Melancholy || Harry Potter's twin brother

3: Chapter seventeen

Christmas passed quickly, and the group were back at Hogwarts before they knew it. Life in the castle carried on as normal, and try as they might, they had still not found a home for Rowan.

"Do you think he really is just a stray?" Justin asked Sirius as Cedric was recounting all of the Quidditch tactics he had picked up from the Ravenclaw, Slytherin game, and urged them all to try out for the team next year. Especially Sirius and Justin, who he was convinced would make excellent Chasers.

"I guess so." Sirius sighed, glancing at the dog curled up by the fire. After explaining how they found Rowan to people who asked, the Hufflepuff house seemed to have adopted him as there own, which meant Rowan had free reign of anywhere in the common room and plenty of people to sneak him onto the grounds for walks. He even got good seats to each Quidditch match. Rowan certainly had some sort of charm that had everyone falling for him. His favourite sleeping spot was by the fire, which was now where he frequented most, and Sirius was glad he didn't have to sneak him up and down the stairs anymore.

It was as they were taking a stroll in the grounds to allow Rowan to run around, that they came across Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. Rowan began to play with the cat, as though the two were friends, making both Sirius and Justin smile at each other happily, glad to see Rowan so happy.

"Awe look at those two." Hannah laughed as they continued on their walk. "They must have met before you found him."

"I wonder how long he was here before we found him." Sirius mused as they came to a stop by the edge of the forbidden forest.

"Who knows?" Ernie shrugged as they lost sight of Rowan and Crookshanks in the trees. "Oi! Rowan come back here!"

Rowan and Crookshanks padded into view a few moments later, looking suspiciously smug, as though they knew something the others didn't.

"Honestly." Ernie sighed at the dog, who looked as though he was laughing at him.

"Aro has been awfully quiet lately." Hannah commented as they continued along the boundary of the forest.

"I know, its terrifying." Sirius sighed, I haven't seen him for months."

"I for one am glad about that, he creeps me out." Justin admitted and the others had to agree, they too found the strange man unnerving.

"Me too, but it scares me to think about why he'll turn up next time." Sirius shook his head. "Merlin only knows what he will want the next time."

"I don't like to think about it." Hannah agreed. "Its always you who ends up injured."

"I think I get that from Harry." Sirius replied with a frown. "I don't know which parent he gets it from." Rowan seemed to find this funny as he made a strange sort of yapping, coughing sound that could have been easily mistaken for a laugh.

"Come on, let's go back inside, it's getting dark." Justin suggested, he was typically the sensible one, which he was good at, and kept the others in some kind of order.

"I'm kind of hungry." Ernie mused as they headed back into the castle, which looked particularly glorious in the dwindling light.

"Me too, let's stop by the kitchens." Sirius agreed, it was rare that the group went a day without venturing to see their favourite house elf faces down in the kitchens and to get the food that they expertly made for them, and the house elves seemed to love it when they visited as well.

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It was as if by mentioning him, Aro had taken it upon himself to visit, as only a few weeks later Sirius found himself in a secluded part of the castle with Aro, Jane and Ollie.

"So what is it you want exactly?" Sirius asked, Aro rarely made sense, and Sitius found this rather irritating.

"I came to check up on you." Aro always acted as though he had a serious sense of authority. "Time is changing and I need you to working on your abilities."

"What's happening?" Sirius frowned, the way Aro had said that made him distinctively uncomfortable.

"I cannot say." Aro replied.

"Oh you never can, can you?" Sirius grumbled.

"We're doing our best." Jane defended them.

"Its not good enough, I need you to be able to fight, all of you." Aro seemed almost angry. "And Sirius the information you're collecting is important, stop ignoring it."

"Easy for you to say." Sirius mumbled. "Besides I can't remember what it is, as soon as I say it it disappears."

"That is what your friends are for." Aro replied. "Don't be a disappointment."

"What are we going to be fighting?" Ollie asked, he had been stood at the back of the group taking in all the information.

"I cannot say, I just need you to be ready." Aro replied, he was being deliberately vague and it was beginning to bug Sirius.

"So we have to be ready to fight, but you won't tell us what?" Sirius tried to get his head around it.

"Yes, I cannot tell you now, the more you know the more danger you'll be in. Now, work hard I need you to be on top of your game, you have a lot of work ahead of you, and it will not be easy."

With that Aro disappeared.

"Great." Sirius said lamely.

"That was weird." Jane commented.

"There's something going on and it isnt going to be easy." Ollie agreed. "Just be careful you two, and Sirius you need to get your charms grade up.

"I'm trying, I have Leah and Cedric helping me, even Ed helps sometimes, I'm just not good at it!" Sirius ranted, he hated Charms with a burning passion.

"Hey, he'll get there, it's your O.W.Ls you need to focus on." It wasn't often that Jane stuck up for Sirius, especially against Ollie, who was never against him, which told him only one thing. Ollie was struggling with his exam preparation.

"I know." Ollie shook his head. "Look you two, just work hard and don't get into any trouble."

"Me, never!" Sirius joked, but neither of them were impressed with that.