Mass Collision

21. Arthur's Back

Kreacher, it transpired, had been lurking in the attic. Sirius said he had found him up there, covered in dust, no doubt looking for more relics of the Black family to hide in his cupboard.

Though Sirius seemed satisfied with this story, it made Natalia wary. This didn't seem like the house-elf. He was in a better mood and there was no reason for it. Honestly, she thought he should be freed because no creature wants to work as a slave.

Sirius was a different story, he was becoming more and more depressed at the thought of everyone leaving and him having to be stuck here with the elf. Often, he would become taciturn and grumpy, often withdrawing to Buckbeak's room for hours at a time. His gloom seeped through the house, oozing under doorways like some noxious gas, so that all of them became infected by it.

Then, on the very last day of the holidays, something happened that made Natalia extremely wary for the upcoming school term.

She was practicing her magic in her room. She liked to still make sure she could do it if she needed to. She surrounded her room in shadows and listened to the voices speak to her until there was a knock at the door and everything disappeared. "Come in!" She called as she got up from the floor.

Harry opened the door, looking incredibly nervous, "uh professor Snape wants to see us."

Natalia looked confused as she put up some of her stuff that she had gotten out like her family's necromancy book. "Snape? What's he doing here?"

"I don't know, but they said he wants to talk now," Harry said, putting emphasis on now. Natalia rolled her eyes and grabbed her wand.

"Okay, I'm coming, let's go," she told him as she left the room, closing the door behind them.

A minute or two later, Harry pushed open the kitchen door to find Sirius and Snape both seated at the long kitchen table, glaring in opposite directions. The silence between them was heavy with mutual dislike. A letter lay open on the table in front of Sirius.

"Er," said Harry, to announce his presence. Natalia rolled her eyes and took a seat in the middle of the table.

Snape glanced at her before he looked around at Harry, his face framed between curtains of greasy black hair.

"Sit down, Potter."

"You know," said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking to the ceiling, "I think I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see."

An ugly flush suffused Snape's pallid face. Harry sat down in a chair beside Sirius, facing Snape across the table.

"I was supposed to see you alone, Potter," said Snape, the familiar sneer curling his mouth, "but Black -"

"I'm his godfather," said Sirius, louder than ever.

"I am here on Dumbledore's orders," said Snape, whose voice, by contrast, was becoming more and more quietly waspish, "but by all means stay, Black, I know you like to feel... involved."

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Sirius, letting his chair fall back on to all four legs with a loud bang.

"Merely that I am sure you must feel - ah - frustrated by the fact that you can do nothing useful,"

Snape laid a delicate stress on the word, "for the Order."

It was Sirius's turn to flush. Snape's lip curled in triumph as he turned to Harry.

"The Headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, Di Angleo, that it is his wish for you both to study Occlumency this term."

"Study what?" said Harry blankly.