Author's note: Hi everybody. Again, it's taken me ages to finish a chapter, and again I apologize to all of you. The past eight months have been the busiest of my life, and unfortunately it doesn't look like anything is going to change soon. I'm spending all of my spare moments on writing, but because I have to tie in more and more plotlines it takes me more time to make everything fit than it did in the past chapters. My thanks go out to everybody who has stuck with this story from the beginning and to all of you who have joined me on this journey along the way. Special thanks to all of my reviewers. Like I said before, feedback keeps this story alive. Knowing you enjoy reading this story as much as I do writing it is a real inspiration for me to work on this story :). I hope you all will enjoy this chapter and take the time to review it :).

Chapter 15

The note

The Great Hall was filled with students that Saturday morning. Even the students who usually slept in during the weekend sat at the long house tables, enjoying an excellent breakfast. Aidan was one of those students. He sat across from Judy with dark circles under his eyes. His dark shoulder length hair was tied back in a scruffy pony tail, but even his shabby appearance couldn't keep a bunch of fifth year Gryffindor girls from glancing at him every now and then. It was obvious Aidan was still tired, since he was oblivious to the attention he was getting. Judy couldn't help but look at her House mate as she once again saw the resemblance he showed to her father.

Ever since her conversation with Lupin, the thought of Sirius managed to distract Judy nearly as much as it had done before the holidays. By some miracle she was getting her homework done, but often enough she'd find herself staring into nothingness as she thought of the few memories she had of her father. At first she'd thought the man in the wanted posters to be a complete stranger, to be nothing like the father she remembered; seeing him attack the Fat Lady had only contributed to that view. But now that Lupin had told her about Sirius sending his godson a Christmas present…the present Harry wanted most in the whole world…the doubt about her father's innocence had grown stronger than ever before.

'Hey,' Aidan said as he snapped his fingers in front of Judy's eyes. 'I know I'm handsome, but it's not polite to stare.'

'What?' asked Judy confused. 'Sorry, I was just…' She rubbed her forehead as it suddenly throbbed with pain; she'd had more head aches in the past week, as she was still recovering from the vision she'd had over the holidays.

'Are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' lied Judy. 'I'm just nervous about the match.'

'Do you think we're going to win today?' asked Chelsea interested as she poured herself a glass of Pumpkin juice.

'I hope so,' said Willow. 'I can't bear Abigail's smug remarks if Slytherin wins.' She looked over her shoulder at the Slytherin table, where Abigail sat in between Dara Bulstrode and Odelia Pellyn, wearing the green and silver colours of Slytherin house.

'She's only trying to fit in, Willow,' said Judy, before eating her last bit of toast.

'Well, she's trying to fit in with the wrong House,' offered Willow.

'Come on, lay off her,' said Judy, a bit agitated. 'She's had a rough holiday.'

'But,-'

'Willow, please,' said Judy quickly. She didn't feel like having an argument with her head throbbing and the knot in her stomach tightening itself once again.

'Jude, what's wrong?' asked Willow carefully.

'Nothing's wrong,' Judy snapped. Willow looked back at her, offended. 'I'm sorry, I just….I need a breath of fresh air. I'll see you at the match.' Judy didn't wait for an answer as she grabbed her coat, got to her feet and walked toward the Entrance Hall. She put her hand on her stomach as it gave an uncomfortable lurch.

'Oy, gorgeous!' Judy didn't stop as Fred called after her. 'Jude, wait up!'

'Not now, Fred!' Judy called over her shoulder as she slipped into her coat.

'But,-'

'I said not now!' she repeated as she reached the Entrance Hall and headed straight for the grounds.

The cold winter air enveloped Judy as she left the castle behind. She quickly treaded down the stone steps and put her hands in her pockets as she walked on the only free path in the snow.

Judy inhaled the cold air deeply, allowing it to calm the nerves raging through her body. She knew all too well that the strain she felt had nothing to do with the upcoming Quidditch match. Something else entirely was coming and not being able to see the future yet, Judy had only her body to tell her what lay ahead of her.

She walked around the castle, without really having a plan of where she was going. It wasn't long, however, until the Quidditch pitch came into view in front of her, making her stop in her tracks. The House banners rippled violently in the wind. Judy shivered as the cold breeze blew past her and allowed it to steer her view to the place she'd been avoiding for the past several days.

The Forbidden Forest lay silent and dark under the cloudy sky. Judy felt even colder than before as she looked at the darkness of the trees. The strange attraction she'd felt the day she and Willow were looking at the Shrieking Shack, once again pulled her away from where she stood. Her feet moved without her consciously steering them as her eyes remained fixed on the trees.

'No,' Judy whispered as she still walked on. 'Stop…' she said hoarsely as an invincible force continued to steer her feet. 'I said stop!' Judy repeated, this time coming to a halt.

She stared into the darkness of the Forest as a cold trickle went down her spine. She knew exactly what…or better yet who…had such a strong connection with her that it was able to hypnotize her body. Judy closed her eyes as a tear ran down her cheek. She waited a few moments and took a deep breath before opening her eyes again. Her eyes widened as she looked at the dark animal before her.

Duncan sat in between Judy and the Forest as if he'd been there all the time. He slowly got to his feet and took his time as he walked over to Judy. She couldn't do anything but stare as the dark haired cat approached her.

Judy squatted as Duncan reached her side. The cat rubbed his head against her knees affectionately. Judy caressed his dark fur, taking off several plucks of dark rough hair.

