Celestial | Sirius Black Love Story

Dumbledore's office

"It's nice to see you, McGonagall." I said as I walked beside her. I had decided I didn't care much if I came off as a suck-up this year, as long as I got the marks I deserved.

"As is it to see you, Heatherstead. I trust your father kept you busy whilst you were away?"

"Oh yes," I said, "I think my first break was when I came back here last week."

"Yes, I remember when your father came to school. Very talented, pushed himself all the time," She frowned, then stopped and said, "Well, here we are. I shall see you in class. Licorice wand."

At her last words, the gargoyle we had been standing in front of sprang to life and moved aside to reveal a circular stairway leading up to, I assumed, Professor Dumbledore's office. As I came in and had walked up the first steps, the gargoyle moved to block the exit again.

Rather odd, really. I thought, I would have imagined the Headmaster should be open for anyone to visit.

I came to a door, and knocked three times.

Silence.

I knocked again, my fist banging harder against the wood and I heard it echo down the stairwell.

I opened the door slowly, and saw that Dumbledore was not there. I decidied I might as well come in and sit down whilst I waited for him. Perched on the back of a large chair I assumed was Dumbledore's was a scarlet bird. A phoenix.

I moved forwards and raised my hand to it's head, and it moved towards it, cawing softly.

I then noticed the sorting hat on top of a shelf some meters away. I balanced my staff against the Headmaster's table and walked up to the hat, putting it on my head. It slid down over my eyes and it's voice spoke in my ears.

Ah, Olimpia Heatherstead, you have returned to Hogwarts. Oh, so much has changed inside your so little, yet so vast head. No, you are not the same girl I placed into Gryffindor years ago, you would be much more suited alongside people more like you now. It was buried beneath your love for your new friends before, but it is much more visible now. Your power. Your father has done rather a remarkable job on you, you have a future like no other, young Miss Heatherstead. And you know it, too. Very ambitious. Slytherin is where you truly belong, you know. And yet, you do not want to be there. Your love for those you hold dear is strong. Though you know you are not like them.

I pulled it off my head, feeling overwhelmed. I had suspected all the hat had said, but did not like to hear it. Just as I stood on my toes to put it back in it's place, I felt someone enter the room.

"Professor." I said, pushing the hat a bit further back, not turning around yet.

"Miss Heatherstead," He replied, and I now turned around to face him, "I see your father has taught you to listen to your surroundings."

I thought back to the many days I had walked around with a blindfold over my eyes. The first times, I had blundered around clumsily, but over time and practice I had memorised the shape of the house and the grounds, and could focus on listening for other living creatures. This spring my father and I started blindfolded duelling, too, but not with non-verbal spells.

I nodded, and sat down in the chair in front of the large table. "He always said it is most foolish for a powerful witch or wizard to be defeated by something as simple as not being aware of your surroundings."

"Very wise of him." He sat across from me and crossed his fingers, looking at me over his glasses and I repressed a shudder at the intensity of his eyes.

"I have been in correspondence with your father, to find out at which level you have been learning," He said, "I understand he has worked you hard and taught you things beyond the curriculum as well."