Twisted Fascination

Talking with police officers was never fun. They were strict muggles that liked everyone to conform to the same moral and legal guidelines they followed. If you didn't, it's likely that they'd make your life a pain in the ass until they found some other poor person to harass.

Talking with Aurors was even worse. Once they decided to be a pain in your ass, you were stuck with them for the rest of your life.

I quickly figured that out as I sat in a private room with two Auror guards that were just about as boring as possible.

Vernon, using his brain to figure out that Black was a dangerous murderer that needed to be caught as soon as possible, drove to the police station and went inside whilst yelling like a madman. Petunia had also stepped out of the car, probably because she had been cramped in the back with Dudley, Harry, and I. Marge had passed out in the front passenger seat of the car, and her damn bulldog was laying at her feet. I had, during the car ride, pulled off my shirt and wrapped it tightly around my wound to ensure that I didn't bleed to death before I got to the hospital.

After that, everything was a bit fuzzy for me.

I knew that I was taken to a muggle hospital first and given a shot for rabies, but I was quickly transferred to St. Mungo's once the Aurors arrived at the muggle hospital. I knew that Harry had been brought along for the ride because he was sleeping in the bed beside me. I also knew that my brother wasn't injured, which I was a bit thankful for, but I also figured that he would likely be terrified of looking down hallways for a while.

According to the newspaper, Sirius Black had managed to escape the Ministry of Magic once again. Not only that, but they gave out his last known location (thankfully, they didn't mention the exact address of the Dursleys) and a warning to the public that he was extremely dangerous, which I was sure most people had figured out by then. 

I shifted in my bed as I finished checking the status of the stock market, wincing as I started to feel the pain from my leg again.

Even with the essence of dittany and the help of magic, the Healers couldn't fully heal where Ripper had taken a chunk out of my leg. They said it would leave a nasty scar, but they also said that it shouldn't impair my walking after it healed up.

I accepted that, figuring that, if I behaved and stayed in bed like I was supposed to, I'd heal up faster. I seriously didn't want anyone in the Slytherin House to know I had been attacked by a dog of all things and let the dog live. I also didn't want anyone else to know that Sirius Black had come after us and seemed to pity me enough to let me live. I had a reputation as some heartless bastard to uphold.

Harry groaned softly as he began to stir in the bed to the right of me. "'M hungry…"

"Do you want me to call the nurse, then?" I questioned, and his stomach growled in reply. I tapped a certain brick next to my bed, causing it to glow softly. I knew that the nearby nurse's station received my calling, and I just had to wait for one of them to come.

Harry rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling of the room for a long moment. He then sat up and turned his gaze toward me. "Hey, do you think that Uncle Vernon could bring us our trunks?"

"What about our homework and textbooks that we left in our bedroom?" I inquired. "I swear, I'm not rewriting the essay on why the burning of witches in the fourteenth century was completely pointless."

Harry wrinkled up his nose as he said, "Yeah, I don't want to have to rewrite my essay on Shrinking Solutions either."

"You actually finished it?" I asked incredulously.

"Most of it," he replied as if it couldn't be helped.

I held back a snort of amusement.

The nurse chose that moment to enter, and she smiled brightly at me. "What can I help you with, Mr. Potter?"

"Good morning," I said as I straightened up, holding in a wince. "My brother and I would appreciate breakfast now, and I'm afraid that I'm going to need another potion for pain."

"Oh, dear, is your leg beginning to hurt again?" The nurse questioned.

"It's not nearly as bad as last night, but it is uncomfortable," I replied.

She nodded to herself before asking, "About breakfast - do either of you two have any food allergies?"

"No," Harry said, and I answered the same, if only a bit more politely.

The nurse smiled at the two of us before inquiring, "Then, do you wish to both have a fry-up?"

Harry eagerly agreed, always a glutton for a large meal, especially after spending time with the Dursleys who limited our food intake.

"I'm fine with just some toast and eggs," I said, "I doubt that I could eat an entire fry-up."

"What would you two like to drink?" The nurse asked.

"I'm fine with pumpkin juice," Harry said.

"Could I have a coffee, by any chance?" I asked with just a bit of hope.

"How do you like your coffee?" She pressed.

"Dark roast with a single shot of cream and two sugars," I replied eagerly.

"Alright, dears," the nurse said kindly, "I'll get that breakfast order in for you, and I'll also make sure you get that pain potion, Mr. Potter."

I thanked the woman as she took her leave from the room.

"I thought you weren't supposed to drink coffee," Harry said as he looked at me with a furrowed brow.

