*this chapter has been edited*
"HE SAID WHAT!?" Reg, OJ, and Le yell in unison in the middle of the Great Hall.
"You guys, it's not that big of a deal-"
"Not that big of a deal?! Marrie-he-he"
"He crossed the line," OJ finished Le's train of thought, and the three of them nodded.
"He was just mad about the whole Firebolt situation I-I'm sure he didn't mean it,"
"That doesn't mean it's alright, he shouldn't have said anything at all," Le responded
"Screw this, where is the little prick?" OJ says, and her and Reg turn on their heels, bolting to the Gryffindor tower, me and Le close behind. Once inside, the three of them-OJ and Reg in the lead, Le less than a foot behind-race up to the boys dorm.
"Oh hi Reg, how was your-"
Ron was cut off by Reg's punch to his face, several more following that. After about ten seconds of watching her beat Ron, Fred and George run in and Fred pulls Reg off of Ron.
"What the bloody hell was that for?!"
"What-what was that for? WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" OJ yells in response to Ron's question. "How about everything that you said to Amara on Christmas? How about telling her that she's a murder and her father is sketchy because Merlin forbid a teacher doesn't have perfect health. You screwed up Ron, and we're not going to let you forget it."
"Harry said things to her too! Before the Hogsmeade trip!" Ron counters
"You're right, but at least Harry owned up to his mistakes, and the circumstances were different at that point. It wasn't even your broom that got taken away, and how would you feel if Harry got on and rode a jinxed broom? Surely you remember how well he handled it in first year." Le answers. At this point, Hermione and Harry have entered the dorm as well, the latter moving over to me and squeezing my hand comfortingly before dropping it.
"What's she doing here? Her cat might try to kill Scabbers again!"
This time, I speak up. "Because there's no rule saying that she can't come here Ron."
"Oh shut up Amara, you probably just confunded her to do your dirty work since your broom plan didn't work out." Ron argues, his face as red as his hair. This time, it's Harry who walks over and slaps him in the face.
"Say that one more time, I dare you." he says darkly. "That's what I thought." From there, he walks back over to me, takes my hand, and we leave the dorm, walking downstairs to the common room. Mione, Fred, OJ, Le, George, and Reg coming down not even a minute later.
"Just wait until we write to Mum about this Mar, he'll get what's coming to him-" George starts, but I cut him off.
"No, don't tell your mum. He has every right to have his own opinion, and if that opinion is hating me for something that I didn't do, then so be it," I glance at the others, and they all nod, keeping any disagreement with my statement to themselves.
~time skip brought to you by procrastination~
Thursday comes up faster than what we think, so it's time for Harry's first lesson with Dad to help him against the Dementors. Now, being the person I am, I've naturally decided to tag along, partly because he asked me to earlier, the rest so I can see my Dad. Reaching his quarters, a thought hits my head, and I stop just before I knock on the door.
"Hey Har, don't tell Dad about Ron, alright? He's already stressed out enough with trying to get legal custody over me with the Ministry and his health-"
"I won't tell him anything you don't want to," he responds. "Promise."
"Pinky promise?"
"Niff, we're thirteen."
"It's not sealed until we lock pinkies."
He laughs. "Fine, I pinky promise." we lock pinkies, and I knock on the door.
"Come in," we hear Dad call, and we go inside.
"Hi Pops, what's in the trunk?" I ask, nodding to the moving object.
"Another Boggart for Harry to use. I've been combing the castle since Tuesday and very luckily-thanks to your help, Lion-I found this one lurking inside Mr. Filch's cleaning cabinet. The Boggart will turn into a dementor when it sees Harry, so he'll be able to practice on it. I can continue to store it in my office when we're not using it; there's a cupboard under my office it'll like."
"Sweet," I smirk, and sit on the corner of his desk with my legs crossed.
He chuckles, and turns to Harry. "The spell I'm about to teach you is very advanced magic-well beyond Ordinary Wizarding Level. It's known as the Patronus Charm."
So that's what you're teaching him, I say to Dad telepathically using our connection through my animagus.
Yes Lion, it's the only way he'll be able to deal with them. You do realize that you're going to have to watch him go through this, right? It's not going to be a walk in the park. He answers, and I nod.
He's been there for me through it all, it's time for me to return the favor.
Alright, just stay where you are, just in case it affects you too.
It depends, do I get chocolate out of it?
Yes.
Sold.
"Yes, I am. How does it work?" Harry asks, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"Well, when it works correctly, it conjures up a Patronus, which is a kind of Anti-Dementor-a guardian which acts as a shield between you and a dementor." Dad answers. The patronus is a kind of positive force. A projection of the very things that the Dementor feeds upon-hope, happiness, the desire to survive-but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the Dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you Harry, the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified witches and wizards have difficulty with it."
"What does it look like?"
