NIKITA SWADDLED HEKA BENEATH her jumper, making sure the bat had plenty of room to breathe and making a hole large enough for his head to pop through.

It was a little past midnight. Curfew had long past and the entire Hogwarts population were sleeping soundly- even the Weasley twins. And to be quite honest? Nikita, for once, was glad nightmares plagued her and that she had been raised in Azkaban.

Otherwise she wouldn't be stupid enough to do what she was about to do.

Over the last couple months students had been getting 'petrified' by some unknown creature that lurked in the shadows of Hogwarts. It seemed many blamed Harry Potter for the attacks, but even Nikita was smart enough that that was the stupidest thing she had ever heard. She regretted every time she'd ever thought Siri was being 'naive' or 'dramatic', because these numnuts put him to shame.

Harry was twelve for merlins sake! Twelve! The boy had trouble performing a simple accio spell, let alone petrifying students for no reason.

However a lot of the suspicion had shifted from Harry's shoulders in light of the prejudice-Hogwarts-beasts newest victim. Even these idiots didn't think Harry would attack his best friend.

That's who Nikita was preparing to sneak out and see. Hermione was her first friend, and Nik was certain she'd do the same for her.

With Heka all set to go, Nik grabbed her wand and quickly snuck out of the Gryffindor tower. A good deal of portraits were on sentry mode, yet Nik found that for some reason they seemed rather fond of her. From the moment she said her last name was Vane chatter had arose amongst the painted people, they had cast her suspicious yet pitying looks, asking how her aunt was.

She didn't even know what an aunt was until two weeks ago, let alone if she had one.

It seemed Nikita often struck people as simple, which, admittedly, she was. Where those people made their mistake however was thinking 'simple' meant the same thing as stupid. They mistook her hopefulness for being naive and her inability to bond with class mates as her being a 'weirdo'.

Nik had a feeling she noticed a lot more things then the occupants of Hogwarts gave her credit for. Like Seamus Finnigan calling her 'creepy' and 'thick in the head'. At the time, she hadn't realised why George had whacked him in the head, but now she did.

It hurt her more then she was willing to admit that she found fault of someone in the outside world. It was supposed to be better then Azkaban. Sirius promised her so.

But her faith in that trust was wavering.

With Hermione in the hospital wing, she had only just now realised how much she depended on her friend. Hermione would help with night terrors without complaint or questions, were as Lavender had got so peeved Nikita now awkwardly sat up in bed, trying to remain awake so it wouldn't bother her.

And without Hermione to help her with homework and social situations, Parvati and Lavender her begun avoiding her. The two twelve years seemed to agree with Seamus, Nikita was dumb.

In fact, besides the odd time's when the twins could pry themselves away from their own friends and bother to find time for her, Nikita was utterly alone.

She gently pushed open the large mahogany doors that lead to the infirmary. She winced as it creaked and quickly ducked inside, racing behind the first bed she saw. Nik listened to the sounds of shuffling, and a wobbly light spilled beneath the door. She sucked in a breath.

Argus Filch, however, seemed to put the creaking down to the doors age and shuffled off again.

She released her breath.

Nikita briefly checked to make sure Heka was okay before standing up and walking down the long, tiled room. She peered over the tops of unconscious heads, frowning. Merlin, this is exactly what Bellatrix described it to be like when you took someone off of a twenty four hour torture curse. Minus the shaking.

She paused, scrunching her nose up. She promised herself she'd never think about Bellatrix.

Finally Nikita found the familiar bushy hair that she was searching for. She hurried over, dropping into the chair beside her with a huff. Releasing Heka to go play with the sheets, Nik focused on Hermione's un-moving face.

Wake up, Nikita thought. Please.

Did Hermione even breathe?

She reached into her robe and pulled out the foul pink quilt Hermione's mother had sent her. Apparently Mrs Granger used it when Hermione was ill, and had sent it 'just in case'. Welp, just in case had come to pass and Hermione could use a little muggle healing.

She tucked the brunette in, recalling how Tom had did so when she was ill during the summer. Though Nik now deemed the bottles on the wall story inappropriate, she still hummed the tune.

***

When Madam Pomfrey woke the next morning and set about her daily duties, it was with surprise she found a familiar girl sleeping in bedside chair, a bat covering the majority of her body as she muttered in her sleep feverishly.

It was no question who the girl was.

It seemed to Madam Pomfrey that the girl was never gonna lose that free spirit about her, try as the school might to make her 'normal'.

The woman left her alone to sleep, and quickly began work on the mandrake roots.

A good thing too, for she didn't think the girl could handle the onslaught of news that came that day. First Ginny Weasley, a first year, had gone missing. Kidnapped by the heir of Slytherin. Then Hogwarts was evacuating. Then Ginny's brother and and the boy who lived had gone missing, then they all returned, covered in sewer slime and Basalisk blood.

How on earth was a very good question.

When Nikita woke up, she was pounded with all this new information, but to Madam Pomfrey's utmost surprise, Nikita didn't rush towards her friends in the hospital bed just across from Hermione's, surrounded by Weasley's. No, the news that intrigued Nikita the most was the one about Hagrid.

He had returned from Azkaban.

She ran out of the front doors faster then she had ever done in her entire thirteen years of existence.

The second year crashed into his side, but the half giant barely swayed. He peered down at her, a chuckle escaping his lips. "I thought I migh' see you soon,"

"Did you-"

"Here it is," He held out a scruffy letter to her. "Though you are gonna have to tell me how you knew someone in Azkaban of all places,"

"Maybe one day," Nik replied, tucking the letter into her pocket.

She wouldn't read the letter until the next day, when she sat alone on the train, when that feeling of alone-ness crashed over her again.

The Weasley twins had sat with Ron and Harry, and so had Hermione. Lavender and Parvati had made a futile attempt at making things normal between the three girls, not understanding where Nik's hurt came from.

But, as always, in her darkest moments Sirius was always there. She unfolded the letter like it was a sheet of pure gold while Heka recoiled at the Azkaban smell.

Dear goddess,

A bright grin appeared on her face.

Merlin I miss you so bloody much. You have no idea how much of a god send those letters are, they're the only thing's keeping me going sometime's I swear.

First and foremost, I just wanna say there isn't enough parchment in the world for me to express how bloody proud of you I am, nor enough to tell you how much I wish I could be by your side as you experience Hogwarts.

Let's get straight to it.

I think it's bloody marvellous how you managed to convince Mcgonagall to let you keep a bat of all things as a pet. Heka is an excellent name, a goddess should always be friends with a fellow god. Clearly the reasom me and you are so close.

These boys... These Weasley's... I swear to Merlin if one tear is shed because of them, or one hair is out of place, not even Azkaban's gonna hold me back as I finally commit the murder I was imprisoned for. That Finnigan boy I'll torture the same way my mother tortured me, and those girls clearly aren't worthy of your time.

I'm glad you've met Hermione though, she sounds like a good one. Kind've like an old friend of mine. As with this whole 'two different friend groups' problem you have, maybe you should try to make friends with the boys? They sound loyal to a fault, like true Gryffindors.

I'm running out of space to write, so I'll finish it here.

Nikita you are so brilliant. You're bloody incredible. Look how fast you've adapted despite Azkaban? You're one in a million, Nik!

I love you,
Siri

P.S
Tell anyone who disagrees with me that their mums a hoe.

***

A/N

This took way longer then it should've.