Chapter 4
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THE MOON WAS STILL HIDING BEHIND CLOUDS. Although, it wasn't bright and full anymore, allowing even less light to illuminate the night.
Bertha Jorkins walked restlessly down the streets, trying her best to appear inconspicuous but only succeeding halfway. Her black jacket may have helped to conceal her in the dark, but her enormous pointy hat, one she refused to abandon, made her stand out.
Bertha hurried, disliking being out at night so long. She clung to her wand, wrapping it underneath her coat to hide it. With heavy steps, she walked to the inn, speeding up when she felt someone follow her.
Silently, she cursed herself for choosing this place as her holiday destination, only to remember later that men were creepy in all countries. It wouldn't have made a difference had she chosen another country besides Albania. Unfortunately, going out in the dark by herself was a mistake, either way.
The footsteps behind her felt closer. Bertha somehow felt a presence right at her feet, freezing her in her spot. The stout woman slowly glanced behind, checking if the person was anywhere near her.
There was no one there. Bertha didn't see anyone, but she did hear something hiss at her, the sound slowly turning into a screech before a loud bang resonated through the empty streets.
Bertha almost jumped, but she held her breath, taking her wand out completely. The Ministry employee could feel her heart rate speed up. She turned a corner sharply, hoping to lose her stalker.
She kept her eyes behind her as she stepped into the alley. Bertha was so caught up in ensuring no one would catch her from the back she didn't notice when she stepped on something soft until it was too late. This time, the same screech made her jump.
She finally looked in front.
It was a cat. Bertha had stepped on its tail.
"Oh!" She felt relief wash over her. Bertha released a long breath. "Thank the Heavens! I thought I was a goner!"
Laughing heartedly, she shook her head as though she had been silly. Bertha looked down at the cat, which calmly sat there like it didn't have a foot on its tail.
Bertha couldn't make out the colour of its fur, the lack of light encompassing both of them in complete darkness. She could only see the silhouette of a feline.
The woman crouched down, casting lumos with her wand. Magic finally brought light to the scene, revealing an adult white cat.
There was no grime nor dirt on the animal. Neither the paws nor the ears were unclean. The milky coat was clear of filth, smoothly brushed down all over except for the neck, where a wound stuck out like a blunt nail. The colour of blood was a stark contrast with the white coat.
Bertha gasped. "Oh, your poor thing! Who did this to you?"
The cat didn't budge. Head held high, back straight, it stared right at the woman with gleaming red eyes.
Above them, the shrinking moon stayed hidden.
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Head raised high, face impassive, Adhara walked into the corridor only to come to a halt.
Jakob Gamp had a firm grip on Roisin, holding her down on her knees. Adhara watched the scene with a horrible sense of calmness, one that didn't require effort to summon anymore. One that cooled her down to her bones, making her shiver.
"Jakob Gamp."
The boy looked up, smirking as he caught sight of Adhara. His bedraggled brown hair fell over his eyes, making them only visible through his fringe.
"Adhara Black. Finally caught you."
Adhara kept silent. She glanced at the girl at his feet. Jakob had one hand on the Roisin's neck, pushing her down, while he held her hands bound together with his other one. She couldn't even look up.
Adhara clenched her fists.
"You have. So, let Roisin go."
Jakob only scoffed, squeezing Roisin's neck with more force instead.
Practiced disinterest. Unbothered, unfazed. Someone who doesn't care about what happened around her. That was the kind of image Adhara had at Aleyne. Someone who never lost her cool.
An act so effortless Adhara wondered if it was ever an act. So effortless, it made her feel like a puppet, with the way she continued the act without even thinking, a buried part of her mind pulling the strings, keeping her limbs in check.
The lights were on, and Jakob didn't bother to hold his voice back. Adhara knew all the children of Aleyne were listening to the conversation.
Some kept their bedroom doors closed, or slightly ajar, preferring to stay hidden. But others didn't care. A few doors were wide open, the occupants of the room openly watched the scene unfold in front of them. They didn't bother to hide. They knew that, if Matron were to appear, the woman's attention wouldn't be on them, but on Adhara.
And Adhara knew that too.
"What do you want, Jakob?"
Jakob shook his head. "Want? When has what we wanted ever mattered?" He laughed humourlessly, "I don't want anything. I'm just going to take everything."
