Harry leads me and Hollie into Lupin's classroom.
"Girls?"
"We all want to know how to fight the Dementors," I say.
"Are you sure about this? This is advanced magic well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level."
"We're sure," Hollie says.
"Well, everything's prepared."
He begins making his way down to us.
"Now the spell I'm going to teach you is called the Patronus Charm. Did you ever hear of it?"
"I have," I say. "A Patronus is a positive force. For the wizard who conjures one, it works like a shield, with the Dementor feeding on it rather than him."
"Well done, Bella."
He sits on the table.
"But in order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory."
"Can you do this? Yes. Very well. Close your eyes. Concentrate. Explore your past. Do you have a memory? Allow it to fill you up. Lose yourself within it. Then speak the incantation: Expecto Patronum."
All three of us repeat at once.
"Very good! Shall we? Wands at the ready."
He unlocks the chest which I presume holds the Boggart but as he lifts the lid, a Dementor appears.
"Expecto Patronum," we all say together but seems we've all lost the memory as we stare as the Dementor.
The next thing I know, everything goes dark.
"Here we go," I hear Lupin's voice and look round to see my brother and sister both sitting on the floor. "I didn't expect any of you to do it first time."
"That was one nasty Dementor," Harry says.
"Oh, no, no, no. That was a Boggart. The real thing would be worse. Much, much worse. As a matter of interest, what were you thinking? Which memory did you choose?"
"The first time I rode a broom," Harry says.
"Finding out Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon weren't my real parents," Hollie says.
"Getting the letter from Hogwarts," I say.
They're not good enough. Not nearly good enough."
"There is another one," I say but I don't know if it's real or just a dream."
They all look at me with anticipation.
"It was when I learnt to walk. I remember, or at least think I remember, Harry and Hollie were there... I remember Harry crying when Hollie and I were walking around. There's a young blonde looking round the doorframe, none too happy with the attention we're getting for our achievement so I presume that was Emberlee..."
"I've had that dream," Hollie says. "Mom and Dad were there with two other men."
"That's not a dream," Lupin says. "I was there when you learnt to walk. You and Hollie quickly got the hang of it but Harry still wasn't walking by that horrific night."
"I remember that too," Harry says.
"That would be a strong enough memory. Let's give it a try. You feel ready?"
The three of us nod so he opens the trunk.
"Expecto Patronum!" we say in sync and things rattle a little before a bright light appears at the end of our wands and forms a barrier around the Boggart and forces in back into the trunk. Lupin, who had been laughing in delight, pushes the lid down, locking it.
"Well done, you three, well done."
"I think we've had enough for today," Hollie sighs.
"Yes. Sit down. Here."
He hands out some chocolate.
"Eat this, it helps. It really helps."
We sit down while he remains standing.
"And just so you know, I think you'd have given your father a run for his money."
He sits down with us.
"And that is saying something."
"Professor, who was the other man in that memory," I ask.
"That, children, was Sirius Black."
"That monster?"
Lupin sighs – a sigh that indicates he's keeping something from us but I don't ask.
"It's time you left, now," he says so the three of us leave the classroom.
That night, I am woken by Harry but before he can say anything, he puts his hand over my mouth and his finger over his.
As I sit up, I notice Hollie by the door so I get up and leave the dorms with the two of them.
"What's up?" I ask when it's safe to talk.
"You have to look at this," Harry says as he puts the map on the floor and opens it.
"Wait, Peter Pettigrew? But I thought you said Fudge said he was dead," Hollie says.
"He said there was nothing left but a finger but maybe he's not dead."
"Come on, maybe Pettigrew is the one who let Black into the castle," I say.
We hurry to the position on the map, using our wands for light and keep checking the map.
"We're in the right corridor, he's heading straight for us," I whisper.
We hold up our wands and look down the long corridor but cannot see anyone.
Me and Harry keep looking at the map while Hollie keeps an eye on the corridor.
