Arc II: Part III
The next morning, Alexa stirred from her slumber, roused by the gentle touch of her mother's hand and the soft lilt of her voice. "Wake up, sweetheart," her mother said, smiling fondly as she brushed Alexa's cheek with her fingertips.
As Alexa's eyes fluttered open, she sat up, propping herself against her pillow. A glance at her nightstand clock revealed that it was only seven o'clock on a Saturday, a time when she would typically have luxuriated in bed for hours longer. She stifled a yawn and snuggled deeper into her blankets, protesting, "Mom, it's the weekend!"
"I know, dear, but there's something important I need to tell you," her mother replied, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Come downstairs to the kitchen with me." She leaned over to give their dog a playful pat on the head. "And you too, Pup, no more drooling!"
Alexa groaned, but reluctantly pulled herself out of bed and slipped on her slippers and robe. When she reached the kitchen, she found her mother already seated and dressed, looking more animated than usual. Her mother jumped up to greet her with an embrace, ushering her to a chair at the table and settling down beside her. An arm draped over Alexa's shoulder, and her mother beamed at her with delight, a stark contrast to what Alexa had expected after skipping a day of classes the previous day. She couldn't help but wonder if her mother had found out.
"What's going on, Mom?" Alexa asked warily.
But instead of answering right away, her mother grabbed a piece of toast and buttered it before shoving it into Alexa's mouth. "Mmmphh," Alexa protested as she tried to speak, causing her mother to giggle before pouring her a glass of milk.
"Yesterday, while I was out running errands," her mother began, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "I ran into the most charming old lady who was talking with the shopkeeper."
Alexa raised an eyebrow skeptically. "An old lady chatting with a shopkeeper? That doesn't sound like major news, Mom."
"Shush, dear," her mother said, placing a finger over Alexa's lips as she chewed her toast. "Let me finish. The old lady, who was quite adorable, mentioned that she's retiring at the end of the month, which is next Friday."
Alexa felt her heart skip a beat. "What does that have to do with us?"
"Well, she's a nurse, dear," her mother said, her eyes shining with pride.
Alexa's mind whirled as the implications sunk in. "A nurse?" she repeated, incredulous. "That means...you got a job, Mom?"
Her mother nodded, her eyes misting over. "Yes, I did, my dear. Starting next week, I'll be working at the hospital as a nurse."
Alexa let out a whoop of joy, throwing herself onto her mother and showering her with kisses. "That's amazing, Mom! I'm so proud of you! Congrats!"
"Isn't it?!" her mother replied, unable to hold back her tears. "I can't believe how lucky I got! At first, I went there only because we ran out of milk, and you know how I'm afraid you could stay so tiny for the rest of your life..." She tickled Alexa, who giggled and fought her back. "I overheard them talking; I didn't want to be rude and bother them, but at the same time, I wanted that job so much, so I stepped in and didn't regret it! Mrs. Stein was very excited and relieved as she felt bad for retiring and leaving her colleagues one nurse short."
"And she said yes?! Please tell me she did!" Alexa said.
"Not right away... She asked me to meet her later in the afternoon at the clinic where she worked, so I stayed around, and at the hour she told me, I went to meet her there, and she introduced me to the Director... From what I understood, they both started working there right after the war and something between a Brindelbart and Dumfungor, I didn't follow everything... Anyway, I told them I was a nurse at the Hamburg-Eppendorf Hospital and had a solid background before dramatically having to move here because I'm a loving mother." She said, winking at her. "They made some calls and quickly approved my application, so starting Monday, no more staying at home!"
Alexa felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and relief wash over her as soon as they arrived in the region. She knew her mother had loved her job and quitting it so that Alexa could attend the Academy had been a difficult decision for her. Alexa couldn't help but worry about whether her mother would be able to return to her job someday.
"Sweetie, I have to go out for a few hours," she said. "We have been waiting for a whole month for someone to install a landline here, and the agency closes at noon. I'll take the opportunity to call dad and share the news with him!"
"Okay, I'll be here. I have to work on my essay about charm!" Alexa said, wincing after taking a sip of her milk. "Anyway, congratulations again, Mom! You're my super strong mom!"
