Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I only own Evan and Iris.
Apologies for any odd formatting, I had trouble posting this and resorted to copy and pasting.
Read, enjoy and review.
Chapter Three
The Dementor
The rest of the summer flew by. Before she knew it, Aludra found it was August 30th, two days before the start of the first Hogwarts Term, and Iris' eleventh birthday. She'd just missed the cut off date for her year.
Neville and Susan both came over, but Ron hadn't responded to Evan's invitation. Luna Lovegood also came over. She was a sweet girl, but she had inherited the Sight from her father's family and also had a bit of fey ancestry, making her a bit strange. But she was Heiress Lovegood, her grandfather an important ally of House Black and Aludra had taken it on herself to look after the young Ravenclaw last year, especially after finding out she was being bullied by her Housemates.
Mrs. Pandora Lovegood brought her daughter over. Xenophilius Lovegood, Pandora's late husband, had been an odd but kind man, who'd sacrificed himself to save his wife and daughter when one of Mrs. Lovegood's attempts to create a new spell (she was a certified Spell-Crafter, one of three in Britain) had gone horribly wrong. Mrs. Lovegood was very kind, though she too had a touch of oddness that Aludra attributed to her ancestry.
The children gathered in Aludra's drawing room, laughing and teasing each other and telling stories about Hogwarts to Iris, who listened with sparkling eyes. Iris also cast Luna shy looks, a hint of a blush on her face, and Aludra was delighted at how gentle she was with the fey-like blonde, no mocking or disbelief for her odd interpretation of the world at all.
It was far more than could be said for Hermione Granger, who'd been the first Aludra heard use the 'nickname' 'Looney' for Luna. Luna smiled dreamily at Iris when they first met and announced that they were going to be best friends. It was a shame they weren't going to be in the same year, Aludra mused to herself as she watched Iris hang on Luna's every word as she described the Ravenclaw Common Room.
"Oh dear," Susan said teasingly, "I think Gryffindor might have just lost our newest Housemate. Have you decided to become a raven instead, Iris?"
Iris flushed and glanced at Luna nervously. "Ravenclaw sounds beautiful, but I'd prefer to be a Gryffindor," she replied, a hint of apology in her voice as she seemed to speak mainly to Luna. "I just-Evan and Ally are both there-"
"And what about us?" Neville teased. "What are we, chopped Billywig stings?"
Iris' blush darkened. "It's just that I've known Ally for longer," she fumbled to explain. "It's like she's another sibling. You two are my friends, but Ally feels like an older sister." A flash of sadness crossed the Potter children's faces as they clearly thought about Aimee, but it quickly disappeared.
Aludra smiled and gave her younger friend a side hug and kissed her hair. "I feel the same, sweetheart," she declared.
"I'm not surprised," Luna announced, "You're connected."
"What do you mean, Luna?" Aludra asked the blonde girl who shook her head.
"You're not ready yet," she answered dreamily. "You'll find out when the time is right."
"Alright," Aludra agreed easily, turning back to Iris, who looked bemused. "Iris, you know that we'll look after you no matter what House you're in, don't you?"
"Ally's right," Evan agreed. "We'll always be there for you. Even if you're a Slytherin."
Iris sighed, twisting her fingers in her muggle jean skirt. "But not like if I were in Gryffindor with the rest of you," she pointed out. "I know it'll be hard, being the Boy-Who-Lived's younger sister, but it would be easier if you're close by. I just wish I knew how the Sorting happens. Then I could prepare better."
"Sorry, Little Lioness," Susan smiled knowingly at her. "But that's a secret. Nobody knows before the Sorting, you know that."
"It was worth a shot," Iris huffed.
There was a knock at the door and Lady Potter entered. "Kids, we're finished with the briefing. Time for cake and presents!"
"What briefing?" Evan wondered.
"The team were organizing security for the train ride," Lady Potter explained.
"I thought Remus was riding with us?" Iris asked in confusion.
"He is," Aludra answered. "But he's not officially affiliated with the MOM, so the Minister wants the team to escort the train to Hogwarts. It looks better for him, to have the famous Dark Arts Taskforce guarding the future of the Wixen World."