When Jakob realized that Adhara wasn't going to talk back to him, he continued, his smile turning more vicious. "Who are you hiding inside your room, dear Adhara?"
No one, Adhara didn't say. Harry was long gone, and Adhara had already closed the window. She did not doubt that Yaritza had also shoved the weasels out. They should all be on their way home already.
Jakob did not seem to have gotten the message.
"Escaped the Furnace Room for almost a year, have you? How much longer do you think that's going to last."
Not much. Adhara wasn't an idiot. She knew she could not avoid the Furnace Room forever. Though, that didn't mean she wasn't going to try and delay it as much as possible.
"You and your lot go off to Hogwarts each year, leaving us unfortunate ones behind to manage the furnace. It is only fair to switch shifts once summer comes 'round, don't you think?"
Adhara remained still. She didn't take a step forward, nor one back. "I suppose. But no one needs to be in the Furnace Room. If you keep your mouth shut, like how you used to, then none of us would risk a punishment."
Jakob didn't like the sound of that. His smile dropped in an instant.
"Unfortunately, I don't find that fair. Why do we squibs have to suffer through the punishment all year, only for you witches to get away with no scratches?"
He shook his head, releasing his hold on Roisin's neck, only to grab a fistful of her hair.
Adhara heard the girl whimper in pain, but her passive look stayed on Jakob, as though it was the only thing holding him in place. The boy, however, wasn't looking in her way, eyes on the Hufflepuff he kept captive.
"It's time for the odds to even out, I think." He pulled Roisin back, yanking her hair.
Adhara almost took a step forward. "Let her go, Jakob. She didn't do anything."
Jakob's head snapped up, wild eyes surveying Adhara from head to toe. The wicked smile was back on his face, and he looked like he would burst into laughter at any time.
"Didn't do anything? Her?" Jakob grinned. "Don't you understand, Adhara? Mudbloods like her are why we are here, why your dear Yaritza is here. You may have had a muggle mother, Adhara, but you have ancient blood coursing through you. Surely, you understand?"
Adhara's brows drew close.
The boy's expression morphed in an instant. His smile turned downwards, jaw clenching as he seethed with rage. He yanked Roisin's hair. "Mudbloods like her stole our magic. They're the reason why we squibs even exist!"
Adhara blinked, taken aback. Surely, he doesn't?
She couldn't even describe how she was feeling. Shock and disgust but also confusion because sincerely –
"What are you talking about?"
Initially, Adhara had planned to keep up a peaceful act. To not react too violently in hopes to maintain the situation at bay. To ensure that Matron didn't hear them and decided to punish them all.
But this was simply ridiculous. The strings that kept her at bay were slowly crumpling. Only a while until they detached completely.
"That makes no sense. Are you even listening to yourself?"
If possible, Jakob scowled even more. "It makes perfect sense. Matron said –"
"Matron? You believe Matron? That woman is the reason why you have marks all over your hands and she's the one you want to believe?"
"They create an imbalance. They aren't supposed to have magic! If it weren't for people like her, I'd have magic!"
"Why does it even matter? Look at where you both are! Being magic didn't help her, she ended up at Aleyne anyway. Just like you. Magic or not, you were both abandoned!"
Jakob stumbled back, Adhara's icy tone shocking him into releasing his hold on Roisin. Her words must have given him a reality check however, because the boy looked unsure for a second.
Only for a second, though.
When Jakob realized that Roisin had gotten away from him, his anger returned in full force. He followed her, body turning as his hand reached out for the Hufflepuff.
When Roisin was close enough, Adhara pushed her behind her, allowing Adhara to stand tall in front of Jakob.
Adhara took her wand out her pocket in an instant, shoving it in Jakob's throat and backing him into the wall. The impact shook the old wooden walls of the orphanage, spreading a resonating sound across the hall.
Jakob gulped down, matching Adhara's gaze. He scoffed. "You can't even use that, right now."
"I can use it better than you."
Jakob scowled, growling as he tried to push Adhara back, but the girl simply stabbed her wand into his stomach making him double over.
Adhara pushed the boy onto his knees. "Ever thought about how your lack of magic may simply be a result of inbreeding?"
Jakob stopped moving for a second, as though hit with the realization of Adhara's words. The girl scoffed. Bigotry really was a result of idiocy.
Everyone, including Yaritza and Thomas, was now out in the hallway, doors of their bedrooms wide open.
