lovely lady may • sirius black

Chapter 16

"These books are incredible," Remus says in awe, "we should show them to the professors, they'd be amazed by what's in here."

I shake my head, "We can't show these to the professors. Mr. White Cloud explained to me how important it is that this information stays in the right hands. It's powerful, ancient magic, and if the wrong people got ahold of it, it could be perverted in horrible ways."

"Professor Sprout doesn't strike me as the type of person to do horrible things with this indigenous herbology book. Some of the plants mentioned in here could seriously help people."

"I swore to Mr. White Cloud that I wouldn't share this information outside of my immediate friend group until he said I could. I can't break that promise."

"Okay," he closes the herbology book, "That thing on the different patronuses is pretty interesting too. It makes sense that they can do more than just shield if you unlock them properly."

"Did you read about what the grizzly patronus can do?"

"Yeah, it's insane. Imagine being able to bring back the dead, heal almost anything, and be an unstoppable warrior."

"White Cloud said they haven't had someone with the spirit of the bear a few generations, and haven't had someone fully harness the power of it in even longer. The trial for that one is super intense. Apparently a lot of people die during it."

"It makes sense, going to the Arctic Circle, training to become to ultimate warrior, and then killing a full grown polar bear with just a spear on the winter solstice doesn't exactly sound easy."

"I pity anyone who would put themselves through that torture."

"What about you?" he looks up from the book at my curiously, "Do you want to master your patronus?"

I just shrug, "I don't think I'm cut out for it, honestly. I don't even know why my patronus is a lioness to begin with."

"Oh come on," he nudges me, "don't go all modest on me. The lioness is perfect for you."

"I don't think so... perhaps it's really a house cat and White Cloud mistook it for a lioness."

"This White Cloud guy sounds like he knows his stuff to me. I don't think he'd just say your patronus is a lioness if it isn't."

"I guess you're right," we go back to flipping through to the books silently.

"What do you suppose Dumbledore would think of this stuff?"

I shrug, "I dunno, it's hard saying. White Cloud said that sometimes Europeans have a bit of prejudice against this sort of magic, mainly because they don't understand it and think it's the magic of savages."

"But, I mean, it's Dumbledore—"

"Even Dumbledore is susceptible to prejudice, Remus."

•••

Since I got back to Hogwarts, I've been avoiding James, and I feel a bit bad about it, but I'm just not ready to have that conversation with Sirius yet. Finally, he corners me after dinner one evening, and while every muscle in my body is screaming at me to run, but I just stand there with a smile.

"What's up?" I ask, trying not to show my unease.

"I just wanted to say hey," he smiles, "I haven't talked to you since before break."

"How was your Christmas?" I try to ignore what feels like a million sets of eyes on us as people filter out of the great hall.

"It was good, and yours?"