Chapter 16
LB
When Remus and I passed the great hall, it was filled to the brim. The Halloween decorations were brilliant. Large pumpkins were placed around the floor, while tiny ones filled the tables. I saw the twins, Lee, Angelina and Alicia laughing at something, and I smiled as I saw that Alicia found her way back to her friends when I was not there. They must have felt my stare, because suddenly the twins turned. They waved at me, looking a bit sad that I didn't join them. I waved back before Remus and I walked away. They weren't happy that I didn't join them for the Halloween feast, but once I explained that Remus and I had a tradition, they reluctantly agreed. The corridors were now empty as everyone was sitting early in the great hall to enjoy the feast.
Still, I changed into Loki, and Moony put on the concealment charm as we walked the grounds. If I was in human form, I wouldn't be able to see him, but with my wolf senses, I could hear every crack of a twig he made or smelled him with ease, so I could always locate him in a heartbeat. Once we arrived at the Whooping Willow, I trotted down to the tree trunk and pushed my nose against it, so Moony could walk in safely.
Moony slid down in front of me in the dark, muddy tunnel, and just when I was about to follow, my eyes spotted the ginger cat again. Now I knew it was Hermione's cat. I heard Ron complain endlessly about the cat at the Gryffindor table, but I couldn't see how that was Hermione's fault. A cat is cat, they hunt things like rats and mice. I saw the cat trot towards the edge of the forest. I poked my wolf head around the tree to have a better look.
The cat was peering at the dark trees of the forest, it was just when I saw a large dark shadow move in front of the cat, my uncle called for me. I looked down for a second, by the time I looked back up the cat and the shadow were gone. I looked around me, spinning around my axis, when I didn't find anything, I perked up my ears, but nothing.
"What's wrong, cub?" Moony re-emerged from the hole. He frowned when he saw me concentrate on my surroundings. He tensed as he looked carefully around the grounds.
"I - I thought I saw something." My eyes on the edge of the forest where the cat had been. I shook my white furry head. "Never mind, let's go in."
LB
It was a few hours later that a Patronus appeared in front of me and let's just say Scotty. We both looked up at Phoenix between us who was floating above our game of Monopoly. The Phoenix opened its beak, and the voice of Professor Dumbledore filled the room.
"There has been a sighting of Sirius Black in the castle. Stay where you are, the Dementors will do a thorough search around the castle, take your precautions. Everyone is safe and accounted for. I'll inform you both in the morning. Fawkes will come over to see if you both are okay. Stay safe." And the Phoenix disappears.
I looked down from where the Patronus had disappeared and saw the werewolf in front of me breathe heavily. I stretched my four paws before I toddled over and curled into the Scotty/Moony's lap. His breathing slowed down as his rough hands gently stroked my back to ease his tension. I knew it was Moony that reacted that way, frustrated about Sirius, afraid for Harry... I knew I couldn't leave his side for the rest of the night, so I made myself comfortable on his lap, resting my head on his knee.
LB
The Gryffindors trickled back in the great hall. Gone were all the decorations, gone were all the tables. The floor was now filled with sleeping bags. Just as the Gryffindors came in, the other houses, all walked in looking confused. George and Fred were franticly looking around the students, trying to spot one stormy, grey-eyed girl with dark wavy hair, but no luck.
"Where is she?" George grumbled as they looked around once again. Before Fred could answer, the headmaster spoke.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle." He said as McGonagall and Flitwick closed the doors of the great hall, locking us in. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the Hall and I am leaving the head boy and girl in charge. Sleep well." He said and drifted towards the doors.
But Fred and George couldn't let him get away that easy. Just as they arrived at the headmaster, Nott was there with Malfoy. The twins and Malfoy scrunched up their nose towards each other, but Nott just looked to the headmaster.
"Professor Dumbledore?" He asked. And George, Fred and Malfoy all turned to the headmaster. "Where is Alec? I haven't seen here since this afternoon."
"She's safe. She and Professor Lupin went out celebrating, they'll spend the night outside the castle." His eyes looked a bit surprised from Nott to Malfoy but smiled at them and the twins. "I'm happy to see she found so many good friends."
"Was - was he trying to get to her, sir?" George said with a shaky voice.
"I don't believe so. He went for the tower, miss Lupin-Black doesn't sleep in there." He glanced between the four of them. "You all get some sleep; you'll see her in the morning. Sleep well." And with that he disappeared behind the doors.
