Twisted Fascination

Everyone in the school seemed to love Lupin and his practical approach to lessons.

Lupin, though, proceeded to dance on eggshells around us Slytherins, even as he taught about Red Caps and kappas without doing anything practical.

Anytime anyone even mentioned Lupin's name in the presence of Snape, his eyes flashed menacingly. He also took to bullying Longbottom worse than normal after hearing about the boggart of him that was dressed in Longbottom's grandmother's clothes.

As October rolled around, it was announced that the trip to Hogsmeade would happen on Halloween.

Many of my fellow third-years were excited for that, glad to finally get out of the castle and see the magical village for themselves.

"Where do you want to go?" Davis asked me.

"I can't go," I said, causing the other Slytherins to look at me in confusion. "The muggles wouldn't sign the permission form."

Malfoy scoffed loudly. "Those muggles should be attacked by a herd of hippogriffs."

My lips curled into a smirk. "That would be far too merciful for the likes of them."

Malfoy immediately nodded and said, "That's fair."

"Do you want one of us to stay back with you?" Zabini asked.

"And what? Disturb me while I work on my essays?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow.

"You and your essays," Davis groaned, "You're a workaholic."

"Thank you," I replied with a nod, "I'm glad to see that someone appreciates what I do."

The girl glowered at me.

"Do you want one of us to bring you something back?" Greengrass asked.

"No," I waved off, "I don't think Hogsmeade has a bookstore with old grimoires in it."

Nott immediately raised an eyebrow. "You realize many old grimoires have Dark magic cast on them, right?"

"Yes," I said, "However, I find myself interested in ritual magic."

"Those kinds of books are definitely not at Hogsmeade," Greengrass said.

"I figured," I said, "Therefore, I'm going to have to keep my curiosity sedated by working on my essays."

The Slytherins accepted that, though they only did so after exchanging a few glances.

As the day of Samhain arrived, I ate breakfast with my eager housemates before heading up to the library. I worked hard on my essays and finished them all just before lunchtime. I headed down to the Great Hall, and once done with my food, I decided to take a quick walk around the school grounds. I went down to the common room and dropped off my bag before grabbing my cloak. I then headed out through the front door, allowing myself alone time without my schoolwork demanding my attention.

The air was cold, but such was to be expected considering it was the very end of October. The sky was clouded over, and the wind was harsh whenever it blew past.

I kept my hands in my pockets as I meandered around the grounds. I came to a stop by the Black Lake and stood on the edge of the dock. I gazed out at the dark waters, my mind surprisingly clear as the wind whipped my hair around. I stood there for a while, just watching the almost unchanging scenery before eventually growing bored. I released a deep sigh as I turned heel. I began to walk back to the castle when I saw a flash of black from the corner of my vision. I snapped my head around, only to see a black dog cautiously walking toward the Whomping Willow. I watched as the dog nimbly dodged the branches that tried to attack it before hitting a small place on the tree, causing the willow to freeze in place.

The dog then walked a few spaces to the right before disappearing in what had to have been a hole that went below the large tree.

Without even thinking about it, I walked after the dog, curious if there was some kind of burrow under the willow. I made sure that the tree was still frozen before I approached where the dog had disappeared.

A hole was in the ground, one that led to a massive tunnel.

I hesitated for a long moment before hearing the unmistakable sound of something whipping through the wind. Instinctually, I jumped into the hole and was just barely missed by the large branch. I looked down the dirt tunnel, wondering where it would lead and if it was safe to go there. I bit my lower lip before pulling out my wand and casting a quick, "Lumos."

The tunnel was significantly longer than anticipated, and it was large enough for a large man to walk through without bumping his head.

I began to follow the tunnel, my curiosity getting the better of me.

The tunnel went on for a long while before, eventually stopping at a door that had countless scratch marks.

I hesitated once more, not wanting to cross into someone else's domain and get attacked for it. I then paused at the sound of a floorboard creaking just beyond the closed door. My eyes widened as a sudden thought came to mind. How did that dog get on the other side of the closed door? I was quick to step away from the door and turn off the light coming from the end of my wand.

It was too late for that, however. The doorknob suddenly twisted before the door opened.