'What have you been up to?' Judy asked curiously as she met his nose with her own. She looked into his eyes as she scratched behind his ear and…felt a piece of paper under his dark blue collar. 'What's this…?' Judy asked confused as she slid the paper from under Duncan's collar. She unfolded it and gasped as she read the untidy handwriting.

Listen to your heart. Come and find me. I need your help.

Padfoot.

'Dear Merlin,' Judy managed to say as she looked at the wrinkled note. She leaned on her hand as her knees threatened to buckle. Her vision was blurred by the tears in her eyes.

There were a thousand thoughts running through her head as Judy sat there for what seemed to be ages. Sirius knew she was doubting his guilt, he knew she was his only chance of getting help, he knew what she truly believed in her heart…he knew Judy had the same faith in him as her mother always had.

And yet…despite realising for the first time all year that she truly believed in her father's innocence, Judy knew Sirius was asking for something impossible. She remembered her words to Lupin all too well, she'd never lie to him again. She couldn't help her father without any evidence of his innocence. She couldn't risk helping him if there was still a chance that he was guilty. She had to find the evidence to support what her heart had been telling her for twelve years. Sirius was innocent.

'Hey!' Judy got to her feet so quickly, she nearly lost her balance.

'Watch out, Byrne. If you're going to fall over, at least give us the pleasure of pushing you…' Odelia said snidely as she walked over to Judy. Dara Bulstrode walked on her left and behind them, in their wake, Abigail followed hesitantly.

'Honestly Odelia, is there really nothing else to your life but wasting my time?' said Judy sarcastically.

'I'd watch what you're saying, Byrne,' said Odelia heatedly as she was only a few meters away from Judy. 'There's nobody here to protect you.' Duncan hissed dangerously at the Slytherin girl.

'To protect me?' asked Judy amused. 'I'd like to see you,-'

'Have you been crying?' asked Dara as the trio came to a halt. 'Your mascara is running down your cheeks!'

'Already grieving Ravenclaw's defeat?' asked Odelia.

'Only people as superficial as you would cry over such things…' said Judy as she wiped her cheeks.

'How dare you call me superficial, you stupid Mudblood!' Odelia snapped. Duncan hissed even harder.

'Oh, that's very original,' said Judy in a sarcastic tone. 'Did you come up with that all by yourself? Or did your Pureblood parents teach you to be so small minded?'

'Ha!' Odelia laughed as Judy realised she'd given her the advantage. 'At least my father didn't walk out on me before I was born. And my mother wasn't so stupid to get herself killed.' said Odelia as she stepped closer to her, ignoring the hissing cat in between them.

'Back off, Odelia,' Judy said tensely.

'Oh, did I hit a nerve?' asked Odelia sweetly. 'Tell me, Byrne. How does it feel to be alone…to know that nobody loves you?'

'I said back off!' Judy yelled, unable to hold back a fresh tear.

'What's going on here then?' Judy looked to her left as Fred, George and Willow walked up to her.

'Nothing that concerns you, Weasley,' Odelia said as she turned away from Judy. 'Come on, girls. We've got better things to do than waste our time on Mudbloods and blood traitors.'

'Are you sure?' asked George. 'You don't know what you're missing!'

'Jude, are you OK?' Willow asked as she walked up to her.

'Fine,' said Judy, wiping away her fresh tears. Duncan gently nudged her leg with his head in a soothing manner. Judy looked down at him with a small smile. 'She just got lucky.'

'Hey, where did he come from?' asked George surprised.

'The Forest,' said Judy truthfully.

'Got to admire his courage,' said Fred amused.

'Yeah, good to see he's back.' Willow looked at Judy for a moment. 'Are you sure you don't want to talk?'

'I just want to watch the game,' said Judy truthfully.

'OK. But I'll help you clean up first,' said Willow as she took her wand and flicked it at Judy. 'That's the first time I've tried that one wordlessly.'

'And did it work?' asked Judy amused.

'That's perfect, Willow,' said Fred. 'You can't see any black stripes now her entire cheeks are black…' Willow cast him a fierce look.

'Come on,' said George as he put his arm around Willow. 'We don't want to be late.'

Judy squatted and scratched Duncan under his chin. 'Thank you,' she whispered, as she put the wrinkled note in her jeans pocket. She met his yellow eyes as she continued. 'Tell him to stay away…it's not safe for him here.' Duncan meowed, before turning around and strutting away from her across the grounds.

Judy got to her feet and noticed Fred a few meters away from her, waiting. She walked up to him, not quite meeting his gaze.

'I'm sorry,' she said truthfully as she reached his side. 'I didn't mean to snap at you earlier.'

'No need to apologize,' said Fred. 'There was bound to be a time I got on your nerves…' Judy couldn't help but laugh. 'Come on,' said Fred as he put his arm around her shoulder and urged her along. 'We'd better hurry if we want to see anything of the game.' Judy followed his gaze and noticed a swarm of students heading their way.

Among a group of Ravenclaws she noticed Shania and Chelsea, carrying a large banner of blue fabric with 'Ravenclaw' embroidered in bronze yarn. Judy smiled as she noticed the proud look on Shania's face.

'Jude…' said Fred, as he pulled her along.

'Yes, sorry…' said Judy as she allowed him to lead her to the stadium. Her hand slid in her jeans pocket as they walked. She squeezed the wrinkled paper as she thought of the choices that lay before her. She couldn't help but lean into the warmth of Fred's embrace as the realisation of what lay ahead of her nearly froze her heart.

