Chapter 14
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Warning: graphic description of injury caused by child abuse and of burn marks

━━━━

FOR THE RECORD, HARRY DID NOT WANT TO WRITE TO SIRIUS. He was trying to stay away from the man. Create a distance, in fact. He thought, perhaps, that if he stayed clear, maybe Adhara and Sirius would sort out their differences, and the girl would finally be able to go home.

So yes, Harry didn't want to write to Sirius. He wasn't going to. But Hermione convinced him to do it, so he did.

It was a short letter. Very brief. But Harry had managed to explain what he needed to, thus he thought that would be that. Sirius would be happy that his godson was keeping him up to date and would leave it at that.

He was wrong.

"Mr. Potter, if you could follow me, please. You too, Miss Black."

McGonagall came to personally excuse both of them from Potions one afternoon. Harry was so busy mentally recalling Snape's seething face as he left the man's lesson early for the second time that week that he hadn't registered Sirius standing right in front of him.

Harry only broke away from his thoughts when his godfather grabbed him by the elbows, looking nearly frantic.

"Harry, are you okay?"

Harry blinked. "I — I'm fine."

Sirius raised a brow, and Harry couldn't resist anymore. Despite his valiant efforts to keep away from the man, it didn't change the fact that Sirius was one of the few adults that made him feel safe. And that was what Harry needed right now: safety and just someone by his side.

Any other reassuring words caught of up in his throat, and out came spilling everything he had bottled up the last few days.

He told him about the goblet, the glares, and the badges. He told him about the dragons and even about Ron. Harry almost blurted out his worries about Adhara until he remembered that the girl was in the room with them. She was standing further away, doing a very bad job at pretending to not hear them.

Sirius listened, watching Harry with worry written in his eyes. He pulled him in his arms, soothingly rubbing the boy's back. Sirius answered every one of Harry's worries with the right amount of assurance, pulling back right at the end to give both his god kids some warnings.

Apparently, Karkaroff was a Death Eater, and so he had a motive. And Moody was attacked before he started the school year, which meant someone didn't want him at Hogwarts this year.

Though, Sirius saved his most important warning for last.

"Bertha Jorkins," said Sirius, sounding grave.

Harry frowned. He heard Adhara take a step closer.

"I saw her at that murder trial, and, needless to say, she was acting quite differently."

"How so?"

Sirius shook his head. "Listen, Death Eaters have been more active recently. I mean, you saw what happened at the World Cup? And I did some digging after the trial. Bertha was in Albania earlier this summer, which is where Voldemort was last seen."

A chill ran down Harry's spine. "W — what are the odds that she just happened to bump into Voldemort of all people?"

Sirius blocked his tongue. "Bertha and I were at Hogwarts at the same time. She was a few years above your dad and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, and no brains, but that day, at the trial? She was nothing like how I remembered. Bright and cunning, it was almost like..." Sirius looked lost in his thoughts for a second, gazing elsewhere, "...almost like she was looking at everyone else like we were prey."

"She was also there at the World Cup," said Adhara suddenly.

Sirius and Harry turned to her.

Adhara had her arms crossed. "She came to see us at the Top Box. There was. There was something about her...I can't put my finger on it."

Harry's brows furrowed, remembering a woman with green eyes, and how his scar ached at her sight.

Without thinking he reached for his scar, which Adhara and Sirius both noticed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I'm fine."

They looked unconvinced.

Harry ignored both of their questioning looks and moved on. "Perhaps. Perhaps, she just changed a lot? Bertha, I mean."

Sirius bit his lip, still disbelieving. "Maybe. But Harry," he fixed Harry with a serious look. "Be careful. There are just so many incidents that can be written off as coincidences. And this tournament situation sounds too suspicious to me. I already talked to Dumbledore. Gave the old man a piece of my mind, I did. But apparently, there's nothing he can do about magically binding contracts. Which sounds like a load of bollocks to me —"

Listening to his godfather's angry ramblings, Harry smiled.

"— anyway, whatever." He rested his hands on Harry's shoulders, staring intently at Harry. "Be safe, be careful. And please, for the love of Godric, keep me updated? Write to me," Sirius tore away his gaze, meeting eyes with Adhara. And just as seriously, he finished: "The both of you. Or, at least to Moony, please."