My stomach sank as I stared at the unmistakable form of Sirius Black.

The man didn't even look surprised to see me. Instead, he gave a wide grin with that same manic look in his eyes. "Hello again, Colton."

"Black," I greeted curtly.

"Now, now. There's no need to be so formal," he said in a joking manner.

"Did you follow my brother and I to Hogwarts?" I asked as I kept my wand trained on the man.

"I'm not here to kill you," he said as he still kept that grin on his face.

"Why are you here then?" I questioned.

He opened his mouth to answer, only to pause suddenly. His brow furrowed as he stepped back, allowing more light to shine on me. His expression immediately soured. "You're a Slytherin."

I raised an eyebrow. "You just noticed?"

He scowled deeply. "You're supposed to be a Gryffindor like James and Lily."

I scoffed loudly. "After being raised by those muggles, you honestly expect me to end up in Gryffindor?"

"Your brother did," Black pointed out.

"My brother would have gone into Slytherin, too, had he not met Malfoy first," I snapped irritably.

The man looked offended by my words. "You're parents-"

"My parents are dead," I hissed venomously.

He winced back as if I had slapped his face before saying softly, "I know…"

"Why are you here?" I demanded to know once more.

"Unfinished business," he said curtly.

"Which is…?" I pressed.

"You wouldn't understand," he waved off.

"You better explain it well, then," I threatened, "If you don't, you'll end up back in Azkaban."

He snorted. "Nice try. I escaped once, and I'll escape again."

I felt agitation grow inside of me. "Just-"

Black stepped toward me, causing me to step back in reply. His amusement had died away as he stared at me with rather sharp gray eyes. "That muggle relative of yours… the one with the dog…"

"I don't like considering any of those muggles my relatives," I said with a sneer.

He gave a chuckle. "I suppose you won't be too sad to hear that I stopped by her place before arriving here."

My brow furrowed. "Why-"

"You may not be my godson," he interrupted as he leaned down to level his gaze with me, not even minding how close his face got to the wand. "But I'll be damned if I let someone hurt you like that ever again."

I snorted. "If you really want to keep me safe and happy, you'll go back to Azkaban and take care of Lockhart."

"Oh, he's been dealt with accordingly," the man assured me, "His cellmate ended up being Rookwood. That man may have been a spy, but he wasn't about to let some pedophile stay in his cell."

I paled as I stared at the escapee. "You - you know?"

"Everyone in Azkaban knows," Black said as he straightened up, "Lockhart wasn't subtle about his hatred of you."

"That bastard openly told people?" I muttered, not wanting everyone to see me as some weak individual.

"He told Rookwood after some careful prodding," the escaped prisoner explained, "After Rookwood dealt with him, he was sent up to my floor because he was a tad more dangerous than the Azkaban guards realized. Of course, people on my floor liked talking, so…" The man gave a shrug like he couldn't help it.

I felt quite worried, but I quickly shoved my emotions down. "What did you do to Marge?"

He gave a wide smile that bordered the line between manic and downright malicious. "A feral dog attacked her and that one bulldog."

"Is she dead?" I pressed.

"Who knows?" He asked with a casual shrug.

I stared blankly before asking, "Now that I know this, am I in danger?"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Black grumbled as if I offended him.

"Alright," I said, "I'm leaving now, and to repay you for taking care of Marge and Ripper, I'm not going to tell anyone I saw you."

He chuckled before holding his arms out toward me. "How about giving your Uncle Sirius a hug first?"

"I would rather not," I said as I began to walk backwards. "Thank you for the offer, though."

He dropped his arms to the side and merely watched me leave, never turning away from him.

Eventually, I lost sight of him as darkness surrounded me in the tunnel. Once I was sure that he hadn't followed me, I turned around and sprinted for the exit of the tunnel. I made it there quickly and paused before I left, not wanting to be attacked by the branches of the Whomping Willow.

The branches were all swatting at some dumb bird that had flown too close to it.

I came halfway out of the hole and hit where the dog had earlier, my hand making contact with a small knob on the tree. I watched the branches all freeze, allowing me to quickly sprint to the safety of the castle. I paused once and looked back, only to see a black dog sitting by the tree, its gray eyes and smile far too human to be natural. I felt my stomach twist as I realized that Black and the dog were one in the same. Without any more encouragement, I finished my run up to the castle.