"It's different for everyone Har. It can match those for soulmates, or change over time, but each one is unique to the person who conjures it." I answer, which causes both of them to look at me quizzically. "Oh, I learned how to make these things when I was little, they used to play with me after the Bonavich's-the reason isn't important. Haven't conjured one in a while though, haven't had a strong enough memory for a while." I answer.
"Exactly," Dad answers, though I can see that he now wants to talk about what I was about to say before I stopped myself. "With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all of your might, on a single, happy, memory."
It takes a minute, then Harry nods. "Right,"
"The incantation is this; expecto patronum." Dad says
"Expecto patronum," Harry recites, and Dad and I nod.
"Concentrating on your memories?" Dad asks as he walks over to the trunk.
"Yes," Harry says quickly.
Lion, no matter what happens, I want you to stay put. Understand?
I was promised chocolate, I'll do anything.
Dad then pulls the top of the trunk off and a Dementor rises slowly from it, its eerie, hooded face turned towards Harry. The lights in the room flicker as it begins to move towards him. Harry takes in a quick breath as a piercing cold hits the room.
"Expecto patronum," he says, and then louder, "Expecto patronum! Expect-"
"Harry!" I yell and go to help him, running in front of the boggart, and it slowly shifts in forms.
"You really think that anyone would love anyone like you? That anyone in their right mind would want you as their child," Dad snarls, behind him stand Reg, OJ, Le, Fred and George, Harry, 'Mione, and Ron.
"You're nothing but the daughter of a murder," Harry says darkly. "Using us as a cover to only kill us later."
Lion, it's not real, none of it is.
Dad's voice-the real one-snaps me out of it.
"Riddikulus!" I yell, and it flies back into the trunk, the lights coming back on and the cold slowly fading away.
"Amara-" Dad starts.
"Later," I respond, and turn back to Harry, who collapsed on the floor. I quickly bend down and shake him awake.
"Are you alright?" I ask.
"Yes, I-I think so," he answers, leaning against Dad's desk, as Dad hands him and I a piece of chocolate.
"I heard my Dad," Harry says quietly.
"You heard James?" Dad whispers.
"What did he say?" I ask.
"F-for my Mum to take me while he hid you from-from him," he answers, and I take his hand in mine, gently squeezing it for his comfort as I turn to Dad for an answer.
"James hid you in a closet before Voldemort came," he answers quietly, "It's where your father and I found you when we came back an hour or so after. Harry we found first, he was still in his crib, but there-there was a moment where we thought we lost you too."
"Is that why I heard him and Harry's Dad argue about where I was? He was asking for me and Harry before-"
"You hold great potential in magic because of how you were born, Amara. Whoever the spy-or spies-was, they told Voldemort. He would use you in a heartbeat to gain more power. That's why James hid you while Lily ran upstairs with Harry." As Dad finishes, this time it's Harry who squeezes my hand.
"Can I have one more try for tonight?" Harry asks, and Dad nods, all of us standing up and moving back to where we were before. Dad walks over to the trunk, asks Harry if he's ready, and pulls the top off.
"Expecto patronum!" he bellows, as a silver wisp of a shadow comes bursting out the end of his wand and to the Dementor, causing it to go back into the trunk on its own.
"You did it," I exclaim with a smile on my face as I meet Harry at the chair he was heading towards, engulfing him in a hug.
"Excellent, excellent Harry! That was definitely a start!" Dad says, walking over to us with celebratory chocolate in hand. "Same time next week Harry?" Dad asks, and he nods.
"Am I not invited next time?" I ask with a smirk
"Of course you are, but I figured I'd see you before then, seeing as you come by almost everyday at some point," Dad answers rolling his eyes.
"Alrighty then Dad, I'll see you tomorrow!" I say as Harry gets up and I move to hug him goodbye.
"Don't think that we aren't talking about that Boggart tomorrow," he whispers, and I nod.
"Only if I get hot coco,"
"Love you too Lion," he yells back as I close the door.
"Well that was certainly a night," Harry says, and I chuckle. With that, we being to walk back to the common room.
"You alright?" he asks, looking at me as I stare at the fire in the common room.
"Yeah, just thinking."
"About what?"
"How different our lives could be."
"What do you mean?"
"Harry, the only memory you have of your parents you aren't even sure if it's real or not. The only time you can hear their voices is when you're facing a demon, and everything else is a picture of a memory, retold with a sad smile and pity. I just met my Dad, after almost twelve years of not even knowing he existed. We were raised-possibly are still going to be raised-by abusive families. I mean, don't you ever imagine what your life would be like if Voldyshorts hadn't decided to stop by for a visit that night? If my father wasn't a snitch and ratted your family out?"
"I used to," he whispers. "And then I met you, and Ron, and Hermione, and you became my family. I miss them, sure, but you guys are my family." he takes my hand and gently kisses it, then pulls me in for a hug.
"And you're not going back there," he whispers into my ear, "not if I can help it, and by Merlin, I can."
He kisses me softly on the forehead, and we part ways to (hopefully) get a night's worth of sleep in, but one thought stuck in my head.
