"I can't believe you can't go, Rebekah," Blaise said. "But blowing up your aunt is almost worth it. Almost."
"Yeah," She smiled sadly as they looked at the common room news board again. "It was worth it alright. I'm not allowed home this Yule or Easter. The look on my uncle's face was so good."
After several moments of rereading the rules, Theodore snapped his finger. "I can't see a way without smuggling you out but Snape would be looking for you."
"Yeah, why does he always look for you?"
"Potions," Rebekah muttered. "I'm the most accomplished Potioneer in our year and the ones above unless you count the Seventh years. I think Snape's hoping that I apprentice under him. I might, I don't know yet."
"Oh, that would be good," Pansy sorted, nudging Blaise in the ribs as she gestured to Rebekah. "You can hardly follow Hogwarts' uniform policy, I doubt you could follow an Apprentice's one. They're much more strict."
"Just because I prefer to wear tight black instead of loose grey, doesn't mean I can't follow the rules," Rebekah pursed her lips in a pout before laughing. "I just prefer to bend them when possible. And you can't say that shade of grey is attractive. Like come on, it's the ugliest grey I have ever seen."
The group laughed with her, turning slightly pink in the face. Rebekah suggested that they bring her back anything white or milk chocolate, maybe with nuts, and anything salted caramel or toffee.
Rebekah went to wander around the castle since she couldn't go to Hogsmeade, she had already spent five hours revising and so she had the rest of the day free. She became restless in the
"Whatcha doing, sir?" Rebekah asked Lupin when he popped his head out of his classroom.
"I've just taken delivery of a Grindylow for our next lesson," He said and smiled faintly. "Shouldn't you be at Hogsmeade?"
Rebekah snorted. "Didn't have time between blowing up my uncle's sister up, running and spending the rest of the summer at the Leaky Caldron to get the slip signed."
"Ah," He didn't look surprised but simply amused. "Why don't you come in?"
"Sure," Rebekah walked in and saw the Grindylow in the corner. It shoved its face into the glass and made a face, Rebekah pulled an equally amusing face and the creature swam back and buried itself in the corner.
"Cup of tea?" Lupin looked around the room for the kettle. "I was just thinking of making one."
"Hmm, yes, please," Rebekah said.
"Sit down," Lupin pulled the lid off of a small container after the kettle began to whistle. "I've only got teabags, I'm afraid. But I daresay you've had enough tea leaves?"
Rebekah smiled and laughed. "Did McGonagall tell you?"
"Yes," He smiled as he poured the tea and handed a steaming cup to her, then he took a seat across from her. "So when did you become an Animagus?"
"Early June, a couple of weeks before school finished," Rebekah took a sip from her cup and shrugged. "It was the strangest feeling ever, shifting that is."
"Did you do it alone?"
"No, I told McGonagall of the desire. It would help me connect with my father more," Rebekah trailed a nail softly against her lip in thought. "Madam Pomfrey knows as well as Dumbledore and speaks of the Devil and he comes, Snape. Hi, sir."
Snape came in with a sneer but it dropped to a neutral expression as he saw Rebekah sit and talk. She smiled sheepishly and, if she was in her Animagus form, her tail would be swishing suspiciously.
"I hope I'm not interrupting," He said, lifting the golden goblet in his hand. "I made an entire cauldron full, in case it is needed."
"Ah, Severus," Lupin said. "Thanks very much."
"We were just discussing Animagi, I was about to tell Professor Lupin about the run in the forest,"
"Yes, you were high on adrenaline and you twisted your paw within half an hour of the run," Snape gave her an amused look hidden under a pointed one. She flushed in memory of that night, taking a bigger sip from her teacup and smiling.
"Not my fault. I started chasing a rabbit and I couldn't help myself. I didn't attack it but I did chase it around for a while," Rebekah smiled at teh memory. "Then... I tripped over a root when I did a sharp turn and went face-first into a tree trunk."
Lupin burst out with a howl of a laugh that made Rebekah go pink in the face. Snape's lips curled into a slight smile and tried not to laugh too.
"Severus, do you want a cup of tea?" Lupin suggested carefully. Rebekah completely knew of their history together, though it was much better than between Snape and her father. She was surprised when Snape nodded stiffly and sat down on a conjured chair. "I was quite surprised when your Boggart appeared, I thought it would have turned to him."
"Well," Rebekah cleared her throat. "I was never scared of him, only what he could do. Defeating him twice, though not completely, has diminished the fear I have of him. He's scary, sure, but he isn't what I'm scared of. I fear the day I die as everyone else does. I fear Fear itself, just as it should be."
The three spent an hour talking about the Dark Arts, this side and that. Snape gave her a suspicious look but overall he was proud that she had an interest in that side of Magic.
She might survive the years to come if she continued on this path of hers.
Fidele slithered into the classroom and Rebekah turned to him as he spoke. "The group is back in the dungeons, they are looking for you now."