Snape was walking up the stairs from the dungeons as I walked in, and he was holding a beaker full of some frothy potion. His brow furrowed as he spotted me. "Mr. Potter, where have you been?"

"I've been getting some fresh air," I lied as I rubbed my cold hand together. "I didn't realize it would be so cold out."

He gave a small hum, accepting my lie without any question. "Next time, wear your gloves."

"Yes, sir," I said, earning a nod of approval from my Head of House. I was tempted to ask him what potion he had, but decided that I had been curious enough for one day. "I'm going to sit by the fire now."

"Very well," he said before continuing on his path up the stairs.

I walked down to the Slytherin common room and dropped my cloak off in my dorm room. I then sat by the fire and thought over the new information I had gathered. After a good half hour, I was left with a single question that trumped all the others: What unfinished business could Black possibly have at the castle?

No answers came to me by the time the Slytherins came back from their Hogsmeade trip.

"Hey, Potter, are you ready for the feast?" Zabini asked as he came back from dropping off his purchased items into his trunk.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied as I stood up.

He smirked, and we Slytherins all headed up to the Great Hall for dinner.

It had been decorated with hundreds of candle-lit pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering bats, and many flaming orange streamers that seemingly swam across the stormy ceiling like water snakes. The food prepared by the house elves was as delicious as usual, and for once, the feasts seemed to go on without a hitch. Said feast ended with an entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts, who popped from the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding.

We Slytherins all went down to the dungeons to our common room, stuffed and ready to spend the rest of the night lazing around. We were mainly talking about Hogsmeade and whatnot when Snape suddenly came into the common room.

The man held a grave expression as he said, "Everyone needs to return to the Great Hall right away."

No one dared to question the Potions master. Instead, we made sure everyone was accounted for before heading up to the Great Hall.

The Gryffindors were already there, and so we're the Hufflepuffs. The Ravenclaws joined us students shortly afterward, and almost everyone seemed confused as to why we had returned.

All of the doors to the Great Hall were closed by McGonagall and Flitwick.

Dumbledore, meanwhile, stood in the hall and said, "The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle. I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbances should be reported immediately," he added while glancing toward Percy, who was looking immensely proud and important. "Send word with one of the ghosts." He then paused, about to leave the hall, when struck with a last-minute thought. "Oh, yes, you'll be needing…" He waved his wand, and all the long tables flew to the edges of the hall and stood themselves against the walls. With another wave of his wand, the floor was covered with hundreds of squashy, purple sleeping bags. "Sleep well…" Dumbledore said before closing the doors to the Great Hall behind him.

The Gryffindors proceeded to tell everyone they could that Sirius Black had broken into the castle and slashed at the portrait guarding their common room with a silver dagger.

"How did Black get in, though, with the Dementors guarding all the entrances to the grounds?" Parkinson asked worriedly.

I once again felt my stomach twist, knowing that Black had gotten into Hogwarts through some unguarded entrance. Furthermore, I knew that he was an animagus, but I didn't know how he was affected by the Dementors. I also didn't know why he chose to try and get into the Gryffindor tower. I knew he was smart enough to realize it was Halloween, so he obviously came in while everyone was distracted. Still, it was a risk for him to attack the portrait, and I wanted to know what even made him want to get into the Gryffindor common room in the first place.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" Percy called out, snapping me from my trance. "Come on, now, no more talking. Lights out in ten minutes!"

I picked up the closest sleeping bag and moved it to the corner of the hall. I set myself up there and laid down, my back pressed firmly against the stone wall.

The other third-year Slytherins followed me, which led to the majority of the Slytherins claiming the one corner of the Great Hall for ourselves.

"Do you think he Apparated in?" Some first-year Slytherin asked curiously.

"Couldn't have," Flint said as he laid back in his sleeping back, staring at the ceiling, which looked like a starry night sky with no clouds whatsoever. "The wards around Hogwarts don't allow Apparation."

"Then, did he fly?" A second-year inquired.

