Twisted Fascination

The school could do little else beyond going back to normal, though it took a few days after Harry returned to normal classes to do so.

I had spent my time keeping my head low, watching and waiting for everyone to get lulled back into a calm, safe state of mind. I contemplated slipping away a few times, though I never seemed to get the opportunity to do so. 

As the end of term got closer, everyone became more and more focused on studying and getting to know their material before the end-of-term tests.

I couldn't find the right opportunity to simply disappear, not when most students would have taken note. I was expected to be in the library, and if I wasn't there or in the Slytherin common room during my free time, I knew people would immediately sound the alarm.

Two weeks before term ended, it was announced that there would be another trip to Hogsmeade on the last weekend before the term ended.

I planned on slipping away on that weekend, and, when the time rolled around, I once again told the Slytherins that I'd be working on my essays and to not stay behind to bother me.

They all accepted that, and they headed off into the gently falling snow with many of the other castle residents.

I waited a good hour before packing up my bag and heading back down to the Slytherin common room. I left my bag behind and grabbed my cloak, gloves, and a scarf. I headed out into the snow and began my walk over to the Whomping Willow. I looked around carefully, making sure no one would notice my absence, and then flicked my wand toward the tree, hitting the knob on it with some sparks.

The Whomping Willow's branches, which had been shaking violently to free itself of snow, came to an abrupt halt.

I quickly rushed forward and down into the tunnel below the tree. I cast a charm so I could see where I was going, and I followed the tunnel to the door that was waiting on the other side.

The door, surprisingly enough, was locked.

After rolling my eyes, I used the Unlocking Charm to unlock the door. I then entered without hesitation and closed the door quietly behind me, locking it just in case. I turned off the light at the end of my wand, and I looked around cautiously.

The room could only have been described as a shack. It had a bed that looked like it had seen much better days, and there were large scratch marks all around. The windows to the shack were, surprisingly enough, all intact, allowing a very pitiful warmth to remain inside the shack.

I gazed around at the one-room space before realizing that Black wasn't there. I scowled deeply as I moved over to the bed. I sat down on the surprisingly clean sheets and crossed my arms, waiting patiently for Black to return.

It took at least three hours before the man entered through the front door of the shack. He didn't even look up as he hurried inside and closed the door, locking it behind him. He gave a heavy sigh as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.

"That should be me right now," I said in a drawl.

Sirius Black, toughened Azkaban escapee, screamed like a prepubescent girl on helium as he just about jumped out of his skin. He whirled around, clearly ready for some kind of eldritch abomination, only to see me sitting there with a raised eyebrow. The man gave the biggest sigh of relief I had heard in my entire life, clutching his heart as though I had nearly given him a heart attack. "Merlin's balls, Colton, don't do that."

"No promises," I said as I sat up properly. "You know, you almost killed my brother when you showed up at the Quidditch match."

Black winced as he said, "I didn't think that the dementors would come onto the school grounds…"

"Yet, they did," I said, "And had Harry not seen you in your dog form, he would have noticed the dementors heading right for him and veered off to safety."

Black looked down at his feet like a scolded child. "I didn't mean for that to happen…"

"I know," I said before whipping my wand up, hitting the man's torso with a quick stinging jinx.

Black yelped in pain as he keeled over onto the ground, holding his stomach as if he was just kicked there.

"Consider this a learning experience," I ordered sternly, "Think of the consequences to your actions before doing something stupid, and don't drop your guard so easily again."

Black groaned miserably before lifting his head up to glare at me. "Bloody hell, you're just like Snivellus."

My brow furrowed at that name. "Who?"

"Snape," Black grumbled as he forced himself back to his feet. He pulled up his shirt, exposing his rather thin frame, along with the angry red welts that appeared from my stinging jinx.

"I thought his first name was Severus," I said slowly.

"Snivellus, Severus… Same difference," the immature man waved off immediately. He dropped his shirt back down before looking at me with a rather piercing gaze. "Why are you here?"

"I could ask the same thing," I retorted, "As a matter of fact, I have asked you the same thing."

"I said that I have unfinished business, and that's that," Black said firmly.

I gave a slow hum. "Are you here to get back at Dumbledore?"

"No," he shot down immediately, causing my brow to furrow. "Though, I was tempted to get Peeves to destroy his office."

"Why - why would you let Dumbledore get off the hook?" I asked, not understanding why he would simply let that hypocritical piece of rubbish get off scot-free.