━━━━

That evening, Harry sat in his bed, staring into space as he thought over Sirius' warning. About Bertha Jorkins and the implications of his burning scar. Harry thought about how, this year too, there was someone out to kill him, and his stomach churned with anxiety.

"What're you doing?"

Harry snapped out of his thoughts. He saw who exactly was talking to him and rage rose through his throat.

"What's it to you?"

"It's late, and you're up. I was just wondering —" Ron broke off, shaking his head. "Never mind. I'll just get ready for bed."

Harry stood up, jaw clicking as he opened his mouth. "Thought what? Checking I wasn't up to something, were you? Making sure I wasn't sneaking my name into other goblets?"

Ron matched his energy, cheeks puffed out as he angrily shouted back. "Sorry, I'll let you get on with practising for your next interview in peace. I'll try not to disturb you next time."

Reaching into his pocket, Harry pulled out one of the 'HARRY POTTER STINKS' badges one of the Creevey brothers had given him. He lodged it at Ron's head.

"There you go," Harry said. "Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a scar now if you're lucky ... That's what you want, isn't it?"

Then, without even waiting for a response from the redhead, Harry climbed into his bed and closed the curtain. He sealed it off with a silencio, preparing himself for a night without sleep.

━━━━

The cacophony of the Great Hall was usually distracting, usually a bother. It never occurred to Adhara that the ring of her own anger could ever drown out all that noise until all she saw was white.

The new article crinkled between her fingers, ripping through the middle when Millicent snatched it away to tear it further.

The action startled the Hufflepuffs, who sat close to them. Roisin backed away from the pink-haired girl.

Hermione tried to grab Millie's arms to stop her. "Mill — Millie. Millie, stop. Stop. It's fine, I'm fine."

"No, it's not — " Rip. " — fine — " Rip. " — Mione!" Millie was panting, throwing the torn bits of paper on the floor. "How can they honestly continue to publish rubbish like this and call it news?"

"Miss Bulstrode!"

Millie and Roisin both froze. When Professor Sprout got close enough to them, Roisin dunked underneath the table to switch sides. She settled herself next to Adhara, not wanting to be anywhere near the woman when she got angry.

Adhara settled a hand on the girl's arm, right at the edge of her glove. Ever since the beginning of the school year, she has wanted to keep Roisin close to her. Call it guilt or worry or whatever, but Adhara just needed to know that everyone back at Aleyne was still — well — okay, at the very least.

"But Professor!" argued Millie. Her cheeks were red from anger as she refused to back away. "They keep writing such nonsense about Hermione. How is that even allowed?"

Sprout waved it off. "Gossip magazines will write gossip, it is what they do. But that does not mean you should create a scene." She paused, sweeping wily eyes over the four girls. "At least, not this way."

Adhara arched a brow.

"But— "

"I expect this mess to be all cleaned up before you go to class?" The woman asked, but it was more of a demand than a question.

Millie relinquished. "Yes, Professor."

Sprout bent around, searching for Hermione, who was behind the Slytherin. "Miss Granger? If you could follow me, please. Professor McGonagall would like to chat."

Adhara glared as Millie started shouting again.

"Wha — why is she in trouble? Hermione didn't do anything!"

"Calm down, Miss Bulstrode. Miss Granger is in no trouble. Professor McGonagall simply wants to talk to her."

Millicent spluttered, wanting to say more, when Hermione stopped with a simple hand on her shoulder.

"I'll be fine, you guys." She turned to Adhara, as though she knew the girl was angry even though she hadn't said anything yet. "Really."

Adhara's gaze followed her friend as Sprout escorted her out of the Great Hall. Millicent, reluctantly, picked up the shredded pieces of paper she threw, but Adhara instead turned towards Roisin.

"What did she mean by 'not this way'?"

"Who?"

"Sprout."

Roisin shrugged her shoulders. "How would I know?"

"She is your Head of House."

She shrugged once more. "I don't know. We don't really question her. She might be short, but she can be quite the terror when she is angry. Scares me sometimes, honestly."

Almost in reflex, Adhara hand around the girl's arms tightened.

"Not like that!" clarified Roisin when she felt the firm hold. "She's nothing like her, don't worry."

Adhara tried to relax. Roisin attempted to pry off the Slytherin's hand. She twisted it around her arm to slowly loosen the grip, except her blue glove slid down slightly with the movement.

Adhara almost froze. Breath caught in her chest as she noticed the disfigured skin that reached all the way to Roisin's elbow.

