Twin of a Dog. | Helene Black stalked through the forbidden forest. She crept through the dark forest. She skipped across the Hogwarts grounds. She really didn't give a damn how she traveled. Huddling close to the fire she has cast, she shivered. Well here she was, visiting her godson Harry, the week before his first Christmas at Hogwarts. Bloody stupid thing to do really. She could have frozen to death in any one of the dangerous places she had been, except for one thing. Helene was a witch, and a powerful one at that. Unicorns, Hippogriffs, even Dragons tended to respect her. Whether it was because of the sparkle in her eye, or the softness of her touch, magical beasts trusted her. Of course, it could be that if they didn't obey her she'd blast them. Caring not for the long walk up to the castle she got out her broom. A firebolt, not bad. Money? Helene didn't care about money, although she had lots of it. Helene cared about one thing. Fun, (and her godson) and if there was one thing Helene hated it was the conventional ways of riding a broomstick. Hovering just above the ground, Helene got on her broom. Sitting sideways on it, with one hand out front to balance and one hand out back, Helene flew. The ground shrank away below her but she did not fly fast, preferring to trundle along slowly and to enjoy the view. Helene Black, Harry's godmother, thought about Sirius. How long had it been since she last saw him? Ten years? Eleven? She loved Sirius, she loved him dearly, but now he was imprisoned. Helene shuddered. That horrible horrible place guarded by monsters, the things of nightmares. She still woke up in cold sweats, having nightmares about her one visit there. Azkabaan. Sirius was in Azkabaan. Her only brother trapped by creatures who would suck the soul from a person on a whim. A silent tear slid down her pale cheek and dropped onto her sky-blue robe. Her twin brother, Sirius Black; In prison for a crime he did not commit, and a murder which did not exist. But she said not a word of this to anyone, under oath of secrecy. These were the things that must be, and though her very existence disrupted said things, she was not about to loose the secrets she kept inside her. Events must play out, conflicts will sort themselves. One change could bring the world crashing down around her ankles, She knew THAT. It was one of the few lessons her old friend Professor Trelawney did not teach about divination (or practice for that matter), that the future should be kept to one's self at all costs. Helene smiled, Professor Trelawney was an old acquaintance who had made her laugh on many occasions. (usually because of her poor divination skills) Helene wondered who else of her past she might see at Hogwarts, those that had sought refuge in the school and then stayed as teachers. She knew she would not see James, or her dear friend Lily again, nor Sirius. But what of the others? She did not want to see that double-crossing rat she had pitied in her days. No, there weren't many left from her schooling days. Helene's eyes dropped to the ground, now speeding past underneath her. She did not realize it while she was thinking but she had sped up the broom. The castle was nearing now, with the lake behind her, the lawns underneath her and Hogwarts ahead of her, Helene slowed. Pointing the broom downwards she lowered herself out of the sky, disembarking with a catlike leap and a light thump. Packing her broom back into her bag, Helene wandered close to the castle. Now her feet were tapping across stone cobbles as she wandered closer to the Gryffindor entrance. "Password?" Came a voice as she approached the painting. Helene nearly jumped, deciding she had been in the muggle world far far too long. "Password, Deary?" The fat lady in the painting repeated. "Awe hun, you know I don't have the password." Helene replied. "Lenie? Is that you?" The fat lady gasped. "Oh darling you simply have been gone too long. Sir Cadogan is pining." "And pining he shall stay." Helene scoffed. "It is me." "Hoo, well I can't let you in deary, if you don't have the password." "And I don't have the password." "And you're not a Gryffindor" "Aren't I?" "Oh, Deary." The fat lady chuckled. "I remember the days when you used to use this entrance more than most Gryffindors... The first Gryffindor ever to be a Slytherin we used to say." "Yeah, Those were the days." Murmured Helene, looking wistfully at the Hogwarts around her. "Oh to be young again, careless and free creating havoc with the marauders." "Oh yes", Chortled the fat lady. "Why remember the time when..." "I drew a moustache on your painting when you were away?" Helene cut her off. "I can tell by the expression on your face." "Ho ho, Those were the days." Said the fat lady. "Oh, I think I could let you in. For