Fifth Year XI.
The tests were over. Rhea almost fainted three times during those two weeks. But it was all over now and she could breathe properly...at least until she finds out how she did. Fred and George didn't care much about their O.W.Ls. They were testing the inventions that they came up with. Rhea wondered how in all heavens did they manage to do it so quickly. And why do that instead of studying for tests? But she also knew that Fred and George were never aiming to get high scores in education. They had their dreams. One of them now is to open their joke shop since Zonko's shop wasn't selling anything new and interesting for them.
"Oi Rhea," The twins called when they rushed inside the common room and over to the armchair where Rhea was sitting. The girl lifted her head from the book she was reading, only to notice Fred holding something in hand triumphantly. The bright-coloured packaging indicated it was once again one of their sweets.
"Do I want to know?" She asked already feeling like she should have escaped the room when she heard their rushed footsteps on the stairs.
"This is a Bleeding Bonbon," Fred said with a proud smile on his lips while showing the orange-covered sweet. Rhea gave the two gingers a look.
"Sounds bloody tasty," Rhea said sarcastically. Not liking the name even a bit. And even worse was that Fred looked like he wanted her to taste it.
"You can be the judge of that princess." The older of the twins said offering the candy to the girl who just scooted as far away from it as possible.
"Not likely, Alicia still can't get the dried blood off her favourite shirt after your last testing. So no guys. Go torture someone else." Rhea dismissed, pushing Fred's hand away and pulling her book up again.
"But we have no one else to test it on." George piped in for the first time since they came downstairs from their dorm. Rhea just shrugged. Refusing to be one of their lab rats. She didn't feel like ruining her book with blood because these two didn't yet have their sweets perfected.
"Come on Rhea." Fred prodded, nudging Rhea's shoulder. The twins were very persistent when it came to the products that they came up with. Rhea sure was proud of them for getting invested in something finally but that didn't mean she wanted to be their test subject. That could only end in disaster.
The twins kept pestering her, poking her arm and tugging on her hair. Trying to get her attention. While all Rhea wanted was to read her book in peace. She wanted to relax finally but that seemed to be a far-fetched desire now.
Getting fed up with the whining of the two boys she shut her book, which made a loud sound. Finally shutting up, the two looked up, confused yet expectant at the same time. Two sets of big brown eyes gawking up at her awaiting what she will do next.
"There used to be quiet in this common room." Rhea sighed standing up from her chair and aiming it towards the portrait.
"Where you going?" Fred asked confused. Taking a step forward to get closer to her. Rhea turned around, waving her book in the air while a smile played on her pink lips.
"Going to finish my book without you two pestering me about some bleeding sweets," Rhea said before walking out of the common room. She went towards the Black Lake but there were too many people. So she decided that by the Whomping Willow, no one would be bothering her. Everyone is afraid to even walk by the tree. However, Rhea knows a spot where it won't reach for her. So it provides her with a quiet place to read and enjoy herself.
But her mind is occupied. Should she have helped the boys? They are just trying to come up with something new and how are they supposed to do that if no one wants to test it for them? But on the other hand, bleeding out from her nose doesn't feel like the most fun thing to do. Was she a bad friend if she didn't want to bleed out for the sake of her friends' experiments? Although she didn't feel she was particularly wrong, there was still a small bit of guilt in her.
She probably shouldn't have just left them there. It was maybe just a piece of candy but for the two of them, it meant everything. It was something that could decide their future. Deciding that she would rather contribute to the happiness of her two best friends in a different way she got settled down enough to start reading her book.
Rhea loved the feeling of getting so into the book she could practically see it replay in her mind. It was an amazing feeling. Of course, Rhea's taste in love interest even though fictional and platonic was set just right. It was always a strapping young man, who tends to have brown eyes and a certain knack for trouble in some way.
On rare occasions, she falls for the sweet kind of awkward boy but the troublemakers and bad boys have a certain spot in her heart. What's worse usually the ones that she falls in love with within her books die in some way. It is just the way it is. Rhea falls in love with the characters that eventually die. And it gets so frustrating.
She was just getting to the great part of her book. Maybe finally the whole plot will clear out for her. Two weeks of reading coming to the end right now in a great finish...until it was interrupted by the screeching of an animal. Rhea felt small feet running up her leg. The touch startled her so much that the book practically flew out of her hands. Her eyes wide, as she looked down at her leg to see a dark brown blur rush up her body, stopping on her shoulder.
