Chapter 9

Stranger in the castle

As autumn laid its colourful blanket over the castle's surroundings, the Hogwarts' grounds looked more and more deserted. Cloudy skies provided too much thunder and rain for any student to leave the castle; safe for Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Most students preferred the warmth of their common rooms, the Great Hall or even the library to spend their free hours, including the sixth year Ravenclaws.

Judy sat across from Aidan and Connor at their House table on Wednesday morning. Aidan was, as usual, copying Connor's star chart for that day's Astronomy class. Judy on the other hand was busy with something which didn't resemble homework in the slightest. She'd spent so much time studying in the past month that she hadn't only neglected hanging out with her friends, but also forgotten to write to her best friend outside of Hogwarts.

She lay down her quill, threw a thin layer of sand on the still drying ink and blew the excess of sand off the paper. She reread the letter once more, making sure she hadn't said anything that would get her into trouble if the letter would fall into the wrong hands.

Dearest Dora,

How have you been? I'm sorry I haven't written to you earlier, but homework is taking up even more of my time than usual. I've only been able to go down to the Quidditch pitch once in the past month…. I bet your situation isn't that different from mine with your Auror training and all.

With all the homework I'm doing and the Quidditch matches I've missed, this school year has started of quite differently than I had expected. The events of the past summer have already changed my life more than I had ever imagined they would. For one thing, my mother's gift is apparently mine as well. I cannot even begin to tell you how angry and scared I am at the same time. Angry because I cannot do anything to stop it, and scared because of how it may change my life. I've already spent one weekend in the hospital wing because of it and according to my uncle there's a good chance that that weekend won't be the last. You wouldn't believe how many other things have happened since the start of term, so many things that I can't really talk to anybody about but you. Not even my uncle.

There's a distance between us, Dora. A distance which is growing because I do not see eye to eye with him on certain matters. The same matters I talked to you about on my Birthday this past summer. I assure you though that I do not intend to act on my beliefs, but I can't help but hold on to them. I hope you understand that I haven't told my uncle about this, because I know he will not understand. Perhaps you won't either, but I needed to share my thoughts with someone. You were always the one I trusted most. I really wish there was a way for us to share our thoughts.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Love, Judy

She neatly folded up the letter and slid it into an envelope. She cast a look around the Great Hall; occasionally she had seen a stray barn owl perched on one of the wooden beams, only half hidden by the enchanted ceiling. Now however, there was not an owl to be seen; she would have to walk to the Owlery to post the letter.

'Where are you going then?' asked Aidan, looking up from his star chart as Judy got to her feet. 'We still got an hour till Astronomy.'

'West Tower,' said Judy, cramming quill and ink bottle into her book filled bag. 'I'm going to the Owlery. Tell Willow and Shania I'll see them at Charms, OK?'

'Yeah, OK,' said Connor as Aidan bent back over his star chart again. 'Would you mind taking a look at this before you go though?' He handed his own star chart to her. 'I think I've gone wrong somewhere, but,-'

'You forgot Pollux and Castor are part of Gemini as well,' she put down the charts and indicated the two stars. 'And Monoceros lies left of Orion not on the right,' said Judy as she scanned the parchment again. 'If you change that, it should be fine.'

'And how come you've dropped a grade in Astronomy?' asked Aidan with a hint of sarcasm.

'Because I'm too busy helping you with your homework,' offered Judy with a small smile as she slung her bag over her shoulder. 'See you later!'

'Bye!' Connor called after her as she walked toward the wooden entrance doors.

The marble staircase and adjacent corridors were nearly deserted. The first to fifth years were in class at this hour, while the sixth and seventh years used every spare hour to keep up with the mass of homework the teachers assigned them for attaining the required NEWT standards.

Judy tightened her scarf as she reached the Owlery. The circular stone room had many windows, but the lack of glass in them caused the room to be a few degrees colder than the rest of the castle; especially at this time of year. Judy avoided the owl droppings and small skeletons of mice as she made her way over to one of the school's barn owls.

The light brown, white spotted owl took the envelope in its beak. Without another glance it flew toward the ceiling of the Owlery and out of one of the highest windows. Judy looked after it, convincing herself that she had done the right thing by writing her cousin and that none of the information in the letter would compromise the secrets she had had to keep nearly her entire life.

'Well, well, well…' Judy startled. 'If it isn't Miss Screw-Up…' Odelia Pellyn and Dara Bulstrode cast her a pair of malicious smiles. Odelia was a slender, tall girl with long coarse black hair reaching to her waist. Her bright green eyes stood out against her pale complexion. Dara was curvier and shorter than her friend. Her cheeks were covered with freckles and her brown bristle hair reached to her shoulders.

'That's very inventive,' said Judy, rolling her eyes. 'Now, if you'll excuse me,' she tightened the hold on her bag as she pushed herself past Dara.

'Not so fast.' Judy stumbled backwards as Odelia pulled her back; the only reason she didn't fall on the filthy floor was because she hit the wall.

'What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?!' said Judy heatedly as she straightened her uniform.

'What do you mean?' asked Odelia innocently. 'I didn't do anything, did I Dara?' The other Slytherin girl shook her head fervently.

'Oh, very brave…' said Judy sarcastically. 'Two against one. Now, what do you want from me?'

'Come on, Jude. It's nothing personal…we're only having a bit of fun,' said Odelia maliciously.

'Well, then I'll leave you two to that,' said Judy coldly. She pushed herself past Dara and Odelia without casting them another glance. She'd never understand the ability of the two girls to be enemies with other students just because they were sorted into different Houses. She descended the marble staircase quickly, intent on making a stop at the library to spend her remaining spare time in a useful manner.

'Ms. Byrne,' Snape said silkily as she reached the fifth floor. Judy stopped in her tracks. Out of all the people she could have run into while walking the marble staircase alone, it just had to be her luck to run into him.

'Good morning, Professor,' Judy tried to keep her voice steady.

'Do you not have classes to attend?'

'No, sir.' Snape's lips curled into a malicious smile. 'I was just heading for the library to do some studying,' added Judy quickly.

'Were you now?' he asked sarcastically. 'If I didn't know any better I'd think you were spending your spare time exploring the castle instead of doing your homework.'

'I've only been up in the Owlery, sir,' explained Judy quickly.

'The Owlery?' Snape arched a brow at her. 'I thought your uncle is the only family you have…' Judy's heart froze as she remembered how Lupin had told all the teachers of their bond after she had had her first vision.

'I have friends outside of Hogwarts,' said Judy quickly.

'Of course you do,' said Snape amused. Judy opened her mouth to speak, but closed it as Snape raised his hand. 'Now, I want you to listen to me very carefully, Ms Byrne. My patience with you has been nearly as little as that I have for Ms. Waters, but I have never turned a complete blind eye to your talents in my class. That is the only reason why I have accepted you as a NEWT student.'

'Professor, I,-'

'Silence!' Snape took a step forward and looked straight in her eyes. 'Lately your performance in my class, and others, has dropped drastically. Well, except for Defence against the Dark arts, but we both know why that is…'

'But sir, that's not,-' Judy bit her lip as Snape raised his hand to silence her once again. She couldn't remember ever hating her Potions Professor more.

