A trial was unnecessary." Professor McGonagall stated.
"I see." The Harry and Rose being said thoughtfully. "Thanks for telling me, Professor."
"You're quite welcome." Professor McGonagall responded.
After that, Wood came back in and Professor McGonagall left. Once the door was closed, Wood started speaking to the Harry and Rose being, explaining some things to them. He couldn't be gone too long, though, so made his explanations quick. On the hole, the Harry and Rose being were relieved at how their day had ended, though thoughts of Black lingered in their mind throughout their conversation with Wood. With no trial, how had his guilt actually been determined? They didn't know, but at some point, decided to do more research on the matter.