( chapter iv. I'M THE MAP! )
— 🌙 —
With a month at Hogwarts gone, Calypso could say that nothing really important had occurred in that time. She had expected something to happen at least to Harry, especially since the Dementors attacked him on the train and, apparently, he had passed out from it. Well, Calypso knows that it's true but it was no reason for the boy to be picked on by Malfoy and his crew. It sickened her to think that they were related. It sickened her to think that her own cousin married Lucius Malfoy. Admittedly, though, she had never met Narcissa.
The only sister out of those three she had met was Andromeda, her godmother. Bellatrix Lestrange was the third, who was also the only one in Azkaban along with her husband. Her uncle had once been there too, but now he had escaped and Calypso hadn't the slightest clue where he could be. While others believed he was trouble and only wanted the death of Harry, Calypso knew more that he only wanted to protect the boy. This was all to protect him, avenge the Potters, and (hopefully, anyways) protect his family. Which, of course, meant her. Calypso Hope Black.
It was funny to think that at one point she hated her name. Calypso. It was too odd and other children her age had trouble pronouncing it and settled with calling her Callie – which she hated more than anything. Cal was fine but Callie...Callie was a death sentence for her.
There was still a resentment towards it. She was named after the star, but Calypso always thought of the Greek myth including a woman named Calypso. There, that woman was trapped on an island. Ogygia. And Calypso Hope Black was also trapped. Maybe not on an island but in her own skin; in the skin of a human who was also such a monster. A werewolf.
The full moon would happen in the following days. Her first back at Hogwarts. She didn't want it to happen. While her dad grew more agitated in these times, Calypso grew more anxious to the point where it always seemed her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. Seizing fire inside her that never seemed to stop.
"Hey, dad!" Calypso skipped into the empty classroom. It was currently a free period of hers which also concurrent with her dad. She smiled, sitting on his desk and watched as Remus rolled his eyes.
"Hello, star," he still smiled at his daughter, happy that she was spending time with him on her on and not just in class, "How are you?"
"Oh, me? Great! Can't wait for Quidditch to actually start, Angie's been driving me mad with all her talk about it," the girl spoke. Angelina loved Quidditch and wanted to win more than anything, but she wasn't crazy about it like Oliver Wood.
"I used to love watching Quidditch," Remus mused, "We'd all go and watch James play – he was always the star – and your uncle, you know, before he got kicked off."
"Uncle Pads got kicked off?" Calypso's eyes widened, surprised by this new bit of information. No one talked much about her uncle, and for obvious reasons. Most thought him a murderer and her mum always said it was too painful to talk about him.
Remus laughed, "Yes. For swearing too much. Pained Professor McGonagall to do it, but she had to. James and him rioted for weeks following but it was already settled. He commented on some of the matches though."
"Did you ever play?"
"Me? Merlin, no. I was terrible at it – Peter was always better than me. Peter!" Calypso clenched her fist at the mention of him, "Your mum wasn't any good either – didn't even like the sport – so it surprised me when you showed interest in it."
Calypso smiled, "Well, I did get some things from you." You're a fucking werewolf, yeah. "But I am shit at playing."
"Calypso! Language!" Remus scolded, laughing as he did so, "Oh, Remelda swears all the time. No wonder you're the same."
"I can't help but talk the way she raised me to," Calypso rolled her eyes, "And it's not that bad. I don't swear in front of adults or teachers."
Remus eyed her suspiciously, "Your argument is invalid. I am both an adult and a teacher."
This caused the young girl to scoff. She shifted her position on the desk slightly, "Correction: I don't swear in front of teachers or adults that aren't my own dad."
This caused him to full on laugh, making her smile. "I still remember the first time you called me dad in front of class. They all thought you were crazy or slipped up."
"Well," she shrugged, "Everyone just knows that my parents are divorced and I live with my mum – have her last name, too. They just never really cared to ask about my dad and I didn't tell them. I think they think I never knew, that you just left before I was even born or something."
"Calypso..."
"And I know that's not the truth. That's all that matters," she could apply that to other areas as well, but then she couldn't. It did matter that only she and her mum knew Uncle Pads wasn't a murderer because he was put in Azkaban – without a trial, mind you – and now everyone thought he was at Hogwarts to murder Harry. Which was ludicrous because he wouldn't be foolish enough to come there...right? "You know I don't think that."
"Yeah," he sighed, looking at Calypso with sympathetic eyes, "I still feel bad for leaving you."
