Chapter 24

Atlas didn’t know what time it was when she was shaken awake but she knew it was still early in the morning as the sky outside was only just beginning to lighten. Hermione was hung over her, face pulled into something akin to urgency but Atlas couldn’t tell, her eyes were still adjusting and she was too befuddled to recount the hours before. So when she got up and found herself in Hermione’s bed, the girl hanging over her in just a nightgown and herself in pyjama shorts and a barely on tank-top, she momentarily froze.

“Atty,” Hermione whispered frantically cupping her face in her hands and shaking Atlas’s head around a bit to wake her up, “Come on, there was a scream.”

“A scream…?” Atlas asked tiredly, rubbing her eyes with a yawn, “What time is it, Mi?”

“I don’t know, come on!” Hermione continued and Atlas nodded, climbing out of the bed and following after the shorter girl who had clasped her hand in hers as soon as she stood. The two of them bumped into Lavender and Parvati as they too opened their door to check out what was going on. 

“Do you have any idea what happened, Hermione?” Lavender asked.

“No, come on, let’s go and see,” Hermione replied and dragged Atlas down the stairs, Lavender, Parvati and a few other girls following their lead. Atlas was still yawning and rubbing at her eyes, slightly hunched over in fatigue. She couldn’t get drunk from firewhisky but she could get extremely tired. Which was why, as soon as they stopped in the common room, she hung her arm around Hermione’s shoulder and leant her cheek against her head, eyes dropping lazily despite the situation that should have had her wide awake.

“What’s going on?” Fay Dunbar asked – she was another third-year girl, though Atlas had rarely spoken to her.

“No idea,” Katie replied.

“Excellent, are we carrying on?” Fred asked and Atlas groaned, tucking her face against Hermione who smiled softly and patted her arm.

“Everyone back upstairs!” Percy ordered, hurrying into the common room and pinning his Head Boy badge to his pyjamas as he spoke.

“Perce — Sirius Black!” Ron said faintly. “In our dormitory! With a knife! Woke me up!”

The common room went very still and Atlas suddenly looked wide awake, she let go of Hermione and strode right over to Ron, grasping his shoulders in her hands to shake him from his frantic state. He looked oddly pale, with a look about him that reminded Atlas of a petrified fox.

“Are you sure?” Atlas asked but he was too distracted to respond, “Ron are you sure!?”

“I’m sure! I’m sure!” He cried.

“Nonsense!” Percy said, looking shocked. “You had too much to eat, Ron — had a nightmare–“

“I’m telling you–“

At that moment the portrait door swung open, revealing a rather furious looking Minerva who fixed the common room with a deadly and disappointed glare, “Now, really, enough’s enough!” she yelled, “I am delighted that Gryffindor won the match, but this is getting ridiculous! Percy, I expected better of you!”

“I certainly didn’t authorize this, Professor!” Percy refuted, puffing himself up indignantly.

“Minnie, Ron said he saw Sirius Black,” Atlas told, lulling the common room into quiet and agitated chatter.

“It was probably just a nightmare–“

“It wasn’t a nightmare!” Ron yelled, interrupting Percy and going straight to Professor McGonagall, “Professor! I woke up, and Sirius Black was standing over me, holding a knife!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Weasley, how could he possibly have gotten through the portrait hole?”

“Ask him!” Ron bellowed, pointing a shaking finger at the back of Sir Cadogan’s picture. “Ask him if he saw –“

Glaring suspiciously at Ron and casting a worried glance over to Atlas – who smiled back assuringly – Professor McGonagall pushed the portrait back open and went outside. The whole common room listened with bated breath, Hermione hugging Atlas’s arm in anticipation. “Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man enter Gryffindor Tower?”

“Certainly, good lady!” Sir Cadogan said cheerily and Atlas closed her eyes, tilting her head to the floor and shaking it. Just when everything was going back to normal, just when everyone was forgetting about Sirius Black’s daughter and, instead, seeing her for Atlas the Gryffindor Chaser, or Atlas the daughter of Amaya Magianima, Atlas the friend of Harry Potter or even just Atlas.

