𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵: 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘵 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘔𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳; 𝘗𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘞𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘚𝘯𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘨

| 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕒 |

The wardrobe rattled and shook, banging against the floor of the staff room; the class stood back, muttering to themselves. I held Lavender and Parvati's hands in each of my own, wondering what could possibly be inside.

( id decided i wasnt angry with them anymore for what they had said about slytherins. To be fair, there were a lot of bad slytherins and i suppose i couldnt hold their ignorance against them. Its not as if theyd ever had a proper conversation with my brother before. They dont really know hes different. Besides as i have said i hate being cross with them. )

we'd arrived at our first defense against the dark arts class and pulled out all our supplies only for professor lupin to tell us to put our books away and to follow him to the staff room. Now the shabby looking teacher (im not being rude, its just his robes looked very warn and he always seemed quite malnourished and had loads of scars all over his body as though a wild animal had attacked him at some point in his life) stood in front of the wardrobe, which i thought to be quite brave considering that old thing might have toppled over and crushed him.

"Nothing to worry about," he assured us. "There's a boggart in there."

half the class muttered disagreements about that. I knew what a boggart was becuz i remembered my brother and i finding one in the trunk of Tammis car once or twice but the details were a bit fuzzy. Wracking my brain i tried to recall what made them so bad.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces," said Professor Lupin. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks - I've even met one that had lodged itself in a grandfather clock. This one moved in yesterday afternoon, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice. So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

It was on the tip of my tongue. Boggarts were horrible creatures that hid in cramped places and jumped out people and they... they... oh!

Hermione's hand was up before i could wrench mine from Lavender's. "It's a shape-shifter." ill be a big person here and admit i was quite petty about it. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"couldnt have put it better myself," Professor Lupin said as if she had just quoted socrates or something. Oh, how i wished we were back in trelawneys class where i could be the talented one...

"So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears. This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's small sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Harry?"

harry? harry! he wasnt smart. I folded my arms over myself, electing to ignore the fact that i hadnt spotted 'it' whatever it was myself, choosing to instead fester in my evergrowing, unjust bitterness at the professor.

Hermione was next to Harry jumping up and down with her hand in the air like the know it all she was; he looked a bit put off but spoke up anyway, "because it wont know what shape it should be?"

"Precisely," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione put her hand down, looking a little disappointed. I hate that it gave me great pleasure to see, and I hate to admit that I laughed with Parvati and Lavender.

"It's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake - tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening. The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing."

id decided to let go of my petty grudge towards the professor becuz that was actually sort of interesting and very useful. Something i actually might take with me into the summer as i could very well run into a boggart in real life.

"We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please... riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"This class is riddikulus," draco malfoy muttered from the slytherin side of the room (why do we always have classes with that lot? not that i mind spending quality time with my darling brother, it was just there was usually always something going on with malfoy and harry and it was quite vexing). Hed been milking his injury for days now even though his arm must have been healed completely by now and he had only just come back to class.

"Your face is riddikulus," Magnus said back to him.

I wasnt sure if professor lupin had heard them or not but for the briefest of seconds i thought i caught him looking at my brother. There was this odd expression on his face, almost like confusion and... something else. Sorrow? what?

Then his eyes met mine and... did it count as a premonition if you were seeing the past? as soon as we made eye contact i caught a flash of something from the past. at least i assumed it was the past. It must have been. He looked happier and healthier and he was with three other obscure figures, laughing and goofing off like school children. Were they school children? it was difficult to say for sure, the vision or whatever it was was over just as quick as it came.

I looked away quickly. What was that? I thought maybe i might have been reading the professors mind. Was i a legilimens? That seemed like a bit of a leap. But i dunno...

"Good," said Professor Lupin as if he hadnt noticed a thing. Perhaps it was just that i had imagined it. Yes magnus was always telling me how i had an overactive imagination. And i was quite the day dreamer, especially in class.

"Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

id almost forgotten about my jealous obsession for attention. oh well alright ill let that one go becuz professor lupin had said before class neville would help him with something and if anyone needed a confidence boost in class more than myself it was neville longbottom.

