A Wonder

She spent most of Christmas break with her siblings, and mother, baking cookies and watching Christmas films. A few days after Christmas Ryleigh and Erin were sitting together while the kids played with all their new toys. Her mother had gotten her a new set of potions books and new cage for Beau who was currently seated on the arm of a chair near them, cozying by the fire. 

“Hey mam…” she asked and Erin looked up from her book. 

“Yes love?” She asked.

“I was wondering.. if you.. would you tell me about my dad?” She asked and Erin looked at her. 

“Um…” she swallowed hard and looked over at the small kids who were paying them no mind.  

“What made you… ask that?” Her mother asked, a cold sweat had broken out on her forehead as she spoke. 

“Just thinking about it.. I was thinking about Liam and if my dad ever.. visited when I was little…” 

“Ryleigh, love, your dad… he isn’t a good person.” Erin said with a heavy sigh. 

“Isn’t? As in, he’s still alive then?” Ryleigh asked, a bright glimmer of hope that Erin could see only to have it hidden a moment later. 

“He.. is. Yes, but I don’t want you looking into him.” Erin said firmly. 

“But I —“

“No, that’s it. All you need to know about your father is that he did one thing right and that was giving me you. That’s all that matters.”

Ryleigh thought her mother must be mad if she wasn’t going to push the topic further than that.  

“What if he wants to know me!?” Ryleigh asked. 

“Ryleigh Sloane Walsh!” Erin shouted and they all looked at her, startled. 

“I will not hear of it anymore Ryleigh.” 

Ryleigh stood up, slammed her books to the couch and ran up the stairs, each footsteps thundering throughout the house before slamming her bedroom door. 

She climbed onto her bed and held her pillow tight to her body. She wondered briefly if the floo pack to Hogwarts would work early though she thought probably not with Sirius Black still at large. Still she grabbed a bag with a few things she’d want and tucked it under her bed for later. 

Ryleigh stayed in her room for the rest of the night. She heard her mother tuck her brother and sister into bed. Then as her own bedroom doorknob turned she squeezed her eyes shut pretending to sleep. Erin waiting in the doorway for a few moments before she sighed and exited again, followed by the sound of Erin’s own door closing. After another few hours of silence she was fairly confident that Erin was asleep. She took the few things she had packed and crept out of her bedroom, down the steps and back into the living room. She grabbed her new books and Beau and stepped into the floo. She crossed her fingers squeezed her eyes shut and hoped as she threw down the floo powder that it would work. 

And it did. In a burst of green flames she was suddenly standing in Professor Snapes office in the middle of the night. 

Now what? She asked herself as she stood alone in the dark office with her owl and stack of books. 

A door on the far wall opened, it wasn’t the door out to the hall but presumably to another room. Snape stood in the doorway, wand drawn, his usual black button up robes swapped for a looser but still turtleneck long sleeve shirt and pants with a night robe overtop. Just as put together and covered as he looked during the day. 

She swallowed hard at the sight of him. 

“What on earth are you doing?” He scolded and moved closer to her. As he stepped close enough to see her tear soaked cheeks and red swollen eyes he froze, grimaced and took a step back. 

“I’m sorry professor… I don’t know what I was thinking honest—“ she cried, “I just didn’t want to be at home anymore and…” 

“Are you injured? Do you need madam pomfrey?” He asked and she shook her head. 

“No! my mam… didn’t do anything like that, she’s not like that…” she said and he relaxed slightly. 

“Back you go then.” He said and she shook her head. 

“No I— I’ll just, I want to stay here, please.” She said and he sighed.

“Ms Walsh, your mother will be worried after you, you need to go home.” He said. Her breathing was picking up again, the tell tale sign of her oncoming panic as she shook her head adamantly at him. 

“I don’t want to… she, she won’t even tell me who he is… I just want to know…”

“Who, who is?” He asked. She looked up at his calm expression and bit her lip hard before speaking. 

“My… my dad.” She said, “I just want to know who he is.” 

