XIV
“Normal speech”
“All-speech”
‘thoughts’
“Animal speech”
‘mind speech’
“Foreign speech”
__---oO0°0Oo---__
Suddenly, the train screeched to a stop, the sound of it ringing in Harry’s ears. He then heard Hermione saying, “there’s no way we are already in Hogsmeade, the sweet lady hasn’t even come passed yet!”
Then, the cold kicks in. a dark presence wraps around his mind, luring out his darkest thoughts, his loneliest memories, those locked up in a childhood trauma…
the seal brakes.
Memories flood him, memories of his birthparents, of uncles and a singular aunt.
Of that night.
A scream shreds through the night.
__---oO0°0Oo---__
“is he alright?” a familiar voice asks, Harry slowly opened his eyes, looking at… a rat. Not just any rat, but Scabbers, his best friend’s, Ron’s, rat. It used to be Percy’s rat, he knew. Some 13 years ago now, Percy had found the rat. Wait, 13 years? The little bugger should have kicked the bucket ages ago! Then, he looked at the paw, the left front one, to be specific. Then, it all makes sense.
“are you alright, harry?” a voice asked
Harry looked up at the man that had been asleep earlier, a spark of recognition could be seen in his eyes, “uncle moony?” he whispered
“you… you remember?” the man stuttered, “how could you possibly remember?”
“the dementors, they accessed a part of my memory which had been locked away due to trauma” he explained, “I remember everything” then, Harry looked down at the sleeping rat again, “do you not recognise this vile creature?”
A dawning look of horror rose upon Remus’ face, “padfoot isn’t the traitor, is he?” the professor asked.
Harry sadly shook his head, “no, he isn’t”
“just what is going on here?” Hermione asked, “and what does it have to do with Scabbers?”
Harry shot a look at Remus, who promptly shot an animagus revealing charm at the rat.
The grey body began to shiver and grow, sprouting limbs as it did so. After a minute or so, where used to be a rat now sat a man, a familiar man.
A red light shot out of Remus’ wand within seconds, not giving the traitor a chance to escape. “well, I guess I better get this one to the ministry. Can you explain, vanish?”
“vanish? And no, I think you’d better, I only have baby memories” harry said, “Auntie Amelia did say that Suzan had a mirror if I had to contact her”
“you know Amelia?” the marauder asked
“yep, now what’s vanish?”
“well, you used to just disappear as a babe. It’s a nickname that stuck” Remus explained. He then turned to the other two occupants, saying, “you go to Suzan, harry, I’ll explain”
And so he began the tale of 4 friends, who met on a train heading to a peculiar school…
__---oO0°0Oo---__
Cedric was talking to some Hufflepuff third years who had joined him in his compartment when the door suddenly burst open. A tall boy with messy raven locks practically fell into the compartment shouting “Suzie, you in here?” His eyes ranked over the occupants, stopping on Cedric’s. grey met green and Cedric was engulfed in those endless seas. Just as Cedric wanted to say something, a voice spoke form next to him.
“yes, har?” Suzan Bones asked
The eyes moved to the girl, who stared back unflinchingly. Not at all affected by those traps as Cedric had been.
“could we talk? I found a rat in my compartment” the boy asked
Suzan paled at those words, “he’s here?” she whispered
“yep, Moony’s got him for now” he answered
“Moony’s here?” she frowned
“that too, he’s the new defence professor” the other chuckled
They walked out of the compartment, Suzan taking her trunk, saying that she hadn’t seen moony since her 7th birthday.
And so Cedric was left only with a memory of those eyes
-
“sooooo,” Suzan began, “what happened between you and Cedric?”
“oh, shut up, would you” harry rebuked
“nope!” Suzan declared happily, “he’s sixteen, you know. And male!” she elbowed in his side, waggling her eyebrows suggestively
“we are not venturing there, Suze” harry said in a final tone
“but haaAaaAr” Suzan whined, dragging out the A
“no”
They reached the compartment, catching the last sentence of the tale, stating that Pettigrew blew up the street.
Suzan flew in there, hugging the werewolf “uncle moony! I’ve missed you so much” she declared happily
“missed you to, squirt” Remus muttered in her hair
Harry silently levitated her trunk into the compartment
“have you called yet?” Remus asked after a while
“no, we decided to do it with you, showing that there is an adult, lest she storms the train” harry said, that got a chuckle out of the Lycan, who nodded in agreement.
__---oO0°0Oo---__
Amelia bones startled when she heard her mirror go of, and answered it. She opened the conversation with “I know I told you that you could call me anytime, but this is a bit early, isn’t it?” she then looked down on the mirror and met the smiling face of Remus, “moony? What are you doing on the train?”
“I am the new defence professor, Amelia.” The marauder answered, “and I’ve found a certain rat. Would you come and meet me at Hogsmeade station? I’d apparate to the ministry, but I am tired still form last night, that’s too far”
“sure,” Amelia said, “ten seconds?”
“see you there!” the call ended
5 minutes later, Amelia bones brought one peter Pettigrew in ministry custody, revealing that Sirius black never had a trail. So, the prisoner of Azkaban finally received justice, stopping a crisis before it had well and truly begun.