𝕄𝕆𝕆ℕℂℍ𝕀𝕃𝔻

𝟙𝟛 | ℍ𝔸ℝ𝕄𝔸𝕋𝕀𝔸

"Now don't you worry Neville." said Jane, trying to console him "I write the passwords down all the time, sometimes they're hard to remember."

"Maybe," he sniffed "but at least Ron wasn't almost stabbed by Sirius Black because of you."

Jane sighed, wishing this was even remotely true. "Don't be ridiculous Nev. He would've found a way, no matter what. You're forgetting he's the same guy who escaped Azkaban and keeps successfully hiding from Dementors- right under our noses." she wondered if this could be her villain origin story. Lying to her friends so effortlessly, betraying them with every step she made to protect a man she hated, because of blood and guilt. "Try getting some sleep, it'll all look better in the morning."

Of course, nothing looked better in the morning. Nothing looked better by the next evening either. And it wasn't just because of the heightened security all over the castle, making the danger they were in more imminent, it was the overall mood of the students and teachers alike as well. It was a gloomy day, and Jane was almost relieved to fit right in. Nobody was wondering why the usually upbeat, always joking girl was dragging herself from one class to the other, without making a single thing blow up, without making at least one stupid joke or without at least one tiny comment about the grease on Snape's head.

"Why do you think he went after Ron?" asked Harry quietly. They were sitting on Jane's bed, reading the first issue of the new Batman and Superman series, Seamus had borrowed them, and whispering about Black. "He wants me dead, and yet he went for Ron, it's all rather strange, isn't it?"

"Dunno, maybe-"

"And why didn't he just kill him when he screamed? Could've offed the rest of us as well, Seamus, Dean, Neville and me, then-"

"Maybe he just confused the two of you. Wanted to get out as soon as Ron yelled, I doubt he'd like to go back to Azkaban, and if the teachers would've caught him- well he would've been done for." no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but wonder if Black hadn't lied about Pettigrew, or if maybe, in his own deranged mind, he believed it to be true. Maybe he was looking for Ron's rat, not knowing it was dead already.

"People keep telling me I look like my father and you think he confused us?"

"I don't know- it was dark, wasn't it?"

"Bright enough for Ron to recognize him in a second. Something about it just seems weird, he had his chance to off me right then, and he didn't use it. All a bit odd- wonder if he wants something else first."

"Like what?"

"Dunno... do you think he cares about you?"

"My father said he does- well, or did. Who knows how much he changed."

"Weird to imagine Black with a child."

"Yeah, I prefer to not think about that. Oh no-"

"What?"

"Superman's going mad again. This is like the hundredth time. You'd think some invincible alien force like him would be able to suffer through a bit more than some rich guy in a tech suit."

"Dunno, he's got normal feelings and all that. It's not like Tullus or Blaze are some weak tossers like the Joker. And Silver Banshee has been kicking Superman's ass for a while now."

"Fact is, he and Batman shouldn't be a match for each other. Wayne should be dead by now."

"I'm sorry, but in the end, Batman could finish Superman with ease."

"Rubbish- again, Superman, invincible, alien, Batman's just rich-"

"Yeah, Iron Man could finish Superman as well-"