The Joker and Her- A Harry Potter Fanfic

[Losty]

OK, I'm a huge fan of the Harry Potter books and films, and my favourite characters are a big part in this. I also understand that there are many many fics out there where they put an OC as a new kid in Hogwarts. I decided to join the club. This is set during The Prisoner of Azkaban.

Bear in mind what with The Dream Guy, The Price to Pay and a number of other fics that i'm working on, this may work slowly.

Comments and tips are welcomed.

[Losty]

The Joker and Her, Chapter 1: The Dementors on the Train

As Brienne Christie walked down the short corridors of the Hogwarts Express, she passed carriages in search of an empty one. As one of the last new students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to actually get onto the train, Brienne was passing full carriages with people her age who knew each other greatly, or first-years who were awkwardly conversing about Quidditch and discussing what House they were to be placed in.

True, this was Brienne's first year at Hogwarts, but she was not eleven, she was fifteen, and attending her fifth year of magical learning, having previous education in France at Beauxbatons.

Knocking on the door of another carriage, Brienne tugged on her long black Hogwarts robe, trying to make it represent some form of style.

"Come in," came a female, somewhat dreamy voice from inside the carriage. Brienne opened it, only to find it empty, except for a girl, younger than Brienne, with long light blonde hair pulled into a braid. She had green eyes and a blue crest with a bronze eagle with a black R over it was emblazoned on her chest. Strangely, she was reading a magazine upside-down. Even more strangely, she was wearing earrings with small radish's dangling on the ends.

"Um, is it OK if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."
The girl looked up,

"Of course." she said, returning her gaze to the magazine. She had an Irish accent. Brienne sat opposite the girl, taking out her wand (rosewood, nine and a half inches, unicorn hair) from her pocket and rubbed it on her robes, trying to make it cleaner, as her mother had advised. Silent minutes later, the girl spoke,
"You're new, arn't you?"
She put aside her magazine.
"Er, yes. How did you know?"
"I didn't see you last year. I mean, you arn't a first-year, are you?"
"I guess not."
"How old are you?"
"I'm fifteen, i'm starting my fifth year. I'm from Beauxbatons."
"I can tell, your accent."

Brienne blushed in embarrassment. She hadn't realised she still had an accent. Then she realised she didn't know the girl's name.
"I'm Brienne Christie," Brienne said, "and you?"
"Luna Lovegood. Although some people call me Loony Lovegood. I can't see why."
Brienne felt a wave of sympathy for Luna.

Suddenly, the train slowed to a dramatic stop, and all of the lights went out. At the arupt stop, Brienne's heart was sent into her throat. Her nerves building, Brienne looked at Luna to see if this was a routine thing. She shook her head, looking puzzled.

They could hear the confused murmurs of students. Brienne stood, opened the carriage door and stuck her head out, as many people were doing. Opposite them, at the same time, a boy somewhat her age, perhaps a little younger, did the same thing, and their heads knocked together.

"Hey, watch it!" The boy snarled. He had a green crest on his robes and had silver-blonde hair. Brienne narrowed her eyes as the boy shut the door again. He was definetly someone to avoid.

Returning to her seat, Brienne couldn't help but notice that everything suddenly had gotten significantly colder. Wrapping her robes around herself, as was Luna. Brienne stood to check the window was shut. It was. Frozen shut, in fact.


Worriedly, Brienne opened the carriage door again, ignoring Luna's comment ("Cold, isn't it? Oh I am hungry, I hope they have that pie they had at the feast last year, that was lovely....") and poked her head out again. And immediatly jumped back.

Outside their carriage and a little to the side, was where a tall, cloaked figure with scabby, bony arms floated outside another carriage. Just seeing it made ice grip Brienne's heart. Sensing Luna joining her at the door, Brienne turned and saw another one of the creatures gliding down the corridor straight toward their carriage. Gasping simultaneously, Luna and Brienne slammed the door shut and pressed their bodies against it, praying that the Dementor couldn't get in.

"What are they?" Brienne asked Luna, but it was pointless asking a second-year.
"I'm not sure...Daddy said something about Cloaked Farnzies coming to the school this year...."
"What on Earth are Cloaked Farnzies?"
"Well, Daddy says they glide around gathering warmth....but there's no warmth here, so they can't be here too long."