"Why isn't Remus an official member of the Taskforce?" Iris demanded. "He does so much work for them!"
"Remus has an illness," Lady Potter explained before Aludra could say anything. "It makes him ineligible for the DMLE. Now. Downstairs, please."
Aludra bit the inside of her cheek. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the full truth either. Remus didn't want to tell them yet. Aludra understood. Most people reviled werewolves. But Evan and Iris were better than that, and their trust was so fragile. Aludra worried how they would react if the truth were kept from them for too long.
Luna got up, grabbed Iris' wrist to tug her out the door and skipped out of the room, Iris giggling at her side. The others followed, and Aludra, who had paused to gather everybody's teacups onto the tray to make it easier for Timmie to tidy up, was startled to find herself left alone with Lady Potter for the first time that summer. She straightened and composed her expression, beginning to leave the room, only for her friends' mother to stop her.
"Aludra, I wanted to thank you," she said quickly. "You've been so good to Evan and Iris. I know they adore you, and you're always trying to protect Evan, even from himself. And I know they've been talking to you about, about everything, this summer as well."
"My Lady, Evan and Iris are my friends," Aludra replied tightly, a bit offended. "Of course I would support them and try to protect them."
"I know but, I mean, I know you're not very fond of James and I," Lady Potter fumbled to say. "I just-I thought maybe we could start over? I would like to be on good terms with you, and I know James would as well. In another life, we might've been your-godparents."
Aludra thought that Lady Potter was going to say something else at the end, but she wasn't really interested enough to wonder what. "Lady Potter," she sighed. "I don't have the right to forgive you. It's my father and uncle who you hurt, not me. If they, especially my father, agree to forgive you, then I will do so. But I must always side with my family." With that, she curtsied and left the room, wondering why Lady Potter looked so miserable about her refusal to forgive her and her husband for the pain they'd inflicted on Aludra's family.
The first of September was a rush of activity as everyone rushed around getting ready to go to the station, Neville, Susan and Cedric Flooing in to add to the chaos. Of course, everybody was packed, but there was still a last-minute panic.
"Right," Sirius ordered, "Everyone going to Hogwarts who's not a Potter, Remus and is taking you to the station, so head to the foyer. Remember, Proudfoot and Shacklebolt will be escorting you. Remus, Alice and I are covering the Express, and then James and Savage will be guarding the carriages. Potters, you need to take your Polyjuice. It'll wear off once the kids are on the train."
"Are you sure it's safe?" Lady Potter fussed as Aunt Alice, now an active-duty Auror once again, handed out the vials of potion, each labelled for a different Potter. "They're awfully young to be drinking this."
"It's standard procedure for escorting targets of all ages over 7 in the US," Sirius replied. "It'll be fine. Ally, c'mere and give me a hug goodbye."
Aludra hurried over and threw her arms around his waist, burying her head in his chest. He hugged her back, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "I'll miss you, Daddy," she sighed. "Are you sure you can court Emma properly without my help? You won't even have Uncle Remus' advice!"
He huffed a laugh. "It's nice to know you have faith in me," he scoffed fondly. "I'll be fine. Stay safe, alright? I'll see you soon."
"See you soon," she repeated, standing on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.
Then they were off to the station, hurrying to get a compartment that Remus secured before he settled himself in the corner and closed his eyes to rest. It had been the full moon last week and he was still recovering, though only Aludra, Cedric, Neville and Susan knew that.
Cedric told them he would go to the Prefects' Meeting before settling in the compartment next door and passing the journey there with his friends if they needed him before heading off. Evan and Iris arrived soon after, barely reaching the compartment before the Polyjuice wore off, changing them from pale skinned with blonde-hair and brown eyes to their normal olive skin, dark hair and hazel eyes.
"Oh, I didn't like that," Iris complained as she perched between Susan and the window. "It felt so weird."
"Tasted awful too," Evan agreed, plopping himself down next to Aludra, who had her new Runes textbook laid across her knees. "Any sign of the Weasleys?" He asked hopefully.
Aludra carefully suppressed a flush as she remembered dancing with George Weasley at the Ministry's Lughnasadh Gala. She'd never noticed how handsome he was until then. His red hair shone like fire and his eyes were like clear, deep lakes.
Aunt Alice and Aunt Meda had sat her down after the Gala to give her the brooms and wands talk because of how she'd looked at him that night, and now she couldn't think of him without having to fight the urge to blush redder than George's hair.
"No, no sign of them," Susan replied.
"Unsurprising, given there's still fifteen minutes until we're due to leave," Neville added dryly, with a hint of amusement.
"What do you mean?" Iris wondered curiously.
"The Weasleys have a reputation for arriving within five minutes or less of 11 o'clock," Susan explained to the younger girl. "They're almost always nearly the last to board."
"They're not that bad," Evan objected, wincing at the 'are you serious' looks from his friends. "Okay, they're pretty bad," he acknowledged with a huff. "But they'll make it in time. They always do, even last year. It was only because of Dobby that we missed the train."
"Shall we play a game of Snap while we wait?" Susan suggested, pulling her playing cards from her midnight blue satchel.
They passed the time playing rounds of Exploding Snap, Ron joining them when he arrived, with only minutes to spare before the train pulled out of the station. Once they were bored of that, they began talking about their summers, Aludra suppressing the urge to roll her eyes as Ron moaned on and on about how terrible his summer had been, doing make up work to increase his grades under his grandparents' stern and watchful eyes. Several times he tried, very unsubtly, to get Iris to leave, but Evan insisted she was welcome to stay, and that Sirius and his team had wanted them to stick together during the trip.
At some point, the sky darkened and a thunderstorm began. The rain was so heavy you couldn't see more than a few inches from the window.
Soon after, the temperature dropped to freezing, and the train began to slow down.
"We must be nearly there, right?" Ron said uneasily, trying to peer out the window.
Aludra checked her watch. "It's only four-thirty," she replied warily. "We're not due to arrive until six-forty-five. Something's gone wrong." She leaned over and shook her godfather awake. He jolted up instantly, lighting his wand and scanning the room.
"What's happened, Ally?"
"The train's stopping, but there's still another two- and a-bit hours left," she informed him anxiously.
"Something's moving out there," Ron announced in a quivering voice, still peering out the window. "I think they're boarding!"
Remus' jaw tightened and he rose to his feet with lupine-grace. "Stay here and lock the door," he ordered. "I'm going to check the train and find Sirius and Alice."
"Be careful," Aludra begged.
He gave her a tight smile and hurried out. Susan lit her wand and was about to lock the door when Ginny stumbled in.
"I was looking for one of my brothers," she gasped fearfully. Ron, for all his faults, didn't hesitate to grab his sister and pull her close, shielding her with his larger body.
Iris switched seats and clung to Evan's arm as he wrapped it around her protectively.
"Don't worry, everything'll be fine," he tried to soothe her.
"Someone's coming!" Susan hissed, backing away from the door.
Aludra rose to her feet and drew her wand, locking the door before going into the 'Ready' position Sirius and Remus had taught her. "Right," she said briskly. "Iris, Luna and Ginny at the back, Neville and Ron before them, Susan, Evan and I in front. Wands out everybody."
Everyone hurried to follow her orders, and they stood in tense silence, wands pointed at the door. A being covered entirely in a black cloak was at the door, its' skeletal hand rattling the locked knob.
A Dementor.
In the distance, Aludra could feel Neville, Susan and Ginny trembling violently, and Evan gasping for air. Her ears rang. A man was shouting, a woman crying. "What have you done? What have you done to her?" Someone shouted. Sirius' pale face, a basilisk fang sticking out of his arm flashed in front of her hazy vision.
Evan collapsed, paler than a ghost, and Aludra thought she wasn't far from it. Then, thank Mother Magic for her mercy, a white shape came storming towards the Dementor, chasing it away. A second later, Sirius was opening the door and hurrying to take her in his arms.
Aludra burst into shocked tears.