Immediately after she entered the room Hailey was engulfed in a warm hug by Andi. It took her a moment to realise what was happening, even though she had gotten far more hugs in the last few months since she moved out of the Dursley’s place than she had ever had in her life, they still felt foreign to her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, Hailey. I would have but by the time I had been informed, it was far too late, and I was coming here anyway. I’m glad that Dora was here to be here for you, along with your friends.” Andi gave Hermione a grateful smile, with Hermione giving a blushing smile back.

“Hailey is my best friend, Mrs. Tonks, I’d do anything for her.”

It was Hailey’s turn to blush, turning her head to hide her face in Andi’s embrace.

Andi chuckled, holding her tighter. “I’m glad she has you, Hermione. I am also glad that she is safe. Don’t worry, I already gave Dumbledore an earful this morning. What was he thinking, allowing a troll to wander the school? And he still doesn’t know how it happened! Honestly…” the older witch trailed off with a sigh, clearly a million miles away for a moment. “Well, anyway, let’s get to your lesson, shall we?” She stopped before moving off, turning towards Hermione. “Oh, and please call me Andi, like I have said before.”

Hermione grimaced. “Sorry, Mrs, err, Andi, hard habits taught by my parents. I’ll try.”

“Hey, Mu-Andi, have you heard anymore from Madam Bones about Sirius Black yet?” Hailey winced, blushing. She had nearly called Andi, mum, but Hailey wasn’t sure how she would take it yet.

Letting go of Hailey and moving to the two cauldrons set up, Andi motioned her young students forward. “In fact I have, that is why I wasn’t able to come and see you last night.” The older witch shivered. “Madam Bones and I visited Sirius in Azkaban prison…” Andi trailed off again, except this time she was slightly pale and gulped audibly. “That place is truly horrendous and should be against the law.”

Frowning at Andi’s expression, Hermione looked concerned. “Are you okay, M-Andi?”

Hailey nodded at Hermione’s question, looking concerned as well, but otherwise stayed silent. 

Shaking herself out of it, Andi nodded briefly. “I am okay. Thanks, girls. It’s just that Azkaban is a horrible place as I said. We should never have made a deal with the Dementors.”

At the word ‘Dementors’, Hailey involuntarily hissed, instinctively grasping her wand tightly. For some reason, that name invoked several emotions in her at once, fear and loathing being the two most prominent among them. She had never met these creatures before, and yet she hated them and feared them in equal measure.

Andi and Hermione took an involuntary step back from Hailey with a brief look of fear on their faces before their expressions morphed into concern.

“Hailey? What is it? Are you okay?” Andi asked, suddenly in front of her, her hands gripping Hailey’s shoulders gently.

Hermione and Hailey had been intending to look up Azkaban prison when they had heard about it several weeks ago, but they hadn’t had the chance due to school work and everything else that they’d had to deal with.

Hailey had quidditch practice, although since she was a reserve, and didn’t yet have her own broom – she had been researching the best type for her and borrowing a school one, her practice wasn’t as intense as it was for the rest of her team. While Hermione had no interest in quidditch herself, she enjoyed helping Hailey research the game – the rules, most common tricks, and ploys and tactics – as well as looking at various broomsticks and their strengths and weaknesses. 

With a sigh, Hailey released her wand that she had been gripping from within her robes. “Yeah. It’s just that hearing the name of those creatures gave me the chills. There is something about them that I really, really don’t like.” She shivered like Andi had done moment’s earlier. “That’s the first time that that has happened for an actual species name before. It has always been living people’s names.”

“Wait, wait. Didn’t you get a sense from the name Gryffindor, as well as the others, too?” Hermione asked.

“I did,” Hailey answered with a smile. “I mostly got fragments and hints from the countless witches and wizards who had been a part of one of the houses. Like the name became associated with them, that is what I picked up. Not the founders themselves.”

Hermione looked thoughtful, tapping her chin with a single finger. “I guess that makes a certain amount of sense. As much as anything does in this weird world of magic, at least.”

“Did you girls want to learn more about what I was doing at Azkaban, or did you want to continue discussing the general oddities of living with magic?” Andi asked with a chuckle.