old times sake." At that the painting swung away to reveal a hall, and at the end of that the Gryffindor common room. "Just one though deary!" The fat lady's voice faded away as she swung back to close the house with Helene inside. Inside sat Harry and a small boy playing wizards chess, a girl reading a surprisingly thick book and a pudgy boy with a toad. At the sound of her footsteps the boy with the toad looked up and gasped. Obviously they did not get many visitors in the Gryffindor rooms. The gasp caused the girl reading to ask without glancing from her book, "What is it THIS time Neville?" The boy who was Neville reached over and nudged Harry. "Harry", He said. "You should probably look up. Its that girl you have a muggle photo of." "Girl?" Helene asked. "Girl? Why, What a compliment young boy. I am Harry's godmother." At the sound of Helene's voice, Harry looked up and away from the chess game he was so deeply engrossed in. "Aunt Lene?" He asked, peering through his glasses. "None other." replied Helene. Harry jumped from his chair and caught Helene in a bear hug. "Hey watch it kiddo", Helene joked. "I may need those ribs later." Harry looked up at her. "I'm sorry." He said,"It's just that, well... you rescued me from the Dursley's last year and I finally had a family and that was great and Hogwarts is great but... ", Harry paused for breath, "I missed you!" Helene smiled and picked Harry up. "How could I just leave you there with those... those muggles?" Helene said. "No way tyke, You're my own godson and not on my watch are you going to be mistreated." Harry struggled to be put down so Helene dropped him. As he got to his feet Harry swept an arm around the room. "Aunt Lene, these are my friends," He gestured to the girl with the book, who was a frizzy haired 11 year old with large teeth, "This is Hermione" "Hello Hermione." Helene said, bending over to shake her hand. "And this is Ron" Harry walked over to the small red-head he was playing chess with. "Nice to meet you, Ron Weasly." Helene said, recognizing the freckles. "And this is... Neville" Harry waved in the general direction of the boy with the toad. "Hey Neville" Said Helene. "The rest are attending a feast in the great hall" Said Harry. "Why aren't you?" Asked Helene. "We... we... " Stuttered Harry. "Y'see, the thing is... We're hiding from out potions teacher." "He seems to think, for some strange reason," Piped up Hermione, "That we were responsible for the explosion we caused in his class yesterday." "So we're lying low until it's safe to leave the common room without getting a detention or points deducted from Gryffindor." Added Neville. "But what about the feast?" Helene asked, "Surely any punishment is better than missing the feast." "You don't know our potions teacher, miss." Replied Ron. "But Ron's brothers have agreed to bring us some food from the kitchens later." Said Harry. "They're good at that." "I don't know if this is appropriate, Harry." Said Helene. "Tomorrow morning, could you take me to meet this potions teacher of yours? I would like to have a word with him regarding the positive and negative effects of intimidating his pupils, one of the negative effects being having to answer to me." "Um... I don't know if that will help... but... Ok." Replied Harry. "Good." Helene replied. "And is there a spare bed anywhere? I'm quite stuffed from my journey." "Just up in the girl's dormitory, there is a spare bed." Said Hermione. "Do you need me to show you?" "No thanks girly," Helene replied. "I may have not been Gryffindor but I know it like the back of my hand." "Night all" Said Helene as she left the room. Helene's feet made little sound as she climbed the stairs to the girl's rooms. New thoughts jostled for priority in her mind. She was worried that her godson may not be happy at Hogwarts and she was worried about that potions teacher. She was also extremely tired so she fell onto the spare bed as soon as she found it and fell fast asleep. In the morning, Helene woke up to girls hurrying to get ready for breakfast. They were squealing and shoving each other and it reminded Helene of her Hogwarts days so much she wanted to scream. Instead, the noise gave her a splitting headache and she decided that, after she was finished with rolling over and lying with her head under the pillow, she would visit the infirmary to see one of her other old friends, Madame Pomfrey, or Poppy as she was known by friends. While she was there, no doubt she would get a headache cure. At this thought, Helene moaned and rolled over and went back to sleep, with her head firmly held underneath the pillow. Waking up for the second time in the day, Helene stumbled out of bed and got a change of clothes from her bag. She decided on emerald robes for that day. Pulling on her