AUTOPHOBIA - G. WEASLEY

Third Year: Conflict & Lies

✯ CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT ✯

February 12th, 1994.

NOBODY IN GRYFFINDOR Tower slept that night. They knew that the castle was being searched again, and the whole House stayed awake in the common room, waiting to hear whether Black had been caught. Professor McGonagall came back at dawn, to tell them that he had again escaped; Estella didn't know how to feel.

Throughout the day, everywhere they went they saw signs of tighter security; Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of Sirius Black; Filch was suddenly bustling up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back. She had been expertly restored, but was still extremely nervous, and had agreed to return to her job only on condition that she was given extra protection. A bunch of surly security trolls had been hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs.

Remus had caught Estella on her way to breakfast. She'd never seen him looked so relieved to see her in one piece.

"When I heard what happened, I was terrified," he said, pulling her into probably the tightest hug the two of them had ever shared. "I-- I was so scared he'd got you. He was so close, and--"

"Dad, I'm okay," Estella reassured him. "Everything was fine."

"But it might not have been!" He looked more stressed than usual; eye bags as bad as they would be if there was an upcoming full moon, which didn't make sense considering the next one was still over a week away. "To think that he was only metres away from Harry, and he'd probably been planning on going to you next, and-- you know what, I've been thinking, what if you moved into my quarters, and you could sleep in the spare bed? Now that I know your dorm isn't safe--"

"Dad..." said Estella, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "No offense or anything, but absolutely not. I don't want to be isolated from my friends, and I already feel special enough -- that will make it all worse. Please, let me just stay in my dorm."

Remus took a deep breath, running a hand through his sandy hair. "Fine," he said, calmer now, "I do feel it would be a little unfair for me to do that when none of this is your fault. I just -- you need to be very careful now, young lady. It's been the same all year, but I'm emphasising it even more now. No staying out after curfew, stay close within the grounds; don't go wandering off anywhere. If you see anything that could possibly help him into the castle, report it to the first adult you see -- I don't care if that's Snape, or Filch, or any other adult you don't like, you tell them. Don't wait around for me. I cannot stress this enough, Estella."

The girl nodded. She knew she should use this opportunity to tell him about the map -- which she also knew Black had made, and that therefore she definitely shouldn't still be holding on to it; but part of her didn't want to make Harry hate her again.

And she also knew that Remus wasn't being entirely truthful with her or his coworkers. If he'd made that map, that meant he knew about the passage leading on to Honeydukes, and Estella couldn't see that being boarded up; he was keeping it a secret.

She could do that too, if that's what he wanted.

"Fine, Dad," Estella smiled. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"You have to. Its not an option here. I love you very dearly, Stell. It would kill me if something was to happen to you."

"Nothing's going to happen," said Estella, reassuringly. "Believe me, Dad, one day everything will be okay and as it was again."