Author's note: This is the revised version of chapter 8. For those who already read the first version (which I removed due to my perfectionism ;)), I've listed the changes I made at the end of the chapter (in case you don't want to reread the entire chapter).

Chapter 8

Padfoot

When Judy left the hospital wing that weekend she was met by a new pile of homework waiting to be read and written and despite Willow's reassurance that none of the teachers would expect her to have made any of it, Judy spent her entire weekend and the ones that followed in the library. She didn't see many of the other students, as they enjoyed what were bound to be last sun filled days before the start of autumn. The only person Judy did see was Chelsea whose busy timetable had forced her to lock herself up in the library as well.

As September came and went and October arrived with its cold and rainy weather, Judy knew nearly every section in the library by heart. But, despite keeping up with her homework, she didn't attain the same grades in class she had over the past five years. Her mind constantly wandered to her father and how he was doing and she spent most of every class forcing her mind back to reality. After all, she knew where thoughts of her father could lead and she was sick and tired of people asking her how she was doing every time she looked a little pale.

Judy found it hard to concentrate as she sat in Snape's dungeon one Friday afternoon. Snape was doing his utmost to test his students' potion making abilities and had set them the Polyjuice Potion for that day's lesson. Judy had to reread the ingredients five times and still barely registered what she was supposed to do as she thought of her father, alone and emaciated, hunted by Dementors…She quickly forced her mind back to the blackboard as she added a couple of Lacewing flies to the fluid in her cauldron.

Judy cast a glance at Willow's potion which was a nasty shade of grey, as it said in their books it should be. Her own potion on the other hand was pitch black. She clearly had gone wrong somewhere.

'Merlin's bloody beard…' muttered Willow under her breath. 'What did you do? Add too much Boomslang skin?'

'I don't know,' said Judy absently, not really caring about what colour her potion was herself.

'Come on, Jude, I'm trying to help you here…' said Willow, disappointed.

'Will, it's fine, I don't need…'

'Well, well, Ms. Byrne…' said Snape silkily as he walked up to their table. 'The lesson is over and you have managed to produce a cauldron full of tar? You are not slipping now are you?'

Willow opened her mouth but Judy quickly squeezed her arm. There was no need for her best friend to get detention because she wasn't paying attention.

'Nobody is perfect, Professor,' offered Judy, looking Snape straight in his dark eyes. He flicked his wand and the next moment her cauldron was empty.

'Ms. Waters, you will flask your potion and hand it to me, as will the rest of you,' added Snape in a louder tone. Chelsea startled as Snape raised his voice and dropped her small glass bottle. Connor quickly caught it before it hit the stone floor and handed it back to her. Judy smiled as she saw that Chelsea's potion was the same shade of grey as Willow's.

'Ms. Byrne, you will turn in an essay on how to make a proper Polyjuice potion on Monday,' said Snape, his lips curled in a malicious smile. 'Two rolls of parchment will be sufficient.' Judy squeezed Willow's arm again as she opened her mouth.

A few minutes later, the three girls and Connor walked out of the dungeons. Judy walked in front, her mind so taken up by her father that she nearly forgot about her House mates.

'Listen, none of us can get top marks anyway,' said Willow. 'The potion has to brew for like months.' They walked up the stone stairs leading to the Great Hall.

'I know,' answered Chelsea, 'but I still think mine was a bit too dark…'

'I think it was the perfect shade of grey,' said Connor gently. Judy looked up as Willow caught up with her. She answered the knowing smile on her best friend's face with the best smile she could manage.

Professor Sprout greeted them impatiently as they arrived last at Herbology. Connor quickly teamed up with Aidan as Judy and Willow took their place at the long wooden table. Chelsea looked around uncomfortably at the pairs of Ravenclaw and Slytherin students.

'Oh, Ms. Keenan,' said Professor Sprout, thinking. 'You can team up with,-'

'us,' said Willow, quickly pulling Chelsea toward her. 'She can team up with us, Professor.'

Professor Sprout cast Willow a sceptic look. 'All right, Ms. Waters. But if you keep Ms. Keenan from her work, you can do today's assignment on your own.'

'Yes, Professor,' said Willow brightly.

'Good. Now, who can tell me the name of the plants before you?' Chelsea's hand shot into the air.

'Plants?' asked Willow under her breath. Judy looked at the thick, black, giant slug like thing before her, its body covered in shiny swellings. She agreed with Willow that it hardly looked like a plant.

'Please, Professor,' Chelsea said apologetically. 'It's a bubotuber.'

'Very well, Ms. Keenan,' said Professor Sprout approvingly. 'Now, today's lesson will consist of collecting the yellow-green pus from the bubotuber's swellings in the wooden bowls before you.'

'But that's disgusting (!)' said Odelia Pellyn, a Slytherin girl who seemed to be disgusted by everything she had to touch in Herbology. Willow exchanged a glance with Judy and rolled her eyes.

'Thank you kindly for that illuminating view,' said Professor Sprout, somewhat annoyed. Judy could tell she didn't understand either why Odelia had chosen to continue Herbology. 'Squeezing a bubotuber's swellings is a very tricky job, because the liquid tends to react with human skin and causes very painful boils. It is therefore vital for today's lesson to wear your gloves. That includes you, Mr. Kieran.' Aidan quickly withdrew his hand from the table. He had clearly been reaching for the bubotuber.

'Now, as I was saying,' Professor Sprout continued as Judy's mind wandered to another student who never paid much attention to what the teachers told him. She had always recognized a bit of her father in Aidan's lack of respect for the rules. She knew that was one of the main reasons why she got along with him so well; she recognized a part of herself in him. A part that she never really gave the chance to surface, because of her past; because she had spent her entire life denying that part of her; the part she inherited from her father.

'All right, let's get started,' said Willow suddenly, drawing Judy away from her thoughts.

'With what?' asked Judy confused.

'Oh great, you picked today to not pay attention?' asked Willow amused. 'Just get started on preparing the thing to be squeezed and Chelsea and I will get the tweezers.' Willow grabbed Chelsea by the shoulder and pulled her along.

Judy looked at the bubotuber, her mind wandering again as she reached out and took hold of the thick, black slug before her.

'NO!' Professor Sprout called out.

Judy screamed with pain as her hands were covered in yellow-green pus, which seemed to burn away the skin off her hands. 'Get it off! Somebody get it off!'

'Hold still!' Willow grabbed her wrist and pointed her wand at Judy's hand. 'Scourgify!'. Nothing happened. 'Damn it, scourgify!'

