Open Wounds (Sirius Black)

Ominous Symbols

In the passing month of November, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry found itself enveloped in a unique blend of excitement and trepidation. The castle was adorned with autumnal hues, its corridors echoing with whispers of upcoming festivities. Sirius Black, the rebellious troublemaker of Gryffindor, had his birthday celebration in full swing. Friends and admirers had gathered in the Gryffindor common room, toasting another year of Sirius's audacious exploits.

As November waned into December, a sombre undercurrent began to weave its way through the school. The impending OWLs (Ordinary Wizarding Levels) were on the horizon, casting a shadow of anxiety over the students. Study sessions were in full swing, and the library had become a refuge for those buried beneath mountains of textbooks and parchments.

Amidst this academic fervour, murmurs about Sirius and his family began to spread like wildfire. Whispers grew louder, as tales of his tumultuous family life and the grim history of the Black family reached eager ears. The shockwave rippled through the Hogwarts community when news broke that Sirius's father, Orion Black, had been released from Azkaban after a two-and-a-half-month imprisonment. Speculation and concern surrounded this development, as the secrets of the Black family threatened to unravel in the midst of the approaching winter and the uncertain times that lay ahead.

People pointed and whispered to each other as Sirius strolled down the hall to the potions classroom. He stopped when he heard a Slytherin student say...

"It's no wonder Sirius turned out the way he did with a mother like that – a woman who wouldn't know decency if it slapped her in the face." The sneer of the Slytherin had him stumped. He turned slightly to the Slytherin.

"You wanna know something, Lestrange?" He paused. The three marauders didn't say anything or do anything to stop Sirius, the kid had been taunted and teased for months at this point.

Lily and I sat on a bench a few places away talking, Severus Snape had left her alone in Hogsmeade that weekend and refused to talk to her about it.

Sirius grabbed the kid by the collar, and Remus jumped slightly not expecting Sirius to grab the kid.

James pulled out his wand and Hexed the kid silenced and bound his feet together.

"Don't ever speak about my family again!" Sirius threatened the kid, his eyes not kind, but harsh and angry.

Lily and I got up and followed the four boys into Potions class which was buzzing with the talk of Christmas break approaching. The potions classroom exuded an atmosphere of eager curiosity, with cauldrons bubbling on each workstation and a ceiling adorned with glistening crystal chandeliers. Professor Slughorn's desk held an array of meticulously arranged vials, each containing a vibrant spectrum of mysterious ingredients.

"Ah, my dear children! come in! come in!" Slughorn greeted cheerfully gesturing to the different tables they would be gathering around. Professor Slughorn leisurely perused his collection of meticulously organized potions books, a treasure trove of elixirs and recipes from centuries past.

"Thank you," I took the book from his looking at it. It was old, the book was bonded in green leather that looked more like mould than leather. I glanced at Lily, the expression on her face told me she thought the same thing.

Slytherin and Gryffindor students gathered in the potions class, getting into pairs of three and picking a table. Remus joined Lily and I after she told Snape to go away.

Within the pages of the treasure trove of elixirs and recipes from centuries past, one could unearth the closely guarded secrets of alchemical mastery. From the delicate art of brewing elixirs that grant longevity to the complex spells required to craft enchanted potions, the book unveiled the intricate dance between ingredients, intent, and incantations. It whispered of forgotten concoctions capable of turning base metals into gold and hinted at the elixir of immortality, forever sought but never truly found. Every word was a portal to a bygone era where alchemists dared to defy the laws of nature and discover the elixirs that could change the course of human history.