"Just because Petunia said it was bad for my growth does not mean that I am going to listen," I said stubbornly, "I haven't had a cup of coffee in nearly a year because none of the upper-years in Slytherin are willing to go ask for some for me."

"There's coffee at Hogwarts?" Harry reiterated in surprise.

"You have to go to the staff room and ask for some," I explained, "I did ask once, but Filch chased me away before any of the other staff members could give me some. He had the audacity to tell me that I 'was too young to enjoy coffee'." I scoffed at that Squib's arrogance.

The two Aurors, named as Savage and Proudfoot, shot each other amused glances.

"That sounds like Filch, alright," Harry commented.

I sighed as I sat back a bit. "In any case, has Hedwig shown up yet?"

"No, but I never did tell her that I was leaving. She's probably back at the Dursleys," Harry said, a note of worry in his voice.

"Hedwig's a smart owl," I said, "She'll find her way to you."

My brother nodded slowly, though he did still seem worried.

Shifting the topic again, I said, "Well, we probably won't have to go back to Dursley's except to pick up our trunks. That means we can probably spend the rest of the break at the Leaky Cauldron."

That brightened up Harry's day. "You think they'll let us?"

"You think they want us to go back and live in the house Sirius Black invaded yesterday?" I asked as I barely held in a sigh.

Harry saw my point and gave a nod. "Fair." He then brightened up as he said, "I wonder if they have a Firebolt in the Quidditch supply store."

I barely kept my eyes from rolling at the mention of the newest broom to come out.

Ever since Harry saw that broom in the morning newspaper, he had wanted to see it in person, perhaps even purchase one.

"I mean, can you imagine if the Gryffindor Quidditch Team has a broom of international standard?" Harry stressed eagerly.

"Slytherin would lose in a heartbeat," I admitted, "Especially if you're the one riding it."

Harry gave a happy grin. "Right?"

"Harry, the only reason I am not defending the Slytherin Quidditch Team is because I have no interest in sports," I said in a slightly chiding manner.

"I know," Harry chirped, "But if you say it, then it's definitely the truth."

"Just don't let that get back to Malfoy," I grumbled, "The last thing I need is for him to start whining about how I don't have any House pride."

Harry snickered, but agreed to not tell his little archenemies.

I was content with that, and the nurse returned with my pain potion. I drank down the rather frothy potion with a disgusted expression before handing the beaker back.

The nurse left the room behind and shortly after that, two house elves appeared in our room and bowed deeply. The elves proceeded to serve us our breakfasts before taking their leave with a loud crack.

I ate my food at a leisurely pace, but Harry wolfed his down as if he had been on the brink of starvation. The two of us finished around the same time and set our plates aside. As soon as we had done so, the plates and silverware disappeared. I sipped on my morning coffee as Harry eagerly drank up all of his pumpkin juice.

Harry soon left to go to the restroom, and Proudfoot had to follow because he lost the quick round of rock-paper-scissors that he played against Savage.

I was content to lay back against the pillows and get some more rest.

The next two days passed by slowly, and I was released from the hospital on the third day I had been there.

Harry and I were Side-Along Apparated to 4 Privet Drive under the fall of night.

Vernon had apparently returned to lock the doors of his house, but nothing more.

With a simple unlocking charm, we entered the house and headed up to the bedroom to fetch out supplies. We managed to grab everything we needed and headed back down to the cupboard under the stairs, which one of the Aurors politely unlocked for us. We put our things away in our respective trunks and did one last tour of the house to ensure that we got everything we needed before heading out.

I felt a tiny shred of pity for Petunia, knowing it was going to be a headache and a half to clean up all of my blood, which trailed from the dining room to the hall and then through the kitchen.

Harry and I were then brought to the Leaky Cauldron, where Tom, the landlord, greeted us warmly. "Good evening there. You two would like a room, wouldn't you?"

"We would," I confirmed.

He nodded as if expecting the answer before holding out the key to a room and said, "Room number eleven is open right now."

I accepted the key, and Harry and I moved our luggage into the room in question, which had two twin beds set up in it.

The Aurors finally left, figuring we should have been safe enough in the pub that sat on the border between muggle and magical London.

I gave a great sigh of relief as I sat back in my bed. "Finally, a real bed."

No offense to St. Mungo's, but their beds would have left you quite restless after being forced to stay in them for three days straight.

Harry snickered as he laid back on his bed. "I think this one is more comfortable than the one at the Dursleys."

"That's not a very high standard, either," I chuckled as I opened my trunk and began to rifle through it.

