Stone Cold ☾ Sirius Black ☽

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The next morning, I found out Douglas was staying behind, which I was thankful for. Dumbledore was only allowing a legal guardian of mine in the Hogwarts castle. My bitterness hadn't gone away yet, and I didn't think it ever would. The news finally sunk in, but sadness and anger took over instead.

Nerves ran throughout my veins as well. I was frightened as to what was going to happen to me in such a run-down place. Antique style places were not in my liking. I knew that if I kept my attitude, there was definitely no way I would make friends. Though it was hard to shed something like this.

Part of me didn't care if I made friends. If I made my life miserable enough, maybe Maman would take me out of Hogwarts. But I reckoned it wasn't easy to get me into that school in the first place. I wasn't sure. I was nothing but conflicted.

Maman and I took Lucette and my trunk over to the fireplace. Douglas kissed her cheek goodbye and glanced at me like he wanted a hug.

"I hope you are not expecting a hug," I told him.

Maman did not even have anymore energy to reprimand me for my attitude toward her new finance. It was never going to change. "I will take your trunk," she began. "You and Lucette get in ze fireplace."

With Lucette in my arms, I did as told. My hand scooped up a bunch of floo powder from the bowl Maman held out for me. "Now remember, speak clearly. You are going to 'Ogwarts. I do not want to get zer and find out you went to Beauxbatons. Understood?"

I nodded. I wasn't childish enough to try and go to Beauxbatons when I wasn't enrolled there anymore. It didn't matter how much of a home it was to me, it wasn't home anymore. Now that Dad was gone, and I didn't have the school I'd been going to ever since I was eleven years of age, I had no home anymore.

I clutched Lucette tightly, scared she would slip from my grasp. "'OGWARTS!" I yelled before throwing down the powder and vanishing into the oblivion.

It was like sliding through a tube. My feet planted safely on the ground, and Lucette squirmed in my grasp. The Hogwarts castle stood tall and proud in front of me, and it made me grimace. Maman appeared at my side seconds later with my white and blue trunk.

The students must have not arrived back yet from Christmas break. After all, it was far too early for my liking. I pulled my cat closer to me for warmth. My cheeks rubbed against her soft fur. "Do we wait for someone to get us?" I asked.

"No need," a deep voice said. The gates in front of Maman and I opened. Professor Albus Dumbledore followed by another teacher stepped before us. "Welcome to Hogwarts, the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This here is Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House and teacher of Transfiguration."

"Hello, hello," Maman greeted. "How do you do?"

Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall nodded once. "And you must be Meredith," he said to me. I placed Lucette down by my feet. She wouldn't go far. If anything, she would stay as close to me as she could in an unfamiliar place. I was her everything.

"I am," I replied warmly. "Hello."

"I don't see why we should waste anymore time out in the cold. Why don't we make our way back up to the castle so I can introduce you to your schedule and the rest of the school."

Professor McGonagall bewitched my trunk to fly in midair next to us so Maman didn't have to carry it for me.

We walked up the path and into the castle. I would be lying if I said I was a little bit impressed. It was larger on the inside, much larger than I thought. My neck craned back, staring at the moving portraits and floating ghosts.