Hailey and Hermione both blushed, grimacing slightly and apologised at the same time, causing Andi to smile at them both. “I thought as much,” she replied, laughing lightly. “Madam Bones and I went to question Sirius. Normally someone like me would not have been brought along, but since out of most people alive, and an actual living relative not already in prison, Madam Bones wanted me there to try and verify anything she might ask of him.

“He was in a bad state. Pale, gaunt, like he was wasting away, and yet, he had an inner fire within his eyes. Despite the Dementors sucking out all love and happiness from everyone there, Sirius’s spirit was still strong. Diminished, yes, but strong.”

Hermione lifted her hand like they were in a normal class, speaking when Andi nodded at her to go ahead. “I’m sorry, but did you say sucking out the love and happiness from everyone? What do you mean?”

“Ah, yes, I should have realised that you wouldn’t know what a Dementor is exactly just yet. Normally, you don’t learn about them until later. A dementor is a hooded creature that looks much like what a grim reaper in fairy tales does. They are highly feared among the magical community for they feed off of positive emotions of living creatures. Love, happiness, hope, all are almost impossible to feel in their presence.”

Looking at Hermione, Hailey knew that the horror she was feeling was reflected perfectly in her friend’s face.

“That’s horrible!” Hermione exclaimed, her face blanching at the thought of those creatures.

Andi grasped Hermione’s shoulder and squeezed gently, a soft smile on her face. “It is. Luckily there are ways of counteracting them, but it’s a highly advanced spell. Anyway, enough about dementors, did you want to know about Sirius before we start potions, or not?” Andi asked, a small smirk on her lips as she turned back to the cauldrons and started sifting through the ingredients on the bench.

“Sirius please!” Hailey exclaimed at once, bouncing on the balls of her feet while Hermione nodded.

The older witch smiled at them. “Very well. He was in a tiny cell, on his own. Looking ragged and gaunt, and yet oddly calm, and for a place like Azkaban, that’s saying a lot.” Andi stopped for a moment to take a breath, sighing and shaking her head as she did. “He was understandably curious about why we had come, but the thing he was most interested in was talking with and about you, Hailey.”

“Me?” Hailey asked, pointing at herself.

“Of course! You are his goddaughter, after all. If he hadn’t been sent to prison, he would have raised you himself.”

Hailey nodded, she recalled that Dora had told her later that Sirius had been named her godfather. “So what did he say? About him being in prison and everything?”

Andi shook her head. “Said he was innocent of course, except for going after Peter, who he said was the real one to betray Lily and James.”

“Who?” Hailey asked, a slight frown creasing her face. She had gotten a slight twinge from the name, but since it was a rather common name, and Andi hadn’t spoken his full name, she hadn’t heard enough. The fact that her power was working at all was rather telling to Hailey in the first place.

Her and Hermione had been meaning to do some more research on her past, but with their schoolwork, and everything going on, they hadn’t had the time. They had planned to do it over the Christmas break.

With a frown at Hailey’s expression, Andi answered slowly, like she was afraid of what could happen. “Peter Pettigrew. He was a friend of your parents from-”

Andi stopped talking immediately after Hailey flinched and gasped as she felt the familiar rush of magic from the name hit her. 

“He’s not dead like we thought, is he?” Andi asked, flatly, a dangerous gleam in her eyes. A crack sounded out as the snake fang for their potion the older witch had been holding snapped in half when she squeezed it too tight. Hailey felt a small surge of magic when the fang snapped, clearly Andi had used some accidental magic when she broke it.

“This changes a few things,” Andi said after she took a moment to let out a deep breath. “It would mean that if he didn’t work for You-Know-Who, and didn’t betray your parents, nor kill Peter, then a totally innocent man has been left in Azkaban for far too long.”

Taking her wand out, Andi flicked it and a silvery-white mist shot out, disappearing through the door. Just as it went out of sight, Hailey was sure it had started changing shape into some kind of creature, but hadn’t gotten a good enough look to see what type. As it passed her, Hailey had felt foreign emotions from the spell that Andi had cast. Hope and a sense of justice being the strongest that she could identify.

“What was that spell?” Hermione asked.