"You didn't leave me dad. You were still around, I still had you in my life. We just don't live together and that's fine, believe me," she smiled, "But it was really funny. I just wish my friends could see it. Penelope thought I was actually insane."
Remus cracked a smile again, his daughter could always cheer him up, "Penelope...she's the blonde that sits in the back row, right?"
"Yep," Calypso nodded, "Everyone was just so shocked to hear me, even more when you confirmed it. I had people asking me about it after class." She didn't add the it was the first good thing they had to say about my family, knowing it would only hurt him more.
"You know," he started, "I'm still conflicted with how I feel about you not seeing my first lesson. I was so excited for it and everyone seemed to enjoy it, but then everything with Harry happened."
Calypso scoffed, "Correction: you probably just didn't want to see my biggest fear, right?"
He shrugged, "Yeah, sure."
And Calypso was actually glad she had missed the class. Even though her short meeting with Fudge and Dumbledore had been short, it was torture, yet she would still say it was a thousand times better than her dad's first lesson. It involved Boggarts and that was truly something Calypso never wanted to experience again.
Yet, no one knew of her first experience with the creature. Maybe her mum, maybe, but no one else. Before Harry Potter entered Hogwarts and took the Philosopher's Stone and before the whispered started about Calypso Black – the niece of Sirius Black! – at the school, she was five-years-old and standing in front of her grandparents' house.
They had died maybe a month or so before, and with her uncle in Azkaban, her mum had claim to the house. And for once, Remelda truly wanted to say goodbye to the place. Upon entering, the child had a chill down her spine from the cold atmosphere the place held and her mum said to go explore on her own. Nothing bad was supposed to happen.
So, without another thought, Calypso bounced up the stairs and started down the hallway. Pictures of dead relatives lined it, creeping the child out further. But then she entered an old office, filled with dust on every piece of furniture leading the child to believe it had been too long since someone was in there. She went to the wooden desk, making a smiley face in the dust, causing her to smile. Just a little something to liven up the place.
But then it happened. She heard it. There was a nasty, dominant voice on a woman behind her. "Look now, Calypso, you need to watch!" it didn't sound like her mum, and even though she was afraid she still turned around. There was an elderly woman, one she saw in the portrait from the hallway downstairs by the staircase. "You have to watch and see."
The thing like resembled her grandmother raised her wand and then she heard the plea of someone else. She looked over and saw the man in the picture from the hallway, this time she didn't know him.
"He's becoming weak. Look, don't you see? He almost wants to invite them back into this house after everything they've done!" she exclaimed, but it was still low enough Calypso knew she was the only one who could hear her.
"Who?" she gave a low whisper, eyes looking up at the figment in fear.
"Oh, Remelda. He wants to atone and make right with her and I cannot allow that, what about the name? Understand, you have to understand, we cannot have that. Family is everything, but the family name is more," she looked at the man again and this time Calypso assumed that he was her grandfather. She raised her wand and the young girl's heart was beating in her chest, "Avada Kadavra!"
She screamed.
Calypso blinked, bringing herself out of the memory. It was too terrible and she was incredibly happy she had missed her first DADA lesson. It still haunted her and Calypso wouldn't be surprised if that were still her worst nightmare – the thing she feared most.
"Star, are you alright?" Remus placed his hand on her shoulder, and she was brought into reality again.
The Black girl smiled, a little white lie wouldn't hurt anyone, "Of course! But I just remembered, Birdie wanted to do homework together. She thinks I have all the answers for this class."
Her dad chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Go on. And don't let her cheat off you, she better be glad I haven't counted points off for cheating yet – you too."
"Oh, you wouldn't do that to me," Calypso said confidently, "Mum would kill you. Birdie though...well, I can see it."
She jumped off the desk and bounced to the door, much like how she bounced up the stairs that day, and sent her dad a last smile. He waved goodbye and she left his classroom.
The corridor was empty and she thought about where she could go. Calypso thought of where her friends could be before realizing, oh right, they're in class. But that was when she heard a small meow from behind her, causing her to frown. It was extremely uncommon for cats to run about, mostly choosing to stay in the common room or dorm of their owner. Nala almost never left Calypso's dorm. Though, although it was uncommon, sometimes it did happen. Sometimes, much like this, a cat went running about.
But then Calypso turned around. She didn't know what type of cat she expected to see, but she certainly did not think it would be an ugly, bushy, ginger cat. Her eyes immediately widened, "Ginger?" and the cat meowed in response.