robes Helene noticed a note on the table beside her bed. It said, "Meet us after classes outside the fat lady. We'll take you to meet the potions teacher. ~Harry, Hermione & Ron." Helene thought that was a good idea, but it meant she had a day to pass at Hogwarts. Then she remembered he brief waking time that morning, and her headache came crashing down on her. Wincing as she brushed her hair, Helene decided she simply MUST go visit Poppy, after a short chat with the fat lady of course. Clipping her hair back, sending a jet of water from her wand to here face to fully wake her up, and slipping her green satin shoes studded with flecks of blue topaz, Helene exited the Gryffindor building. "Hoo, Deary, come for a chat, have we?" Asked the fat lady as she swung back to close the entrance. "Yes, actually I was planning on having a little talk." Answered Helene. "So then darling, what did you want to discuss?" Said the fat lady. "Well", Said Helene, staring at the ground and tracing the stone with the tip of her shoe, "You mentioned Sir Cadogan yesterday..." "Indeed I did Lenie." Replied the fat Lady. "What of him?" "You... you said he was still pining for me..." Replied Helene. "And oh-my-goodness he is." Said the fat lady, her forehead wrinkling in confusion. "Why do you ask deary? You don't like him do you?" "No, that's not it. I just thought he would be over that silly little thing by now." Said Helene. "I mean, I did send him that portrait of the pretty Scottish princess." "Hmmm... Yes, that's a tough one." Murmured the fat lady. "I do believe he sent her away crying and further convinced himself this was a test, that you were testing him, and that you were madly in love with him." "Oh..." Helene's face fell. "He hurts the princess's feelings? She was such a nice girl and I only sent her because he was getting so pathetic.." "Oh, Love is hard to break." Said the fat lady. "Especially the love of a mad knight." "Well... If you see him, can you tell him I'm back and I have positively no interest in him whatsoever and apologies to the poor princess?" Helene asked. "Why, Most certainly dearest." The fat lady replied. "Now get yourself off the the infirmary, you look quite a treat." "Yes mam." Helene replied as she walked away. "And don't be cheeky with me Lenie, I practically raised you!" The fat lady called, her voice gradually fading away as Helene walked further. Helene looked around her. Hogwarts hadn't changed a bit. "Why," She said to herself, "I'll be Peeves is still here." Just as she finished her sentence, a figure floated into view around the corner. A figure that was steadily dropping eggs on the statues below, with much concentration. "Speak of the devil!" Helene called out to Peeves. "If it isn't my favorite poltergeist." Peeves swooped down low and dropped eggs on a harmless suit of armor out for it's morning stroll. "Hee hee Lenie!" He cried while bombarding a stone bust on a pedestal, "Come closer and join the fun, I have some eggs for you too." "Stop fooling around Peeves, and come down and say hi to your old friend." Helene said. At those words Peeves dropped the last of his eggs and swooped down to hover in front of Helene. "Peeves is your friend?" He queried. "Well you were until you dropped those eggs on me." Helene said, shaking off eggshell. "Whoopsie" Said Peeves as Helene did a quick cleaning spell. "No bother." Helene replied. "So how is... life?" "Oh, the usual, pelting students with stuff, disrespecting teachers... It's not the same without you." Said Peeves. "That's nice Peeves..." Said Helene. "I'm really touched." "We made a great team." Said Peeves. "You led the students to me, I pelted them with stuff." "Tell you what Peeves," Helene said. "Maybe soon I'll help you annoy people again, for old time's sake." "Whhhhyyyyyyy noooooooottttttttt...." Shrieked Peeves as he rocketed off behind Helene and she continued on her walk to see Poppy. Helene, free of eggshell, climbed the stairs leading to the infirmary. At the top she was nearly knocked over by two young red-headed boys running away from Poppy. Poppy appeared at the door shaking her fish and shaking with laughter at the same time. Red faced, she brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes and as she did so, she stopped and peered at the figure walking towards her. Taking her spectacles from her apron pocket, she cleaned them on a corner of her robes and put them on. "My eyes must be failing..." Said Poppy. "Because for a moment there I thought you were Helene Black." "Well then your eyes really are failing Poppy," Said Helene. "Because it is Helene." "Oh Lenie," Poppy jumped forward and gave Helene a choking hug. "The castle has not seen another like you in all these years." "Hmmm..." Helene said. "Do you have any headache