The rushed breathing of the animal on her shoulder could be heard in her ear. With shock, she looked at the creature to see it was Scabbers. The rodent looked like it had seen its death. Which might have been about right since everyone believed the animal was long after his passing. Ron cried over the thing for almost a whole day. And now it was here, clinging to Rhea like she could save its life.
"Merlin, Scabbers, how are you alive?" Rhea asked the rodent not expecting an answer from it. Scabber's claws scratched Rhea's shoulder causing her to hiss in pain. "Ouch, you bloody shoe brush that hurts. What has gotten into you?" She went to pull the rat off of her shoulder when she noticed Ron racing towards them. Harry and Hermione far behind.
"Rhea, you got him," Ron yelled delightedly, running over to Rhea who handed him the rat. Glad to have the thing off of her finally. The scratches it left on her were quite deep and blood was rushing out of them quickly. "Thanks," Ron said taking the pet from the older girl's hand. Hugging it closer to him.
"Yeah, how come it's alive?" Rhea asked, glaring at the rat. To be honest she was quite glad when she learned he was supposedly dead and now here it was again. Behaving even odder than before.
"Hagrid found him," Ron said trying to catch his breath.
"Ron! Rhea! Run!" Harry's voice yelled from up the hill Ron looked up at him confused. Suddenly he froze. Rhea looked up to see what he was looking at and noticed a big black dog standing behind Harry and Hermione. The same one she saw in every Quidditch game and now that she saw him from this close she could have sworn it was the same dog that she saw in their backyard at the summer break. How did he get all the way here? And what was he doing here?
Harry and Hermione turn around just when the dog suddenly sprints forward. Rhea went to reach for her wand when the dog jumped over Harry and charged at Rhea and Ron. Rhea couldn't even register when the dog knocked Ron down and started pulling him away. It was Ron's bloody screams that broke Rhea from her trance. She quickly leapt forward. Taking a fist full of Ron's sweater, clinging to it, trying to play tug-of-war with the dog. But that is something very few would win against a dog quite as large as this one.
The dog managed to pull both of them inside the hole in the Whomping Willow. A hole that Rhea didn't even know was there. She could hear Harry and Hermione screaming outside. Ron crying in pain as the dog kept pulling them along to Godric knows where. Rhea could feel the skin on her chest getting bruised due to it being dragged across the rough floor. her mind couldn't comprehend where she was. She just felt the urge to let go but at the same time cling tighter to Ron.
Knowing that she couldn't just leave the younger boy to fend for himself. But she felt helpless knowing she had no means of stopping the dog from dragging them wherever he wanted. They stopped when they got into the room. Rhea's arm bleeding, blood from her shoulder mixing with the one from the lower part of her arm. The dog released Ron and Rhea was quick to stand in front of the young ginger defensively.
"Stay away!" She maybe stumbled a bit before regaining her stability, but nevertheless, the wand was tightly clutched in her hand. Aimed straight at the dog. At least it would have if there was any dog. Rhea's throat went dry, witnessing the dog transform into a man. A man with ragged prisoner clothes, long shaggy curls for hair and amusement along with slight madness glimmering in his eyes as he watched the young witch aim her wand at him.
Rhea no longer heard Ron's terrified whimpers behind her. Nor did she hear Scabbers desperate efforts to get out of Ron's iron grip. She only heard the light chuckle of the man in front of her and her racing heart that felt like it would jump right out of her rib cage.
"Hello, darling." The man said. The man that everyone was searching for. She, herself, was searching for this man for most of her life. And here he stood. In front of her looking like rubbish and with the lamest ever first line he could have come up with. Her father. Sirius Black. Rhea wasn't sure what she felt at the moment. Happiness, sadness, anger, fear all these feelings were creating some crazy mix that didn't allow her to move yet her firm grip on the wand didn't falter.
It wasn't like she had imagined this moment. It was supposed to be special. She meeting her father for the first time after all those years. Instead, it was just awkward and Rhea wasn't sure if she didn't want to blast her own father with a Stupify at the moment so she could help Ron escape. She felt frozen in her spot. Her mind went blank. What was she supposed to do?
Suddenly the door got kicked aside and inside rushed Harry and Hermione. Both of them looked relieved when they noticed that Rhea and Ron were still alive. Hermione rushed over to Ron, to look at his injured leg. No one yet noticed how Rhea kept her eyes focused on one spot along with her wand.
"Ron! You're okay..." Hermione gasped in relief.
"The dog...where's the..." Before Harry could finish the sentence Ron finally yelled words out of himself.
