22 | The Prisoner of Azkaban
Nothing happened over the next few months. The school had taken serious precautionary measures against the students. Marley Macmillan hated it most when Snape had to accompany them. She knew from her first year that the Potions teacher didn't like her at all and was always looking for different reasons to punish her. Especially after Marley and the Weasley twins, despite not very good conditions, made a prank again. Snape caught and punished them to clear Madame Pomfrey's hospital wing without magic. But even this stupid punishment didn't affect Marley. She was actually happy and liked to do pranks.
No more assaults had taken place by the end of the school year, and it was heard in the final term that Harry Potter had discovered the Chamber of Secrets and defeated the creature living there. For some strange reason, Fred and George Weasley's little sister, Ginny Weasley had also ended up with him, Ron Weasley and Gilderoy Lockhart too, who now had no memory of who he was or what he was doing. And better. Marley never liked him.
Dumbledore had canceled the exams this year, which made everyone very happy and after dinner at the End-of-term Feast, everyone went back to their dormitories. It was time to pack their luggage because the next day they would travel with the Hogwarts Express to Kings Cross Station in London. Marley was so sad that another school year at Hogwarts was over. She wanted to be here with her friends again.
The next day, she traveled with Fred, George, Harry, and Ron all the way back, and they all took advantage of the little time left to do magic. They used the Weasley twins' latest stock of fireworks to have fun and without realising they've already made their way to King's Cross.
Marley met Noen as they got off the train. His mother was waiting for them again, and to some extent the girl was glad they were going home, but she would be sad for school and everything she had created there - friends, memories, had entered the Gryffindor quidditch team. She could hardly be happier than ever. She said a goodbye with the twins, Ron and Harry, then went to Noelle Black and the three of them magi-ported to Aberaeron, Wales.
Half the summer was gone. Fred and George Weasley were sending letters to Marley about their trip to Egypt to visit their brother Bill, who would gladly see Marley someday. She also sent them letters asking them to bring her something from Egypt. She described her boring summer in Wales, but spent much of her time drawing.
And so, one morning in August, Brielle Macmillan was in the kitchen and had the new issue of Daily Prophet. She drank from her coffee, and her daughter Marley was standing on a chair, drawing, Noen Black was having breakfast, and Noelle Black had gone upstairs for a while.
"Uhm, Noelle!" shouted suddenly Brielle Macmillan, her face paler than ever. Her hand was trembling and she almost dropped her cup of coffee. Marley heard the voice of her godmother coming down the stairs and entered the kitchen with confused look on her face.
"What's happening? Oh, is that Daily Prophet?" she asked with a playful smile on her face but in that moment Brielle turned the newspaper to her and Noelle's face faded, her jaw dropped from shock. "This can't be happening. Tell me you're joking."
"No, it's real." retorted Brielle. She looked almost as shocked as her best friend. Marley questioningly raised her head from her sketchbook and furrowed her brows, wondering what was going on. It seemed the two moms were looking at the first page of the newspaper. "I still can't believe it, Elle. How he even managed to escape it?"
"It's impossible." Noelle Black shook her head unbelievable. "I swear that if they're messing with me, I'm gonna go and hex them, then I'm gonna kill them and threw them in the Thames."
"Who escaped what?" Noen Black stopped eating his toast and looked at his mother with curious gray eyes. Marley also wanted to ask what was happening, but Noen was faster than her. Brielle and Noelle just both shared concerned looks, then Marley's godmother let out a deep sigh.
"Your father escaped Azkaban." she said. Marley didn't know how to accept the news. Twelve years ago, Noen's father, Sirius Black, was imprisoned in Azkaban. This prison was possibly the most horrible place that could exist. It was guarded by dementors, and as Marley had heard, they were not at all wonderful and sweet.
Noen's face was impenetrable and pale, his grey eyes staring at the newspaper. Noelle and Brielle were also silent, not knowing how to react. Still, she had learned that her husband had just left the most horrific prison in the country - Azkaban. Yet Noen was able to find the words to speak.
"You mean, dad? Dad left..." Noen trailed off and he simpy grabbed the newspaper, staring at the moving picture of his father. Marley stood up from her chair and approached Noen. In the picture, Sirius looked very weak and hollow. There was a beard on his face, his hair was matted and almost reached his shoulders, his clothes were tattered and torn. Marley could see how weak he was. He looked gaunt."But how is it possible?"
They both had never seen Sirius live, only in pictures their mothers had shown them, but still Marley had different thoughts of Noen's father as an adult. Still, the girl couldn't blame him for his appearance. For those twelve years he had been in Azkaban, not on some tropical island.
"We don't know too." Brielle sighed sadly and drank from her coffee as it could save her from her problems.
