Moon Dust | Mattheo Riddle

Chapter 8: So this is Christmas

Nova walked next to Hermione giggling as they traveled through Hogsmeade, behind them Ron let out a harsh breath.

"Those weasels never told me about any Marauder's Map."

Nova whipped her head around toward him and nodded, "me neither and I'm the one who told them about it."

They both gave each other a mischievous look in silent agreement to get back at the twins, but Hermione folded her arms and stepped between them.

"Harry isn't going to keep it. He's going to turn it over to Professor McGonagall. Aren't you?" she asked in a demanding tone.

Nova dropped her head slightly with a sad groan whilst Ron scoffed, "oh sure. Along with his invisibility cloak?"

Hermione glared at him then looked ahead toward the three broomsticks with a smug smile, "oh look who it is, Madam Rosmerta. Ron fancies her," the young witch teased.

Nova smiled and shoved Ron's side with her elbow playfully, but he scoffed at both of them again.

Harry stepped forward, ignoring his friends bickering as Minister Cornelius joined the scene, greeting Madam Rosmerta and having a quiet discussion about Sirius Black as she complained about the dementors.

The witch demanded to know why Black would even be in Hogsmeade in the first place and the minister got closer to whisper one familiar name, "Harry Potter."

At the name, Nova suddenly glanced up to see Harry moving toward the pub, with the cloak draped around his shoulders.

She tried to call after him but it was too late, Ron and Hermione turned their attention forward to see all but a trail of footsteps in the snow.

They looked at each other nervously and then ran forward but were stopped by the talking heads at the doorknob. "No underage wizards allowed in today! Shut the damn door!"

"So rude," Hermione complained as she closed the pub door.

The three of them clambered around the small window trying to spot their friend inside but Nova could already hear him climbing the stairs, she leaned her head back and then brought it down onto the door with a sigh. "Why does he never wait," she complained and the other two hummed in agreement.

While upstairs, Harry overheard the story of how his parents died, how they were in hiding after finding out they were marked for death.

How they were hidden, and no one knew where they were apart from Black and how Black sold them out to Voldemort and had them killed, along with Peter Pettigrew.

He'd known bits and pieces about his parent's death and he knew Sirius Black played a part in that but still hearing about it burned Harry right to his very core, though the thing that set him alight the most was the news that Sirius Black was and still remains his god-father.

Harry came running out of the three broomsticks with the cloak still covering him, the door swung open and Nova could hear the small tremors of breath even though nothing was there.

She stood up from the bench her, Ron, and Hermione had sat at and started to walk toward the appearing footsteps in the snow.

"Harry?" she whispered cautiously, hearing the soft sounds of a sob.

He didn't reply but she could tell he was running, she didn't hesitate to follow his trail, knowing the other two were right behind her.

Harry stopped on a rock far outside of Hogsmeade, he took his cloak off and let his head drop in his hands as he started to cry harder.

Nova and Hermione were by his side in seconds.

Nova sat beside him and gently placed her arm onto his shoulder whilst Hermione crouched down in front of him, "Harry what happened?"