"Sleep well." Fred huffed. "We don't know where she is, and he wants us to sleep well. There is a mass murderer out there, her father! And he thinks he isn't after her." Fred cried out.
"For once, Weasley." Nott started. "I agree with you but there is nothing we can do about it now." He frowned as he looked to the twins. "Or do you two have found a way to send message yet?"
"No, not without knowing where she is." George answered with his own frown as he thought about other possibilities. "They say you can send a message through a Patronus, but I haven't learned how to conjure one yet."
"Me neither." The other three said in unison. The four of them looked at each other in surprise before Fred started to turn.
"We should tell Harry." He said to George, who nodded and followed his twins to where Harry was crawling into a sleeping bag just as Percy called out that lights were going to out in ten minutes. After informing Harry, who looked alarmed at the mention of her absence, they went to Lee, Angelina and Alicia and explained it again. Angelina was biting her lips to the point of bleeding as Lee tried to reassure her as he pulled an arm around her.
"Where do you think she is?" Alicia asked, who to everyone's surprise, looked worried herself, but none of them commented on it.
"Don't know. She was going to celebrate with her uncle that her exam went well." Fred groaned, and he and George rubbed their faces with a grunt.
"You really like her, don't you?" Alicia asked. The twins dropped their hands and looked to the chaser, who was looking solely to Fred.
"I-" He glanced to his twin. "We should try to get some sleep." He answered, and he shuffled in his sleeping bag. George did the same and scooted closer to him. "She's going to be okay, isn't she?" He whispered so only his twin could hear.
"I have faith". George answered with a feeble smile. "I don't want to be in Sirius Black's shoes when she faces him, that's for sure. She could probably take him down with her muggle fighting thingies."
"Probably." Fred chuckled and leaned his head on his hand. "George, what are we supposed to do?"
"What do you mean?" He asked leaning on his arm a little straighter.
"I'm crazy about her, and I just know she's the one for us. And I know we can't push her; we don't know if she feels the same or even knows about triads. But you've seen how Nott's been around her."
"I know." He combed his free hand through his hair. "I'm mean, Nott's not a bad guy for a Slytherin, but why does he have to have an interest in her? When we finally found someone who fits us perfectly. I feel it too, Fred. But maybe it's too soon. If we push her now, it might be over before it even starts."
"Yeah." Fred sighed as he rolled on his back, George did the same and they both looked at the enchanted ceiling above them. It took them a long while before they found sleep, and when it finally came, it was restless as they tossed and turned in the sleeping bags all night.
LB
The next morning, Moony and I emerged from the Shrieking Shack and hurried back to the castle. Uncle Moony had a vague recollection about the Patronus but wasn't entirely sure what it said or if it was a dream. So, when we woke up, I explained what it said, and he wanted to go to the castle immediately. So, here we were, still dark out, the sun slowly rising as we walked over the damp grass of the grounds. When we entered the castle, it was eery as it was dark, and the corridors were empty. We walked towards the great hall and was surprised to see Professor Snape standing in front of the closed doors.
"Good morning, professor. Did anyone catch him?"
"Afraid not, miss Lupin-Black." His eyes flickered from me, to Moony behind me. "Good night?" He asked with a smirk.
"Professor!" I gasped with a scowl. The professor looked back to me with a slight look of surprise. But before he could say anything the door opened, and students started to trickle out of the great hall. I pushed past the professor and searched for a few familiar faces, but the first one I needed to see was Harry's. When I saw the familiar mop of black hair, I pushed myself through the crowd and flung myself around a surprised Harry. But after he recovered from the shock, his arms circled around me. "You're okay." I whispered. "What happened?" I asked when we pulled back.
"He tried to get in Gryffindor tower."
"To find you?" I asked, my hand gripped his shoulders.
"Don't know, maybe?" He looked a bit sick at the thought. I looked over my shoulder and saw Moony's shoulder relax when he saw Harry was fine and gestured to me that he was going back to the chambers to sleep. "We were at the Halloween feast when it happened."
"He wanted to enter the tower when you were at the feast?" I asked confused and Harry nodded. That was strange, seeing Sirius was an old Hogwarts student, he must've known everyone was going to be at the feast. Maybe he lost track of time, being on the run for so long. But the decorations, they were a dead giveaway.