'A simple spell won't help here, Ms. Waters,' said Professor Sprout as she grabbed Judy's wrists with her gloved hands. 'All of you will stay here and touch nothing as I take Judy to the hospital wing. And I mean nothing, Mr. Kieran!' She added fiercely.

Professor Sprout pulled Judy along through the greenhouses, taking a short cut by taking one of the smaller wooden doors at the side of the castle. Judy couldn't do anything else but stumble behind her, the pain blinding her senses from anything else that was going on around her.

'Come on, dear, hurry up. The sooner Poppy looks at this, the sooner the pain will be over,' said Professor Sprout impatiently as they hurried down the first floor corridor.

Judy complied, concentrating on picking up her feet as the double wooden doors of the hospital wing came into view.

'Poppy!' called Professor Sprout as they burst through the doors.

'I say!' said Ms. Pomfrey indignantly. 'This is a hospital wing and,-'

'Sorry, but the girl has bubotuber puss all over her hands,' explained Professor Sprout quickly as she lead Judy to one of the beds and made her sit down on it.

'I'll get the dittany,' said Madam Pomfrey as she hurried off to the potion cabinet.

'I have to get back to class,' said Professor Sprout, casting Judy a reassuring smile. 'Poppy will fix this. You will be all right, dear.' Judy nodded absently, her eyes fixed on her hands as pain still filled her head.

Professor Sprout hurried out of the hospital wing. Judy looked after the dirt stained clothes and half combed hair as Madam Pomfrey walked over to her. She put the dittany on a clean cloth and started cleaning the pus from Judy's hand as the young Ravenclaw sat there silently and felt more stupid than she ever had in her life.

By the time Judy was allowed to leave, she had already missed that day's Transfiguration class and students were filing in the Great Hall to enjoy their dinner. She looked at the crowd for a while, noticing Odelia and a group of Slytherins laughing loudly, and then headed up the marble staircase toward the dormitory. Several students cast questioning gazes at her bandaged hands, but she pretended not to notice them to avoid having to answer any questions about what happened to her.

Judy walked through the deserted common room and up the small marble staircase toward the equally deserted dormitory. She let herself fall on the bed and stared at the blue curtains hanging around her four poster bed. It didn't take long for sleep to overtake her, despite the early hour. She barely registered Duncan settling down beside her as her fatigue took a hold of her and pulled her into a deep sleep.

&

If Judy had spent most of her spare time in the library before the incident at Herbology, she was spending every free moment among the rows of bookcases now. Not only was she trying to make up for her mistakes at Potion and Herbology the week before, but the library had also proven to be a place where people didn't dare ask her questions about her bandaged hands; not under Madam Pince's stern gaze.

But despite spending most of her time in the library there was one development outside of the castle of which Judy was fully aware. The first Quidditch game of the season was approaching and the Gryffindor players were spending several evenings a week and Saturday afternoon on the Quidditch pitch.

Judy's homework had kept her inside the castle instead of outside in the stands where she usually spent her Saturday afternoon. She had simply been too busy to go out and support her friends as they practiced in the cold and rainy weather. Though, admittedly, homework was only part of the reason why she wasn't going out to see Quidditch …Oliver Wood was the other. After their break-up the year before Judy had never really had a normal conversation with Oliver and she wasn't sure if he would misinterpret her presence at the Quidditch stadium.

The Ravenclaw common room was rather full for a Saturday afternoon, which was undoubtedly due to the bad weather. The sixth years were gathered around the fire place. Abigail, Chelsea and Shania sat on the sofa, watching Aidan and Connor playing wizard's chess on the oak coffee table. Judy and Willow had each taken a comfy chair. Willow watched the two boys attentively as Judy hid her face behind her History of Magic book. She had two more chapters to read about the ninth century Troll wars in Eastern Europe.

'You do know what day it is, don't you?' asked Willow's familiar voice. Judy looked into Willow's brown eyes.

'Yes, I know,' she sighed, as she lay the book on her lap and ran her fingers through her long raven black hair.

'So why are you in here instead of out there?' asked Willow, pulling her legs up on the chair.

'It's bound to rain soon,' said Judy feebly.

'Oh, like that has ever stopped you from seeing Quidditch,' said Willow sarcastically. 'I've watched you and Tonks go out in worse weather than this in your first year.'

'Yeah, well…it's more fun when you can go together…'

'Again, I don't remember that stopping you last year, or the two years before that,' said Willow, arching a brow at her. 'What's wrong, Jude?'

'I just…it's nothing,' she said dismissively, as she watched Aidan's knight smash Connor's pawn to pieces. 'I just need to catch up on my homework. Binns has set us like a hundred pages to read for Monday and Snape has set me a long essay on Polyjuice, because I screwed up my brew…'

'OK, so let me get this straight,' said Willow confused. 'You'd rather finish your homework today and be bored all day tomorrow, instead of going out to watch Quidditch and spending your otherwise dull Sunday on homework?'

'Well…may be that's exactly what I want to do,' said Judy, knowing how stupid her words sounded.

'Come on, Jude,' Shania interfered. 'I know you're dedicated to your education and everything, but you've never missed Quidditch because of homework. You even planned out studying for your OWLs so that you could watch Fred and George practice last year.'

'Well, she was dating Wood last year,' offered Willow, whose eyes widened. 'Merlin's hat! You're staying in because of Oliver, aren't you?' asked Willow amused.

'I thought you and Oliver were ancient history?' interjected Shania, whose hair hung down in long luxurious curls. Shania usually spend more time on her hair when she didn't have to get up early in the morning.

'We are,' said Judy quickly as she caught Abigail's gaze. There was no need to ask what her opinion was about dating people outside of your House. Though Judy doubted Abigail would have mind if she had dated a student from Slytherin House.

'Are you?' asked Willow with a smile. 'He did ask you to come sit with him on the train, didn't he?'

'Ooh!' Shania grinned. 'I didn't know that!'

'Well, it wasn't such a big deal,' said Judy quickly. 'I don't think he really meant anything by it…' She added hesitantly.

'Then there's no problem,' offered Willow with a grin, Judy looked at her thinking.

'I don't know…' said Judy, not convinced whether Oliver's question had or had not meant something.

'Well, I do. You're going. You can do your homework tomorrow,' said Willow, grabbing her book. 'Now, go on, get going…'

Judy looked at her for a moment and smiled. She knew she tended to get carried away by her thoughts and create problems when they weren't really there. She was thankful Willow was always around to draw her back to reality.