"Yeah?" Rebekah stood up from her chair as the teachers watched her pick up Fidele when he came closer. "Thank you for the tea, sir, and the conversation. My friends are back and are looking for me, so it seems best that I go find them before they begin to worry."
"Alright," Lupin said and made a slight face at Snape.
The latter stood up and fixed his robes, before saying, "I best get back to my lab, I still need to vial the remaining potions."
The group pulled out several bars of chocolate of both ranges, and several types of hard sweets. They gorged themselves when they came to Pansy's room, having the piano play as they ate the sweets and talked.
"Uh, I'm full," Theodore said, slumping back against the upholstery.
"Already?" Rebekah said and reached for a glass of cold water. "I had like two helping at lunch and then several snacks. I'm nowhere near finishing."
"Not all of us can stuff our faces and keep fit,"
"Fearing for your life does that,"
The Halloween Feast was magnificent as everyone ate their food greedily. Even if her group was stuffed with sweets, they were able to finish two helpings and a dessert before they made their way to the dorms to get changed.
Rebekah had hardly got dressed for the Samhain traditions when the knocking began at the door. She threw her robes on. "Potter! Potter, come on, you better be in there! ALOHOMORA!"
The door flung open but the older girl couldn't get in, the wards prevented her entry. She struggled for a moment before Rebekah raised her hand and the wards fell for the moment. The girl stumbled in but gained her footing, pulling her black hair away from her face.
"What's wrong?" Rebekah stepped forward, her left hand ready to summon her wand if needed. "What happened?"
"Dumbledore has sent for the whole school to be in the Great Hall," The older girl said, huffing. "Snape sent me to escort you."
"I don't need an escort,"
"There's a rumour that Sirius Black is in the castle,"
Rebekah sighed and took a second to think.
"Fidele, find the Grim Animagus and keep him safe and away from the staff," Rebekah hissed to the snake, he disappeared through the glass window and into the Black Lake. "Emperor, help Fidele. Has everyone else been informed?"
"Not yet, I've been sent to just get you,"
Rebekah paused, making a quick plan in her head as she let out a short breath.
"Use the Amplifying charm to tell everyone. I'm not leaving without my friends," Rebekah said, storming over to the other girl's doors. "Get out, Pansy. There's an emergency."
"What?"
"Sirius Black is in Hogwarts," Rebekah said as she walked away. "Get everyone while I get the younger years."
"Sure, I'll get the boys to escort them down when you're done," Pansy said and rushed over to Daphne's door, then Davis' and Bulstrode's.
"What do you mean get the younger years?" The older girl followed behind Rebekah, seriously confused.
"You're a Seventh year and you only came to get me," Rebekah strutted down the stairs to the Second year floor. "They're working their way from the Seventh year down. See the Sixth and Seventh years storming? That means my year hasn't been informed and nor have the younger ones. They need the most protection, not me."
"Black is here because of you, you've put us all in danger!"
"Back off," Rebekah stopped, turning to glare at the older year. "Or I will be the danger, not him!" She paused outside of Shaw's dorm and knocked loudly. "Shaw, get your year to the Great Hall. Don't question me."
"You're very bossy, Potter," The girl rolled her eyes.
"I'm not bossy, I like being in control," Rebekah spat back. "There's a difference."
After getting the First and Second years escorted by her year and the Fourth year, Rebekah allowed herself to be escorted into the Great Hall and straight to Professor Snape and Dumbledore.
"Bailey, I told you to bring her straight away," Snape said, his eyes flickering between the older girl, Bailey, and Rebekah.
"Not her fault, sir," Rebekah said, lifting a hand. "The younger years needed to be informed but they would have been told last and they need the most protection. Bailey followed me as I told my year to get the younger ones."
"Well done, Miss Potter," Dumbledore said, "Go find your friends before they worry."
Rebekah smiled pleasantly and nodded, quickly leaving to find her group. They were in a huddle to one corner of the Great Hall. After Dumbledore summoned several hundred sleeping bags, the group grabbed as many as needed and brought them to the corner, huddling around Rebekah unconsciously.
"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the Castle, I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the hall and I am leaving the Head Boy and Girl in charge. Any disturbance should be reported to me immediately."
"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" Percy yelled at the whole hall, which most of them ignored. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"
Rebekah quickly waved Percy over and the Head Boy lifted his chin proudly. "What happened?"
"Black attacked the Fat Lady, trying to get into the Gryffindor common room," He said and swiftly walked away to shush the loudly talking Ravenclaws.
"D'you think he's still here?"
"Nah, he wouldn't be that stupid," Draco rolled his eyes. "He's a Black."
"What do you think he's after?"
"He's after Rebekah, of course,"
"He wants to finish the job."
"Yeah," Rebekah agreed, fully knowing why he attacked the Gryffindor tower. "He must've thought I'd be put into Gryffindor because my parents were. Bad judgement on his part."
"Yeah, strange that he did it during the Halloween Feast though, like he wanted to ambush you when you're alone."
"Maybe..."