There was a stunned silence, both inside and outside the common room.

“You — you did?” Minerva asked shakily. “But — but the password!”

“He had ’em!” Sir Cadogan said proudly. “Had the whole week’s, my lady! Read ’em off a little piece of paper!”

In a second, Minerva had pulled herself back through the portrait hole, face as white as chalk as she faced the stunned crowd, bottom lip quivering. “Which person,” she said, her voice shaking, “which abysmally foolish person wrote down this week’s passwords and left them lying around?”

There was utter silence, broken by the quietest of squeaks, followed by a trembling hand to the air, a hand that connected to Neville Longbottom.

***

No one in Gryffindor Tower slept that night and if they had, it hadn’t been well. The castle had been searched again but there was no sign of Black anywhere, which meant he had slipped away again. 

Security had been tightened, the signs of such apparent everywhere in the castle, Professor Flitwick could be seen teaching the front doors to recognize a large picture of her dad; Filch was suddenly hurrying up and down the corridors, boarding up everything from tiny cracks in the walls to mouse holes. Sir Cadogan had been fired. His portrait had been taken back to its lonely landing on the seventh floor, and the Fat Lady was back after agreeing to return to her job only on the condition that she was given extra protection. 

That led to a bunch of crabby security trolls being hired to guard her. They paced the corridor in a menacing group, talking in grunts and comparing the size of their clubs, only stopping when someone walked by to stare down on them threateningly. Unfortunately, Atlas had been often found on the receiving end of a majority of their grunts or outbursts of grumblings. Sometimes, she’d even been detained by a stray suit of armour thanks to Peeves shouting about her being Sirius Black. She had a few gnarly bruises because of it.

Furthermore, in the following week after the break-in, hanging around Ron and Harry had become unbearable. Ron had become an instant celebrity and had been more than happy to recount the night of Sirius’s almost-attack, in vivid detail to anyone who asked, regardless if Atlas was there or not. A few times he had edged a darker area Atlas did not want to witness or hear so she’d just left them.

Hermione was someone she found herself hanging around a majority of the time but at moments the girl would just up and disappear, leaving her alone in the library, or at the lunch table in the Great Hall. She’d always come back at some point, though looking more tired and ragged then she had been and at that point, Atlas would forcefully tell her to sleep. Eventually, she would, slumping against Atlas’s shoulder a few times and other times just using the entirety of the girl as a body pillow.

Most people she’d found herself starting to hang around with had found themselves too busy or completely occupied with something else as well. Cedric had other friends to hang with and was just too busy with his higher-year studies, Luna was also in a different year so they had different time-tables, Neville had been beside himself in total disgrace – Minerva had banned him from Hogsmeade trips and refused to tell him the password to get into Gryffindor Tower – so he’d become quite anxious and reclusive, especially after he had received the Howler from his grandmother. He would walk in the opposite direction if he saw Atlas coming too.

Of course, there was still Ginny who frequently spoke to her, they often played Wizards Chess and spoke about Quidditch but as there had been restrictions put on training, Atlas couldn’t just let Ginny borrow her broom anymore so they could no longer practise together. The Quidditch team were the same, Katie and Angelina would gossip with her about boys and sometimes – much to Atlas’s relief – girls, though that was only Katie, the girl being attracted to ‘literally anyone’ as she had put it. Fred and George continued as themselves and Oliver had been putting together new training programs.

It was clear something had changed though, ever since Sirius had broken in again, her infamy had gradually been returning in the weekdays since. She’d tried to ignore it, just like she had done at the beginning of the year, just like she had done her entire life but after the taste of normalcy she had felt, it had been harder than ever before to just accept the whispers.

A huff left her maws as she approached Hagrid’s cabin from the bush. She wasn’t supposed to be out on her own, considering everything going on, so when she snuck out, she would just shift as soon as she was out of sight. Hagrid would never tell on her, no matter how much he might threaten it because Atlas knew he enjoyed the company. Especially with the hearing for Buckbeaks case the next day.