'Well, does anybody feel like joining me?' Abigail snorted.

'I'm not leaving till Connor's king is smashed to bits,' said Aidan, smiling.

'Same here,' added Connor, 'well, except it'd be the other way around.'

'I'm not really into Quidditch,' offered Chelsea apologetically. Judy noticed a short exchange of smiles between her and Connor.

'I understand,' she said softly. 'Nobody's coming with me then?' Shania shook her head as Abigail ignored her completely. 'Right,' said Judy, 'I guess some of us do mind a little rain…'

'You mean some of us remember what House we're in,' said Abigail, her voice barely above a whisper. Judy heard Willow sigh behind her.

'You're a Prefect, Will,' reminded Judy her.

'I'll come next time,' promised Shania. 'You know what my hair will look like if I go out there now.'

'Right,' Judy smiled at her as she headed up to the dormitory to fetch her coat and scarf.

As she entered the dormitory Judy noticed she wasn't alone. Duncan lay sprawled on her bed, purring contently, his yellow eyes only half open. He stretched every limb carefully as Judy walked over to her bed.

'Haven't seen you around much,' said Judy softly as she sat down next to him. 'Have the mice kept you busy?' She asked amused as she scratched him behind his ear. She held a small bundle of black hair as she pulled her hand back. 'Aren't you supposed to get more fur for the winter instead of less?' asked Judy as she dropped the black hairs to the floor. Duncan yawned and laid his head on her lap.

'I don't suppose you feel like watching Quidditch with me?' asked Judy gently. The black cat hissed in protest, got to his feet and quickly jumped off the bed.

'Don't worry, I won't make you!' she called after him as he strutted through the half open door, his tail held proudly in the air. Judy looked after the bushy tail till it disappeared from view.

Not wanting to miss more of the practice than she already had, Judy knelt on the floor and opened her trunk. She took out the sketchbook and charcoal Lupin had given her for her Birthday. She always drew while watching Quidditch practice, there was nothing more challenging than trying to capture the enthusiasm on the players' faces.

She put the sketchbook and the box of charcoal in her bag and crammed an umbrella in it as well. She then slipped into her coat and grabbed her scarf from the bed to find the orange and blue fabric covered in black hairs.

'Oh, that's great Duncan,' she muttered under her breath as she started plucking the hair off her scarf. The rough structure of the hairs caught Judy off guard. Duncan's fur didn't feel anything like the hairs she held in her hand. She looked at a pluck of hair, thinking. Her eyes widened as recognition dawned on her.

'It can't be…' she said softly. She sniffed the black hairs in her hands. Judy jumped off the bed and dropped the hairs to the floor as if they were poisonous. Even after twelve years she recognized the scent. 'Padfoot…' whispered Judy as she looked at the black dog hairs, lying on the floor. 'No,' she dropped to the floor and quickly looked under the beds. There was nothing there. She got up again and looked around the room, thinking.

It was possible that Sirius had been in the common room, thought Judy, her mind racing. The Ravenclaws after all didn't need to say a password to enter the common room, but answer a question instead and the chances of answering a question right were still greater than guessing a password. She looked around the dormitory again. If Sirius had been there he must have searched for something or someone…but the room didn't look as if it had been searched and if he wanted to find someone he would have hidden somewhere till that person arrived. Judy sat down on the bed, her mind still racing on how her father, a grown man…

A man, thought Judy with a smile. Sirius was a man…boys couldn't get in the girls' dormitory. So then he hadn't been in the room, but still his hairs were…her eyes fell on the black bundle of hair she had taken from behind Duncan's ear a minute ago. She picked it up from the floor and felt the rough structure.

Judy grabbed her scarf, slung her bag over her shoulder and rushed out of the dormitory. She stumbled into the common room as she missed the last step of the stone spiral staircase.

'Well, well…aren't we eager to go see a bunch of guys on broomsticks,' said Aidan amused.

'Where's my cat?' asked Judy urgently.

'He's here in front of the fireplace,' said Connor as his bishop moved on the chessboard. 'Checkmate!' He said with a grin. Aidan looked at him with widened eyes.

'But…but she was distracting me!' Judy ignored his remark as she walked over to the hearth, where Duncan lay once again sprawled on a rug. She bent and scooped him up from the floor, ignoring his hissing protest.

'What's he done then?' asked Shania amused.

'None of your business,' snapped Judy. She turned without looking at them. She didn't care if they felt offended, she didn't care what they thought, there was only one thing she could think of right now.

Judy walked out of the common room and into the seventh floor corridor. She made a right and walked over to an empty niche. She cast a glance around the corridor to make sure nobody was there before she spoke.

'Where is he?' she asked urgently as she held Duncan up in front of her. He looked at her defiantly. 'You've seen him, haven't you?' The cat turned away his yellow eyes. 'Duncan!' said Judy sternly. He looked back at her, waited for a moment, and then blinked twice.

'Where is he?' asked Judy again. Duncan looked at her for another moment and then turned his head to the window on the other side of the corridor. Judy walked over to it and looked out on the grounds. The Forbidden Forest lay stretched out in front of her.

'The Forest?' she asked in a whisper. Duncan blinked twice again. 'Are you sure?' Duncan meowed irritably. 'Are you sure?' repeated Judy. The cat blinked twice again.

'You should have told me, Duncan,' said Judy angrily. The black cat twisted and turned as he tried to get away from her grasp.

'No, you're not getting away that easily, OUCH!' Judy dropped Duncan to the floor as she held her scratched arm. A small trickle of blood ran down her lower arm as she searched her pocket for a handkerchief. She wrapped the white cloth around the scratches, making sure there was enough pressure to stop the bleeding quickly. She wasn't about to go to the hospital wing again.

Judy looked back out of the window, her mind racing again. Duncan must have been mistaken, she thought firmly. There were many creatures in the Forest with dark fur, may be he ran into one of them. After all, the Forest lay beyond the entrances guarded by the Dementors; Sirius could never have gotten past them. Not unless he knew of a secret passage…and still, if he had there were people who would have noticed…Judy hoisted up her bag as she headed toward the marble staircase. She'd have to have a word with Fred and George after Quidditch practice.

&

Rain came down in icy sheets as Judy sat in the stands, watching the Gryffindor team practice. An enchanted umbrella hovered over her, keeping herself and her sketchbook dry. Judy was glad she had decided to come down to the pitch instead of heading back to the common room, the game had kept her mind off Sirius and she enjoyed to draw again.