"Though I admit that I'm still very upset at Dumbledore, he's not the one who betrayed us all," Black said.

"Pettigrew is dead," I pointed out.

"He isn't," Black revealed, "And I'm here to kill that bloody traitor once and for all."

I pursed my lips before asking, "If he's alive, why hasn't anyone seen him?"

"He's an unregistered animagus," the man explained, "Just as I am."

"What animal can he turn into?" I pressed.

"A rat," Black said as he gave a rather forced grin, "It suits him well."

I remained silent before saying slowly, "The only rat that I know of in Hogwarts belongs to Weasley."

"It's missing a front toe, yes?" Black questioned.

"How did you know?" I asked curiously.

"I saw him in the newspaper," Black said nonchalantly, "The Minister came into Azkaban with it, and I asked for it to see what was going on in the world. I didn't expect to see that bloody traitor as a rat with the Weasleys."

"Ah, the picture of their family in Egypt, yes?" I asked, earning a nod of approval. "I suppose I could help you, but in turn, you must do something for me."

He rolled his eyes at me. "You really are a Slytherin, huh?"

"Yes, I am," I confirmed. "Now, do you want to accept my offer or not?"

"No," he said immediately. "I'm avenging James and Lily alone."

I snorted at him, causing him to look at me with a furrowed brow. "Oh, please. You're not avenging my parents, you're being a self-righteous prick that wants nothing more than to wrong the one who has wronged you. I understand that need for revenge, though, so be it far from me to get in your way. Just know that it won't be easy to get into Gryffindor tower alone, especially considering you don't know the password."

Black scowled deeply at me. "I'll get in there and deal with him eventually."

I gave a sarcastic hum before standing up. "Well, no matter. I've offered what I've wanted to, and since you denied my request, I'm heading back to the castle."

Black was silent as I turned and walked toward the door. Just before I could reach for the lock, however, he exclaimed, "Wait!"

I paused before looking back at him expectantly.

"It's just…" The man sighed heavily. "How have you been in Slytherin?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm doing just fine."

"What are your friends like? Are they nice to you? Do you-"

I held up a hand, cutting him off. "Slytherins don't have friends, they have acquaintances. As for whether they're nice to me or not… We get along just fine. That's all that I need."

Black huffed at me. "Even Regulus had friends."

I raised an eyebrow. "Regulus?"

As if realizing what he just said, Black's face soured. "Nothing. It doesn't matter."

I stared before turning toward him. "I'll ask again, who is Regulus?"

"A Slytherin I used to know," Black said irritably, "Can you-"

"Had… Used to… Regulus is dead, isn't he?" I asked.

Black looked as if I had once again hit him with the stinging jinx. "Regulus… He was my little brother."

I immediately realized I had overstepped and bit back a cringe. "I can't say that I have friends, at least not in the way that Harry does. I suppose I'm close with a few other Slytherins, but we aren't on a first-name basis or anything of the like."

My words did nothing to soothe him. Instead, they seemed to wound him further.

I kept my face blank of emotion as I watched him grimace.

"I suppose it's my fault," he said as he gave a sorrowful smile. "If I had done things differently, you would've been raised by your parents, or at the very least, Moony and I. If only I - I hadn't suggested that Pettigrew be your parents' secret keeper…" Tears came to his eyes, and he tried to blink them away in vain.

I felt uncomfortable upon seeing the grown man begin to cry. "Why did you want Pettigrew to become the secret keeper?"

"I just - I thought that those Death Eaters would come after me," Black admitted as he furiously wiped at his eyes to make the tears go away. "I thought that, if I could throw them off their tracks, James and Lily could easily spend their days raising you and Harry in the safehouse in Godric's Hollow. I thought I could trust Pettigrew. He spent his entire Hogwarts life being friends with us. He became an animagus with us. He graduated with us and was a groomsman in your parents' wedding. But he - fuck, Colton - he betrayed us all like a coward! What Gryffindor turns their back on the friends who supported him all of his time at Hogwarts and sells them out to that heartless freak of nature?!"

"Keep your voice down," I hissed at the man. "Do you want someone to come find you and take you back to Azkaban before you get your revenge?"

He closed his jaw with an audible clack and finally stopped wiping at his eyes. He lowered his hands and gave me such an intense look, I felt a bit uneasy. "I'm killing Pettigrew, even if it's the last thing I do in this world."