So, with a slight scratch at his door, Atlas pushed her way inside, going to shift back as soon as she did but pausing when she realised Hagrid wasn’t alone. Hermione was sat at the table, a big mug of tea in her hands and a few books surrounding her. There looked to be tear marks streaking her cheeks and her eyes had developed heavy bags beneath them. Most of all though, she looked terrified.

“H-Hagrid…” She stuttered, shakily bringing her hand up to tug at the back of the man’s coat. He turned around confusedly and then saw Atlas, who was still staring down at Hermione, both in shock and relief. 

“Aye yeh big bimbo!” Hagrid exclaimed, coming round to pat at the wolf’s head, she eased into it, “How many times do I have ter tell yeh’s!? Don’ come visitin’ me no more!”

“Hagrid…this is…Hagrid you can’t have a — a Dire-wolf Hagrid! What were you thinking!” Hermione cried, face going paler than it had been. Atlas huffed and sat down.

“She’s not mine,” Hagrid grinned, patting Atlas’s back, “She’s Atlas’s.”

“Atlas…Atlas she…” Hermione sighed, running her hands down her face tiredly, her eyes were quite puffy and her hair was bushier than Atlas had ever seen it. “Jesus Christ, Hagrid!”

“What!? I didn’ do nothin’!”

“That’s a Dire-wolf! An-and you just–! She just–!”

“It’s alrigh’ Hermione. Look com’ere,” Hagrid urged, taking her wrist and gently pulling her out of her seat, Hermione panicked and shook her head in protest, closing her eyes and most definitely waiting for her hand to be bitten off. At the sight Atlas chuffed and opened her mouth, tentatively biting at Hermione’s hand to tease her, Hermione squeaked out in fright and Hagrid looked down at her disapprovingly, “Don’ tease her!”

“Oh please, Hagrid!” Hermione whined, muttering ‘no, no, no’ under her breath. Figuring she’d had her fun Atlas pressed her snout against Hermione’s palm and then pushed so she nuzzled her head against Hermione’s cheek. “What…?” She opened her eyes, looking down at Atlas’s head confusedly before slowly taking the giant wolf’s face in her hands and scratching behind her ears, “Oh…you are friendly.”

“What did I tell yeh,” Hagrid sniffed proudly, going back over to his kettle to finish pouring himself his tea. Atlas padded circles around Hermione before laying right behind her and thumping her tail against the floor, inviting her to sit. Hermione didn’t realise that was the intent but sat down anyway, slowly and carefully sinking into Atlas’s fur. “She’s a sweet ‘eart, ain’ she?”

Atlas huffed at this, sending the man a playful glare. She should have backed out as soon as she’d seen Hermione but the girl had looked so sad, so lonely and tired she couldn’t bring herself to and now she was being used as a comfy, fluffy pillow. It reminded her of the day’s Professor Sprout would smoke a bit too much of her calming plant supply and would break down crying into her fur, spouting nonsense and no doubt seeing Nargles.

“She is…” Hermione nodded, “what’s her name?”

“Er…Atlas didn’ give her one.”

“Well that won’t do,” Hermione huffed, looking at Atlas who looked straight back, “How about I give you a name?” Atlas thought about it for a moment, it wouldn’t hurt and it would give her something to call her alter-ego. “Your tail is wagging so I’m taking that as a yes,” Hermione grinned and Atlas glanced toward it, she hadn’t even realised, “hmm, how about…” she glanced around, her eyes setting on something Atlas couldn’t quite see, “Frog.”

A snort of disbelief came from the giant wolf and Atlas so badly wanted to shake her head and burst out laughing but she refrained, instead, pushing her nose against Hermione’s ear and quickly blowing into it. Hermione shrieked and laughed, hearty and loud, something Atlas hadn’t heard in a while.