Brienne began to realise why people called her Loony Lovegood.
After a while of struggling to keep the door closed against the cloaked creature, it seemed to give up, and warmth slowly came back. The lights came back on and the train started moving again, sending Luna and Brienne flying into their seats.

A female voice sounded across the train, seeming to come from nowhere,
"I'm sorry for that disturbance. The Dementors were just scanning the train as a saftely precaution. We will be stopping at Hogsmeade Station soon. Thank you."

As the voice died there was a soft murmur that could be heard from across the train, which was the students discussing the disturbance from the Dementors. Brienne could hear the boy from the opposite carriage raging at his friends.

"Dementors? Dementors! What do they think they're doing? Just they wait until my father hears about this..."

Brienne rolled her eyes. She hadn't escaped the spoiled princesses.
At Beauxbatons, it was hard to identify a friend, as most girls looked like twins, with their long silvery blonde hair, silvery blue eyes and clear, smooth complexions. Whilst Brienne carried off this 'tradition', Brienne was curvaceous and her hair looked like a mask, which is why she always had it pulled up, unlike her ex-fellow Beauxbatons students who were tall, willowy and stunning. Brienne looked like a Beauxbatons 'little sister', in her own eyes, anyway.

After a while, the train pulled to a stop and Brienne and Luna grabbed all of their essential belongings and left the train, along the way being squashed in between a dark boy with dreadlocks and a tall boy with red hair and glasses.

Finally escaping the train, Brienne and Luna squeezed through the crowds to a beautiful lakeside. Brienne could hear a man with a gruff voice yelling,
"First-years! First-years this way please! First-years!"
Getting confused, Brienne stopped, and Luna suggested she go ask him where she was supposed to be.

"You must go along the lake with the first-years if you want to get Sorted."

And Luna was gone, sitting alone on top of a floating carriage that began to pull itself down a winding road. Brienne turned and moved to where the voice came from, and found herself standing in front of a huge man, at least double her height and five times her weight. He had a large curly beard and his hair covered most of his face. He was a truly terrifying sight.

"You're the Christie girl, en't yeh? Uhh..." he consulted a sheet of paper in his hand, "Bree-en?"

Brienne nodded, and the large man grabbed her by the arm (his hand was big enough to swallow her whole limb) and took her over to the lakeside, where a large group of undoubtedly first-years were standing.
"Righ', we're all gonna be goin' on these boats across the lake to Hogwarts. I'm Hagrid, i'm the Gamekeeper of Hogwarts. After goin' across the lake, yur' goin' inside the castle, where you would be sorted into yer' houses. Any questions?"

The first years looked at each other nervously and then up at Brienne, confused, and all of them were at least up to her elbows.

"Righ', off we go then, two to a boat, Brienne you have a boat to yerself. And off we go!"

[Losty]

The Joker and Her, Chapter 2: Sorting


Brienne was cringing. When all of the first-years had settled in the rocky little row-boats, two to each boat (Brienne could hardly fit into one on her own), Brienne heard someone laughing from the floating carriages and yelling "Look at her!"

Brienne scowled as the boats sped forward magically, her ponytail flying behind her as she saw Hogwarts Castle for the first time.
It was beautiful. Huge, grey, with enormous turrets and towers, and along with the black Forest and the glassy lake which were both undoubtedly filled with magical creatures, the whole place had a glistening magical aura.

After ten minutes of the boats transporting them to the other side of the lake, the first years, Hagrid and Brienne got out and they all walked through the grounds. Past several greenhouses, past a huge tree that seemed to quiver angrily as they passed. They walked up to an enormous door that was taller than all of them put together. Hagrid stepped forward and opened the door with his hand that was as big as a dustbin lid, and the new students trouped inside. Immediatly inside, there was a large Entrance Hall with several marble staircases that wound upwards and corridors that went in all directions. Hagrid moved to the front of the group to address them.

"Well this is as far as i'm takin' yeh. Now yeh go up those stairs," he pointed up a staircase that went up one floor, "and you'll meet Professor McGonagall, who'll tek yeh to yeh Sortin'." He gave a hefty wave and disappeared down a corridor.

Immediately all of the first-years swivelled around to look at Brienne, who turned red.
"Uhh."

She knew what they wanted her to do. Tentatively, Brienne stepped forward and led the new students upstairs the one floor. Once there, a tall, thin, bony old woman waited for them. She was wearing dark green robes, had her hair in a tight bun and glasses poised on her pointed nose. She nodded at Brienne as they appeared from the staircase.

