"As much as I loved Dobby," Nova began after watching Dobby get Harry into trouble. "I want nothing more than to put him in time out."

"'Time out'?" Dorcas echoed with her dark brows furrowed.

"Yeah," Nova nodded. "I don't believe in violent punishments."

"That house elf got you expelled?" James shouted in disbelief.

"Dobby," Harry correct. "His name is Dobby."

"THEY PUT BARS ON YOUR WINDOWS?" Lily shouted in outrage.

"It's fine, Mum," Harry said quickly. "It doesn't matter-"

"Of course it matters! It's barbaric!"

It was safe to say that many people in that instant were prepared to go to Azkaban. In Sirius's case, back to prison.

Nova was being oddly quiet.

Twelve-year-old Nova stood next to her chair at a long dark table. She was looking directly at the bald man down the table. Once he sat, she did as well.

The Morgensterns and Nova ate in silence. Well, the Morgensterns were eating. Not Nova.

Nova scooted her chair back and kicked her feet up onto the table. She pulled out a bag of patato crisps before eating them. She made sure to chew loud enough for them to hear, hoping to strike a nerve.

"What a wonderful day, don't you think, Matthew?" Nova questioned.

"What in Merlin's Holy name are you eating?" Mrs. Morgenstern screeched.

"Crisps," Nova said completely unbothered. "Would you like some?"

"Why do you have that . . . muggle monstrosity?"

"Well, Greta, you cut me off of my food. Girl does what a girl has to do to survive."

"They what?" Remus asked.

"If you weren't so over weight, you could have food," Mrs. Morgenstern told Nova.

Sirius gave a low growl.

"Well, I'm not sorry that I don't look like a toothpick," Nova countered. "I'm a perfectly healthy weight. The so-called 'fat' you see on my body is called muscle. I need muscles for daily tasks and quidditch."

"Who said anything about quidditch?"

"I did. I will be playing on the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year."

"No you won't."

"Watch me."

Just as Nova made to move, Mr. Morgenstern point his wand at her.

"Look away, and cover your ears," present Nova advised.

None of them listened to her.

Past Nova had ducked just in time for an arrow to fly over her shoulder. She began to run through the manor dodging spells as she went. She didn't like running from him, she felt like a coward.

"Aguamenti!"

Mr. Morgenstern had cut Nova off through one of the hidden corridors, and splashed water in her face. She stumbled back before being met with it again.

She fell to the ground, crawling back as quickly as she could. She was just about to run when ropes were tied around her.

"You will stay in the dungeons until you return to school," he growled. "You will eat every three days, and nothing more. The most you'll find gifted to you everyday is water. We need you to look your best in case a suitor happens to stop by. If they do, you will keep your mouth shut. Do not speak unless spoken to."

Nova's jaw clenched as she was levitated to the dark dungeons.

When she arrived, she was uncermoniously dropped.

"You're lucky I didn't use it on you," he growled before leaving.

Not even a minute later, Binky appeared.

"Mistress Nova?" she questioned. "Binky has retrieved the item you requested from Mrs. Morgenstern's personal stash."

Binky handed Nova a small leaf.

"Thank you, Binks."

Nova smirked before placing the leaf in her mouth.

"I'm going to-"

"It's fine Da," Nova shrugged. "It's not the worst thing that has happened to me. I'd personally take the hell they put me through than what-what they did to me."

"That leaf you put in your mouth," Hermione said slowly. "It was a mandrake leaf."

"It's part of becoming an animagi," James stated.

"Why did you need to do all of that just for Binky to sneak in and grab it?" Regulus asked.

"Well, if I'm in the dungeon, they aren't watching me like a hawk. That means that I can do my own personal work outs, and read the books I wish. That also means that I'm going to be completely unbothered, and they can't notice the leaf in my mouth," Nova shrugged.

Harry was quietly shaking with his own rage for the Morgensterns.

***

Nova was grinning like a maniac as Vernon Dursley fell out of the window as Harry, Ron, Fred, and George flew away.

"Take that you good for nothing, jackarse!" she cheered. "I hope you died!"

"Nova, you literally saw him three weeks ago-"

"Shut up, Harold! Let me have my moment."

***

"And they say I'm bad a floo travel," Nova scoffed as Harry did not end up where he was meant to.

"You went to Hawaii!" Harry argued.

"Okay..."

"You were supposed to go to the Burrow!"

"Never said my trip wasn't purposeful," Nova smirked.

"They fight like an old married couple," Marlene whispered to Regulus.

"A very old married couple," he nodded.

***

"You go along, Hermione," Nova assured. "Save me a seat. I'll go find our dunderheads."

"'Our dunderheads'?" the brunette questioned.

"Yes. Our dunderheads. There are a lot of dunderheads. Harry and Ron happen to be ours," Nova shrugged before strolling off to find them.

She had just left the platform after passing Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. She gave them a curt nod and a smile.

She stepped through just in time to see Harry and Ron running full speed at her. She tried to step back through the barrier, but she was met by a solid wall

"Holy shit-!"

Nova rolled out of the way and watched as Harry and Ron run head-first into it.

Ron's trunk fell off with the trolly with a loud thump, Harry was knocked off of his feet, and Hedwif's cage bounced onto the shiny floor, and she rolled away, shrieking indignantly; people all around them stared a guard nearby started shouting.

"Lost control of the trolly," Harry gasped as he stood.

"It's alright, Hedwig," Nova said softly. "I can't help that you belong to an absolute idiot."

Harry looked at his mother with absolute betrayal as she, and everyone else, laughed.

"Why can't we get through?" Harry hissed to Ron.

"I dunno-"

Several people were still watching them.

"We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself -"

"Where's Hedwig?" Harry asked.

