Harry Potter and the Students of the School of the Sphinx

Harry Potter and the Students of the School of the Sphinx (11/?)

By Angelina Johnson

Chapter 11

Kristin Langley

    Harry and his friends had no idea what was going on as far as Hermione's mystifying words. She had said that it was only a matter of time before they showed themselves, but who were they? As far as Harry knew, 'they' had not showed themselves yet.

    That meant that instead of shortening his list of questions, he had added to it. He may know what Hermione was up to, but now they didn't understand the prophecy that she had made. Was Hermione a Seer? Or had she just been reciting something that she had read somewhere? Harry had told her about what she had said, but she couldn't remember reading the last bit everywhere.

    "I'm just as mystified as you are, Godric," Hermione had said. Harry stared at her.

    "Godric? Hermione, are you okay? I'm Harry," he had said.

    "What? I said Harry, didn't I?" she had asked.

    "No, you definitely just called me Godric," Harry said.

    "Harry, I think I may understand something! I have to go talk to Dumbledore!" Hermione said, and she had bolted from the Common Room. Ron and Ginny were nowhere to be found, and Lavender and Parvati were paying an awful lot of attention to him lately. It made him uncomfortable when they did this, so he decided that he should go talk to Alex or Melissa. He still had things he needed to find out from them. Perhaps Alex could tell him why Voldemort would have a reason to want to get into the School of the Sphinx, and maybe Melissa would be able to explain why she and Sirius didn't like Kristin Langley. After all, she was related to Alex, how bad could she be? However, Harry did remember a few choice comments that Alex had made. " My aunt Kristin isn't exactly one of my favorite people... Mum just listens to whatever Aunt Kristin says, even if it's telling me to go to the stupid school of hers." That was enough to suggest perhaps she wasn't as friendly as she seemed, but then Harry recalled the strange conversation he had heard in the fire... "She made a mistake, but she wasn't exactly the nicest person I knew, either..." Remus had said. "I almost threw everything away because I trusted her," he recalled Sirius saying, "Maybe she was your friend, but she certainly wasn't mine!" Harry didn't understand-the only people Harry had ever seen Sirius so upset at the mention of were Peter Pettigrew and Snape. Harry decided that it was more important to know what Voldemort had wanted, though, so he went looking for Alex.

    However, he changed his mind as he was walking past Melissa's office when he saw that Kristin Langley was leaving her office, smirking. Harry went up to the door, which was slightly ajar, and knocked. Melissa gave no answer, but he heard stifled sobs from inside the room, so he pushed the door open and closed it behind him.

    "Oh, hello, Harry dear," she said, forcing a smile. There were tears in her eyes.

    "Melissa, what's wrong?" Harry asked.

    "Oh, nothing, I'm fine, Harry, really," she said, but the tears continued to flow down her face.

    "Do you want me to get Sirius or Julie or someone?" he asked her, unsure. He glanced at the fire, and saw that there was a pot of Floo Powder.

    "No! No, they wouldn't understand. Especially not Julie, she's friends with the slimy, evil git," Melissa said bitterly.

    "Snape?" Harry asked hopefully.

    "No, someone slimier, eviler..." Melissa replied, still in tears.

    Harry glanced at her. She had told him not to get somebody, but he knew that she needed someone to talk to, someone that would understand, perhaps. Harry had tried to cheer her up by asking her if it was Snape, but he knew, from the fact that Kristin had just left, that he could only be talking about her. Harry looked at her, and then he grabbed a pinch of Floo Powder and stuck his head in the fire.

    "Number 12, Grimmauld Place," Harry shouted, and he felt his head spinning. His head arrived on the other end, in the kitchen, and luckily Sirius was at the kitchen table, finishing his lunch.

    "Harry!" Sirius exclaimed, seeing him in the fire, "Is there something wrong?" Harry nodded.

    "I'm not exactly sure, but Melissa seems really upset about something, and I don't know what, and she won't tell me, but I doubt that I would understand anyway," Harry said.

    "Do you ever think? Just stick your head in the fire when you need me, you broke the mirror, you prat, but I'm coming anyway. Go back, and I'll be there in a moment," Sirius said, shaking his head at Harry.

    Harry came through on the other side, and he was joined shortly by Sirius, who, despite trying to act angry with Harry for his rashness, looked upset.

    "What's wrong?" Sirius asked, looking at her with concern in his eyes. He reached out to touch her, but she pulled away.

    "She's going to do it again, oh, Sirius, please don't let her, I don't want to lose you, I don't want you to not love me anymore, oh please, Sirius, don't let her fool you again, don't let something come between us, I need you, you're the only person that I care about, and if I lost you I'd lose everything, oh, Sirius, please, please don't let her, I don't want you to not love me anymore," she sobbed. She was ranting, and Harry had no idea what she was going on about, but Sirius seemed to understand. He took her into his arms, and rubbed her back soothingly.

    "Please don't cry, I don't understand what you're going on about. I've never not loved you, Melissa, and that's not going to change, but please, I need you to tell me what's going on," Sirius said.