Judy looked at Fred holding up a Bludger the way Muggles did with a tennis ball. He hit the Bludger straight into the air and waited for it to come back down again, sometimes making a looping if he'd hit the Bludger too hard. Judy smiled at the familiar scene, Fred never could resist showing off when she came to watch Quidditch practice.

'Fred, will you pay attention!' called Oliver Wood, speeding up to him. 'I don't care if we have an audience…you're on the team to play, not to show off!' Judy laughed as she leaned over the banister.

This was the main reason why she loved spending time with Fred and his brother George. They were always able to distract her from anything that troubled her. Even now Sirius' possible appearance on the Hogwarts' grounds seemed less of an issue as she watched Fred speed across the pitch and return the Bludger his twin had aimed at him.

Judy looked to her right just in time to see Katie Bell throw the Quaffle to Angelina Johnston, who managed to throw the Quaffle past Oliver Wood through the highest hoop. She smiled as Angelina threw her fist in the air in a gesture of victory and quickly sketched Angelina's face in the top corner of the page, intent on working it out till a full drawing later on.

As she looked up to get another impression of Angelina's face, she caught Oliver Wood's eyes. He cast her a small smile, Judy returned it, feeling somewhat uncomfortable and then quickly looked back at her drawing.

'Oy, Wood,' called Fred, flying across the pitch. 'No flirting with the audience!'

Judy was more than ever focused on her drawing, making sure her hair covered her bright red cheeks. There weren't many moments when she wished Fred would keep his mouth shut, but this was one of them.

'You're very good at that,' Judy yelped, being caught off guard by the red haired girl behind her.

'Merlin's soggy…' Judy swallowed the words that should have followed and took a deep breath to still her heart rate. 'You probably learned that from your brothers, didn't you?' asked Judy as she looked over her shoulder in Ginny's eyes. 'They are specialists at giving me a heart attack…'

Ginny flushed. 'Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean,-'

'It's all right, Ginny,' said Judy with a smile. 'I just didn't expect anybody else to come out here in this weather.'

'Yes, I know what you mean. Do you mind if I sit with you?' Ginny asked hesitantly.

'No of course not. Just a moment.' Judy took out her wand and aimed it at the umbrella. 'Engorgio.' The umbrella grew to twice it size. 'Good, now I'll just…' She flicked her wand and cast a Drought Charm on the spot beside her. Ginny sat down beside her, her long red hair dripping with rain water. Judy didn't hesitate and cast the same charm at Ginny's hair and within a second there wasn't a drop of water left in it.

'Oh,' said Ginny, touching her hair in surprise. 'Thanks!'

'You're welcome,' Judy smiled at her. 'So, have you been coming to see them practice often?'

'Not very often,' said Ginny, her eyes darting back and forth between Judy and the players. 'The weather has been awful and Mum would kill me if she found out I'd been out in the cold and rain so often.'

Judy smiled. 'Is there anybody you come to see in particular?'

'What? Oh no…not, not really…' said Ginny, her cheeks turning scarlet. Judy looked at Harry as he darted after the Snitch.

'He's a very good Seeker, isn't he?' Ginny nodded in silence. 'Almost as good as your brother Charlie.' The two of them exchanged a small smile.

'Judy…' asked Ginny hesitantly. 'Do you ever…I mean, have you ever drawn a picture of Harry?'

'I think I have some in my old sketchbook…but I can make you a new one if you want,' said Judy with a smile.

'Oh, well that's really not…I mean…'

'I promise I won't tell anyone,' said Judy gently. Their eyes locked for a moment and Judy recognized in Ginny's eyes an emotion that had been raging through her own veins every time she thought about a certain someone she said goodbye to in an overgrown garden. 'Deal?'

'Yeah OK, thanks.'

'Don't mention it.' The two girls exchanged smiles. Despite having known each other for such a short time Judy saw Ginny as more than just Fred and George's little sister. There was something of herself she recognized in the insecure yet determined eyes. She could picture herself becoming friends with the younger girl one day.

They spent the rest of the afternoon watching the Quidditch players practice as their Quidditch robes became more and more wet. Fred and George provided a few good laughs as they hit the Bludger toward each other and barely managed to avoid the attempts to knock the other person off their broom. Wood and the three Gryffindor Chasers played superbly and Harry seemed to fly even faster than usual. Judy was convinced that the Gryffindor team would beat Slytherin with ease.

'I ehm, I have to go,' said Ginny after a while. Judy followed her gaze and watched the players fly to the ground. 'I don't want him to get the wrong idea,' she added quickly. Judy didn't need to ask who *he* was.

'I understand. I'll see you later.' Ginny cast Judy a smile, turned and headed toward the end of the benches where wooden steps led toward the exit of the stadium. Judy looked after her until she was out of sight. It was funny to see how love could even make a brave girl as Ginny insecure.

'Oy, Byrne!' Fred called. 'You coming?'

'I'll meet you outside,' called Judy back at him as she got up from her seat. The rain had stopped and she shrank her umbrella back to its normal size, cast a Drought Charm on the wet fabric and crammed it into her bag. She put her sketchbook and charcoal on top of it, zipped the bag shut and headed in the same direction Ginny had a moment before.

&

'Some match, huh,' said Fred, as Judy met up with him outside the pitch. His red Quidditch robes were soaked to his skin and his flaming red hair stuck to his head.

'I wouldn't know, I was too distracted by you showing off,' said Judy amused.

'I see, well that's quite understandable,' said Fred seriously.

'What is?' asked George, walking up to them and looking if possible even more soaked than Fred.

'That Judy was too distracted by my exquisite skills to pay attention to the game,' said Fred proudly, as he pushed his chest forward.

'She was distracted by you?' George arched a brow at his twin. 'Are you sure it wasn't Wood's smile which distracted you?' He cast Judy a small smile.

'I'm sure,' said Judy in the steadiest voice she could manage. 'And I'd appreciate it if you guys would quit joking about it…' She felt the twins exchange a glance behind her back.

'Sure,' said Fred seriously. 'We didn't know-'

'Yes, you did,' interrupted Judy, looking at each of them. She couldn't keep her lips from curling up in a smile; she never could stay mad with the twins. 'Come on, let's have lunch.' The twins nodded in agreement and the three of them started their way up the slope toward the castle.

'Ehm...Judy.' All three of them turned at the familiar voice. Oliver Wood looked at them uncomfortably. His robes were soaked to his skin, just like the twins. 'Could I ehm…have a word?'

