Summary: Harry finds himself with Sakura over the long summer with his Aunt and Uncle and annoying cousin. He cant wait for school to start. When it does he finds himself thrown into another adventure.
AHH I SUCK AT SUMMS!L
CHAPTER NINE
A Week Later…
"Relax... Let your mind... Go…" Professor Trelawney Told her Divination class. All the students gazed into the crystal balls their faces reflected from the mist in the glass so their very own skin looked like it was made of smoke. Conspicuously, Harry, Ron and Hermione sit apart.
"Crystal-gazing requires that you clear the Inner Eye. Only then, will you... See. Oh my, what do we have here...?" Professor Trelawney says as she eyes Harry's crystal ball, Hermione rolls her eyes.
"Here we go again. It's the Grim! It's the Grim!" Hermione said sarcastically.
"My dear, from the moment you first arrived in my class, I sensed that you did not possess the proper spirit for the noble art of Divination. You may be young in years, but the heart that beats beneath your bosom is as shriveled as an old maid's, your soul as dry as the pages of the books to which you so desperately cleave." Professor Trelawney said as her eyes narrowed. Stung by what the professor said Hermione starts to reply, but, remarkably, seems incapable of a single word. Rising gracelessly, she exits, knocking her crystal ball to the floor. Harry watches curiously as the ball rolls slowly out of the doorway.
"'In late spring, one of our number will leave us forever!' You knew, Professor! You saw." Lavendar said restating what Professor Trelawney said earlier that year.
"On these occasions, I take no joy in my gift, Miss Brown. Now shall we continue class?" The professor said.
Later as all the students exit, Ron, walking separately from Harry, turns to Neville.
"She's gone mental, Hermione has. I mean, not that she wasn't always mental, but now it's out in the open for everyone to see…" Ron stops, glances at Harry, then moves off. Harry watches him go, along with the others, then spies Hermione's crystal ball lying on the landing. Once Ron realizes Harry's not coming he stopped.
"Harry you coming?" He asked. Harry looks down and simply says.
"Someone's got to return it. See you later Ron." Harry picks the ball up and runs back up the stairwell. He sets Hermione's crystal back on its stand, starts to go, when... the smoke within the crystal suddenly darkens. Leaning close, Harry watches the shape that appears. It is unmistakable: Sirius Black. Just then, a shadow crawls the glossy surface of the crystal and a hand snatches Harry's shoulder. He wheels, and finds...
"Professor Trelawney" Harry gasps.
" He will return tonight.…" Harry stiffens. Trelawney's voice is eerily hollow.
"S-sorry?" Harry stutters.
"Tonight, when the clock strikes twelve, the servant shall break free. He and his Master shall be reunited. It cannot be prevented." Trelawney said as she smiled savagely... then her head falls forward. When it rises, she blinks, eyes her hand that lies upon Harry's shoulder.
"So sorry, dear boy. Did you say something?" She said ; her voice normal once again. Harry shakes his head.
"No. Nothing." He said as he left her room. Harry unsettled by his encounter with Trelawney hastens down the stairs only to run into Sakura.
"Sakura? What are you doing here?" he asked out of breath from running.
" I felt as if something was wrong so I came to find you after Ron told me you stayed to return something to that wacky teacher. You ok?" She replied while her giant emerald eyes searched his for any sign of being distraught.
"I'm fine. Come on we better go get Ron and Hermione. Its almost time for well you know what. We all want to be there for Hagrid afterwards." Harry said as he grabbed Sakuras hand and ran down the stairs to get the others and got to Hagrids.
Ron Sakura Hermione and Harry hurry towards Hagrid's hut.
"I can't believe they're going to kill Buckbeak! It's too horrible." Hermione cried.
"It just got worse." Harry growled out as he clutched his fists. They all turn to where Harry's eyes were to see Malfoy, along with Crabbe and Goyle, just lurking around, binoculars in hand, spying on Hagrid, who stands in the pumpkin patch, tossing dead ferrets to Buckbeak. Hagrid wipes his eyes and lopes into the hut. "Did you see the big, fat blubbering oaf?! Oh, this is going to be rich. Did I tell you, Father said I can keep the head -- (looking up) Ah. Come to see the show?" Sakura face grew a look of disgust as she heard Malfoy say this.
"You... foul... loathsome... evil... little cockroach…" Hermione gritted out through her clenched teeth pointing her wand at Malfoy, Causing him to stumble back against a tree, cross-eyed with fear.
"Hermione! No!" Ron yells at her. She turns, surprised Ron's spoken to her. He looks away.
"He's not worth it." Hermione nods, then -- SMACK! -- quick as lightning, lands a punch right to Malfoy's jaw, putting him flat on his back.