"I'm not one to stand in the way of revenge," I assured the man. "I'm sure Harry will understand that you chose your revenge over getting us away from those abusive muggles."

Black made a face of pain. "I know, but…" He sighed heavily. "I'm sure your godfather could take you two in with a little persuading…"

"I don't even know who my godfather is," I admitted, and the man's nose wrinkled up. "Besides, Dumbledore likes keeping my brother under his thumb."

"What do you mean?" Black asked.

I stared back at him with a frown. "He's been manipulating my brother from the beginning. After all, Harry is the Boy-Who-Lived…"

Black's eyes sparked dangerously. "You expect me to take your word that Dumbledore, the man who did everything he possibly could for the wizarding world, is trying to make your brother into some mindless pawn?"

My lips curled up as I stared at the man. "I don't expect anyone to believe the words of a Slytherin who has seemingly turned his back on his family's legacy." I turned back toward the door, ready to leave the former prisoner behind.

"Dumbledore cast the Fidelius Charm," Black said suddenly.

I hummed absentmindedly as I turned the lock and began to open the door.

Black clicked his tongue before asking, "What do you want?"

I paused before looking back at him carefully. "I want you to act like an adult."

Black stared defiantly for a long moment before his shoulders slumped down. "How do you expect me to do that? I was thrown into Azkaban about a year after I graduated."

"For starters, give up on your plan to kill Pettigrew," I demanded, and the man looked outraged. Before he could open his mouth, however, I said, "Break all the bones in his body if you feel the need to, just don't kill him. If you're going to have a life outside of always hiding away like a coward, then I suggest that you get Pettigrew ousted as the real traitor."

"That's pointless. People won't believe me," Black argued.

"Then, get undeniable proof," I said harshly, "Get them Pettigrew."

Black frowned deeply. "It'd be easier if I could just kill him and take the body."

"How is a dead body going to tell everyone that you're actually innocent?" I retorted quickly, and Black silently scowled. "You're from the Ancient and Noble House of Black. Use the skills beaten into you for something beyond the label of a traumatic childhood." With that, I stepped from the shack, slamming the door behind me. I walked through the tunnel by merely feeling the wall of dirt. Once I made it to the Whomping Willow, I touched the knob to make the tree freeze and headed back toward the castle.

Black, whether he realized it or not, was a pawn on my board now.

I felt my lips curl up as I waved my wand at my clothes, getting any dust and dirt off of them. I pocketed my wand as I thought of the tiny seed of malice Black had against Dumbledore and how I'd use it to my advantage.

That old crone was going to lose his control over my brother, and he'd lose control over the school if I had anything to say about it. He was far too manipulative to do anyone any good, and he was clearly the mastermind behind Harry's and my horrible upbringing. To stick us with those awful muggles and then act as though he truly cared for us the whole time…

I scoffed as I made it to the castle's front doors. I entered Hogwarts and made my way to the Slytherin common room. It was there that I got changed into dry clothes that weren't cold from sitting in a shack for three hours. Once I was done with that, I grabbed my bag and headed back up to the library to continue on with my homework.

It was just before dinner that Harry had wandered over to me in the library, looking as though he was dealing with a whirlwind of emotions. He sat down next to me and remained silent for a long moment, merely staring into the space ahead of him with a blank expression.

"You were snooping around again and found out something unpleasant, huh?" I asked as I looked at my twin carefully.

"I…" Harry grit his teeth as one emotion finally managed to overtake the others. "I know more about Sirius Black now. Fudge was at the Three Broomsticks, and I overheard him talking with Professor McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, and some lady about what happened to our parents."

"You snuck out of Hogwarts," I said as I narrowed my eyes sharply at the boy.

"That doesn't matter," Harry snapped at me as he turned his green eyes toward mine. "Black was our parents' secret keeper, and he - he sold our parents out to Voldemort."

"Did the Minister say that?" I asked.

Harry nodded once. "Black also killed another of our parents' friends, Peter Pettigrew, and twelve muggles after Pettigrew confronted him."

I stared silently for a long moment, wondering how to nudge Harry away from the idea of trusting the Minister's version of events. I never got to say anything when Granger and Weasley quickly rushed over.

"There you are, Harry!" Granger exclaimed in a voice just barely tolerable for a library.

"You two let him sneak out to Hogsmeade knowing that there are dementors around?" I asked as I narrowed my eyes harshly at the two.

"Of course, we didn't," Weasley snapped, "He snuck out on his own."