'I will only spend my time on students who show their dedication to their education. Roaming the castle while you should be in the library obscured by piles of books, is hardly showing any motivation for attaining your NEWTs.' He paused for a moment as he looked at her, daring her to respond. Judy's hatred grew as she saw an even stronger look of loathing than usual in his eyes. She didn't say anything, knowing it would only get her into more trouble if she chose to respond. 'Do you understand me, Ms. Byrne?'

'Yes, sir. I understand completely.' Snape's eyes flickered at the challenging tone of the last sentence.

'I suggest you go to the library immediately. If you wish to continue Potions, I suggest you show the results of that visit in my class.' Their eyes met for a moment, Snape's boring into Judy's. She was the first to turn away, as always. At times like these she wished she was more like Willow and could find the courage to defy her Potions master.

As Judy looked up again she saw Snape walking back down the fifth floor corridor, his black cloak billowing in his wake. She waited for him to be out of sight before she turned and rushed down the marble staircase to the library on the fourth floor.

She entered the library quickly, walking in between two large bookcases and ignoring the row of Divination books she passed. She had often stopped to stare at the several titles on that shelve. Her hand had even reached up to several books about visions and the mind, but she had pulled it back as soon as she realised what she was doing. She wasn't ready to find out what exactly her visions meant; she wasn't ready to accept that she would have to live with them for the rest of her life. Not yet.

Judy stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes wandered over the large antique clock on her left. She turned on her heel, tightened the hold on her bag and rushed out of the library. Madam Pince's angry comments were drowned out as she slammed the wooden door shut behind her. She doubted she'd be allowed to do any decent studying in the library in the upcoming month.

Judy elbowed her way up the staircase, somehow able to keep herself from being knocked off her feet by the flock of students. Her conversation with Snape had clearly taken longer than she realised and she only had a few more minutes to get to the Astronomy tower for that day's theoretical lesson. After dropping a grade, due to her last awfully incorrect star chart, she had to be in class on time to stay on Professor Sinistra's good side.

'There she is (!),' Chelsea said happily as Judy walked toward the group. Her breathing came in difficult gasps as she reached their side. She grabbed hold of Aidan's shoulder as she caught her breath.

'What took you so long?' asked Aidan confused. 'I thought you were only going to post that letter?'

'I ran into Snape on the way back,' Judy paused to take several deep breaths.

'You mean Professor Snape,' said Abigail disapprovingly.

'I will start calling him that when he learns to behave like an adult,' said Judy truthfully. Chelsea gasped.

'You're hanging out with them Weasleys too much,' said Aidan amused.

'What did he have to say?' asked Connor.

'Ahum.' They all turned on their heel to look at Professor Sinistra. She was a tall slender woman, her dark long wavy hair hanging loose under her dark blue pointy hat. Her robes were the same colour; Professor Sinistra always preferred wearing the colours of the sky she studied. 'Now, if you are all done talking…' she said meaningfully.

Judy didn't meet her eyes as she entered the class room. She had a perfect star chart in her shoulder bag and she wasn't about to do anything to decrease her grade. She'd already have to work twice as hard to convince Snape she was good enough to stay in his NEWT class, she wasn't about to add any other Professors to that list.

&

Judy wasn't alone that evening, as she lay on her bed surrounded by books. Abigail sat two beds left of her, her legs propped up under her in a lotus position. Chelsea lay on her back on the bed between them, her face hidden by the same Muggle studies book as Abigail's. The three of them had agreed on the common room being too noisy to study and had retreated to their dormitory to catch up on their homework. Shania had remained on the blue sofa in front of the hearth watching the boys play Wizard's chess once again. Judy didn't think she'd ever seen the two of them playing any other game.

'Willow's bound to be back soon, right?' asked Chelsea carefully.

'Prefect meetings usually don't last longer than an hour,' offered Judy, not looking up from her book. 'And knowing Will she won't stay a minute longer.' Judy exchanged a smile with Chelsea.

'Dumbledore shouldn't have made her Prefect to begin with,' said Abigail, putting down her book. 'If there's anybody around here not respecting the rules…'

'She doesn't break the rules, Abigail,' Judy looked back at her. 'She just has a tendency of bending them,' she added amused.

'Bending them?' Abigail rolled her eyes before hiding her face behind her book again.

Judy looked up as the door creaked. Duncan walked into the dormitory, his tail swishing happily as he strutted to her bed. Judy watched him apprehensively as she noticed the brown mouse in his mouth.

'You are not eating that here…' He looked at her daringly. 'I said *no*, Duncan,' Judy repeated. He ignored her completely and walked straight under her bed.

'He usually listens quite well to you, doesn't he?' asked Chelsea softly.

'Yes, he does…' said Judy absently as she looked at the black patch of fur which Duncan had left behind as he crawled under her bed. She didn't need to feel the texture to know they weren't his.

'Oy, you!' Judy looked up to see Willow standing in the doorway leading to the girls' dormitory.

'Would you hold your tongue…' Abigail said irritated as she looked up from her book. 'We're trying to study here.'

'Why didn't you tell me about Snape?!' Willow asked, ignoring Abigail completely.

'Because it wasn't worth mentioning,' offered Judy, taking up her book again.

'I'll be the judge of that.' Willow grasped Judy's book from her hands as she sat down at the foot of the bed. Her brown eyes were sparkling due to the anger raging on inside of her.

'OK, first of all, I am not telling you anything until you take a deep breath and calm down.' Judy pushed herself upright, her eyes not leaving her best friend's. Willow complied, her eyes softening slightly. 'Second of all, it really wasn't anything important. I appreciate you caring, but I can handle this on my own, Will.'

'But,-'

'But nothing,' interjected Judy. 'You've already got enough on your hands trying to stay out of trouble in Potions. I don't want Snape sending a letter to your Mom because of me.'

Willow snorted. 'Like he needs an excuse to do that. He's sent two already, and one of them was because I answered a question without raising my hand…'

'You're joking!' said Judy taken aback.

'Wish I were,' said Willow, leaning against one of the wooden pillars of Judy's four poster bed. 'Thank Merlin my mother agrees that he's getting a bit carried away.'

'I don't know, if all of us were to speak without raising their hands it would be a real chaos in class…' said Abigail without looking up from her book.

'I didn't expect you to think otherwise…' Willow glanced over her shoulder. 'Now,' she turned back to Judy. 'What did Snape say?' Judy looked back at her, amused. 'Come on, Jude…'

'OK, I'll tell you if you tell me what George wrote in that letter he sent you during the summer…' Willow's eyes widened. Judy knew she'd never tell about the letter with the other two girls in the room.

'Fine, you win,' said Willow quickly. 'Though you got me rethinking about telling you the most exciting news in months…' Her mouth split in a grin.

'What?' Judy asked apprehensively.

'Next weekend, Hogsmeade trip!'

'At Halloween?' asked Chelsea eagerly.

'At Halloween,' Willow agreed, excited. 'Can you imagine? Hogsmeade will be decorated with talking pumpkins and dancing blue bell flames...and we'll finally get the change to get out of this stuffy castle again.' She sighed. 'It'll be awesome.'