And anyway it was much harder to focus when you were distracted by visions and mindless thought bubbles.

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville. he looked as though he were seconds away from passing out.

"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

I hadnt meant to but i stopped paying attention here, my mind favoring the vision id just had. Professor lupin had been recognizable enough; the boy (he must have been just out of school) in the vision had scars in all the same places he did. But who were the other three? friends of the professors oviously. But their names, personalities, and the likes. all their faces had been blurry, like a bad photograph, though i could tell all of them were laughing.

Now that i thought about it, i might have been able to hear their voices as well, though slightly distorted, as with bad auto on the television. Three of them singing "minny moony! Minny moony!" The sun was beaming down; i felt the rays kiss my skin, a warm summer breeze rushing over me. it was a baby shower. A little baby (a girl i think) had just been born.

The professors daughter ramona. It must have been. Who else could it be?

Ramona was here at school with us now, id seen around the corridors though i hadnt spoken to her all that much...

in the memory the professor held the baby close, happy for what must have been one of the very first times in his life. There was a glare from the sun and then ──

"riddikulus!" Nevilles cry whipped my back to reality. Id missed a big chunk of what was going on in class and when i was suddenly met with professor snape standing in the middle of the classroom i was quite shocked.It took me a moment to realise it was only the boggart but the sight was still quite jarring.

Becuz our normally all black clad, emo-esque, grumpy potions master was now dressed in a long, lace-trimmed dress and a positively bold vulture topped hat.

"Ha!" i couldnt help myself. Poor nina looked a little embarrassed at the scene and most slytherins looked offended but i thought it was brilliant. I grinned at professor lupin. "Excellent! can we dress the rest of you teachers up in drag as well?"

↖(^o^)↗

the Boggart Snape story spread throughout the whole school in record time; soon everyone, student and staff, knew about the boggart drag queen (we students did not secretly call her Queen Severa behind Professor Snape's back, that is a made up lie, and I was definitely not the one to start it, whoever told you that is lying and should be ashamed of themselves).

Professor lupin had quickly become everyone's new favourite teacher. well all except for malfoy and his gang of bullies. "Look at the state of his robes," Malfoy would say. "He dresses like our old house-elf."

"Hey, malfoy, can you do me a favor?" my brothers friend foggie spoke up, and you know he was ready for verbal combat because his lisp momentarily faded the way it tended to whenever he got fired up like this.

Malfoy looked surprised by this and so Foggie continued before he could process the question. "Would you go into the library, find a dictionary, and look up the word poverty for me? and do be sure to read over the definition a few times as im not sure someone with a skull as thick as yours will immediately be able to grasp the concept. Thanks, mate!"

we left him and his group there, open mouthed with shock as if they couldnt believe Foggie had the audacity to speak to Malfoy in such a manner. But the three of us, magnus, foggie, and i, had a good laugh about it; we even threw in a few chants of "pigfarts pigfarts here i come!" just for maximum pettiness.

The rest of the school was far less shallow. He was, in comparison to our first two teachers Lockhart and Qurriell, the best DADA professor we had ever had and i was delighted that our kip got to experience him as his first DADA teacher instead of someone dreadful like the other two.

"How are we doin'?" i asked him when i saw him one weekend in the court yard. "Are we getting good marks in classes? Making lots of friends? Is anyone being mean to you? Who should i hex?"

"Jeez, Tilly, stop badgering the kid," Magnus told me. i hadnt meant to become a mother hen, it was just i had grown rather protective of our kip and i knew people around here, particularly if they associated with malfoy, could be a bit thick about muggle-borns. I wanted to make sure nobody was messing with him.

"But seriously, who do we need to hex?" Magnus was already getting his wand out.

"literally no one," Kip said. "Calm down you freaks." he rolled his eyes and started to tell us about his year so far. "There's two called Eva and Kai, no i wont tell you what houses their in, i dont want you hunting them down, but they seem alright. I think we're kind of mates now; and I'm not invalid so yes im passing my classes. Im a perfect student thank you very much."

"except for that detention you got for tellin' off the teacher," Magnus said.