Before Harry could agree or disagree, there was a tapping at the window. Immediately, we both looked over, and Harry shot out of bed once he realized what had caused the tapping. "Hedwig!" He exclaimed as he rushed over and opened the window. "Where have you been?!"

The owl didn't reply, obviously, merely hopped inside and flew into her cage.

Harry shut the window behind her, grinning widely at his owl. "You're such a smart girl, you know."

Hedwig ruffled her feathers importantly, as if she knew she was receiving a compliment.

Soon after that, Harry and I turned in for the night.

It took us several days to get used to the new freedom that was granted us. Never before had we been allowed to get up whenever we wanted or eat whatever we fancied. Furthermore, we could go anywhere we pleased in Diagon Alley, which was great because we still had about a month before school began again on the first.

A variety of people were always at the Leaky Cauldron, from funny little witches from the country to wild-looking warlocks, raucous dwarves, and even what appeared to be a hag who ordered a plate of raw liver from behind a thick woolen balaclava.

The streets of Diagon Alley also proved to be bustling with life, just as always. Many kindly witches and wizards would visit daily and get to know us quite well.

The first thing I had done when I stepped into Diagon Alley was head to Gringotts, and I made sure Harry followed behind. We got out more money from our vault, and Harry was content to leave it at that.

I went over my stocks, as usual, and decided that I'd invest my money into the stock of the newly invested Pocket Sneakoscope. I figured many witches and wizards would buy them, especially with Sirius Black out and about. Once done with that, Griphook explained to me that I didn't have any marriage contracts, causing me to practically strut from Gringotts. I then headed to Flourish and Blotts and purchased the books I'd need for the upcoming year. With that done, I returned to my room and continued to work on my essays.

The days passed by in a blur.

I had mainly stayed in the Leaky Cauldron, going over my essays and reading the new course material. I hadn't seen any other Slytherins in my year, but that was to be expected when I shut myself in my shared room to do my work.

In any case, it was the final day of break, and Harry had left the room behind early to see if he could find his friends.

I remained in the room, continuing to read and make small notes on the various Runes known to wizardkind. I nearly yelped when a loud knock on the door echoed around the room. I quickly got up, a bit annoyed at being scared when I had hung the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the doorknob. I opened the door, only to pause upon seeing a smiling Mr. Weasley.

"Hello, Colton," he greeted.

"Hello, sir," I replied right away. "How have you been?"

"I've been doing well," he replied, "I heard you haven't, though…" He made a concerned expression, and I wondered just how much he knew.

"Is that so?" I asked, "May I ask what makes you say that?"

"A few Aurors I've occasionally worked with were guarding you," he said honestly.

I bit back an aggravated sigh at that news. "I'm surprised no one's mentioned it in the Daily Prophet yet."

He gave a forced smile, the concern not dying from his eyes in the slightest.

I looked around the hallway before divulging the man's obvious need for information. "I was bitten by a bulldog, and to make matters worse, Sirius Black broke into the Dursley house while it was happening."

Mr. Weasley looked horrified at that news. "Are you alright?"

"I have a permanent scar from Ripper," I said as I pulled up my trousers to show the beginning of the wound that had been basically healed over, save for the occasional scab.

"Ripper?" He repeated.

"Ripper is the bulldog that attacked me. It belongs to a relative that visited the Dursleys," I explained.

"And Sirius Black broke into your muggle relatives house?" He inquired.

"We all managed to get away without being Cursed," I assured the man.

The man still looked horrified that Black had broken in while we were there.

"Sir," I said, causing him to snap out of it. "We're all safe now, and that's all that matters. Once we're off to Hogwarts, we'll be even safer."

Mr. Weasley forced a smile onto his face before nodding once.

"Now, how was your trip to Egypt?" I asked as I gave a smile.

Mr. Weasley gave a grin as he motioned for me to follow him down the stairs.

I quickly grabbed the key to the room and locked the door before following him down to the bar, where I sat on a stool beside him.

Mr. Weasley eagerly discussed how he saw his son, Bill, and that his family had quite a bit of fun exploring the old tombs with Bill as their guide. Once he was finished regarding his tale of summer, he asked, "Did you do anything else on your break?"

"Nothing interesting happened," I waved off dismissively, "Beyond, you know…"

He grimaced just a tiny bit before changing the topic. "Well, in any case, have you already gotten all of your school supplies?"

"Yes, sir," I answered honestly, "I've also been looking over the books that I got for my upcoming lessons in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes."

"You're not interested in Divinations or Care for Magical Creatures?" The redhead inquired.

