Melanie Rosen: Year 3 (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

Chapter 22 Detention

Chapter 22

Detention

    Two weeks passed since Madame Saunders’s death. I was almost certain Sirius Black was the cause. It could not be a coincidence that right after he gives her some mysterious healing potion she just happens to pass away.

    It was the night before finals began. I could not sleep so I tiptoed out to visit my Aunt Becky. She had remained in the school to help Hagrid with his appeal for Buckbeak. We found out just earlier today the appeal did not pass.

    When I got to the room she was staying in, I could see light peeking under the door. I knew she was still awake. I knocked on the door.

    “Who is it?” she called.

    I opened the door a crack and muttered, “It’s me, Aunt Becky.”

    “Melanie? Come in here,” Aunt Becky ordered. Once I closed the door behind me, she demanded, “What are you doing out this late? You know the school has rules on that.”

    “I couldn’t sleep,” I answered. “Besides, I thought it’d be okay if I was with you.”

    Aunt Becky sighed. “Well, I suppose you’re here now so it’s okay.”

    She patted her bed and I sat down beside her.

    “So why can’t you sleep?” Aunt Becky asked me.

    I sighed, staring at my feet, swinging over the bedside. “I don’t know. I can’t stop thinking of Black still being out there. He’s so close to Harry.”

    She put her arm around me and said, “He’ll get caught. Justice is bound to catch up with him sooner or later. Besides, that’s the Ministry’s main focus right now, to catch Sirius Black.”

    “Yeah, but Madame Saunders was the one who could control the dementors best and Black killed her,” I reminded her glumly.

    My aunt looked at me curiously. “What makes you say that?”

    I let out a breath and admitted, “That night Black attack Ron, a jar dropped from his pocket and the note said it was for Madame Saunders so I gave it to her. I shouldn’t have. If I had just thrown it away, then maybe…”

    “Melanie, you have to understand, her time was limited,” Aunt Becky cut in. “There was nothing you could have done. Besides, Professor Snape mentioned that Corrie gave him that jar to test but he was still working on it when she died so she never used it. He thinks it might have helped some but it would not have cured her.”

    I turned my head to look at my aunt. “So Black really was trying to help her? That doesn’t make sense. He’s evil, right?”

    “Perhaps he still has feelings for her,” Aunt Becky suggested with a sigh. “I suppose even criminals can be in love sometimes. They were both in love with each other some time ago.”

    I shook my head. “I can’t imagine how she must have felt when she realized what he truly is. I’m never going to let myself fall in love, ever.”

    With her arm around me, Aunt Becky squeezed my shoulder. “Oh Melanie, you’re too young to give up on love. Don’t let Sirius Black have that kind of influence on your life.”

    I merely sighed and then asked, “Do you think if Andre was still alive he would have caught Sirius Black by now?”

    My aunt remained silent for a moment and then answered, “Perhaps. He was a skilled Auror back in the day. He did catch a good amount of Death Eaters.”