"It's a trap, Harry. He's the dog. He's an Animagus..." He said pointing a fearful finger in the direction where Rhea was looking at. Harry came over to the girl. Standing by her side. His height matched hers. His eyes travelled along the floor until they landed on the man that stood by the bed with a smile on his face. Rhea couldn't clearly decide whether it was a sinister smile that indicated that her father was indeed mad or if he was also glad to see her.
But when Sirius Black went to take a step closer to Harry, Rhea was very quick to react pushing Harry behind her with her free hand while her pale green eyes hardened staring at the man that abandoned her all those years ago. Nothing but white rage and allegations filled her brain. The grasp on her wand got significantly tighter as she glared at her father.
"If you want him you have to get through me first," Rhea said with chilling seriousness in her voice. Neither of the other students had heard her voice so cold, not even when talking with the Frey twins. Hurt flashed through Sirius' eyes as he watched the wand in his daughter's hand aimed straight at his chest. He was sad to say that he didn't know his daughter all that well, he wasn't with her most of her life after all. But over the time that he was sneaking around the school, he caught up on some things.
For example that Rhea is an exceptionally great Quidditch player, something he would love to say she got from him but he knew that it was a natural talent of hers since he was a rubbish Chaser that's why he played in a position of Beater. But apart from sport Rhea's strong point were charms, if there still was a duelling club Rhea would be at the top of it. If Rhea wanted she could blast him back better than a grown wizard could. That's why he merely shook his head and took a step back again. A proud smile found its way to his lips.
"You are so much like your mother. She also never had a problem standing up to others." He croaked out of himself. The memory of Rhea's mother burning his insides. Especially the thoughts of her horrid death. It didn't help that Rhea looked so much like her. Even that determined look in her eyes reminded him of his late lover.
"Shut up," Rhea said through gritted teeth. She wasn't fond of the fact that someone was bringing up her mother. It was a subject that she refused to speak about since she never really was with her, she only ever listened to how much she looked like her but she knew she was nowhere near to being like her. Harry who stood behind Rhea noticed the grief in her eyes. Having to fight with her father to save Harry who had been nothing but horrible to her this year was truly remarkable but very draining.
Without knowing what he was doing, he started forward, wanting to protect Rhea just as she was protecting all of them. It wasn't fair that she was going through so much because of them. But there was a sudden movement on either side of him and two pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back.
"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper pulling Harry back, Ron, however, spoke to Black.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of more colour, and he swayed slightly as he spoke. Rhea refused to take her eyes off her target. But she wanted to turn around and tell Ron to lie back down. Hearing the pained intake of breath that he took in she groaned silently. Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes as he looked from his daughter towards the ginger boy.
"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."
"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all four of us!"
"Ron lay back down," Rhea ordered, not looking behind at the boy but he was sure to comply not wanting to anger the armed woman. Sirius grinned, feeling some sense of pride for his daughter.
"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened. As his eyes fixed on something behind Rhea. Since she couldn't see what he was looking at, she just simply assumed it was Harry.
"Then it'll be you!" Harry yelled pushing past Rhea his wand now up and aimed at the older Black.
"Harry! No!" Hermione protested but Harry was already too far for her to catch. Harry's sudden movement caused Sirius to trip over his own feet and fell backwards on his back, laying there flat on the ground vulnerable for Harry to kill. But still being cocky enough to cackle.
"Going to kill me, Harry?" Sirius taunted, having a laugh from Harry's stern face. The raven-haired boy looked back over at his friends. Catching the eye of Rhea who stood there stunned, her expression unreadable.
"Yes," Harry answered when he turned back to the man on the ground. He raised his wand. Ready to finish the problem that this man has caused. All the pain that he believes Black had on his conscience. But before Harry could avenge his parent's death that he supposed was on the man in front of him the door busted open roughly. Remus Lupin rushed inside the room.
"Professor Lupin!" Harry, Ron and Hermione said at the same time. Noticing the Professor in the room. His wand aimed at the man.
"Uncle Moony?" Rhea was confused. Her uncle was supposed to be back at the castle. It was a full moon today after all. How could he take his potion now that he is here? Lupin ignored them all, eyes fixed on someone that he so long ago called his best friend. Harry stepped to the side coming to stand next to Rhea who grabbed his hand for comfort. Harry didn't pull away. Both of them needed the contact at that moment.
"Well, well, looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius? Finally, the skin reflects the madness within." Remus said circling around the man from Azkaban. Taking in how different he looked from when he last saw him. The man that before looked like the definition of elegance and grace with all the wealth that he had stacked in the Gringotts, was now here with shaggy hair, clothes torn and skin dirty. It was pathetic to think that Remus used to be jealous of Sirius' good looks when now all he was looking at was just a sad reminder of the man that he once was.
