To Balk the Dark Lord

Ch.2- To Save Her

Sirius Black laughed as he watched James playing with the Snitch he had nicked from the Quidditch supply closet in the Quidditch Pitch. It was a sunny day and the Headmaster had given the students and teachers a day of no classes, though he had never said why.

Sirius's eyes trailed away from James to a bunch of girls that were passing the tree that he, James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew—his best friends—sat under. Many of the girls looked over at him and giggled, looking quickly away when his gaze was on them. Several also giggled and waved at Remus when he looked up from his book and nodded to them. A few even blushed when the saw James, but there was nothing for it because James was considered "off the market" now that he was dating Lily Evans. The girls just ignored Peter because they found him strange and had no idea why the other three even let him hang out with them.

Sirius sighed and shook his head. As much as he hated to admit it, he was tired of all the attention he received from the girls at the school. They were all the same. They liked him for his looks, which was well enough, but he wished they would like him for his personality and mind as well. He wished, just once, that he met a girl that didn't want to snog at the sight of him. He longed to find a girl that he could have a decent conversation with.

He stood up causing James to catch the Snitch, Remus to dog-ear his page and close his book, and Peter to snap out of his reverie, to look up at him.

"What's up, Padfoot mate," James asked.

"I think I'll go for a walk. I need to think."

"Why not think here?"

"I need to be alone, James," he said firmly. "I need to clear my head."

Remus went back to his book, James nodded and went back to ‘Catch the Snitch', and Peter started to play with his shoelace, having nothing better to do.

Sirius set off, following the bank of the lake around to the other side. As he peered at the tree that he spent many days and watched his friends get up and head towards the castle, he wondered if he would ever find the one girl he could give all of his heart to, and in get all of hers in return. He sighed and picked up a handful of rocks and began skipping them over the water's surface letting his thoughts clear. After the last rock had skipped and sank into the lake he peered at the skyline in the distance. The sun was setting and he would have to head back to avoid getting a reprimand from Professor McGonagall, the Gryffindor Head of House. He sighed and started back around the way he came but stopped as he reached halfway around the lake, and blinked. A girl lay sprawled on the ground about three feet away, her curly brown hair over her face. He ran to her and turned her onto her back. Her face was ghostly white and he could tell she wasn't breathing, as her lips were a light shade of blue. He knew she was too heavy for him to carry to the castle himself, but he had to get help quick. He turned around and his gaze fell upon Hagrid's hut. Hagrid could help!

He took off his outer robe and covered the girl up to her neck and then ran to Hagrid's house, banging on the door. Loud barks sounded, then the scraping of the chair, and finally the loud footsteps on the floor. A moment later the door opened and Hagrid peered out.

"Ah, Sirius," he said, beaming but then frowning at the look on Sirius's face. "What's wrong?"

"A girl! By the lake! She was sprawled out and her face is white and her lips are blue. Hagrid, she's not breathing! She's too heavy for me to carry!"

"Take me to her," Hagrid said, closing the door behind him as he left his house.

Sirius led him to the spot where the girl still lay just as he had left her.

Hagrid bent down and picked her up gently, leaving Sirius's robe to cover her, and set off at a steady pace, which still left Sirius rushing to catch up.

When they had reached the Hospital Wing, Madame Pomphrey took charge, having Hagrid lay the girl on the nearest bed. She then sent him to get Dumbledore, but just as Hagrid reached the door, the headmaster hurried in, flanked by Professor McGonagall.

"What happened?" Dumbledore asked. He strode to the bed, taking Sirius's robe off of the girl and handing it to him. McGonagall went to his side and peered down at the girl.

The girl was in a pair of light blue pajamas, and her hair was a darker brown than Sirius had first thought it to be. She had no shoes and her eyes were closed in what appeared to be a painful expression.

"She is not a student here, Albus," McGonagall said finally. Sirius raised a brow looking from the girl, up at McGonagall, and back at the girl. McGonagall was right. The girl appeared to be sixteen or seventeen, which would make her a sixth or seventh year. He knew all the attractive sixth and seventh years, as he was a seventh year, and this one he didn't recall.

"She is," he said simply, causing everyone in the room to look at him as if he was crazy. McGonagall blinked.

"I would think I would recognize her. I teach every student here."

"I will explain later, Minerva," Dumbledore said with a fleeting look at Sirius, who didn't notice as he had moved to the foot of the bed and now peered down at the girl. "Now it is important that she live through tonight."

He went to Sirius and cleared his throat, pulling Sirius from his reverie.

"Mr. Black."

Sirius looked up at him but said nothing.

"What happened?"

"I don't know, sir. I was on the other side of the lake and then I spotted her as I was heading back to the castle. She was just sprawled out at the edge of the lake. I don't know how she got there."

"Thank you, Mr. Black. You may go."

Sirius hesitated. He didn't want to leave the girl.

"We will send for you. You did a good think tonight, Sirius. You saved her life and she will be thankful for that, but right now we must give her medical attention and you need to sleep. If she does not wake by tomorrow, you may come visit her regardless."

Sirius hesitated once more but decided it best if he left. Dumbledore obviously knew something that he and the others didn't and wanted to tell the adults away from the prying ears of a seventeen-year-old boy.

He reached the common room and as soon as he entered his friends sought him out, asking him what had happened, but telling them he was tired, he headed up to the dormitory. Lying down on his bed, he closed his eyes and drifted of to sleep, and the girl he had saved from certain death entered his dreams.