That afternoon the Great Hall was not only filled with sounds of satisfaction due to an excellent lunch, but also with heated discussions about that morning's match. Slytherin narrowly defeated Ravenclaw with some very questionable tactics. Cho Chang, who hadn't been able to play due to injuries, had even fetched her Quidditch rule book from her dorm to check if Slytherin hadn't broken any rules. She was leafing through the pages with Willow looking eagerly over her shoulder. Judy had tried to participate in their search, but it only took her thoughts a few minutes to wander back to what truly weighed on her mind.

Judy stared at her still half full plate as she nearly felt the note burn in her pocket, its contents eager to be shared with the one person she truly trusted. Judy looked to her left to the teachers' table where Lupin sat enjoying his meal. She again noticed how well her uncle looked with Hogwarts' excellent meals and the pleasure he gained from teaching magic. Judy looked back to her plate, her mind taking up by how to tell Lupin about Sirius' note…she knew she had to tell him as soon as possible.

'Come on, Cho. It's got to be in there somewhere,' said Shania as she nearly snatched the rule book from Cho's hands.

'It's not, Shania,' said Cho quickly. 'If a Chaser is holding the Quaffle and aiming for a hoop, the other team's Chaser is allowed to bump into him as long as he's trying to get the Quaffle.'

'But Flint nearly knocked Davies off his broom!' exclaimed Willow in disbelief.

'But he didn't,' said Cho truthfully. 'Had he indeed knocked Davies off then he would have broken the rules. But since Davies stayed on his broom…'

'Bullocks,' said Willow, disappointed.

'Sorry, Willow,' said Cho sympathetically.

'Cho, are you coming?' Marietta called as she walked away from the Ravenclaw table.

'Looks like she's had enough Quidditch for one day,' Cho winked as she closed her book. 'I'll talk to you later. Bye girls!'

'Bye Cho.' Shania said with a smile.

'See you later, Cho!' Willow called. Judy startled as Willow nudged her.

'Yeah, bye Cho…' said Judy absently, as the piece of toast she held escaped her fingers. She sighed as she stared at her plate; she could feel Willow's eyes on her and she dreaded a question to which she could only give a lie as an answer.

'Jude?'

'I need to talk to Fred,' said Judy quickly, getting to her feet. She headed for the Gryffindor table as the words still took form in her mind. She'd considered asking Willow to give Lupin a message, but with her room mates around it would have been too much of a risk.

'Ah! Decided to join the best table in the castle?' asked Lee Jordan as he saw Judy approaching. Judy cast him a weak smile as the twins looked over their shoulder.

'Can I talk to you?' asked Judy, her muscles tense as she looked at Fred.

'Sure,' said Fred, as he and George moved apart so Judy could join them.

'Alone,' said Judy softly.

'OK,' said Fred as he quickly got to his feet. 'The Entrance Hall shouldn't be too crowded,' he said as the two of them headed to the large entrance doors of the Great Hall.

Judy fumbled with the cords of her Ravenclaw sweater vest as she and Fred walked in between the wooden House tables. Her stomach ached and her heart nearly burst out of her chest. She had to be more careful than ever with the message she would ask Fred to deliver. One slip and one wrong person overhearing it could ruin the charade she'd been putting up for years. Judy looked at the Slytherin table, scanning the table for Odelia, but briefly meeting Draco Malfoy's gaze instead. She startled as Fred took her arm and lead her to a deserted corner.

'What's wrong?' he asked worried. Judy waited for a group of first year Hufflepuffs to pass them before speaking.

'I need you to give Lupin a message,' said Judy in a whisper.

'Of course, what do you want me to tell him?'

Judy bit her lip as she thought on the right words. 'Tell him I need to speak to him as soon as possible. I'll wait for him in his office,' she whispered.

'Anything else?' asked Fred.

'No, just...please hurry.' Judy pleaded. It's urgent.'

'OK,' said Fred seriously.

'Thank you,' said Judy with a smile. 'I really appreciate this.'

'No problem,' said Fred warmly. 'Just…Jude, if there's anything I can do to help.'

'I'll let you know,' said Judy truthfully. 'I promise.'

'Good,' Fred cast her a smile. 'I'll go back inside and tell him.' Judy nodded, as she tried to ignore the cold taking hold of her heart.

'Fred,' she said quickly, making him stop in his tracks. 'Make sure nobody overhears you.'

'I will. Don't worry, gorgeous,' he said gently. He turned on his heel and made his way back into the Great Hall. Judy waited a few moments before walking toward the marble staircase. Her heart pounded against her chest as she consciously fought the urge to run straight to Lupin's office.

Judy reached the second floor, breathing as if she'd run several miles. She looked around before heading down the corridor. She stopped at Lupin's office, looking over her shoulder before taking hold of the doorknob. The door was, as she'd expected, locked.

Judy took out her wand, listened carefully for any sound indicating that she wasn't alone, and upon not hearing anything cast a wordless Alohamora spell. She slipped inside and quickly closed the door again. She gasped for air, only now realising she'd been holding her breath since she'd reached the office door.

Judy walked over to a vacant corner of the room. She leaned against the cold wall as she looked at the various creatures in the room. She didn't know what kind of magic Lupin used, but every time she visited his office there seemed to be more creatures adorning the wooden shelves.

Judy put her hand in her back pocket and took out the wrinkled note Sirius had sent her. She trailed the letters with her fingers as she reread the few words for what seemed a thousand times.

Listen to your heart. Come and find me. I need your help.

Padfoot.

Judy didn't know if minutes or hours had passed when the office door suddenly opened. She looked up and met Lupin's eyes with her own. He looked at her, worried and confused, as he closed the door behind him.

