Pranking hearts

At the sound of the spell, everyone looked towards the door only to see Rhea's least favourite teacher standing there. She almost cursed out loud when seeing the dark-clad professor standing in the Shrieking Shack with them. She imagined just about anyone coming in but not Snape. Yet here he was standing by the opened door of the room his wand pointed at her father.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me, this guy's everywhere." She muttered to herself. Hiding her wand by her side to make sure the bat-like professor wouldn't notice it. The Master of Potions absolutely despised her even if she was his greatest student. And now when she saw him glaring straight at her father using the same evil and hate-filled eyes he always used on her it all became clear. Snape was pouring out his anger and dislike for her father onto her. Prejudicial prick.

"Ah, vengeance is sweet." This was maybe the first time someone saw Professor Snape smile. And yet it looked so vile because there was a dark meaning behind it. "How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

"Severus..." Professor Lupin went to step forward but found a wand pointed his way causing him to raise his hands in surrender.

"I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof. And why does it not surprise me that Miss Black is also involved? Going in her father's footsteps I see." He sneered looking at Rhea.

"I'm not surprised either to see you not minding your own business, Professor." The blonde glared back at the Professor without a flicker of respect or shame. She had nothing to be ashamed of. She finally showed her father how much she was like him. Her dad chuckled, feeling proud of his daughter for standing up for herself and walked forward.

"Brilliant! And as usual...dead wrong." Sirius taunted, edging closer towards his old school rival. "Now give us our wands back. Remus and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to." A wand was put to Sirius' throat causing him to stop.

"Give me a reason. I beg you." Rhea had such an urge to pull out her wand but she tried to resist it knowing that it wasn't the right time yet.

"Severus don't be a fool." Her uncle tried to reason with the Potions Master.

"He can't help it. It's a habit by now." Sirius snapped back, wand still pressed to his neck. Rhea got a sense of deja vu from the comment. Reminding her of the time when she fought with the Frey twins in the Great Hall.

"Sirius be quiet," Remus warned his friend. From the long years of experience knowing that neither one of the Blacks had the ability to hold their tongue when they needed to say something.

"Be quiet yourself, Remus."

"Listen to you two. Quarrelling like an old married couple. The creature and the criminal." Snape commented on the relationship between the two men.

"Why don't you run along and go play with your chemistry set." Sirius snapped snarkily. Snape pressed the wand to his neck more, feeling fed up with Sirius' comments. Same as his daughter he was. And that was angering Snape so much.

"Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors?" Sirius Black took a wary step back. Knowing better than to leave himself vulnerable to Severus Snape. His grey eyes wandered over to Rhea. If he encounters the dementors he will never see his daughter again. And he wasn't ready to let her go, not now when he had the chance to see how amazing she truly was. "Do I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must be like to endure the Dementor's Kiss. It's said to be unbearable to witness. But I'll do my best." The thick atmosphere was interrupted by a pale red light illuminating the room.

"Expelliarmus." A spell so simple yet so strong caused the Professor of Potions to fly across the room and land on the ground unconscious. Everyone looked towards the source of the spell only to see Rhea standing there with her wand pointed out and an unbothered expression on her face. As if she didn't even blast her teacher across the room just now. Hermione gasped slightly. Ron stayed flabbergasted, staring at the spot where Snape used to stand. Harry was switching his attention between Rhea, Sirius and the place where Snape landed. Remus had no words whatsoever. He was not sure whether he wanted to scold the girl for attacking a teacher or if he was proud that she handled the spell so flawlessly. Sirius however was sure what he wanted to say.

"That's my girl." He beamed proudly. Finally looking over at his daughter. Her sandy blonde hair pulled in a high ponytail, making her look so mature even if she was just fifteen years old. Her glimmering green eyes reminded him so much of her mother. As well as the hard determined expression that she wore. But she was hiding a small amused smile behind it. It was more than obvious that she wanted to do that for so long.

Harry shook himself from the shock. Taking a determined step forward but still being careful not to get in Rhea's shot. It was in no one's desire to be on the bad side of Rhea's hexes and spells after what she showed them just seconds ago.

