Chapter 8
This time he knew he saw her. His face was plastered to the window of his dorm when he saw a dark figure run into the forest. It wasn't a Dementor and it moved to quickly to be one of the Aurors. The first time he saw her was on the first night that they had been there. He'd been having trouble sleeping and usually would sit by the window to watch what was going on outside the grounds. First he thought it was a cat, maybe even the same one from The Burrow but then it turned to a person running full speed into the forest. It was the same thing he'd seen outside his window and hopefully, the same girl he'd seen in Diagon Alley.
He had seen this same figure running into the forest for several nights and now, he was going to find out for himself what was going on. He slipped out of bed and pulled on his sneakers. He drew back the curtains and listened for the snores of his fellow classmates. Harry almost wanted to wake up Ron to come with, but when he confronted this girl he knew he had to be alone. As quietly as he could he opened his trunk and pulled out his invisibility cloak.
Once checking to make sure his bunkmates were still asleep he pulled on the cloak and quickly stepped the door. He was free. Well as free as he could be at the moment. He flew down the hall, not caring what noise he made. He couldn't be seen and as far as he knew, no one would be able to detect him like Professor Moody had. He stopped at the stairs and took a deep breath waiting for it to change into the position that was easiest. It only took a minute and he was flying down the stairs, nearly taking three stairs at a time. He skidded to a stop when the Aurors came into view. He recognized most of them; they'd all been introduced on the first night. He pressed his back against the wall until the coast was clear. He knew of several doors that would lead outside other than the massive castle door. One of which was on the other side of the castle but the closest to the forest. Quickly and quietly he walked across the way and set off in a run again once there.
After minutes of sneaking and running around though the castle grounds he was outside. The stiff air clung onto his skin. He rolled his eyes at the sudden change of weather. First it was chilly and now it was hot. He caught his breath and made his way into the forest, his ears on guard. He couldn't really see but once he was inside deep enough he would turn on some light to guide him. He glanced out at the trees and tried to figure out which way he had seen her go. It had taken too much time just getting out there. He bit his lip and decided to just go with his gut. He hid behind a tree once "inside" the forest and threw off his cloak, shoving it into his pocket.
"Lumos!" he whispered and light shot out of his wand. Harry looked around a few times trying to see which way he should take. If he were going to hide he would go as deep into the forest as it would allow. As he walked around bushes and avoiding areas he could fall into, he was now in an area he recognized almost too well. It still haunted his dreams at times. The lake shimmered in front of him and he could hear the sounds of him and Hermione fighting to save themselves and Sirius from the Dementors. He knew he should keep moving but he couldn't. His eyes stayed locked on the spot where his God Father had once laid.
"Nox!" he said softly as he made his way to the spot. He knelt down and took a deep breath to keep the grief from spilling out of him. He never had time to properly think or even grieve for Sirius. He closed his eyes and he could hear the conversation he had with Sirius that night. He wanted so much to be able to move in with him and get to know who he was and more about his parents. There was a cold chill in the air but his mind was too deep in memories to notice it. He took in a deep breath and gasped, it was almost unbearably cold now. His eyes flew open and in front of him two Dementors were slowly gliding towards him. At first he thought it was still a memory when one of them started to move faster.
"Oh god," he muttered and tried to move but something was holding him there. He heard a twig snap behind him and his heart lept up into his throat.. Whatever was holding him down let go and he spun to take off running. His leg slipped between two rocks and fell, hearing a sick pop from his ankle. He cried out in pain and tried to free his leg. His other hand went for his pocket and pulled out his wand as one of the Dementors flew right at him.
"Expect…" He tried to shout but something large jumped out in front of him. The Dementors hesitated; almost acting scared of whatever it was in front of him.