Distantly, Adhara could hear the wooden staircase squeak. Familiar footsteps were approaching, making a cold weight settle in her gut.
Maybe it wasn't an act, after all.
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When Harry came to the cottage, his worst fear was to upset Sirius and Remus. Keeping quiet, remaining unseen, he made sure to never get on their nerve because the last thing he wanted was to be sent back to the Dursleys.
Right now, though, he couldn't care less.
"...reckless beyond measure. Have you any clue how worried we were?! Ron and his brothers are now..."
Harry wasn't really listening. His mind was completely blank. Remus had been shouting for a while now, but he couldn't tell how long it had been. Had the clock in the living actually told time, like how normal clocks did, maybe he would have a clue. But Harry didn't know what time it was. Only that it was the middle of the night, and Harry didn't really care about anything anymore.
In contrast to Remus, Sirius hadn't uttered a single word yet. Simply standing beside Remus, eyes fixed on Harry's face.
But Harry didn't care.
His body slowly deflated, shoulders slumping in the process. Harry's grip on his broom loosened.
"...no note, no explanation! What did you think you were going to accom—"
His broom fell on the floor. Harry didn't even spare a glance at it.
"...Harry?"
Fuzzy, like cotton. The inside of his head felt soft and almost welcoming. Or maybe it was more like feathers? Those were soft.
"Haz? Are you okay?"
Sirius? He thought that might be him. Sirius called him 'Haz' sometimes. Harry wasn't responding, though. Head slumped forward, the boy was staring at his feet.
He felt someone pull his head up. Harry couldn't hold back the tears anymore.
"Couldn't bring her. She didn't want to leave."
Fuzzy, like cotton. Soft, like feathers.
"Couldn't save her."
Harry was gone.
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Fear-Anger-Betrayal. Adhara tried very hard to organize her thoughts, but it wasn't working. She had lost her grip on her emotions, which were overwhelming enough that Adhara felt like throwing up.
Matron was a liar. That shouldn't be unexpected news, yet Adhara never saw it coming. Matron was manipulative and cunning; she must've been deceiving them all for years now.
She lied to all the squibs at the orphanage, made them all believe that muggleborns were the cause of their disability.
And they were gullible enough to believe her.
"Disobedience, insolence. What other crimes are you guilty of, Adhara Black?"
Head low, eyes cast down at the woman's feet, Adhara did not dare to look up. Her hands were crossed behind her back, new nail marks already marring them. Adhara tried to get a hold of herself.
"You injured another child, today. In all my years at this establishment, I never had to deal with such an infraction."
The woman was standing in front of her desk, in a long purple dress and with a ruler in her hand.
It was still dark out. Only a few candles were lighting up the office, yet Adhara could feel the heat permeating from the fire swirl around her. The suffocating energy was pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe.
"Just because you are a Black, you think you have the right to reign over the other orphans. Did you forget, Adhara, what kind of people your family was in reality? Dark wizards, Death Eaters."
Harry's words were ringing inside her head.
"Did you forget that that family had abandoned you? That they didn't want anything to do with you?"
Matron lied to you!
And Adhara had been gullible, too.
"You're lying."
If Matron was surprised, she didn't show it. Adhara wasn't the type to mouth off at her, preferring to show her defiance through actions and attitude rather than words. The girl usually played the waiting game: always taking what was thrown at her with no retort whilst simultaneously having that look in her eye that promised misery.
"You know who my godbrother is. You know Sirius Black was released earlier this summer. You didn't think I would ever find out the truth?"
A crease appeared between Matron's brows. She took a step toward Adhara, but the girl didn't budge.
"Is that why you were upset when Sirius Black escaped?" she continued. "You were afraid I would find out that you never actually contacted him."
Waiting it out was her way of fighting. Her way of showing that she couldn't be controlled since Matron's words couldn't affect her. It was a method that Matron hated because there was no way of opposing it.
Or so Adhara thought. Who would've known that Matron was using a hidden approach to bring her down?
"Why did you do it? How did even this benefit you?"
Matron stopped. She leveled Adhara with a look that made her stomach drop.
The woman leaned down, coming face to face with the Slytherin. She snatched Adhara's chin between two fingers, and, with a voice smooth like silk, she said simply:
"Why not?"
Adhara stilled, her nails unconsciously digging into her palms.
Matron released her, letting Adhara's head bob down in disbelief. She watched the woman step away, looking down at her with a twisted smile playing on her lips.