“That was a patronus charm,” Andi answered, placing her wand down on the bench. “Funnily enough, it’s actually the exact spell that is used to ward off dementors.”

Hermione looked curiously at where the patronus had vanished. “How does it do that?”

“Positive emotions,” Hailey answered immediately.

Her friend gave her a funny look. “Positive emotions?”

“That’s right,” Andi responded, giving Hailey a look as well. “How did you know that, Hailey?”

Hailey shrugged. “I felt them in the charm as it passed us and put two and two together. Just like we need heat to live, if something is too hot, we stay away from it. I guess it’s the same for dementors too, right?”

Andi gave her a nod of approval, a proud smile on her face. “That’s exactly right.”

“That makes an odd amount of sense,” Hermione answered, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

Turning towards Andi, Hailey cocked her head to one side. “What was the charm for, anyway?”

“Besides forcing dementors away, the charm can also be used to send a message to someone. I sent mine to Madam Bones, informing her that Peter is still alive somehow. Depending on how busy she is, I should hear back from her tonight. Now, let’s get to the lesson, shall we? We’ve already spent a considerable amount of time not learning potions already.”

Hailey held her hand up like she would any normal teacher. “Yes, Hailey?” Andi asked, nodding at her. 

“Umm, I was wondering if I’d be able to visit Sirius?” She wasn’t sure she wanted to, especially not after the reaction she’d had to just the name dementor, but she was also eager to meet her godfather. She knew he was a good man. 

She knew Andi’s answer before she’d even finished speaking as the older witch shook her head, looking upset that she had to deny her. “I’m sorry, Hailey, but that won’t be possible. Azkaban isn’t a place that just anyone can visit, most especially not a child. If I visit him before he’s hopefully released, I’ll let him know that you’re eager to meet him. I’m sure he’d love to hear that. Now, let’s get to potion brewing, otherwise I’d have to fire myself.”

While disappointing, Hailey knew that the fact that Sirius might be released soon was the best she was going to get for now. She vowed though that if he didn’t get freed, Hailey was going to go and get him herself. She’d learn how to do the Patronus charm and force her way into the prison somehow. She just hoped that that wouldn’t become necessary. 

⚡

“And finally, wave your wand to complete the potion,” Andi directed, carefully watching as Hermione and Hailey grabbed their wands and waved them. “Perfect! Let me just check them out first.” The dark haired witch carefully inspected both bubbling cauldrons, before announcing that they had successfully brewed the potion.

“Well done, girls,” Andi praised, giving Hailey a gentle pat on the back as she smiled. “If I know anything about potions – and I do – I’d be able to tell that these are textbook perfect.”

Blushing at the praise, Hailey smiled. “Thanks, that’s what happens with a good teacher. I’ve heard so many people complain about Professor Snape and his so-called teaching methods.”

Hermione shook her head. “How can he be allowed to teach at Hogwarts? Isn’t Hogwarts supposed to be one of the best schools in the world? Doesn't the ministry have standards?”

“No, nothing like what the muggle world does, at any rate. At least according to Ted.”

“Well, anyway, Andi? I wanted to ask you something,” Hailey said, suddenly a little nervous. 

Andi turned to her while packing some of her equipment up. “Yes? What is it, Hailey?”

“I wanted to see if you would sign my permission form for tomorrow? I have been asked to travel to Diagon Alley to help a girl replace all of her missing stuff like clothes and school gear.” While not quite the truth, it wasn’t exactly a lie either, so Hailey was able to say it without difficulty. 

After a brief pause, Andi smiled. “Of course, I can do that. And don’t worry, Minerva already filled me in on the specifics. She thought that I ought to know, since you and her appeared to be fast friends.” She pulled Hailey into a hug. “I’m proud of you for all that you did for that girl, and for you being brave enough to be yourself. I know that can’t have been easy for you, given everything you have experienced in your life up until now.”

Hailey held Andi tight, trying and failing to hold back while some tears slipped out. Sniffling as quietly as she could, Hailey tried to hide her wiping away the tears from underneath her glasses. 

“Oh, and Hailey?” Andi waited until Hailey looked up at her. “If you want to consider me your mum, and call me that, I would be absolutely honoured.”

This time there was no way that Hailey could hide her tears.