    "Yes, you did, you didn't love me and it was because of her! Sirius, I don't want to lose you, oh, please don't leave me, Sirius. She lied, please don't believe her again, please, please, I'm sorry that she made you think that, it wasn't true, oh Sirius," she sobbed.

    "What do you mean, because of her? Because of who? Melissa, what's going on? Who's been putting these stupid doubts in your head?" Sirius asked. Harry was aware of the fact that he probably should not be here, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to leave. Neither one of the adults were acknowledging him, and Harry wanted to understand what was going on.

    "The same person who put doubts in yours over twenty years ago! Isn't it always her? She always came first, to everyone, and she always will!" Melissa said. Sirius stared at her. He still looked puzzled, but then there seemed to be recognition in his eyes.

    "You can't possibly mean-not-Kristin?" Sirius asked in horror.

    "Yes, Kristin," Melissa said, and she sobbed even more. Sirius tried to console her, but she seemed extremely upset over whatever it was that she was talking about.

    "I need you to stop crying, Melissa, then we can talk about this rationally. And I'll promise you something. Kristin can put any doubts in your head that she likes, you can doubt anything, but you cannot doubt that I love you more than anyone else in the world. You were the only reason I stayed alive in Azkaban, you were the only thing that kept me human. You're one of the only people left that I care about, and I need you, maybe even more than you need me. Kristin can feed you all the lies that she pleases, but she's wrong, and you have to know that," Sirius said. Melissa looked up at him through still-teary eyes.

    "Do you mean that?" she asked doubtfully.

    "Of course I mean it," he said.

    "Oh, Sirius," she said, and she buried her head in his chest. Then she looked up at him again.

    "She's horrible! I don't think that I can put up with her. Sirius, I had tried to forget, and then she has to go and bring it up again, and she said that she had power over me, and that she could take away everything that I loved, just like she almost did before," Melissa said.

    "I wouldn't have let her. I made that mistake once, Melissa, but I'm never going to trust her again, and I know better than to lose you again," Sirius said. Then he looked at Harry.

    "I suppose you should understand this," Sirius said. Melissa looked at Harry.

    "Good lord, I'd forgotten you were here, Harry! I suppose you ought to understand, though, it only makes sense. Besides, you have a way of finding out things that you want to know," Melissa said.

    "So you're going to explain to me? I don't want to upset you, though," Harry said.

    "Explain? Oh, of course not, I'll let you see for yourself," she said, and she pulled something shiny out from under her desk.

    "A Pensieve?" Harry asked. Melissa nodded.

    "I suppose I should see as well," Sirius said. Melissa looked at him oddly.

    "I'd tried to forget as well," Sirius said.

    "I can't imagine why," Melissa said sarcastically.

    "In fact, perhaps I should put some of my memories into the Pensieve as well, let Harry get the full picture," Sirius said. Melissa nodded, and Sirius put his wand to his temple. A silver stand shot from him into the bowl.

    "All right, let's watch this and get it over with," Melissa said.

    The three of them looked into the bowl, and Harry felt himself falling into the memories. He looked around, and saw that Sirius and Melissa were with him as well.

    Harry looked around. He was in the Gryffindor Common Room, and it didn't look much different. Only the people in the room would reveal that Harry was in Melissa and Sirius's memory.

    Harry saw a handsome boy with black hair and a wicked grin, and realized that it was a sixteen year old Sirius. He was headed straight toward a group of girls sitting in the corner. Harry looked at them closely. One had curly auburn hair and green-brown eyes, the second had brown hair and blue eyes, and the third had red hair and green eyes. Harry realized that these three must be his mother, Julie and Melissa. Sirius was only a short distance away from them when a small blond girl came up to him. Harry had never seen pictures of her, but he was sure that it was Kristin.

    "Sirius, I need to talk to you!" she exclaimed.

    "Can it wait, Kristin? I need to talk to Melissa about something," he said.

    "Asking her to the dance?" Kristin asked.

    "Maybe," Sirius said. Kristin shook her head.

    "That's why you need to listen to me, Sirius! You shouldn't ask her to go with you. She's not worth it-she doesn't deserve you," Kristin said.

    "You mean I don't deserve her," Sirius said, grinning wickedly.

    "You deserve someone who cares about you, Sirius, someone who loves you," Kristin said.

    "And that someone is Melissa. Have you made your point yet? I need to go before I forget what I was going to say," Sirius said, turning away.

    "But in order for that someone to be Melissa, she would have to love you, wouldn't she?" Kristin asked.

    "What are you getting at?" Sirius asked.

    "I hate to be the one to tell you this, Sirius, but she's using you. She doesn't love you at all, she's just doing it to toy with your heart," Kristin said.

    "Why would she want to do a stupid thing like that?" Sirius asked, obviously annoyed.

    "Because she wants to help James. Lily likes you, Sirius, and she thinks that if you're taken, Lily might turn to James," Kristin said sarcastically.

    "That's stupid. You're lying," Sirius said.

    "All right, well, the bit about Lily wasn't true, but she is using you, Sirius! She doesn't care about you at all, and you deserve so much better!" Kristin exclaimed.

    "You still haven't given me a reason why the hell you think I should believe you," Sirius said. Kristin looked at him pleadingly.

