Chapter Text
Seeing the Daily Prophet’s latest headlines made me dread this upcoming year at Hogwarts. Being in a magical orphanage where everyone –from toddler to adult– knew your unfortunate lineage was punishment enough. But now, the Daily Prophet’s headline is far worse than any sneer or glare thrown my way. It read:
August 6th, 1993,
Black Still At Large
Sighted in Dufftown by a muggle for Merlin’s sake. Could he be any more careful or is he not thinking of my sake as much as his? Apparently not for hundreds of Dementors were sent to that small town made to hunt Black down. Trained to smell his every movement Sirius Black still managed to slip past those creature's cold dead fingers. The title looms off the page, daunting in the hot August air. Black makes the sweat roll cool down my neck. How can someone be so afraid and sick of their last name? Where’s the Gryffindor pride in that?
Does Harry know? I thought cautiously, swiveling my eyes around the cemented back garden. I’m not so far from the Leaky Cauldron, I could wander down there now and witness Harry wandering all of Diagon Alley’s treasures and finds. No. No! I couldn’t. He’d kill me. Scream until he’s blue and red in the face and his glasses shatter. Hermione wrote to me in the strictest confidence I do NOT relate my knowledge of Harry to anyone. Especially him. Of course, I couldn’t. Harry is too… moody to withstand the embarrassment of my knowing he blew up his own Aunt.
Though, I’m assured it’s not as serious as it seems, using magic outside of school is a criminal offense in the eyes of the Ministry of Magic. But I have a tingling feeling no one gets sent to Azkaban for blowing up their Aunt.
Sounds from the other children swept out of the screen door of the Orphanage. St Montgomery’s would be etched on my retinas forever. I’ve been here for 12 long years. Just as long as Sirius Black rotted in Azkaban…Well… Not anymore, I thought, a thrill of fear shooting up my spine. He’s around Dufftown, just a bit North of Hogsmeade Village. A mere few miles from empty, quiet, safe Hogwarts.
“Marnie Black!!”
BLACK. It echoed in my head like a flat church bell, “Dinner is ready, come now! Now!” Miss Everdorn, our caretaker at Montgomery’s called from the kitchen window. I let the Prophet fall from my lap, watching as my father’s stoically blank face rears up at me. I’ll let the grime eat away at this copy, I thought silently. It’s better this way.
Harry, Ron, Hermione. Harry, Ron, Hermione. I chanted in my head, searching for my friends. Just a day ago Hermione wrote to me to come to the Leaky Cauldron today at 3 pm, Ron and her would be arriving in Diagon Alley with Harry. I prayed they kept to the Inn, I couldn’t imagine the horror of someone, anyone realizing my relation with the latest Wanted Posters pasted all around. Upon entering the Inn, my search ended quickly, it was never difficult to spot the Weasley Family in a crowd. But still, not a single sign of my dear friends.
“Marnie! Marnie, dear!” Mrs. Weasley’s pale hand waved frantically to me, batting me over with a smile and a quick embrace,
“You just missed Harry, dear, no doubt now with Ron and Hermione at Fortescue’s wasting all their money”
“Thank you, Mrs. Weasley!” I called, struggling out of the busy lobby, “It– It was nice seeing you again, all of you!” I broke out into the sunny alley, the winding streets already full of witches and wizards shopping. Yet, I kept my head low, my hair creating a dark curtain of invisibility. Then I saw them, Ron extremely tall and freckly, Hermione brown with her latest summer tan, and Harry, pale and slightly smiling at whatever Hermione talked about,
“... I really want an owl,” she was saying, “I mean, Harry’s got Hedwig, and you’ve got Errol–”
“I haven’t,” interrupted Ron, “Errol’s a family owl. All I’ve got is Scabbers” Ron pulled out his uncharacteristically fat pet rat from his pocket. “And I really ought to get him checked over, I don’t think Eygpt agreed with–”
“Marine!” Hermione and Harry said simultaneously, both jumping slightly in their seats.
“Blimey, Marnie! Almost made me drop poor Scabbers,” whined Ron, to which Hermione shushed him,
“Brillant timing Marnie, I was just saying to them how I want a pet, particularly an owl but preferably like yours”
My lovely owl, Estrid, was a birthday gift to myself in 1st year. He’s a tame Long-eared owl, mostly brownish-grey with little black specks. Hermione always cooed on and on about how attentive and loyal he is with me and my mail. He was my sole companion over the long, hot summers.
“There’s a magical creature shop around here,” said Harry, “Ron can help Scabbers, Hermione can get her owl, and Marnie and I will….” he drifted off, searching for a word,
“Wander?” I provided awkwardly,
“Yeah, that,” said Harry.
The magical creatures shop proved to be very entertaining. Everything from four-eyed frogs to hairless cats could be adopted. With not much room inside, the cages lined the walls and floor, seeping noise and smell everywhere we went. A customer with double-ended newts occupied the counter, so Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I examined the cages as we waited. By the time Ron made it up to the counter, Hermione had already fallen in love with a scruffy, orange cat, who had the affinity to bite. As Hermione held the massive animal in her arms, the cat kept nipping at Ron’s hands through its cage. A cacophony of bickering ensued between the two pet owners. Harry and I went on looking at the cages, having a long laugh at our friends. We spent the rest of our day buying and gathering our remaining school items. Harry was ahead of all of us with the extra days he had, instead, he filled us in on everything that had occurred over the summer.