"I don't believe I have a gift for seeing the future," I admitted, "Furthermore, I prefer plants over animals, so I'm just going to stick with what I chose. Of course, muggle studies was an option, too, but seeing as how I've lived with muggles my whole life…"

Mr. Weasley nodded, clearly understanding my point. He then grabbed the Daily Prophet that someone had left behind next to him and began to look it over.

I saw Sirius Black on the front page, as usual, and I frowned as I looked down at my hands, wondering why I had been spared when Black could have killed me at any time.

Harry, Granger, and Ron Weasley soon stepped into the pub, having come from Diagon Alley, and made their way over.

"Harry!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed as he looked at my brother with a smile. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," Harry answered as he and his two friends joined Mr. Weasley and I with all of their bags. He looked at the front page of the newspaper and frowned deeply. "They still haven't caught him then?"

"No," Mr. Weasley said, looking rather grave, "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" Ron asked like the arrogant child he was. "It'd be good to get some more money-"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," Me. Weasley demanded in a strained tone of voice, "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, you mark my words."

At that moment, Mrs. Weasley entered the bar while laden with shopping bags. She was followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts. Percy followed after the twins, and he was the newly elected Head Boy of Hogwarts due to his dedication to his work, something that clearly made him quite proud of the way he was walking was any indicator. Following behind Percy was Ginny, who was the youngest in the family, and the only girl, too.

Ginny looked at Harry with a flushed face and muttered, "Hello." She then looked at me, significantly less red, and greeted, "Hey, Colton."

"Hello, Ginny," I replied, "Did you have any trouble with your essays?"

"Nope," she said as she shook her head.

"That's good news," I said as I gave her a smile.

She nodded, and Percy, who had been greeting Harry, turned to me.

"Colton, how nice it is to see you," he said as he held his hand out in a rather professional manner.

I shook his hand with a firm grip, but not too firm. "Hello, Percy."

"I hope you're well?" He said pompously.

"I am doing as well as I can right now, and that's all that matters," I replied as I dropped his hand. "Are you doing well, yourself?"

"Yes, quite," he agreed as he glanced down at the pin on his robes with a smirk that was borderline on smug.

"Congratulations for getting to be Head Boy," I said politely, and he swelled up with even more pride.

Before either of us could continue with the conversation, however, Fred basically hip-checked his brother out of the way. "Colton!" Fred said loudly before bowing deeply, causing Percy to give a wicked scowl. "Absolutely splendid to see you, old boy-"

"Marvelous," George said as he pushed his brother out of the way and seized my hand. "Absolutely spiffing!"

"That's enough, now," Mrs. Weasley said in a warning tone.

"Mum!" Fred exclaimed as if he had only just noticed her presence, seizing her hand as he did so. "How really corking to see you-"

"I said, that's enough," Mrs. Weasley snapped as she deposited all of the bags she had in an empty chair, which barely held them all if I'm to be honest. "Hello, Harry, Colton. I suppose you've heard of our exciting new news." She pointed to the brand new silver badge pinned to Percy's chest. "Second Head Boy in the family!" She announced as she swelled in pride.

"And last," Fred muttered under his breath, clearly not interested in such a title.

"I don't doubt that," Mrs. Weasley said with a deep frown, clearly hearing Fred's comment. "I noticed they haven't made you two prefects."

George looked revolted by the idea. "What do we want to be prefects for? It'd take all the fun out of life."

Ginny giggled in amusement.

"You want to set a better example for your sister!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"Ginny's got older brothers to set her an example, Mother," Percy said loftily, "I'm going to change up for dinner." He disappeared, and George gave a heavy sigh.

"We tried to shut him in a pyramid," George muttered softly to Harry, "But Mum spotted us."

I felt rather bad for Percy, but I didn't open my mouth to cause any rifts in the family.

Dinner was an enjoyable affair. Tom had pulled threw tables together in the parlor, and the seven Weasleys, Granger, Harry, and I ate our way through a five course meal that was honestly quite delicious.

"How are we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" Fred asked as we dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," Mr. Weasley answered.

"Why?" Percy inquired.

"It's because of you, Perce," George said seriously, "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them-"

"-for Humongous Bighead," Fred finished with a smirk.

Everyone except Percy, Mrs. Weasley, and I snorted into their pudding.

"I, for one, think it's admirable to become Head Boy," I said as I frowned at the twins, "It shows just how dedicated he is to his studies and being a good student."

"Thank you, Colton," Percy said as he nodded at me. He then asked turned to Mr. Weasley and asked once in a dignified manner, "Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?"

"Well, as our car is at home right now, and as I work there, they're doing me a favor," Mr. Weasley said with a casual tone despite the fact his ears had gone red.