"Kip!" I scolded.

"It was professor Snape," Magnus told me.

"Oh well in that case ─ "

"Don't you mean..." Kip grinned up at us with a devilish grin of his own that he may or may not have learned to do properly from yours truly. "Queen Severa?" we sniggered together.

I was blossoming in divination and while professor lupin was a superb teacher i do believe it was becoming my favorite class. Neither my brother nor i had had any more visions since my last in the staff room, at least not to my knowledge, nor had we properly gotten to talk about them. At least not mine. I thought maybe i shouldnt share it since it seemed so personal to professor lupin.

but the girls and i had taken to spending lunch hours with professor trelawney where she would share some of her own foresights with us.

"Fifth and seventh year will be particularly difficult for your class," she told us. "My Inner Eye is cloudy with the details but it will not be pleasant experiences!" I suppose that was to be expected. After all fifth year was the year we took our Ordinary Wizarding Level tests and seventh year was graduation. They were bound to be stressful.

Id told her about my brother, just in passing you know, and she'd told me she'd like to meet him. Something about her inner eye telling her it was important, but magnus didnt seem too interested. It would take some work to get him up to her tower.

Professor Hagrid had lost his edge, sadly, after the hippogriff incident with stupid malfoy (Fin was in a right state, full of homocidal rage on her granddad's behalf, but that's a story for another time) and had been having us look after flobberworms ever since.

"Ew! they're so squishy!" lavender complained at them as i tried very hard not to vomit. They were quite vile things.

Quidditch started in October but no one really cared about that. i found it quite dull actually. I mean what do they do? They ride around on brooms for hours just tossing balls around. Rubbish.

I was pleased to find kip agreed with me. "Ah, i get it now," he said after Magnus had explained the rules to him a few dozen times. "The only one that matters is the Seeker and the other six just do busy work."

the days were getting colder and wetter as winter crept upon us and i opted to remain in doors, safe from the harsh weather. Eventually the first trip to the village just outside the school grounds, Hogsmeade, was posted on our message board. I wasnt much interested. In order to go you had to have a permission form from a parent or guardian and seeing as how i had neither yet...

i sighed and held up the picture id drawn in our first divination class. If only it were a possibility... sure, i was getting a foster home in the summer and im sure they would be lovely people but it just wasnt the same as having your own parents was it?

"what's that?" Parvati asked pointing at the picture in my hand.

"Hm? oh nothing. Just a silly doodle..." i shoved it back in my bag smiling as best i could with all the melodrama weighing me down.

"Oh i wish you could come, Ti ti," Lavender said, looking guilty about going without me. "It just won't be the same without you!"

"i heard Harry and the others talking over there," Parvati said, pointing at Potter and friends. "He's going to ask McGonagall to give him a pass and if he can i dont see why you cant as well. Maybe you should give it a go too. Plus if theres two of you ganging up on her shell be more likely to say yes."

i admire my friends confidence but i wasnt so sure. I thought it was more likely mcgonagall put us both in detention for asking her stupid questions when we knew very well what the rules were. No signature, no Hogsmeade. "Eh," i shrugged. "S'alright, girls. Im sure ill manage. Besides next year ill be in a proper home and ill have someone to actually sign my form. so its fine. Really, have fun."

"are you sure?" lavender asked, touching my arm lightly with her fingers.

I put my hand on top of hers and smiled so she knew i was fine. "Im sure."

And then Hermione's cat attacked Ron's rat and the rest is a blur because i ran out screaming when the ugly, ball of grey fur zipped over my feet during the chase scene. I hate rodents.

ಥ_ಥ

"What's the matter, Lavender?" asked Hermione. It Was the next morning and Parvati and I had spent the better half of it trying to console lavender. We were outside in the hall waiting for the slytherins and ravenclaws to finish up their transfiguration class since it had run a bit long, which was lucky becuz lavender didnt seem as though she was calming down any time soon. Poor thing.

"She got a letter from home this morning," Parvati whispered. Meanwhile i held lavenders hand, doing my best to be comforting. "It's her rabbit, Binky. He's been killed by a fox."