"Hello. I am Professor McGonagall, and I am the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, and welcome to the school on behalf of the staff.

I am about to take you into the Great Hall," the Professor waved her hand behind her, where an even more impressive door than before was standing closed. They could hear a loud buzz of conversation from the other students from behind the door, "where you shall be placed into your house. They are Griffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin."

All of these houses seemed to arouse some kind of reaction from the first-years. They brightened up at the prospect of being placed in Griffindor, however dread sparked on their faces when they heard the word 'Slytherin'. Brienne personally didn't know the difference, but she wouldn't mind being placed in Luna's house.

'Then at least I know someone.' Brienne thought. McGonagall then went on to explain the House Points system, which made the first-years look excited but just worried Brienne.

Professor McGonagall looked at Brienne with the air of someone who was looking at an extra chore.

"You are Brienne Christie, I believe?"
"Yes."
Brienne nodded, wondering what was about to befall her.
"Your wand, please."

Confused and worried, Brienne pulled out her rosewood wand and handed it to the Professor. She took out her own wand and put the tips of both wands together. At contact, red and silver sparks eminated from both wands. McGonagall nodded, and handed back Brienne's wand.

"Just a quick check, to see if everything is in order. Now. Come with me please."
The Professor turned, and the huge door behind her opened as she began walking. Brienne let her fellow new students follow before walking herself, so she was at the back of the group.

They walked into one of the biggest rooms Brienne had ever seen, with golden walls and four long tables filled with seated students with hanging crests overhead which showed which table was for which house. Along the tables was a raised platform where several teachers sat, including Hagrid, who sat at the edge.

At their entrance, every eye in the room seemed to turn to them, and silence fell. Brienne turned bright red as she saw Luna sitting at the Ravenclaw table giving her a thumbs up and waving. She smiled and nodded in Luna's direction, grateful for her support.

Sitting in front of the Teacher's Table was a three legged stool, whereupon an old, tatty, dirty hat sat. McGonagall strode and stood beside the stool and a large roll of parchment materialised out of thin air, and landed in her hands. Before McGonagall could say a word a large rip opened in the hat and began to speak:


"Welcome, new students are thee,
Just you watch while I count to three,
and proceed to tell you why I am here,
and why it is but once a year!"

The Sorting Hat's speech lasted a few minutes, explaining to Brienne and the new students about the four houses and how different they were, and at the end Brienne could see why the students were worried about being placed in Slytherin. After the Hat's voice had died away, the students and teachers alike applauded politely, and McGonagall righted her glassed and lifted her parchment.

"Collins, Samuel."
A boy with tamed straw hair stepped forward, a big, goofy grin plastered upon his face. He sat onto the stool and the Hat was dropped onto his head. Mere seconds later, the Hat shouted,

"Hufflepuff!"
The middle right of the tables exploded in applause, as Samuel Collins practically fell off the stool in order to be seated in his new House Table.
"Kook, Lee."
A tiny boy with curly brown hair sat on the stool.
"Griffindor!"
A similar reaction occured, as Lee Kook sat down.
"Queen, Willhelmina."
A pompous looking girl with long black hair sat on the chair, and the Hat immediatly called her house,
"Slytherin!"

On and on the first-years were placed, until only Brienne remained. At seeing her name on the register, McGonagall looked up and spoke to the student body, her voice suddenly magically magnified.

"Before this student is placed, I must remind you that this new student is from Beauxbatons, and shall be joining the fifth-year class, as I am sure Professor Dumbledore told you..."

McGonagall turned to a grand old man with silver hair and beard with half-moon glasses and royal blue robes. He was sitting in the middle of the staff table and looked at Brienne with piercing blue eyes, and nodded slowly.

"...and I remind you to treat her with respect and to help her with directions if need be. Now..."
Again, all eyes were upon Brienne, who was shrinking in her robes, she was so embarrassed. All that fuss over her!
"Christie, Brienne."

Slowly, Brienne stepped forward and sat on the stool, a spasm of fear and dread hitting her for the first time. Then she felt the light weight of the Hat falling in front of her eyes and darkness hitting her. Taking a deep breath, Brienne could hear the Hat speculating what house to place her in.

"Hmmm...oh there's smarts, yes...oh, but bitterness and fear...great sense of justice....but what house?....what one?"
Not knowing herself what House she wanted to be placed in, Brienne's heart was incased in fear as she felt the Hat open it's mouth...
"Griffindor!"