"Good thing, too," Mrs. Weasley said briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? Above sight you'd be on the muggle underground. You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," Percy said in a long-suffering tone, "He's dumped them on my bed."

"You better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table.

Ron scowled at Percy.

After dinner, we all headed up to our rooms, one by one.

Percy and Ron had the room next to Harry's and mine, and they were quite loud while shouting at each other.

Harry decided to see what was going on, but I remained in the room, making sure everything had been tidied up, including Harry's various belongings.

Eventually, Harry returned and decided to tell me that he overhead there would be Azkaban guards surrounding Hogwarts. Upon seeing my mortified expression, he asked, "What's so wrong about that?"

I barely held in a heavy sigh. "Harry, do you know why no one's escaped Azkaban before this?"

"No…" He said slowly.

"Azkaban is a place of pure insanity, and it draws Dementors to it," I started before holding up my hand to interrupt his upcoming questions. "Dementors are literally soul-sucking creatures. They take away prisoners' emotions, leaving behind nothing but suffering in their wake. The prisoners are so out of their mind from that torture that they don't have the energy to escape."

Harry contemplated that for a moment before saying slowly, "Does that mean that Sirius Black is insane?"

"You saw the look in his eyes," I pointed out. "Did they look like a sane person's?"

"No," Harry admitted, "It… it kind of scared me."

"As it should have," I said, "Imagine if he had a wand. He wouldn't have killed us all instantly."

Harry looked rather worried, but then he sat up. "Hey, you never told me how you got away from him."

"He let me escape," I admitted, causing Harry to look at me with wide eyes. "I don't know if he was just playing around with me or if he didn't see me as a true threat, but I do know that he couldn't have easily taken my life before he went after you."

Harry contemplated my words before saying softly, "I don't want to die…"

"You won't die any time soon," I assured him, "I mean, it's not like you're going out to go look for Black."

Harry nodded before saying, "Yeah, and Dumbledore will keep the castle safe."

I rolled my eyes from where I laid in bed.

With that, silence fell between us, and we drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Tom woke us up with his usual toothless grin, a cup of tea for Harry, and a cup of coffee for me.

I was grateful for the coffee, and I let it cool as I got dressed for the day, sliding into my more casual black robes. I then began to drink my tea when Ron barged into the room, looking quite irritable.

"The sooner we get onto the train, the better," Ron said, "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater, you know, his girlfriend." Ron grimaced as if saying the last word genuinely made him disgusted. "She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy."

"I've got something to tell you," Harry began, but he was interrupted by Fred and George, who looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.

We went down to breakfast, where Mr. Weasley was reading the front page of the Daily Prophet, my copy right next to him.

I picked up my copy and checked the stocks first before looking at the various stories, most of which talked about Sirius Black in one way or another.

Mrs. Weasley was telling Granger and Ginny about a love potion she had made as a girl, and the three were startlingly giggly about the topic.

"What were you saying?" Ron asked Harry.

"Later," Harry muttered as Percy stormed in.

I looked at him, already wearing his Hogwarts robes and his badge, when my brow furrowed. "You realize your badge says Bighead Boy, don't you?"

Percy looked down at his badge, got red in the face, and started seething in rage as he took off the badge and transfigured it back into the proper Head Boy badge. "That isn't funny," he snapped as glared at his twin brothers.

Fred and George clearly thought that it was hilarious, as evident by how they howled in laughter.

"I can't believe it took you so long!" Fred wheezed between laughs.

"You were actually going to go on the train with that badge!" George exclaimed, clearly thinking that it was a riot.

Before Percy could blow up at them even more, Mrs. Weasley snapped, "Oh, enough. Eat your food quickly. The cars should be here soon."

Percy huffed indignantly before nevertheless sat down and ate a quick meal.

Then, everyone had to get their trunks down the narrow staircase of the Leaky Cauldron and pile them by the front door. Hedwig and Hermes (Percy's owl) sat perched upon their cages, and a wickerwork basket hissed loudly as it sat nearby, holding some kind of half-feral cat in it.

Ron kept his rat, Scabbers, in his chest pocket at all times because, apparently, the cat Granger bought attacked small game.

Mr. Weasley soon stuck his head inside of the Leaky Cauldron and said, "They're here. Harry, come on."

Harry did as ordered, and he sat in the car with his friends, Ginny, and Mr. Weasley.

I meanwhile, was put in a car with the twins, Mrs. Weasley, and Percy.

We quickly made our way to the station, arriving with twenty minutes to spare. We unloaded all of our supplies and quickly headed off to the barrier that divided the muggle trains from the Hogwarts Express.