"Tell me about Pettigrew." He demanded.

"He was at school with us. We thought he was a friend." Harry shook his head at Remus' answer. Refusing to believe the words he was hearing. It wasn't giving any sense to him.

"No, he's dead. He killed him." Harry shrieked pointing his finger towards Sirius who was up until now too caught up in taking in the image of Rhea. After so many years so much had changed and he was taking his sweet time processing it all.

"I thought so, too. Until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the Map." Remus agreed, trying to enlighten the situation some more. For those who didn't know how the map worked, it wouldn't give much sense but since Rhea had so many years of experience with the map she knew that since Pettigrew's name appeared there he must be still in the world of the living.

"The Map was lying then," Harry stated simply. Rhea coughed a bit, gaining Harry's attention as she shook her head. Harry looked at her questioningly. He would not make the same mistake of not believing Rhea so he wanted to know what she thought about it.

"The Map never lies, Harry. I've been staring at it for years. It shows the truth each and every time." The blond explained looking over at the boy with glasses. Her eyes begged him to believe her.

"Pettigrew's alive. And he's right there." Sirius joined the conversation and pointed at Ron. Rhea bit the inside of her cheek, gazing down at the long scratches she had on her shoulder from the animal. Now that there was a possibility of it being a human she felt slightly angrier than before.

"M-me? It's lunatic." Ron stuttered out of himself. Rhea looked over at the boy, seeing the rat in his hand trying to cover away from them but being unsuccessful since Ron had such a strong grip on him trying to prevent him from losing the animal again.

"Not you, you idiot. Your rat." Sirius growled. Just a few seconds ago he saw himself in the boy in their little friend group. But it appeared that the ginger was as daft as the boy in his school years that he used to tease all the time.

"Scabbers? Scabbers has been in my family for..."

"Twelve years. A curiously long life for a common garden rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?" Sirius asked, inching closer.

"So what? " Ron snapped gripping his rat tightly. Rhea was surprised that he hadn't squished him yet.

"All they could find of Pettigrew was his...." Harry muttered to himself along with Rhea who read the article about Pettigrew's case at the beginning of the year when she was trying to investigate what could have happened all those years ago.

"Finger. Dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. Then he transformed into a rat." Sirius explained, getting furious when looking at the rat in Ron's arms. The rodent was full of secrets as it seemed. Harry looked over at Rhea for confirmation. She just nodded, telling him she was curious about how this will play out too.

"Show me," Harry said. Remus walked forward and went to take Scabbers from Ron. Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.

"Ready, Sirius?" Lupin asked looking over at Sirius. Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed where it had fallen after Rhea blasted him off. He approached Remus and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.

"Together?" Sirius asked quietly. His voice shook for how tense he was. This was the moment he was craving for twelve years.

"I think so", Remus nodded, also wanting to see if Sirius was speaking the truth, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One, two, THREE!" A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small grey form twisting madly, Ron yelled and went to stand up and protest but Rhea's reassuring yet firm hand held him down. Her eyes softly told him to calm down and let it happen. The rat fell and hit the floor seconds later. There was another blinding flash of light and then it was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground, limbs were sprouting, and a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

Rhea cringed slightly at the sight. Never seeing something so disturbing as this show displayed in front of her. And she had already spent five years with Fred and George and that was saying something. The rat transformed into a man. He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry, Hermione and Rhea. His thin, colourless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow.

The Black girl took a step back as the beady eyes of the man traced over her body. Scanning her up and down making her feel uneasy. She gripped her wand tighter, in case she needed it for protection. She surely didn't feel safe in the presence of the man that was just mere seconds ago a rat.

"S-Sirius... R-Remus. My old friends." He tried to run away again, aiming it straight for the door but the two men blocked his way. He walked over to where Harry stood.

"Harry! Look at you! Y-you look just like your father. Like James. We were the best of friends, he and I." He said practically leaping to Harry but when he saw the young boy wouldn't budge he looked over at the blonde girl standing not too far from him. He knew her, he dared to say he knew her more than her own father from the years of watching her since she was friends with the family he was staying with. Rhea was kind-hearted, and if she saved him from Fred and George trying to test their new fireworks on him then she could as well save him from the wrath of her father. "Oh, and Rhea dear, beautiful, sweet, kind girl. Lovely looking like your mother she wouldn't want them to see me dead. Surely you don't want that too."