"Is that all you care about?" Harry seethed as he glared at me. "I just told you that Black-"

"I know what you said," I said as I sat back in my seat. "It doesn't stop me from worrying that you could have gotten your soul sucked out just for information you could have asked a staff member about."

"No one told us so far," Harry argued, "Why would they have told us now?"

"You never asked," I said, "If you had asked for the truth, I'm sure someone would have told you."

He scoffed at that.

"Besides," I said as I looked back at my essays, "They probably figured you'd be reckless in a pursuit of Black."

Harry remained silent for a moment too long.

I snapped my gaze back to him and said, "If I even catch a hint of you trying to go after Black, I'm telling a professor."

Harry looked appalled. "You would rat me out?"

"If it meant keeping you alive, yes," I confirmed. "You don't have the skills necessary to go against the man that betrayed our parents."

"I can't just let him get away-"

"You can," I interrupted, "And you will. I'm sure that that man will be caught sooner or later without your interference."

Harry didn't look content with my words at all. He merely stood up and stormed off toward the library entrance.

"If you two let my brother face off against Black, you'll have hell to pay," I promised as I glared at both Granger and Weasley.

Granger flinched away from me upon seeing my red eyes, and Weasley paled behind all of his freckles. The two quickly rushed away from me, following after Harry as fast as they could.

I held back a sigh as I began to pack up my homework. I then brought my bag down to the Slytherin common room and dropped it off in my room. Once done with that, I headed up to the Great Hall for dinner.

The majority of the Slytherins were smiling and eating happily. They were talking about Hogsmeade as I sat down and began to serve myself food.

"Oh, yeah," Nott said as he suddenly turned his attention to me. "You're staying at Hogwarts this year for Yule, aren't you?"

"I am," I confirmed before taking a bite of my roast beef.

"Why?" He pressed.

I contemplated my answer for a moment before finally smirking. "I'm going to get answers."

Immediately, Zabini snapped his head around to look at me in shock. In a hushed hiss, he asked, "You're - you're going after Sirius Black?"

That caused everyone around the two of us to fall silent.

I scowled at the black boy. "Could you say it a little louder? I don't think the Gryffindors heard you."

"Are you mad?" Malfoy asked incredulously.

"It may be rubbing off on me a bit," I admitted.

"Merlin, Potter," Greengrass gasped with wide eyes, "You've seen him again?"

"That's a polite way of saying jinxed, but yes," I confirmed.

"You jinxed Black?" Davis asked as she looked at me with a mixture of horror and awe.

I gave the girl a bright smile. "He almost cried."

"But - but why?" Parkinson asked.

"Was I supposed to just let him off scot-free after scaring me over the summer?" I inquired.

The others remained silent as they stared at me incredulously.

"Besides," I said as I sat back, "He let something slip that I want to know more about."

"You won't get in any trouble, will you?" Nott asked suspiciously.

"If I do, I'll always pin it back to someone else," I chirped before straightening up. "Now, don't ask me any more questions for the sake of plausible deniability."

The third-years just stared for a long time, watching me continue my meal. Then, they all shared glances before deciding that they really didn't want to know more.

I internally cackled as the meal soon ended, leaving the students to shuffle back to bed before the early leave the next morning.

The next morning was a whirlwind of activity before the majority of the students at Hogwarts left.

I was free to stroll around as I wished, but I also knew that I couldn't slip away as easily as I did before. I was contemplating just how to approach Black again as I sat before the fire in the Slytherin common room when a fifth year passed by, looking surprisingly irked.

He ended up throwing himself in a nearby chair and glared daggers at the air before him.

I looked back toward the fire, but the hostility coming off the boy left me feeling uncomfortable. I was just about to get up when the fifth-year spoke up.

"Potter, you know how to duel," he said suddenly, causing me to look back at him cautiously.

"That's correct," I said slowly.

"I want tips," the older Slytherin declared.

I blinked owlishly. "It's against the rules at Hogwarts to duel."

"I won't duel at Hogwarts…" He trailed in a way that clearly indicated that he never finished his sentence.

I barely bit back a sigh. "What tips do you want? Proper dueling etiquette, where to target, or something else?"

"I want to know spells that hit hard," he answered with a somewhat malicious spark in his eyes.

"Any spell can 'hit hard' if you know what you're doing," I pointed out, "Did you watch Snape disarm Lockhart at the Dueling Club last year?"

