The Tree of Blacks (English version)

Paper Butterflies and Onyx Snakes - pt.2

"And, so, how did Koboro get here at Hogwarts?" asked Potter, curious.

"When he was still a pup, he was captured and kidnapped by a British tourist. A Muggle, I think. Otherwise, he'd have realised immediately what kind of creature he had on his hands. Once he had grown up and fully developed his powers, Koboro managed to escape. But he found himself in an entirely unknown place. He didn't belong in this part of the world and he felt a compelling urge to return to his home, to his land. However, he had no idea how to achieve this. He didn't know where he was or how far away Egypt was. Therefore, he began to wander around Britain."

"Surely for a snake, he's had some adventures!" commented James, wryly. Alya glowered at him, before resuming her tale.

"Every summer, my family travels to Cornwall, where my father inherited a luxurious mansion from my grandfather. It was there that I met Koboro, more or less seven years ago. He had got lost in a thicket near our estate, falling victim to a fox trap. He begged me to help him and I cured him through his magic. Since that day, he has felt indebted to me and that is why he followed me here, to Hogwarts. How he managed to sneak in remains a mystery to me. But I think it shows how strong his magical powers are," Alya concluded, her blank stare lost in the darkness of the forest.

"Koboro and I have one thing in common, then. We owe you our lives." observed James.

Alya gave him the hint of a smile, but it looked forced. A shadow had suddenly fallen over her face. Talking about how she had met Koboro had brought back another old, still painful memory.

James seemed to notice, for he looked at her with a more sympathetic air. She had guessed that something else had happened in that grove where she and Koboro had met.

"Could I ask you another question?" the Gryffindor ventured to ask.

"Sure." replied the Slytherin, in a flat voice.

"What were you doing in those woods?" the disheveled boy asked, knowing full well where this was going.

Alya sighed sadly.

"I had gone to look for Sirius. He had snuck out of the house without permission and I wanted to get him back before my mother noticed." the silvery ice that usually sparkled like hard diamond in Alya's eyes seemed about to melt, like snow in the sun, as the girl recalled the fateful moment when the brotherly bond between her and Sirius had been irretrievably destroyed. The girl was seized by a knot in her throat, preventing her from continuing. But there was no need. James already knew that part of the story. Sirius had told him about that grove and what he had discovered seven years earlier.

"It was there that Sirius heard you speak in Parseltongue. With Koboro, wasn't it?" asked James, already knowing the answer. It was in that lost wood in Cornwall that Sirius had stopped speaking to Alya and considering her his sister.

The girl barely nodded, before turning away, to hide from Potter the sadness that was about to spill from her eyes. She bit her lower lip, trying to push back the tears. That old wound had never healed.

James stood motionless beside her, uncertain how to act. On the one hand, he just wanted to pull Alya to him, hold her tight and reassure her, promising her that he would make that stubborn mule Sirius see reason, that he would make him realise that there was nothing evil in his sister's soul. On the other, James feared that even the slightest movement would make her run away. By now he was getting to know her and had realised that Alya was an extremely proud type - like her twin brother, after all - and that she'd never show her fragility so easily.

However, the girl instantly recoiled, returning to her usual cold and detached frown.

"I'd say we've talked enough about me and Koboro. Now it's my turn to ask you something!" she sentenced peremptorily.