'Sure,' said Judy, trying to ignore the twins' stares at both her and Oliver.

'We'll just wait for you over there,' said George, taking Fred by the arm and pulling his brother along with him.

'You played well,' said Judy, trying to make her voice sound as casual as she could.

'We did all right,' said Oliver, trying to meet her eyes. Judy did her best to evade his; she still remembered the effect those eyes had had on her the year before…looking in those eyes wouldn't make talking to him any easier. 'So ehm…sixth year is pretty busy, huh?'

'Yes, it is,' said Judy, somehow finding the courage to meet his eyes. It was the first time she ever saw him this nervous; apart from at a Quidditch match. 'What's wrong, Wood?'

'Nothing, I just…' He hesitated for a moment as he dug his foot in the ground. Judy's heart caught in her throat as she thought of the cause of his hesitation. She knew it would be easier for the both of them if she cut him off before he'd say anything further.

'Oliver, I ehm…well we...' she fell silent as she was unable to find the right words to say. Judy wished she was more like Willow in these situations, her best friend always knew what to say to let someone down easy.

'We?' asked Oliver confused. 'Oh no, Jude. I think you've got the wrong idea.' He laughed, which made her feel even more uncomfortable. 'I just…well, I didn't want you to hear this from anyone else…but me and Katie are sort of a couple now…'

'You and Katie?' asked Judy surprised as a wave of relief swept over her.

'Yes, I hope you…,'

'But that's great, Oliver,' said Judy honestly, thankful for the opportunity to prevent an awkward situation.

'You're ehm…all right with it then…?' asked Oliver hesitantly. Judy remembered how his warmth and consideration for other people's feelings had been one of the major reasons why she'd liked him so much.

'Of course I am,' said Judy truthfully, 'just a bit surprised. But I'm really happy for you.'

'Good,' said Oliver relieved. 'Well, I promised Katie I'd walk back with her up to the castle…' Judy smiled at him as she saw his eyes light up by the mention of Katie's name.

'Don't worry, I'll catch up with Fred and George,' said Judy, still smiling.

'I'll ehm, see you later then,' said Oliver, looking over his shoulder as Katie walked up to them.

'Ok, bye.' Judy quickly walked toward the twins to catch up with them. They both cast her a sympathetic smile, their eyes sparkling with mischief. 'You knew, didn't you?'

'Yes,' said George honestly.

'Are you sure you'll be all right?' asked Fred gravely.

'Yes, if you need a shoulder to cry on…' said George, offering his shoulder to her.

'Or if you need someone to snog…' grinned Fred.

'A complete nightmare,' said Judy, looking from on to the other. The twins both grinned at her.

Judy shook her head as they headed up the slope toward the castle. Though it wasn't raining anymore, clouds still covered the sky, covering the scene in a dull shade of grey. She cast a glance around the grounds, realizing that autumn was definitely taking over. Trees were now covered in colours of red, orange and yellow, safe for the occasional pine tree. Everywhere around them multicoloured leaves lay strewn over the fading green grass.

Judy tightened her scarf as a sudden cold breeze caught her off guard. She instinctively looked at the direction from where it came. The trees of the Forbidden Forest rustled as a gush of wind went through them. Judy could see nothing in the darkness behind the first lines of trees, nothing but the dark eyes looking back at her…

She gasped as recognition dawned on her and her vision went blurry. She grasped Fred's soaked shoulder as her legs threatened to give way.

'Jude? What the…?' Fred asked bewildered.

'Padfoot! Padfoot!' a young girl's voice called excitedly.

'Judy?!' George's voice echoed in the distance.

'Judy, be careful! Don't strangle him!' said Briana reproachfully.

'Jude?!' said Fred worried as he caught her before she hit the ground. Judy tried to hold onto his voice as she fought against the vision threatening to take hold of her. Images of a young dark haired girl running in a meadow switched to the Weasley twins looking at her and back again to the meadow.

'I'm sure they'll be fine, Briana,' said Lily in a cheerful tone, her red hair blazing in the bright sunlight as her green eyes sparkled with amusement.

Judy tried to focus her gaze on the redhead twins looking down on her. She resisted the vision as hard as she could, using all her strength to fight off the images before her eyes.

'Well, Judy will be anyway…' James ran his fingers through his black hair as he laughed at the sight before him. The young girl clung onto the black dog as he stumbled through the meadow.

Slowly but surely the vision faded and she was able to see two redhead boys looking down on her, their eyes stained with concern.

'Are you all right?' asked Fred softly.

'I'm…I'm fine,' said Judy, sitting up and taking a hold of Fred's shoulder as the world span around her. She took several deep breaths before letting go and getting to her feet.

Judy swayed as she stood; it had cost most of her strength to fight off the vision. Fred noticed and put a steady arm around her waist.

'Thanks,' she said as she managed a weak smile. Her eyes drifted to the edge of the forest, but the big bear like dog had gone.

'Should I get Madam Pomfrey?' asked George worried, as he moved to stand before her and blocked her view of the Forbidden Forest.

'No,' she said firmly. The last thing she needed right now was spending another night in the hospital wing and having people pay even more attention to her. The bandages she had had to wear till yesterday had already attracted too much attention to her for her liking. 'I just…I didn't eat a lot at breakfast. I'm just feeling a little faint.' The twins eyed her suspiciously. 'What? You don't believe me?' asked Judy innocently.

'Well,' said Fred, unable to suppress a small smile, 'I wouldn't exactly describe your appetite as…'

'Finish that sentence and I swear I'll put a Bat-Bogie Hex on the both of you,' said Judy in a dangerous tone.

George laughed. 'I believe you, Byrne. By the sound of it, you are doing just fine.'

Judy's lips curled into a small smile as she allowed Fred to support her while they walked up the slope toward the castle. A cold trickle running down her spine made her look over her shoulder briefly, but there was still nothing at the edge of the Forest. She had probably imagined everything, she thought firmly as she pushed back the memory of the rough dark hairs lying on the floor of her dormitory.

&

The ceiling of the Great Hall, clouded and gloomy, was the exact opposite of the chatting and laughing students enjoying their lunch. Despite of it being well past noon, at least half of the students were still seated at their House tables enjoying a late lunch as they usually did during the weekend.

Fred didn't let Judy go until they reached the empty seat beside Willow at the Ravenclaw table. Judy quickly stepped away from Fred's reach as she noticed the inquisitive look in Willow's eyes.