"Oh," said Hermione, "I'm sorry, Lavender." she didnt sound very sorry though. Sure it was only a rabbit but this was very important to lavender and she could have been a bit more sympathetic!

"I should have known!" said Lavender tragically. "You know what day it is?"

"Er -"

"The sixteenth of October! 'That thing you're dreading, it will happen on the sixteenth of October!' Remember? She was right, she was right!"

"You - you were dreading Binky being killed by a fox?" hermione asked skeptically.

"Well, not necessarily by a fox, " said Lavender, looking up at Hermione with streaming eyes, "but I was obviously dreading him dying, wasn't I?"

"Oh," said Hermione. She paused again. "Was Binky an old rabbit?"

"N-no!" sobbed Lavender. "H-he was only a baby!"

Parvati tightened her arm around Lavender's shoulders and i squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"But then, why would you dread him dying?" said Hermione. I really wished hermione would just shut it. She was getting on my nerves; apparently she was annoying Parvati as well because she was glaring at her.

"Well, look at it logically," said Hermione, turning to the rest of the group. "I mean, Binky didn't even die today, did he? Lavender just got the news today -"

Lavender cried much harder now, and my blood had reached a boiling point. How dare she! Why did she think she had to butt her nose into everything? Did she have to prove herself as the smartest person in the room by being right in every conversation? It was bad enough she did it in the classroom but at least it was some what appropriate there.

"- and she can't have been dreading it, because it's come as a real shock -"

i was three seconds from hexing her frizzy hair off her head. Alright, well, i know she was right. Professor trelawneys prediction hadnt come true yet i was sure (after all she hadnt said it would be october of this year) but i wasnt daft or insensitive enough to point this out while lavender was crying her eyes out. And i certainly wouldnt dream of doing it to make myself look better than everyone else.

evidently hermione had pissed off her own friends as well because ron said, "Don't mind Hermione, Lavender, she doesn't think other people's pets matter very much." i suppose they were still arguing over the rat and the cat.

hermione looked like she was about to make a retort but just then Professor McGonagall opened the door to let the Slyther-claw batch out. As they filed out of the classroom i heard my brothers voice " ── nah, you're not Tilly's type," he was telling the ravenclaw boy next to him.

Ah, yes, that had been happening a lot lately. Id get a little too charming and some poor sap would go to my brother thinking hed put in a good word for them. Quite embarrassing for them since all my efforts were going into impressing Azalea (which admittedly i had forgotten about since starting classes, but in my defense there has been a lot going on, what with divination and bogarts, and hippogriffs).

"See shes just not that into dicks─"

"Mr. Pettigrew!" Professor McGonagall snapped. She had razor sharp hearing (likely from her ability to transform into a cat). "I will not tolerate that sort of foul language ─"

"Who's using foul language, professor?" Magnus grinned innocently, the ravenclaw looking rather affronted next to him. "We're talkin' anatomy here."

the professor sighed, looking most exasperated as she rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. Unfortunately my brother was egged on by a bit of laughter from the crowd. He was quite rowdy this year.

"Attention! Attention! Gentlemen and gentlemen! once and for all my sister does not want to date you, you're gross. Alright? got it? no dicks, just chicks!"

No dicks, just chicks. Hm. I think id like to put that on a t-shirt someday...

"what if the chick has a dick?" someone shouted.

Magnus looked at me expectantly. I shrugged. Really this was ridiculous. I should have been comforting my friend, but at least the laugh seemed to cheer her up slightly. "Well as long as they are chicks..."

Magnus cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled into the crowd, "Chicks with dicks are alright! Repeat, chicks with dicks ──"

"Oh for heavens sake!" Professor McGonagall complained. "There is a time and a place, Mr. Pettigrew! Run along to your next class before i dock slytherin house points!"

"fine, but im shouting it all the way there. I wanna see if Peeves will copy me." And then he ran off, voice echoing off the corridor walls, "Chicks with dicks are alright!"

"im puttng that one on a t-shirt for sure," i grinned and glanced at lavender who was smiling and laughing now. Good.