[Losty]

I don't know why these have turned bold, sorry guys I can't undo it with edit.

[Losty]

The Joker and Her, Chapter 3: Griffindor

Brienne beamed at her new house, which exploded at recieving the new girl. She hopped off the stool, replacing the Sorting Hat on it. The only free space on the bench was next to a boy, younger than her, with red hair who was gulping down a large goblet of pumpkin juice.

Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster, said more messages including the announcement that Demontors will be guarding the school and the grounds from Sirius Black, the criminal that had escaped from the prison Azkaban the same week that Brienne had arrived in England to live with her father.

Seconds after the announcements, the Headmaster said two words: "Tuck in."

And all the food suddenly materialised out of thin air! Platters of all kinds of food imaginable were spread out extravagantly over the four House Tables. The red-headed boy next to her practically dove in, piling his plate up with chicken legs, pasta and chips, talking with his mouth full to the bushy haired girl sitting on his other side.

Brienne also got stuck in, pulling a slice of pie onto her plate, grabbing a silver goblet of juice and downing it.

She hadn't eaten all day, since that morning, when her father had given her a hearty breakfast,
"Something to fill you up until the train," he had said.
However, Brienne had passed on the train food, knowing she would get a wonderful welcome in the famous Hogwarts Feast that her father had gone on about when she arrived in England.

Brienne's father is English, hence her second name: Christie. Her mother was French, and like most girls her age, Brienne decided to live with her mother in France when her parents divorced. The reason of her sudden move, well....
Too painful for Brienne to think about.
The school ate for what seemed like a long time, all of the new kids being introduced with second years. Brienne got ignored except for the occaisional question about Beauxbatons and if there were any girls that needed a penpal (these mostly coming from sixth year boys), but she didn't mind. She'd only been in the school for an hour.

- - -

Ding! Ding! Ding!
Brienne and all of the other students stopped what they were doing. The staff table had also stopped, not looking worried in the slightest. Brienne, confused, looked around at her fellow Griffindors. Most of them were staring at the platters of food, grinning. And second later they were again digging in.

Brienne looked at her plate, and found that all of the mains, all the meals you could imagine, had all disappeared, and replacing them were desserts of all kinds.
A smile growing on her face, Brienne grabbed some creme brulee.

- - -

A while later, Dumbledore had stood and told all of the students to go to bed.

"Now that we have been fed and watered, I think we all need a rest. Go and sleep and prepare for first lessons tommorrow. Goodnight!"

He had also said that prefects were to lead their houses to their common rooms. At Dumbledore's words, Brienne heard lots of scraping as all of the students stood and followed their respective prefects to the Entrance Hall. The Griffindors went up some floors, down a corridor where a large portrait of a fat lady wearing a red dress was decorating the walls. The prefect stepped forward, the crowd of Griffindor's bustling.

"Password?" asked the Fat Lady in the portrait.
"Menim Macronim."
The Fat Lady nodded grimly, and the portrait swung open to reveal a large hole in the wall. The prefect led the way through the hole and opened a door on the other side, to the common room.

The room was extravagantly decorated in red and gold colours, a large banner of a golden lion glimmered over a roaring fire, two big armchairs sitting there, just crying out for company. At the back of the room, two staircases spiralled up, out of sight. The second, third, fourth and so on years went up the stairs, the boys on the left, the girls on the right, and some lingered in the common room, making themselves comfortable.
The first years and Brienne stood, trying to edge to the fire to warm themselves up. The prefect, a tall, dark haired boy stood in front.
"Welcome to the Griffindor common room. You'll be spending a lot of your time up here, so make sure you make yourselves at home and get to know as many of your fellow house as possible. The dormitories are up the stairs, the boys to the left, the girls on the right. Your belongings have been brought up already."

The boy then climbed up the left staircase, some of the first years following. Brienne stood there alone, looking around at the room she was in, soaking it in. Most of the Gryffindors that had stayed in the common room avoided her gaze, so she trudged upstairs to the girls dormitory, after considering going out to look for Luna.

'I don't know my way around here,' Brienne thought, 'I'll find her tomorrow.'

The staircase finished with a large, wooden door with a rounded finish. Brienne turned the old iron handle and helped herself in.
Inside was another room that had several floors, all pieced together by another spiral staircase.