"He walked," I answered, causing everyone to look at me curiously. "He's not completely mental, you know. Just mental enough to come up with something like walking through the Forbidden Forest to avoid the Dementors."

"You've met him," Pucey realized aloud, causing me to give a chuckle.

"I have," I confirmed, "Black is a few branches shy of a full tree, but I suppose that's what makes him so formidable…" My lips twisted into a smirk as I said, "I'd really love to have a duel against him."

"Potter, that's just plain mad," Flint criticized, "You don't even know what he's capable of."

"That's what will make the duel exciting," I said as I closed my eyes. "To not know whether you stand on the brink of death or not, battling for everything you're worth… It sounds fun to me."

"You know, you're not exactly a full tree yourself, right now…" Nott said.

I sighed heavily as I got myself comfortable in the sleeping bag. "I suppose not. Still…" I opened my eyes and stared blankly in front of me. "I want to, at the very least, pick his brain for answers."

"Answers?" Parkinson asked.

"I know the truth," I admitted, "And not the truth the Ministry has spread. I still have a few questions that only he can answer, though…"

Flint immediately sat up in his sleeping bag and eyed me carefully. "Do you even have a plan for what to say?"

"No," I answered honestly.

Flint looked flabbergasted by my reply, his mouth hanging open and everything.

"The lights are going out now!" Percy shouted, "I want everyone in their sleeping bags and no more talking!"

The candles went out all at once. The only light came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about while talking seriously with the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling with its fake stars.

I closed my eyes as people stopped talking so loudly, whispering instead behind the backs of the prefects. I remained alert, however, listening the best I could to the whispers of the other students.

Once every hour, a teacher would reappear in the hall to check that everything was quiet.

It was somewhere around three in the morning when, with many students finally asleep, Dumbledore returned to the hall. He walked over to Percy, who was only a short way away from Harry and his friends, and began to talk to him in a hushed voice.

The door to the hall opened once more, and Snape headed over to the headmaster.

The three of them exchanged soft words before Dumbledore left, followed shortly by a rather sour-looking Snape.

I stared at them for a long moment before closing my eyes again. I had just begun to drift off to sleep when something seemed to jolt me awake. My eyes snapped open as I heard that loud, feminine shriek in my head.

It was still dark, and nothing had seemed to change much besides the general locations of the ghosts and prefects.

I released a soft breath before making sure I still had my wand nearby. I then shifted myself slightly for a better look at the main doors to the Great Hall.

Dumbledore had returned once more to check on the students.

I watched as he gazed around worriedly, ten years seemingly added to his completion. I watched him turn and leave the Great Hall before closing my eyes.

Unfinished business was what Sirius Black had said. Beyond causing havoc for the school, what unfinished business could that man possibly have? I mean, why even bother going to Hogwarts in the first place unless you seriously wanted to piss off Dumbledore?

I paused as my eyes opened once more.

Was Black's unfinished business with Dumbledore? It would make sense, especially considering he was thrown in Azkaban, probably without a trial considering he was innocent. With Dumbledore acting as the Chief Mugwump of the Wizengamot, he obviously turned the other way when it came to Black's lack of a trial. Furthermore, he was a notorious Light wizard that supposedly did everything he could for what he called justice.

How disgusting… I thought, my lip curling into a sneer as I realized that Dumbledore really did everything for his own sense of good.

He really was no better than the Dark Lord in that regard. How much of a hypocrite can one truly be?

I suppose, I thought as I smiled to myself, I could do Black another favor if it means getting Dumbledore a spot in the negative light…

The rest of the night passed by rather quick, and theories ran amuck through Hogwarts, each of them about how Black got in.

Hannah Abbott, a Hufflepuff in her third year, was telling everyone she could that Black could turn into a flowering shrub.

If a Slytherin did come up with a theory on how Black came in, it was only shared with other Slytherins. We decided that we would remain stealthy as a whole when discussing Black, not wanting to give the other Houses too much information on the man that wasn't what he seemed.

Of course, another thing on the minds of the students was the first Quidditch match of the season.

Flint managed to weasel his team out of playing in the dreadful weather by claiming that Malfoy's arm was still in pain from the hippogriff attack that happened pretty much two months ago. It was bullshit, and everyone knew it, but the teachers didn't want to deal with the bullshit, so they went with it.