"Expecto Patronum!" the person shouted thrusting out their hand towards the Dementors. A silver mist poured out of their palm and it quickly changed into a great cat. It let out a roar as it tore after them, chasing them into the forest. Harry held his breath and tried to not move, not wanting to bring any attention to him. The person in front of him waited, probably to make sure that they were gone for sure. Harry couldn't see anything once they had turned around, the hood of their cape hid too much of their face. After what seemed like hours, they finally pushed back the hood and Harry gasped loudly. It was the same girl he had seen in Diagon Alley…there was no mistaking those eyes.
"Are you alright Harry?" She asked. He stared at her puzzled. She was American. He felt his head nod as she scooped up his wand. She knelt down next to him and handed it to him. He took it from her and gazed up into her face.
"Who are you?" he asked softly. She ignored his question and effortlessly freed his leg from the rocks. Her hand slowly waved over his broken ankle and he could feel it press back into place. He winced at the slight pain but he could move it, like it had never happened.
"You have to get back to the castle before they come back," she whispered looking around. It was his turn to ignore her. He caught her eyes and blinked. Her pupils were slit, almost like a snakes…but he knew that was wrong.
"Harry, come on. You have to get out of here, now!" she ordered pulling him up to his feet. He finally shook his head out of the dazed state and stared hard at her.
"Not until you tell me who you are first," he countered.
"Not now, there are too many things here that might over hear. You are not safe out here, go!" She hissed pushing him gently away from her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him.
"Please…tell me your name…something," He pleaded. She sighed heavily and looked around again before whispering close to his ear.
"Airial. Now go!" Harry didn't need to be told again. He turned on his heel and took off in a run. He glanced over his shoulder only to see that she had disappeared. He swung the cloak over his head and took off towards the castle. His heart thudded in his ears as he ran all the way back up to the common room. It seemed to have only taken him a minute. He collapsed onto the couch and breathed heavily. She was real, she was real he kept saying over and over again inside his head. There was still so much to know about her before he could make any decisions whether or not she was there to protect him. He glanced over at one of the tables, snatching up the piece of paper and quill that had been forgotten by its previous owner.
Who are you? Why have you been following me? You have to tell me, please?
Harry
He read over it several times before folding it and shoving it into his pocket. He only had to wait a bit longer.
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Airial paced around the small cave that she was now called home. Wringing her hands together as she walked in the same circle over and over again. It was an extremely bad idea that Harry was seen in the forest. The Dementors were not the only creatures waiting in the dark. There were others planning something. She just couldn't get close enough to hear them clearly. It had to do with Harry though, that she was sure on. She peeked through a small crack between the entrance and the wall. The sun was out; it didn't make things any safer.
A flutter of wings caught her attention along with the familiar scratch on the stone wall. She pushed the large stone out of the way to see Harry's owl sitting on the low branch she usually sat at.
"Hello Hedwig," she said softly and offered her a piece of sweet bread. The bird nipped at it as it she held up her talon. There was a note attached to it and it was for her. She stared at it in disbelief, taking it with shaky hands. She read it quickly before throwing it in the fire inside the cave. She knew if she didn't answer him right away, he would come looking for her again. She slipped back into the cave and grabbed up a small piece of paper, scratched her answer on it with her quill before handing it back to the owl. She watched as she flew up into the sky, waiting for her to disappear out of her sight before slipping back into the cave.
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Harry couldn't sit still for the entire day. During lessons he'd been staring off into space so much that only a hard poke from either Ron or Hermione would pull him out of his thoughts. By the time lunch came he was so anxious that he was wringing his hands together. Hedwig should have brought the response to him by now. Ron sat across from them talking non-stop about the usual, Quidditch and lessons. Hermione had her nose stuck in a book and was being unusually quiet. He kept glancing over at her and he would catch her blushing slightly.
"I wonder if mum is going to send my dress robes again," Ron mumbled pushing his plate to the side. Harry had to laugh, remembering all to well Ron's lovely mishap their 4th year.
"Probably, or you could let me or Harry help you out as an early birthday present," Hermione piped in her eyes never leaving her book.