Adhara held more tightly then, pulling the glove down more to look at the brown splotches better.

Her mind went blank, the skin all over her body feeling too tight, feeling too hot. She wanted to peel it off slowly, peel off every layer until the heat of the fire would stop suffocating her.

For all of Matron's horrendous punishments, she usually left the children to handle the fire by themselves. Ultimately, burning themselves as a result. Never did she ever burn them herself.

Yet the rows of coal marks on Roisin's skin suggested otherwise.

Slowly, she peeled her eyes away from the scars to look back at Roisin, who was staring at her regretfully, almost with guilt.

Adhara felt like scraping the look off of the girl's face.

"You know — "

At the sound of Millie's voice, Adhara quickly pulled the glove back up. Keeping her face as impassive as she could, she acted as though nothing happened.

Millicent dumped the pile of paper on the table, still not properly looking at "We should find a way to take down those articles —" Millicent paused when she saw Adhara. "What happened?"

"What?"

Millicent took her seat finally. Action slow, she deliberately took her time to glance between the two others. "Nothing. Never mind." But just to be sure. "Is everything okay?"

"Obviously."

Obviously not. But Millie didn't need to know about Roisin's marks.

"Right." As suspicious as she may be, Millicent dropped the subject. "Anyway, as I was saying. I say we do something about this Rita Skeeter. She's starting to genuinely annoy me."

Subtly, Roisin removed her arm from Adhara's hold. "Why don't you guys write to The Prophet? Call them out on their lies."

"Why would they publish a letter that talks against them?"

"Then write to someone else."

Interest piqued, Adhara joined in. "Who?"

Roisin looked almost confused. "You do know that Luna's dad manages The Quibbler, right?"

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The trees stood tall, with their arms stretched out till they bent and curved, with their fingers curling till the brown of the branches merged with that of the soil. Like a tangled maze stood the trees, either to keep out curious eyes or perhaps to keep in what witches forbid.

Adhara wasn't sure which it was, though she did know one thing. The trees kept her hidden and protected. The forest kept her out of sight and out of trouble.

It was the perfect place to run off.

Adhara was sitting cross-legged on top of a large tree stump. She stared intently at the muddy footprints on the moss in front of her, where Roisin stood mere minutes ago. Or perhaps it was longer. Adhara couldn't remember how long she has been here.

Roisin had taken off both her gloves, showing Adhara the severity of her injuries. The length of which even Adhara never had to suffer.

It didn't phase Roisin to show Adhara her marks. At least, not much more than the guilt she felt for having to reveal to the Slytherin the consequences of her leaving Aleyne. Though, Adhara simply knowing that Roisin has burn marks under her silk gloves didn't bother her. That, she already knew. After all, every kid from Aleyne who currently attended Hogwarts knew what the other was hiding under their gloves.

"How often did she do that?"

"Not often. And it was only to me. And well..."

"And?"

"Yaritza."

Adhara's skin felt hot again.

"She did it mostly to her," Roisin choked out. "Not — not because Matron blames her more."

Adhara waited patiently for the Hufflepuff to find her breath. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears, and Adhara couldn't find it in herself to look at them.

"Matron threatened to hurt Thomas too."

Of course, she did. Some of the dangers of getting too close to someone at Aleyne.

"So, Yartiza stepped in and volunteered to take his punishment instead."

Adhara heaved in, her chest inflating as she tried to breathe. Roisin had left long ago, and Adhara still couldn't remember how long she had been in the forest by herself.

Uncrossing her legs, Adhara folded into herself to rest her forehead on her knees. She tried to count, she tried to scratch her legs to get rid of the heat on her skin, she tried to think more slowly. She tried to think more slowly.

Maybe. Maybe if she hadn't left, this wouldn't have happened to them. Maybe if she was braver, more courageous, instead of resourceful all the time then maybe, just maybe she wouldn't have left them all behind as she ran away by herself.

All that has ever done was hurt those around her.

Adhara exhaled, slowly. She needed to stop running away.

At least, for now.

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The roof did nothing to protect Harry from the rain. The stone-made windows exposed the owlery almost entirely, letting in the rain that was blowing sideways because of the wind.

Harry was on the bottom of a staircase, using its size to shield himself from the wet wind. Hedwig stayed with him, curling against his leg as Harry drew patterns into her feathers with his finger.