Immediately, the fifth-year perked up. "Yes, I did. Pretty satisfying, huh?"

"To say the least," I said while giving a single nod. "My point is that even a simple spell can turn into a good weapon. You just have to intend to wield it differently."

"What do you mean by that?" The boy asked with a furrowed brow.

"Magic is about intent," I said, causing him to nod once in understanding. "You have to intend to cause harm."

He rubbed his chin before saying, "I want to do a mock duel with you."

"And have us both get detention?" I questioned. "No, thank you."

"Then demonstrate a spell for me," he said, "And intend to harm something."

"You're rather determined, aren't you?" I asked as I bit back a scowl.

"I can't stand that Ravenclaw bastard - thinking he's better than me just because his grades in Charms are higher," the unnamed boy seethed.

I contemplated his words for a moment before asking, "Who's the Ravenclaw?"

"Roger Davies," the boy spat as though the very name tasted like ash on his tongue. He then paused before suddenly saying as an afterthought, "I'm Terence Higgs, by the way."

"I was wondering when you were going to introduce yourself," I mused before straightening up. "Follow me. I know a place we can go."

Roger immediately got to his feet and followed after me through the dungeons to the room that had a dueling stage. He paused nervously outside of the door, and he verbalized his nerves by saying, "You said we aren't going to duel."

"We're not," I said honestly. I flicked my wand at a spare desk that was also there, transfiguring it into a wooden dummy. I then levitated the dummy and put it on the stage before going to the opposite side of the stage. I bowed politely to the fake enemy, got into the dueling position that I had learned in my first year, and flicked my wand at the dummy. "Diffindo!"

The wooden dummy was sliced diagonally, and the top part fell off from the bottom.

I then snapped my wand at the top half of the dummy and exclaimed, "Bombarda!"

The entire dummy was obliterated with an explosion that almost deafened me.

I immediately glanced over at Higgs, who had covered his ears and was looking at me with wide, brown eyes. I gave a sheepish grin as I quickly got off the stage. "I'm sorry if your ears are ringing…" I flicked my wand at the mess I left behind and said, "Scourgify."

Even though the ash and scorch marks were cleaned up, it was clear by how the stage was slightly warped by the heat that some sort of explosion occurred.

I was going to suggest that we leave the scene of the crime, but I never got the chance.

Filch came running in while yelling, "That better not have been you, Peeves!" The man came to a stop and looked around suspiciously. "What happened here?"

I held back a nervous chuckle. "I was practicing my spells."

The man narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing me in the slightest. "Why is he here?" He asked as he motioned over to Higgs.

"He heard the explosion and came to see what happened," I lied.

"That's right," Higgs agreed right away.

Filch stared between us before begrudgingly nodding. "Fine. Potter, follow me. I must write up a report."

"Very well," I said as I followed after the squib.

Higgs remained silent as he watched us leave, but I could see that he was thinking about something intently.

I followed Filch to his office and sat down before his desk. I watched him write up a report on how I 'disturbed the peace of the castle by casting spells outside of class'. I remained perfectly calm as he finished before saying, "I'm handing this into Dumbledore. You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir," I said politely as I stood up. I then headed out toward the dungeons, only to see that Higgs was waiting for me by the stairs to the dungeons.

Snape was there, too, and he looked quite cross as he glared across the entrance hall at me.

"Good morning, sir," I greeted as if I had done nothing to warrant his bad attitude.

"What did I tell you about dueling?" Snape asked sternly.

"That duels are not permitted on Hogwarts grounds," I said honestly, "However, we didn't duel."

"Detention," Snape snapped in reply. "And this one won't be for the damage you caused to school property."

Higgs shifted uncomfortably as he stood there.

"Now, if I catch wind of you practicing dangerous spells like that again, you'll get more than just a detention." With that, Snape swept off toward his office in the dungeons once more.

I waited for him to leave before looking at Higgs. "Well, you're not in trouble, at least."

Higgs gave a slow nod before asking, "Did Filch give you a detention, too?"

"Not yet," I replied.

"Well, in any case, thank you for taking the blame," he said.

I waved it off dismissively. "Slytherins should stick together."

Higgs gave a slow nod before straightening up. "Well, I'll let you do whatever it was you were doing before I interrupted."

I barely held back a snort. "I'll see you around…" I turned heel and headed back down to the common room.

Time crawled by, and no opportunity to slip away unnoticed arrived.