As the name and feet on the map get closer, the three of us hold up our wands.
He goes past us on the map and we turn but none of us see anyone.
"We have to leave," I say. "Snape's coming."
"Mischief managed," Harry says, tapping the map and we distinguish our wands just before Snape appears.
"What are you three doing wandering the corridors at night?" he asks as he shines the light from his wand on our faces.
"I was sleep walking," Harry says.
"And we were looking for him," Hollie says.
"How extraordinary like your father you three are. He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle."
"Our dad didn't strut. And neither do we," I say. "Now if you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you could lower your wand."
"Turn out your pockets."
"We don't have any," Hollie says sarcastically.
Harry takes the map out of his pocket.
"What's this?"
"Spare bit of parchment."
"Really? Open it."
Harry opens the map.
"Reveal your secrets," Snape says, placing his wand on the blank map and something entirely different appears. "Read it."
Messrs, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs offer their compliments to Professor Snape and..."
"Go on."
"And request he keep his large nose out of other people's business."
"You insolent little..."
"Professor!" Lupin says, appearing behind him and Snape turns round.
"Well, well. Lupin. Out for a little walk in the moonlight, are we?"
"Are you three alright?" Lupin asks.
"That remains to be seen," Snape sneers before he snatches the map from Harry. "I have now just confiscated a rather curious artefact. Take a look, Lupin. Supposed to be your area of expertise."
Lupin takes the map and opens in.
"Clearly, it's full of dark magic," Snape scorns.
"I seriously doubt it, Severus. It looks as though it's a parchment designed to insult anyone who tries to read it. I suspect it's a Zonko product."
Snape goes to grab it but Lupin moves it away.
"Nevertheless, I shall investigate any hidden qualities it may possess. It is, after all, as you say, my area of expertise. Harry, girls, would you come with me, please? Professor, good night."
We follow Lupin into his classroom.
"I haven't the faintest idea how this map came to be in your possession but quite frankly, I am astounded that you didn't hand it in. Did it never occur to you that this, in the wrong hands is a map to you?"
We stay silent.
"No?"
"No sir."
"You know, your father never set much store by the rules either. But he and your mother gave their lives to save yours. Gambling their sacrifice by wandering the castle unprotected seems to me a poor way to repay them. Now I will not cover up for you again. Do you hear me?"
"Yes sir," we all say.
"I want you to return to your dorms and stay there."
We turn to leave
"And don't take any detours. If you do, I shall know."
We reach the door but I stop and turn.
"Professor, just so you know, I don't think that map always works. Earlier, it showed someone in the castle. Someone we believe to be dead."
"Oh, really? And who might that be?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
"That's not possible."
"It's just what we saw."
"Good night, Professor," Harry says before we leave the room.
~Hollie's POV~
"Broaden your minds," Trelawney says in our third lesson of the day. "You must look beyond. The art of crystal gazing is in the clearing of the Inner Eye. Only then can you see. Try again. Now what do we have here?"
She stops at Harry and Ron, who is snoring.
"Do you mind me trying?" Hermione says and I stare at her in surprise. "The Grim, possibly."
"My dear," Trelawney says. "From the first moment you stepped foot in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination. No, you see, there. You may be young in years, but your heart is as shrivelled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave."
"You bitch," Hermione says before she gets up and leaves the room.
"Have I said something?"
"You cannot go around saying things like that to students," Bella says. "It's cruel and demeaning."
"I was just telling the truth, you can't sugar coat it."
"You didn't need to say anything at all."
Trelawney doesn't seem to see what she's done wrong. She moves round the classroom again until she reaches me and Bella.
She places a hand on Bella's shoulder and begins gasping for breath.
"He will return tonight," she says in a creepy voice. "Tonight, he who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder shall break free. Innocent blood shall be spilt and servant and master shall be reunited once more."
She gasps and begins coughing and gagging before she goes silent and looks at us.
"I'm so sorry, my dear. Did you say something?"
We all just stare at her in shock.