Judy smiled at the excitement her friend was showing. She wouldn't mind getting out of the castle for a while either; it would definitely help get her mind off things. Her dropping grades, Snape's worsening attitude toward her, avoiding Lupin because of the guilt gnawing at her heart, Padfoot's presence on Hogwarts' grounds…a trip to Zonko's and Honeydukes was definitely more than welcome.

'Tell me, how come you know this before everybody else does?' asked Abigail, her eyes fixed on Willow.

'Percy Weasley just told the Prefects. It should be on the notice boards in the common rooms this weekend. I'm sure all of you will be able to keep your mouths shut for a few days, especially to Penelope. You know she can be even worse than Percy when it comes to rules…'

'Oh,' said Abigail, 'you weren't supposed to tell us anything yet, then?'

'Come on, Abby. We're roommates,' said Willow casually. 'I trust you to keep a secret.'

'Like Percy trusted you?' retorted Abigail. 'See, I told you Judy. Always breaking the rules her.'

'Breaking the rules?' asked Willow taken aback. She turned on the bed to face Abigail. 'I'm not breaking any rules…I'm just…bending them…'

Judy burst into laughter and Chelsea quickly buried her face behind her book. Abigail only rolled her eyes, turned away from them and resumed her reading.

'What did I say?' asked Willow confused.

'Nothing, Will.' Judy smiled. 'Nothing we didn't expect from you…'

&

The following week came and went as the excitement about the upcoming Hogsmeade trip grew. Halloween decorations were being put up all around the castle and that Saturday there wasn't a corner which didn't include a set of talking pumpkins, dancing blue bell flames or a flock of floating candles.

Judy and Willow walked among the mass of Ravenclaw students heading to the Great Hall for breakfast. The first and second years lingered a bit behind as the other students rushed down the marble staircase; only third years and up were allowed to visit Hogsmeade.

'What did you agree upon with George?' asked Judy. Her long dark hair was bound together in a single large braid, reaching to her hips.

'That we'd meet them in front of the Entrance doors after breakfast. The Hall is bound to be too crowded to find anybody, so we,-'

'Ms. Byrne?' Judy froze in her tracks at the sound of the familiar voice and fell over as the person behind her collided with her.

'Would you watch it, you bloody idiot?!' Willow said heatedly to the first year who hurried away from them with a terrified look on his face.

Judy felt something fluid trail down her nose. She allowed Willow to help her up by her left arm as she pressed her right hand to her bleeding nose.

'Jude, are you,-' Willow broke off as she saw Judy's blood covered nose and hand. 'Oh great,' she took Judy by the arm and pulled her into the second floor corridor.

'Judy, are you all right? I didn't mean…' Lupin's voice wavered as he saw the warning look in Willow's eyes. Judy was glad her best friend reminded him that they weren't alone. Lupin tended to forget about pretence when he was concerned about her. A pang of guilt, caused by the knowledge of what she was hiding from him, nearly made her cringe. 'I know a spell to,-'

'Oh please Professor,' Willow pleaded as she already drew her wand. 'I've been dying to try this on somebody.' Judy did her utmost not to show the tension which that sentence caused her to feel.

'Ehm…' Lupin eyed her for a moment. 'Well, I suppose,-'

'Thanks!' Willow pointed her wand at Judy's nose. 'Episkey!' Judy immediately felt the bleeding stop and managed to cast the two of them a smile, instead of letting out the sigh of relief she had intended.

'Thanks Will,' Judy said as she took the handkerchief Lupin offered her. She wiped the blood from her face and hands.

'You're welcome,' Willow beamed. 'Hang on,' she took the handkerchief from Judy as she finished cleaning her face. 'Scourgify! Here you go Professor,' she smiled proudly as she handed the handkerchief back to Lupin.

'Thank you, Willow,' Lupin stuffed his handkerchief back in his pocket. 'But that will be quite enough magic performed out of class for today.' Willow looked at him, disappointed. 'If you don't mind, I would like to talk to Judy in private now,' said Lupin kindly.

'I guess I'd better save you some sandwiches then,' she cast Judy a smile. 'See you later.' Willow turned on her heel and headed back to the crowd descending the marble staircase. 'Watch it! Prefect coming through!' Judy's lips curled up in a smile as she looked after her best friend.

'Ms. Byrne, if you would follow me please,' said Lupin, easily slipping back into his role as Professor. Judy walked after him, trying to convince herself, as she had done more than once during the past days that she had done the right thing by not telling him about Padfoot. It helped her to think that she hadn't actually lied to her uncle, she was just not telling him everything she knew. 'Please take a seat,' said Lupin as they walked into his office. He closed the door behind her. 'Are you sure you're all right?'

'I'm fine,' said Judy truthfully, 'well, except for a bruised ego…but I suppose they haven't found a spell to heal that yet, have they?'

'I'm afraid not,' said Lupin with a warm smile as he sat down opposite her. 'I suppose you'll be going to Hogsmeade today?'

'Yes, Willow and I are meeting up with Fred and George after breakfast.'

'Sounds good,' he folded his hands on his desk. 'Any specific plans?'

'Not really,' Judy shrugged. 'Zonko's and Honeydukes are always worth a visit. And we'll definitely have a Butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Oh, and I was thinking on visiting the Shrieking Shack. I haven't seen it in ages.'

'The Shrieking Shack?' asked Lupin interested, his calm tone of voice the opposite of his tightened white knuckles. 'Why would you want to go there?'

'For fun,' said Judy casually. 'It's supposed to be the most haunted house in Britain, right? May be I'll spot a ghost,' she offered amused. Lupin's knuckles loosened again. 'Is something wrong?' asked Judy carefully.

'Wrong?' Lupin looked at her, confused. 'No nothing's wrong. Just wanted to make sure you weren't alone…I mean,' he hesitated as Judy got to her feet. She eyed him only for a moment before walking around the desk and placing a kiss on his cheek. Lupin cast her a warm, but confused smile as she pulled back.

'You're a good man, Remus,' said Judy softly. 'I promise I'll be careful.' Lupin nodded, his expression showing relief. 'Now, I have to get going or I'll definitely miss out on breakfast.'

'Just a moment,' Lupin pulled open his drawer, took a Sickle from his wallet and put it in her hand. 'Bring back some Fizzing Wizbees for me? You can use the rest of it for yourself.'

'But this is way too much!' said Judy in disbelief. 'I can't,-'

'You can and you will,' said Lupin in a final tone. 'It's not like you listen to my protests when it's the other way around…'

'But I,-' Lupin arched a brow at her. 'Fine,' said Judy recognizing defeat.

'Good. Now, off you go. We'd best not be seen too much together.' Judy nodded in understanding, headed for the door but stopped midway.

'Why aren't you going to Hogsmeade?' she asked as she turned on her heel.

'Only a few more days to the full moon,' said Lupin gently. 'I'm afraid a visit to Hogsmeade in this cold is a bit too much for me.' Judy merely nodded, unable to speak due to the lump in her throat. With everything going on in her own life she had completely forgotten about her uncle and his transformations.

'Is the Wolfsbane potion Sna-, I mean Professor Snape makes for you, is it working?'

