Black [Theodore Nott]

Chapter 29

After Sirius had told Harry – and everyone – what he wanted to know, everyone went to bed – well, Mrs. Weasley had them go to bed, before Sirius told Harry about the weapon that Voldemort did not have, Sirius and Carina went to their room but Carina bid goodnight to Harry and the others, especially Roman, before she went inside her and her father's room.

Sirius sat down on the bed he massaged his eyes with his with his fingers, clearly what happened earlier stressed him a bit. Carina sighed and sat down beside her father.

"Do you think I'm failing as a father?" Sirius asked.

"What?" Carina turned to her father sharply.

"Maybe I am." Sirius chuckled, "I don't even know what I'm doing – I was in Azkaban for twelve years, I never raised you..."

Carina brought her father to a hug.

"I might have been afraid of you before..." Carina said, "But after hearing about you... I wouldn't ask for any other dad than you."

Sirius wrapped an arm around Carina and kissed her head.

"Thank you, sweetheart." Sirius said.

•†•

The day of Harry's hearing came and everyone was on the edge. When Harry left with Mr. Weasley, Hermione couldn't help but mutter about the possible excuse to not get Harry expelled. But when he came back with a bright smile.

"Cleared all of charges." Harry said.

Everyone cheered for Harry, Ginny and the twins even shouted at the halls, 'HE GOT OFF! HE GOT OFF!' but Harry wasn't cheering, when he saw Sirius was cheering with the rest and when he shook his hand, when Sirius talked less with everyone, and when Sirius would shut himself in his mother's room with Buckbeak.

Carina noticed as well, but knew that her father's being selfish, and she too felt a bit jealous for Harry when she saw how much it affected her father that Harry was returning to Hogwarts, but who was she to blame him for acting like that. He would be all alone again in this place with just Buckbeak as company.

When Hermione started to tell Harry that Sirius was being selfish and that part of the man wanted Harry to be expelled so they could be 'outcasts' together, Carina got up and glared down at Hermione.

"You're not going to talk about my father like that." Carina growled, she was sure that her teeth turned sharp, like her Animagus form.

"It's the truth!" Hermione said. "I think Mrs. Weasley's right, he somethines gets confused whether Harry's Harry or Harry's his father!"

"So you think he's touched in the head?" Harry said heatedly.

"He's alone Hermione!" Carina pointed out, "He'll be alone here with that devil-house-elf and his bloody mother! I know what that my father's being selfish, but he's going to be alone!"

When their booklists arrived, Carina noticed her father going even more alone. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to go to Hogwarts. When the Weasleys were celebrating for Ron becoming a Prefect, Carina went to her and her father's room, there she saw him staring at something in his hand. Carina crept towards him and sat down beside him. Sirius noticed Carina's presence and smiled.

"I held on to them." Sirius said.

Carina saw the photo in Sirius' hands, it was a photo of her back in her first year, at the Platform 9 ¾ -- her first day boarding the train to Hogwarts –waving at them. She noticed the photo a but crumpled and had a creasing fold at the center.