"pathetic." Sakura says. Stunned, Malfoy leaps to his feet and runs, Crabbe and Goyle huffing and puffing behind. Sakura as cunning as she is pulled out her wand and called.
"Trishka." And Malfoy fell to the ground as his and Crabbe's and Goyles pants were all pulled down to reveal that they do indeed wear whitey tightys.
" Now didn't that just feel swell?" Sakura asked.
"That did feel good." Hermione replied as the four of them made their way down the slope and past Buckbeak, chewing on a ferret with idle satisfaction. They knock on Hagrids door and are greeted with warning of it becoming dark.
Hagrid stands by the window watching Buckbeak. Harry and Ron sit and Hermione makes tea with the help of Sakura.
"Look at 'em. Loves the smell o' the trees when the wind blows…" Hagrid said sadly.
"I say we set him free." Harry states boldly.
"They'd know I did it. And tha' would only get Dumbledore in trouble. Gonna come down, you know. Says he wants ter be with me when it... when it happens. Great man, Dumbledore." Hagrid say with a lump forming in his throat.
"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid." Sakura said.
"You will not! Think I wan' you seein' a thing like this! No. You'll drink your tea an' be off. But before you do -- I want to see you an' Ron shake hands, Harry." Ron and Harry looked at each other and look back at Hagrid.
"Thin' I haven' seen 'ow it's bin betw'n you two? Go on now…" Hagrid says. Reluctantly, Harry and Ron extend their hands to shake.
"Good. Now then. Ron, I wan' ter see you give Hermione a hug." Hermone and Ron looked at each other and in unison shout.
"WHAT?"
"Go on! You two've been at it all year. An' I'm sick o' it." Acutely uncomfortable, Hermione and Ron step forward and perform perhaps the most awkward hug Hogwarts has ever seen.
"Crikey, tha's jus' abou' the most pathetic hug I ever seen. But you did it, an' that's what matters. There's jus' one other thing…"
"I'm not kissing Fang if that's what you're thinking…" Ron croaked out. Hearing his name, Fang, Hagrid's giant boarhound thumps his tail happily on the floor. Hagrid turns, takes the lid from a flour tin and a tiny head with tiny ears flecked with powder, emerges.
"Scabbers! You're alive!" Ron screamed with happiness.
"Yeh should keep a closer eye on your pets, Ron." Hagrid lectured.
"I think you owe someone an apology." Hermione said with anger.
"Right. Next time I see Crookshanks, I'll let him know." Ron said sarcastically.
"I meant me." Hermione said with outrage.
"Crikey. Here we go again…" Hagrid sighed. smash! A glass jar on the shelf shattered. Hermione scoops up a jagged star shaped stone, just as a second stone bounces off the back of Harry's head.
"Ow!" Harry said just as Sakura started rubbing the back of her head with a scowl on her face. Harry turns, looks out the window.
"Hagrid…!" Harry whispered. Everyone turns and looks. Dumbledore and Fudge approach. Behind them, in a fluttering shroud of crows was the Executioner. Following behind him over his shoulder was the axe. Hagrid begins to panic.
"You got to go! It's almost dark. Anyone sees you outside the castle it'll be trouble! Big trouble! 'Specially you, Harry -" Hagrid said as he was cut off from bangs on his door. Hagrid stiffens in fear. Harry reaches up, puts his finger to Hagrid's trembling lips, speaks softly to the others.
"C'mon." Harry said to the others. The four of them exit through the back door, Fudge, Dumbledore and the Executioner enter through the front. A veil of crows flutters onto the roof. More drop into the patch, and begin to slowly circle Buckbeak. Harry and the others duck behind the pumpkins and watch Hagrid solemnly greet the others. Fudge appears at the window. Picks his nose. Just then, a Shhh! is heard. Hermione turns. The branches of the trees behind her are moving oddly.
"What?" Harry asks.
"Nothing, I just thought I saw... Never mind." Hermione said. The four of them slipped silently into a stand of trees. Beyond them, Hagrid's hut glimmers desolately in the dying sun. High in the clock tower, a bell begins to toll. DING! DING! DING! The four stop, fighting their tears. The crows shriek excitedly and the Executioner separates from the others, disappears behind a low stand of trees. DING! All goes very still. The wind loses its voice... DING! Sunlight kicks off the axe as it rises over the trees, DING! The axe hangs seemingly forever, etched against the sky, then drops from sight. A sickening chop! fouls the breeze and Ron and Harry stare toward the trees in numb disbelief. Hermione, face turned away, trembles... Sakura eyes were already filled with tears that were over flowing down her face and off her chin.