"Nah…I'll settle for whatever my mum can find I guess. Besides, Dumbledore said it wasn't going to be as formal as last time," Ron muttered again side glancing at Hermione. Harry could feel his smile disappear as he watched his friends look at each other. Ron was going to ask her and there was nothing Harry could do about it. He had admitted to himself about his feelings for her and made a promise to himself that he would not interfere. He couldn't help but feel that jealousy creeping inside of him, rearing its ugly head. The dance was still far away but everyone seemed to be getting dates in advanced. Well everyone except him…again.
He heard the swish of wings and his jerked up towards the window to see dozens of birds soaring in. Harry nervously searched for his own; finally he saw her glide in. She swooped around a few times, teasing him almost before landing on his shoulder. She dropped a piece of paper into his hand and took off again.
"Oy! Ruddy bird!" Ron screeched trying to bat Pigwidgon away from his head. Harry's hand shook as he opened the note, making sure neither of his friends was looking he quickly read it.
Go to the Hut outside the forest. Follow the cat.
Harry bit his lip and shoved the note into his pocket. He gathered up his stuff and said a quick good bye to Ron and Hermione. He ran up to the Gryffindor common room and then to his own. He dropped his stuff onto his bed and hastily pulled his invisibility cloak out of the trunk. He glanced out the window and tried to see if there really was a cat out there. He took in a deep breath as he took off again, only stopping to put the cloak over himself.
Harry got about half way to the hut when he stopped so fast he nearly fell on his face. Ron and Hermione were walking close together and talking quietly. Harry almost revealed himself to attack his best friend when he heard a small meow. His head snapped towards the hut and covered his mouth to keep from laughing. It was the same cat that he'd spent days with at the Burrow. It looked up near his direction and began to walk into the forest behind the hut. Harry gave a fleeting look back at his friends and took a deep breath before following the cat. He knew this cat was related to the girl somehow, he just couldn't figure out how. Harry kept his cloak on firmly as he tried to keep up. He blinked and the cat was suddenly gone. There were no sounds except for an occasional cricket or chirp from a bird. After a few moments he pulled off the cloak and shoved it in his pocket.
"Hello?" He called out, wincing when his voice echoed.
"Hello Harry," He jumped as Airial came out from behind a tree. She had on her cloak that nearly hid her entirely. Harry stared at her, not knowing what to do or say. She smiled a little at him and took a step closer.
"It's ok…I'm not going to hurt you," she said softly.
"Who are you?" he asked taking a cautious step away from her.
"We can't talk here, those things are still roaming around," she said and started running further into the woods. It took Harry a moment to realize that she was no longer in front of him. He snapped out of it and chased after. He almost lost her a few times but she always came back into his view. She stopped suddenly and grabbed his arm, pulling him through a thick wall of hanging vines.
"What?"
"Centaurs," she whispered pointing towards the hill across from them. Harry opened his mouth to say he couldn't see them when a group of them came around it. Harry closed his mouth and tried to not move as they stalked past them. Airial grabbed his arm and gently pulled him through the vines again. She held a finger to her mouth and led him past the lake, to a part of the forest he had never been too before.
She stopped finally and looked around before waving her hand in front of a large rock. Harry jumped slightly when it moved to the side. She gestured for him to go in first, her eyes still scanning the trees. Harry swallowed and slipped through the passage. It was too dark for him to see, he tried to move but ended up falling on his butt. Airial finally stepped inside and closed up the opening.
"Incendio!" he heard her say and an inch away from his leg a fire erupted. Harry yelped and scrambled away from it before his leg caught on fire. He glanced around realizing that this was where she was living. He wondered where she had come from, what all did she leave behind.
Airial pulled off her cloak and draped it on top of her bed made of leaves, sighing a little that caught Harry's attention. As she moved about Harry was able to look at her closely. She was most likely the same height as he was and her hair seemed to be the same color. It was much neater than his own; falling to her waist in smooth waves. Everything about her was so different from anyone he'd known. Her eyes especially which he noticed were still slit, it was not his imagination. As he watched her move about the cave, the thought came to him again and he forced it out, it was impossible.
