Harry and Amelia Potter

3.8

"Remember, these visits to Hogsmeade village are a privilege. Should your behavior reflect poorly on the school... that privilege shall not be extended again." Professor McGonagall starts to say to the group of third years. Harry and I walk up to her. "No permission form signed, no visiting the village. That's the rule, Potters. Those with permission, follow me. Those without, stay put."

"I thought if you signed it, then we could..." I start to say, but trail off.

"I can't. Only a parent or a guardian can sign. Since I am neither, it would be inappropriate." She says sternly. Then her face lightens. "I'm sorry, Potters. That's my final word."

Hermione and Ron give us a sad look. "Forget about it, guys. See you later." Harry mumbles.

They walk off with the rest of the third years. We trudge along the castle, trying to think of something to pass our time.

"What do you tracking we do?" Harry asks me.

"Well, there's no point in sulking about." I say, taking in a deep breath. "Why don't we get a head start on our homework? Or we can go see what Professor Lupin is up to?"

"I think I prefer the second choice." Harry mumbles and we set off to find the Professor.

"Professor, can I ask you something?" Harry says as the three of us walk along the castle.

"You want to know why I stopped you facing that boggart, yes?" Harry nods his head. "I thought it'd be obvious. I assumed it would take the shape of Lord Voldemort."

"I did think of Voldemort at first. But then I remembered that night on the train... and the dementor."

"So did I." I mumble. "My first thought went straight to Voldemort, but then I started thinking about last year, in the Chamber, and my mind landed on the basilisk. I mean, it did almost kill me."

"I'm very impressed." Professor Lupin smiles. "That suggests what you fear the most is fear itself. This is very wise."

"Before we fainted... we heard something" I begin to say, thinking back to how he helped us with the dementor.

"A woman... screaming." Harry adds.

"Dementors force us to relive our very worst memories.
Our pain becomes their power."

"I think it was our mother... the night she was murdered." I tell him.

"The very first time I saw you, Amelia, Harry, I recognized you immediately. Not by your scar, by your eyes. They're your mothers, Lily's."

"Yes." Harry states but I look at him confused on how he knew that.

"Oh, yes. I knew her. Your mother was there for me at a time when no one else was. Not only was she a singularly gifted witch... she was also an uncommonly kind woman. She had a way of seeing the beauty in others... even, and most especially, when that person could not see it in themselves." He pauses for a moment, then continues.

"And your father, James, on the other hand... he...
He had a certain, shall we say, talent for trouble. A talent, rumor has it, he passed on to you." He raises his eyebrows at us. "You're more like them than you know, Harry and Mia. In time, you'll come to see just how much."

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"Honeyduke's Sweetshop is brilliant, but nothing beats Zonko's Joke Shop." Ron states as we climb up the stairs to our common room.

"We never got to go to the Shrieking Shack. You both heard it's the most..." Hermione start to tell us, but then Harry interrupts her.

"Haunted building in Britain. We know." He looks to me. Then I notice the crowd by the entrance to our common room.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Probably Neville forgot the password again." Ron jokes.

"Hey." Neville says as Ron finished his joke.

"Oh, you're there."

"Let me through, please. Excuse me! I'm Head Boy!" Percy says, pushing his way through us all. As we come up to the front, we notice three huge claw marks on the Fat Lady painting. And she's nowhere to be found. "Get back, all of you. No one is to enter this dormitory until it's been searched."

"The Fat Lady! She's gone!" Neville exclaims.

"Serves her right. She was a terrible singer." Ron mumbles.

"It's not funny, Ron." Hermione tells him.

"Keep calm, everyone. Break into fours. Back to your common room. Be quiet. Make way. The headmaster's here." Filch says, pushing students back. "Come on, move. You heard. Move!"

Dumbledore goes and examines the painting, feeling the claw marks, contemplating, thinking. "Mr. Filch? Round up the ghosts. Tell them to search every painting in the castle to find the Fat Lady."

"There's no need for ghosts, professor. The Fat Lady's there." Filch points to another painting. Dumbledore hurries towards it, and the four of us try to follow.

"Dear lady, who did this to you?" He asks her.

"Eyes like the devil, he's got, and a soul as dark as his name." She says, terrified. "It's him, headmaster. The one they all talk about. He's here, somewhere in the castle! Sirius Black!"

"Secure the castle, Mr. Filch. The rest of you, to the Great Hall." Dumbledore instructs and we slowly make our way to the Great hall.

Later that night, the four of us lie next to each other on a pile of blankets. Harry and I still lay away, unable to sleep because of the mass murderer that is apparently after us.

"I've searched the Astronomy Tower and the Owlery. There's nothing there." I hear Snapes cold voice behind me. I believe he is talking to Dumbledore.

"Thank you."

"The third floor's clear too, sir."

"Very good."

"I've done the dungeons. No sign of Black, nor anywhere else in the castle." Snape states.

"I didn't really expect him to linger."

"Remarkable feat, don't you think? To enter Hogwarts Castle on one's own... completely undetected?"

"Quite remarkable, yes. Any theories on how he managed it?" Dumbledore asks.

"Many. Each as unlikely as the next." Snape pauses for a moment. "You may recall... prior to the start of term I expressed concerns... about your appointment of Professor..."

"Not a single professor inside this castle would help Sirius Black enter it. I'm quite convinced the castle is safe... and I'm more than willing to send the students to their houses."

"What about the Potters? Should they be warned?"

"Perhaps. But for now, let them sleep. For in dreams, we enter a world that's entirely our own. Let them swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud."