I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANYTHING AFFILIATED WITH IT. I ONLY OWN DEVYN AND HER PARENTS.

Chapter 2

"Hermione!"

Neville and Devyn's bushy haired friend turned around with a big smile on her face. In her arms was particularly large ginger cat that looked like it had had a fight with a brick wall and lost. Either way, Devyn smiled and ran towards her friend.

Hermione deposited the cat onto a nearby bench and Devyn noticed it streak off after it saw something on the floor. Probably a rat or something. Devyn and Hermione embraced tightly and then she turned to Neville, who had gotten taller as well over the summer.

"Oh, I've missed you two!" Hermione exclaimed, hugging Neville. Neville grinned and said, "We missed you too, Hermione."

Devyn smiled brightly at Neville and Hermione looked between them with an eyebrow raised almost imperceptibly. Devyn tried to ignore it, remembering how in first year, when Hermione put the full-body bind on Neville and Devyn told him that if she didn't come back that night, that she loved him, Hermione had been of the opinion that Devyn "liked" Neville as more than a friend. At the time, she hadn't been sure, but now...well, actually, she was even less sure. She and Neville were both 13 now (although Devyn was a couple months away from 14) and crushes were going to start rearing their heads, and Devyn had a feeling about the exact direction hers were going in.

It only bothered her slightly that she wasn't bothered by the fact that she had a slight crush on Neville at all, which seemed a bit of a contradiction. However, she wasn't about to let this crush show and possibly tear apart her friendship with Neville. He meant far too much to her for that.

"So," Devyn said, trying to draw Hermione's attention away from her and Neville, "who was your feline friend?"

"Yeah, and where did he go?" Neville asked. Hermione got an alarmed expression on her face and looked around her wildly.

"Oh, no! Not again! Oh, his name is Crookshanks. I got him a couple days ago. He keeps running off, chasing -"

"CATCH THAT CAT!"

Hermione's face crumpled and she said, "Scabbers."

At those words, the cat named Crookshanks zoomed past them, nearly taking out Neville's leg in the process, in hot pursuit of a fat gray rat, who was squeaking in terror.

Seconds later, Ron, Fred, and George sprinted past them, Ron yelling in anger.

"Hermione, I'm going to MURDER your cat!" Ron shouted as he passed them. Devyn and Neville blinked in confusion and Devyn said, "Can't leave you alone for five minutes without hell breaking loose, can we?"

Hermione smiled frantically and said, "Apparently not. D'you think you could help catch him? Fact is, Devyn, you're faster than any of us..."

Devyn laughed and said, "Yeah, sure, no problem, Hermione."

Devyn waited a couple seconds until she saw Scabbers and then Crookshanks and shot her hand out like lightning and caught Crookshanks by the scruff of his neck. He started spitting at her angrily but she just stared him down. Eventually he calmed down enough for her to give him to Hermione.

"Thanks," Hermione said, enormous relief in her face. Devyn nodded and waited a minute or two until Ron came around holding Scabbers tightly. Crookshanks hissed when he saw Scabbers but did nothing else.

"I'm warning you Hermione, keep that bloody beast away from Scabbers, or I'll turn it into a tea cozy!" Ron said forcefully. Neville chuckled but silenced immediately when Hermione glared at him. Devyn patted him on the shoulder and he tried to suppress a smile from cropping up.

"He's a cat, Ronald, what do you expect? It's in his nature!" Hermione shot back.

"A cat?! Is that what they told you? Looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me!" Ron fired at her.

"That's rich!" Hermione snapped. "Coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush! It's all right, Crookshanks, just ignore the mean little boy..."

Ron looked like he was about to retort but Devyn stepped in between them and put her hands out to keep them apart from one another.

"All right, all right. Let's play nice, children."

"Her bloody cat keeps trying to eat Scabbers! It's bad for his health! And he was here first!" Ron exclaimed. Devyn cast a look at him and said, "Stop, Ron. Crookshanks is a cat, and it is in his nature to chase rats -"

"But-" Ron started.

"However!" Devyn continued loudly. "Hermione, as Crookshanks' owner, it's your job to train him, or at least attempt to keep a reign on him. Okay?"

They both nodded but everyone and their mother would be able to tell that this argument was far from over.

Devyn shook her head then looked up and smiled. Harry was standing on the staircase in front of them smiling at them amusedly.

"Hi, Harry!" Devyn said. Ron and Hermione snapped their attention over to the staircase and they both said his name in greeting. Harry descended down the rest of the stairs and walked over to them. He hugged both Devyn and Hermione and "manly embraced" Neville and Ron.