Thus, Gryffindor would be playing against Hufflepuff first.

"Ah, if only my arm was feeling a bit better!" Malfoy sighed as the gale outside pounded the windows.

The next day, the match took place regardless of how horrible the weather was.

I had, as always, chosen to stay in the library instead of watching that ridiculous sport. I had planned on staying in the library, too, when Snape approached looking like he had bitten into a lemon.

"Mr. Potter, I was told to inform you that your brother is in the hospital wing and that you should go to see him," the man said as though he'd rather not be telling me.

"Oh, what did that fool do now?" I groaned as I rubbed my temples.

"Several dementors came onto the Quidditch pitch, and your brother was attacked by one," he informed me.

"Considering he's in the hospital wing, I'm assuming that he's not gravely injured," I said.

"You would be correct," Snape approved.

"He'll be fine if I don't visit then," I reasoned.

"It wasn't an option," my Head of House informed me.

I barely held in a sigh. "Of course it wasn't." I got up and packed up all of my supplies before following Snape up to the hospital wing, where Harry was unconscious and surrounded by the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and his two friends.

As soon as Snape dropped me off, he immediately turned heel and left me there to handle the Gryffindors.

I was mildly annoyed as I approached the bed my brother was on. "I heard Harry nearly got himself killed by a dementor."

The eight people snapped around to look at me.

"Why are you so dry?" Weasley asked me.

"I don't watch Quidditch matches," I said honestly as my pace remained leisurely, causing the entire Gryffindor Quidditch Team and Weasley to look offended. "I think Harry is more important than that, though. How is he?"

"He fell just about 50 feet!" Fred exclaimed.

"I thought he died," an older Gryffindor, Alicia Spinnet, if I wasn't mistaken, said while shaking.

I immediately paused before hesitantly looking around the eight people at my brother. I saw that he was breathing just fine, and his glasses were still on his face and in pristine condition. I finished approaching the bed and peered down at him for a long moment. I gently rested my hand on his forehead and felt that he was cold and clammy.

Harry's eyes suddenly snapped open, and he looked around madly.

"Harry, calm down," I instructed gently, "You're safe right now."

"The - the dementors," he stuttered out as he continued to gaze around.

"They've been dealt with," I assured him, "You're safe."

He took in a shuddering breath as I retracted my hand. He tried to sit up, but I held him down.

"Easy, Harry," I said, "You're not in a good enough condition to sit up yet."

"What happened?" He asked worriedly.

"From what I've gathered, you were attacked by a dementor and fell 50 feet. You're in the hospital wing now, and you're safe," I said.

Immediately, Harry tried sitting up again. "But the match! What happened? Are we doing a replay?"

I gave an exasperated sigh. "Harry, you almost died, and you're worried about a dumb Quidditch match?"

"Hey!" The Gryffindor Quidditch Team captain exclaimed loudly, "Quidditch is not dumb!"

Actively ignoring Oliver Wood, I said, "You have no self-preservation, do you?"

"I just want to know if we have a replay!" He complained, only to be met with silence. "We didn't - lose?"

"Diggory got the Snitch," George explained, "Just after you fell. He didn't realize what had happened. When he looked back and saw you on the ground, he tried to call it off. Wanted a rematch. But they won fair and square… Even Wood admits it."

The seventh-year in question gave a heavy sigh, as if nothing pained him more than having to admit that.

Harry looked devastated by the news.

"Harry," I said, causing him to look up at me like a kicked orphan. "Even if it was raining like that, you should have been able to see the dementors coming. What distracted you?"

Harry's gaze fell to his hands, which nervously fiddled with the sheets. "I saw the grim."

The team and Weasley looked horrified at the news, two of the girls even gasping, while Hermione pulled a face of skepticism.

"You saw a bear-sized black dog?" I asked, causing him to pause.

"I don't think it was bear-sized," he said slowly, "But I definitely saw a black dog with gleaming eyes."

I remained silent as I stared down at him, my mind immediately turning to the only black dog I'd seen recently.

Sirius Black had nearly assassinated my brother, be it intentional or not. He was going to get my foot up his ass, and he was going to get it as soon as possible.

