Window into the Past

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"You are not letting that demented cat out!" Ron insisted. "Scabbers is terrified of the bloody thing!"

I listened to Ron and Hermione's pointless argument once we were walking through Kings Cross that day.

"Oh, do shut up," I rolled my eyes as I got ready to run through the barrier. Mrs Weasley hugged me goodbye and I got onto the train.

I was looking for a compartment but nearly all of them were full, except for one at the very end. "But there's someone in there," Ron complained. "Well, there isn't anywhere else to go!" I snapped.

There was a man fast asleep by the way. He looked quite young but worn out and tired. He had sandy brown hair, lightly flecked with grey. His robes were shabby and frayed.

"Who's that?" Ron asked us. "Professor R.J Lupin," Hermione told him, pointing up at his trunk.

"Must be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," I said to them. I sat in the seat opposite Lupin, pulling up my hood. "He looks..sort of familiar."

"Familiar?" Hermione looked at me. "I can't place him though," I sighed.

"Nothing springs to mind?" Harry pointed at Lupin. I looked at the sleeping man and tilted my head. "Nothing. Yet."

Harry started talking to Ron and Hermione but I zoned out, staring at the man. I know, if he wakes up to see a thirteen year old girl just staring at him, he'll be disturbed.

"Joy," Harry shook me. "What?" I mumbled. "You weren't listening, were you?" he sighed.

"Sorry," I murmured. "What were you saying?"

"Mr Weasley told me that Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban to kill me because he was following Voldemort," Harry told me the shortened version.

The words hit me and I sat back. "But.."

Harry sighed. "I sort of had a feeling you wouldn't believe it."

I looked at him pitifully. "Well it doesn't make sense, why now? Why this year? And I read up on the case..you know he wasn't given a trial and the Priori Incantatum wasn't used on his wand."

"You believe he's innocent?" Ron was dumbfounded. "Well think about it from my perspective Ron," I tried to reason with him. "Even the worst Death Eaters were given a trial, but Sirius Black was never given one, because the Ministry wanted a scapegoat."

"And you know this why?" Hermione looked at me. "My aunt is the top Auror, remember? She knows a lot of Ministry stuff" I told her. "Look, I just see it differently because I find it weird that he never got a fair trial."

Ron looked at me as if I just told him I was a Death Eater. "Joy!"

I shushed him, pointing to a sleeping Lupin. "Fine, I understand, but I think you're bat-crap crazy."

"Get me some tangible evidence that Sirius Black is after Harry then," I challenged him.

"Fine, I will!"

"Fine," I said quietly trying not to wake Lupin. I sighed, knowing that I just disappointed my friends by siding with Sirius Black.

"It's just, my mum was his friend, she knew him, I saw pictures of them both in school, they were close but any person who knew Sirius Black personally is currently dead."

"Well, it's understandable," Hermione agreed with me. "Sorry," I mumbled to Harry. "It's okay Joy, don't worry about it," he reassured me.

"Okay, change the subject, Hogsmeade," Ron suggested.

"I'm so looking forward to Honeydukes, the honeycomb chocolate is to die for," I drooled.

"Fred and George teasing you again?" Ron asked me. "Obviously," I playfully rolled my eyes.