Renee, a half-blood, is entering her seventh and last year at Hogwarts. There has been much unrest as the dark lord rises to power. Renee must make choices, between love and life.
This is a fictional story based off of Harry Potter. I acknowledge th...
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I ran down the last flight of stairs to the Great Hall. The students were coming back after spring break and I rushed down to meet them. I had stayed at Hogwarts during this break, but everyone else had gone home for the holiday. There was laughter and a loud buzz of energy, as everyone milled in front of the Great Hall. I pushed through people and found Peter first. He looked tired, but smiled and said he was going to look for his luggage. Barely a minute passed before I found Remus. He asked if I'd seen Peter, and I pointed towards the luggage claim area. He smiled and walked away. I kept pressing through and finally found myself in front of Sirius, who laughed and wrecked me with a lopsided grin. I was so happy to see him, but I couldn't find any words to say, so I just grinned back like a fool. He led me over to the luggage area and asked me how my break was. "Quiet," I said, "How about yours?" He looked pained and said he'd spent it at James' house. He didn't explain further as Mr. Filch gruffly shoved his trunk over the table into Sirius. We rejoined the others at the side of the entrance by the Great Hall. James greeted me with a good natured hand shake, and Lily enveloped me in a tight hug. Eventually, we made it up to the Gryffindor Common Room, where James and Sirius proceeded to prank the first years who were trying to haul their trunks in. Lily pulled me up into the girls' dormitory and led me over to her bed. I sat down as she began to unpack her trunk. I asked her how her spring break was and she said, "The first two days I was with my family, but it's so hard to relate to them anymore. On the third day I apparated to James' house to be with him and his family for the rest of the holiday." Here she paused and turned to me, with a knowing smile. "I overheard Sirius talking to James about you." I could feel the heat rising and I looked down and shrugged, fiddling with my hands. When I looked up Lily had pressed her lips together, but she started giggling anyways, and then I joined in. We didn't hear Twila Johnson and MaryBee Cathay come in. MaryBee came over and said, "Did you hear about the latest disappearance?" Our mirth fizzled out and MaryBee continued. "Apparently over break, the Klasinos family were coming home from a late night party with friends, and they were walking home, and then all of a sudden were just gone. And you know it's snowy where Nina Klasino lives. All their footprints were there, the five of them, and then nothing." These strange disappearances kept occurring. It was morbid; no one knew where these people went. "But that's not the worst of it," Twila added. "A few days later, Nina's father was found dead, with a huge gash on his head." I shuddered. Lily looked deeply troubled. The girls left, still talking, and I turned to Lily. She came and sat down on the bed next to me, cuddling a folded sweater to herself. "James heard of a group called the Order of the Phoenix," she began quietly. "We're thinking of joining. Do you want to as well?" I nodded my agreement. Outside it had begun to pour and the rain beat at the windows, almost as if it was trying to break in. I looked at Lily, and could see a fire kindling in her eyes at the injustice that was going on. I leaned towards her and gave her a nudge. She looked at me and I gave her a reassuring smile. "So long as we stick together, You-Know-Who doesn't have a chance." She smiled as well and stood up to finish unpacking.
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A couple nights later I was finishing dinner in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table. Sirius slid over next to me and asked if I had anything planned for later. I glanced across the table at Lily who smiled and looked away. I turned to Sirius and said, "Well, I was planning to go to the library to get that Herbology book." He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling and back down. "Do you ever stop studying?" I bit my lip and then said, "Do you ever stop failing?" His eyes flashed in good humor and I turned back to dessert. He nudged me. "How about I meet you after the library and we'll hang out?" I gave him my consensus and got up to leave. I did find that Herbology book, but then I sat in the library for another hour, looking through a fascinating book about certain water plants that cured worms toe (interesting, but gross). I was taking notes when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to look, but no one was there. I faced my book again, but there was another tap. I turned my head again. No one there. Then I heard a chuckle and just a hand appeared. I shook it and went back to work. The cover of the book slammed shut, startling me. Now there was an arm revealed. I reached out and pushed at the invisible fabric. The hand reached up and pulled the material off. Sirius appeared before me and I looked at the unseen silk bundled up in his other arm. He noticed where I was looking and said, "This is James's. It's an invisibility cloak." "Another secret?" I guessed. "Correct," he said, tapping his nose. "Don't tell," he sang out. "Shh." I looked around making sure there wasn't anyone near us. He shook his head and said, "Wanna get out of here?" He smiled mischievously. "Ok." I replied. I gathered my things and he grabbed my hand and led me out. We walked in the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room and then went left, down some stairs, and arrived at a large framed oil painting of a Princess weeping at the edge of a lake. Sirius ran his hand along the bottom and then something clicked. The painting opened as if on hinges and a flight of stairs leading down was exposed. He jumped up and turned to help me in. He pulled the painting closed behind us and then murmured a quiet spell. The tip of his wand glowed bright and he led me down the stairs. At the bottom was a door and then we were outside. The night air whispered spring and crickets sang of the warm weather coming. "Come on, I have something to show you," Sirius said and pulled the Invisibility Cloak over us, then we headed down the hill. We traveled the same trail the boys had taken a few months ago when I discovered Remus' secret. We traveled along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. There was a small trail, I hadn't noticed before, and we turned and followed it. We arrived at the edge of an inlet of the Black Lake. We walked hand in hand to the other side and stood on the shore as the waves gently lapped the beach. Sirius pulled the cloak off and tossed it behind us. He whispered something and all of a sudden a ball of water floated up from the lake towards me. "Hold out your hand," he said. I obeyed and the orb of water came to rest on my hand, and even though I could feel the water, my hand wasn't getting wet. "This is cool," I said. "Look closer," he said, nodding his head toward the liquid sphere, but keeping his eyes fixed on my face. I peered down into the watery globe and saw small orange fish. I absolutely adored fish. I looked up grinning and Sirius smiled, pleased to see that I was happy. Then he showed me how to lay the ball into the water and when I did the fish dispersed and swam away. We sat on the edge, watching the waves wash the shore over and over. I felt his arm wrap around me and I leaned my head against his shoulder. And for a moment, I forgot all the terror creeping into the world. All I let myself feel was the peace and the possibility of Sirius Black.