George stopped behind Willow and pressed a quick kiss to the back of her head. 'See to it that she eats something. She nearly fainted outside.'

'Fainted?!' asked Willow worried. She stared at Judy.

'Where are you two going?' asked Judy, looking at the twins and grateful for the opportunity to shift Willow's attention away from her.

'We're going to shower,' answered George, 'you don't think we're going to have lunch in these soaked clothes do you?' He smiled at her. 'Make sure she eats,' he added to Willow.

'But,-'

'See you later, gorgeous,' said Fred with a grin, before turning and catching up with his twin.

Judy sighed and turned back to her House table, catching Willow's worried gaze as she did so. 'I'll be fine…'

'You do look awfully pale,' said Chelsea softly.

'You didn't do anything stupid like fall of a broom or something, did you?' said Shania blandly. Judy looked up to face her and only now noticed the angry look in her friend's eyes.

'Oh,' said Judy, remembering how she had reacted to Shania's remark when she left the common room that morning. 'I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to run out on you guys like that. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Shania.'

'Yeah, well…I'll live,' said Shania casually. She never was a person who could stay angry for long. 'So, what happened to you?'

'Don't know,' Judy lied through her teeth, 'I think I just didn't feel well, because I haven't eaten anything since breakfast.'

'As if you ate anything at breakfast…' said Abigail sarcastically. Judy didn't respond, but she knew her roommate had a point. She hadn't eaten much since Sirius' sighting, partly due to worries about his intentions and partly because she simply forgot as her mind wandered to how her father was doing. 'Here,' Abigail shoved a plate with three sandwiches under her nose. 'And I'm not letting you leave till you eat those.'

'Thanks, Abigail,' Judy smiled at her, knowing her well enough to hear the concern hidden in her casual tone of voice. She looked around the table for a moment as she realised two of her House mates were once again missing. 'Where are the guys?' asked Judy, before taking a bite.

'They're still in the common room,' said Shania. 'Aidan demanded a rematch…twice.'

Judy laughed. 'Anything else I missed?' she asked, as she filled her glass with pumpkin juice.

'Why was Fred holding you?' Willow blurted out. Judy faced her, nearly spilling the juice over the rim of the pitcher.

'Because I wasn't feeling well,' offered Judy quickly. Willow looked at her, not convinced. 'Oh, come on Will…'

'Well, he *is* cute,' offered Shania with a grin. Abigail snorted. 'Oh come on, Abby. If he wasn't in Gryffindor you'd,-'

'Do you really want to find out whether I've drawn my wand before you finish that sentence?' asked Abigail darkly. Chelsea gasped as Willow burst into laughter.

'I'm just saying,' continued Shania, 'that I think it's quite understandable if Judy fancies him.'

'Well you would,' retorted Judy, 'you think all Quidditch players are irresistible.'

'Excuse me?' asked Shania, faking an indignant tone. 'I am perfectly capable to resist Draco Malfoy.'

'Well, everybody's able to resist that git,' offered Chelsea sarcastically. The other four girls looked at her with widened eyes. Chelsea's cheeks turned scarlet as Willow and Shania grinned at her.

'Looks like someone finally learned to speak her mind,' said Shania approvingly.

'You should have heard her telling Aidan off for copying my homework,' offered Judy with a smile. Chelsea's cheeks nearly turned purple.

'She didn't!' said Willow in disbelief.

Judy could tell Chelsea wasn't too happy with her remark and the line of questioning that followed by Willow and Shania. She felt sorry for her roommate at some level, but she was also quite grateful that she had managed to turn the conversation around.

She was just about to start on her second sandwich when she caught Abigail's gaze. The red haired Ravenclaw looked at her, worried. Judy cast her roommate a small smile, but despite Abigail turning her gaze to Chelsea and the other two, Judy could tell the other Ravenclaw was still worried about her.

Judy looked down at her still half full plate as her stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. She'd spend nearly her entire life pretending to be someone she was not and lying about her past, but she'd never liked having to lie to her friends. Now, with Sirius being on the run and undoubtedly turning up in her life at some point, she knew there would be even more times when she couldn't tell the others the truth. She only wondered how long she'd be able to continue to lie to her friends…

&

It wasn't until the end of lunchtime that Fred and George returned from their shower. Both Judy and Willow had saved them some sandwiches. The two Ravenclaw girls were used to their best friends being late for lunch or forgetting about it entirely because of Quidditch practice.

The Great Hall was practically deserted by the time the Weasley twins finished their lunch. Spread throughout the Hall were only a few students from different Houses, playing a game of wizard's chess or reading a copy of the Weekend Prophet. Judy could understand why most students had preferred the cosiness of their common room over the cloudy and thundering ceiling of the Great Hall.

'Do you feel like going for a walk around the castle?' asked George, his question clearly meant for only one of them.

'Yeah, why not,' Willow already got to her feet. 'I trust you two will behave yourselves…' She cast a glance at Fred and then at Judy. The first arched a brow as the latter rolled her eyes.

'We'll see you two at dinner,' said George quickly as he pulled Willow along. Judy didn't understand why he did so, till she looked beside her and saw the hint of anger in Fred's eyes.

'Oh, great…we're not going back to that phase again, are we?' She turned on the seat to face him properly. Fred still looked after Willow till she disappeared from view. 'Fred…'

'Well, if she's on about that again,-' began Fred defensively.

'She's only kidding,' said Judy, half-lying. 'Come on, Fred. It'll blow over if we ignore it.'

'It took two years to blow over last time,' offered Fred, not convinced.

'Then we'll just have to be very persistent at ignoring her remarks…' said Judy with a smile. Fred looked at her for a while, before he smiled as well.

'Well, don't you two look cute together,' Fred quickly turned on his seat as Judy looked up and met Lee Jordan's eyes. 'Hello, Byrne,' he grinned at her.

'Hi, Lee.'

'Haven't seen you around the pitch much this year,' he offered, sounding somewhat disappointed.

'I'm working on changing that,' said Judy with a smile. She had met up with Lee in the stadium during more than one practice session of the Gryffindor team. Hearing his commentaries on the players had always made the game even more fun to watch. 'As a matter of fact, I was in the stadium today. I didn't see you though.'

'Well, I love Quidditch…but not in this weather,' Lee smiled at her. 'Listen, I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?' he asked apologetically.

'Well, I was about to snog her,-' Fred said, faking disappointment.

'Fred!' said Judy indignantly.