"Y-you. What?."
That. That was absurd. Matron was obsessed with money. She cared more about the gold in her pockets than the children in the orphanage. Surely, one extra kid—all the expenses wasted on one more kid, wasn't spent for nothing.
All these years, Adhara believed the woman's lies. She was gullible enough to even let her words affect to her. And all this time, Matron was simply enjoying the show.
It had to be a lie.
"Is this what you do to all of us? Lie to us for no reason? Deceive and manipulate us for your own entertainment?"
Matron arched a brow. "Lie to you all? I never lied to anyone else. Only you."
Adhara narrowed her eyes. "You told Jakob that muggleborns stole his magic. You made him believe that ridiculous lie."
"What lie? I only spoke the truth, dear."
"You- what?" Shocked, it took a second for Adhara to find her words. "You cannot honestly believe that."
Matron scoffed. She walked to one side of the office and then paced back to the other side as she spoke: "Mudbloods," she said with disdain, "they infiltrate our world and try to change everything to suit their needs, as though it belonged to them in the first place."
"Pretending to be witches, taking our places, taking our magic," she swirled around, darting towards Adhara in an instant. Matron raised a finger at her. "If it weren't for those filths, I wouldn't have been born like this. I wouldn't even be here!"
Adhara stumbled back, breath catching in her throat.
Right then, pieces started to fall into place. Adhara finally understood why the woman never used magic to warm up the orphanage. She always believed it was simply out of cruelty, but now she knew it was because there was no other way.
"You. Y-you're a squib," Adhara realized, voice barely above a whisper.
She now understood why this place always felt so empty, so inert. Why she never felt any ounce of magic surge through the corridors.
Matron's eyes flared with fury. "If it weren't for them, I would have had magic!"
Matron was the picture definition of prim and proper. Never a stray hair out of place, her dress always neat and ironed. She always looked put together, her calloused hands being the only indication of her real status.
Even now, she seemed flawless. In a dress instead of a nightgown, she also had her hair tied in a perfect-looking bun. It was as though she took her time to get ready before showing up to punish whoever dared to step out of line.
The difference now was the mad look she was currently donning.
"That makes no sense. You're insane!"
A manic sort of smile overtook Matron's face. "Ah, but dear Adhara. Doesn't insanity run in the family?"
Adhara's brows furrowed, not following what she meant.
Suddenly, Matron grabbed Adhara's hair from the back, yanking it to make the girl look up at her.
Adhara groaned out in pain.
"Adhara, Adhara Black. You have filthy blood running through your veins, and I do not. Yet, why were you destined to wield the family name when I couldn't?"
Adhara's eyes went wide. "You-you—"
She gave Adhara another pull. "Mariam Black used to be my name. Until my father decided I was a disgrace and blasted me off the tapestry."
She didn't even allow Adhara to fully register the new information before pulling the girl by her hair and dragging her out of the room.
Adhara didn't need to think twice to know where they were headed.
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Early on during his childhood, Remus Lupin figured out just how hypocritical the world was.
It dawned on him one morning when he watched his father put on his tie in front of the mirror, as he did every morning. Remus would smile as his father ruffled the hair atop his tiny head. He would smile as his father assured him that he would fight to make this world safe for him.
Though, his father seemed to have forgotten that the lycanthrope rules and regulations that he wholeheartedly supported would one day work against his own son's favour.
Throughout his life, Remus continuously observed such patterns of hypocrisy. Although in Lyall Lupin's case, it may have been unintentional, it didn't change the fact that it was hypocritical.
Most people who sided with the Light shared the same belief as Lyall. That, even though werewolves were indeed people, they were also creatures, and therefore they needed to keep a close eye on them.
At least, the Dark was more forthright with their opinions. They didn't even hide that they thought werewolves were a lesser, more unintelligent breed of people. Even the use of the word 'people' was a stretch for them.
Unlike the Light, who hid their prejudice under the guise of fear, trying to regulate the rights of a "person suffering from lycanthropy" to ensure the safety of both the "diseased" and the "healthy".
In a twisted kind of way, Remus thought it was amusing. The irony of it all managed to startle a peal of laughter out of him from time to time.
When it came to muggleborn rights, the Wizengamot was always divided. The Light fought for muggle rights, voting against the Dark. But when it came to Lycanthrope rights, the votes were always unanimous.