Professor Mcgonagall was less amused. She shook her head and ushered us inside. I couldnt tell what she was muttering under her breath but i caught a few phrases like, "the boys father" and "wasnt this rambunctious" and "would have expected this behavior from potter" and "personalities backwards"

hm. Interesting.

╰(◣﹏◢)╯

Halloween day (Wizard Memorial Day for the magical community) was rather hectic for many reasons. For starters it was the date of the hogsmeade trip so most students third year and up were off. The only ones who were left were older students who had tired of the village and had better things to do and then there was myself, Magnus, and Harry.

Nina had been going to stay behind as well because she had told her dad not to sign her form but at the last second he signed it anyway and barbara johnson and fin hagrid forced her to go out with them. Hufflepuffs can be down right evil if you dont watch them.

We didnt have plans to hang out or anything but some how or another my brother and i kept running into harry. After the sixth or seventh time this happened, Magnus said, "its fate! lets start a club!"

i grinned but harry looked apprehensive. "Lets call it the Orphan Squad!"

"I dont think ──" Harry started.

But my brother and I were already marching around the empty corridor, yelling, "Orphan Squad! Orphan Squad!"

harry looked around like he might see the school care taker Argus Filch who liked to get kids in trouble and who had always looked to me like an odd combination of the Child Snatcher from Chitty Chiity Bang Bang and ebenezer scrooge from A christmas carol. Long grey hair, a balding head. Wild angry man old eyes. he even had an old timey lamp. People often referred to him as a crazy cat man becuz his cat mrs. Norris never left his side unless she was spying on students for him.

"guys, maybe you shouldnt ──"

"Orphan Squad! Orphan Squad! orphan ── oop!"

a door had just opened from down the hall; luckily for us it was only professor lupin who would not yell at us. "What are you doing?" he asked kindly, and i thought i detected a hint of a grin on his face.

"Forming a squad for orphans," i told him.

magnus nodded. "Wanna join? Are you an orphan?"

i hit his arm. "Magnus! you cant just ask people if theyre orphans!"

"why not?"

"its invasive!"

professor lupin was looking at us with that same odd expression he'd worn in DADA class. I was reminded of the things I'd heard McGonagall saying about my brother. About how he and harry had swapped personalities. Whatever that meant. I suppose professor lupin must have been thinking something similar.

Which made me wonder... "Did you know our fathers?" the question left my mouth before i had even properly thought it through.

I wished i had thought about it more though; becuz professor lupin looked quite uncomfortable at the mention of it. i suppose it was both of them were dead now and he was probably still grief stricken. Oh that was incredibly sad... "I... I did yes..."

"and she calls me invasive," Magnus muttered. I jammed my elbow into his side. "Ow! Okay, rude!"

I wasnt sure how i felt about this news. Finally someone who knew one of my parents, really knew them, someone who had all the answers i was looking for. I had a million questions buzzing in my head, only the professor didnt seem to fancy talking about that this second; so much to my dismay i had to let it go.

"why dont you three come in?" lupin said, the small smile returning. "I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

"A what?" said Harry.

We followed Professof Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

"Water demon," our teacher explained. "We shouldn't have much difficulty with him, not after the kappas. The trick is to break his grip. You notice the abnormally long fingers? Strong, but very brittle."

The grindylow bared its green teeth and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner. Magnus grinned, "cool."

"Cup of tea?" Lupin said, looking around for his kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."

"All right," said Harry awkwardly.

"sure," i shrugged.

"Glug glug," said Magnus becuz he isnt normal. Seriously there is something wrong with him.

[Yes, there is, Magnus, don't deny it!]

Lupin tapped the kettle with his wand and a blast of steam issued suddenly from the spout. "Sit down," said professor Lupin, taking the lid off a dusty tin. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid - but I daresay you've had enough of tea leaves, harry?"

Harry looked at him as we each pulled up a seat. The teacher's eyes had a spark of amusement in them.

"How did you know about that?" Harry asked.

"Professor McGonagall told me," said Lupin, passing Harry a chipped mug of tea. And then two more to my brother and i. "You're not worried, are you?"