'OK, so it wasn't anything important,' offered Lee with a grin. 'I came over to see if you wanted to play a game of Exploding Snap.'

'I'd love to,-' Fred cut off to cast an uncertain glance at Judy.

'Go ahead, I've got loads of homework waiting for me upstairs anyway,' she said with a smile.

'Great,' said Lee with an even broader grin than before. 'We'll just have to find some place in the castle where no one can hear us, because I'm not playing it outside in this weather. '

'Try classroom eleven,' offered Judy, 'it's on the ground floor, in the corridor leading off the Entrance Hall. I don't remember it ever being used,' she said as she remembered how she and the other sixth year Ravenclaws had used it the previous year for their gatherings to practice defensive spells.

'Did I ever tell you, you are absolutely brilliant?' said Fred mischievously.

'About a million times,' said Judy with a smile as she met his eyes.

'Do you two want five minutes?' Lee asked amused.

'Naah,' Fred got to his feet, 'I can snog her later.'

'Honestly,' Judy rolled her eyes at him.

'See you later, gorgeous,' Fred grinned at her. Judy shook her head.

'Bye Byrne,' Lee Jordan waved at her, before following in Fred's wake.

'Bye guys,' Judy looked after them till they left the Hall. Then she got to her feet and left the Great Hall as well. She hadn't lied to Fred when she said she had a lot of homework waiting for her.

The Entrance Hall and the marble staircase were deserted, allowing Judy to give into her thoughts without attracting any attention. Her mind wandered back to the black hairs she had felt in her dorm and the dark eyes staring at her from the Forbidden Forest. No matter how hard she tried to attribute everything she had seen and felt to an illusion, she couldn't deny the reality of it all. Sirius was on Hogwarts' grounds.

She didn't know how he'd managed to get passed the Dementors and survive in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest; but she knew he had accomplished to do all those things, just as she knew that she would have to make a choice on what to do with that knowledge.

She knew telling Lupin and Dumbledore would be the most logical and best thing to do. Sirius was a wanted murderer and though she had heard several theories about his intentions, she didn't have a clue why he was on Hogwarts' grounds. She did know however, that both her heart and mind refused to believe her father was or ever had been a Death Eater. She couldn't believe that a man who had lost everything he loved in the war would even consider joining Voldemort.

She stopped as she reached the second floor, leaning over the banister to look down the large staircase and then looking up to the upper floors. With all the pictures aligning the walls, the teachers and Prefects patrolling the corridors at night and the mass of children using the staircase during the day there was no chance of Sirius getting into the castle. No chance at all, she thought firmly. Then again, she hadn't thought it possible that Sirius would be on Hogwarts' grounds either, not with all the Dementors guarding the castle. But he was.

And yet, despite believing her father was innocent and nearly being convinced that it would be impossible for him to enter the castle unnoticed, her conscience refused to give in to her heart.

Lupin and Dumbledore would never forgive her if they found out she had been lying to them and Judy knew she'd never be able to forgive herself if her lies would cause anybody to be hurt, especially if that someone was Harry. On the other hand, telling the headmaster and her uncle what she knew would probably lead to Sirius being caught and she knew what his punishment would be. She couldn't live with herself, knowing it had been her knowledge which had lead to Sirius receiving the Dementor's kiss.

'Judy?' She closed her eyes for a moment. The familiar voice belonged to the one person she had hoped she wouldn't run into today; not as long as she hadn't been able to make up her mind. She turned on her heel to face the origin of the familiar voice. Lupin smiled at her gently.

'Hello, Professor,' she said with the best smile she could manage. Lupin looked around for a moment.

'Can I have a word with you in my office?' Judy followed his gaze and noticed a group of Gryffindors heading down the staircase.

'Of course.' She followed in his wake, her mind racing about what choice to make.

They walked in silence down the second floor corridor, toward Lupin's office. Several students passed them. Judy was thankful none of them gave them a second glance.

Lupin's office reflected his passion for the subject he taught. A cabinet to Judy's left was filled with an array of dark objects and skulls, while on her right shelves with tankards and cages containing all sorts of magical creatures lined the walls. Pixies and Doxys flew around in their cages, clearly not pleased with their confinement, while a few well preserved, and clearly dead, creatures floated in tankards of water.

'This is quite a collection,' said Judy, looking at a tankard containing a dead water animal she had never seen before. In any other situation she would have asked what it was, but her mind was still so caught up with the decisions she had to make, that she couldn't care less what the water creature was called.

'Thank you,' Lupin smiled at her as he sat down at his desk. 'Would you like a cup of tea?' He asked gently as he poured himself a cup.

'No, thank you,' said Judy quickly. Lupin looked at her, somewhat confused. 'I just had some at lunch,' explained Judy.

'Oh, I see,' said Lupin, his lips once again curled up in a small smile. He put the teapot down, leaned back in his chair and looked at her for a while in silence. Judy evaded his gaze, focusing her attention on a Pixie trying to pick the lock of his cage.

'Well, we haven't spoken much lately, have we?' asked Lupin, after an awkward silence.

'I've been busy,' said Judy truthfully.

'Yes, I heard from Madam Pince that you are practically living in the library these days,' said Lupin amused.

'It's easier to concentrate there than in the common room,' explained Judy, not meeting his eyes.

'I see,' said Lupin in understanding. 'So, how are you keeping up with homework and everything?'

'All right,' said Judy, shrugging. 'I'm a little behind with some courses, but I should be able to catch up on that soon enough.'

'And how are classes?' asked Lupin carefully. Judy met his eyes and sighed as she saw the concern in his eyes.

'Have you spoken with Snape?' asked Judy a bit annoyed.

'Professor Snape told me you are slipping in his class. He thinks the Potion NEWT may be a bit too much for you…'

Judy snorted. 'He's only saying that because he hates me,' she retorted. 'I mean, I know he failed me once only because I helped out Willow with her Draught of Living Death.'

'Oh, I see,' Lupin spoke slowly, as if to contemplate his next words carefully. 'Well, to be honest with you, Jude…Professor Snape isn't the only teacher who has spoken to me about your grades. Professor Flitwick and McGonagall seem to be quite concerned about your achievements as well…'

'Well, they shouldn't be,' said Judy, crossing her arms as if to shield herself from whatever else Lupin had in store for her.

'Sweetheart,-'

'I'm fine, Professor,' she said, consciously keeping up a barrier between them by refraining from calling him by his first name. 'I'll just work harder from now on.'