Rhea felt uneasy with the hands of the man that had landed her father in Azkaban all over her. She never liked it when people she didn't know were touching her. But then again who is content with something like that? Rhea tried to pull away. Hissing slightly as the man put his clammy hand over the wound on her shoulder.

"Oi, hands to yourself mate." Rhea spat out, feeling threatened when having a strange man invading her personal space. Harry walked over, pushing Pettigrew off of his friend.

"Get off her." Pettigrew was pushed away and straight towards the two men who didn't hesitate to get into his face. Both of them were angry at the fact that he tried to run as well as getting close to both Harry and Rhea.

"Don't you dare come near my daughter again," Sirius growled dangerously. "How dare you talk to them. And about their dead parents?" Sirius shouted at his ex-friend. Getting fed up with the man that once used to worship the ground he walked.

"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort? Didn't you?" Remus asked, looking at Peter angrily. Pettigrew broke into tears and sobs. Not seeing any other option of getting out of the mess that he found himself in.

"I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses!" The man wailed. If it were any other situation Rhea would pity him. But since she knew what he had done, she felt no compassion. "Ask yourself what you would have done, Sirius. What would you have done!" He asked looking at Sirius whose eyes were the definition of angry and fury.

"Died! Died rather than betray my friends! And you should have realized, Peter, if Voldemort didn't kill you we would!" Remus and Sirius stood in front of him, shoulder to shoulder, pointing their wands at Peter. Rhea watched as the man trembled in fear. Minutes before dead. Knowing you will be killed by people that were your friends before. Rhea couldn't imagine how that must feel. But then again once Pettigrew is gone who will be there to clear the name of her father? Harry seemed to be thinking the same.

"No."

"Stop." The two said at the same time. Halting the actions of the adults. Sirius and Remus both looked over at the two teens. Both of them mainly looked at Rhea since they had so much closer to her relationship-wise.

"Rhea he is the reason why your father was in Azkaban...and Harry he..."

"I know what he is." Harry cut Remus off before he could say anything else.

"We'll take him to the castle." Rhea decided, looking over at her father. Her eyes assured him that everything would be okay. Before she knew it Peter latched onto her. Feeling the bliss of sweet unknowingness of what was to happen to him.

"Bless you, sweet girl! Bless you..."

"Get off, there's enough filth on me without you adding to it!" Rhea said in distaste, speaking about her dirt-stained clothes. She was sure she wouldn't be able to clean that up. "I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the Dementors can have you." Rhea looked over at her father with a proud smile. Little sparkles glimmer in her pale green eyes. A look that he remembered from when she was a baby. A look that he missed so much.

***

Rhea stood facing the big castle that seemed so far yet so close at the same time. It was marvellous. So big and for a small little witch it could look frightening but not for Rhea. Rhea saw the place as her home. She had so much on her mind. Her father was back. And turns out he was in Azkaban for something he didn't do. Of course, she always believed him but now it appeared different. Now it was real and to think what was to come next.

While Rhea was too caught up staring at the enormous castle, trying to figure out what will happen next in her life, someone else was watching her from afar. Sirius kept his eyes trained on the girl while helping Remus escort Peter out of the Whomping Willow so they could hand him over to justice. Now that they were outside and things were about to change he didn't know how to approach her. It was a whole new step in their relationship. Since he didn't see the girl since she was not even three years old.

It was too long. And now that they weren't in one room, cooped up and practically forced to be together it applied much more pressure on him. Now she had the free will to turn him down. She could just easily yell at him for abandoning her or him because he wasn't with her all those years. Was he even ready to approach her?

"Go on," A voice from next to him said. Sirius turned his head to the side, looking over at Remus who was giving him the kind friendly smile that he always seemed to have for all of his friends. Well,

Peter now since the man was nothing but a traitor. "Go talk to her. She doesn't bite." Remus encouraged his friend seeing the worry in his eyes.