"Cousin!" I heard Draco's voice behind me. I turned to see him weave through the crowd.
"I'll see you later, Alec." Harry said quickly and walked to Ron and Hermione who had been watching our exchange from the doors.
"Were you worried about me, cous?" I chuckled as Draco finally made his way to me.
"As if." He huffed. "But if mother would find out I didn't check on you..."
"If you say so." I gave him a crooked smile.
"Nott was very interested to know where you were though." He looked up at me with a knowing twinkle in his eye. "At those Weasels too." I glared at him. "Weasleys." He corrected himself, though reluctantly.
My eyes searched the thinning crowd for said boys, Slytherin and Gryffindor. Just when my eyes found the Gryffindors, an arm curled around my waist, I looked up sideways to see Nott.
"Morning, Lupin-Black. I thought you would deny us your presence here after that eventful night." He smirked. Draco shot me a knowing look before darting to his friends.
"I was out last night."
"So, I've gathered." He turned to me with a grin that turned quickly in a worried look. "Are you okay? Did he come after you?"
"No." I placed a hand on his arm. "I'm good. He's not here for me, believe me. Thank you for asking." I smiled and kissed his cheek. "I should go to the others." I nudged my head to my friends, who were waiting near the doors.
"Yeah, they were really worried about you." He looked from the group back to me. "Be careful, alright." He gave me half a smile before he walked out of the room. I turned to the others and when Angelina and I crossed eyes, we ran towards each other and fell into each other's arms.
"We were so worried." Angelina whispered in my ear.
"I'm sorry, I should have sent a Patronus but -"
"Wait!" Angelina pulled back with large eyes. "You can produce a Patronus?"
"I, well, yeah. It's nothing exceptional. We learn it at school, in our fourth year, but Remus thought me a few years back."
"Don't hog her, Ange." The twins shoved Angelina aside and engulfed me in their twin hug. My arms went around the twins.
"I'm sorry." I said as I pulled back and looked to everyone. Lee hugged me quickly and Alicia stood on the side nervously. "I should have let you know something."
"She can produce a Patronus." Angelina clapped happily, when the twins wanted to say something.
"What?!" The four of them, including Alicia gasped at me.
"Show us!" The twins said. I looked around the great hall, that was now completely empty except for Professor Flitwick and McGonagall who were restoring the great hall like its previous state. "Please." They pouted.
"Alright, alright." I smiled with an eyeroll. I took a step back, just as the others did and closed my eyes. I thought about the moment when I took on uncle Moony's name and the day we had spent together then. It was one of the most amazing days I could remember. With the memory in place, I took my wand out of my converse and called out. "Expecto Patronum."
When I heard the others gasp, I opened my eyes and saw a smaller size wolf run around the room. It's perky ears up as he looked around the room.
"That's amazing." Lee gasped, kneeling down as it came over.
"It's adorable." Angelina said with awe. "Does he have a name?"
"It's a Patronus-" Lee started.
"He has, Loki." I smiled as the wolf turned to me when I called out for him. The wolf leaped towards me and walked through my legs, zigzagging before going over to the twins. The twins just like Lee and Angelina kneeled down in front of the silver Patronus. Loki cocked his head from one twin to the other, then looked over its shoulder to me and back to the twins before he did the same zigzag at their legs. "Loki." I called him and the wolf appeared in front of me in an instant. "Tell uncle, I'll be there in ten minutes." The wolf nodded and disappeared through a wall with one big leap. When the Loki was gone a small applause began behind me. I turned to see McGonagall and Flitwick clap softly.
"That was extraordinary." Flitwick said beaming.
"It was really a sight to behold, miss Lupin-Black." Professor McGonagall smiled.
"Thank you. I didn't mean to-"
"It's quite alright. I love seeing a strong Patronus like yours come alive. You should show him at your DADA exam at the end of the year. I'm sure you'll get extra credit."
"When do we learn the charm, Professor?"
"That's something you need to ask your DADA professor, mister Weasley." She smiled. "Now, of you go. I need to put the tables back."
McGonagall ushered the six of us out of the great hall. I said goodbye to them, after their long and exaggerated whining, but once I told them I had barely slept with worry, just like they did, they agreed to let me get some sleep. Just like they would go do when they reached the Gryffindor tower.