"Okay. So tell us, Harry...how did you manage to escape the Dursleys? Was it Dobby again?" Devyn said, as the five of them started walking back into the main part of the Leaky Cauldron, which was the point of entry to Diagon Alley through the Muggle world. As it was, Devyn and Neville had just finished up at Diagon Alley, with getting the rest of their supplies for the year. They both were taking the normal subjects (DADA, Charms, Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, History of Magic, and Astronomy) but were also taking two new subjects as well, Care of Magical Creatures and Divination.

When Moony learned that she had chosen Divination at the end of last year, he rolled his eyes and said that it was a load of waffle, but Devyn shrugged and told him that it had been either that or Arithmancy, and she wasn't about to do that.

At the current time, Moony was talking to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, while Mrs. Longbottom was busy chatting with Tom, the Leaky Cauldron's landlord.

"No," Harry said with a laugh. "It wasn't Dobby. No...I, uh...I sort of blew up my aunt."

"You what?" Hermione said in shock.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you the entire thing on the train, okay?"

Devyn shrugged and then Neville said, "...You have an aunt? I mean, besides Petunia."

Harry nodded and said, "She's my uncle's sister. More or less just as foul as he is, if not more. She breeds bulldogs, and they are as evil as her, especially Ripper. He's the oldest, and believe me, the foulest of them all."

Devyn shook her head. She hated the fact that Harry was forced to go back to a place where he wasn't wanted every summer, but there was nothing she could do about it. It only had to last until Harry was 17, the age that wizards and witches reach adult status, but that was still 4 years off.

"Anyway," Ron said, as they sat down at the table. "Look at this."

Ron pulled out the newspaper clipping that announced Mr. Weasley had won the Ministry draw and had gone to Egypt to visit Bill. There was a picture in the article of the Weasley family waving up at them in middle of the sunny Egyptian desert with the Great Pyramids behind them. Aside from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who looked absolutely ecstatic, there was Bill, the eldest Weasley child, with his ponytail and rather cool earring; Charlie, the second eldest, looking like he was having the time of his life; Percy with a fez on his head and shiny badge pinned to it. Devyn remembered he had just been made Head Boy for Gryffindor, as he was in his seventh and last year at Hogwarts. Then there were Fred and George, identical twins and master pranksters (rivaled only by the Marauders, although Fred and George probably had no idea who they were - or maybe they did. Either way, they most likely didn't know their real identities at any rate. Moony had told her about the name of his group of friends awhile back and some of the stories of what they got up to. He always avoided saying Black's name if he could...Devyn couldn't blame him, after what he did to Peter Pettigrew).

After the twins came Ron, holding Scabbers and smiling like he couldn't believe this was happening. And then last, the youngest and only female child, Ginny, who beaming like her father, who had his arm around her.

"Egypt!" Harry said in awe. "What's it like?"

"Brilliant!" Ron replied, shifting his hold on Scabbers a little. "Loads of old stuff, like mummies, tombs! Even Scabbers enjoyed himself."

Harry grinned and Hermione said, with a bit of a nasty look on her face and still holding Crookshanks, "You know the Egyptians used to worship cats."

"Yeah," Ron said, "along with the dung beetle."

"Not flashing that clipping about again, are you, Ron?" George said, coming up behind his younger brother. "Oh, hello, Devyn, Neville. Hey, Harry."

"Hey, George."

"I haven't shown anyone," Ron scowled.

"No, not a soul," Fred said a bit sarcastically as he removed the clipping from Ron's presence. "Not unless you count Tom."

"The day maid," George added.

"The night maid," Fred continued.

"The cook," George said.

"That bloke to came to fix the toilet..."

"And that wizard from Belgium!" George finished. Devyn and Neville were both laughing almost to the point of hysterics when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley showed up with Ginny.

Devyn hopped out of her seat when she saw Ginny and immediately hugged the younger girl. She had to admit that because of last year, when Ginny had nearly died, Devyn had become quite attached and a little protective of Ginny.

"Hi, Devyn," Ginny said, hugging her back.

"How was...I mean, how have you been?" Devyn asked. Ginny shrugged and said, "I've been okay. I mean...getting better, you know."

Devyn nodded and said no more. She knew that it was going to take Ginny years to be completely alright again, and even then, she wouldn't be exactly the same as she was before. She never would be.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. Harry stood up and greeted her.

"Good to see you, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Good to see you, too!" he replied.

"Now, you've got everything you need?"

"Yep," Harry told her. She smiled and said, "Yes? All of your books?"