"No," said Harry.

I shared a look with my brother and i knew we were both thinking about what magnus had seen on the train. The Lame Lord...his followers... harry... would now be a good time to bring it up? Or would they just think we were mad? I didnt want to risk it so i kept quiet and drank my tea. Besides there was always the chance it meant something else....somehow...

Harry was looking troubled himself and professor Lupin noticed becuz he said, "Anything worrying you, Harry?"

"No," Harry lied. He drank a bit of tea and watched the grindylow brandishing a fist at Magnus who had gotten up to antagonize the poor thing.

"Yes," harry said suddenly, putting his

tea down on Lupin's desk. "You know that day we fought the boggart?"

"Yes," said Lupin slowly.

"Why didn't you let me fight it?" said Harry abruptly. was that all? Pfft, boys. Honestly it wasnt that big of a deal, i hadnt faught it either and neither had magnus.

"I would have thought that was obvious, Harry," he said, sounding surprised.

Harry looked taken aback and to be honest so was i. Even magnus looked over from being an idiot. I hadnt thought hed done it on purpose...

"Why?" harry asked again.

"Well," said Lupin, frowning slightly, "I assumed that if the boggart faced you, it would assume the shape of Lord Voldemort."

Harry stared. I blinked. So few people actually said the name it was a bit odd to hear it out loud.

"It was for the same reason neither of the twins went either. I was worried someone's boggart might be... sirius blacks..." he sounded more choked up over this name than voldemort. Odd.

"Clearly, I was wrong," said professor Lupin, still frowning at us.

"yeah," magnus nodded. "i think i would have made mine filch and id have given it a pair of pumps and ──"

"theyre not dress up dolls," i said though i was surprised he even knew what pumps were. "and i dont think you get to choose them!"

Professor Lupin and harry were grinning but after a moment the pair composed themselves and the professor went on. "But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort or... or Sirius Black to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."

"I didn't think of Voldemort," said Harry. "I - I remembered those dementors."

"I see," said Lupin thoughtfully. "Well, well...I'm impressed." He smiled which looked all too kind and all too tired. "That suggests that what you fear most of all is - fear. Very wise, Harry."

i nodded. "Mhm. Just like that American president whats his name said ── "

"Franklin Roosevelt," Magnus informed.

" ── the only thing to fear is fear itself."

"Not gonna lie im surprised you know that quote."

Harry drank some more tea awkardly, reminding me of my own. Magnus had all but abanonned his already without so much as taking a sip.

"So you've been thinking that I didn't believe you capable of fighting the boggart?" said Lupin shrewdly.

"Well. yeah," said Harry, looking a lot better now. "Professor Lupin, you know the dementors -"

He was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Come in," called Lupin.

The door opened, and in came professor Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry my brother and i, his black eyes narrowing.

"Ah, Severus," professor lupin smiled at him but professor snape only glared back in return. i couldnt tell but they might have been grave enemies or even ex lovers. They were around the same age after all... but there was definitely history there. I could tell. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?"

Professor Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between The three of us and professor Lupin. Maybe he hoped we were being severely punished for something.

"S'up?" magnus waved but his head of house did not return the gesture.

"I was just showing Harry And the twins my grindylow," said professor Lupin, pointing at the tank innocently.

"Fascinating," said professor Snape but He didnt even look at it. "You should drink that directly, Lupin."

oh yes there was absolutely a story between them.

Was it inappropriate of me to be imagining my two professors as young boys snogging in the corridors?

alright. Perhaps it was a bit too much but... there was a lot of tension between them; as far as I knew neither of them had wives and... c'mon. They both sort of give off those vibes dont they?

"Yes, yes, I will," said Lupin.

"I made an entire cauldronful," Snape continued. "If you need more." (Hint. Hint.)

"I should probably take some again tomorrow. Thanks very much, Severus." (hes taking the hint! Hes taking the hint!)

[Sorry, that's my brother in the background telling me to grow up]

"Not at all," said professor Snape, but he looked very grumpy about making whatever it was he had done for professor lupin. (or maybe we were getting in the way of... something? eh? eh? Remerus anyone? eh? eh?)

