the secret of Erised {s.b.}

chapter 20: freedom

"Stop talking nonsense, Mr. Black," Minerva McGonagall said coldly from behind her desk, "There is no way that's possible. Now, go along or you'll miss dinner."

It was only the second day of school and Sirius had been waiting for McGonagall's Transfiguration class all day to talk to his Head of House. Ever since his conversation last night with Esmeralda that's all he wanted to do, but he thought it'd be better to wait until after their lesson to not look suspicious. James, Remus, and Peter threw odd looks at Sirius as they walked out of the classroom and Sirius stayed to talk to their professor. He never talked to teachers after class, or at all. If either one of them needed something they always sent Remus to talk to the corresponding professor.

"I don't care if I miss dinner, this is urgent," Sirius said a little bit agitated while looking at McGonagall straight in the eye, "She's been trapped long enough and we mu-"

"Trapped ?" the Transfiguration teacher questioned, "What on Merlin's name are you talking about ? Ms. Dragonstone has been dead for-"

"Ten years," the young student interrupted, "That's a very long time for someone to be trapped, don't you think, Professor ?"

Minerva's eyes were filling up with tears and a lump formed on her throat as she tried to avoid breaking down in front of Sirius. The boy did not know that Esmeralda was a sensitive subject for her and could not hold a conversation about her longer than a couple of minutes. She was reminded of the bright witch everyday as she looked at the tiny black owl that once belonged to her, but she couldn't handle anything more intense than a couple of Quidditch questions about her with the occasional mention of her Animagus.

The thought of Esmeralda still being alive had disappeared a couple of months after they declared her dead. They had never found her body or her wand, so there was no way of truly believing she was gone. Minerva had insisted along with Perla to keep looking for Esmeralda even after the empty casket was buried next to Heliodor and Venetia in the family graveyard. The Ministry refused to help and Dumbledore was not the most encouraging to the witches in their task. He had said that even the idea of Esmeralda being found by them seemed extremely foolish.

"Mr. Black," McGonagall managed to say, "Even if what you're suggesting is true, I see n-"

"It is true," he interrupted.

"Stop interrupting me, Mr. Black," she said harshly, "I am one of the few people that believed Miss Dragonstone was  simply missing and not dead ten years ago, but I've come to terms with her death and so must you. It baffles me that you even mention her name or suggest that she might still be alive since you never even met her. I don't know where you got this insane idea, but I regret to inform you that Esmeralda Dragonstone has been dead since November of 1966."

Sirius took in a breath. He'd never seen McGonagall so enraged. Sure, after some pranks he'd pulled or comments he'd made she would wear a disapproving look, but never an angry one. He scratched the back of his neck and chose his next words carefully.

"What if I can prove it to you ?" he asked, "Ask me anything about her."

McGonagall sighed and looked down while shaking her head.

"There is nothing you can say to me to make me believe you," she said.

"Her full name is Esmeralda Dragonstone, no middle name because her parents thought it would be a mouthful to say whenever they would scold her," he began without taking a breath, "She knows this because that's what her aunt Perla told her. She was sorted into Gryffindor and became the youngest Seeker to ever make the team and she was also an Animagus at the age of twelve. Her Animagus form is a black dragon, but her Patronus is a dog."