'Just as well as yours,' offered Lupin warmly. 'You don't have to worry about me, sweetheart.' Judy couldn't keep her lips from curling up in a smile as she realised nothing had changed. Despite the two of them hardly spending any time together he was still able to read her mind.

'Goodbye, Professor.'

'Enjoy your trip.'

Judy closed the door and stood still in the corridor for a moment; savouring the warm feeling in her heart. Lupin still tried to look out for her as he always had. She hoped he'd understand she was only trying to do the same for her father if he ever found out what she was hiding from him.

Judy was the only student heading down the marble stairs toward the Great Hall. Sounds of laughter echoed through the deserted staircase and grew louder as Judy neared the mass of students enjoying their breakfast.

Though most parts of the castle were already decorated with Halloween ornaments, the decorations in the Great Hall were still a work in progress. Scattered across the Hall were a only few hovering pumpkins bearing candles, as Professor Flitwick had taken a break from charming more of them to enjoy his own breakfast.

Big black spiders were putting up their webs in several corners of the Hall under the watchful eye of the Gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid. As Hagrid moved to the Slytherin table, several fist years chose to join their fellow classmates on the other side of the Housetable; Judy couldn't blame them…she'd never been too fond of spiders herself.

'Well, finally,' said Willow as Judy sat down beside her.

'Yes, thank Merlin you're here,' added Aidan, 'she was just about to send out a search party for you.'

'I didn't,-'

'Just ignore him, Will,' said Shania, whose hair hung down in dozens of small braids. Judy suspected her roommate to have used a little magic to make them all that same morning. 'He just can't help acting like an insensitive goblin.' Aidan opened his mouth to speak but closed it as Connor put a hand on his arm.

'Does anybody want some pumpkin juice?' asked Chelsea quickly in an effort to reduce the sudden built tension.

'Ehm, I'll have some,' said Judy confused. She decided not to ask why the tension between Aidan and Shania was worse than usual. 'So, all of you going to Hogsmeade?'

'We were planning on going together,' offered Connor, 'if those two can keep their wands in their pockets.' He eyed Shania and Aidan.

'What about Abigail?' asked Judy, noticing the empty spot beside Shania. 'She's not still in bed, is she?'

'No,' replied Willow. 'She's decided to go to Hogsmeade with her other friends.' Judy followed her friend's gaze to the Slytherin table, where Abigail sat in between Odelia and Dara. 'I guess her ban on inter house friendships doesn't apply to Slytherin,' added Willow irritable.

Judy cast Abigail a small smile as their eyes met. She knew how much her roommate had wanted to be sorted in Slytherin; she was only happy for her that she'd found friends in that House.

'You two going with your boyfriends again?' asked Shania amused. Judy turned to look at her.

'They're not our…' Willow paused as Shania arched a brow. 'You know what? I'm not even going to respond to that.'

'Good, because you're not supposed to lie to your friends,' retorted Shania. Chelsea nearly choked on her piece of toast while both boys burst into laughter. Judy couldn't help but smile as well as she saw the look on Willow's face.

&

It didn't take long for students to rise from their House tables and start making their way to the Entrance Hall. Judy stuffed her last piece of toast in her mouth as people around her started leaving the Ravenclaw table.

'Still not done eating?' asked an all too familiar voice. Judy turned and met Fred's eyes. 'Remember, it's not polite to talk with your mouth full.' Judy swallowed the lump of bread quickly, nearly choking as she did so.

'Thanks for that,' she said, still feeling the lump in her throat.

'Anytime,' Fred grinned. 'Now come on, I don't want those third years to beat me to Honeydukes. There'll be nothing left to buy.'

'We'll see you at dinner,' said Willow to the others as she and Judy rose.

'Don't do anything I wouldn't do,' said Shania with a smile. Judy pulled Willow away from the table before she could respond.

As they reached the Entrance Hall they saw Filch the caretaker signing off the names of students which were visiting the village. The scroll of parchment reached all the way down to the stone floor.

'Our name is Weasley, sir,' said George. Filch arched a brow at him and Fred, knowing very well who they were, and urged them along.

Judy looked around the crowded Entrance Hall as the two third year Slytherins in front of her tried to explain why they didn't have a signed form. She had hoped to see Duncan before leaving the castle; he usually saw her off, but she thought he was still too angry with her. Judy made a mental note to buy him something while in town.

As she cast one last glance around the Hall her eyes were caught by a solitary figure making his way up the marble staircase. She immediately recognized the thirteen year old boy with his hair sticking out at the back. Despite of not believing in her father's guilt, it relieved her to know that Harry would be out of the reach of his godfather.

'Come on,' Willow pulled her along as they walked outside, 'I've already signed us out and Fred and George are probably halfway to Zonko's already.'

'Do you hear that George?' asked Fred indignantly. We walked ahead to arrange some decent transportation and this is how they talk about us…' Behind the twins stood a dark wooden carriage. Two Thestrals stood at the front of it.

'We're sorry, Fred,' said Judy with a small smile as George helped Willow inside. 'If there's anything we can do to make it up to you…' Fred cast her a grin as he helped her inside the carriage as well.

'You know,' he got in as well and sat down beside her, 'you're only saying that because your uncle will kill me if I take you up on that.'

'Am I?' asked Judy as they rode down the slope toward the wrought iron gates. Fred's eyes showed confusion as he looked at her. Judy smiled. 'You shouldn't forget I've been hanging out with you for years when you dare me, Weasley.' Fred laughed, but Judy didn't join him.

She gasped as a sudden cold took hold of her. Small icicles formed in the corner of the window to her right. The other three looked at each other, frozen. Their breath came out in small white clouds in front of their mouths.

'No, not again,' said Willow, her voice less steady than usual. 'What do they want from us?'

'They just need to check that we aren't hiding Black,' offered George. He put his arm around Willow as she shoved closer to him.

'Why on earth would Black try and get away from the castle?' asked Willow nervously. 'I mean,-' She yelped as the carriage suddenly stopped.

Judy stared in front of her, doing her utmost to push back the surfacing memories of her mother's death. She didn't realize how much she was trembling until Fred took her hand in his and held it tightly.

'They'll be gone in a minute,' said Fred reassuringly. 'I think,-'

'Jude!' Willow pointed to the window. Judy turned slowly, her breath catching in her throat as she looked at the three black, hooded figures. The Dementors stood still at her window, staring into her soul through the glass and sucking the warmth from her body. She squeezed Fred's hand as the cold penetrated her skin and froze her heart.

'Avada Kedavra!' The dark haired woman's body fell lifeless to the floor.

'No,' Judy whispered, her body trembling as she tried to fight off the cold.

She stared into her mother's wide open eyes from her hiding place under the bed.

'No,' Judy whispered again. She didn't want to relive the worst night of her life again; she didn't want to cave under the fear the Dementors were bringing back to her mind. She concentrated as hard as she could, ignoring the pain in her trembling body and the cold sweat forming on her forehead...

And…she fought off the memory of the dark nursery where a feeling of dread took hold of the young baby girl. She fought off the flash of green light in her mother's bedroom. She fought off every single image of what happened that night. Everything but one; the one she'd been searching for.