'You wanted to see me?' he asked seriously.

'Yes…' Judy said hoarsely. She didn't speak as she walked up to him, knowing very well she wouldn't be able to contain the mix of emotions raging through her. She handed Lupin the wrinkled note and kept her eyes on him as he read the few words on it. It seemed to take ages until Lupin looked up and met Judy's gaze.

'How did you get this?' he asked, less calm than he tried to appear.

'Duncan,' said Judy truthfully. 'I think he's been with Sirius since Christmas.'

'But where…' asked Lupin confused.

'The Forest,' said Judy. 'He's hiding as Padfoot in the Forbidden Forest.'

'The Forest?' asked Lupin, taken aback. 'How do you know he's hiding in the Forest?'

'Because I saw him there in the fall…' said Judy guiltily. 'I only saw a flash of him and I tried to convince myself that I must have dreamt it. But Willow saw Duncan heading into the Forest a few days ago…and now that he brought me back this note…he must be in the Forest, Remus.'

Lupin nodded as he looked back at the note again. 'Why didn't you tell me this sooner…' he said, his voice strained.

'Because I wasn't sure I saw him and I…' her voice failed her as Lupin looked at her. The mix of anger and disappointment in his eyes pierced Judy's heart. 'You have to understand, Remus. He is my father. He was your friend. I don't…' Judy couldn't hold back her tears anymore as she felt lonelier than she ever had before in her life. 'I don't know what to do…' she said, as tears streamed down her face. 'I just don't know what to do.'

'Sweetheart,' Lupin sighed as he pulled her in his arms. 'It's all right. I'm not angry with you,' he said gently. Judy sobbed on his chest, her body shaking as she clung onto her uncle. 'It's all right,' Lupin repeated as he caressed the back of her head.

'I don't know what to do, Remus,' said Judy in between her tears. 'I can't help him, but I can't…I can't…' Judy took a deep breath as she took a step back. 'I can't…'

'You don't need to do anything,' said Lupin warmly. 'You've already done the right thing by coming straight to me.' Judy nodded as Lupin took another look at the note.

'Yes, I thought I'd tell you first and then you could come with me when I show it to Dumbledore,' said Judy as she brushed away a tear from her cheek. 'I'd rather not go to him alone.'

'Dumbledore?' asked Lupin absent-mindedly as he looked up from the note.

'When I said I saw Sirius at Halloween, he told me to come to him straight away next time or he'd take measures…' recalled Judy. Lupin looked at her for a moment, thinking, before he spoke.

'You don't have to tell Dumbledore,' he said finally.

'Remus, I have to,-'

'I'll tell him, Jude,' said Lupin quickly. 'I'll take care of this. I don't want you to tell anybody about this, OK?' he said as he looked at her intently.

'But…' Judy looked at her uncle confused. There was something in his eyes she couldn't quite place. If she didn't know him better she'd thought it to be a hint of fear. 'I don't understand…'

'It's just,' Lupin took a pause to take a deep breath. Judy couldn't read him as she'd always been able to; there was definitely something odd about the way he was acting. 'You've been through enough, sweetheart. I don't want to cause you any more stress than you are already under.' Judy looked at Lupin for a few moments, before nodding. Lupin cast her a small smile. 'Do you want to stay here for a while? I can make us some tea.'

'No…I'd rather be alone,' said Judy truthfully. Lupin nodded in understanding. 'Thanks for your time,' said Judy as she turned away from him and headed for the door. She startled as Lupin took hold of her arm.

'Jude,' he said kindly. 'If Sirius tries to contact you again…'

'I'll let you know,' said Judy quickly, her stomach doing a summersault as she now definitely recognized fear in Lupin's eyes. 'Remus, is something,-'

'Now, you'd better get going,' said Lupin as he let go of her arm. 'It's best if we're not seen together.'

'Yes,' Judy nodded. 'I know,' she said as she opened the door. She closed it without another word and walked down the second floor corridor to the marble staircase. She made a left and headed up to the Ravenclaw common room, her thoughts racing relentlessly through her head.

The common room fortunately wasn't as crowded as Judy had feared it to be. Cho and Marietta sat at the round cherry table. Chelsea's little sister Evelyn sat there too, doing her homework with a fellow first year. The blue sofa and comfy chairs in front of the hearth were taken up by a couple of third and fourth years who were trading Wizard Cards.

Judy looked at the corner of the room, where the largest bookcase stood. There were two comfy chairs there, of which only one was occupied. Chelsea sat on the chair in a lotus position, reading a Divination book.

'Mind if I join you?' asked Judy as she walked over.

'Not at all,' said Chelsea, casting her a genuine smile. Judy scanned the bookcase briefly and took out a small blue book called 'The tales of Beedle the Bard'.

She took the chair next to Chelsea, kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs up on the chair. She opened the book at her favourite story 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'; it was a story James had read to her often whenever she slept over at the Potter's. She knew why she'd had chosen this book out of all others at this moment; the story had always calmed her nerves whenever James read it to her. It had never lost its effect.

'You look troubled,' said Chelsea. Judy looked sideways and met her housemate's gaze.

'I am a little,' she admitted, deciding to see where the conversation was headed.

'Don't be,' said Chelsea gently. 'I know we've got a lot of homework, but we'll manage it, as always…' she offered, sounding only half-convinced.

'Is that why you're here studying?' asked Judy gently. 'I'd expected you to still be in the Great Hall with the others.'

