• Chapter six: A Year Off

    Once again the summer holidays had finished, the Hogwarts Express had arrived at Hogsmeade Station and the new students had arrived. Sid had once again disappeared off the face of the earth when she had really exited the train with a disillusion charm on herself. Night had settled on the castle when new first years were being sorted into houses. Meanwhile a floor below them, Siderexina was eating some roast ham and selection of vegetables in her father’s office. Not necessarily as glamorous but did taste just as good. A bowl of ice cream was awaiting her on the other side of the desk.

    Just as she was about to dig her spoon into a mountain of raspberry ice cream, a click of the office lock echoed in the room. A shock came over her; it wasn’t time for the end of the feast yet was it? Without thinking, she crawled into the space behind the fire place. A moment later a sixth year entered the room. Sid straightened up to look into a window that had been disguised as a painting. The boy was from Gryffindor due to the fact he had a red and gold tie worn proudly on his chest. Peering round he checked if the coast was clear. He smiled to notice no one was there. Creeping behind the desk, she guessed he was searching Snape’s drawers. Her blood suddenly began to boil under her skin. That trespassing, she thought. Screwing up her face, she took her wand out of her pocket and aimed a hex at the boy’s back. A flash of yellow light erupted in the room. Next thing the boy knew was that he had a face covered with feathers and his fingers grew into claws. With a scream of shock, he ran out the room trying to cover his face up along the way. Giggling to herself she flicked her wand at the door to lock it again. When Snape did return from the feast, Sid explained her little tale. A cruel smile stretched across his face when she had finished.

    “You shouldn’t have done that,” he mockingly told her. After that rare moment, Severus told her that he was planning to give her a year off from work.
    “What am I to do instead?” She asked. When he replied that she could do whatever she wanted to do, she gave another smile.

    Next day, she seemed bored all morning, nothing to do. Then remembering she had a whole year to herself, she sprung into action. Sprinting up the stairs, she darted around the school finding as many places she had never been to before, which as it turns out to be all the rest of the school. Practically flying up the stairs she stopped at a blocked doorway with a gargoyle in front.
    “Where am I?” She asked the gargoyle in a nervous voice.
    “You are indeed in front of the gargoyle that guards Professor Dumbledore’s office,” replied the gargoyle. Ok... she thought. This is new. No matter how long she had known Albus for, she never found out where he lived, in the school any way. Remembering what he looked like the last time seemed like a calling to the man himself. The gargoyle stepped aside to reveal Albus standing in a lilac robe in a large archway. Although a little taken aback by her appearance, he smiled and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture. After asking her if this was what she intended to do over the year (turning up at random places) she replied with an apologetic nod. To her surprise, he smiled at her and offered a cup of tea and sweets in his office. Dumbledore’s office as you may already know is a grand room with mythical instruments of science and mountains of books. After her chat with Albus, she went on her way again. This time, she went to the seventh floor to find a corridor with only a tapestry with trolls on trying and failing ballet. On the opposite wall there was nothing there but Sid could sense something beyond the wall. Pacing from one side of the wall to the other, all Sid wanted at that moment was somewhere to be alone, to entertain herself. As she turned to do the fourth pace, she looked to find a large door of oak with brass handles. Whipping out her wand she stepped into the room beyond the doors. When she had closed the door behind her, her eyes widened at the site before her. A room the size of a cathedral greeted her. It was filled to the brim with toys and books. Her face stretched into a smile.

    Over the year, she spent most of the day in this mysterious room she later found out to be called The Room of Requirements. This room she found was a sanctuary, a hiding place, a room of which she could talk to her only friend, Faux the Phoenix. The kitchen was yet another place to satisfy herself as well as the library where she read books upon books. One night Siderexina was about to skip towards the library when she was stopped in her tracks by none other than Filch and Mrs Norris, his cat. She tried to splutter out an explanation but Filch would not listen to her and began to escort her back to her quarters. Despite his short legs and stooped back, he had a very brisk walk tonight. He was so brisk; she had to flap her feeble wings to keep up. Filch was of course rambling on as usual about punishments in the old days when Sid interrupted him.
    “I know how you feel.”
    “What? About pain?” Filch said, slightly taken aback.
    “No, about being looked a weirdly,” Sid correcting his misunderstanding.
    “Well don’t blame ‘em. Wha’ a little girl is doing in a place like this,” Filch waved a free hand to roughly where the Great Hall’s ceiling was. (Tonight it was covered with tiny stars in groups like they were gossiping among themselves.)
    “I don’t think it’s my age, Mr Filch. I think it’s my wings. They must think it’s like a dressing up game, but it’s not. I wish people could see beyond the nose and the wings. It’s not fair!”

    After this rough guide back to her room, she was left outside her room. She looked to her left to find her father’s door opened a crack. She crept into his room to find a single candle lit at his bed side and Snape asleep with a book in his hand. Smiling, Sid leant towards him and kissed him on the forehead goodnight.

    Again that year passed like the wind in a ship’s sails. With a swish of Mrs Norris’s tail.