Judy crawled from under the bed, recognizing the men's voices all too well. Sirius lifted her up to his chest and held her close. The young girl flung her arms around his neck and held him more tightly than she ever had before.

A warm feeling spread from her heart to her abdomen and quickly warmed her entire body. She recognized the feeling from the year before; the time she had cast a white glowing wisp. Except this time the feeling was stronger…

'Jude!' Fred tried to pull her away from the carriage door as it opened. A hooded Dementor came into view, his raspy breath sucked what remained of the warmth from the carriage. Judy didn't hesitate as he closed in on her; she knew this was the only chance she had to protect herself and her friends.

She drew her wand with her right hand as she pushed back a protesting Fred with her left.

'Expecto Patronum!' A white light erupted from the tip of her wand and formed a thin shield between her and the Dementor. She leaned forward, making the Dementor retreat from the carriage as the white shield came closer to its hood.

'Somebody get this thing moving!' Judy yelled as she felt the cold slowly penetrating her skin again.

George gave several hard knocks on the wood. 'GO!'

The Thestrals responded immediately and pulled the carriage through the boar winged gates and down the slope toward Hogsmeade.

Willow quickly closed the carriage door as Judy collapsed back onto her seat.

'I've got you, sweetheart.' Sirius rocked his little girl back and forth as she sobbed uncontrollably. 'I've got you.'

Judy's lips curled in a small smile as the memory faded.

'What in Merlin's name just happened?!' asked George heatedly. 'What were those bloody Dementors doing?!'

'It looked like they were trying to kiss her,' Willow stared at Judy, tears glistening in her eyes.

'What?' Judy tried to remain calm as her mind was racing. 'Well, if he was it was only because I was closest to the door,' she said dismissively.

'No matter what reason they're not supposed to attack students!' said George angrily.

'Somebody should tell Dumbledore,' offered Fred. 'But I doubt he'll believe one of us,' he added, looking at George.

'I'll tell him,' said Willow, 'I think he'll believe a Prefect.' Judy did her utmost to evade Willow's worried gaze.

'Then you can tell him when we get back,' said George. 'I'm not about to let those monsters ruin my trip.'

'One mind, you and me,' agreed Fred with a grin. 'We should head to Honeydukes first to get each of us a slab of chocolate.'

'A slab?' asked Judy amused, thankful for the opportunity to change the subject. 'I think a couple of bites will suffice for me.'

'Well, our memories weren't as happy as yours,' offered Willow. 'I'll need a bar to cheer me up.'

'What do you mean my memories were happier than yours?' asked Judy confused.

'You produced a Patronus (!). The only thing that enables you to cast a Patronus Charm is a strong happy memory,' explained Willow.

'Well, it wasn't really,-'

'Rubbish!' George cut her off. 'We all saw what you did. You cast a Patronus.'

'It was only a shield form,' said Judy quickly, feeling more and more uncomfortable.

'Even Shield Patronuses are very advanced magic, Jude. And you were facing three Dementors!' retorted Willow.

'Wait till we tell Percy,' said Fred mischievously. 'He'll have a fit when he finds out somebody's better at spells than he is. He can't cast more than a white sparkle when it comes to Patronuses.' George joined his brother in his laughter. Judy looked at the twins apprehensively; being the centre of attention because of her casting skills was the last thing she needed right now.

'Lupin will definitely give you an 'O' when he sees this,' said Willow with a smile.

'No!' said Judy sharper than she had intended. 'I don't want anybody to know.'

'What? Why not?' asked the twins in unison.

'Yes, Jude. What you did was,-'

'I know, I know...a Patronus is advanced magic. But if you tell others what I did then I won't be able to walk the hallways without people asking me to do a Patronus for them,' Judy paused as she saw the confusion in the eyes of her friends. 'Listen, I'm barely keeping up with my courses as it is…having a bunch of groupies will only make it harder for me to find a quiet corner to do my homework.'

'What are groupies?' asked George confused.

'I think it's a Muggle term for admirers or something like that,' said Willow dismissively.

'So we can't tell anybody?' asked Fred disappointed.

'If you don't want us to tell anybody, we won't,' decided Willow quickly.

'I agree.' George cast Judy a small smile.

'Not even Percy?' asked Fred, sounding more and more disappointed.

'I'm sure you'll find another way to tick him off,' offered Judy, relieved to see her friends were complying with her request. With Sirius out there and closing in on Hogwarts, she wanted to attract as little attention as she could.

'Yeah, we'll buy some Dungbombs at Zonko's and throw them in the Prefect's bathroom when he's in there,' offered George. 'We haven't done that in ages, he won't suspect a thing.' Fred nodded approvingly.

Judy cast a glance outside, relieved to see that they were a considerable distance from the castle and the Dementors now. The first Hogsmeade houses came into view as she turned her eyes away and was caught by Willow's worried gaze. She should have known better than to think her best friend would have forgotten about what she'd seen. Judy quickly looked back outside again, her mind racing on a plausible explanation for her friend why a Dementor had tried to kiss her. An explanation that didn't include her relationship to an escaped murderer…

&

Wet, trampled, multicoloured leaves lay strewn over the muddy path which Judy and Willow walked on. Willow was doing her best to keep her suede black boots as clean as she could. Judy on the other hand had given up on trying to avoid the mud and had decided to clean her purple sneakers with a spell as soon as they got back to the castle.

When they reached the open patch at the end of the muddy path, Judy noticed there were no students at the broken wooden fence. There were no people looking at the deserted, old and supposedly haunted house in the distance; even the most brave witches and wizards tried to stay away from the Shrieking Shack.

'When were we supposed to meet Fred and George at the Three Broomsticks again?' asked Willow distractedly.

'In half an hour,' said Judy, her eyes focused on the eerily looking house in the distance.

'I hope they're not expecting us to carry everything they bought at Zonko's,' said Willow truthfully. 'I don't care if they buy out the entire store, I'm not going to help and risk a Dungbomb exploding in my face.'

'Do you believe it's haunted?' asked Judy, her eyes still on the Shrieking Shack.

'I don't know,' Willow shrugged. 'But it sure looks like it is.'

'I wonder if anybody has ever been in there to find out.' Judy took a step closer to the wooden fence. She couldn't quite place it, but something about that house intrigued her.

'Well, it sure as hell isn't going to be us,' said Willow quickly. Judy cast her a small smile.

'I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts, Will.'

'What?' Willow cast a glance at the Shrieking Shack in the distance. 'I'm not afraid of ghosts…I just think I've seen enough for one day. I don't know about you, but I still feel the cold of those Dementors.' Judy met Willow's eyes for a moment and then turned back to the house in the distance. She knew Willow was steering toward a conversation she wasn't ready for.

'I don't think it's haunted,' said Judy in an effort to change the subject back to the Shrieking Shack.

'Jude…' Willow's voice seemed much softer than usual. 'That Dementor…it was trying to kiss you, wasn't it?' Judy kept staring at the house in the distance, her mind racing on the best answer to give to the question; the best lie she could come up with. 'Jude?' Willow asked hesitantly.