Chelsea shook her head. 'I spent so much time with Shania working on our banner that I got a little behind on homework.'

'Knowing you you'll catch up in no time,' offered Judy encouragingly.

'May be,' Chelsea shrugged. 'But if I don't, it doesn't matter that much…I had a great time sewing and working on something with Shania which wasn't an assignment for school.'

'I'm glad to hear that,' said Judy truthfully. Chelsea smiled at her, before looking back at her book. Judy couldn't help but look at her friend a little longer, as she realised how much Chelsea had changed in the past months. The shy bookworm she'd always known was finally discovering all the other aspects of life.

'What did Connor say about the banner?' asked Judy interested, seizing the opportunity to take her mind off her troubles.

'Oh, he liked it,' said Chelsea, without looking up from her book. 'But he's always really sweet when I ask him what he thinks of something. He never says anything that could hurt my feelings. I think he's one of the nicest boys in school…' Chelsea's voice trailed as she looked at Judy, startled.

'I won't tell anyone,' said Judy honestly. 'I promise.'

'Thank you,' said Chelsea, a blush colouring her usually pale cheeks. Judy smiled at her friend as she hid her face behind her book. The binding was made of dark green leather, Judy noticed, with golden, intricate letters on the cover. Judy's smile faded as she read the title.

Magic of the Mind: The Gift of Foresight

Judy clung onto the small blue book in her hands as the events of the past months suddenly raced through her mind. Sirius' escape, Sirius being sighted in a nearby village, Sirius breaking into the castle, Sirius asking her for help…Judy had done everything she could to share her thoughts with the people she trusted most…she had done everything to share her doubts about her father's guilt.

Dumbledore, Lupin, Tonks and Andromeda had all listened to her, but had also tried to convince her of her father's guilt and obliged her to live in secrecy. There was one person, however, that she had never talked to about her father. One person she never could have talked to, still couldn't talk to…but now…she did have the possibility to observe.

Judy quickly hid her face behind her book as her train of thoughts continued its fast course. Her plan seemed to have suddenly sprung from her mind, but as she thought longer she realised that all the visions she'd had in the past months had led up to this moment.

Judy had dreamt about the night she lost her mother, after having seen Sirius on a wanted poster, looking as helpless as she'd felt that night. She saw her parents together, when her heart ached to see the father she remembered. She saw herself playing in a meadow with Padfoot, after she'd seen her father in his Animagus form. She'd dreamt of her parents spending Christmas at the Potters as she herself was about to spent Christmas with her own best friends. She'd had a vision about her parents meeting and her mother's vision about their future, when she and Charlie were alone in the orchard and about to confess their feelings to each other.

Every dream, every vision she'd had, had been related to something she was going through in her own life. And, Judy thought, if there had to be a connection to what she herself was going through…may be she could steer reality so she could have the vision she needed most right now.

Judy got to her feet, fighting the urge to run up the stairs. She bent down and picked up her shoes. 'I'm going to read upstairs for a while,' she said to Chelsea. 'I can't concentrate with this chatter.' She said, referring to the Ravenclaws sitting at the cherry table.

'Sure, I'll see you later,' Chelsea replied, casting Judy a short glance.

'Yes, see you later,' said Judy absently, already heading for the spiral staircase. She took the steps two at a time and stood in her dormitory in less than ten seconds. Judy dropped her shoes at the foot of the bed and quickly walked to her nightstand. She didn't hesitate as she laid down the book and took the framed picture of her holding the dark kitten. As soon as Judy touched the picture it faded into the image of her parents at their NEWT ball.

'This should work,' said Judy as she slipped the picture frame inside her vest. She stood in the dormitory for a moment, thinking of a deserted place where she could call on a vision without anybody noticing her. It didn't take long for one came to mind.

Judy turned on her heel and walked back toward the small spiral staircase. She took every step carefully, again slowing down her urge to run to where she was headed. She halted at the bottom of the stairs as several familiar voices came from the entrance of the common room.

Shania was the first of the sixth years to enter the common room, the folded banner in her hands. Judy couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her room mate so proud. Connor and Aidan walked in after her, still discussing the outcome of the match. Willow followed in their wake. She halted as their eyes met. Judy didn't need to guess why. She walked over to her best friend, recognizing a look in her eyes that she knew all too well.

'I owe you an apology,' said Judy truthfully.

'Oh, really?' asked Willow sarcastically.

'Will, I'm sorry,-'

'Do you have any clue what it means to have a best friend, Jude?' asked Willow heatedly. 'It means you share the good and the bad times. It doesn't mean you ignore me every time something's wrong.'

'Willow,-'

'The next time you need me, save yourself the trouble and head straight to Fred, OK?' she said, before walking past Judy and running up the spiral staircase.

Judy took a deep breath in an effort to still her emotions. She tried to ignore all of the students staring at her. She crossed her arms, pressing the picture frame tightly to her chest, to try and chase away the loneliness which threatened to overtake her. Part of her wanted to go after Willow and explain why she'd gone to Fred instead of her, another part knew that the matter of her father's innocence or guilt outweighed whatever she had going on in her own life; she didn't have a choice. Judy didn't look at anybody as she walked straight out of the dormitory.

The fifth floor corridor was anything but deserted, with students heading back to their common rooms or taking a stroll through the castle. Judy looked to her right at the statue of Boris the Bewildered and pressed the picture frame even closer to her chest as she started walking. She halted as an image of her mother flashed in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before walking on and taking the fourth door on the left. She opened it with the password she'd used a few months before.