"Um…where'd…where did the cat go?" Harry asked looking around. She knelt down across the fire from him and smiled; Harry's heart stopped with a dead halt. Like the rest of her, her teeth weren't normal. Her canines were longer than they normally should have been, almost like a cat's would be. Harry jumped up to his feet and suddenly she was in front of him.
"Wait…you have to let me explain," she said quickly holding her hands out to grab his arms.
"You're an animangus aren't you?!" His stomach flipped, he knew if he didn't get air soon he was going to be sick.
"In a way yes. I was what you saw outside your house that night…"
"And the cat that I talked too to at my friends?" He asked his voice shaking. She opened her mouth to speak but nodded instead. Harry let out a cry and grabbed her roughly by the arms, shoving her against the wall. His entire body was shaking so violently his breath was coming out ragged.
"You're a spy aren't you!" He screamed in her face, pushing her harder into the dirt wall.
"No! Harry…" she cried out gasping a bit as some dirt rained down on them. They stared each other in the eyes for what seemed like forever before he pushed away from her, letting her fall to the ground. He turned away from her and pulled on his hair. He'd come out there willingly and now, she was going to kill him. She'd changed herself somehow to play with his mind, to think she was somehow related to him.
"I'm not what you think I am," she said slowly. He turned to look at her and felt sick. She was crouched on the floor digging her fingers into the ground. He wanted to say he was sorry a hundred times but his brain was still screaming at him that it was trap.
"Then what are you? Who are you!" He shouted. She looked down at her hands and grabbed a bag that was near the door. She pulled something out of it and held it up to him. He snatched it out of her hands and swallowed hard. He unfolded the first one, which turned out to be a picture. He felt his heart swell when he saw his mother holding him in her bed. She'd just giving birth but she looked so happy. He was about to put it down when his dad came into the picture carrying something. His smile faded rather quickly when James turned around holding another baby. Harry covered his mouth and slumped down to the ground.
"What the hell is this?!" He demanded looking at her. She nodded with her head at the letter and stayed quiet. He put the picture down gently and slowly unfolded it. He let out a groan once he recognized the handwriting.
Dearest Airial,
There isn't enough paper in the world for what I need to tell you or let you know how much you were loved. I know you feel out of place in your home…and there is a reason for that. You may have read about me…or heard of me in some way. I do hope that you have heard that I have been claimed innocent now…and come to trust that what I am about to tell you is completely the truth. I was named your godfather before you were even born…you and your twin brother. You are not alone Airial, you have a brother who needs your help desperately. I am sure you have heard of them, but you are a Potter.
Everyone knew that Lily was pregnant, but no one knew that she was about to give birth to two children who would come to save our wizarding world. Your real parents went into hiding while she was pregnant with you and your brother. I'm sure you know about Lord Voldemort and how Harry, your brother, survived the deadly curse. There is more to the story than anyone will let on. While Lily and James were in hiding you both showed extreme power, power that no one has ever witnessed. Before you turned one, they found homes that would separate you two until it was safe. You were to go to the family that was in America and your brother was to go to Ireland. The day before your parents were killed you were taken, the next day was to be Harry's. Peter Pettigrew threw away years of friendship when he gave location of where your parents were hiding. While everyone grew to know all about the Boy Who Lived, you were in America not knowing who your family really was. I am so sorry that I have not been able to bring you two together sooner. Thanks to Harry though, I am a free man and will come for you at the end of your fifth year.
I know this is so much for you take in or even believe for that matter. Please believe me when I say that you real parents, Lily and James Potter, loved you with all their heart.
Harry does not know of you yet, I ask you to please wait until I have spoken to him about this. But I must ask of you a promise, if I do not come for you, please find a way to him. Only you can protect him.