She turned to her left, meeting her best friend's eyes and doing her utmost to hide the struggle going on inside her.

'It seemed like it was,' admitted Judy slowly.

'And the Dementor on the train?' asked Willow hesitantly.

'I don't know, may be…' Judy shrugged.

'But why would a Dementor want to try to kiss you?'

'I'm not sure it was trying to kiss *me*,-'

'But,-'

'I know, I know,' Judy cut her off. 'I know it went for me, but I don't think there really was a reason why it picked me. If there was any reason, it was probably because I was closest to the door of the carriage.'

'So what you're saying is that it could have gone for me or Fred or George just as easily?' asked Willow, the thought clearly scaring her.

'Think about it, Will. Why would a Dementor go after me?' asked Judy truthfully.

'But why would a Dementor go after any student?' retorted Willow. Judy looked at her for a moment, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach. She'd never get used to lying to her friends.

'Voldemort,' said Judy blandly.

'Don't say his name!' Willow shrieked, looking over her shoulder.

'Fine, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…' Judy rolled her eyes. She'd never understand why wizards and witches feared Voldemort's name; Remus had clearly brought her up differently. 'Just think about it, Willow. There have been rumours about Dementors working for him for ages…'

'But why students?'

'To hurt the wizard he fears most at his weakest spot.'

'What, Dumbledore?

'He nearly closed the school when the Basilisk broke out of the Chamber of Secrets,' Judy offered. 'He'll do anything to protect his students. I think Vol-, You Know Who must have considered that as well and I bet he won't hesitate to use it to his advantage.'

'You really believe he's still out there, don't you?' asked Willow, not sounding convinced.

'I don't think he's dead,' offered Judy, looking back at the Shrieking Shack again, unable to ignore the attraction it had on her.

'My father says there's no proof that he's still out there.' Willow took a few steps forward and stopped beside Judy.

'There's no proof he's not either,' offered Judy, keeping her eyes on the house in the distance. They both stared at the Shrieking Shack in silence.

'Do you…' Willow started hesitantly. 'Do you think it can happen again? The Dementors, I mean?' Judy met her eyes.

'I don't know,' said Judy, only half-lying. At least part of her wished her words were true, though she knew a Dementor wouldn't hesitate to kiss her if she came across one again. 'But I have no intention of finding out.'

'I can't believe we're going to have to pass them on our way back again.' Judy only stared at her best friend. She had no intention of running into those Dementors at the gates again. She wasn't sure she would be able to hold them off a second time. 'I mean what if,-' Willow broke off as a branch snapped near by.

Both Judy and Willow turned on their heel and stared at the edge of the forest patch. The silence that followed seemed to last for ages. Willow stood petrified as Judy was captivated by the shadows in front of them. Slowly she took a step forward...and another one...and another one...

'What the hell are you doing?!' Willow's voice drew Judy back to reality, making her stop in her tracks. She had no idea what she was doing, only that whatever she was feeling it didn't resemble Willow's panic in the slightest.

'What's going on here then?' asked George's familiar voice curiously.

'Thank Merlin,' said Willow relieved. 'There's something in there. I think it's a Demen,-' She broke off as a loud rustle of leaves erupted near Judy, who stood motionless at the forest's edge, and rushed away from them.

'That wasn't a Dementor,' offered George amused. 'If I remember correctly they don't walk or run, but they *glide*...Will?! Will come back!'

Judy didn't need to turn around to see what had happened. Willow had walked away from him; she'd never liked being put in place by anybody, especially by someone she cared much about.

'I thought you would have known her better by now,' Judy offered as she turned on her heel to look at him.

'I didn't mean,-'

'Don't worry, George,' Judy smiled as she walked toward him. 'She'll come around. I think she's still a bit shook up because of those Dementors.'

'I can't say those creeps didn't affect me either.' He sighed. 'I just don't like seeing her like this,' said George truthfully.

'Yes, it's hard to see our *friends* be offended,' said Judy amused. George cast her a smile, 'Why are you here instead of at the Three Broomsticks anyway?'

'I wanted to see why you ladies were running late,' he said casually. 'I couldn't drag Fred away from his Butterbeer to join me, though.'

'That sounds like Fred,' Judy smiled. 'Me and Willow were just talking if there was a way to avoid having to pass those Dementors on our way back.'

'You mean a short cut?' mused George. 'I think Fred and I should be able to find one for you.'

'How?' asked Judy interested.

'Sorry, Jude, but that's top secret.' He said mysteriously.

'Good thing I trust you guys then,' she offered.

George cast her a grin. 'We'd better hurry to the Three Broomsticks or Fred will have finished my Butter Beer too...'

'Then we'd better get going,' agreed Judy. She didn't look back as she walked away from the forest patch at George's side. She knew there wasn't anything there anymore. Nothing that had felt more familiar than anything in her life had in years.

'By the way,' asked George as they reached the first Hogsmeade houses again. 'What do you suppose made that noise in the forest?'

'Nothing important,' Judy shrugged. 'Probably just a stray dog.'

A dog she hoped would stay as far from the castle as possible until she had decided whether to trust it or not.

&

Three hours later the two young witches and wizards stood on steps existing of some kind of worn stone. Judy and Fred had their wands lit as Willow stood next to George, panting.

'I swear Mr. Flume saw me heading down the cellar,' said Willow, sounding as if she had just run a marathon.

'If he had, he would have come after us and he didn't,' offered George. 'Besides, it's either this way or passing those Dementors again.' Willow only nodded in response.

'If everybody's all right with choosing this way,' said Fred impatiently, 'then I suggest we'd better get going. It's not exactly the shortest passage...'

'Where does it lead anyway?' asked Judy interested as they started descending the worn stone steps. Judy could tell by the light of her wand that the steps didn't end any time soon.

'The statue of that humpbacked, one-eyed witch on the third floor corridor,' said Fred without turning.

'We're going to come out of the statue?' asked Willow in disbelief.

'Yup,' George said amused.

'How's that even possible?' asked Willow confused.

'And how will we know nobody will catch us?' offered Judy as she tried to keep up with Fred, who was nearly racing down the stairs.

'We'll tell you when we get there,' said Fred quickly. 'We've only got an hour till dinner and we still have to walk all the way to the castle, so how about we get a move on?'

'Fine,' said Willow, only slightly offended. Judy picked up her pace in silence.

'Good, now just watch out for this last step,' said Fred as Judy yelped and slipped on the wet stone underground. Fred's hand brushed by her arm as he tried to catch her and she fell face first on the muddy floor.

'Are you all right?' asked Fred worried.

'Fine...I'm just…I'm just great,' said Judy, pushing herself up. George and Willow hurried toward them and Willow burst into laughter as she saw Judy's muddy appearance.

'Oh, you're joking!' She said in between laughs. 'Not twice in one day...'

'At least my nose isn't bleeding this time,' offered Judy as she tried to brush away the

mud from her clothes and only worsened the stains.

'Here, let me,' said Willow as she drew her wand.

'We can't do any magic outside of school!' warned Judy. 'Besides, I'd rather clean up with a warm shower.'

'You and your Muggle ways,' Willow said, still smiling.