Why did that single action mean so much?
~the next day~
"You did WHAT?!" I yell, slamming my hands on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall as I stand up.
"Oh Godric, what did he do now Mar?" Reg asks with a yawn as she walks in with Fred and George.
"Oh nothing, he just lost the map to Snape."
Reg spits out her orange juice.
"And how did you manage that?" she asks, deadly calm. In my opinion-which is highly reliable, might I add-this is when Reg is the most scary. And trust me, I would know when she's the most scary. It's not when she's yelling and throwing things, it's when she's hiding her anger. It makes her unpredictable.
"I-I saw a name on there, and I went to follow it, seeing as he-well, I saw Peter Pettigrew." he answers in a hushed tone, the last part directed at me. Only Harry and I know the connection between the two of us and the dead man.
"But Pettigrew's dead? Died twelve years ago-" George starts.
"The map must be lying." Fred finishes.
"No way. The map never lies, we would've figured it out. There's no jinxing that thing, so it wasn't a practical trick." I argue.
"Maybe it was a ghost? They have those things around here." Reg says
"I don't think so. If he were a ghost, we would've seen him, and people would be asking for stories of my father." I say
"But what if-" Harry starts.
"I know I'm right here guys. The map doesn't lie, and there's no logical explanation of why Har saw Petigrew on the map besides-"
The little rat faked his death.
"Mara? You good?" Reg asks, all of them sharing the same concerned expression.
"Y-yeah, I-I have to go see my Dad, I'll meet up with you guys later." I say, and hurry out of the Great Hall, my bag in hand. Once out, I sprint to Dad's quarters, busting into the place once I reach the doors.
"Woah, Lion, are you alright? What's wrong?" Dad asks, grabbing my shoulders and kneeling down so we're at eye level, and I start to cry.
"He's innocent," I whisper. "I-It was Pettigrew the whole time," Dad pulls me into a tight hug, not needing to hear another word.
"I know Lion, trust me I know."
I sniffle. "Y-you do?"
He chuckles. "I have for some time actually. Since your birthday, to be exact."
"How?"
"Well, you led me to some clues that I haven't thought of when you saw Snuffles on the box, and that led me to the discovery of his innocence, and something else."
"I'm still confused. What else did you find?"
"Well, it's probably better to show you." he answers with a smile, grabs his coat, and leads me out of the castle and towards the Black Lake, where a familiar face is waiting.
"Snuffles!" I yell, and run towards him. I bend down to pet him as the wind picks up, which causes me to hold my leather jacket tightly. Dad and Snuffles seem to laugh at this.
"So, what exactly do Dad and Snuffles have in common again? I'm still missing bits and pieces here," I say, and Snuffles immediately stiffens and stares at Dad.
"It's time to tell her," Dad says calmly, "she figured it out."
Snuffles nods. I'm still confused by this. And how exactly can a dog nod?
"Let's head to the Shrieking Shack, shall we? This will be easier to show and tell there." Dad says, and I nod and we head off, Snuffles not leaving my side, even when we enter the Whomping Willow and make our way through the path to the room.
"Alright, not that I haven't wished for a walk in the snow with my Dad all my life, but can you please explain what everything means? How Pettigrew's still alive, how you know Dad's innocent, you know, only the minor details."
Dad chuckles. "There's really times Lion, where I can't tell who you're more like. Okay, answer number one; it's a long and painful story, and I do believe that someone will happily help me explain it to you once they meet you-formally, that is. And two; you have to promise me that you'll stay calm, alright?"
I chuckle. "Please, I'm always calm. I'm ready."
"On your birthday, when I gave you the music box, I wasn't expecting you to recognize the third animal on there, since it isn't one that you would remember. So when you mentioned Snuffles-you know you have to admit Pads, James and I told you the name would catch on-I knew that you two have met, even if you didn't realize it. So I went out to the Black Lake, and we talked."
"Wait. We? It may be just me Dad," I get up from my spot and start to pace, with my back turned to Snuffles and Dad, "but talking to dogs is a little weird, even for us-wait. Are you-"
"Amara, I'd like you to meet your Dad." I turn around, and Snuffles is no longer Snuffles. Standing there is the man that I've been compared to in looks and personality-the same man I've held a grudge against for no reason.
"Hello my Starshine," Dad whispers with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. And the next thing I knew, the world turned dark.
A/N: Hey guys! So sorry for the late update, but I have a little bit of news. I've recently decided to start writing two more books along with Amara's story. The first, I'm happy to announce, is a Percy Jackson Fic. The second is a story of my own that I've come up with, but I hope that you guys will enjoy it nonetheless. I'm saying all of this not just to advertise what's to come, but just to warn you guys that I might not be able to get updates out as fast for every story. I promise I will do my best though! As always, please feel free to vote and comment (I love reading what you guys have to say) and I'll see you in the next chapter!
~Potterhead