In a circle were five beds, all poster-beds. They looked incredibly comfortable, with large trunks at the foot of them containing the owners belongings. Each of the old, wooden trunks were carved with a single name.

Seeing that her name weren't on them, she went up three floors, where she finally found her bed. It was pink, the curtains elegantly draped to just reveal the plumped-up pillows and pink spread. Brienne, tired, placed her wand on the small bedside table and took off her robes. Too tired to change into pajamas, Brienne fell into bed, immediatly asleep.

[monster-eats-pilot]

Awww it's really good, i dont know why I decided to read it, I havent read Harry Potter since the summer but it's a good read

Also it's better to read in bold

[Losty]

Thanks MEP

[monster-eats-pilot]

Welcome

[Losty]

Here's episodes 4 and 5:

The Joker and Her, Chapter 4: Lupins Welcome

The next morning, Brienne was sitting down in a chair at the Griffindor table in the Great Hall. She was wearing her black robes with the new red and gold badge on the chest pocket. Her wand was in her pocket and beneath her robe she wore a crisp white blouse, jeans and white trainers. Her hair was up.

She was eating her breakfast alongside a red-headed girl who claimed to be called Ginny. Brienne had helped herself to eggs, bacon and coffee whilst Ginny asked her about Beauxbatons.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be," Brienne said at Ginny's question at what it was like to be a student there, "everybody's being a cow to someone, you have to look perfect everyday otherwise people don't talk to you, and no boys."
"So, i'm really not missing anything?"
"Right. With my first impressions on this place," Brienne had said, indicating the Great Hall with a wave of her arm, "Hogwarts is where it's at."

Brienne smiled friendily at her new companion, desperate for a new friend, as Luna had not yet arrived to breakfast. Despite this, Ginny did look quite disappointed at the facts.
Minutes later, Professor McGonagall went walking up and down the Griffindor table, handing out timetables. When she got to Brienne and Ginny, she gave them their timetables, parchment rolled up. She nodded at Brienne and walked away. Ginny picked up her bag and stood up.
"I'm going to go and find my friends. See you later."
"Bye," Brienne smiled again, watching Ginny go and nod at a boy with black hair and glasses who was approaching two people to the other side of Brienne.

Brienne looked back to her timetable, her appetite slowly disappearing. Freezing, her gaze shot back up at the boy who had just passed.

Is that... Brienne thought, Harry Potter? Brienne watched as the boy sat alongside a girl with bushy hair and the red-headed boy who Brienne had sat next to at the previous nights' banquet. The boy shared a joke with the red-headed boy and they both laughed, and he brushed back the hair on his forehead to reveal a small lightning shaped scar.
There's the scar, she went on thinking, so it is him.

Then the bell rang signalling morning lessons, and Brienne jumped up, swinging her bag over her shoulder and shoving her timetable under her nose.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Brienne said out loud, and looked in front of her, "and if only I knew where to go."
She looked up and down at her fellow Griffindors for anyone who could be fifth year. Potter and his friends had already gone, although she knew he was at least a year younger than she was.

Deciding that she would find her own way there, Brienne folded up her timetable and slipped it into the pocket with her wand. She made her way from the Great Hall, nervously wondering where to go.

She went into the Entrance Hall where there was a corridor leading off to a large place with several stairways going up and down and sometimes across. It took Brienne several moments to realise that these stairways moved of their own accord.

Laughing at herself, Brienne was just about to attempt jumping on a moving one before a voice made her jump- and almost right off of the corridor!
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Brienne yelped and jumped back. The boy who had spoken to her was tall, red-headed and good looking. He had a smirk on his face and held his hand out, seemingly unaware that he had frightened the living daylights out of her.

Brienne shook his hand, getting ready to say the riff on Beauxbatons and how the girls arn't perfect and how no, they didn't need penpals, a riff that seemed to be needed whenever a boy had come up to her in the last twelve hours.

The boy raised his eyebrow at her, then looked over his shoulder at a boy completely identical to himself, who was bent over with laughter halfway down the corridor. They were both Griffindors.

Brienne looked between the two boys, as the laughing one joined them. They didn't seem to have any differences, other than the clothes they were wearing. Not one hair out of place was different.