The prefect's bathroom was, as Judy had hoped, deserted. She turned on her heel and bolted the door to make sure she was indeed alone. The marble walls, floor and single sunken bathtub all reflected the pale sunlight falling through the windows. Judy took her wand and flicked it at the candle-filled chandelier, making all of the candles lit up simultaneously; she wasn't sure when she'd come to from the vision and she wanted to make sure she wouldn't awake in the dark.

Judy walked to a corner of the room and sat down on the cold marble floor. She took out the picture frame from under her coat and held it in her right hand. She moved her left hand to her throat and followed the thin silver chain to the single red coral on her chest. She took the red stone in between her thumb and index finger, using the protection she knew she would need.

Judy took a long glance at the picture in her hand, closed her eyes and thought on the note her father wrote to her. He'd told her to listen to her heart…a heart that had as much faith in him as the heart of the other woman he loved…

Judy took a deep breath before she spoke, not having a clue if her impulsive plan would succeed.

'What did your heart tell you, mother?' she whispered as the bathroom moved aside for a warm summer evening in Godric's Hollow.

Briana Byrne walked cautiously down the narrow lane. Her long dark hair was hidden under a brown silk shawl and the long dark coat she wore hid her slender features. She seemed to have done anything to make sure nobody recognized her.

Briana stopped at a small cottage, which Judy immediately recognized from the vision she had at Christmas. Her mother opened the small gate and walked down the path leading to the house. A faint orange glow shone through the curtains of the living room. The rest of the house seemed to be covered in darkness.

Briana knocked twice on the wooden door, looking anxiously over her shoulder as she waited. She quickly looked back as the lock clicked open. The door opened slowly to reveal Lily's green eyes, which widened as she recognized her friend.

'Merlin's beard! What are you doing here?' Lily exclaimed as Briana looked around nervously.

'Please Lily, I can't be seen,' said Briana pleadingly. Lily quickly opened the door further to let her friend in. She closed it before she spoke.

'You're telling me you can't be seen?' asked Lily reproachfully. 'You're in hiding, Briana. You shouldn't be here!'

'I know, I know,' said Briana as she removed the dark scarf to reveal her long black locks. 'Is James here?'

'No,' said Lily quickly. 'He's on a mission with Sirius. He should be home any time now.'

'Then I have to hurry,' said Briana, taking Lily by the hand and pulling her into the living room.

'Briana, you're hurting me!' Lily protested.

'I'm sorry,' said Briana, letting go of her friend. 'I just have to…you have to know this.' She took a few steps toward the four candles in the corner of the room, before turning on her heel. Lily nearly gasped as she saw Briana's bloodshot eyes and reddened cheeks.

'You had another vision, didn't you?' Briana only nodded as she quickly wiped away another tear. 'About one of us?' Briana nodded. 'About James?' asked Lily with a hint of fear.

'Perhaps you'd better sit down, Lily,' said Briana gently.

'Dear Merlin, is he going to,-'

'Please, Lily. Sit down,' Briana repeated as she took her friend's shoulder. She gently steered her to the couch and sat down beside her. Briana took a deep breath before she spoke. 'I had a vision…about you and James.' Lily looked at her friend nervously. 'Before I tell you about it, you have to know that it was very vague and I have no idea if what I saw will actually happen in real life.'

'I know,' said Lily in a whisper. 'What did you see?'

'I saw a dark cloaked figure breaking into your home,' said Briana slowly. 'He killed James with a killing curse. You fled upstairs…you were holding something, but I couldn't make out what it was…then the cloaked figure aimed his wand at you and there was a green flash of light…'

Lily stared at the wall opposite them. Briana took Lily's hand in hers and squeezed it gently to calm her friend. In the silence that followed, Judy realised for the first time that she was standing in the living room and not looking at the scene as if in a dream. She kept her eyes on her mother and Lily as she walked closer and sat down on a nearby chair.

'You said it was all vague…' said Lily finally.

'Yes,' said Briana softly.

'That means we can still change it,' Lily concluded in a determined voice.

'Yes,' Briana confirmed.

'How?' asked Lily, looking back at her friend.

Briana folded her hands on her legs and sat up straight. 'I'm not sure,' she said truthfully. 'I saw something right before I had the vision about you and James, and I'm sure it has something to do with what I saw, but I don't know how…'

'We'll figure out how it's linked to James and me,' said Lily confidently. 'What did you see?'

'Sirius,' said Briana in a whisper. 'I saw him kneeling on the floor, crying and holding…' Briana's voice trailed.

'Holding what?' asked Lily interested.

'It doesn't matter,' said Briana quickly. 'All that matters is that, whatever happens, you and James should trust Sirius. He'd never let any harm come to you.'

'I know, we've always trusted Sirius,' said Lily confused.

'Yes, but this time…Lily, if you and James find your safety depending on magic, Sirius is the only one you should trust,' Briana insisted.

'But how can you be so sure?' asked Lily, still confused. 'You said it was all vague.'

'I'm sure, because the vision about Sirius was crystal clear…' said Briana, hiding the fear Judy herself felt inside. She knew all too well what her mother had seen in her vision…she knew all too well who's lifeless body Sirius had been holding.

Lily only nodded as she looked at her friend. She didn't speak as Briana looked at the opposite wall with moist eyes.

'Thank you, Bri,' Lily whispered as she now squeezed her friend's hand gently.

'Of course,' said Briana absently. 'Just…Lily, Sirius can't know I've been here.'

'I won't tell him,' Lily promised. 'And I'll make sure James won't either.'

'Thanks,' said Briana relieved.