"You don't think…?" Harry trailed off nervously. "You don't think that I'll die, do you?"

"Everyone dies, Harry," I said honestly, causing the Gryffindors to shoot me dumbfounded looks. "However, you won't be dying any time soon."

Weasley frowned. "But he saw-"

"It wasn't the grim," I said as I looked at Weasley in annoyance. "If it was, I'd be dead by now."

"You - you saw it?" George realized aloud.

"About half a month ago," I admitted, "It had gray eyes, not yellow, so I think it's just some mutt that wandered in from Hogsmeade."

"What if you saw different creatures?" Weasley questioned.

"The dog I saw didn't have yellow eyes," Harry admitted.

"Well, a grim is still a grim," Weasley said as he crossed his arms.

"I'm not saying grims aren't dangerous," I said, "I'm saying Harry didn't see a grim."

"Grims are just superstitions," Granger said.

I frowned at the girl. "They're omens of death, Granger."

"They don't exist," she said at once.

"Yes, they do," I argued, "You're just a skeptic because you haven't seen one."

The girl looked ready to have a heavy debate on that when Harry suddenly jolted up. "Wait - what happened to my broom?"

The Gryffindors all refused to make eye-contact with my brother, instead looking at a bag by the edge of the bed.

I picked it up and looked inside, only to cringe upon seeing the many small fragments of wood. "It appears your Nimbus is no longer in condition to fly."

Harry snatched the bag away from me and looked inside of it. His face fell, and he looked ready to start crying at the realization his broom was destroyed beyond repair. "What - what happened to it?"

"It - it was blown away after you fell, and…" Granger looked at the others for help, but no one supplied it to her. With a heavy sigh, she looked back at Harry and said, "Oh, Harry - it hit the Whomping Willow."

"You know the Whomping Willow," Weasley finally piped up. "It - it doesn't like being hit."

"Professor Flitwick brought it back just before you came around," Granger said in a very small voice.

Harry took in a shuddering breath before muttering, "I - I'd like to be alone now."

"Very well," I said right away, knowing that Harry probably wanted to cry in peace over his destroyed broomstick. "Just remember what I said." With that, I turned heel and headed out, going down to the Slytherin common room.

The Slytherins were quiet as I entered.

Malfoy was hesitant as he stood up. "Potter, your brother-"

"I know," I interrupted as I moved toward the fire. "He's probably crying right now because his Nimbus was destroyed by the Whomping Willow."

Malfoy shifted uncomfortably in his spot.

"He's going to live," I said, not understanding why he was so uncomfortable.

"Yeah, well…" He shifted again, glancing toward the pale-faced Parkinson. "Someone saw the grim-"

"That wasn't the grim," I interrupted as I sat down next to Zabini on the couch in front of the fire.

"Huh?" He asked dumbly.

"There was a dog on Hogwarts ground some time ago," I said lazily, "It wasn't as big as a grim, nor did it have yellow eyes. Furthermore, I would be dead by now if it truly was a grim."

"You didn't provoke it, did you?" Parkinson asked as she gave me a look of horror.

"I'm not stupid," I grumbled as I slouched down in my seat. "It's just that grims tend to be omens of death that are sudden. I saw the mutt over half month ago, and nothing even remotely dangerous happened to me."

The Slytherins took a long moment to comprehend my words.

"My brother will be fine, and so will everyone else as long as the dementors don't return to the grounds without warning," I said nonchalantly.

Farley snorted in a rather unladylike manner. "You think the dementors will actually continue listening to Dumbledore?"

"It all depends on Black," I said as I stared into the flames. "If he goes elsewhere, the dementors will follow. Otherwise, they'll stay and be more of a nuisance than anything else."

More silence followed my words.

"Well… Do you think he'll go elsewhere?" Pucey questioned.

"Oh, Merlin, no," I said honestly, "If he's willing to break into Hogwarts with the threat of dementors sucking out his soul, he's obviously not afraid to stick around to cause trouble."

"I thought so," Pucey said with a sigh. "Let's just hope Black gets caught sooner rather than later."

If he even gets caught at all, I thought as I pictured the man's manic smile in my mind.