Mr. Weasley kept Harry's elbow firmly in his grasp the entire way, and he ended up dragging Harry along first.

Percy and Ginny went next, followed by the twins, Granger and Ron, and Mrs. Weasley and I.

Percy quickly headed off to see his girlfriend, a Ravenclaw also in her final year.

Harry and Ron headed toward the end of the train, and I ended up separating from them by saying that I would be sitting with the other Slytherins.

The Slytherins sat toward the front of the train, but not directly next to the prefect's compartment.

I was more than grateful to carry my trunk onto the train, find my usual compartment, and push the trunk into the space up ahead. I then sat down and sighed in relief.

"You arrived with the Weasleys again," Davis pointed out.

"Black has the Weasleys - well, the whole Ministry, really - worried about Harry," I explained as I opened my textbook on Ancient Runes and continued to read it over.

Davis gave a small hum of acknowledgement.

I turned to look at Zabini and asked, "Is your mother still…?"

He groaned as he buried his slightly flushing face in his hands, clearly hoping that I'd magically forget my introduction with his mother.

Greengrass and Davis were clearly interested in what happened, but they both had the restraint to not ask.

The whistle to the train sounded, and the Hogwarts Express moved into action.

At noon, the witch pushing the snack trolley came around and offered sweets in exchange for money.

As usual, Davis bought quite a bit of chocolate frogs and began to open them for the cards, setting the frogs aside for Crabbe and Goyle to devour later.

When mid-afternoon arrived, rain began to fall, blurring the rolling hills outside of the window. The rain was quick to thicken as the train continued north.

Davis, who had finished organizing her new chocolate frog cards, suddenly looked at me with a critical eye. "What do you know about Sirius Black?"

Greengrass and Zabini both looked at me, clearly interested in what I did and didn't know.

"I know what's been in the papers," I said, "I also know he's mad, but there is a method to that madness."

Davis frowned at that information. "What makes you say that?"

"He just had that look in his eyes," I mused.

"I didn't see that in the paper," Zabini commented, "He just looked plenty mad."

I frowned deeply before asking, "You remember when he was sighted in Little Surrey, right?"

"What about it?" Greengrass questioned.

"That's where my muggle relatives live," I admitted, "He showed up at their house."

The three of my housemates looked shocked.

"He - he did?" Davis asked.

"What happened?" Greengrass pressed.

"He broke in," I said, "Chased us through the house, and all that."

The three of them looked dumbfounded with my words.

"Why are you so nonchalant about it?" Zabini inquired, sounding rather incredulous.

"Well, he let me live, for one," I said with a lazy shrug. "I'm sure he could have killed me if he really wanted to."

"Would you explain what happened in detail?" Greengrass prodded.

I decided that divulging that information wouldn't hurt anyone. "Well, the muggles I have the misfortune of living with had invited their relative over for a week. Just as that week was ending, an argument got started between us. It only stopped because Sirius Black quite literally kicked the door in. Then, he basically chased us from the front door out the back before disappearing into the night. He allowed us to get away in the car, so I'm pretty sure he was just toying with us all."

"Is that why you said he's not completely mad?" Zabini pressed.

"He not only tracked down Harry, but he also made himself known to the entire neighborhood by doing so. For him to then escape without leaving a single before the muggle police and/or Aurors could arrive is an impressive feat. It shows that he's not a complete mental case, even after spending twelve years in Azkaban with the Dementors," I explained.

The three contemplated my words for a long moment.

Finally, Davis sighed and said, "Well, you know that much, but…" She trailed off nervously as she glanced at Greengrass. She then straightened up and turned back to me. "I think someone should tell you the truth."

I raised an eyebrow at that, quite curious with what the supposed truth was.

"Sirius Black is responsible for your parents' deaths," she said.

"Is that so?" I asked.

"Yeah," she agreed. "According to the Ministry, he - well - he sold out your parents to the Dark Lord."

I hummed softly before questioning, "That's not the truth though, is it?"

She cringed. "Have you ever heard of the name Peter Pettigrew?"

"That's the wizard Black murdered, right?" I questioned.

"Yeah, he was actually the one who sold your parents out to the Dark Lord," Davis explained, "Then, Black killed him and those twelve muggles in an act of revenge."

I considered these words for a long moment before realizing that Davis was looking at me expectantly. "Ah, do I owe you a favor now?"

"No," she denied, "I just expected you to feel - I don't know - something more?"

I gave a lame shrug. "I never really knew my parents, so I suppose you could say that I never developed a strong connection to them."

Davis nodded slowly.