"Strong? Do you really think so?" her mother asked, curling her thin arm.
"The last time you carried me to my bed, I was five!" Alexa said. "Dad does it now!"
"No, sweetie. You must have been dreaming. You were already in your bed when I returned," her mother said.
"Oh, I was exhausted, so I probably didn't even notice being put to bed," Alexa said, trying to remember.
"Finish your essay and try to rest. I have to go now. See you later!" she said, kissing Alexa before leaving the kitchen.
"See you later," Alexa said before jumping from her seat and shouting, "And kiss Dad for me... I mean, don't kiss the phone... just tell him I love and miss him."
As Alexa sat down to finish her breakfast, she heard her mother's laughter echoing through the doorway before she shut it. The dog jumped onto the chair in front of her, eagerly helping himself to some scrambled eggs. Alexa watched him, amused by how easily he had made himself at home. With her back turned to the dog, she went to the fridge to get some orange juice, all the while chatting to him.
"We really need to find you a proper name, something cute," mused Alexa, searching the fridge before grabbing the bottle.
Suddenly, her blood ran cold as a man's voice replied, "How about Sirius?"
As Alexa turned around with the orange juice bottle in her hand, she felt her body start to shake uncontrollably. The spot where the black German Shepherd had been sitting just moments before was now occupied by a man in his twenties. He had long, jet-black hair, and his eyes, a cold shade of grey, were locked onto hers. With his legs propped up on the kitchen table, he aimed a wand at her while flashing a smile. Nodding toward the chair she had just vacated, he gestured for her to sit down.
"Don't be shy, Alexa. Sit down so we can have a little chat."
Alexa remained motionless as she glanced at the kitchen door out of the corner of her eye. A fleeting thought crossed her mind: she could grab the orange juice bottle and throw it at the man, using the opportunity to flee. However, her legs seemed to be rooted to the spot, and before she could make a move, the man had closed the door. Defeated, she slowly approached him and reluctantly took a seat across from him.
"Hands where I can see them," he ordered, and Alexa complied, placing her hands on the table. The man flashed her a smile, seemingly pleased with her cooperation. "Thank you for making this easy for both of us. I appreciate it."
Alexa struggled to keep her composure, breathing slowly to calm herself. With a trembling voice, she mustered the courage to ask, "Who...Are you?"
The man's smile vanished, and he answered with a cold, menacing voice that sent shivers down Alexa's spine. "My name is Sirius Black, the most dangerous and wanted criminal in the world. I escaped from Azkaban, where I was imprisoned for treason, mass murder, dark magic use, and for being Voldemort's right-hand man."
Alexa looked at him silently for a moment, the man introducing himself as Sirius Black was scanning her with his cold eyes while her heart started racing. Then, receiving no answer from her, he cleared his throat and started talking again.
"Now that introductions have been made, I have an offer I would like you to hear," Black said.
"Why?" Alexa finally asked, speaking quietly.
"I beg your pardon?" Black asked, taken aback by her question.
"Why me? What are you doing here? If you're a criminal, why did you help me?" Alexa asked.
Alexa was accustomed to being stalked and could usually see the desire to harm her in the eyes and hear it in the honeyed voices of her would-be attackers. As a result, she developed a keen sense of intuition to keep her calm in these situations. When the man across from her seemed briefly confused, her intuition comforted her. He quickly regained his composure and briefly avoided her gaze before meeting it again, responding with a firm voice.
"I've been on the run for months, and now that winter has arrived, I need a warm and quiet place where I can stay," he said, remaining seated and leaning against the back of his chair.
"For real?" Alexa asked skeptically.
"Yes. I had just arrived in the region when I found you and hit the jackpot—a simple-minded and naive girl who's so easy to manipulate," he said, his tone turning cold. "Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, I have an offer—or two options, rather. The first is that I kill you right now and patiently wait for your mother to come back, and then deal with her too."
"Why?" Alexa asked, feigning a smile.
"For the house! As I said, I need a warm place to spend the winter," he replied.