'Well it's not like we can do anything else at home, and,-'

'How about we save this for later?' asked Fred, taking Judy's hand and pulling her

along. 'Because I have no intention of missing an excellent feast.'

'I couldn't agree with you more, Fred,' said George as he took Willow's hand. Judy and Willow didn't speak as the twins pulled them along.

As the time passed Judy could understand why the twins had been in a hurry, the secret passage to the third floor corridor was anything but a short cut. The four of them reached the end of the narrow tunnel with less than ten minutes to spare to the start of the feast.

'Now, how in Merlin's name are we going to crawl out of that thing unnoticed?' asked

Willow, still panting from the run.

'Simple,' said Fred with a grin as he pulled a piece of old parchment from his jeans

pocket. 'Magic.'

Judy looked in silence as Fred unfolded the parchment. She held her lit wand closely to the parchment, but she couldn't see any words.

'It's blank...'

'Patience my dear Jude,' said Fred, still wearing a grin. 'Now...' He tapped the parchment with the tip of his wand. 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.'

Judy stared in disbelief as thin ink lines appeared at the spot where Fred's wand had touched the parchment. They scattered across the surface, forming dozens of corridors and rooms.

'A map?' asked Willow. 'Of Hogwarts? But,-' she broke off as a bunch of curly words, written in green ink, appeared at the top of the map.

Judy's eyes widened to the point where it hurt when she read the four lines.

Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers

are proud to present

THE MARAUDER'S MAP

'Who are,- Hey is that Filch?' asked Willow, pointing at the labelled dot moving through the fifth floor corridor.

'And Mrs. Norris,' said George as he pointed at the smaller dot. 'They're headed toward the marble staircase. We'd better hurry.' He squeezed past them, his wand held out in front of him. 'Dissendium!' He said, tapping the stone ceiling. With the sound of grinding stone a small hatch appeared.

'There, ladies first,' said George, extending his hand to Willow.

'If you even think about looking under my skirt, I swear I'll jinx you so bad you won't be able to sit for a week,' said Willow dangerously.

'I wouldn't dream of it, my dear,' said George amused as he gave her a nudge. 'Jude?'

She shook her head as his voice brought her back to reality. She hadn't moved since she saw the curly green words on the map.

Judy moved without realising what she was doing and allowed George to help her onto the third floor corridor. The twins followed her, Fred at the back. The four of them had climbed out of the hump of the one-eyed witch, which Fred now closed with a spell.

'Don't forget the map,' whispered George urgently as the sound of all too familiar footsteps echoed through the marble staircase.

Fred tapped the map with his wand. 'Mischief managed.' The parchment went blank again.

'Now what?' asked Willow, peering around the statue.

'Sounds like Filch is on the fourth floor,' said Fred, 'if we hurry we can make it to the Great Hall before him noticing we've been here.'

'Sounds like a good plan,' said George, taking Willow's hand and pulling her along.

The three of them didn't turn until they reached the marble staircase.

'Jude?'

'What?' She looked up at them, half taken up by her own thoughts, as she still stood near the statue.

'Come on (!),' said Fred urgently.

'I'm not…I'm not going,' she said absently. 'I mean, look at me…' she gestured at her mud covered clothes. 'I need to take a shower first.'

'Are you sure?' asked George, worried. 'If Filch catches you…'

'He won't catch her,' said Fred as he rushed back to her. 'You know how to use it now.' He pushed the parchment in her hands. 'Just make sure you clear it when you're done.'

'Thanks,' said Judy with a small smile as their eyes met. Fred nodded before turning and rushing to the other two on the stairs.

'I'll bring you back something,' whispered Willow quickly as George pulled her down the marble staircase, followed closely by Fred.

Judy stared after them, the blank piece of parchment in her hands, as the sound of rushing footsteps faded and a distant sound of slower footsteps drew nearer. She stepped behind the statue of the hump backed one-eyed witch and pressed herself against it as she drew out her wand.

'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,' she whispered as she tapped the parchment. Within seconds thin ink lines spread across the surface and formed the many corridors and rooms of Hogwarts once again. She did her utmost to ignore the words appearing at the top of the map.

Filch's dot was moving down the marble staircase and Judy could hear his footsteps clearly as he reached the landing of the third floor. She held her breath as Mrs. Norris' smaller dot started moving toward her.

'Anything there, my sweet?' asked Filch, more gently than Judy had ever heard him speak. She froze as Mrs. Norris meowed in response.

For a few seconds there was no sound and Judy pressed back against the statue even more as she heard the sound of paws and feet again. It took her a moment to realize what was happening. As she looked down at the map she saw the two small dots moving down the marble staircase toward the second floor.

Judy waited for Filch to reach the end of the second floor corridor before moving toward the marble staircase and heading to Ravenclaw Tower. The common room was, as she had expected, deserted.

She walked slowly up to her dormitory, her mind in a completely different place than her body. Without looking at the map in her hands, she knew the green letters were still at the top of it, screaming to her mind.

She reached her bed, without remembering anything about the way she got there. She let her red shoulder bag fall to the floor and sat down at the foot of the bed, the map still in here hands…her eyes fixed on her father's nickname.

He made the map she was holding, he and three of his friends, though she didn't recognize any of the other names on the map. A tear slid down her cheek as she realised what that fact meant. Sirius knew of all the secret passage ways into the castle; there would be no need for him to face the Dementors if he intended to enter the castle…And she was the only one who knew that it was only a matter of time before he put that knowledge to use. She stuffed the piece of parchment in her pocket, not able to look at it any longer.

As she gathered a bunch of clean clothes, she blocked out all of the thoughts racing through her head…all the doubts about the decisions she had made…about not telling Lupin anything of what she knew…about protecting Sirius from his awful sentence.

Judy looked up as the dormitory door creaked. Duncan stopped in the doorway, his tail held proudly in the air as he looked at her inquisitively. She walked over to him and knelt down in front of him, looking in his yellow eyes.

'Friends?' asked Judy quietly. Duncan jumped on her lap, making her drop her clothes to the floor, and started licking the tears from her cheeks. Judy smiled as she hugged him tightly. 'You know, I brought you something…' Duncan jumped from her arms, turned around and looked at her expectantly.

Judy opened her bag, pushed aside the Fizzing Wizbees she had brought back for Lupin and took out the magical bale of wool Fred had bought her at Zonko's. She rolled it toward Duncan and watched him scratch it. As Fred had explained to her, every trace of damage disappeared straight away; every loose strand found its way into the bale again, making Duncan put even more effort into destroying it.

She took up her clothes from the floor and headed toward the round stone staircase. She drew the map from her pocket, made sure the corridors were clear and headed outside.

&

Judy's hair was still dripping as she got dressed in the solitary light of the candle-filled chandelier. The white fluffy towel she had taken from the pile in the corner, lay forgotten at her feet. The white marble sunken bathtub was now empty safe for the spots of foam which had lingered behind. Judy had only been in the Prefect's bathroom once before, in the year that Willow had received her badge. She had been relieved to find that the password hadn't changed; she needed an undisturbed bath to sort out her thoughts.

