Chapter 7

"Do you think they'll get in trouble for being out of the castle so late?" Pansy asked, peeking her head around the stone formation to watch as the Minister walked down to Hagrid's hut with Macnair and Dumbledore. The Slytherins had just narrowly avoided being caught themselves, but had hid in time.

"If Potter has a wise bone in his body, he would have brought down his Invisibility Cloak," Draco said, "look, they're knocking."

Just as the Minister rapped on the front door of Hagrid's hut, the back door opened. Draco was right though; no one was visible as the door was then closed.

"I don't know who is right more—you or Hermione." Blaise said, shaking his head.

"Do you think they'll come back up this way?" Pansy asked, "We should probably hide again. See where they go next."

"Let's just go back to the common room," Blaise complained, "they're just going to go back up to Gryffindor Tower—nothing interesting is going to happen. It never does with them, they're boring."

"Blaise, you sound like a spoiled five year old," Hermione snapped, "Yes, let's hide behind this." As she spoke, she moved to the other side of the stone formation, blocking her from view if the Gryffindors happened to come back up this way. Draco followed quickly behind her. Pansy dragged Blaise behind another piece of stone, and the friends began to wait. Hermione didn't know how long they should stand there—the Invisibility Cloak caused that problem, but a few minutes later Hermione heard voices. Specifically, Weasel's voice.

"Scabbers! Keep still!"

Hermione froze—Pettigrew was with them, this could be the perfect chance. Weasel let out a yelp of pain and apparently dropped 'Scabbers', because the rat appeared on the ground and scurried off. Whipping the Invisibility Cloak off of the group, Weasel ran after his pet, yelling at him to come back. Longbottom and Potter groaned, looking at each other, and went after their friend. Forgetting all about the Hippogriff's execution, the four Slytherins began to follow the group.


"Why do you think Pettigrew is acting out?" Pansy asked, as they ducked behind a line of trees to keep out of sight. Potter, Weasel and Longbottom had just stopped, stupidly enough, by the Whomping Willow. Weasel was on the ground, finally having captured his rat.

"Probably because of that." Draco said, pointing at something to his right. Weasel must have noticed it at the same moment, because he screamed,

"Harry, Neville, run, it's the Grim! Run!"

The supposed Grim had been the topic of many Divination classes, since Trelawney was obsessed with the fact that Potter had seen it and was going to die. However this creature was very, very real today, as it charged at Weasel. Hermione gasped, moving closer, trying to get a better view of the dog.

"That's no Grim," she murmured, the realization hitting her, "That's Sirius Black."

Blaise, Pansy and Draco all turned to look at her in shock, but their heads all whipped forward quickly when they heard Weasel yell. The dog had his foot grasped around its jaw and was dragging him—and Pettigrew, toward the Whomping Willow. They then disappeared into a hole in the trunk.

"How do you know that it's Black?" Draco asked, as Potter and Longbottom begun trying to get to the secret entrance in the tree without being hit by its dangerous limbs.

"I don't know why I didn't think of it before; everyone who has talked about Peter Pettigrew has only had one thing to say about him—that he was mediocre, below average. How could a second-rate wizard ever figure out how to become an Animagus? He couldn't—not alone. Sirius Black is an Animagus, and I wouldn't be surprised if James Potter was as well."

"That could explain how he escaped Azkaban as well," Draco added, "the Dementors wouldn't recognize him as a dog."

Hermione turned to see that Longbottom and Potter were gone, "They made it in."

"Are we going in there after them?" Pansy asked, "If that dog really is Sirius Black, then there's no way he's leaving that…tree, with Pettigrew alive."

"Precious Potter is far too moral to condone murder," Draco said, "He'll want him taken to the Dementors."

"That's not much better, Draco, it will be even harder to get Pettigrew then." Pansy said.

"Don't worry," Hermione said, "I have a plan."

As Pansy was opening her mouth, presumably to ask the plan, Hermione shushed her and pointed out that Lupin was heading toward the tree.