Eventually, Christmas morning arrived, and I slid out of bed with a yawn. I quickly got changed into my casual, black robes and headed down to the common room to work on homework once more.

Higgs soon came down, and he looked at me with a grin as he held something under his arm. "Morning, Potter," he greeted as he began to walk through the common room.

"You're rather chipper," I noted out loud.

"Presents do that to a person," Higgs replied with a shrug. "What'd you get?"

"Nothing," I answered as I turned my gaze back to my work.

Higgs paused just before he could leave the common room. "Nothing?"

"Nothing," I repeated honestly.

"Not even from your brother?" Higgs pressed.

"In fairness to Harry, I didn't get him anything either," I said as I continued on with my Ancient Runes homework.

"What about your muggle relatives?" Higgs questioned.

I snorted before saying, "They won't spend their money on me. They hate my existence just as much as I hate theirs."

Higgs remained silent for a long moment, contemplating his next words.

"I don't want your pity," I said sharply.

Higgs winced a bit before mumbling an apology. He then left the common room behind, leaving me alone for Christmas.

I sighed softly as I worked on the essay before me even though I really didn't feel like it. Eventually, my stomach rumbled, demanding food. I left my homework scattered across the table as I meandered up to the Great Hall for lunch.

There was only one table there instead of the usual four, and it was set for thirteen people.

I sat down next to Higgs, who had been sitting next to Flitwick.

Besides the three of us, there was Dumbledore, Sprout, McGonagall, Snape, Filch, and two nervous-looking first-years.

We waited for my brother and his two friends to show up, which they did after five minutes.

"Merry Christmas!" Dumbledore exclaimed as the three Gryffindors approached the table. "As there are so few of us, it seemed foolish to use the House tables… Sit down, sit down!"

Harry, Granger, and Weasley quickly did as told.

"Crackers!" The old crone exclaimed excitedly, offering the end of a large silver noisemaker to Snape, who took it reluctantly and tugged. With a loud bang like a gunshot, the cracker flew apart to reveal a large, pointed witch's hat topped with a stuffed vulture.

I gave the incredibly ugly hat a disgusted look, offended by its mere existence.

Snape's mouth thinned as he pushed the offending garment toward Dumbledore, who swapped it out with his usual wizard's hat at once.

"Dig in!" Dumbledore said loudly, beaming around.

I began to help myself to some corn when the doors to the Great Hall opened.

There, a woman with the thickest glasses I'd ever seen walked in. She was wearing a green sequined dress that made her look like a glittering, oversized dragonfly.

"Sybill, this is a pleasant surprise!" Dumbledore exclaimed as he beamed at the woman.

"I have been crystal gazing, Headmaster," the woman said in a misty, faraway voice, "And to my astonishment, I saw myself abandoning my solitary luncheon and coming to join you. Who am I to refuse the promptings of fate? I at once hastened myself from my tower, and I do beg you to forgive my lateness…"

"Certainly, certainly," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling brightly, "Let me draw you up a chair." With a wave of his wand, a chair appeared in midair before falling down between Snape and McGonagall, both of whom looked like they had just smelled something rancid.

Trelawney glanced around the table hesitantly before stepping forth.

I watched her sit down while gazing around warily at us all.

As soon as her eyes landed on me, she shivered.

McGonagall poked a large spoon into the nearest tureen. "Tripe, Sybill?"

The woman didn't reply as she looked over the table once again. "But where is dear Professor Lupin?"

"I'm afraid the poor fellow is ill again," Dumbledore said as he motioned for everyone to once again serve themselves. "Most unfortunate that it should happen on Christmas Day."

"But surely you already knew that, Sybill?" McGonagall questioned as she raised her eyebrows at the unknown teacher.

Immediately, the woman gave a cold look in retort. "Certainly I knew, Minerva, but one does not parade the fact that one is All-Knowing. I frequently act as though I am not possessed of the Inner Eye, so as to not make others nervous."

"That explains a great deal," McGonagall said tartly.

The other professor's voice suddenly became a lot less misty. "If you just know, Minerva, I have seen that poor Professor Lupin will not be with us for very long. He seems to be aware, himself, that his time is short. He positively fled when I offered to crystal gaze for him-"

"Imagine that," McGonagall said tartly.

"Tell me, Professor," I interjected as I gave the unknown woman a charming smile, "Do you crystal gaze for everyone? I find myself curious as to my future recently."