"Oh, of course. I'm just a simple-minded and stupid girl. Instead of killing both my mom and me on the first night when we thought you were just a stray dog, you waited until now when she found a job, and people who would come asking questions if she suddenly disappeared. Unless, of course, you intend to murder anyone who comes near the house. Very discreet. Oh, and let's not forget my father," Alexa said sarcastically.
"I don't speak German, so I didn't understand. Anyway, I waited to watch you and see if anyone would come snooping around. But now that I know you're a misfit with no friends..." Black said.
"Sure. And I suppose the academy wouldn't come to investigate if something were wrong and I suddenly stopped going to class?" Alexa said, cutting him off. Black's face turned slightly red as he was about to reply when someone knocked on the door.
Alexa motioned for him to be quiet before leaving the kitchen. She strode across the living room and made her way to the door. Climbing onto a small stool, she peered through the peephole where she saw a short, blonde woman dressed in a long black coat. The woman appeared anxious, with red-rimmed eyes that suggested she had been crying. Alexa carefully descended from the stool and opened the door slightly, revealing the woman's smiling face.
"Guten morgen, I'm Frau Neumann," she said with a gentle tone.
"Guten morgen, how may I assist you, Gnädige Frau?" Alexa responded politely.
"I hope so. You must be Alexa Acker, am I correct?" Mrs. Neumann inquired.
"Yes, that's me," Alexa confirmed.
"I'm Kaia Neumann's mother. She's your friend from the Academy," Mrs. Neumann said with a smile, making the connection.
Alexa's eyes widened in alarm before she slammed the door shut and stumbled backward, her heart racing with fear. Was this a trap? Were there no limits to what they were capable of? Had they come to take her from the safety of her own home?
Outside, the woman began to pound on the door, and Alexa felt something brush against her leg. Black had transformed back into a dog and was visibly drawn to the commotion.
"NO! PLEASE! IF SHE'S THERE... JUST... TELL HER I'M WORRIED AND TO COME BACK HOME! SHE WON'T BE GROUNDED, I PROMISE... JUST TELL HER TO COME BACK HOME," cried the woman outside.
Alexa looked at the German Shepherd and whispered, "Am I going to find her dead body in my closet or anywhere else in the house?"
The dog moved his head from left to right, and Alexa walked slowly and carefully to the door, as if the door could swallow her, and gently said, "I'm sorry, Frau Neumann, but your daughter has never been here. We are not friends, and I have no idea where she could be."
The woman stopped pounding on the door and replied, "Oh...I thought you were close. I heard her talk with Janna and Yuna the other day about surprising you."
"No, you've made a mistake. Good luck, and don't come back again, or I'll call the Polizei!" Alexa shouted.
"I am so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. Just if you hear or have a way to contact her, tell her to come back home. We live in front of the Bäckerei, in the house with the green door. You can come to find us at any time," the woman said.
"Alright. If I hear anything, I will," Alexa said.
"Thank you very much, sweetie. And I am very sorry if I scared you. Thank you again, and have a good weekend," Mrs. Neumann said before sobbing away.
Alexa quickly made her way to the window and caught sight of the blonde woman leaving the garden. After closing the curtains, she returned to the kitchen and noticed the dog's tail disappearing out of sight. With a sigh, she sat back down in her seat.
"Wow, that was unexpected," Alexa said. "I was expecting an owl from the Academy for skipping yesterday."
Black took a letter from his jeans pocket with the Academy's crest on it and tossed it at her. "It arrived this morning. The owl landed on the wrong window," he said before stuffing his mouth with a chocolate muffin. "Your mom is amazing. These muffins are as good as Mrs Potter's."
"Thank you," Alexa said, quickly reading her letter and wincing at the two detention hours she had earned. "So, is that enough to spare us?"
He frowned at her before choking on his muffin and gave a thumbs up when she handed him a glass of water, which he drank clumsily, sprinkling water on his face. "Spare you?" he asked.
Alexa put her elbows on the kitchen table and rested her chin on her hands. "Yes. About your master plan to murder me, my mom, and half the village so that you could hide for winter without attracting any attention."
Black stared at her for a moment before bursting out laughing, almost falling as he swung his chair backward. He caught his breath and calmed down, wiping away his tears before responding to her.