    "Have I ever lied to you?" she asked.

    "You just did," Sirius said.

    "That was a joke. Other than that, when have I ever lied to you?" Kristin asked.

    "Never, I guess," Sirius admitted.

    "And has Melissa ever lied to you?" she asked. Sirius seemed to be thinking.

    "Maybe once," he admitted sadly.

    "And what would I gain by lying to you?" Kristin asked.

    "Nothing, I suppose," Sirius conceded.

    "Then why don't you believe me?" Kristin asked.

    "I don't want to believe you," Sirius said.

    "That's exactly why you need to believe me! I'm telling you the truth, Sirius!" Kristin said. Sirius looked down at his feet.

    "I'll talk to her," Sirius said finally.

    "Just don't let her fool you," Kristin said.

    "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for the warning, Kristin," Sirius said, and he walked away, looking dejected. He did not go over to where Melissa sat, talking to her friends, but instead he sat alone on the opposite end of the Common Room.

    "You moron," Harry said to the real Sirius.

    "Yeah, I know," Sirius said. Melissa looked white.

    "You know, I'm not so sure I want to see the fight anymore," Melissa said as she saw her memory self approaching the young Sirius.

    "You can go back, then, but I think Harry should see this," Sirius said.

    "Well, I suppose I will stay. I want to see how James talked you around afterward," Melissa admitted. Then they focused their attention on their memory selves.

    "Hey. Are you okay? You look sad," Melissa said, sitting down next to him.

    "What do you want?" Sirius asked bitterly. He refused to meet her eyes.

    "I wanted to see if you were all right," she said, looking at him, concern in her eyes.

    "I'm fine. Leave me alone," he said angrily.

    "Sirius? What's going on?" she asked.

    "As if you didn't know. Kristin told me everything," Sirius said.

    "What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

    "Don't play dumb. I know that you're using me," Sirius said.

    "Using you? What is this nonsense?" Melissa asked.

    "I mean I know that you're only toying with my heart. To be honest, I don't appreciate it very much! How dare you! I was just beginning to open my heart to you, and then I found out that you don't love me at all, that you're just playing with me for your own sick pleasure," Sirius said angrily.

    "How can you believe that? How can you think that I would ever do such a thing? You know me better than that, Sirius," Melissa said, obviously upset.

    "I thought I did," Sirius spat.

    "But, Sirius, I thought that you loved me! Why don't you believe me?" Melissa asked, desperate.

    "I don't believe you because I don't love you. I never have, and I never will!" he shouted angrily, and he stormed away, leaving Melissa in tears.

    The scene changed quickly. Now they were in what Harry recognized as the boys dormitory. Harry saw Sirius again, and another boy was with him. This boy had brown eyes, and untidy black hair.

    "I can't believe you did that to her, Sirius!" James said angrily.

    "What do you mean? She was the one using me, not the other way around," Sirius replied.

    "How can you believe that? How is it that you trust Kristin, but you don't trust me, your best friend, or Melissa, my cousin, your friend?" he asked angrily.

    "Then you believe her too? Oh, go on, side with her, you always do, just because she's your cousin and you think that she can really get Lily to like you. You don't care how I feel, James!" Sirius said.

    "How do you feel, then?" James spat.

    "Betrayed. Angry. Heartbroken. I really care about her, James!" Sirius said.

    "Then why the hell won't you believe her? How can I prove to you that she's not lying, an that Kristin made the whole thing up?" James asked.

    "She didn't make it up, James," Sirius protested.

    "She did so. If all of this were true, then why would Melissa have locked herself in her dorm and cried for the last three days. Why would she want to kill herself?" James asked.

    "What?" Sirius asked.

    "You heard me. She's really upset, you should hear her crying. She loves you so much, Sirius, she doesn't want to go on alone. She doesn't want to be without you," James said.

    "And I don't want to be without her. Is she really upset?" Sirius asked.

    "Of course, you great big oaf, she loves you, and you think that she USED you? You really are such an idiot, Sirius. Do you believe me now?" James asked.

    "Yes, I do. But how can I make it up to your cousin?" Sirius asked. The memory ended, and Harry felt himself fall back into Melissa's office.

    "That was, erm, interesting," Harry said.

    "It certainly was. I'd forgotten how much I hate Kristin," Sirius said.

    "And Julie thinks she's harmless," Melissa muttered.

    "Melissa, I thought I heard my dad say that you were his cousin," Harry said in shock.

    "That's right. His father was my mother's brother," Melissa said.

    "I never knew," Harry said.

    "Of course you didn't know, how could you have known?" Melissa asked, smiling. Harry's head was spinning. He didn't like Kristin very much either-he wondered if Alex knew what her aunt had done. Harry glanced up at Sirius, and there was a look in his eyes that made Harry think that he should leave.

    "I'll talk to you later, then," Harry said, and he left the office. His head was still spinning from all that he had just learned. Melissa and Sirius had really hurt each other-or maybe it was that Sirius had really hurt Melissa and himself by believing Kristin's lie. Harry shook his head. He needed to talk to someone else about this.