For a moment, Harry considered hiding underneath the flight of stairs, where he was sure to be safe from the rain. But he thought against it, deciding that he much preferred to feel the wind and the rain than to be stuck in that dark space.

The owlery was open on almost all sides, allowing the owls to fly in and out as they pleased. But it didn't do much for the rain.

Which was why Harry came here in the first place. Because no one would be here in this weather, and Harry was tired of dealing with people. The voices, the comments, the whispers. It was all too much.

He couldn't go back to Gryffindor Tower because he didn't want to bump into Ron. Millie and Hermione kept nagging him to talk to him. Or to Adhara, one or the other. Though, all Harry wanted was for everything to stop.

Before he even knew it, he was screaming at both of the girls to leave him alone. And then stomped out of the castle, like a baby.

Harry groaned, feeling embarrassed. He covered his face with both his hands, groaning even more loudly.

When Hedwig noticed the lack of pets, she pecked at him with her beak.

"Hush now, Hedwig. I'm trying to erase my memory."

"There is a spell for that you know? We used it to make Lockhart go insane."

Parting his fingers, Harry checked to make sure the voice really did belong to who he thought it did. Unless Hedwig magically learned how to imitate voices, though that was quite unlikely.

Taking in Adhara's soaked appearance, Harry frowned. "Do you not own an umbrella?"

Adhara rolled her eyes and settled herself on the step right under Harry's feet, sitting sideways to the boy to stretch out her legs and lean against the wall.

"No," she replied. "Do you?"

"No. But I'm not the one who gets sick from rainwater."

Adhara rolled her eyes again.

"You'll be at the Hospital Wing by tomorrow."

"Is that a bet, I hear?"

"No, thank you, haven't got the money."

"Aren't you the Heir to House Potter?"

"Says the Heir to House Black!"

Adhara sucked in her teeth. She looked away.

Feeling incredulous, Harry reclined back fully onto the stairs. He put his hand in front of Hedwig, patiently waiting for the bird to climb on.

"What are you doing here, Adz?" he asked finally.

Adhara didn't turn around. She shrugged. "Was in the forest. When I arrived at the Hall, you were shouting at Millie and Mione. So, I followed you."

Harry wanted to groan again. "Everyone was being very annoying." He waited for a response but got none. Instead, Adhara turned slightly to glance at him, so Harry took that as a sign to continue.

"They are all angry that I got picked. Durmstrang and Beauxbaton of course, but so are all the other Houses...even Ron." He sat up, anger bubbling in his veins. The whole situation felt outrageous, still. "The lad's apparently jealous! Can you believe that?!"

Adhara was fully facing him now, listening properly.

"Adz, he thinks that I put my own name —" Harry stopped, confidence vanishing instantly.

Not many people believe that Harry didn't put his name in the Goblet. Hermione and Hagrid do. And so do his Sirius, Remus, and Millie. McGonagall perhaps?

Adhara should too, right? Harry wasn't making a mistake by just assuming, right? This was Adhara, after all.

But then again, he did assume Ron would side with him, too. And that didn't happen.

On top of that, Harry didn't necessarily show Adhara that he was trustworthy.

Harry looked into Adhara's eyes when he spoke. Dread settled in his stomach like ice; he needed the girl to believe him. "I didn't put my name in the Goblet of Fire, Adz."

Never has he ever been relieved to see the girl roll her eyes. "Obviously."

Harry sniffed, almost laughing. He wiped his hands on his face, worry melting away.

"What?"

He looked back, catching Adhara's confused expression.

Harry shook his head. "No, nothing. I was just worried there for a second."

"About what? That I wouldn't believe you?"

He nodded.

Adhara pursed her mouth. She squirmed in her spot for a bit, getting more comfortable. Her brow furrowed in frustration, and Harry wondered if it was directed at him or herself.

"Haz. I know that I've been... avoiding you since, well. Since the end of last year. But, it wasn't because I was angry with you or anything. It's not your fault."

Harry stayed quiet, letting his sister talk.

"You didn't have to tell me about the Goblet. I know you didn't do it. This isn't the sort of thing you do."

Harry sniffed again, wiping his nose with his sleeve. Why was his nose running?

"I uh. I didn't think you trusted me."

Adhara's head turned so fast, Harry thought he heard her neck snap.

"What?"

He shrugged sheepishly in response.