"Well, in my head, it sounded far more intimidating, you know? But, consider I've changed my mind on that," he said.
"Thank you. I'm not ready to die yet, and I have dreams to fulfill," Alexa said, reaching for a muffin.
Black raised an eyebrow at her and asked with an amused voice, "Dreams to fulfill?"
"Yes. I want to be-" Alexa started to say, but he interrupted her, his voice suddenly cold and menacing.
"SHUT UP!" bellowed Black at her. "I'm really not interested in hearing it. Your mouth is highly unlikely to utter anything that would pique my interest."
"Why?" Alexa asked, with surprise.
"That word 'dream' is far too big for your mouth to utter. You're nothing but a feeble, insignificant person who allows your dignity to be trampled on. Frankly, you're not even worthy of saying that word, let alone deserving of the family you have. All you seem to be is a constant disappointment," Black's words were laced with contempt. Suddenly, Alexa hurled herself at him in a fit of rage. They crashed onto the kitchen floor, and Alexa unleashed a flurry of punches, scratches, and bites until she let out a shriek of pain, holding her hand after hitting the tiled surface. Black had vanished beneath her, but he now stood behind her.
"OI! CALM DOWN!" Black barked at her, pointing at the overturned chair that she had flung. "Sit down, and don't make me hex you," he threatened, aiming his wand at her.
Alexa remained on the floor, scowling at him with deep-seated anger before finally getting up and settling into the chair, avoiding eye contact. Black nodded at her and took a seat himself, passing his right hand through his hair in a moment of contemplation.
"Well, perhaps you're not entirely a lost cause," Black said, pausing to raise a finger when Alexa tried to reply. "Hold on, I won't apologize because I meant every word I said, but I admit that I may have expressed myself poorly."
"What I meant is that before discussing dreams, you must first acknowledge a non-negotiable prerequisite," Black continued.
"What prerequisite?" Alexa asked.
Lowering his wand, Black handed it to Alexa and nodded at it, inviting her to take it. She hesitated before accepting it, then pointed it at him. He replied with a gentle voice.
"A dream comes true from the moment you decide to devote your life to it. However, achieving it is exceedingly difficult, as you must prove yourself worthy. You must commit to a long journey where only your courage, determination, and audacity will see you through. Stop succumbing to fear or letting those foolish girls pick on you and equip yourself with the means to live up to your aspirations."
Alexa stared silently at Black as his words reverberated in her head. For a moment, she felt a fire ignite in her heart, but it was quickly extinguished by a creeping cold. "But...I'm not...Every time they come at me, I freeze, and I don't even know how to defend myself. And nobody wants to help me. The other kids just look the other way, and lots of them make fun of me!"
"And you'll always find someone willing to test their luck with you because many take pleasure in tormenting or watching others fail; that's sadly how the world operates," Black responded calmly. "And I would like to help you..."
"How could you, and...How can I trust you?" Alexa asked, her hand gripping the wand tightly.
"You're the one holding the wand...you could petrify me. It's a first-year spell level to neutralize me and contact the German Ministry of Magic. There's a 100,000-galleon bounty on my head, enough to cover all your years at the Academy and even buy a house after you graduate. I promise not to resist...or you could return my wand and choose to trust me. I'll stay here, and after school, we'll go to that forest and practice until you become something greater than yourself."
They gazed silently at each other. Logic told Alexa to petrify him and call the authorities, but she refused...because that would mean surrendering to fear, something that she now believed was the root of her nightmares and weaknesses. Instead, she slowly lowered Black's wand and let it fall onto the table before rolling it back to him. Black nodded and returned it to his pocket. Alexa still had one more question.
"I'll choose to trust you...but I need to know...and I need the truth," Alexa said.
"Of course," Black replied with a sigh.
"Is it true? Did you actually kill people and escape from prison?" Alexa asked.
Black sighed again before answering. "Although I've been involved and could be blamed, I never killed anyone myself, even though I wish I had killed one person in particular."
"What does that mean? Are you innocent or... no?" Alexa asked.
"Have you ever heard of the name 'Voldemort'?" Black asked.