Nova stood with her arms crossed and Hedwig's cage at her feet.

"It's gone," Ron said in complete shock as the seconds wore down until the train left. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back? Have you got any Muggle money-?"

The two of them stopped in shock at the sight of Nova.

"Nova?" Harry asked in shock.

"What the-"

"Hello to you too, boys," Nova handed Harry his owl. "I've got some Muggle money should we need it."

"I-what-"

"I don't speak Potternese, Harold. You're going to speak English. I'm not trilingual."

"Wouldn't it be bilingual-?"

"I speak fluent french, Ron."

"Of course you do."

Nova rolled her eyes. "It's fine. When I meet some super hot french boys I can engage in conversation with them and not just sit there gwaking at them. That might just scare them off."

"Harry doesn't look French," Marlene determined.

"Siriusly?" Sirius asked deadpan looking at his daughter. "That's why you learned french?"

"I needed to learn one language," Nova shrugged. "Russian wasn't an option, sadly. I went with the next best thing."

Harry looked at Nova, almost as if he were asking what in Merlin's name was wrong with her. Yet, there was a hint of something else in his expression.

"Awe! Wonder Boy is jealous!" Theo exclaimed.

Ron lead Harry and Nova through the crowds of muggles back to a old blue Ford Anglia.

"Are you mad?" Nova demanded as Ron suggested taking Mr. Weasley's car.

Everyone's heads snapped towards present Nova in confusion.

"You out of all people protesting-"

"Zip it, Ferret."

"I thought you, out of all people, would be up to this!"

"We should just wait for your parents!"

"Harry and I are going," Ron said stubbornly. "You can stay."

"Oh no. I'm coming. I just thought I'd take over Hermione's job. It's rather exhausting." A smirk settled on Nova's face. "What are we waiting for? I want pie!"

Harry grinned.

"Check that no ones watching," Ron said starting the ignition after the three had gotten into the car.

"Why am I in the back seat?" Nova groaned.

"You're the youngest!"

"No I'm not! Harold is!"

"Don't drag me into this arguement! And, Ron, you're alright to go now."

Nova glared at the two before putting her feet on the arm rest in protest.

Ron pressed a tiny silve button on the dashboard. The cars arounf them vanished, and so did they.

"Let's go," Ron stated.

The ground and the dirty builings on either side faded away, dropping out of sight as the car rose.

The group watched as the invisablity Booster shot in and out. They watched as Harry pointed out the direction they needed to go.

Sirius, Marlene, the twins, Ginny, Theo, and James cheered them on. Remus, Lily, and Hermione along with Blaise were not pleased. 

"Uh-oh," Ron whimpered as the car began to descend from the air. They were falling, heading straight for the wall of the castle.

"Minnie is going to kill me!" Nova shouuted.

"No!" Ron yelled, turning the steering wheel around.

They missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegtable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.

"Stop! Stop!" Ron yelled, whacking the dashboard with his wanch.

"Nova! Do something!" Harry shouted.

"We need to jump out!" she declared.

"Are you mental!"

"It's either that or get crushed to death by the Whomping Willow!"

"We'll die once we hit the ground!"

"Trust me!"

Harry looked at her once before opening the door and jumping out, pulling Ron with her. Nova followed not far behind.

"Aresto Momentum!" she shouted, her wand whipping through the air.

The trio fell to the ground softly.

"That was very smart of you," Lily determined.

Nova smiled.

The car hit the tree.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked the two.

"My wand," Ron said slowly. "Look at my wand-"

It had been snapped in half; the tip was dangling limply, held on by a few splinters.

"Oh, Ron," Nova said sadly. "We can always get you a new one-"

Ron remained silent.

The trio watched in shock as the car threw itself out of the tree, and drive away.

"Come back!" the ginger shouted. "Dad'll kill me!"

"Are you actually yelling at a car?"

"You like shouting at books-"

"That's completely different, Ronald."

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Can you believe our luck?" Ron asked, picking up Scabbers. "Of all the tree we could've hit, we had to get one that hits back."

A very animal-like growl came from the back of Sirius's throat.

"Ew. That thing is still alive," Nova groaned looking at Ron's rat with distaste.

"What have you got against Scabbers?"

"It gives me the creeps," Nova scrunched her nose. "I was hopinh he died of the Bubonic Plague or something."

"Me too," James nodded.

Ron glared at her.

"Just saying."

"We better get up to the school," Harry said carefully.

The group watched as the trio attempted to sneak into the Great Hall.

"Where's Snivs?" Nova asked, looking at the empty chair at the staff table.

"Maybe he's ill!" Ron said hopefully.

"Maybe he's left," Harry said. "because he missed out on the Defense job again!"

"Maybe he drowned while taking a shower for the first time!" Nova grinned.

"Or maybe he might have been sacked!" Ron said happily. "I mean, everyone hates him-"

"Or maybe," a very col voice said behind them. "he's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train."

The trio jumped and looked up at Snape in complete shock. Well, Harry and Ron did. Nova just looked at him.

"Oh hey, Snivs," she waved. "Fancy seeing you here. At Hogwarts."

Snape glared at her.

"I missed you too, buddy," she nodded. "Missed you too."

The group watched as Snape tried to expel them (which didn't bode over well with anyone). They watched as Minnie told them the most logical outcomes. They watched as Nova quickly pointed out that the term hadn't started, therefore they couldn't technically lose any points (no body had missed the small smile that was on Minnie's face after that). They watched as Ron, Harry, and Nova were given a detention. They watched as Nova practically begged Minnie not to write a letter home to the Morgensterns. She said she'd do literally anything. Minnie had told her with a sad glance that it was protocal.

Nova wasn't looking forward to Christmas Break her second year.