Love Always,
Sirius Black
Harry read the letter over and over again until all the words started to blur together. She really was his sister, someone of his own blood. He could feel her staring at him and when he looked up at her he was right. She looked almost scared of him and what he might do next. He had no words to say to her, he didn't even know what he was feeling at the moment. It angered him that Sirius didn't tell him about her, that he was killed before he could bring them together. Airial got up and slowly moved next to him, still keeping her distance as she sat down.
"My parents…the ones I've been living with anyway, they weren't even going to tell me. Sirius sent that to me the summer before my fifth year and I didn't find it until this past summer. They tried to deny it of course…but I found a picture of you and I just knew. I packed the things that I needed and had to come and find you. When we ran into each other at Diagon Alley, and I was able to really look at you, it erased all my doubts," she explained softly. Harry nodded thinking of how different things would have been if Airial had come his fifth year. She would have fought with him at the Ministry and probably would have believed him about Snape.
"So…what do we do now?" he asked looking over at her. She sat there in silence for a few moments before looking back at him.
"You'll go back to school and only come and see me when you can be alone. Send word for me through Hedwig," she said staring into the fire.
"How do you know my owl?" he asked surprised.
"When I found you, she flew right up to me with a letter for you. There was a spell attached to it. The both of us made sure you didn't receive any mail that could have been tampered with. She's a smart bird," She smiled. Harry laughed and agreed with her. Even if Airial hadn't been there, he knew his owl would only bring him mail from his friends and Hogwarts.
"How come you didn't just come to me? Instead you hid yourself…" he asked pulling his legs up to his chest.
"Because no one can know about me Harry. No one knows that I even exist. If he found out who I was, he could try to get to you through me. It's just best if I stay hidden as long as I can."
"Come with me to Hogwarts, Dumbledore can protect you!" Harry pleaded. Now that he knew who she was, he couldn't bare the thought of her living in the forest alone.
"I can't, I'm not the only one who's been watching you. The Centaurs are doing what they can to keep whatever it is here in the woods. If I stay here, I can try to figure out what they are planning," she explained. Harry sighed in frustration, wringing his hands together. Not only did this war keep him from having a normal life, now he couldn't even be with his sister unless it was hidden. Though he did understand why.
"When can I see you next?" Harry asked. She smiled at him and reached over to rub his arm gently.
"Soon Harry, I promise. You can write to me, just be careful of who may read over your shoulder," she got to her feet and Harry could feel the sudden loneliness slam into him. It was strange; he had never noticed that emptiness deep in his chest. Being around her and knowing she would be close seemed to help the ache but it wasn't enough. He looked up to see her knelt down in front of him.
"Don't worry Harry, we have plenty of time to be together. If you need to see me or just want to talk. Send for me ok?" she said softly placing her hands on his shoulders. He nodded and slowly got up, his gut still wanting to make him sit back down. He was about to tell her how glad he was that she had found him when she practically flung herself on him. Giving him one of the biggest hugs he had ever gotten. He instantly wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her back. He didn't want to let go; he was so scared that if went back to the castle she would leave.
"Come on, let's get you back before someone's notices," she said a bit shakily. She nodded towards the pocket that held his cloak and before he even blinked, she had slipped into her animal form but a larger version of the small house cat. He pulled the cloak out and wrapped himself in it.
As they walked through the forest his mind buzzed with all the things he had learned merely in an hour. He still had Sirius's letter deep in his front pocket. As soon as he got back to his room, he would read it again. There had to be more to his, especially about his parents wanting to keep them separated. Before he wanted it too, the edge of the woods came into view.
"I don't want to go back," Harry whispered. He knew all too well that both his friends would question him the minute they saw him. He would have no answer for them. And even if he did, he doubted that he would talk bout his sister just yet. He had to get used this all and let it sink in before he could really talk about it.
"I know, but you must Harry," the great cat growled. Harry nodded and continued walking until he was next to Hagrid's Hut. When he looked back she was already gone but she wasn't too far, that thought alone comforted him.
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