The boy who had snuck up on her grinned.
"Hello there."
"Hi." Brienne was at a loss to what they were up to now.
"Are you lost?" The other boy said.
"Yeah, I am actually," Brienne frowned at them. "Are you fifth year?"
"We are," they both said at the same time. Brienne almost jumped back in shock. The boy who had not snuck up on her held his own hand out.
"I'm George, and this is-"
"-Fred," they both said.

Brienne took George's hand and shook it, not realising he had held her hand for far too long until he let go. Fred seemed to notice it aswell, looking at his brother with an amused look on his face.

The warning bell sounded, and Fred and George leaped forward and pushed Brienne down the corridor. Brienne tried to run forward but the boys caught up to her, and- one taking one of her arms- ran forward themselves and pulled her along.
"Oo, look, she's following us, George," Fred spoke to his brother, "I think she may have a crush on me!"
"Oh no, it's me. Check out this pulling power!"

Brienne scowled as they reached a classroom door. Fred and George finally let go of her as Brienne marched in.
The classroom was large, with the desk near the winding staircase which came from the door. The vast majority of the room was taken by benches where three people each sat. Almost all of the students had arrived, and a bench was vacant near the front of the class.

"Perfect!" the twins said at the same time. They simultaniously grabbed Brienne again and pushed her toward the vacant bench, where they sat her down in the middle. They sat down on either side of her, each putting their arm around her shoulders. Brienne cringed.

Shrugging their arms off, Brienne said, "Look, please. Stop."
"What are we doing?" George asked, looking over at his brother, "What do you reckon, Fred?"
"She's in love with us, obviously."
Brienne sighed. Fred and George sighed. Brienne glared at them, and they both smiled. Brienne sat back, clearly at a loss to what these boys were up to.

She then heard a clunk as the door closed. Brienne and the twins looked up to see a young man entering the room, a few books under his arm. He had a few faded scars on his worn face and had short flecks of grey in his brown hair. He had hazel eyes, wise beyond his years.

The man, dressed in a long black cloak, set his things on the teachers desk. He then took off his cloak to reveal a smart shirt and trousers. He went to the front of the desk and leant on it, his arms folded, his gaze sweeping across the class.

At seeing him, the pupils- who before were chattering- fell silent.
"Good morning," the teacher said, "my name is Professor Lupin, and I shall be taking your class this year for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Lupin stood up straight and made his way to the back of the class, where he lifted his wand and conjured a large figure, something that looked like a tin crash test dummy, out of thin air.

Lupin made his way to the front of the class again, where he waved his wand again and his desk flew to the wall and stayed there.
"Wands out, please."
Brienne quickly took out her wand and threw down her cloak. She then went over to Lupin, where the other students were standing. The twins followed, looking geared up for some practical work. With a last wave of his wand, Lupin made all of the other desks fly to the walls so there was more space.

"Stand in a line, please," Lupin said, turning to the dummy as the students scrambled to get in a line, "today, we shall be learning the ways of combat. I believe that you have all taken part in duels, so this will be good practise for you."
Brienne, who was halfway down the line, stood on her tip-toes so she could look over the shoulder of Fred, who was standing in front of her. Lupin, at the front of the line, said,
"The first spell we shall be learning is the repel charm. It blocks spells that are being shot at you and can also send your opponent back."

Lupin stepped forward, flicking his wand at the dummy,
"Stupefy!"
A jet of red light shot out from the end of Lupin's wand. It hit the target on the dummy's stomach and it was blasted back, crumpled against the wall.
"Now you!" yelled Lupin, who ran forward and levitated the dummy from the floor. The next student in the line, a Ravenclaw girl, panicked and said the wrong spell, which resulted in the dummy being transformed into a canary. The girl, embarrassed, went to the back of the line. The students laughed as Lupin got into a pickle trying to catch the canary, and then turned it back to normal.

Fred, who was next, stepped forward.
"Stupefy!"
The spell was almost succesful, but it missed its mark and smashed the mirror on the wall behind the dummy. George creased up in laughter. Brienne laughed also, as Fred gave his brother a high five and joined the Ravenclaw girl at the end of the line.

Brienne was next. She took a deep breath and stepped forward, and with an elegant flick of her wand, cast the spell.
"Stupefy!" she yelled, as the red light came from her wand and perfectly hit the dummy in the chest.
"Well done!" said Lupin, who nodded at Brienne. She nodded back and smiled at herself as she joined Fred at the back of the line. George was similar to Fred, he missed the mark, but did cast such a powerful spell that the dummy's head was blasted off of it!