"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius barked back with the usual Black family attitude that he listened to from Rhea for twelve years. The two stared at each other, the moment filled with tension, and then Lupin stepped forward and helped Black up, embracing him like a long-lost brother. Rhea huffed shaking her head slightly at how ridiculous it looked. But she wasn't far as outraged as Hermione was.
"No! I trusted you! I covered up for you. And all this time you've been his friend!" Hermione screamed. Her finger pointed towards Remus. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!" She clarified. Harry and Ron stared, dumbfounded, at Lupin. While Rhea just rolled her eyes bitterly.
"You don't say, Granger. Without you, I wouldn't even know." It was a strange thing for Rhea to be so bitter and sarcastic in such a mean way. But she has been guarding the secret of her Godfather for so long and here goes a know-it-all third-year blabbering it out in a turmoil of emotions. Sirius howls then, bitterly amused. Remus didn't know which one to scold first. Whether the father or daughter. There was no way the two weren't related. He rather turned to Hermione. In search of answers.
"How long have you known?" Hermione pulled on her serious face. The one that said that she was smarter than everyone else which Rhea hated.
"Since Professor Snape set the essay." She said triumphantly as if an essay from Snape was something tremendous.
"He'll be delighted," said Remus coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant...Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"
"Or did you interview me about my knowledge of werewolves and come up with this conclusion after I told you I have personal experience?" Rhea snapped at the younger girl. She was never this harsh with the younger students. Rhea could remember clearly as day how Hermione was doing her homework in the common room and how she was complaining that she couldn't find that much information about werewolves. The textbooks are always so brief about things that no one bothers to investigate further. And Rhea gave Hermione all the information she knew. Which was more than any book could ever give her. So it was obvious it raised some suspicions in the younger witch's mind.
"Maybe," Hermione said quietly. Looking over at Rhea with sorrow-filled eyes. She suspected that Rhea was keeping it a secret for reason that's why she was quiet until now and now that it was all out she felt as if she had betrayed Rhea in some way. Lupin forced a laugh.
"You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione." Remus praised, though he felt quite hurt by his secret being discovered.
"I beg your pardon?" Rhea said offended turning to her godfather. For years she was listening to him calling her the smartest. The brightest, the most talented witch. And now here he was trying to stick that title to someone else? Now that wouldn't do. Remus went to assure her that she was still the most talented witch but Sirius cut him off.
"Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon. But my daughter is still the greatest of you all." He said stiffly, not even minding the fact that he had just praised his daughter for the first time in twelve years. Something that he planned on doing in a lot nicer way but it just came up like this now. While Rhea was trying to process what he had said Sirius started talking again. "Enough talk! He dies. Now. If you won't do it with me, Remus, I'll do it alone."
"Wait, Sirius..." Remus went to say something but got sharply cut short by the curly-haired man.
"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!" Sirius yelled, terror, flashing through his eyes at the mention of the place worse than any prison imaginable. Rhea almost broke her tough character. She felt such pity for her father. Almost felt bad for being angry at him earlier. "Trust me, you wouldn't have lasted a week!" Sirius added, not daring to look in the direction of his daughter even if he could feel her eyes on him. He yet wasn't ready to look her straight in the eyes and tell her all he wanted to.
Remus eyes his friend curiously, noting the pain in his eyes and the way he was trying to avoid looking at the blonde-haired girl that stood in the room. Having her right here so close in one room with him must have been something that Sirius dreamed about for so long. Remus could only imagine how that felt, that's why he nodded softly, knowing Sirius needed to finish this off to start living a normal life once again.
"All right then. As you wish...but hold on just the second Harry has the right to know why..."
"I know why. You betrayed my parents." Harry said, taking a hold of Rhea's arm and pulling her back to them seeing as she looked quite frozen in her place. Just soaking up all the information. But Harry felt slightly uneasy leaving her so close to the supposed murderer of his parents. "He's the reason they're dead!"
"No, he didn't, Harry. Someone else betrayed your parents, Harry. Someone in this room right now. Someone who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead." Remus explained, looking over at Rhea.
"Who was it then?" Harry challenged. Stepping slightly in front of Rhea.
"Peter Pettigrew," Rhea's father spat out the name as if it were poison. The name flooding to Rhea's mind startling new memories. She felt so stupid all of a sudden for not realising it until now. She saw the name once on the map...with Ron..."And he's in this room right now," The madness inside Sirius was finally showing on the surface as he cackled in a way only a mad person can. "Come out, come out, Peter Come out, come out and play..."
"Expelliarmus!"