“What?!” Hermione grinned and the Wolf whined, covering her eyes with her paws, “It’s a fantastic name and Atlas would love it!”

She was right, Atlas did love it, it was so incredibly random but she was also embarrassed by it. Why, of all things, Frog? Hermione took up her paws and tried to lift them off of the wolf’s face, eyes raking over the scars littering the beast’s snout and head, she looked thoughtful for a moment.

“So, Froggy,” Hermione began and Atlas, or rather, Frog huffed, flopping against the floor dramatically, “How come Atlas hasn’t told me about you?”

“She’s suppose’ to be a secret,” Hagrid told for Atlas.

“What happened to her face?”

“I dunno,” Hagrid muttered, facing away. The man was notoriously bad in his ability to lie so Atlas – Frog – was glad he looked away, otherwise, his face would tell it all.

“They’re near-identical to Atlas’s…” Hermione mused, brushing her fingers over the grooves and Atlas closed her eyes, leaning into it. It was incredibly comforting actually, soothing, she wondered if it would feel the same as a human.

“So, er–” Hagrid began, sipping on his mug of tea shakily, “Why Frog?”

“Oh! Uh…” Hermione flushed, “Well…no reason really, Atlas just really likes Chocolate frogs.”

“That makes sense,” Hagrid nodded and then looked out through his kitchen window, seeing the sun starting to set, “Ah, yeh should start headin’ back now, Hermione.”

“Oh, right…I’ll come back tomorrow,” she smiled tiredly, gathering her books and shoving them in her bag, “we can go through a few more things for the case before you leave for London, thank you for the tea, Hagrid, you’ve been lovely company.”

“O’course, Hermione, pop by any time yeh like,” Hagrid grinned, tucking his hands in his pockets and then he turned to Atlas, “it’s about time you get yeh’self home too, Frog.”

The Dire-wolf huffed at him and stood, stretching herself out as a cat would which earnt an amused look from Hermione. She dusted the floor once with her tail and then took up Hermione’s bag in her teeth, leaving the two behind, Hagrid with a deeply fond smile and Hermione in startled shock, “Wait! Frog, you can’t come with me!”

The fact Hermione Granger was calling Atlas something as ridiculous as Frog was just too amusing, she would have never thought the serious, studious, uptight Granger would come up with such a stupid name. But, alas, she had and it was honestly wonderful.

Hermione caught up to her and tugged at her bag to which Atlas ignored, continuing her trek up the hillside to the castle entrance. The girl grew more frantic the closer they got, as she could see a few students milling about in the courtyard. Atlas saw them too so she slowed her walk, watching as they all soon vanished out of sight, before picking up her pace again. “Come on, give it back, you’ve walked me home, now you go home!”

With one final tug, Atlas let go of the bag and Hermione fell to her behind, groaning and grumbling to herself as she pulled herself back up and glared right into Frog’s soul.

“You’re an arse, no wonder Atlas kept you,” Hermione muttered and Atlas huffed in offence, earning a little grin from Hermione, “You’re a big baby, you know that? You’re a Dire-wolf, you’re supposed to be scary!”

At this the Wolf pushed herself to her hind legs, completely towering over Hermione who looked up at her, slightly startled but then she rolled her eyes and scratched at her belly, sending her back to her feet. One, because it tickled and two, it would have been a very awkward position if Atlas were human and the girl felt a little compromised even as her Animagus.

“You’re very cute, aren’t you?” Hermione giggled and yawned, “Another thing that reminds me of Atlas…” Atlas startled at the comment but immediately snapped herself out of it when she noticed Hermione sway. “I need to go now…” she mumbled sleepily and Atlas watched her worriedly, waiting a few moments behind as Hermione made it halfway across the courtyard before her legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor.

Panic pinched at Atlas’s gut and she sprinted forward, jumping and shifting back to a human without a spare glance around. She sat Hermione upright, checking her over for injuries.

“Is she alright?” A whispy voice that Atlas had come to know asked behind her.

