Window into the Past

🌙26🌙

A/N Joy's bedroom

Dear Harry

I heard about the unfortunate incident with the Muggles. Ouch, hope you didn't get into too much trouble. I went to New York with Tia, she was on a business trip with the American Ministry, called MACUSA, so she took me with her. It was SO MUCH FUN. Tia took me to a Broadway show called Annie. I must admit, I saw a bit of myself in Annie, she'd sneak out of her orphanage to wander around New York, same with me in London. 

I had a lovely hotel room during the full moons. Just a small bit of stomach pain and I got so snarky with the maid, I had to apologise to her the next day. Oops.

New York is so cool. All the buildings are taller than the Astronomy tower. Anyway, the sweets or candy as the Americans say, are the best. I should bring the trolley lady here. I decided to give you a taste of New York, both wizard and Muggle.

I saw that Ron's family won the Daily Prophet draw, amazing, isn't it? I heard that Percy is Head Boy and let me tell you something. Ron. Isn't. Happy.

I'm hoping we get a good Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year. I love it and I don't want a crappy teacher to make me lose faith in the subject yet again. I'm heading to Diagon Alley a week before school starts. I hope you can come. If not, I'll happily annoy you on the Hogwarts Express.

Love from your favourite wolf

Joy xoxo

I sealed the letter and whistled for Biscuit. "Send this to Harry," I instructed him, giving him the parcel too.

He glowered at me. "Oi, don't give me that, I'll give you lots of treats, I promise."

He flew off and I walked downstairs in my empty house. I grabbed my backpack and I walked out the door. Pip started barking before I had the chance to close it. "Come on, boy!" I put his leash on so I could go for a walk with him. I was going book shopping for the new term.

My house was invisible to Muggles, it just looked like the haunted house that people were too scared to go near. Only when Tia performed a quick undetectable spell, it looked like my home. It's been that way for as long as I can remember but I know Mum loved living in that cabin since it was in the middle of nowhere. You had to walk a little bit to get into Gloucester.

But back in the war, it was a safe house for my mother. The house was completely hidden because of spell work. No one could see it, completely invisible. There was also a spell that would somehow convince people to turn around and walk away, due to a bad vibe they suddenly got. 

When my mother died, all the protections fell as the house was in her name. Her life was required to keep those spells going. The house was torn apart by Death Eaters. The damage was fixed and once Tia adopted me, a few of the spells were put back up. Not all them, but some

I walked into the shop and Anna, the owner, was happy to see me. "Ah Joy, come to shop for new books?" she asked me.

Anna was a Squib so I didn't need Muggle money to pay for books and she didn't mind if Pip came in. "Any recommendations?" I asked her. "Do you like adulterous Muggles?" Anna laughed. "Sounds dramatic," I smiled.

I picked up The Great Gatsby. "Is your aunt okay with this?" Anna asked me. "She doesn't mind as long as I get good grades," I told her.

I picked out one more called Carrie. "That all missy?"

"Tia will probably send more for Christmas, how much?"

"Three Galleons, nine sickles," she told me. I rooted in my bag for the money.

"Thank you very much," Anna smiled. "Give Tia my regards."

I took my books and piled them into my bag. "Thanks Anna!"

"No problem kiddo! Catch!"

She threw me an issue of the Daily Prophet. A man was plastered on the front and he was thrashing about in the photo.

I had a feeling that I knew him. "He looks familiar."

"Familiar?" Anna wondered. "Who is he?" I asked her. "That my dear is Sirius Black," she explained to me. "Nutter he is, killed twelve Muggles."

"It says he escaped," I read the newspaper. "Yeah, Dementors will be after him," Anna shuddered. "Nasty things they are."

I stared at the photo of Sirius Black. "I swear I know him from somewhere," I murmured. I kneeled down next to Pip to show him Sirius Black. "What do you think? Nutter or misunderstood?"

Pip barked and I took that to mean nutter.

***

I stayed in my bedroom reading the newspaper. I heard a knock on my door. "Come in."

Tia walked in and saw me staring at the paper. "You've heard."

"Do I know him? I feel like I do," I sighed. "Is he my father?"

Tia let out a snort. "No, he's not, he was close friends with your parents," she muttered. "He was around when you were a baby, he adored you, always read you stories. I had a massive crush on him when I was little.

"Did he ever sing to me?" I wondered, thinking about that lullaby. "Uh no, he only read Babbity Rabbity to you," Tia shook her head. "The only thing Sirius Black would sing at the top of his lungs is death metal."

"Maybe he'll come back to see you," I laughed. "Oh stop," Tia hit me playfully.

"How serious were you two?" I laughed. "Okay, he's Sirius, not me," Tia joked. "I was a child, it was a little girlie crush that's long gone."

I gaped. "You were visiting him while I was in Hogwarts!"

Tia shrugged, not denying it. "I did visit him, yes. He cared so much about your mother, I refused to believe he was the one to betray her. I knew he could never do that."

Tia smiled at me and held onto me. "How did I become so lucky to have you as a kid?"

"You say that now," I giggled. "But wait until..."

"LALALALA!" Tia stuck her fingers in her ears. Tia basically was the only mother I had. All the orphanages and group homes I was at were lonely, cold, sometimes abusive. But I felt immediately at home when Tia adopted me.

***

I shot out of the fireplace and onto the floor of the Leaky Cauldron. "Ron! Hermione!"

"JOY!" they both shouted and they ran over to me. "You said you'd come over," Ron thumped my arm. "Sorry, sorry," I mumbled. "I was in the US of A."

"How was it?" Hermione asked me. "Amazing!" I sang. "I'm really looking forward to Hogsmeade, Tia signed my form."

"Same here," Ron smiled as we sat down. "So, will we go get our books?"

"Yeah, just let me clean myself up," I mumbled. "I'll come with you," Hermione and I went upstairs.

My stuff was already in Hermione's room as Tia brought it all. "So did you hear about Harry?"

"No, what happened?" I asked her. "It was so funny," Ron stifled a laugh from outside the door. "It was not!" Hermione hit him.

"He blew up his aunt," Ron was wheezing from all the laughing. I suddenly started giggling uncontrollably.

Hermione rolled her eyes at us. "Oh for goodness sake."

Ron came in and looked at the Daily Prophet on my bed. "So, what do you think about Sirius Black?"

"Well, he's sort of my uncle, in a way," I muttered.

"WHAT?!" Ron and Hermione freaked out. I was a little startled. "Merlin's balls!"

"What do you mean he was sort of your uncle?!" Ron demanded. "Well..he was around when I was a baby," I explained. "My aunt had a school girl crush on him and I remember him reading me Babbity Rabbity."

"That's kind of sweet," Hermione admitted.

"Right, so shopping? I need to get my books," I suggested. "Let's go," Ron said and the three of us walked out of the Leaky Cauldron.