The Other Snape

Chapter 29

Harry found out about Neville's parents after Mr. Weasley got attacked. Of course, he never called Mrs. Longbottom 'Mum' but he supposed it was because they weren't really ever in his life, like Harry's parents.

Dumbledore wouldn't even look at Harry and he didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Not even thinking about the less-than-satisfactory kiss Cho gave him not even a full day ago would lift his spirits. Though, he supposed, Amelia had already told him all of that. Perhaps she wasn't as bad as he thought.

But where was she?

He hasn't seen her since...Harry couldn't remember! The last time he saw her was before Mr. Weasley's attack, but when?

"Thanks for the book, Harry!" Hermione said happily on Christmas day. "I've been wanting that New Theory of Numerology for ages! And that perfume is really unusual, Ron."

"No problem," said Ron. "Who's that for anyway?" he added, nodding at the neatly wrapped present she was carrying.

"Kreacher," said Hermione brightly.

"It had better not be clothes!" said Ron warningly. "You know what Sirius said, Kreacher knows too much, we can't set him free! And you really can't anyway, you'd have to go to Amelia for that."

"It isn't clothes," said Hermione, "although if I had my way I'd certainly give him something to wear other than that filthy old rag. No, it's a patchwork quilt, I thought it would brighten up his bedroom."

"What bedroom?" said Harry, dropping his voice to a whisper as they were passing the portrait of Sirius's mother.

"Well, Sirius says it's not so much a bedroom, more a kind of — den," said Hermione. "Apparently he sleeps under the boiler in that cupboard off the kitchen."

"He does," said an exasperated voice, "But you should know that he won't take gifts. He never does. It doesn't matter who's giving him what."

Harry turned and there was Amelia whose arm was in a sling and her cheek was bandaged up.

"Er, what happened to you?" Harry asked.

Amelia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Your cheek and...arm," Ron said.

"Oh," Amelia grinned, "Siri pushed me off the stairs and I cut my cheek on something. I don't really know."

"Sirius pushed you down the stairs?" Hermione said incredulously. "Why?"

"I know right!" Amelia said, successfully avoiding the question, "One would think that, after apologizing in sixth year, he would stop the yearly tradition. At least it wasn't a moving staircase, though!"

"Yearly tradition?" Hermione said, shaking her head, once Amelia was gone, "What kind of tradition is that?"

"Er, I don't really think it was," Harry said as they walked downstairs, "You know, she was bullied by everyone in school."

"Everyone?" Ron asked, "Why? Even your parents?"

"Everyone," Harry said, "You know she was a Slytherin with, well, no friends. That made her vulnerable and all the Houses bullied her."

"Even Slytherin?" Hermione asked.

"She was a muggleborn," Harry shrugged, "What do you think?"

"Ouch," Amelia winced. "You telling everyone about my life story?"

They hadn't even realized that they were about to bump into Sirius and Amelia. Sirius was in a better mood than ever.

"Did you actually push her down the stairs, Sirius?" asked Hermione angirly, "Even for you, that's horrid."