“Luna!” Atlas straightened, turning to face the girl.

“Hello, Atlas. I didn’t know you were a dog in your spare time,” Luna smiled and Atlas blanched. “It’s alright, I won’t tell anyone.”

“Uh…thanks…” Atlas muttered.

“No problem, you’ve helped me fight off the Nargles on many occasion,” Luna shrugged and then looked down at Hermione, a pinch of worry on her face, “Do you think the Mindagles got to her?”

“Mindagles?” 

“Oh yes, have you not heard of them? Very attracted to studious people,” Luna told seriously and Atlas found herself smiling despite the situation. After all, Luna had just walked in on her shifting and Hermione had passed out. “They’re frequent around exam season.”

“Are they now?” Atlas sighed and moved Hermione onto her back, “Look, Luna…I know you said you wouldn’t tell but–“

“Tell about what?”

“Luna, about–” Atlas glanced around, “–about me being an Animagus.”

“Oh!” Luna smiled, shaking her head, “I won’t tell, I won’t tell…they wouldn’t believe me anyway, they call me loony.”

“That’s not nice,” Atlas said, scrunching up her face, “why do they say that?”

“I suppose it’s because I’m odd,” Though she said this, Luna had quite the bright smile on her face, as if it didn’t phase her at all. “but being odd is better than being normal, don’t you think?”

“I don’t know,” Atlas smiled, looking off in the direction they were walking, “sometimes I wonder what it would be like to not have the name Black, or to not have the famous Amaya Magianima as my mother.”

“Your mother was quite brilliant,” Luna piped in and Atlas looked over at her curiously.

“Yeah? You’re a fan too I suppose?”

“No, but my mother was friends with her and she would always tell me how wonderful she was,” Luna hummed, skipping now as Atlas remained at her usual brisk pace.

“Your mother?”

“She died experimenting on a spell in front of me,” Luna said and Atlas frowned.

“Oh, I’m sorry Luna…” She offered and then stopped, placing one of her hands on top of the girls head, “I know what that’s like…talk about it to me if you want to, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Luna nodded and they resumed walking, “I don’t think about it much anymore but it still makes me sad. Does thinking about your mum make you sad?”

“Of course,” Atlas confirmed, adjusting the snoring Hermione on her back. “but that’s because the only thing I remember of her was her death…I only know bits about her because of her journals.”

“Oh…do you miss her?”

“…I–” Atlas couldn’t think of her answer, naturally a person would say yes and she wanted to because that’s how she felt, she did miss her mum but there was something nagging at the back of her brain, the memory of that fateful night, the white eyes, the silhouette, the claws and then – this was a rarity – the figure standing behind the white-eyed monster. A short a plump form, someone Atlas had only ever seen a handful of times. “Y-yes…yes I miss her,” she eventually confirmed, squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head. 

“Atlas?” The two conscious girls swivelled around to see the youngest Weasley staring over at them in confusion, “Where are you going?”

“Ginny uh–” Atlas looked around, realising she didn’t actually have a clue, “I don’t know…Luna? Where are we going?”

“I was just following you,” Luna smiled brightly and then looked over at Ginny, waving politely, “hello Ginny.”

“Oh, hi…Luna,” Ginny smiled, turning back to Atlas, “Hermione passed out again?”

“Yeah, I…found her in the courtyard,” Atlas nodded, casting a glance over at Luna only to find the girl had already begun skipping away, she huffed in amusement and turned back to Ginny, walking over to her. “What are you doing out here?”

“I was coming back from the library.”

“Right,” Atlas nodded and the two of them continued in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

“So…” Ginny eyed the unconscious Hermione on her back and broke out into a smirk, “this is becoming a habit.”

“I don’t mind,” Atlas shrugged.

“Of course, of course,” Ginny waved off, “it’s to be expected.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ll see.”

“Ginerva Weasley, are you a Seer or something?”

“No, I just know or thing or two because I’ve read a thing or two.”