They call me a criminal

Chapter 7

I reluctantly followed him down to the dining hall. "This is where I'll leave you. Are you alright?" I slowly nodded. "I'm not sure I'm ready." He gave me a soft smile, "it's better to face it head on." I took a deep breath, and pushed open the big door making my way to Gryffindor table.

I noticed, but tried to ignore the silence that fell over the hall, and the turned heads. When I caught sight of Harry Ron and Hermione I began walking faster. "Clara." Harry whispered pulling me into a hug. I held on closely not wanting to let go. Hermione pried him off hugging me next. And Ron did the same. "Are you alright, your face looks terrible? What happened? Was that Sirius black?" Hermione drilled me.

I sat down trying to avoid all the stares coming my way. "Hermione give her a second." I felt tears threatening to pour out of my eyes. "I don't want to talk about it." I stared at the food in front of me looking up at the head table. I saw Snape glaring at me, and I returned the deadly look.

I ate a small piece of chicken and vegetables, trying to keep my head down. "Do you know how Sirius escaped?" Ron asked. I looked up at them, "I said I'm not talking about any of it right now. Please."

As soon as I was finished I pushed my plate forward, "we'll talk later, I promise." Harry squeezed my hand, "Clara you don't have to tell us anything you don't want too." Fred and George walked by, and George bent down whispering, "I'm sorry about your mum." I nodded, and then stood up. "I'll see you all later."

I swiftly made my way from the hall running into Pansy outside the doors. I stared at her unsure of what to say. "What happened to you?" She whispered and to my surprise she pulled me in.

"I'm alright now." I reassured her stepping back. "Mums dead, dads gone." I nodded, "I know believe me." She sighed, "what's going to happen to you?" I shrugged, "I'll find somewhere. What about you?" She gave me a small smile, "maybe Draco, or one of my friends." I bit my lip, not wanting to ask Ron's family for help. "I keep seeing mum." She told me.

"I do too. Pansy I have to go. I can't talk about any of this right now. I wish I didn't even come to dinner." She nodded, "we can go for a walk. Clara your my sister I care." I shook my head, "it's not a good time to start caring. I'll see you later."

I hurried up into my dorm, pulling the curtains closed on my bed. "Clara." I heard someone hollering my name from the common room. I reluctantly made my way to the common room and saw professor Lupin observing it. "Were you in Gryffindor?" I asked. He nodded, "indeed. Professor McGonagall has asked me to come get you." I sighed, upset just wanting to be left alone. "I'm assuming that's not what you want right now?" I shook my head, "I just want to be alone." He smiled, "we can take a detour, have a walk first."

I followed him onto the bridge overlooking the black lake. "My friends and I used to come here all the time." He informed me. "Mine like to go to the library, once in a while Harry will take us to meet up with Voldemort." This made him smile, "I was friends with your mother back in school." I stiffened at the thought of her. "No child should have seen what you did." I shook my head, "probably not, no."

"Professor, do they know who actually did it? Killed her I mean." He nodded, "I'm not sure." I bit my lip, "Sirius is about your age. Did you go to school with him?" Lupin barely looked at me when he answered this question, "indeed." I nodded, "we shared a cell."

Professor Lupin continued walking, "what was that like? Tell me about him?" I shrugged, "he was normal, looked after me mainly. Everyone else in there was so messed up, but Sirius was the complete opposite. He told me only the guilty go mad."

The professor stopped and turned to look over the bridge. "Your face, did that happen in Azkaban?" I nodded, "Bellatrix, did you know her?" He nodded once again, "unfortunately."

We stood there for a while before I asked, "when you first heard the story, about me, someone you didn't know, getting arrested. Did you believe I was capable of killing my own mum?" Lupin sighed, "I believe anyone is capable of anything. Your father was capable of having his wife murdered, and daughter locked in Azkaban." I scoffed, "well I don't think that was a chore for him, they fought all the time, and he hated me." Lupin nodded, "I'm sorry." I shrugged and we continued walking. "I think it's best we go see McGonagall now, don't you?" I hesitantly agreed and followed him to her office.