'I don't think working hard is the problem…' said Lupin carefully. Judy met his eyes briefly. 'Listen…I know your…Sirius is a well talked about subject among students, and teachers for that matter. I can imagine that that can be distracting for you…'

Lupin stopped talking as their eyes met once again, staying locked this time. Judy didn't bother to turn away, in fact she wasn't really looking at her uncle, but looking right through him as thoughts raced through her head.

'You have been thinking about him, haven't you?' asked Lupin gently.

'How can I not?' asked Judy truthfully as she blinked back a tear. 'Everybody's talking about him like he's some kind of monster…'

Lupin sighed. 'Judy, you need to realize,-'

'I know what he did,' said Judy quickly, only half-believing her own words. 'It's just…' her voice wavered as she looked at a dark fury animal in one of the cages, licking his two white fangs as he looked down on her. She could feel the touch of the rough dark hairs on her fingers again, the hairs that lay in her dormitory, the hairs Lupin would want to know everything about…

'Sweetheart.' Judy gasped as Lupin took her hands. She hadn't realized he'd gotten up and walked over to her. 'Listen,' he knelt before her, 'I know and I understand that your judgement of Sirius is biased, because of…well, your connection to him. But…' he sighed before he continued, 'he is a murderer, Jude.' Lupin tightened his hold on her as she instinctively tried to pull away her hands. 'You can't deny what he did.'

'I'm not,' said Judy quickly. She had to tell him about what she saw; she couldn't keep the hairs and what she saw in the Forest a secret from her uncle. 'I just don't like hearing people calling him that. Even if it is true.'

'Then you don't believe he's innocent?' asked Lupin carefully.

'The facts are against him, right?' offered Judy lightly. Lupin looked back at her for a moment; she knew her answer wasn't phrased as strongly as he had wanted to hear it. She didn't have much time to decide what to say further and to her own surprise she didn't need much time to make up her mind either.

'I don't,' she added as Lupin opened his mouth to speak. 'I don't believe he's innocent.' An unsettling feeling grabbed hold of her stomach in a way it never had before.

'Good,' Lupin smiled at her. 'That is really good to hear.'

'Why is that good to hear?' asked Judy confused.

'What?' Lupin looked at her confused as if awaking from a reverie.

'Why is that good to hear?' repeated Judy.

'Oh nothing,' said Lupin dismissively.

'Remus…' He arched a brow at her for using his first name. 'Come on, don't lie to me.' Her stomach gave another uncomfortable lurch.

He sat down in his chair again, folded his hands in front of his mouth and surveyed her for a moment. 'It is good to hear,' he said slowly, 'because now I know you'll come to me, should Sirius try to contact you…'

'Oh,' said Judy, her stomach now doing a summersault. 'Of course. Of course I'd come to you if he did that.' She faked the best smile she could, ignoring the nauseous feeling building up inside of her. Lupin smiled at her, which didn't make her feel better at all. 'Ehm, I have a lot of homework waiting for me upstairs. So, if you don't mind, I'll just,-'

'Oh no, go ahead,' said Lupin apologetically. 'How are your hands by the way?'

'Fully healed,' Judy held them up for him to see.

'Good,' said Lupin with another warm smile. Judy wasn't sure she could look at him any longer without caving under his kindness. 'Now, are you sure you're going to be all right? With school, I mean?'

'Yes,' said Judy as she got to her feet. 'And if I won't be, I promise you'll be the first to know, Professor.' She added gently.

'All right, all right. Off you go then,' said Lupin warmly.

'Goodbye, Professor.' Judy didn't wait for a response as she headed out of the office and into the second floor corridor. She sprinted to the nearest girls' bathroom, rushed to the sink and grabbed hold of the rim. She inhaled deeply, in an effort to reduce the tension and nausea which was threatening to take hold of her body.

She looked at herself in the mirror, not able to match what she just did to who she was. Who she thought she had been her entire life.

She knew Sirius was on Hogwarts' grounds; somehow he had figured out a way to get past the Dementors. There was a big chance that he would figure out a way to get in the castle as well…

And yet…she hadn't been able to make the right choice, the best choice, the choice to tell Lupin everything about what had happened that day. And she knew exactly why she hadn't, why she would never tell Lupin the truth about her father's presence on Hogwarts' grounds.

If Sirius' intentions were as Lupin and Dumbledore feared and he was after Harry, she could try to find a way to protect him. There was a possibility for her to prevent Harry from being harmed. But if she told the headmaster and her uncle the truth about what she had seen that day, Sirius would have been caught and there would be no way for Judy to protect him against his sentence. He would receive the Dementor's kiss and there was nothing Judy could do to stop that from happening.

That was why she made the choice she had: the simple fact that she couldn't turn in her father and allow for his soul to be sucked out of his body by one of the horrific guards of Azkaban. She would never be able to do anything to hurt her father; no matter what consequences her choices entailed for herself. Because if Lupin and Dumbledore found out that she had kept the truth from them, there would be consequences.

A tear slid down Judy's cheek as she looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't the thought of Sirius' horrific sentence or lying to her friends which made her sad. It was the fact that Lupin had believed her, that Lupin still trusted her which made her heart ache. It was the knowledge that she had just lied to her uncle for the first time in her life which tore her apart. And the knowledge that, as long as she believed in her father's innocence, it wouldn't be the last time she would have to lie to him which made her break down in tears.

Changes that have been made:

- I changed the title from 'Cats and dogs' to 'Padfoot'. I think the current title fits the chapter much better.
- There's a minor change in the Potions class: Snape sets Judy an essay because of screwing up her Polyjuice Potion.
- The conversation Judy has with her House mates who are trying to convince her to go to Quidditch is expanded. I think the conversation they have about Judy and Oliver feels less forced into the chapter now, than it did before (for me anyway).
- Duncan's reaction to Judy's questions about Sirius, is a bit more violent than before...it works better this way I think.
- Wood's and Judy's conversation is a bit expanded. I thought it looked like I crammed it in the chapter, but by expanding it a bit I think it fits the chapter better.
- The bit about Judy feeling guilty about lying to her friends is two lines longer.
- The most important change I made is expand the ending and write out Judy's contemplation of whether or not to tell Lupin and Dumbledore that she's seen Sirius. I think it clears up her motivation for making the choices she makes. I felt I had to make this more clearly, because previously I don't think it was a logical choice and now with her motivation written out, it is.

There are many minor changes in grammar etc. But the above changes are the most relevant for the overall story.