Phantom Girl

Chapter Two - Memories

Chapter Two -- Memories. 

Roughly five years ago...

Young Sirius Black was plotting something. Something big. He was planning on getting revenge on an enemy. At least, that what he thought. 

Severus Snape was a boy in a house called Slytherin at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and  Wizardry. He was smart, clever, cunning, ambitious, sly, and sneaky. He had pale, pasty skin with dark, greasy hair and eyes like an emotionless abyss. No one, except maybe Lily Evans (a girl from a rival house), truly liked him. He was a loner, bullied and teased because of his appearance, house, and love for potions. 

To be exact, Severus was bullied by Sirius and his mates. 

Now Sirius had a best mate named Remus Lupin. Remus was harboring a deadly secret-- a secret in which no one besides the Hogwarts staff and his best friends knew. Naturally, Severus wanted to discover their reasons for their occult behaviour, and expose them, especially after all of the taunting, physical, and emotional harm. 

That night, however, Severus had received a note:

**Tonight, go out onto the grounds. Go to the Whomping Willow. Grab a long enough stick and press the knot in the bark. When the tree freezes, go into the tunnel at the base of the trunk. There, you’ll be able to find out why the Marauders sneak around. **

The note was unsigned, but Severus wasn’t suspicious. On the contrary, the boy was excited! He could finally expel his tormentors. Oh how wrong he was. 

Sirius was pacing the floor of the Shrieking Shack (where the tunnel at the base of the Whomping Willow led to). But this time, when he walked up the hall and turned around, he was met by forest green eyes looking into his. Startled, the boy jumped back, clutching his chest in surprise. 

In front of him was a girl, around his age (fifteen). The girl was ghostly beautiful with her stark white hair and deathly pale skin. To be precise, her eyes were the only source of color on her body, including her clothes (which was a white sundress). He fell in love instantly. 

“Sirius. What are you doing to the poor boy?” she whispered. Even her voice sounded wispy and far away, and Sirius found himself loving the way his name rolled off her tongue. 

Sirius thought for a moment about what she was saying. What was he doing to who? Oh. Severus Snape. 

“He called Lily a Mudblood.” he spat. 

The girl looked at him for a moment before replying, “That’s not all, is it?”

“The little bugger has been trying to figure out where we sneak off to. Should mind his own business,” Sirius muttered and resumed pacing. 

The girl retreated to the far corner of the hall, watching him. It made him uncomfortable, but at the same time, secure. It was a strange feeling to the fifteen year old, but he liked it. 

The girl glanced out the window, looking at the moon. It was full, stark white against the darkened sky. It reminded  Sirius of her appearance: mystical and unreal.  “It’s time for me to go,” she said. She started walking toward the entrance of the Shrieking Shack, the one that was in Hogsmeade. 

“Wait!” Sirius cried, walking forth toward the mysterious lady. She turned and looked at him, green eyes intense. “Will I see you again?” 

She opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. Instead, she shrugged. She resumed walking out the door, and within seconds she was gone. 

That night, Severus had done exactly what the note had told him, and was met with a nasty surprise. With gleaming yellow eyes and furious  claws, a werewolf started to advance on him. Someone came up behind the boy, and fought off the werewolf with a wand. It was James Potter, one of Sirius and Remus’ best mates. He helped up Severus and took him outside. 

Though Severus wasn’t harmed physically, he was emotionally traumatized. He knew that this would never leave his mind, but he had finally figured out the Marauders’ secret: Remus Lupin was a werewolf.