She combed her hair with the bubblegum pink brush she received the year before from Tonks and looked at the single art piece in the room as she braided her hair. It was a painting of a mermaid which looked rather flirtatious and to which Judy had never taken a liking too.

Judy put her towel in the laundry basket next to the pile of clean towels and cast one more glance around the room to make sure nobody knew she had been there. She held up the map in front of her and after seeing none of the dots were near her she tapped it with the end of her wand. 'Mischief managed.'

She picked up the pile of filthy clothes from the floor and left the bathroom, stepping into the fifth floor corridor. She listened for a moment, but the castle seemed deserted, meaning that the feast hadn't ended yet. However, Judy felt so exhausted by the events of the day that she couldn't even think about food.

She was about to make her way to the door on the fifth floor which led to Ravenclaw Tower, when she heard an aggravated cry in the distance. She waited for a moment and then the cry was followed by what clearly sounded as a tear of cloth. Without thinking Judy made a right and headed toward the sound. She didn't know why she walked toward it, instead of looking for someone else for help. She only knew deep down that this was what she had to do.

She quickened her pace as she heard another tear, turning left and then right. She cursed as she had to wait for another staircase to turn her way and already jumped on it before it stood still.

When she reached the seventh floor she looked up at the portrait of the Fat Lady, obscured by a man in torn, faded white and blue striped clothing. Long, greasy dark hair hung down the man's shoulders and if it hadn't been for his posture, Judy would have thought him to be female. Then, she couldn't breathe…

She stood motionless, watching the man waving his arms widely at the Fat Lady who screamed in fear.

'Let me in, you stupid…'

'No, on…only those who ha…ha…have the password may…may enter,' she said half sobbing, half-screaming.

'Oh you…' Judy heard several swear words for which Lupin would have made her clean her mouth with soap. A glint of silver reflected the sunlight falling down the staircase and then there was another tear of cloth.

'No! Leave her alone!' The words had escaped her mouth before she realized it. The Fat Lady fled into a neighbouring picture as the man turned around. He looked insane, his hair unkempt and his eyes glinting with madness. Judy looked at him as he looked down at her, his knife still in his hand. She dropped the pile of filthy clothes to the floor, completely in shock.

Sirius Black lowered his knife in disbelief, staring at her as the same recognition dawned on him as it had done on her seconds before. 'Judy…'

She held his gaze, hoping he wouldn't move closer to her. She had never believed her father to be guilty of a crime, but now that she saw him before her, saw what he had become…and yet, despite the fear bubbling inside of her, she couldn't scream for help, she couldn't betray him…

Below, the sound of students filled the staircase. The feast was over and everybody would be returning to their common rooms to relax in front of the fireplaces and play games with their House mates. Judy looked down for a moment, watching the mass file in the hall and then up the staircase.

As she looked back, she saw that Sirius Black had broken into a run up the stairs and then made a right. He turned in the doorway, casting her one more glance before disappearing from view.

Judy hesitated as what to do next; wait for students to reach her level and fill them in on what had happened…fill the Professors in on what had happened…betray her father…

She quickly gathered her dirty clothes and broke into a run down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet. She turned right as she reached the landing of the fifth floor, rushing through the hall lined with portraits and coming to a halt in front of the entrance to the Ravenclaw common room.

The golden raven doorknob in front of her opened its beak.

'What is the difference between a werewolf and an Animagus?'

'An Animagus can change at will, a werewolf can't.' said Judy, trying to ignore the horrible feeling at the coincidence of having to answer that particular question. Her father after all was an Animagus, whereas Lupin, who would definitely kill her if he found out what she knew, was a werewolf.

Judy was relieved to find the common room empty. As she rushed upstairs to her dormitory, she found nothing had changed there either. Duncan looked up from his new toy as Judy dropped her clothes on the bed, dug into her trunk, pulled out her History of Magic book and then rushed back down to the common room again. She let herself fall on the blue sofa next to the largest bookcase. She had barely managed to open her book when the first Ravenclaws filed into the room.

She ignored the flock of students filling the room and sunk as low on the sofa as she could, pretending to be submerged in her reading.

'Hey!' One of the first years called as he ran into the common room, pushing several people aside. Judy's heart sank. 'Some one's attacked the Fat Lady!'

The room started to empty again, as students rushed toward the marble stairs to watch the ruined Gryffindor portrait. As Judy looked up, knowing she would look suspicious ignoring the announcement entirely, she saw Willow pushing herself through the students rushing outside.

'Will you all calm down? There's no need to rush outside, I am sure Professor Flitwick, ouch that's my toe!' She paused for a moment. 'Will you all listen, I am a Prefect!' Five more students rushed past her and then the common room was almost deserted again.

'You OK?' asked Judy carefully.

'Bloody kids, no respect for authority…' said Willow annoyed.

'I bet Snape would say the same thing about you,' offered Judy, with a smile she hoped hid her feelings of fear.

'That's different,' said Willow, 'that's Snape.'

'It's Professor Snape!' called Chelsea, who seemed to be the only student that didn't rush out of the room again.

'Would you relax, he's not in the room…' said Willow, rolling her eyes. 'Besides, he's not going to treat you any better no matter what you call him. He's just a git.' Chelsea let out an indignant gasp.

'How you ever became Prefect,' Judy said amused.

'I know,' Willow smiled at her.

'Willow, I could use a little help here!' Penelope's voice sounded in the distance.

'Oh…Well, I'd better go after them little buggers. I'm guessing I have to bring them back to the common room…' She rolled her eyes. 'See you later, all right?' Willow walked back to the door.

'Yeah, I'll see you later,' said Judy, doing her best to focus on her book as Chelsea sat down beside her.

'Why weren't you at the feast?' asked Chelsea softly.

'Homework,' offered Judy, knowing the other girl would understand.

'Oh, yeah I've got the same problem,' said Chelsea as she ran her fingers through her long blond hair. 'I mean, I'm doing all right with keeping up and all, but a little more spare time wouldn't hurt…'

'My thoughts exactly,' offered Judy with the best smile she could manage as she tried to block out the horrible feeling in her stomach.

'For Merlin's sake, you're studying on Saturday eve?!' Both Judy and Chelsea looked up to meet Shania's eyes. 'Do you even know what's going on out there?'

'We heard somebody attacked the Fat Lady,' offered Chelsea.

'Not just somebody,' said Shania as she walked over to them and a flock of students rushed inside the common room and toward their dormitory. 'It's Sirius Black.'

'Sirius Black?!' asked Chelsea in disbelief.

'That's right,' said Willow, making her way through a worried looking group of first years. 'Come on, you heard what Dumbledore said. Hurry up!' The young Ravenclaws rushed away from her, not daring to look back.

'What did Dumbledore say?' asked Chelsea.

'We're all sleeping in the Great Hall tonight or at least until they've found Black or make sure he's not in the castle anymore,' explained Willow.

Judy stared at the pages of her book without taking in any of the words. It was all she could do the hide the fear raging on inside of her. Fear of what would happen if Dumbledore found out what she had been hiding, fear of what Lupin would say if he found out she had betrayed his trust and most of all the fear of the man she had just seen on the seventh floor. A father she didn't recognize no matter how hard she tried…an escaped murderer from Azkaban.