Everyone at the Red House had settled in nicely, and just as Scarlet predicted, Ron got along well with Lupin. In fact, Lupin had a natural teacher’s charm that seemed to draw all the Weasleys toward him. They loved spending time with him, chatting and learning in his easy-going company.

With all the guests comfortable and occupied, Scarlet finally allowed herself to relax. She flipped on the TV and began watching a drama, letting the peacefulness sink in. But then, the phone rang.

Ron, Fred and George immediately leaped up, excitedly, and jostled each other in a race to grab the phone first. Amid the playful shoving, they failed to realized there was more than one phone in the house. Meiko, ever graceful, appeared with the cordless phone. “Milady, your schoolmate Harry is on the line.”

“Harry?” Scarlet echoed in surprise. “I thought Hermione would’ve called first.”

She took the phone and switched it to speaker mode. “Harry?”

“Scarlet? Is that really you? I thought I dialled the wrong number for a second,” Harry’s voice came through, full of excitement. “Did I use the phone right? This is my first time making a call on my own!”

“You’re doing just fine,” Scarlet reassured him, and Ron edged closer, unsure if he should say something. Scarlet motioned him over. “Where are you now, Harry? You don’t have a phone line at your godfather’s house, do you?”

“I’m in a phone box near Sirius’s place!” Harry grumbled. “Had to go to a few shops just to get enough coins for the phone.”

“Well, you could’ve sent me an owl if you needed to reach me,” Scarlet teased, pulling Ron closer to the phone. “Ron’s here too - go on, say hello.”

“Harry!” Ron practically shouted.

“Ron!” Harry sounded just as enthusiastic.

“This is brilliant, mate!” Ron exclaimed.

“Yeah, it’s amazing!” Harry agreed.

The two of them excitedly exchanged stories about their holidays, laughing and recounting their adventures. Scarlet could hear the clinking of coins as Harry fed more into the phone to keep the call going. After a while, Harry’s tone turned more serious.

“Scarlet, can I come over for Christmas day?”

“Of course,” she replied, “just not in the morning. We’ll be out.”

“Out? Where are you all going? Can I join?”

“We’re visiting an orphanage,” she explained. “You’re welcome to come. Ron and his brothers are coming too.”

“An orphanage?” Harry repeated, his voice dropping as if he was speaking to someone else – likely his godfather. “Yes! Thanks, Sirius! Scarlet, I’m in! Where should we meet?”

“Are you in or near London?” she asked.

“In London.”

“Great, we’ll meet in front of the orphanage then. I’ll give you the address. Got a pen and paper?”

Once Harry had written down the details, he had quick chat with Fred and George as well, laughing at their jokes before they all said their goodbyes, excited to meet up the next day.

Just as Scarlet was about to return to her TV show, Lupin’s voice broke through, quiet and slightly shaky.

“Scarlet, w-who were you just talking to?” he asked, eyes widening with something between shock and recognition.

“Harry,” Scarlet replied, noting the shift in his expression. “Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. His godfather is Sirius Black...Mr. Lupin?”

“Sirius Black?” Lupin’s face tightened, but he held his composure. “He...he betrayed James, our best friend,” he said, voice barely above a whisper, but laced with deep pain.

“No, he didn’t.” Ron cut in first, his face twisted in disgust. “It was Peter Pettigrew who betrayed Harry’s dad! That filthy rat! He was hiding in our house all these years as an illegal Animagus...as a pet rat! Ugh, it was disgusting!”

“Peter?” Lupin’s voice dropped to a stunned whisper. “You mean...he’s alive?”

“Yeah, but he’s been in Azkaban for a while now,” Ron said, twisting his lips as if the memory still made him queasy. “Sirius was released. He’s Harry’s godfather. Honestly, I hope Harry can leave his aunt’s house and live with Sirius. He’s had a tough time with his aunt, uncle, and that oversized cousin of his.”

Percy, who had been listening quietly, turned to Lupin with concern. “It was all over the news a few months back. Haven’t you heard?”

Lupin shook his head, his face hollow with shock. “I’ve been...away. I didn’t know,” he said, a distant look in his eyes. “So...Sirius was innocent all along?”

“Yes,” Percy confirmed. “From what he said, he was trying to hunt down Peter Pettigrew after Pettigrew betrayed James and Lily Potter. But during their duel, Pettigrew caused an explosion, killed all those Muggles, and escaped by transforming into a rat. Black thought he’d killed Pettigrew, and because he convincing James Potter to change the Secret-Keeper, he blamed himself. He didn’t try to escape Azkaban because of that guilt. Pettigrew has the Dark Mark on his left arm, which Sirius doesn’t, and that’s proof enough.”

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Some of those details are new to me, Scarlet mused silently. It’s likely something handled between the Weasleys and Professor Dumbledore, especially since the headmaster would’ve managed all the explanations and paperwork after Pettigrew’s capture and Black’s release. She listened quietly, mentally taking note.

Lupin covered his face, a muffled, bitter laugh escaping his lips. “All this time...I’ve been living with so many questions...”

He began to share his memories, his voice reflective. He spoke of how he, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew had been inseparable at Hogwarts, with James and Sirius being especially close. They had fought against the dark wizard together, but it had all led to James and Lily Potter becoming targets. Dumbledore and the others hid them, but their location was exposed by a traitor, who they all believed was Sirius Black. Lupin recounted the tragic end: the deaths of James and Lily Potter, the disappearance of the dark wizard - which the Ministry of Magic happily declared he’s dead - and Harry becoming the Boy who Lived.