"I do want to know something else," I said as I leaned toward her, "Will the other Slytherins be okay with the fact you've told me this?"

"I don't care," she said, and she genuinely meant it. "You're one of us, so you should know."

I leaned back in my seat before nodding once. "Very well. I'll owe you a favor in the future. Just don't use it for something stupid."

She gave a single nod herself. "Will you be telling your brother?"

"No," I denied as I turned my focus back to my book. "He's too brash, and he'll likely seek out trouble if he knew the truth. I'll simply let him know what was in the papers, and nothing more."

"I don't know if Malfoy will allow that," Greengrass commented, causing me to hold in a sigh.

"Well, no matter what Malfoy says, I doubt he'll just tell Harry the truth," I said honestly, "If it'll mean Harry won't be a pain in my side this year, I'll gladly pretend to know nothing."

"Oh, yes," Zabini said as he sat back in his seat, "Will you ever tell us who the Heir of Slytherin is?"

"Was," I corrected, and the others in the compartment paused. "I killed him."

"H-how?" Davis asked a bit worriedly.

"I stabbed him to death," I admitted as I flipped the page to my textbook.

"Well… Who was it?" Davis pressed, causing my lips to turn up.

"That's a secret I'm bearing alone," I said as I looked up at her. "I hope you'll understand that murder, no matter if it was a mere pest or not, would get me thrown into Azkaban."

She swallowed thickly before giving a jerky nod.

"Excellent," I approved as I looked back down at my book.

Zabini remained silent for a long moment before turning his head toward me. "The Heir of Slytherin wasn't a student, and he wasn't a staff member, either. Is it really murder, then?"

I chuckled as I said, "I suppose, at least legally, that I could probably get off the hook. I simply don't want any trouble from the living Heir of Slytherin, though, so I'll merely keep my identity a secret for now."

"There's still a living Heir of Slytherin?" Davis reiterated.

"Yes," I confirmed, "I doubt he will be merciful if he found out that I took care of the one from last year."

The lanterns of the train flickered to life as the darkness outside seemed to be more and more consuming. The train began to slow down right after that.

"Why are we stopping?" Greengrass wondered aloud, "We can't be there yet…"

Zabini got up and glanced out of the corridor, only to see more confused students peeking their own heads out. He got back in and closed the door, barely sitting back down when the train came screeching to a sudden halt.

Distant thuds and bangs indicated that some luggage had fallen from the racks in other compartments. Without any further warning, the lamps all went out, plunging the train into complete darkness.

I glanced at the window and felt my stomach clench tightly upon seeing the rain freeze up. I felt the drop in temperature, and I quickly pulled out my wand. I was just about to cast a spell when the door to our compartment slid open. I froze up upon seeing the large, cloaked figure.

There was a bloody Dementor hovering there, sucking in a slow, rattling breath.

Zabini flinched away from the creature, and Greengrass shied toward Davis.

The Dementor seemed to take that as an invitation to enter, and it did so while sucking in another deep breath.

My vision blurred as something became visible in the air, as though the Dementor were sucking something from our bodies. I pointed my wand at the creature and yelled out a quick, "Stupify!"

The spell hit the Dementor, causing it to recoil from the compartment, if only barely. Before it could come back for seconds, however, a brilliantly bright light came bounding down the corridor. The Dementor shied away from the light, retreating from our compartment and out of the train as a whole.

I gasped for breath, my heart pounding in my chest as my vision began to darken. I just barely saw a Hufflepuff prefect stick their head into our compartment before I dropped my arm down to my side. "I feel sick," I murmured as my stomach clenched. I could hear the loud screaming of a woman combined with the high-pitched cackling of a madman before everything suddenly returned to normal.

The Hufflepuff prefect had entered the compartment, and they were holding a broken chocolate frog in front of my face. "Eat this."

I blinked a few times at the chocolate before accepting it. I did as ordered, and I was surprised to feel the fog in my head clearing up. As my stomach began to settle, the prefect began to hand out chocolate to the rest of us. "Who are you?" I murmured.

"Cedric Diggory," he answered, "I'm going to make sure the others are okay. You'll be fine in a bit." Then, he left our compartment behind.

The four of us remained silent for a long moment.

Finally, I straightened up and said, "Well, it appears that I need to learn that spell if we're going to make it through Hogwarts without another incident like this."

"It's a Light spell that's hard to master," Greengrass informed me, "I'm surprised that a fifth-year student knew it, to be honest."

I hummed softly before deciding I'd need to get the new D.A.D.A. professor on my side if I was going to learn that spell. I silently hoped that the new professor would be at least somewhat competent at his job.