"Well, how would I know? I wasn't with her for the majority of her life." Sirius frowned, as he started nervously pacing around. Harry and Hermione were helping Ron out of the hole since his foot was badly injured. Remus looked over at his friend. An eyebrow raised up as if asking if he was actually serious about what he was saying.

"Just go. You are her father and Rhea is an intelligent girl. She will not be harsh on you even if you deserve it." Remus said pointing him towards the blond that stood not too far from the group. Collecting all her thoughts together. Sirius sighed heavily, dragging his feet over to the girl, his mind racing for what to say to her. It was so long since he actually spoke to the girl and when he did back then she was still a baby and barely understood anything he said.

That however didn't change the fact that he remembered all their little conversations. Even if most of them were just him talking to her which appeared as if he was speaking to himself. Sirius hasn't spoken to anyone other than the walls or to himself for over twelve years so the fact that he was bout to speak with his daughter out of all people was very special.

Just a few feet were keeping him from reaching the girl. And he still didn't know what to say to her. Should he introduce himself? Say hi? No that would be too weird. Maybe asking her how she felt about it would be good... or rather. Before he could get any words out a silky voice spoke instead of him.

"I always knew it." She said. The blonde looked over her shoulder, looking over at her father. Even from the dim light that the moon provided she could clearly see how stunned he was by the fact that she spoke first. "I knew you weren't a murderer." Rhea grinned. Sirius was relieved to see such a friendly face on her. It meant she wasn't angry with him. Maybe they would have to work a bit on their relationship but maybe it wasn't all lost.

"I know that you like living with Remus and all, but maybe when they free me...would you like to come live with me?" Sirius asked. It was a strange question considering he was speaking with his own daughter. But given the circumstances, Sirius was to her almost an unknown person so it was only logical to try and ask first rather than rip her from the life she has been living for twelve years.

"I'd like that," Rhea answered with a small smile. She then stepped a bit closer to Sirius and gave him a quick hug. Mainly because she wasn't sure if he would be comfortable with it but also because Sirius was dirty and in desperate need of a shower so hugs weren't very pleasant right now. However, Sirius was thankful even for the small display of affection from his daughter since he was waiting for something like that for so long.

The two heard Harry coming from behind. They didn't need to turn around to know it was him. He also wanted answers. Since he too was part of the family. Well, if he wanted to of course. Sirius shared with the two his first experience of walking inside the castle. It was the same as when Rhea walked in. It was mesmerising. And for the two it was nice to know that everyone had such an amazing first experience with the school of witchcraft and wizardry.

"I don't know if you know, Harry, but when you were born, James and Lily made me your guardian..." Sirius wasn't really sure how to offer it to the boy. Asking his daughter felt more natural since she was his and she would have to spend time with him sooner or later. But given the fact Harry wasn't blood-related to them, he could easily decline and never want to meet the man again. Though that was not something Sirius wanted. "I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," he stuttered. "But... well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you wanted a... a different home..."

"What...live with you?" Harry asked to assure himself. Eyes wide in disbelief. Rhea almost laughed at the reaction. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," Sirius said quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd..."

"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius'. "Of course, I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?" Rhea chuckled. She knew how Harry hated living with his uncle and aunt. He described them as nothing but horrible. So it was obvious that a change in living would be more than welcomed in his life. Especially if he would have someone like Rhea there since she was almost like a sister to him.

"Well, aren't you eager just a bit?" Rhea teased the younger boy who just grinned at her.

"You want to? You mean it?" Sirius asked surprised, looking over at Rhea to assure himself he was hearing right. The girl nodded, smiling goofily.

"Yeah, I mean it," Harry said with such enthusiasm Rhea he would burst into excitement. The moment seemed perfect. Until it got interrupted by the full moon.

The night became a blur for Rhea. She remembers screaming, terrifying howls and barks of dog. She woke up in a Hospital the next morning. Finding out Pettigrew had escaped, her father almost recieved the Dementor's kiss and Lupin decided to abandon his spot as a DADA teacher. Everything was wrong again and she only was out for a couple of hours. Well, at least Harry and Hermione managed to save her father. That way she might get the chance to be with him finally.