[Ouch! Dont hit maggie its not nice!]

Harry looked curiously at the goblet.

Professor Lupin smiled. "Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. (a potion of love!)

[alright! alright, ill stop! Jeez maggie, why must you be such a killjoy?]

"I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added sadly taking a sip and shuddering.

"Why - ?" Harry began.

professor Lupin looked at him and answered the unfinished question.

"I've been feeling a bit off-color," he said. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

I tried very very very hard to pretend it didnt sound like he was pining after the potions master becuz it was very very very inappropriate to think of your teachers, uh, getting busy so to speak... but come on! what am i suppose to think when he goes and says things like that with that tone?

Professor Lupin took another sip, looking oh, so, innocent.

"Professor Snape's very interested in the Dark Arts," harry blurted out.

"Really?" asked professor Lupin, looking only mildly interested as he took yet another gulp of potion. Perhaps he already knew this bit of information. You know. From their history.

"Some people reckon -" Harry hesitated, then plunged on, "some people reckon he'd do anything to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

"hes saying professor snape probably wants to poison you and steal your job," Magnus said bluntly.

Professor Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face. But he hadnt keeled over dead so i reckoned it hadnt been poison.

"Disgusting," he said. "Well, Harry, magnus, matilda, I'd better get back to work. I'll see you at the feast later."

"Right," said Harry, putting down his empty teacup. I placed mine next to his and we all left together.

Later that evening it was time for the holiday/memorial day feast at the Great Hall. Theyd serve all your typical halloween food (since dumbledore loves muggle holidays), pumpkin pie, roasts, candy, etc etc, and the whole place was decorated in jack-o-lanterns. Then theyd list off all the people who had been lost to the Wizard War. Blah blah blah no one really paid attention to this bit except for the staff members who had actually lived through the war.

Parvati and Lavender had loads of stories to tell me from Hogsmeade (honeydukes sounded lovely and there was this adorable sounding robes shop i made a mental note to see next year), but id forgotten some things in the dorm so i went back to get them... i wish i hadnt. I might have avoided trouble that way.

Id made it half way up the steps to the gryffindor tower when voices carried down to me. They seemed to be arguing.

"Come on! you know me! I went to school here! I was in gryffindor! You can let me in!"

"yes, i know who you are, you scoundrel! and i dont care! i know why youve come here! And i wont be part of it! Besides, you dont have the password! no password, no entry!"

the second voice belonged to the gryffindor towers guard: a painting known as the Fat Lady. But the first one...it sounded male. And scratchy, as though this person hadnt spoken for quite some time. Hm.

i rounded the corner and stopped dead in my tracks.

becuz there, standing in front of the Fat Lady, was a familiar man with matted hair and sunken eyes. Familiar becuz i had seen him in the daily prophet. Familiar becuz his face had been floating around muggle news everywhere you looked. Familiar becuz he was the man after harry my brother and me.

i didnt mean to, but i made a noise. It was a small and quiet noise but the halls were abandoned save for the two of us and the paintings on the walls. It was enough for him to hear me.

Sirius black spun around. For a moment, it was silent. All i could do was stare back at the man in front of me. his eyes were wide, almost seeming just as stunned as i was for a moment. Perhaps he couldnt believe his luck: one of his targets had just stumbled upon him.

"Run! run matilda pettigrew!" Screamed the fat lady. "Go get headmaster dumbledore!"

Sirius black blinked. "Pettigrew? That would make you Peter's daughter..." as if he didnt know that already. As if he wasnt trying to kill me.

i turned in the opposite direction, taking the steps two at a time. but sirius black moved faster. He sped down the stairs and was blocking my path in a matter of seconds. "Wait!" He ordered. His hands were raised; now i could see the weapon in his hands: a small, razor sharp shiv from merlin only knows where.

Id been held at knife point before. It so very rarely ended well for any of the parties involved.

Slowly, i took a step back, hoping i wouldnt trip going up the stairs in reverse. I kept my eyes on the knife, watching just in case sirius black decided to strike.