"Yeah, it's all upstairs."

"And all of your clothes?"

"Everything's there," he assured her.

"Good boy," she said, patting his cheek. She turned to Devyn and said, "Ah, Devyn dear, good to see you."

Mrs. Weasley was always kind, but Devyn had a distinct feeling that the bright smile she was casting at Devyn had something to do with the fact that she helped to save her only daughter's life the previous year.

"It's good to see you, too," Devyn replied.

"Looking forward to a new term?" Mrs. Weasley said, casting a quick glance in Moony's direction. Devyn grinned and nodded.

"Oh, yeah, should be great. I mean, even with..." she said, looking at a nearby wanted poster of Sirius Black. Mrs. Weasley nodded understandingly.

"Yes. I do hope they catch him soon."

"Did you know him...before...?" Devyn asked. She was very curious about Black for some reason. She wanted to know more about his story.

Mrs. Weasley nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, I did. He was a very funny young man. Always joking around. I never would have believed it of him, even with his family background. I don't know if you know this, I'm sure Remus must have told you...but the Black family was a lot like the Malfoy family. Very dark background, but very powerful...influential. Wealthy...very old family. Every single Black in Hogwarts history had ended up in Slytherin - except for Sirius. Granted, every family has their 'black sheep', so to speak - the Blacks were no exception - they had a few good ones in there. Andromeda Black, now Tonks...Alphard Black...Cedrella Black...they were all disowned from the family. I don't know why Alphard was disowned, but Cedrella was disowned because she married Arthur's father. The Weasley family has been known as blood traitors for generations and when Cedrella married Septimus...well, you can imagine the storm that followed. Cedrella refused to leave Septimus - she loved him - so her family disowned her. Blasted her right off the family tree."

"So...you're related to Sirius Black? Through marriage, I mean," Devyn said.

"Yes. He's something like Arthur's second cousin once removed...I'm not really sure."

"Hm...what about Andromeda? What did she do?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled. "She married a Muggleborn. Ted Tonks. And you can imagine - if the Blacks were angry about Cedrella marrying a pureblood..."

"They were furious about Andromeda marrying a Muggleborn," Devyn concluded. Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"But Sirius was good...or so we thought. His brother was a..."

"Death Eater, I know. Professor McGonagall told me."

Mrs. Weasley nodded and said, "Yes, well, despite the fact that every other Black was a Slytherin, Sirius was a Gryffindor - you know that already, though - and he swore up and down that he wasn't anything like his family, and he seemed it. There was nothing to suggest that Sirius was ever a supporter of You-Know-Who...but then..."

"Peter Pettigrew and those Muggles."

Mrs. Weasley nodded. "It came as a real shock. I mean, in those days, you really couldn't trust anyone - everyone was suspicious of everyone, but I don't think anyone thought that Sirius would ever...well, you know."

Devyn nodded and said, "I know he was friends with my dad...but he was already dead by the time that happened, wasn't he?"

Mrs. Weasley nodded sadly. "Your father was a wonderful person, Devyn. As was your mother."

"I know. Well, I mean, I've heard... but do you think that maybe...maybe my parents' deaths unhinged Sirius? Maybe he lost his mind, and that's why he killed Peter, and those Muggles?"

Mrs. Weasley smiled at her, but there was pity buried in it somewhere. "No, my dear. Well, I suppose your parents' murders didn't help matters, but I know for fact that's not why Sirius killed Peter and those Muggles."

"Why did he then?"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "It's not my place to tell you. There are things you don't know...things that we, meaning Remus and the rest of us, don't want you to know. You've had to deal with so much already. It's for your own protection."

Devyn nodded but she was disgruntled. She didn't need other people telling her what was good for her. She knew herself and what she could handle. What could be so bad about Black that they couldn't tell her? Did it have anything to do with her parents' deaths? But no...that didn't make sense. Bellatrix Lestrange and Antonin Dolohov were responsible for that.

However, she was right...there was something more to Black's story. Something that the others didn't want her (and possibly her friends) to know. Something that had to do with Black's escape, perhaps?

But what?

Okay, there we go. Second chapter down. Devyn's already suspicious about Sirius and his escape. She knows something is up, but don't worry. She won't be so speedy about figuring it out this time. I know a couple people had some problems with the fact that she figured the Basilisk thing out but didn't tell anyone. Anyway, we'll just have to see how it goes. I don't write these before I type them, so they just come in a sort of 'stream of consciousness' kind of way. I know where I want it to go, it's just getting there that's the challenge.

Anyway, thank you for reading. Please leave a review!