"No... Should I?" Alexa replied.
"I assume you know why you aren't at Durmstrang, right?" Black continued.
"Because my mom and dad are Muggles," Alexa answered.
"Exactly... In the wizarding world, there's an ideology that classifies wizards into three categories: Pure-bloods, Half-bloods, and Muggle-born," Black explained, taking a sip of juice. "Some Purebloods, like me, strongly believe that only those born in magical families are worthy of using magic and consider ruling over the rest of the magical and Muggle community as a birthright. They tolerate Half-bloods only if they agree with their worldview. A little over a decade ago, a dark wizard appeared and sought to overthrow the magical world to establish a regime where Purebloods would rule the world, with everyone else either dead or in servitude. A war broke out, and he was eventually defeated. After his downfall, and even before that, the Ministry of Magic did its best to arrest and kill his followers."
"But why did you..." Alexa started before Black interrupted her.
"Before Voldemort's downfall, he started tracking my two best friends to kill them. We were warned about a spy on our side who informed Voldemort about my friends' movements and activities. So, using a complex charm that hides a piece of information inside someone's soul, called Secret Keeper, they went into hiding. Initially, I was supposed to be the Secret Keeper, but I thought I could outsmart Voldemort and told James and Lily to secretly choose someone else, Peter Pettigrew, so I could be a diversion. But Peter was the spy, and he betrayed us. As soon as he became the Secret Keeper, he revealed our location to Voldemort."
"Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow, killed James and Lily, and when he tried to kill Harry, something must have happened, and his spell backfired at him, destroying Voldemort. The next day, I cornered Peter on the street near his flat. I won't lie to you; I intended to kill him. But he started screaming that I betrayed James and Lily, and one second later, he blasted the entire street behind him before disappearing. He can turn into a rat, the same way I can turn into a dog. I got arrested and locked up in a cell. Only a few months later, I seized an opportunity and escaped, and I've been on the run ever since," Black recounted.
After hearing his story, they sat in silence for a few moments. Black seemed lost in thought as if he had just relived the most painful moments of his life. Alexa reached out and took his hand, startling him.
"Mr. Black, I'm really sorry," she said, her voice softening.
"Thank you... But I think you can call me Sirius now," Black replied with a smile.
Alexa chuckled before saying, "Do you realize that less than an hour ago, we were talking about you murdering my family and me?"
Sirius erupted into laughter, emitting a sound that resembled a dog's bark. Alexa leapt onto him and covered his mouth with her hand upon hearing the sound of the front door lock, signaling Mrs. Acker's return. Sirius transformed back into a dog, leaped to the floor, and exited the kitchen. Alexa followed him out to greet her mother and helped her remove her coat and boots.
"You're back already!" Alexa said, looking at her mother's sad face with curiosity. "Is everything all right?"
"Yes...but, sweetie, I spoke with Dad, and unfortunately, he won't be able to visit before Christmas. He's very sorry...He said he loves and misses you a lot and can't stop thinking about you," Mrs. Acker said, kissing her daughter's cheek gently.
Alexa was deeply affected by this news. She missed her father and had been looking forward to seeing him soon. Despite her feelings, she refrained from crying in front of her mother and instead patted her back while smiling. "It's okay, Mom...We just arrived, and we knew from the beginning that it would take some time before we could be together again."
Her mother began to cry. "Sorry, I've been holding back the tears since I hung up the phone in the cabin." She then held her daughter's head and gently pressed her cheeks. "The good news is that they'll install our landline on Monday morning, so we'll get to talk to him every day!"
"This Monday? So soon?" Alexa asked.
"Yes, I told them the hospital needed to be able to contact me in case of an emergency," Mrs. Acker said.
"But isn't there always another nurse on duty when you finish your shift?" Alexa asked, frowning before her eyes widened in realization. "Ooh, you lied!"
"No, I didn't! Moms don't lie...at least not entirely. Anyway, did you wash the dishes after breakfast? Didn't you mention something about a charms essay?" Mrs. Acker asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alexa was taken aback; she had completely forgotten about it while she was busy talking to Sirius. She smiled at her mother and replied, "Not entirely!" before running off to her room.