'It's the least I can do,' Lily said truthfully. Briana nodded absently, her eyes focused on the four candles in the corner of the room, as the orange flames reflected in her dark eyes.

Judy gasped as she came to. Her body ached all over and she couldn't help but shiver. She felt as if she'd been flooded with ice cold water. The picture frame fell out of her hand as it shook uncontrollably. Judy tightened her grip on the red coral as she did her utmost to focus on Charlie and the protecting bond they shared. But the little spark igniting in her heart wasn't enough to warm her by far.

Judy closed her eyes, doing her utmost to prevent the inevitable. She bit her lip as she opened her eyes again and focused as much on Charlie as she could, knowing she needed every bit of strength to get the help she needed. She put the picture frame inside her Ravenclaw sweater, turned and pushed herself up. She leaned against the wall as she slowly made her way back to the door.

Judy trailed the wall with her fingers as she clumsily made her way to the wooden door. She dragged her feet across the floor, stumbling as her toes got caught behind an edge of stone. She staggered to the door, tripping over her feet and grabbing the doorknob to keep from falling to the floor. Judy squinted to unbolt the door, doing her utmost to sharpen her blurry vision.

The door seemed to weigh a ton as Judy pushed it open. She held on tightly to the dark wood as her knees gave way. It was a matter of seconds as her strength failed her and she fell to the cold stone floor.

Judy opened her eyes slowly as she awoke from a deep sleep. Every muscle in her body ached, despite the soft mattress and pillow she lay on. She ran her tongue over her dry lips and swallowed in an effort to moisten her dry mouth. As she turned her head she realised a moist cloth lay on her forehead and it felt quite cool; someone replaced it not to long ago.

Judy looked around the hospital wing, realising for the first time it was dark. The candle on her nightstand cast a small circle of light around her bed. The only other source of light was a candle on a deserted desk at the other end of the room, where Madam Pomfrey usually sat.

'Hello?' Judy's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke. She pushed herself up slowly, biting her lip as her muscles protested.

'What do you think you're doing?' Judy yelped as Madam Pomfrey's voice cut through the silence. 'You should be resting.'

'I didn't think there was anybody here,' said Judy as her heart beat fast against her chest.

'You didn't think we'd leave you unwatched, did you?' asked Madam Pomfrey confused as she swished her wand. A silver Patronus erupted from the tip of her wand and rushed out of the hospital wing. 'I promised Professor Lupin I'd warn him as soon as you came to. He should be here any moment,' she said as she laid her hand on Judy's forehead. 'I don't think he's slept since you've been here.'

'You make it sound like I've been here for weeks…' said Judy amused.

'Eighteen days actually,' said Madam Pomfrey seriously. Judy looked at her with widened eyes.

'Eighteen days?' she repeated breathlessly.

'Yes,' said Madam Pomfrey gently. 'It seems your visions are taking quite a toll on you...'

'Isn't that normal?' asked Judy carefully. Madam Pomfrey cast her a sympathetic smile.

'I'd better refresh this,' she said as she took the cloth from Judy's forehead.

'Madam Pomfrey,-' her voice trailed as she noticed Lupin in the doorway. He looked at her for a moment, before walking toward her. Judy's heart froze as she saw the look in his eyes and recognized the hint of fear in them. He stopped at the foot of her bed, looking at her hesitantly. The dark circles under his eyes and his pale complexion indicated he had indeed not slept in days. 'I'm all right,' said Judy gently.

Lupin nodded as he walked to her side and sat down on the bed. He didn't speak as he covered her hand with his and kissed her forehead. Judy smiled at him as he pulled back.

'What happened, sweetheart?' he asked hoarsely. Judy looked at him for a moment, torn between the promise she made never to lie to him again and his reaction if she told him what she'd been trying to do.

'I summoned a vision,' she said finally, holding onto her promise.

Lupin looked at her in disbelief. 'You summoned…why?'

'Because I…I wanted to See my mother,' said Judy carefully. 'Because I wanted to know what her heart told her about my father…' Lupin let go of her hand as she spoke. 'Remus,-'

'Do you have any idea what you've done?' asked Lupin heatedly.

'I had to know, Remus,' said Judy quickly. 'And this was the only safe way to,-'

'Safe?' Lupin asked. 'Safe? You were unconscious for eighteen days, Jude! We had to control your temperature with a spell, if we hadn't you might have…' His voice trailed.

'I didn't know this would have such an effect on me,' said Judy honestly. 'I didn't think I'd remain unconscious for so long…'

'The vision didn't cause you to be unconscious…' said Lupin in a strained voice. 'When we found you, you were…you looked so pale and felt so cold, I thought…' Lupin broke off as he looked at his hands. Judy looked at him through misty eyes in the silence that followed.

'Jude…' Lupin finally broke the silence. 'If it hadn't been for Dumbledore's magic, we probably would have lost you.' Judy nodded, unable to say anything as she took Lupin's hand and held it firmly.

She leaned back against her propped up pillow as she stared in the distance, allowing everything Lupin had said to her to sink in. She didn't blink nor move as she looked into the darkness. Lupin sat quietly too, looking at her with moist eyes.

Judy took a deep breath to chase away the fear taking hold of her heart. A fear caused only in part by what had happened…a fear caused mostly by the choice that lay before her.

'Mum told Lily and James to trust Sirius,' said Judy in a whisper. 'She said that if their lives depended on magic, Sirius was the only one they should trust.' Lupin looked at her, thinking.