Platform nine and three-quarters were always crowded, but somehow going there with friends like Harry, Ron, and Hermione made it seem more bearable than ever. Mrs. Weaasly was quick to rush us all onto the train, even with Percy's “Headboy Skills,” Ron still managed to forget that antsy rat, Scabbers. Mr. and Mrs. Weasly’s smiling faces beamed in at us from the compartment windows, vaguely I could see Mrs. Weasly say “Stay out of trouble!” Yet, with our streak of notorious so-called “trouble-making” that would be near to impossible any year at Hogwarts.
Finding an empty train compartment was useless, seemingly everybody got to one before us. Hermione pulled us into the last and least likely available compartment. Slumped in the corner, tattered robes and tawny hair slept an adult man.
“Who do you think that is?” Ron whispered, slowly observing the man’s cocooned form,
“Professor R.J. Lupin” Hermione said,
“How do you know that?” Ron’s voice rose “How does she know everything?” He turned to Harry and me,
“It's on his suitcase, Ronald” Hermione sighed, pointing up to a worn suitcase on the top rack.
We all hunkered down, setting our various caged pets on racks and seats. Gingerly I sat down next to Professor Lupin, soft snores creeped out of his draped cloak, and I shivered. It was getting cold.
“Do you think he’s really asleep?” Harry asked,
“Seems to be” I replied,
“Good, 'cause I need to tell you all something” and he shut the compartment door, sitting down next to me, anxious.
I remained stiff and silent at Harry’s speech, rattling off his fears of Sirius Black’s escape, blowing up his aunt, the Minister of Magic’s visit to the Leaky Cauldron, and the big, black dog Harry saw as the Knight Bus whipped out in front of him. Still at large ringed in my head. Ron, incredulous, asked what would Sirius Black, a mass murderer, want to do with Harry. Hermione shushed Ron’s frantic questioning and twitched her head at me. I thought I could throw up. Blimey, why was it getting so cold?
“Let me get this straight,” said Ron following Harry’s lengthy explanation “Sirius Black has escaped Azkaban and is looking for… you?”
“Yeah…” said Harry,
“But they’ll catch Black won’t they?” said Hermione, “I mean, everyone’s looking for him,”
“Sure, they will,” but Ron hesitated, “except no one’s ever broken out of Azkaban before, and he’s a murderous, raving lunatic”
“Thanks, Ron” Harry rolled his eyes, quitting his sarcastic act as he looked at me.
Instead, I glanced at Hermione; she must’ve read the anxious dread in my body because she turned to me, leaning closer,
“I – We don’t blame you, Marnie” She reached a hand over to squeeze my knee, I wanted to flinch away but, instead, I allowed her warmth to seep into me.
“I’m really sorry, Harry, truly. If I could –” I began immediately stumbling over my words,
“Don’t. You’re not your father — you, — you could never be so unforgiving” Harry said, staring at the floor
“Yeah,” Ron began, voice scratchy with awkward fear, “It's impossible for a baby to do–” But he was cut off by Hermione elbowing him. Hesitantly, I smiled at my friends. It must’ve been a pitiful and bashful smile, all teary and pale, talking about a mass murderer on the hunt for a 13-year-old boy. How ridiculous a smile could be at a time like this.
“Thanks, I–” Suddenly, the train screeched to a halt, lights flickering.
“We can’t be at Hogwarts, we’re not even halfway there,” said Hermione, looking out the window. Ron followed close, his long pale hand pressed against it. Frost licked at his fingers.
The entire train was pitched into darkness, and various screams and yelps echoed throughout the corridors. Coldness seeped in, traveling through the air like fog.
“Why are we stopping?” stammered Hermione,
“I don’t like this,” whined Ron, “Something’s out there, I can feel it” he whispered.
Dread. Coldness so harsh our breaths came out in puffs. A shadow crawled down the corridor, pausing at our compartment window. One, long, skeleton-like, spindly hand reached for the door, clicking it open. A clocked figure hovered in the doorway. Craning its neck to peer down at each of us. A shriveled, hollowed face paused between Harry and me. Its mouth perpetually hung open seemed to grow wider, zeroing in on Harry. Leaning down, impossibly close, a whooshing, wind-like sound filled the compartment. The creature was sucking the life out of Harry! Before either of us could act, the mysterious Professor Lupin, awake, jumped up and confidently pointed his wand at the creature. A beautiful, shimmering light exploded from his wand, pushing the creature away. Professor Lupin began commanding “Sirius Black is not in this compartment!” Harry, compelled into a fit, slumped over on his side, his glasses knocked off and his head landing heavily right next to my leg. It took numerous calls and gentle shaking from Hermione and me to wake Harry. When he finally did sit up, his face appeared deathly pale and his shoulders shook. Gingerly, I picked up his glasses to set them back in place on his nose,
“What was that?” He asked, throat dry and scratchy
“A dementor,” said Professor Lupin simply, “don’t worry, it’s gone now. Here” he held out a piece of chocolate wrapped in foil, “it’s just chocolate. Eat, and you’ll feel better”
“What was it doing here?” I asked, feeling the coldness finally leave me
“Looking for Sirius Black” Lupin simply stated “Now, I must go have a little word with the conductor. Do not leave this compartment,” then, looking back at Harry, “It’s just chocolate, please, eat, you’ll feel better”
We all shared a look with each other as Lupin’s cloak fluttered behind him,
“I heard a woman, screaming,” Harry said
“There was no woman, Harry,” said Hermione, shooting a glance my way.
“It was dead silent.” I agreed.
The train moved, nudging us all into our seats. The dark and misty scenery rolled slowly by.