November Snow

t w e l v e

Hogwarts couldn't get any better this year, seriously. The feast was all well, I had a great time with Juliette and Zabini, and it was nice to see Professor Lupin as our Defense against the Dark Arts teacher as well as Hagrid as our Care for Magical Creatures teacher. But every good news comes with a bad news. This year, Hogwarts would play host to the Dementors of Azkaban. And I, myself, feared for both Harry and Sirius Black.

Even though I agreed to help Sirius and Remus, I still had no idea what to do. Hogwarts was clearly one of the safest place aside Gringotts, that was one thing. And now with Dementors floating around the school for the whole year? How in the world can I sneak Sirius around the castle without being caught by them?

Knowing the Slytherin common room and my shared room wasn't a place to think since nosy people could lurk around and interrupt me, I went for a night walk in the halls after the feast. I knew I shouldn't be wandering around, but it was the beginning of term, there was no point to be taken from Slytherin and some detention with Snape wouldn't actually harm me. I walked quietly, tried not to disturb the paintings or get caught by either Peeves, Filch or Mrs.Norris.

And mentioning Peeves, that reminded me something. Though he had played many pranks and jokes on other students, I never seemed to have a trouble with him. It was either because I was lucky to have never collided with him, or because he was avoiding colliding with me. I don't know which one had more possibility though.

I heard something moving. Sounded like animal paws meeting the floor. Curious, I followed the faint noise. As far as I remember, most animals weren't kept inside the castle, besides the pets.

I hid in the corner, peaking out to watch as I heard the sound coming closer to where I was. I saw a shadow of an animal, four limps and a long mouth. Then it came closer, and I saw it was a black dog. I stepped out, my wand pointing at it, wanting to get it out of the school. It stood right in the middle of the hall, unmoved. Its behavior was somewhat like a human.

"Who are you?" I asked.

It ran into the corner I just walked out, out of my sight. A moment later, a man walked out of the dark, wrapping around himself a long black robe, his dark hair disheveled, his eyes staring at me. I remembered that face. It was Sirius Black.

"Sirius Black?" I asked and he nodded.

"You must be Leah's daughter." He said "You have your mother's looks."

"November." I said "Professor Lupin said you need my help."

"We need all the help we can get from all the people we can get help from, November." Sirius said "And you are one of them."

I looked around and realized we were in a hall, exposed to anyone or anything that stepped down this way. I grabbed his hand and dragged him along with me.

"We can't talk here. Someone might see you." I explained as we ran quietly down the hall, to the stairs and up the seventh floor.

We walked cautiously passed a wall and suddenly, it rumbled. The wall parted, revealed a giant door on our left. Sirius pushed the door and we both slipped inside, and we could heard the wall getting back to normal as soon as we closed the door.

"Lumos." I lit up the room with my wand.

The room was empty, not much was in there. There were only a round table and few chairs around it, placed under a large chandelier. Sirius borrowed my wand and lit up the candles on the chandelier, then we both sat down, face to face.

"How did you get pass the Dementors?" I asked.

"When I was still in Hogwarts, my friends and I found many unknown passageways around the school." He said "Not many knows them, so I easily got through."

"Is that so?" I said "I hardly know any other entrance."

"Moony told me you decided to help us." He mentioned.

"Oh, Professor Lupin? Yes, I did." I nodded "My mother told me you were an innocent man."

"Your mother is a wise person." He said "As I heard before the Sorting Hat did consider the choice putting her in Ravenclaw, but I guess she somehow managed to become a Slytherin."

"Have you had a plan yet?" I asked "What exactly do you want?"

"Before, Moony and I were friends with James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. You know them?"

"Peter Pettigrew, you were convicted of killing him, is that it?" I asked "And James Potter, isn't he Harry's father?"

"That is true. He made me Harry's Godfather." Sirius said "Someone did betray the Potters, but it was someone else, not me. It was Peter Pettigrew."

"But he's dead, isn't he?" I said "And say, you four, are you all animagi?"

"Aside from Remus." He said "Unregistered."

"Moony..." I mumbled "Is he a werewolf?"

"Yes." He said "Do you have a plan?"

"I was thinking, getting you around at the beginning of the year would be very hard, so we might have to think of a place for you to stay temporary before the Dementors leave. Then after that, we can help you with a place to stay."

"And where will I stay until then?" He asked "I can't be in here forever. Someone might be able to open the Room of Requirements."

"You were here for seven years." I said "Do you know anywhere in or around the school that students and teachers are afraid to come?"

"Well, there is the Slytherin dungeon, everyone who isn't Slytherin is afraid of that place." He suggested.

"But there are Slytherins there." I said "Being caught by them down there is the end of the world."

"How about the Shrieking Shack?" He asked.

"The Shrieking what?

"The Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade." He said "It's an abandoned house. Moony used it every time he was going to change during his years in Hogwarts."

"And how do we get you there?" I asked.

"There is a passageway straight to the shack under the Whomping Willow." He said "That is a perfect place."

"The only place, actually." I said "Then you must go there in the night, before anyone sees you."

"I will." He said "Are you going to be safe in here?"

"Don't worry about me." I said "I have Professor Lupin, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore and Snape--"

"Snivellus?" He asked.

"He's my Godfather." I said.

"Alright." He said "You should go and discuss with Moony sometimes, I won't be able to see him from now until we are safe to meet again."

"I'll make sure of that."

"Now, go back to your common room." He said "It's already late. You don't want to be caught by Peeves."

"Peeves has never bothered me before." I stood up "Goodnight, Sirius."

"Goodnight, November."