The Big Dipper

The Head Girl

"So," said Sirius, as he sat down across from his cousin. The resemblance between her and her mother really was remarkable. She regarded him with suspicious curiosity, her cold grey eyes betraying nothing. "Where should we begin?"

"How did you escape from Azkaban?" asked Ursula immediately.

"I knew I wasn't guilty, so the thought kept me sane, and eventually I realized that I could slip through the bars in my Animagus form," said Sirius. "I then swam through the North Sea back to shore."

"You're an unregistered Animagus, then," said Ursula. It wasn't a question.

"I am," confirmed Sirius. "I know you're a registered Animagus because I was watching the first time you transformed." Ursula's eyebrows went up in surprise. "I was there to watch Harry play Quidditch."

"I see," said Ursula.

"I told him it was foolish," said Remus, as he entered the drawing room carrying a tea tray. "Of course, I only found out months afterwards, but still."

"Thank you, Mr. Lupin," said Ursula, accepting a tea cup. Sirius snorted.

"Mr. Lupin," he said with a chuckle.

"Well I can't very well call him professor anymore," said Ursula. "Even if we all wish he'd come back."

"Just call me Remus," said Remus, smiling as he sat beside Sirius.

"Why did you escape when you did?" said Ursula. "Why after twelve years?"

"I saw a picture in the paper of a former friend, Peter Pettigrew," explained Sirius. "Well, he was in his Animagus form, but I recognized him — he was living as Ron Weasley's pet rat. He and James, Harry's father, were both Animaguses... anyway, I knew he was in a position to hurt Harry, if he was at Hogwarts, so I escaped."

"Is it safe to assume that Peter Pettigrew was the man who escaped that night?" said Ursula. Sirius nodded.

"How did you know I was innocent?" he asked. "Why did you intervene?"

"I didn't know you were innocent. I still don't know for sure, if I'm being honest," said Ursula. "But I certainly knew you weren't a servant of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Yes, I suppose you would," said Sirius.

"In fact, Peter Pettigrew is the only Death Eater who I've never heard of," said Ursula thoughtfully. "Anyway, I intervened to save you from being mauled by a mad werewolf — no offense Remus."

"Non taken," said Remus good naturedly. He took a sip of his tea and shared a look with Sirius.

"What really happened?" asked Ursula. "If you didn't kill those Muggles, who did? Was it Pettigrew?"

"Yes, it was," said Sirius, his voice grave.

"Honestly, if veritaserum was involved in more trials," said Ursula, rolling her eyes. Sirius grinned.

"What have you been up to at Hogwarts?" said Sirius. "Are you a prefect, like Cassiopeia?"

"Yes, I am," said Ursula. "I'm going into seventh year. I've been a chaser for Slytherin since fourth year. I plan to be a dragonologist when I graduate."

Sirius grinned even wider. His cousin, raised as the heir to the House of Black, wanted to be a dragonologist. He liked the sound of that.

"Your grades must be good, if you're a prefect," said Sirius. "I seem to recall Cassiopeia was quite clever."

"She got more OWLs than James," said Remus fondly.

"I got ten OWLs," said Ursula, "and I'm taking ten NEWTs."