The woman looked at me hesitantly before offering, "I could read your tea leaves now."

I quickly downed the rest of my tea and handed my cup over before anyone could protest.

The woman took one look down at the teacup before shrieking shrilly and dropping the porcelain. "It's the grim!"

McGonagall immediately scowled at the woman.

Snape didn't look much better, glaring fiercely at the teacher that probably taught Divinations.

"Was it truly the grim?" I asked as I looked at the woman calmly.

"Yes, it was!" The unnamed woman exclaimed.

I sat back in my seat in silence, gazing intently at the woman. Before I could open my mouth and ask her if she was mad, Dumbledore decided to interfere.

"I doubt that Professor Lupin or Mr. Potter are in any immediately danger. Severus, you've made the potion for Professor Lupin again?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Yes, Headmaster," Snape confirmed.

"Good," Dumbledore approved, "Then he should be up and about in no time… Derek, have you had any of the chipolatas? They're excellent."

The first-year boy went furiously red upon being addressed directly by Dumbledore and took the platter of sausages with shaking hands.

After fifteen minutes or so, I had finished and stood up.

"Where are you going, dear boy?" Dumbledore questioned as I moved away from the table.

"I still have homework to do," I said honestly, "Besides, I'm full."

"You're doing homework today?" Weasley asked incredulously.

"This day is no different than any other day of the year to me," I said honestly, "Now, if you'll excuse me…" I nodded once toward those at the table before taking my leave. I headed down to the Slytherin common room and grabbed my cloak, knowing that I only had an hour at most before I'd need to make my way back to the common room. I headed out of Hogwarts and toward the Whomping Willow, eager to harass Black once more.

The Whomping Willow was easy enough to freeze in place, and the tunnel was as straight as always as it headed to the location that surely lingered outside of Hogwarts grounds.

I made it to the door at the end of the tunnel in no time at all and opened it up without any hesitation.

"Oh, Severus-"

Lupin and I both froze in place as we stared at each other, clearly not expecting the other to be there.

"What are you doing here?" Lupin asked as he sat on the bed in clothes that looked even worse than they normally did.

"I like coming here to be alone," I lied, "I didn't know anyone else came here."

Lupin gave a forced smile. "You weren't injured by the Whomping Willow to get here, were you?"

"No, sir," I answered, "I just froze it by hitting the knob on its trunk."

"I see…" Lupin fell silent for a long moment before asking, "Mr. Potter, could you - er - come back here tomorrow?"

"Will you tell Dumbledore that I snuck out of Hogwarts ground?" I questioned, and Lupin's lips tugged up.

"Not if you keep it a secret that I was here," he replied.

"Very well," I said with a curt nod, "I shall be leaving now." I stepped out of the small shack, closing the door behind me. I then quickly headed back the other way, wondering where Black was if not in that shack. I left the tunnel soon enough, and I made it past the Whomping Willow to go back to the castle. Frustration ate at me as I shivered in the freezing cold air of December.

Honestly, Black was just like a child. At least he knew not to be caught by Hogwarts staff, but that didn't excuse his childish behavior of running around. It was like he was trying to get caught by the Dementors.

I sneered as I made my way toward the steps leading to the castle.

A loud bark stopped me.

I looked over my shoulder, and I saw a flash of black fur moving around by the lake. I immediately moved toward the dog, knowing damn-well it was Sirius Black.

The animagus was sitting on the dock, wagging his tail as he stared up at me with gray eyes.

"You're a nuisance," I commented as I stood next to the dog.

The dog gave a whine as if I had just kicked him.

I scoffed before saying, "I know it's you, Black."

The dog looked around before suddenly shifting into his human form, a process that both looked and sounded painful. He gave a grin as he remained sitting in the snow on the dock. "Did you miss me?"

"Don't make me kick you," I grumbled as I stared ahead of me at the frozen-over lake. "Did you know that that man is in the shack? Is that why you're here?"

"Yeah," he agreed as he gave a sorrowful smile, "I don't think Remus would be happy to see me right now."

"You know him well," I said as I finally sat down in the snow next to Black, though I did so begrudgingly.

He gave a humorless chuckle. "I did, once upon a time."

I flicked my gaze to him, only to see him staring off into the distance. I returned my gaze to the lake and said, "Well, in any case, I hope you've eaten lately."

The man laughed as if I had just told the best joke he heard in years. "I get scraps from the garbage if I'm lucky."

