☤ Pseudonym ☤

~Chapter Seventeen~

I flipped lazily through the pages of Seeker Weekly whilst sprawled on the red sofa of our common room. I heard the noisy thumps of people descending the stairs. Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the common room laughing loudly. 

Harry froze when he saw me. Whereas Ron ran and jumped onto the sofa. I squealed as he landed on my feet. "We're going to Hogsmeade. Wanna come with?" 

Hermione coughed abruptly and glared at Ron. "Don't worry, guys. I'm good." I lifted up my magazine as proof. Ron followed them out the room, while they whispered furiously. 

I closed my magazine quickly and ran up to grab my coat and shoes. I had to know what they were up to. 

-----

"So what do you want to do?" Dean asked as we walked down the street. 

"Sure." I murmured, though really I was looking around for the trio. 

"Renn?" there they were, walking out of Gladrags Wizardwear. 

"Let's go." I tugged Dean's arm to follow them up the High Street. Dean sighed but went along with it. As we neared Dervish and Banges, I pulled me and Dean behind a wall so they wouldn't see us. However, they went past the shop and headed out toward the edge of the village. 

I waited a minute and then followed them. They took us down a winding lane into the countryside. "What the hell are we doing, Renn?" Dean asked finally.

"I just need to see what they are doing?" 

"But why?"

"Just trust me, Dean. I'll tell you when we get back, okay?"

"Fine." Dean groaned.

The three of them were now out of sight, but there was only one road and I wasn't worried about losing them. We were walking toward the foot of a mountain and there were barely any buildings around. Finally we turned a corner and they came into my view. I stopped and hid behind a bush, Dean sat dramatically down next to me. The trio were standing next to a stile. Ron shifted and I saw that they were with a very large, shaggy black dog, which had something in its mouth.

Suddenly the dog started walking down the road and led them to the very foot of the mountain, where the ground was covered with boulders and rocks. They ascended the mountain for nearly half an hour, following a windy, stony path. Sometimes one of them would look around and Dean and I would have to dive out of sight.

Then at last they stopped at a large rock. One by one they disappeared behind it. As we approached I noticed narrow fissure in the rock. I heard voices coming from inside it. I put and finger to my lips and listened closely. 

"I've been living off rats mostly. Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself." a gravelly voice echoed out. I didn't recognise the voice. 

"What're you doing here, Sirius?" Harry asked. Sirius. I knew that name. Surely he couldn't be talking to Sirius Black. Dean frowned at me. He must be thinking the same thing. 

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," Sirius spoke again, "Don't worry about it, I'm pretending to be a lovable stray." 

He must be an animagus. That's how he escaped from Azkaban. 

They discussed Crouch and house-elves for what seemed like days. Finally they caught my attention again. "Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power. "

They were talking about Barty. The mention of him sent shivers down my spine. 

"Was his son a Death Eater?" said Harry. Yes he was and still is. 

"No idea," said Sirius. "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my life were Death Eaters - but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf. " 

This is definitely Sirius Black. I know Sirius is Harry's godfather but why are they meeting in a dark cave on top of a mountain and discussing Crouch. 

"What's the time?" Sirius asked. 

"It's half past three," said Hermione.

"You'd better get back to school," Sirius said and I heard movement coming from inside. I grabbed Dean's arm and we started running back down the path. We slowed to a walk once we were back down the mountain. 

"So they were talking to Sirius Black, the mass murderer who betrayed Harry's parents?" Dean asked in disbelief. 

"Sirius didn't kill those people." 

"What?" Dean gasped, "Wha... why... how would you know that?" 

"Peter Pettigrew is still alive." I shrugged, "I've met him." 

Dean took my hand and rubbed circles into my palm. I know he was trying to comfort me but I felt even more anxious, worried that he was going to ask me questions that I didn't want to answer. 

"Is... is he a death eater too?" he asked nervously.

"Yes. One of the worst actually."

"Are there any good ones?" he said cynically. I looked down and pulled my hand away from his. "No, Renn. I didn't mean."

"It's fine, Dean. I get it." I sighed and I shoved my hands deep into my coat pocket. Dean did nothing wrong, it just hurt to be reminded how evil I am. 

"Renn?" a shout interrupted our awkward situation. I turned to see Harry, Hermione and Ron had caught up with us. The black dog was still with them. "What are you doing so far from Hogsmeade?" Ron asked as they reached us.

"We were just going for a walk." Dean quickly covered for us. 

The dog growled at us a little. Harry frowned a little. 

"Oh, whose dog is this?" I smiled sweetly, wanting to see how they would cover it up. 

"It's Hagrid's." Hermione blurted out. 

"Yeah, he wanted us to take him for a walk." Ron carried on for her. 

"Well, should we walk him back to Hagrid's now?" I was enjoying this. 

"No." Harry shouted. "Um... I left something back there. I'll catch up with you guys later." I watched as Sirius and him walked back down the lane. The rest of us turned and headed back to school.

-----

Harry's POV 

Once we were out of ear shot I turned to Sirius. "What was that about?"

Sirius morphed back so he could speak. "You need to stay away from that girl."

"What, why? Renn's a nice girl."

"No, Harry." Sirius placed his hands on my shoulders. "She -" he stopped suddenly. "She is a death eater." 

I smiled at him. "No she's not." Sirius maintained a serious expression. "No. She can't be. She's a gryffindor."

"So was Pettigrew."

"No." I shook my head violently, "She's nice and normal and... and kind and not a death eater."

"I saw her once." he looked away, "She was with Bellatrix coming out of Borgin and Burkes." 

"So? That doesn't make her death eater." 

"No it doesn't. But a tattoo on her left forearm does." I ran my hand through my hair in frustration. 

I really can't trust anyone.