"Why is it written that dad is dangerous? He's not dangerous, is he?" Noen was glaring at the newspaper and looked like he would cut it with his bare hands. His pale face was getting red with anger.
"Your father has always been a unique person, Noen. But he didn't always do good things. And a long time ago he did something, something very nasty." said Noelle Black, her voice was full of homesickness and she sounded like she was on the edge of bursting into tears.
"I still don't believe he could do that." Brielle tried to comfort her best friend, placing her hand on her shoulder. "Sirius may have done bad things but he would never kill without a reason."
"Bri, no one can confirm that." tears were streaming down Noelle's face, and Marley couldn't figure out what they were talking about. She knew Sirius had done something wrong to send him to Azkaban, but why were the two women talking about murders? Did Noen's father kill muggles? "I should meet him if I want answers. But it's too dangerous. I don't want to believe if my Sirius could have done something like that. He was in Azkaban for so long, Bri, what if--"
"He didn't lose his mind, Elle." Brielle stood up from her chair and pulled Noelle in a tight hug. Marley fully understood her godmother's behaviour. Still, Sirius was her husband, and she loved him, despite everything he did. She knew him better than anyone else. The fourteen-year-old girl wanted to soothe her and give her courage, but both mothers seemed to have forgotten that their children were here too. "He loves you and he may hurt anyone else, but not the woman he loves more than anyone else."
"He wouldn't hurt you too, Bri." replied Noelle and sniffled with her nose, then Brielle handed her a box of tissues and Noelle took one white and clean. She blew her nose and wiped the tears from her eyes. Marley had never seen her godmother cry. But she knew what horrors she had gone through. She knew that she and her mother lived during the First wizarding war, that Noelle's brother, who was dead, was Marley's father, and her husband had gone to Azkaban and was now back from nowhere. "He loves you, too. Remember how many times you helped him."
"Mum?" Marley heard the hoarse voice of Noen, calling his mother. Noelle Black finally glared at her son with red from tears face. The boy clutched the newspaper so hard that his knuckles turned white. "What did dad do?"
"I'll tell you soon, honey." his mother almost whispered. "This story is for another time."
***
It's been about two weeks since Sirius Black escaped Azkaban. It was time for Marley and Noen to go to Diagon Alley and buy the things they would need for the new school year. Noelle Black was supposed to be with them, but she hadn't been able to shop all day. She promised to magi-port them to Diagon Alley, forcing them to retrieve their luggage, because they would spend the night in the Leaky Cauldron. The Weasley family will also go there today, so they wouldn't be alone and would be safe.
The two had just arrived at the old building and were silently saying goodbye to Noelle. She was extremely sad and dropped out during those two weeks and didn't look happy. Marley wouldn't want to know how she would feel if her husband was sent to Azkaban one day and then escapes after ten or eleven years.
The Leaky Cauldron was quite full, but there were still enough rooms available. The two of them kept two side-by-side on the third floor and got on their luggage. The Weasley family had to be here soon, and Marley hoped they would come, otherwise if Noelle and Brielle found out they were alone while Sirius Black was out, they would get anxious. Even though her mother was sure Sirius was innocent, Noelle always said that although her best friend had known him for a long time, there were things Brielle didn't suspect he was capable of. What was that supposed to mean? Noelle Black didn't believe her husband was a good person anymore?
After Marley left her luggage for Hogwarts in her room, she and Noen went downstairs because they were hungry and then planned to go shopping. But to hеr great surprise, Marley saw Harry Potter.
"Оh, Harry!" she exclaimed happily and approached the boy with round glasses and messy black hair. He smiled toward her and greeted Noen. "I didn't know you were here too. What brings you here?"
Harry quickly told them the strange and amusing incident with his aunt and uncle, as well as his 'aunt' Marge, how he had blown her like a balloon, then fled with his luggage, the Knight Bus found him, and then the boy found himself on Diagon Alley. Marley was genuinely laughing at Harry's story, especially the part about blowing up this Aunt Marge. Noen for the most part seemed concerned.
"Hey, did you hurt Sirius Black escaped Azkaban?" suddenly asked Harry the two. Marley simply nodded with her head, while Noen did nothing. The Black boy, however, was pale and looking too carried away. He just told Marley that he was going to his room and would be there in a minute. The girl began to ask him if everything was okay, but he was already climbing the creaking wooden stairs. "Did I offend him?"
"No, don't worry." Marley waved slackly with her hand. "You know, Sirius is his father and he is quite concerned about his getaway." For a moment through Harry's face ran confusion but then his eyes sparkled as he remembered Noen's surname was Black and he nodded.
Just at that moment, the door of the Leaky Cauldron opened and the Weasley family burst into the pub with thunder and bang.