cures?" "Oh certainly, certainly." Poppy said, as she pushed Helene into the infirmary. "My my, Helene Black. A Gryffindor in Slytherin, we always used to say. Knew you'd turn out alright." Poppy handed Helene a small purple pill and a glass of water. "Swallow this," She said. "You'll be better in no time." Helene swallowed the pill and drank the water, even though she had perfected the skill of swallowing pills without water. Immediately she felt better, much better. In fact, her headache was gone completely. Poppy and Helene entered a small room just off the infirmary and Poppy showed Helene to a small table with two seats and a tea set. "Have some tea and biscuits, dear," Poppy said. "While we talk about how things are going." Helene sat down at the table and Poppy poured them tea and sat down too. "So..." Poppy said. "How is little Harry?" "Pops dear, that's and obsolete question. He's at Hogwarts now and you really do need to learn to disguise your conversation starters better." said Helene. "Oops, So, anything new?" Asked Poppy. "Well... No actually. Sir Cadogan is still in love with me, Peeves still worships the ground I walk on and the fat lady still loves me like a daughter." Helene replied. "I've never known a place to change so little." "Hmmm... I think I can explain that one." Said Poppy. "Ghosts and paintings don't change..." "Well... there's that too..." Said Helene. "I'm just going to stay here for Christmas... hang around a while... meet Harry's teachers..." "You're enjoying being a guardian aren't you?" Poppy asked, with a gleam in her eye. "Oh-my-god YES!" Said Helene. Poppy raised her eyebrow. "Not turning all motherly on us are we?" "Yeah right, Somehow, I doubt it. More... Big sister like." Helene scoffed at the idea of her being motherly. "In other words, you like the power." Poppy said. "Eh heh heh heh heh." Helene gave a shrill evil laugh. "Yeees, I likes zee power. Today Harry Potter, tomorrow zee world." "Ok, not that either." Poppy said. "What then?" Helene sipped her tea and made a face. "I really don't know. I just remembered, I don't like tea." "Humph, Fine then. Don't like my tea." Poppy pouted. "Hey, hey... I like the tea... I just don't like tea. If I did like tea I would most definitely like this tea best though. Even though I don't like tea, It's good tea." Helene rushed to get Poppy to stop fake-sulking. "Thanks." Poppy took a sip of her tea. "Its good tea." "Yeah.." Helene sighed. "Something's... different about you Helene, You seem, I dunno, Sadder?" Poppy leant down, her face level with Helene's, who was now hunched low, staring at her tea leaves. "Yeah, I guess." Said Helene. "Come on, Tell Madame Pomfrey what's the matter..." Said Poppy. "Well, Its just... I've been through alot, and seen alot of pain and...." Started Helene, raising her eyes to look at Poppy. "Yes, Go on." Encouraged Poppy. "Being back at Hogwarts, Its brought back so many memories. Like, I wish I could go back or something." Continued Helene. "And the thing is, you know? I've wasted over a decade running." "Running from what?" Asked Poppy. "Well, First there was running from Voldemort." Said Helene. "Please... Say you-know-who" Poppy shuddered. "Right, running from you-know-who. And then running from the Ministry of Magic." Helene lowered her eyes to her teacup again. "Whatever for?" Asked Poppy. "They thought I was a death-eater." Helene said through grated teeth, a tear coursing down her cheek. "They... you...?" Poppy's mouth dropped at this news. "You of all people?" "Yeah," Helene's mouth grinned but her eyes didn't follow. "It checked out didn't it? I was in Slytherin at Hogwarts, I knew people that went on to become death eaters, I maintained contact with them then, I knew people that died... My own goddamn brother... was...is in Azkabaan." Helene broke down crying. "Ohhhh, Hun..." Poppy moved her chair, with a resounding squeal from the chair, so she could put her arm around Helene and comfort her . "But they must have known you were innocent, in the end?" "Yes, In the end." Helene put her cup down and turned to face Poppy. "But not before..." "Before what? Continue... please." Said Poppy. "Before a month spent with my brother." Helene wiped the tears from her eyes. "In that... that... hell hole." "So... what happened next?" Asked Poppy. "I was found innocent, they apologized fully an I was released to rebuild what was left of my life." Said Helene, half-smiling at the somewhat happy ending. "Darling Dumbledore allowed me to contact Harry, and I ended up 'rescuing' him from the Dursley's." "So there's a happy ending?" Asked Poppy. "I don't know yet..." Said Helene. "All I know is I've lost fifteen years of my life and I have to rebuild my life, brick by brick. Look at me Poppy. I am 36 years old and I'm not