I grimaced at that, my head ducking down a bit. "I apologize."

"Don't worry about it," Black said nonchalantly. "Now, why did you come find me?"

"I wanted to pick your brain some more," I admitted, "But I'd feel like an arse if I did that now."

"Why?" He asked.

"You're going to have to sleep in the snow tonight," I answered, "Lupin's in your little hiding place, after all, and he's probably not going to come out until noon tomorrow at the earliest."

"Why do you say that?" Black questioned as he stared at me apprehensively.

"You and I both know he's a werewolf," I grumbled softly.

Before Black could confirm or deny that accusation, he suddenly tensed. "Colton, run."

My brow furrowed at the urgency in his tone, and I glanced over my shoulder to see what he was staring at. My stomach sank as I saw the dementors that were supposed to be surrounding Hogwarts approaching fast. I quickly scrambled to my feet and began to rush back to Hogwarts, only to pause upon seeing Black sitting in place. "What are you doing?" I hissed at the animagus. "Come on."

The dog shook its head at me, and something in my chest twisted.

"I wasn't asking," I said as I motioned for the dog to follow me. "Come on!"

The animagus once again shook its head, looking over its shoulder at the dementors that had almost reached him.

"Bloody hell," I cursed before snapping my wand at the dog. "Petrificus Totalus!"

The dog seized up and fell on its side.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" I said as I flicked and swished my wand at the dog. I quickly levitated the animagus toward me before turning heel, making him float in front of me. I trudged through the snow as fast as I could, but I knew deep in my gut that I was screwed.

The rattling breath of a dementor sounded just behind me, and it began to suck out the good memories I had, of which there weren't very many.

I bit my lip to keep focused on my task, but my vision blurred as I heard the screaming of a woman. I staggered in my steps, dropping the dog in the process. A string of curses came from my lips as I tried to advance through the snow and get to Black. I didn't get more than a step before my vision began to darken at the edges. I ended up collapsing onto my face, and another deep, rattling breath came from behind me.

Black whined loudly as he tried in vain to shift.

I closed my eyes for a moment, and a room was envisioned in my mind's eye.

A masculine voice muttered, §Now isn't the time to be resting…§

I opened my eyes and was blinded by the pure white snow. I didn't have much strength, but I managed to turn and point my wand at the many dementors. I narrowed my eyes at them before spitting out, "Bombarda."

The sound of the explosion was deafening as the dementors were forced by the blast that came from the end of my wand.

I staggered to my feet, knowing well that I only had a few moments to act. I decided that Black would probably survive if I allowed him to move in his dog form. I muttered a quick, "Finite," before staggering on my way.

Black turned into a human quickly and grabbed me. He began to help me stumble through the snow, and he informed me quietly, "You should have run. The dementors can't sense me when I'm in my dog form."

"Then go," I said as I looked at him out of the corners of my eyes. "People in the castle have to have heard the blast."

Black glanced over his shoulder before looking at the castle. The man grit his teeth before giving me a look so full of sorrow, I actually felt bad. "I'll find you later," he promised before quickly changing into a dog and rushed off.

The dementors caught up once more, and they seemed full of wrath as they surrounded me.

I clutched my chest tightly as I fell to the ground once more.

The screaming of a woman followed by the high-pitched cackling of a man filled my ears.

I clenched my eyes shut tightly as a feeling of cold unlike any other filled me. I gasped for breath, but the air stung my lungs. I curled into a ball as I laid on the ground, tempted to crawl into the cold embrace of sleep.

§Not yet…§

I released a shuddering breath as my brow furrowed. I was tired, so why shouldn't I have given in?

§Just a bit longer…§

I whimpered softly as I thought, Please… It hurts…

§It will hurt more if you die without meeting the source of your fascination, won't it?§

As if I'll ever meet him… I thought as I felt my body begin to relax.

§Insolent brat, who do you think is talking to you right now?§

Even if it was just for a split-second, I thought I saw the face of a man inside of my mind.

With red eyes and wavy, black hair, it was undoubtedly the source of my longest fascination. His pale skin seemed so lovely when compared to his black robes.

I tried to keep that image in mind, but it flickered out of life as if it were a snuffed out candle.

The sudden shriek of something caught my brief attention.

I couldn't even shudder as something warm seemed to engulf me.

§Now, you may sleep.§

I allowed myself to slip into the dark abyss that called for me, too tired to fight it off any longer when I hadn't the need to.