The train moved into motion, taking us to Hogwarts once more.

Upon arriving, the rain was driving down in icy sheets, and a great scramble to get off the train happened.

I was quick to make my way to one of the stagecoaches that awaited us students. I briefly paused to look at the winged horse that was obviously some form of Dark creature before I was pulled into the compartment by Zabini.

"It's a Thestral," Zabini said as he sat back in his seat.

I closed the door to the small stagecoach as Davis looked out of the window of the stagecoach.

"Where is it?" The girl asked.

"You can't see it if you haven't witnessed a death first-hand and accepted its reality," Zabini explained as he held his hands together in clenched fists.

Davis frowned as she looked between Zabini and I, understanding what that meant for us.

The stagecoach lurched into action, pulling us to the castle. As it passed by a pair of magnificent wrought iron gates, the windows allowed us to see a pair of Dementors standing guard.

I quickly diverted my eyes to my lap, not eager to see them any more than necessary.

After a long, sloping drive up the castle, the carriage swayed to a stop.

I got our first and made sure the other three got out alright before heading up the stairs to the castle. I was quick to cast a drying spell on myself and the others before I sat down at the Slytherin table.

"Thank you," Greengrass said as she sat down across from me.

Zabini took his usual spot to my left, and Davis sat across from him.

The Slytherins, along with the other students returning for another year at Hogwarts, made their way to their respective tables.

Malfoy, of course, strutted up to ours while smirking. "I heard your brother fainted on the train, Potter."

I merely made a grunting noise in acknowledgement.

"What? Don't tell me that you fainted, too," Malfoy said mockingly.

"Shove off, Malfoy," Nott snapped as he sat down on my other side, "You don't know what it's like to be affected by the Dementors because you're a spoiled brat."

Malfoy looked offended. "Oh, come on. They aren't that bad-"

Nott leveled a glare at the blonde and said darkly, "You don't know what it's like to watch someone you care for die and have that memory come to the front of your mind when a Dementor literally sucks out all the happiness you've ever felt."

Malfoy looked thoroughly cowed as he sat down. In a soft voice, he muttered, "Sorry…"

I quickly filed away the information Nott had given me, whether he had meant to or not. I then watched as Professor Sinistra led the first-years into the Great Hall and commenced the Sorting.

Once that was finished, Dumbledore stood up while smiling at us students. "Welcome! Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast…" Dumbledore cleared his throat before continuing, "As you all will be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business."

I frowned, wondering why he didn't just say that they were guarding the school from Sirius Black.

"They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds," Dumbledore informed us, "And while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave the school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises - or even Invisibility Cloaks," he entered blandly as if someone actually had one. "It is not in the nature of a Dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each and every one of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, and to our new Head Boy and Girl, to make sure that no student runs afoul of the Dementors." Dumbledore paused again as he looked around the hall seriously.

No one moved or made a sound.

"On a happier note," he said as he finally eased up a bit, "I am pleased to welcome two new teachers to our ranks. First, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic applause as everyone took in the young man with sandy-blonde hair, many scars, and tired eyes. Harry and his lot, however, gave Lupin a loud round of applause.

Snape was along the staff table, glaring daggers at Lupin like the man had just gotten away with murdering someone close to him. His thin, sallow face was twisted into an expression of intense loathing.

I briefly wondered if I had made that face before I took out Lockhart's knee, but quickly dismissed the thought from my mind.

"As to our second new appointment," Dumbledore continued as the lukewarm applause for Lupin died away, "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kattleburn, our Card for Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place was filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

"Oh, great," Zabini grumbled as he glared at the giant man, his words almost drowned out by the tumultuous applause coming from the Gryffindor table.

At least the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were clapping in a more civilized manner.

After the clapping finally died down, Dumbledore gave a large smile. "Well, I think that's everything of importance. Let the feast begin!"

The golden plates and goblets on the tables filled with food and drink.

I was eager to eat after not doing so all day. I even allowed myself some dessert, which just so happened to be chocolate pudding.

Once everyone was done with the feast, Dumbledore made us all sing the school song before giving us the go-ahead to go to bed.

I was grateful as the Slytherins moved down to the dungeons into the common room. I was going to head off to bed, but Snape followed us all into the common room, meaning he had an announcement that was actually important.

"I don't want to hear about a single one of you running into a Dementor," Snape said as he looked around at us all. "If you move, you move together. Don't leave anyone behind, and don't instigate those creatures under any circumstances. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," the Slytherins answered as one.

He continued to gaze at us all before nodding once and taking his leave.

I took that as my cue to go to bed, glad to finally get some rest.