Werewolves were dangerous and violent creatures. They couldn't be trusted with people, and therefore, they needed to be kept at bay to ensure the safety of others.
And in some way, sadly, Remus believed them too.
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From an outsider's point of view, the masterminds behind the Marauder's pranks were James and Sirius. But anyone close with them, anyone who knew them at all, would tell you that that wasn't true. The real mastermind was in fact, Remus.
While Remus was the one who planned out the prank, ensuring its success, James and Sirius were troublemakers who made the mission a reality.
"Where did he stay she was staying?"
Remus and Sirius were in their bedroom. Harry, across the hall, was tucked in his bed. It took them hours until they finally got him back. The sun was already rising by the time Harry finally agreed to take a calming draught and went to sleep.
Remus watched Sirius from their bed. His partner was pacing back and forth, worry stitched into every inch of his being.
"I wasn't allowed to look into her files at school-"
Sirius gave him a look.
Remus was always the quiet one in the group. Studious, rule-abiding. People somehow tended to forget that the man used to be a Gryffindor and a Marauder, no less. But Remus never seemed to mind. After all, it always worked in his favour when people underestimated him.
Remus sighed. "But when Harry mentioned the name 'Aleyne', I may or may not have snuck a glance anyway," he said without sheepishness. Snape's quarters weren't very difficult to break into. "Apparently, it's the name of the-"
Sirius stopped pacing. "Did you say, Aleyne, like an orphanage?"
"Yes?"
"As in, Aleyne, the orphanage?"
"You know the place?"
Sirius looked distraught. Hands reaching to his hair, he sunk to his knees. Remus was with him on the floor in a matter of a second.
"I thought that place was just a myth!" he declared, laughing in disbelief.
"I take it it isn't not a very nice place?"
Sirius scoffed. "It's where purebloods hide their unwanted kids. Walburga used to say she'd sent me there."
He shook his head, the weight of the situation dawning on him slowly. "Remus, Rem, Moony. I-I don't think I'm meant for this..."
"Meant for what?"
"This. This parenting gig! I mean, Harry just spent the entire night dissociating! I didn't even realize he was out of the house! And, I let them send Adhara back to that place!"
"You didn't know-"
"She's my niece! I should've known!"
"Sirius, you were in Azkaban. There was no way for you to know where she was this entire time."
"Yeah? And when I was released? Then what? It's almost the end of July!" Sirius stood up, outraged at himself. "Harry has been here for two weeks now. That's two weeks that she could've spent here instead of there if I had done my job right!"
Remus grabbed his shoulders, holding Sirius still. "Look! You need to calm yourself. Blaming yourself like this, panicking like this isn't going to solve anything. Besides, you aren't the only one at fault here."
"I'm her uncle," Sirius reminded, brows furrowed.
"And I was her teacher. Their teacher. I spent an entire year more than you with them, and yet I didn't even realize Harry was abused. Something you figured out minutes into meeting him."
"And with Adhara," Remus closed his eyes, swallowing down the knot in his throat. "I saw the signs. I saw- her hands were a clear indication that-"
"What about her hands?"
Remus shook his head. "There was something wrong with her home life. It was obvious. Yet, I let my insecurities and doubts get in my way. I thought that, teacher or not, there was no way anyone would listen to what a werewolf had to say."
And, unfortunately, he wasn't even wrong.
"I should've fought."
"And I should've known," said Sirius. "No wonder Harry was desperate to bring her here. No one should live at Aleyne."
A thought crossed Remus' mind. "I only mentioned the orphanage's name. How come that was enough to get you so eager to get her out of there? You didn't even know the place existed until just now."
Sirius didn't even know about Adhara's hands. A view that was now ingrained in Remus' mind forever.
"I heard stories. Our elf nanny told us stories about squibs being sent there as children, only to come back years later with multiple injuries. They were always sent back."
"Most pureblood families tell their kids about the place to keep them from misbehaving," he continued to explain. "And I thought, if the orphanage is real, then the stories must be too."
Remus took a deep breath, determination rising within him. He didn't release his hold on Sirius. On the contrary, he seemed to not be able to let go.
"Where can I find the address?"
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A/N Listen, fandom wiki says there was a guy name Marius Black who was disowned for being a squib. For the sake of this story, it was Mariam Black, okay? Okay.
Also, she was born later, not the 20s.