When all of the students had practised 'Stupefy,' Lupin taught 'Impedimenta,' 'Reducto,' and 'Rictusempra,' which, with practise, Brienne, Fred and George perfected.
In the final moments of the class, and the pupils were filing out of the door, Brienne was just about to follow the twins when she heard the Professor calling her back.

"Miss Christie."
The twins oohed at her, but Brienne ignored them and went back to Lupin's desk, standing before him with her head slightly down.
"Yes, sir?"
He looked up from his books, his eyebrows slightly raised.
"Don't look so worried, Brienne. You're not in trouble. Quite the opposite, in fact."
He stood and went to lean on the front of his desk, his arms folded.
"I don't suppose you remember me, but..." Lupin looked lost for words for a moment, then rubbed his brow and started again.
"I don't suppose you remember me, but I was a great friend of your father's. I last saw you when you were very little, only a baby, I think. I just called you back to welcome you to the school."

Brienne snapped her gaze back up at him and stared into his face, trying to remember him, to no sucess. Lupin blinked at her.

"You look very much like your mother, Brienne."
Brienne hung her head, trying not to let the remark upset her.
"Oh! I've upset you, i'm so sorry. I'm extremely sorry for your loss. I was friends with her aswell-"
"Do you know how she died?" Brienne whispered urgently, tears in her eyes. Lupin looked at her, confused for a moment before replying.
"I'm afraid not, my dear. I'm very sorry."
"It's alright," Brienne forced a small, disappointed smile, even though she still had tears in her eyes, "I should go."
"Oh! Well, I was going to talk to you about your..."
"I have to go, i'll come back later. Bye, Professor." Brienne replied as the warning bell for the next lesson sounded. She hurried up the steps, furiously wiping her tears without letting the teacher see.

She brightened up her smile (even though it wasn't genuine) at the twins, who had waited for her outside the door. Fred, who was halfway down the corridor, was gesturing for her and George to follow.

As they did so, George reached out and flicked a stray tear from the corner of Brienne's eye.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine!" Brienne said breezily. George did not look convinced. He stopped walking.
"What did Lupin want?" he asked seriously. Fred had stopped walking also.
"Nothing." Brienne replied. She caught up with Fred and went with him to Herbology, George joining them but not talking.

As the day passed, Brienne spent most of the time with the twins, trying to get her mind off of the minute with Lupin.
And as they settled to dinner that evening, Brienne resolved she wouldn't go back, to continue Lupin's Welcome.

TBC...

[Losty]

The Joker and Her, Chapter 5

My Mother

Brienne's first week at Hogwarts went well. She had become fast friends with the twins, Fred and George, and had quickly gotten used to their hyperactive and mischevious banter. She sat with them at nearly every meal, and as she was in all of their classes, sat with them in those aswell.

Brienne had also spent some time with Luna, but had quickly realised that she was far too young, and far too distant, and far too...odd, to cement a friendship with her.

It was her first Saturday at Hogwarts, and Brienne, Fred and George were sitting at the Griffindor table, eating breakfast when the letter arrived. Brienne didn't have an own, but she spotted her father's dark grey owl immediatly as they flocked in to deliver their post. Storm (the owl) landed gracefully on Fred's plate of scrambled eggs and sausages and lifted his leg to reveal a roll of parchment. George rolled around in his seat with laughter as Fred cried out, outraged.

Brienne tried to hide her amused smile as she detached the letter and opened it, recognising her fathers handwriting. Storm took off immediatly, swooping off to the colourful ceiling and out of sight.

"Wait!" Brienne called after it, "What if I want to write back?! Storm!"
But he was gone.
"Just use one of the school's owls," Fred replied, taking a bit of fried bread from George's plate, "Just take the letter up to the Owlery and away you go."

But Brienne had already opened the letter and was halfway through reading it. The Twins watched her apprehensively, waiting for her to finish reading.

Seconds later, Brienne looked up from the letter- her eyes averted from the Twins- her upper lip twitching. Throwing down the letter, she stood.
"I'm going to the Owlery." she said, her voice breaking and sounding a lot like she was trying hard not to cry. She picked up her bag and hurried off, forgetting the letter.

"Brienne!" George shouted after her. He looked at his brother, who had picked up the letter and had given it a cursory glance. George stood, picking up his own bag and in turn, rushed after her. Fred watched him go, and then began to read th