'Your mother always had a lot of faith in your father,' Lupin said softly. 'But that doesn't mean that her faith in him was justified.'

Judy only nodded as she held Lupin's gaze. Her heart warmed as she saw a hint of doubt in his eyes. A doubt she hadn't seen in the twelve years he'd raised her.

'What if her faith was justified?' asked Judy carefully.

'Jude,' said Lupin quietly, 'don't.'

'But Remus,'

'No, Jude,' Lupin said in a firmer tone. 'We've had this discussion often enough this past year. He betrayed Lily and James, he killed Peter, and he murdered thirteen Muggles. Sirius is a murderer and he needs to be punished for his crime. And this is the last time we've spoken about this.' He concluded in a final tone. Judy evaded his gaze as she nodded quietly.

'Professor?' Madam Pomfrey said as she approached the two of them. 'I'm sorry, but she really should rest now.'

'Yes, of course,' said Lupin gently. 'I'll come back tomorrow,' he leaned over and kissed Judy's forehead. She met his eyes as he pulled back, still noticing the same doubt in his eyes.

'I'm sorry,' said Judy in a whisper. Lupin cast her a small smile.

'Goodbye, sweetheart,' he said warmly before turning around and walking away from her. Judy looked after him as Madam Pomfrey laid another wet cloth on her forehead.

'There. Now, before you go back to sleep you need to eat something to regain your strength,' said Madam Pomfrey kindly. 'I trust you will stay in bed, while I go to the kitchens.'

'Yes, of course,' said Judy absently, as Lupin walked through the doorway and disappeared from view. She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, staring into the distance and barely noticing Madam Pomfrey leaving the hospital wing.

The darkness around her seemed to grow as she sat quietly, staring in front of her. The candle beside her was the only light, the only protection against the fear growing in her heart. She looked sideways, only now noticing the several cards and pieces of candy on her nightstand.

She took one of the cards and flipped it around to see Fred's familiar handwriting.

Dear Jude,

You're in our thoughts. We miss you.

Hope you get better soon.

F & G

Judy gulped as she read the card. She knew the twins were troubled, if they didn't put a joke in their writing. She'd only ever received one letter from George without a joke…

Judy picked up the other two cards from her nightstand. One was from Ginny, the other from her fellow sixth year Ravenclaws, with only one name missing. Judy reread the card to make sure Willow's name was indeed not on it. She bit back a tear as she put it down on the light wooden surface. She hadn't realised how much she'd hurt her best friend's feelings until now; she hadn't realised that telling the truth might be the only way to regain Willow's trust. Judy blinked away her tears, her eyes still on her nightstand as she noticed an envelope.

She took the envelope between her thumb and index finger and held it up in front of her as she looked at the unfamiliar handwriting. Her heart skipped a beat as she realised who the letter was from. She quickly opened the envelope and pulled out the letter.

Dear Jude,

How are you? Is it good to be back at Hogwarts? Or is Snape giving you a hard time again? If so, remember I can always send a dragon after him…

I'm sorry it took me a while to write to you. I simply haven't had the time with working overtime to make up for my Christmas holiday. These past two weeks I haven't been able to do anything but work, eat and sleep. Though I can't say I mind…not with the memories you've given me.

I hope you've managed to catch up on the sleep I deprived you from that last night at the Burrow and that you've regained the strength your vision cost you. Hopefully your body and mind quickly learn how to cope. And if not…remember what I told you that last night. You don't have to go through this on your own. Fred and George will never break your friendship over your gift…though you might have to put up with them asking for Quidditch outcomes…but at the end of the day you'll have some extra pairs of eyes to watch over you whenever you need them to. I don't know about you, but I know that knowledge puts my heart at peace. Especially now I realise how much distance there is between us…

Don't get me wrong, it's great to be back home and I still believe that we can do this. I just can't deny that I miss you, Jude. I'm glad I have the dragons to keep me busy during the day, but I can't help but think of you when I'm at home. I guess I only realise now how little time we've shared together, which makes it even stranger how much I got used to having you around. I suppose it has something to do with the spell you cast on me…

Well, I have to finish this letter now if I want to get a few hours of sleep before I have to get back to work again. Like I told you at the Burrow, I'm not very good with words, so I'm afraid this letter is not as long as you might have wanted it to be. I just want you to know that I miss you and I look forward to hearing from you.

Love,

Charlie

Judy leaned back against her pillow and reread the letter. It was funny how Charlie claimed he wasn't good with words, when his letter was able to warm not only her heart but her entire body. Her fingers actually tingled as she held the paper Charlie' had written on, the paper he'd touched…

Judy's eyes widened as she realised what effect Charlie's letter was having on her. Slowly but surely the tingling sensation in her fingers spread through her hands and her arms, warming her cold skin. She quickly enveloped the single red coral with her free hand and sensed the same tingling sensation.

Her lips curled up in a smile as she realised the implications of what was happening to her…the implications of the protecting bond she shared with her boyfriend.

'If I can strengthen it…' said Judy, thinking out loud.

Her mind raced as she looked around the room. She needed something stronger, something that would make her think about Charlie instantly, something that would kindle the flame that was now burning in her heart. Something that would provide her enough protection to survive what she had planned...

She smiled as the solution popped up in her head.

After months of doubting, fearing and feeling powerless, she'd finally found a way to help her prove what she'd known all along in her heart. With Charlie's protection she could prove Sirius' innocence with her visions…all she needed was the right one.

Judy sighed as she lay down on her side. She looked at the flickering candle on her nightstand. Lupin told her to rest…if only he knew what she going to do.