getting younger." "You're still as beautiful as you were a day out of Hogwarts, and don't you feel better for talking about it?" Asked Poppy. "Yes," Helene sniffed, and smiled genuinely, looking alot brighter. "I do feel alot better. Thank you Poppy." "Always welcome Lenie." Said Poppy. "Oh," Said Helene. "Look at the time, I have to go and meet with Harry." "Have a nice day." Called Poppy, as Helene walked away. "You too," Called Helene as she looked back. "A marvelous day..." Helene hurried her pace, since the sundial outside the infirmary indicated that classes were nearly over. Hurry hurry hurry she thought to herself. She did know why she liked being Harry's guardian. She felt she had a purpose. To look after Harry and if she didn't hurry she would be late for that. Jogging now, Helene nearly slipped on some egg, the aftermath of Peeves's mischief. Laughing to herself she slowed down and walked, taking in the view. Harry will wait. "and your homework for today..." Professor Severus Snape addressed his class. "I want you to research one poison and write an essay about how it is made, and it's effects. Your essay has to be five rolls of parchment long and no less or I may have to test your poison on you." The class shuffled and wrote down their homework on spare pieces of parchment. Snape turned to his desk and eyed the pile of marking that he would have to do that afternoon. As he walked to his seat and sat down he made one more statement to the class. "Class dismissed..." The whole class simultaneously arose from their seats and gathered their books. "Oh, and one more thing... Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione stay after. I want a word with you." Harry, Ron, Neville and Hermione froze as the rest of the class exited the dungeon. He couldn't possibly have enough evidence... could he? Dropping their books on their desks, they filed to the front of the class room and stood before their teacher. "You... you wanted us, sir?" Stuttered Ron and Hermione took a step in front of Neville. "Yes, as a matter of fact I did..." Snape drawled. "I think you know what happened in our potions class two days before..." "No sir." Said Harry. "What happened sir?" "We had a minor explosion at the front of the classroom. Some of my finest students... Malfoy... Crabbe... Goyle... were injured." Said Snape, and Ron stifled a laugh. "Oh yes, I recall that incident... The purple warts and everything.. but... what has this to do with us, sir?" Asked Hermione. "Well it has come to my attention that you four are not quite popular with those students... Some may say you had a motive..." Said Snape. "A motive?" Said Harry. "Yes, A motive." Said Snape. "Their dried shark scales had been switched for... toenail clippings?" "And you think the people who did this was us?" Ron looked aghast. "I have enough reason to think so..." Said Snape. "I assure you... We did not do this." Said Hermione. "You needn't lie Miss Granger, I have enough truth serum left over from last time to find out who did it." Said Snape, with a menace in his voice. "S...sorry... Ppp... Professor..." Stuttered Neville. "W.. we... we meant n...n...no harm..." "Well then it's alright isn't it..." Said Snape. "It doesn't matter that Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had to spend the rest of their day with Madam Pomfrey, does it? Because you didn't mean any harm." "Sir..." Started Harry. "What?" Snapped Snape. "I have no need for that serum after all. You will see me here, tomorrow before classes. I have some work for you." "But.." Said Hermione. "And twenty points each from Gryffindor." Said Snape. "That is all... Now get out of my sight before I decide on a much harsher punishment." The four dejected student hurried from the class, picking up their books on the way out, and Snape leaned back in his chair. A little relief from his marking but now... to get to work. Harry, Ron and Hermione turned on Neville as soon as they were out of the class. "You know what your problem is?" Said Harry. "No guts and no brains." Ron agreed, "Look Neville, he couldn't have used that truth serum on us. It's against school policy, and without evidence he couldn't have done anything." "That's 80 points from Gryffindor Neville..." Hermione sighed. "We aren't getting any more popular." "And detention tomorrow..." Harry hurried his pace. "No... no you don't understand." Neville hurried to explain. "Helene's coming to talk to him for us now... He won't do anything once she's through with him. We just had to get out of there as quick as possible so we could go and get her." Harry stopped. "Neville, I take it all back." He said. "You're a genius!" The halls raced past them as they hurried to the Gryffindor entrance.
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