Marching towards the cat, she picked him up and looked to see for any empty classroom before seeing a broom closet. Yes, that would be alright. She opened it, shifting her glance to still make sure the corridor was empty, before closing the door behind her, dropping the cat down gently, and turning on the light. By the time she turned around, she saw the image of her Uncle Regulus.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Calypso asked in an angry whisper, "Mum was going crazy all summer when you didn't show up!"
"Sorry, sorry," the older man apologized, "I got caught and put in a shop. Then I got sold to a student here but she's a muggleborn and it wasn't exactly safe to just leave. Then I just had to wait until school started again."
"Um, school's been in session for, like, a month and you're just now showing yourself?" Calypso fired another question.
He gave a sheepish smile and she took the moment to see how he looked. Regulus had always looked similar to his siblings. They all were extremely pale, but a fair kind, and had curly hair. In the Prophet, Calypso had seen her Uncle Pads mugshot and she had taken the time to see how similar he looked to her and her mother. She had photos of him when he was younger, when they were twenty and she was one, Harry just born, and everything was alright. Everything was okay and no one was dead yet.
No one was imprisoned yet.
And, having spent limited time with her Uncle Regulus, she realized that he and Remelda had much in common with the way they carried themselves. At first, they were always reserved with everything, trying to find the flaw, the bad side, before finally giving up and enjoying it. They both took tomatoes off their salads and, when stressed, took hold of their hair and moved it to the right side of their face.
But they were also different. Calypso was different. She was a daughter of a Gryffindor as well and while she had pale skin and black hair, they were adorned with freckles and never a curl. Her hair was straight even though both of her parents, at least when they were younger, had curly hair. Now, her dad's hair was also straight.
"Sorry about that," Regulus laughed nervously, "I've been busy trying to figure out the castle again. It's been so long since I last was here."
Calypso huffed, "And who even adopted you? Or, well, Ginger...the cat."
"A Gryffindor, year below you. I think her name is Hermione, Hermione Granger."
"Hermione Granger?" Calypso exclaimed, "You've got to be kidding me!"
Regulus looked at her confused, "What's wrong with that? She's perfectly nice and always remembers to give me food but gave me a terrible name. Can you believe it? She named me Crookshanks!"
She wrinkled up her nose in disgust, "Crookshanks? That's just the worst, sorry. But I'm not talking about that. Hermione's friends with Harry –"
"Yes, I've seen."
"– and he kinda hates me since Uncle Pads is – apparently – trying to kill him!" Calypso ranted, "And, because they're friends, she also hates me and thinks that I'm trying to help him kill Harry, which I'm not."
"Don't worry, Cal, I know you're not trying to kill Harry and I know that Sirius isn't either," Regulus rolled his eyes, "But how is this a bad thing again?"
"Because I can't steal you away during Christmas! I promised mum I would tell her if you magically showed up here and you know what she's like when she finds out you lied to her!" Calypso continued.
"Okay, okay, I know, but you can't tell her. Not yet. She'll want me back there immediately and that won't be safe for anyone because of the amount of eyes watching that house."
Calypso bit her lip, contemplating on what to do. But then the words entered her mind again, family is everything, and she made her decision. Like he said, with all the eyes watching, it would be too dangerous and she couldn't lose him. Even though she was only fourteen and had only known Regulus was alive for three years, she didn't want to lose him. She couldn't. And she couldn't lose her mother either, Merlin knows what would happen if the Ministry found out about everything.
"Fine," she said, family is everything, "I won't tell her anything. But once summer comes, I'm not keeping your secret anymore – and you better show up at least once during then. She worries too much."
Regulus sighed, "I know. And thank you, for keeping the secret. I still need to figure some things out here."
She heard the bell ring, causing to her momentarily glance up and curse. By the time she looked back to where Regulus was, he was a cat again. She could say nothing else, couldn't comment anymore about what he said;
I still need to figure some things out here.
― 🌙 ―
FRED AND GEORGE Weasley didn't like the fact that Calypso was sitting at the library table with them and Lee. They were planning another prank, hush tones used and passing suspicious glances at the girl who was just trying to study her Herbology, the cursed subject which seemed to laugh at the Black women. Fuck that subject and fuck that teacher. She hated everything about it.
Calypso rolled her eyes, "I'm not gonna steal your ideas, if that's why you keep glancing at me."
Lee snickered as he saw the shocked expressions on the twins' faces. Calypso gave a little smirk, feeling more empowered by it. "Sorry," one of them apologized. Honestly, she never really cared to learn the difference between the two, "But, well, with everything."