Snape sighed and rubbed a hand over his tired face. “This is a simple solution Ms. Walsh.” 

“What?” She asked. 

“You need to go home, if I tell you what you’re seeking will you go?” He asked.

“How would you know??” She asked back.

“I just know. Answer the question.” 

“I— yes, please.” She said.

“I need an assurance from you that you won’t go looking for him. As I’m sure your mothers told you he is a dangerous man. But I believe you have to right to know, as if he should ever approach you I expect you to come to me right away. Do you understand?” 

She nodded, the confusion still evident on her face. 

“Who is it?”

“Sirius Black.” He responded and her jaw dropped. 

“What?” She asked after a long moment of silence. 

“I will not repeat myself. I’ve kept my end you will keep yours now.” And he ushered her back into the floo.

“But I—“ 

“Ms. Walsh.” 

She wanted to know more but honestly she didn’t think he knew much else, not to mention she could seem to even form a follow up question so she did as she was asked and used the floo to go back home. 

Her mother was sitting on the couch, arms crossed waiting. 

“And where we’re you?”

“I… went back to Hogwarts…” Ryleigh explained.

“Back so soon then?” Erin asked. 

“I’m sorry mam… I was upset and… I didn’t mean to worry you.” 

“Ryleigh… I know you’re curious about your father and I understand but you have to trust that it is best for you not to know.” Erin said. She pulled the girl in for a tight hug and Ryleigh stood stone still. 

“I’m going up to bed.” Ryleigh said and took Beau with her up the stairs. Erin watched with sadness as she left. The blonde woman let her head fall into her hands and closed her eyes. 

Xx

The exact moment that she could go back to Hogwarts she did. Materializing in Snapes office she was glad to find it empty, she left immediately for her dorm, dropped her stuff then went up to the astronomy tower and simply waited for her friends to arrive. She waited what felt like all day, the sun began to set and the sky grew dark around her but she stayed. She couldn’t bring herself to leave the tower, not to eat, not to speak to anyone.  Sometime after dark she heard quiet footsteps approaching. 

Someone sat down beside her and took her hand. She didn’t have to look to know it was Luna. 

“What’s wrong?” The blonde asked and seemed to slide closer. 

Ryleigh sighed, “how do you know something is wrong?” She asked. 

“I always know when something is wrong with you, just like you do with me.” Luna answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

A heavy blanket of silence engulfed them. 

“I found out who my dad is.” Ryleigh said.

“That’s great!” Luna said. 

“It’s Sirius Black.” Ryleigh said. 

“That’s even better!” Cried Luna.

“Better? How one earth is that better?? He’s a murdering death eater!” She yelled. Then she pointed to the ever present floating black dementors in the sky.

“Those things! Are here for him!” 

“Yes, you’re right but that means he’s around right! Maybe you could talk to him! Or maybe he’s just here looking for you!” She suggested. 

“Don’t be ridiculous Luna, you know who he is! He’s looking for Harry, he’s going to try and kill him!” She said, getting more and more upset.

Luna shrunk back from her but then shook her head as if shaking away the negative energy. 

“It’s always possible Ryleigh.” 

“Well I don’t want anything to do with him.”

Xx

The brisk January air bit harshly into her skin as she sat on the pebbly shore of the lake. She’d been spending significantly more time alone since telling Luna about Sirius and she was starting to feel the weight of bitter loneliness. As the month of January came and went she had also taken to canceling her meetings with Snape since she’d been back to school. Not particularly wanting to be in the presence of anyone who knew the same information she did she hid herself away. 

She did her work and went to class and nothing else. 

As she sat on the rocks she heard something rustle behind her. Whipping out her wand she spun around, ready. 

“Who’s there.” She shouted. Silence. 

She glanced around nervously, fist gripping her wand tightly as she moved closer. 

Nothing. 

She relaxed slightly but not enough to sit back down so she grabbed her cloak and headed back toward the castle. 

From the dark shadows the still dog watched her go.