He glanced at the weapon his hand when he realised i was staring at it. As if he'd forgotten he was holding it. "I..." he lowered the knife hesitantly. "I seen you... with harry... on the streets... i-i didnt know who you were until just now...i didnt think he had...is that why he did it? were you being threatened? is that it?"

he moved toward me, his eyes flashing madly. I scrambled back to the Fat Lady, who was screaming now.

"Killer on the loose! Sirius black! In the castle! Help!"

"Stay away from me! You're a mad man!"

I patted my pockets for my wand... unfortunately im afraid it was among one of my forgotten items. Fortunately however i did manage to find something else hiding away in there. A weapon of a different kind. A spare bottle of glitter left over from one of my art projects. There was still some left.

"help! Help! Help!"

I wrapped my hand around the bottle. The dumbest idea was forming in my head.

"i...im not..." Black's eyes darkened suddenly. "He left." I didnt know what he was on about. To be honest i was much more concerned with the knife swinging from his hand. I was hoping i could move faster than he could swing that thing.

"heeelp!!"

"That rat bastard! he just left! he didnt even bother to find..." he broke off, making an absolutely horrid sound. almost like a growl. The sort a dog might make.

"someone HEEELP!!"

"Shut up!" he shouted at the Fat Lady who was shrieking at the top of her lungs now. Then, his dark eyes snapped back to me. I took another step back. It was hard to say what i was feeling. I was just trying my best to keep away from the knife.

My grip tightened on the glitter bottle.

"Let me in!" Black demanded. "Let me in the common room! i know hes in there! Give me the password!"

"Help! Help! killer on the loose!" The fat lady Carried on with her screaming.

i see. So he was going after harry first and then coming back for me. And then magnus. I huffed and glared at him. Not if i could help it.

Harry was still down in the great hall but i wasnt about to tell him that. We may not be the best of friends and sometimes we did get at odds but that didnt mean i was going to send a murderer after him. Im sure he'd think the same had the tables been turned.

"You're not going to be killing anyone," i said rather bravely if i do say so myself.

"well not from out here," said Sirius Black. His eyes were narrowed, and he was speaking with a dangerous edge. "Just give me the password. Then you can go. You probably shouldnt see it anyway. It could get messy."

"No!" I yelled back. "Im not giving you anything except a trip back to azkaban!"

he stared at me. Jaw set. "listen. Matilda was it? you dont under ─"

"HEEEELPP!!!"

"I SAID SHUT UP YOU DAFT OLD BAT!"

That was my moment. as Sirius black rounded on the Fat Lady i withdrew the bottle of glitter from my pocket and threw its contents in the air. I squeezed my eyes closed but i could still hear him cursing up a storm. There was a loud ripping noise. Screaming. Cackling from somewhere above me.

"Gah! Damn it! peeves shut the fuck up!"

When i opened my eyes Again the fat lady was gone. There was a big slash at the center of her painting. sirius black was wiping the glitter from his eyes, waving the knife around wildly. And peeves, the annoying asshat that he was, was floating above the scene, laughing like it was super hilarious. It might have been. Under different circumstances.

"You killed her!" I yelled.

"no!" Black protested, still wiping at his eyes and blinking rapidly. "You blinded me! She fled! I didnt mean... what was that? Glitter? why would you throw that at me!?"

"jee, i dunno! Becuz you have a fuckin' knife, idiot!"

"i wasnt going to use it on you!"

i huffed. "Oh. So now im not good enough to murder? Is that it?"

"what?" he stared at me as if i were the mad one who'd broken into his school with a knife. "No. Look, i ─"

we heard it at the same time. Foot steps. Hundreds of them, coming up the steps at once. The feast was over.

"Damn it. I'm too late!"

and then, sirius black did something i did not expect. He jumped forward; i winced. But he didnt make contact with me. what happened instead was much more bizarre: he transformed into a big, jet black canine the size of a bear and barreled down the corridor, skidding on his massive padded feet.

I stared after the dog, stunned. I couldnt believe it. Sirius black... dangerous killer... hes... hes...

"he's an animagus..."