As she listened, Scarlet finally remembered why Lupin had seemed so familiar when they first met. She’d seen him in the Yearbook alongside James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. He looked worn now, much older and weathered, which was why she hadn’t recognised him at first glance.

Could Remus Lupin be another key figure in this story? Scarlet mused silently. He’s a werewolf, and there must be a reason why an author would choose to give such a close friend of the protagonist’s father that trait...

Lupin gave a somber sigh. “I always questioned why Sirius would betray James. They were like brothers...it never sat right with me. But if it was Peter...well, he was always timid, always hanging back. I thought he was just insecure, but now it seems he was simply...waiting. For someone stronger to protect him. When he found that, he didn’t think twice.”

The Weasley brothers began to curse Peter under their breath, particularly Fred and George, whose creative insults had Scarlet chuckled, and drawing a small, tired smile from Lupin.

Ron frowned, his thoughts elsewhere. “Ginny couldn’t sleep for days after we found out about Pettigrew. I hope she feels better after visiting Charlie and the dragons.”

His words reminded Scarlet of the girl she had met briefly at the station – Ginny Weasley, the only girl after six brothers. That certainly sounded like an important side character, but since Ginny wouldn’t be attending Hogwarts until next year...Scarlet mused, couldn’t figure out how she would interact with the girl, especially since they probably wouldn’t be in the same House. She shrugged off the thought and focused on helping the servants with the Christmas decorations.

It was her first Christmas with friends from school, and the occasion demanded her full attention. It was also her first time giving Christmas presents to people outside the orphanage.

Giving out Christmas present in the wizarding world was a unique experience. According to her research, some gifts were delivered by owl, some were given face to face, and others - like Scarlet’s - were sent using a special delivery service that only operated on Christmas night. The service was offered by the Hogsmeade Post Office, which sold magical wrapping papers that could teleport the present directly to the recipient.

After wrapping her presents and writing down the recipients’ addresses, Scarlet cast a charm as instructed by the post office, and the gifts vanished. From what she understood, they would be delivered by midnight and appear under the recipient’s Christmas tree, no matter how far away they were. Of course, she’d paid extra for longer distances, having left a deposit at the post office to cover all her costs.

The next day, Christmas morning, after giving out the presents to everyone in the Red House, Scarlet noticed a small stack of gifts under their Christmas tree that hadn’t been there before.

Kyle picked one up, read the tag, and smiled. “Scarlet, this one’s for you - from your friends. And boys, come get your presents!”

Scarlet found presents from Hermione, Harry, Amelia, Maya, and even from all her assistants, including Neville. But to her surprise, she also received a gift from Mrs. Weasley.

“My mum made you a sweater too?!” Ron exclaimed, holding up a sweater of his own. “She makes us one every year, and mine’s always maroon.”

Scarlet examined the maple-coloured sweater in her hands. “That’s really sweet of her. You lot must’ve mentioned me too much in your letters. I wish I’d known - I would’ve sent her a present.”

“Our mum won’t mind,” Fred said, already wearing his sweater, which was checkered and had an “F” stitched on the chest, “Now, put on the Weasley sweater and join us - our long-lost sister!”

“And none shall be able to tell you apart from us!” George declared dramatically, wearing a sweater identical to Fred’s, except his had a “G” on the chest.

“Ginger! Weasley! Ginger! Weasley!” the twins chanted, hopping around her and making everyone in the house laugh.

Scarlet slipped on the sweater. It was oversized at first, but it quickly adjusted itself to fit perfectly, bringing a soft smile to her face.

“What’s this?” The twins unwrapped Scarlet’s gift with eager hands. “A box of tools? Magic tricks?”

“Muggle magic tricks,” Scarlet explained. “Just some illusions that don’t involve real magic. Thought you might enjoy them.”

“Enjoy them?” Fred grinned

“We love them!” George finished, and the twins darted to a corner, already engrossed in studying the instructions.

Scarlet smiled and turned, only to find Meiko standing before her with a gift of her own.

“It’s an old broom from my shrine,” Meiko said proudly. “It’s been used by at least three shrine maidens. I heard, Milady, that you’ll need to fly on brooms, so I brought you this.”

Contrary to the British wizarding world’s obsession with the latest broomstick models, Japanese Jutsushi valued older items. They believed that over time, objects could gain spiritual consciousness, allowing them to form bonds with their owners and even offer protections if treated well - like a loyal pet. With enough history, some items could even develop a spirit of their own, revered and worshipped at shrines.

A broom used by three shrine maidens was, in Meiko’s eyes, a precious gift. And indeed, as Scarlet held it, she felt a subtle connection form. It was faint, like the energy of the grass or flowers she used to sense in her previous life, but she never expected to feel that from a broom, a non-living object. Though the broom was a simple bamboo one, commonly found in shrines, it felt solid and heavy in her hands – almost as if it were alive, possessing its own will.

“Thank you,” Scarlet grinned at Meiko. “I’ll take good care of it.”

The morning passed in a flurry of unwrapping gifts, with everyone delighted by their surprises. But as the time neared to leave for the orphanage, the presents were tucked away, and preparations began for their journey. Even though Meiko and Hawk weren’t joining them, it still took two vans to transport everyone and the piles of gifts they were bringing along.

Scarlet thought back to her last meeting with Mrs. Brown, the director of the orphanage. Mrs. Brown had been so anxious about Scarlet attending an unknown school in the middle of nowhere. Despite the letters and photos Scarlet had sent to reassure her that she was doing well, making friends, Mrs Brown still seemed concerned.

I hope she can finally rest easy now, Scarlet mused as they set off.