"You mean with my uncle escaping from Azkaban and potentially being on the Hogwarts campus?" she dryly asked, "Well, don't worry about it. He won't come after Harry if that's what you're wondering."
"So you're saying that you've seen him?" the other asked, causing her to scoff.
"Of course not. I haven't talked to him since I was two," Calypso answered honestly and a little sadly, "But I do know he wouldn't...well, whatever."
There was no point in saying he would never dare hurt a hair on the Potter boy's head, they wouldn't believe her no matter what she said. No matter if it were the truth or not.
"Hey, let's just keep talking about the prank," Lee steered the conversation away, "Have you gotten the map back?"
Calypso stiffened for a moment at that. A map? But then she leaned in. It couldn't be the same map...could it?
"Yeah, took it from Filch when he was distracted with the chandelier prank. But we're thinking about giving it to Harry. Dunno why but it just seems right. I think he'll need it for getting into Hogsmeade, you know he didn't have his permission slip signed, right?"
"Wait, really?" Lee asked, astonished that, even though his slip wasn't signed, they wouldn't let him – The Boy Who Lived – go to Hogsmeade!
"Yeah, and Ron was talking to us about it and he feels just terrible for going there alone –"
"– and even though we act like he's a nuisance this is important to him. And Harry deserves to experience Hogsmeade –"
"– so we're giving him the map."
"You're giving up the map?" Lee stopped them, shocked, "This map has saved us from detention too many times and now you're just giving it up?"
"We already memorized all of Hogwarts, what use does it have? Harry needs it more than us," one of the twins concluded and yet, it was definitely the Marauders Map. It was definitely her dad's and uncle's map which they made with their two friends...the one who betrayed them and the one that died.
And they were giving it to Harry. No, she needed that map before he could have it. She needed to see and make sure, I still need to figure some things out here, and the map would help.
"Wait," she stopped the conversation, all eyes looking at her, "Do you mean to tell me that you have the Marauders Map?"
All their eyes bulged, almost it seemed to fall out of the heads. "You know about it?"
"Of course," she nodded, "I also know who created it...I can tell you the name of one of the creators if you lend it to me."
One of the twins – George, maybe – questioned her, "Why do you even want the map?"
She bit the inside of her mouth, trying to find the right words, the right reason. "I just...I got my own thing to pull on Snape. Call it old rivalry or something, and I wanna go big. Gotta make sure no one'll catch me, right?"
"Sure, sure," the other said, "You can have the map – but only for a week before we'll be asking for it back. Now, who's Padfoot?"
"Oh, you've already heard of him," Calypso smirked, knowing that she was about to blow their minds, "My Uncle Pads' been in the papers for a while."
"Padfoot is Sirius Black?" Lee leaned in, whispering an exclamation to her.
"Yeah. They made it when they were in school but lost it in their last year during a prank on the Potions teacher at the time. Filch took it and kept it ever since. Well, until you two bozos found it," Calypso said.
"So you're related to one of the creators...that's awesome!"
"Whatever, I barely know him. Like I said before, haven't talked to him or seen him since I was two," Calypso said, "Now, the map?"
"Oh, right. Sure," one of them held it out and when Calypso was about to grab it, they took their hand back, "Give it back in a week!"
Calypso rolled her eyes, "I know. Now give it." This time, they let her take it and she closed her textbook, leaving the library without another goodbye and went to the corridor. People were walking but no one was paying attention to her, allowing her to take out her wand, point it to the parchment and whisper, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
The ink began to appear, showing the castle of Hogwarts in its entirety, names and all. She saw the twins and Lee in the library still and began to look further because she saw it. Scurrying across another corridor was the same of a dead man. PETER PETTIGREW. She felt a fire burn within her.
If she had doubts about her mum's story before, they would've been squashed. Thankfully, she never questioned Remelda. There was a name of a man who was supposedly innocent, supposedly dead. No, he was neither of those things.
And she looked even further until, for a moment, she could see the name SIRIUS BLACK on the map for it only to disappear. It was on the sixth floor. She felt her heart stop for a moment when she saw the name and begin to beat faster once she truly realized what she saw. Sirius Black was here. Her uncle was here inside the castle – both her uncles were inside the castle and fuck, she could not handle another confrontation that day.
She couldn't take it. But tomorrow, or maybe the next day, she would face it all. Sirius Black was there and she had to help him. Family above everything, her grandmother said, and she would always agree to that. Family above everything, even the safety of never getting involved in the first place.