Bookworm

10

"YOU NEARLY DIED!" Molly Weasley screamed at her. Mira shrunk back in her seat as the twins snickered from across the table and high-fived.
"But I didn't?" Everyone watched as Molly drew herself to her full height, ready to unleash hell upon the girl. That's when Harry walked in the room, still in his pyjamas with his eyebrows furrowed. Harry didn't know about that morning, when the twins had dared her to put on Walburga's hat and pretend to be the woman. None of the teens knew that the hat was cursed and tried to swallow the girl whole.
"What's going-Mira?"
"Hi Harry," Mira sent him a wave and a small smile, glad for Mrs Weasley's distraction. But as soon as he was sat in a chair with food in front of him, it was gone and the woman turned back to Mira.
"Just leave it, Molly.." Sirius sighed from the doorway.
"She should have know better!"
"I thought it was pretty funny-" Mira spoke up. Sirius glanced at her.
"You're not helping yourself." he hissed.
"What's going on?" Harry asked again. No one answered. Molly was glaring at Mira, Sirius was glaring at Molly, Mira was staring at Harry, Mr Weasley was avoiding eye contact with anyone and Tonks was happily shoving food in her mouth.
There was a rustling of feathers and Hermione was glad to break the awkward silence that fell around the room.
"Our Hogwarts letters are here!" she cried, grabbing her own. Mira stared down at hers in shock, being the only child there to note that it was slightly different to the others.
Mira Harfield
I am inviting you to stay in Hogwarts castle as my guest. As you are not registered legally with the ministry, you can not be registered as a legitimate student, but as long as you are my guest you can stay in the castle and do as you please. Attend any classes you like and I will put you in for OWLs at the end of the year.
This also means that you can leave whenever you please, and rules that normally apply to students such as curfew and permission for the restricted section don't apply to you.
I hope to see you soon.
Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore.
The next page was just detailing what she would need to take with her (for any lessons she may attend). Mira closed it up and hid it in her pocket. Sirius saw her expression and gestured for her to leave the room with him. Harry got up and followed out of curiosity.
Mira saw him at the door as she handed Sirius her letter and waved him into the room.
"I don't think we ever got a formal introduction, Harry. I'm Mira Moriarty. " he stared at her hand then back up at her. "You know, when people introduce themselves you're meant to shake their hands and say your name back-"
"Harry Potter." He smiled at her and shook her hand. Sirius glanced up at them.
"Get a room." Mira rolled her eyes and stood on his foot as Harry flushed bright pink and stepped about a foot away from her.
"Anyway, I have some things I need to sort out." she announced. Sirius's head snapped up.
"You'd better not be planning to leave again. Molly will skin you alive and serve you for dinner."
"I didn't know the Weasley's were cannibals. Nothing was ever said about it-"
"Shut up, Moriarty. I'm just saying, stay in the house." Mira's face showed clear amusement as she raised her hands above her head in mock surrender.
"Alright Sirius, I promise I wont leave. Don't kill me." he sent a scalding glare in her direction. She laughed heartily before running from the room backwards and straight upstairs.
"Kreacher!" He appeared before her as she shut the door. "Did you get it off the table?" He nodded and passed her the locket, eyes fixed on them in disgust. Mira shoved it in her bag before pulling out the photo album.
"I found this-" Kreacher's eyes widened and he moved to snatch it away from her. She held it out of his grasp. "Hey! I just want to have a look!" Kreacher shook his head, his ears hitting his face.
"Miss Mira can't be looking at that-too many hidden-"
"What are you bloody going on about? The fact that Regulus had a child?" Kreacher froze as she bent down to be level with him. "Kreacher, I need you to tell me where it went when he died."
Tears welled in his eyes and he shook his head, stepping away from her.
"No. No. NO! DON'T ASK KREACHER THAT!" he screamed, pulling on his ears. The door slammed open and Sirius strode in, Remus and Tonks just behind him.
"Mira? What's going on?" Sirius asked. Mira could see him physically restraining from saying something awful to Kreacher; whom was stamping his feet and wailing at this point.
"Kreacher, will you be quiet?" Remus asked gently. Kreacher paused as if he was going to say something to Remus but his eyes trailed to the stern expression on Mira's face and he forced himself to stop making any noise, big tears still rolling down his ugly face. Sirius looked at him in surprise before Mira stood from her crouching position and handed the photo album to him.
"Regulus had a child." she told him quietly. His face slowly got paler as he flicked through the pictures and he suddenly slammed it shut, sinking onto the bed and putting his face in his hands. Everyone was silent for a few moments.
"Wh-but-I-I-he's dead." Sirius said quietly. Kreacher began bawling again, hitting his head with his fists. "Kreacher, he's dead. Where's the kid? KREACHER ANSWER ME!" He grabbed the elf by his cloth and pulled him close to his face. Mira moved to pull him away, but Remus grabbed her arm and kept a firm grip on it. "Kreacher, I'm an uncle! JUST TELL ME WHERE IT IS!" Kreacher began bubbling. Sirius let him go and stepped back.
"Kreacher, I order you to tell me where you took the kid. The truth."
"Kreacher doesn't know! Master Regulus was the one that sent her away!"
"Sirius, we have to find the kid. There's no doubt the Dark Lord knows about her-we have to get her before he does." Remus said quietly. Sirius was quiet, he didn't move. "I'll go speak to Dumbledore."
Tonks moved to sit beside Sirius, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Sirius?" She glanced at Mira. The dark-haired girl took the hint and quickly left the room.