"How did he know that they were here?" Blaise wondered, as he too disappeared into the entrance.

"I just wish we knew what was going on down there," Pansy said, "I don't like not knowing."

"I'll give you a brief rendition, Pans," Draco said, "You killed my parents, I'm going to kill you."

"Harry, no," Blaise joined in, attempting to sound like Longbottom, "That's illegal, what would my grandmother think?"

"I'll kill him for you, Harry." Draco declared, portraying Weasel. Hermione began to grin.

"Shut up, both of you." Pansy said, looking serious. As always, the boys didn't catch on.

"Who are you trying to be? Black or Lupin?" Blaise asked.

"I'm trying to be myself, look," she pointed and the four Slytherins turned to see Professor Snape heading toward the entrance of the tree as well. He immobilized the tree before reaching over and grabbing something from the ground—Potter's Invisibility Cloak.

"What in Merlin's name is happening here?" Draco said, "How is Professor Snape involved?"

"Well, nothing we can do but wait and see."


When Sirius Black exited the tunnel levitating an unconscious Professor Snape, while simultaneously assisting Weasel in walking, with the help of Potter on the other side, they knew that something interesting had gone down. Longbottom came out behind them and finally Lupin came out with a wand pointed at a short man, with ratty hair—Peter Pettigrew.

"There he is," Hermione whispered, "now how do we get him?"

The group took a break immediately upon exiting—the tree still immobilized. Black and Potter helped Weasel sit down, before walking a few feet away to talk quietly. Black had dropped Professor Snape on the ground by the entrance. They were close enough that the Slytherins could vaguely hear what they were saying.

"I don't know if anyone told you this, but I'm your godfather." Black said, sort of awkwardly.

"Yeah, I did know that." Potter replied. Obviously he had discovered the truth in the caves, and Draco was right that Potter wouldn't let them kill Pettigrew.

"If you ever—and you don't have to, but, if you ever wanted somewhere else to stay—"

"Come and live with you?" Potter asked, his face lighting up, "Could I really?"

Before Black could reply, Longbottom shouted,

"Harry!"

The two turned to look at Longbottom, and the Slytherins did as well, wondering what was going on. Pettigrew was furiously talking to Lupin, who had gone still.

"Did you take your potion tonight, my friend?" Pettigrew asked, glancing nervously up at the sky.

"Oh Merlin," Hermione whispered, "It's a full moon."

As Hermione finished her sentence, there was a loud howl and Lupin began to transform before their eyes. Moments later, a werewolf stood in his place. Black pushed Potter back toward his friends and turned to face Lupin head on.

"What should we do?" Pansy asked, looking nervous for the first time since Hermione had met her.

"There's nothing we can do," Draco said, "but see how it plays out."

Black transformed back into his Animagus form, and the two creatures began to fight.

"Look," Blaise pointed at Pettigrew, who was backing slowly away from the fight. Potter had noticed as well and had his wand pointed at the man, who grinned evilly before transforming.

"Blaise, Pansy, go after him," Hermione ordered, "Now!"

The two ran off without saying a word. When Hermione turned back to look at the scene, Black was gone and Potter was in the midst of a stare-off with a werewolf. It approached him slowly.

"We have to do something," Hermione hissed, "The Dark Lord wouldn't want him killed, not like this—not now."

Thinking on her feet, Hermione opened her mouth and let out a howl.

"What was that?" Draco muttered, "Was that supposed to be a howl?"

"Shut up," she snapped, smiling, before howling again. The werewolf turned, looking for the source of the noise, before running toward it.

"Great, now it's coming for us." Draco said, grabbing her arm, "Run."


Author's Note: Sorry it's late, but it is still technically Sunday! Happy Easter, everyone, I hope you enjoy the chapter. I kind of think it's shit, so tell me what you think! See you next week!

Thanks to LadiePhoenix007, DauntlessSlytherinTribute, Ramyfan, Carlaisabel, jennabolla, princess-alice-malfoy-granger, isaacswolfsbane, the-clumsy-one and a guest for reviewing!