Adhara closed her eyes. She breathed in and out a few times before speaking again. "Harry, I don't think there is anyone I trust more than you."

"What?"

"What, what?"

"I mean. I'm just a bit taken aback?"

"What is so difficult to believe here?"

Harry shrugged, eyes still wide in disbelief. "Cause, you know, like. Remember in our second year, during the whole ordeal with the Heir of Slytherin? You didn't believe me."

Adhara blinked. "You mean when you thought it was Malfoy? Harry, you do remember that you were wrong there, right?"

"I — I know. That's. That's not what I meant. I mean like — Nobody was trusting me at that point. It hurt knowing that you didn't believe me either."

"Harry, why didn't you say anything?"

"I forgot."

"You...you forgot?"

"Yup."

Adhara stared at him for a while, without saying a word.

"...Haz, what the fu —"

"But it's not like it mattered!" he cut off. "I was wrong anyway! It's not I deserved your trust, then."

"Haz, that is so dumb."

Harry rolled her eyes. "Also, last year, when I left the Dursleys, I went directly to you. Cause you were the first person who popped into my mind. But when you left Aleyne, you went to Hermione's house. You didn't even think of me."

Feeling his ears warm up, Harry felt embarrassed just as the words left his mouth. He hurried to clarify. "Which makes complete sense! I mean —"

"Who said I didn't think of you?"

"What?"

It was Adhara's turn to feel embarrassed. Harry could see the colour pink peek out from her collar.

━━

"What?"

Adhara could feel the back of her neck get hot, and she absolutely hated it. But she already made it so far, there was no stopping now.

"You finally have a family now, Haz. One that cares and loves you. Showing up to your place, with the strain between.....Sirius and me. It would've just off-balanced the entire thing. Bring an end to your peaceful family life. I couldn't do that to you."

Adhara wasn't looking at Harry when she spoke. If she did, she thought she would look even more stupid.

"That is so fucking dumb."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me." Harry stood up, upset. "This whole time — you. The balance? What balance?"

His voice was rising slightly, enough to disturb the birds around them. Some owls flew away, even Hedwig left her spot near Harry's feet to find her cubicle.

"Sirius and Remus walk on eggshells around me, and it's bloody annoying! I didn't tell them about the cupboard, but they must have figured out something was up with the Dursleys because they keep trying to get me to talk! There is no bloody 'peaceful balance'."

Suddenly, Harry slumped back down again, talking once more in a slow, defeated voice. "You should come home, Adhara. I — I shouldn't be taking up your spot."

"What do you mean, spot?"

"Sirius is your uncle. You should be the one to actually live with him."

Adhara huffed out a short puff. "Blood means nothing."

"Still. You should come home."

"We'll see."

━━

When the rain finally stopped, Adhara and Harry climbed down the tower. It was still cloudy however, the sun refusing to peek out.

"I'm surprised you followed me."

"Why?"

Harry shrugged. "I thought you were going to ignore me forever."

Adhara stopped. Harry got down a few steps before he noticed she wasn't next to him. He arched his head behind him.

"I uh. I thought I should stop. You know, ignoring things. It only creates more problems."

Harry's brows scrunched together. He didn't know what Adz was talking about. "What do you mean?"

"Remember how I refused to talk to you back in year two?"

"Yeah? But that was because I hurt you? I said things that I shouldn't have, and you got angry, which was absolutely valid."

"Even when you realised your mistake and wanted to apologise, I still kept running away. It just dragged the problem for much longer than it should have."

Harry turned around fully, getting a better look at his sister. "What's this really about, Adz?"

Adhara clenched her fist tightly. Her teeth ached. "Roisin, she — Matron has been more vicious ever since I left."

Harry tried to find the right words. "Adhara, that's not your fault."

"I left them. I ran away."

"You managed to escape. Matron isn't your fault."

Harry could go on and talk about all of the ways this wasn't Adhara's fault. But this was the first time he saw her eyes well with tears. He didn't think anything he would say would get through to her right now.

He extended his hand towards her, waiting for her to hold it. And with that, Harry led Adhara out of the owlery.

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A/N just to point out, I'm not saying Adhara is selfish for leaving all those kids behind, she is saying that. Adhara learning that running away doesn't solve her problems by being self deprecating at the same time is very Adhara. Rest assured, she will learn. We solve one problem at a time, people.