Xx

It was the middle of the night when they shot awake to the sound of screaming. She looked over at Ginny, making sure it wasn’t her before they both shot out of bed and down the stairs. The entire Gryffindor house had gathered in the common room. Ron was flailing around and shouting about Sirius Black being in the dorms while Percy and the other older years tried to calm him.

“Why doesn’t someone just go get McGonagall?” Ryleigh asked and they all looked to her. 

She looked back to them and then sighed. She grabbed her wand and stomped out of the tower, making her way to McGonagall’s office. She knocked.

A moment later she heard shuffling and the door swung open. Similar to Snapes office the room had another door leading to presumably a sleeping quarters. 

McGonagalls hair was out and wavy on her shoulders. She wore a grey night gown and a wrap around her shoulders. 

“Ms. Walsh, is everything alright?” She asked.

“We need you in the common room Professor.” She said, “Ron says he’s seen Sirius Black in the dorms.” 

The Professor looked unconvinced but led the way back to Gryffindor tower anyway.

When she entered they all started talking at her at once but she held up a hand and in just that motion they all shut up. 

“He was standing above the bed, he had a knife. He probably thought my bed was Harry’s.” Ron said and then winced, “sorry mate.” 

“That is preposterous Weasley. How could Sirius Black possibly get through the portrait hole?” She asked. 

“I don’t know how he got in! I was a bit busy dodging his knives…” Ron’s said.

Then McGonagall turned to Percy and asked him, “Percy, have you seen Sir Cadogan?”

“Um.. oh he’s there Professor.”

“Sir Cadogan, sir Cadogan?” She called to the knight in the painting with a woman.

“Ah, um, how may I serve you ma’am?” He fumbled out. 

“Excuse me, is it possible that you let a mysterious man into Gryffindor tower tonight?” She asked and the knight made a few strange noises before answering. 

“Certainly good lady, he had the password. He had the whole weeks in fact, on a little piece of paper.” He said.

“Which abysmally foolish person wrote down the passwords and then proceeded to lose them?” She asked turning around to look directly at Neville. “Is it always going to be you?” She asked and then sighed, “well, Sirius Black is gone tonight. I think you can all safely assume that he will at some future time attempt to return. Now I speak for the entire staff when I say, while we take every precaution to ensure your safety it is incumbent upon yourselves to act responsibility. Understood?” She asked and they mumbled an ‘understood’ in return. 

“Very good off you go then.” 

They all shuffled back to their dorms. Ginny grabbing hold of Ryleighs hand before she could protest. As soon as they got up she closed the door and pulled Ryleigh in for a tight hug. 

“Wha—“

“Just shut it.” Ginny mumbled into her shoulder. 

They stayed like that for a while before Ginny finally pulled back to find Ryleighs face covered in tears. 

“I’m sorry…” Ryleigh sobbed. Ginny took her hands and led her over to the bed sitting down and pulling Ryleigh with her. 

“I am here okay? I know you don’t want to talk about it. And I know that it scares you but.. it doesn’t matter okay? Being related to someone doesn’t make you like them and hiding away from the people who care about you isn’t going to make you feel better.” 

Ryleigh didn’t say anything but she let Ginny pull her down onto the bed and wrap the blankets around them. 

“I love you.” Ginny said. “Luna loves you and for whatever reason Snape has a serious like for you…” they laughed tearfully. “You are wonderful Ryleigh, wonderful.” 

“I love you to G.” Ryleigh whispered.

Xx

She didn’t cancel her next meeting with Snape but she did allow Luna to come with her and keep her company as she wasn’t sure she could handle the endless silence that came with them. 

Luna chatted incessantly and it was exactly what Ryleigh needed. Snape on the other hand clearly found it incredibly irritating but held his tongue best he could and she was grateful. 

As Ryleigh stoppered the last of the potion in the vial they all seemed to hold their breath. 

One. Two. Three. Four.

The liquid sizzled momentarily.

“The wand work.” He reminded and she nodded, taking out her wand she circled the potion twice before flicking gently at it. It changed from a sizzling clear to a light purple color with small bubbles. 

She slowly smiled as she placed down her wand. 

“How do we tell if it worked?” She asked.

Snape hummed and picked it up. He swirled it around in the vial before taking a clean dropper and sucked some up. 

He looked to the girls with squinted eyes. 

“If I fall unconscious give me that and then get a professor.” He said and pointed to another vial on a shelf. They both looked at him wide eyed as he dropped the dropper full of potion into his mouth and swallowed.

They waited and waited but he stayed upright. 

He nodded and walked over to his desk where he pulled out a small knife. Placing it on his skin he pressed down but it wouldn’t budge. 

Ryleighs mouth dropped open. 

“It works!” Luna shouted happily, she rested her hands on Ryleighs shoulders as she jumped around in excitement.

“Well done indeed. Let’s put it to the test then.” He said. “Pick up your wand Ms Walsh.” She nodded and did as she was told. 

“I believe you lean The Severing Charm in charms 2nd year?” He asked and the girls nodded. 

“Go on then. Let’s see how well your potions works.” 

She bit her lip and pointed her wand at him. 

“Diffindo” she said and swiped her wand through the air, down up down and to the right. 

They watched as a blast shot out and hit him square in the chest. He stumbled back from it but caught himself on his desk. 

“Now try, “Sectumsempra”, and only this once Ms Walsh.” He said and showed her the movement for the spell. She nodded and then cast it at him.  

As he stumbled back again McGonagall was walking past the room.

“Ms. Walsh!” She shouted. “Expelliarmus” the Professor shouted and Ryleighs wand went flying from her hand. 

Ryleigh and Luna both snapped their heads to look at her.

“No I—“ she stated but McGonagall wasn’t listening. 

“How dare you attack your teacher!” She began but Snape cleared his throat and she looked to him.

“She wasn’t attacking Minerva.” He said rather blandly. “Though I feel I should be offended you think I can’t defend myself against two 2nd year students.” Was his next line. McGonagall seemed to think about that for a moment and then settled on agreement. 

“Then what is going on in here?” She asked. 

“Ms. Walsh has been working quite tirelessly on a potion of her own invention, I’ve been supervising.” He said. “She completed it today we we’re testing it.” He explained and she looked to Ryleigh who’s face was beat red. 

Then McGonagall cleared her throat as walked over to where Ryleighs wand had gone flying. She picked it up and handed it back to the girl. 

“Very sorry Ms Walsh, well done.”

“It’s fine” Ryleigh said awkwardly. 

“I will.. leave you to it then.” She said and took her leave. 

Luna started laughing as soon as she was gone and Ryleigh joined her a moment later. They even saw Snapes mouth tick upward briefly.

“Congratulations Ryleigh.” He said when they stopped laughing and she smiled at him. 

“Thank you for all of you help Professor, I couldn’t have done it without you.” She said and moved closer to him, almost a hug but then stopped and stuck a hand out for him to shake. He took it and shook her hand.

“Onto the next one.” He said.

“What was it called again Ry?” Luna asked and Ryleigh looked at her. 

“I’m calling it Steel Skin Potion.” 

Snape handed her the vial. “You may keep this, but I expect you to be responsible with it, it is not a toy for you and your friends.” 

“If you would provide me a copy of the recipe Ms Walsh.” He said and she nodded. 

“Geminio” she said and flicked her wand at the page with the recipe on it, creating an exact replica next to it and handing that to Snape.

“Off you go.” He said and they ran out together, potion and recipe in hand.

As soon as they were out of the room they started jumping and cheering together. 

“You made a whole new potion Ryleigh!” Luna cheered. 

“I KNOW!!” 

“You’re only 13!!” Luna yelled with a laugh. 

“I KNOW!!” Then she stopped and widened her eyes. “He’s going to expect this from me now…” she said.

“So?” Luna asked.

“What if that was it? Like what if I’m out of ideas?”

Luna rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly, silly.” She smiled, “let’s go find Ginny okay?” Then the blonde grabbed her hand and pulled her along to find their friend.

Xx