The sun sets, dropping behind the mountains in the distance. Hermione turns. Sees a frenzied spray of crows stain the bloody sky, their primeval shrieking rising like a curse. Slowly, Hermione's hand falls onto Ron's shoulder. Ron shrieks and drops Scabbers as he looks at his finger and the blood dripping off of it.
" he bit me! Scabbers bit me." Ron said as he ran after his rat.
"Ron! No!" Hermione calls after him as she chases him. Harry and Sakura also join the chase.
Ron runs for scabbers as he dashes up hills and jumps to get the rat right under the Whomping Willow.Harry, Sakura and Hermione reach the top of the ridge and stop panting for air, as the three of them look up their faces are engulfed with worry..
"Harry. You do realize what tree this is.." Hermione stated quickly.
"Now behave yourself." Ron whispers to Scabbers.
"That's not good."
"Ron! Run!" Sakura screams as she takes one step forward. Ron spins. Looks toward his three friends and screams.
"Harry! Run!" Ron shouts, Harry's eyes shift. Bounding toward him in the gathering gloom is an enormous pale yellow eyed jet black dog. As the dogs runs at Harry, Harry shields himself from the blow he thought was coming until the dog leaps clear over him.
"Aaaahhh!" Ron shrieks as the dog's teeth flash and snap close on hiss foot, dragging him towards the tree trunk like a rag doll. Instantly, Harry, Hermione and Sakura dash forward. Harry's gets the closest as he leaps out, and grabs Ron's hands... but he and Ron just keep skidding along the ground.
"I've got you!" Hermione yells as she pitches herself onto Harry's feet... and the three of them go scudding along.
"Harry!" Ron cries. Harry raises his chin and loses his grip on Ron.. The dog vanishes into the gap at the base of the tree and begins to pull Ron through.
"Hold on, Ron!" Harry screams at Ron. But it's no use. The dog is too powerful. Harry glances around desperately, then finds himself looking directly in Ron's eyes reading his mind.
"No, Ron…" Harry grunted. One by one, Ron releases his fingers from Harry's forearm. Sacrificing himself.
"Nooooo!!!" Harry yells, but Ron closes his eyes, releases his hands fully, anddisappears. As Sakura stood there, her mind was racing and her feet began to move on her own as she dashed towards the hole and dived in. Hermione and Harry were about to do the same but the Whomping Willow sweeps first Hermione, then Harry, into the air and drops them on their backsides. As one, they rise. Run back toward the gap in the tree. A branch swoops down. Hermione ducks. Harry doesn't. He is flung one way, his glasses the other. Hermione hops over another branch -- looks briefly pleased with herself -- only to find herself swept high in the air by a second branch. She looks down, sees Harry searching the ground for his glasses.
"Haaaaaaarrrrrr!!!!!!!!!" Hermone calls out to Harry, who squints up, sees a pile driving fist of a branch screaming straight down for his head. He rolls away just as the branch pulverizes the ground. Hermione whips around on a tree branch, still clinging on for dear life, and Harry rises, just as he's promptly knocked to the ground again. Hermione goes crashing through the high branches, Harry spies his glasses and grabs them. Rising, he fits them to his face and eye sight turns crystal clear just in time to see Hermione flying towards him.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" She screams.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Harry yells as Hermione reaches out, grabs Harry's shirt and while riding the branch in tandem the two boomerang back, hurtling toward the trunk of the tree, through the gap, and into the darkness below.
"OOMPH!" Harry hits the ground hard.
"OOMPH!" Hermione falls on top of him.
"Oh I'm sorry." Hermione says as she gets off him.
"Don't mention it. Lumos." As the tip of Harry's wand glows it reveals a long, snaking tunnel.
"Where do you suppose this goes?" Hermione asks.
"I have a hunch. I just hope I'm wrong...Sakura?" Harry says as he rushes down the tunnel a little bit more to find a blob of pink struggling to get up.
"Sakura?! Are you ok?" Harry asks again as he helps her up. Sakura look at him in the face and growled.
"Can you please be a bit more careful! Your not the only one who feels pain!!" Sakura whispered harshly.
"Sorry." Harry says while blushing.
Harry, Sakura and Hermione make their way through the primitive passageway, ducking the roots that dangle overhead. Then, abruptly, the tunnel... ends. Confused, Harry, Sakura and Hermione glance about, then -- as one -- peers up. A small opening, Harry reaches up, hoists himself through, and helps Sakura and Hermione up next. Harry looks about, paper peels from the walls. Stains -- suspiciously similar to dried blood -- blot the floorboards. Shattered furniture lies strewn everywhere.
"We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" Hermione states. Harry doesn't answer, staring at the dog prints in the dust on the floor.
"Judging from the lack of maid service I'm guessing that Hermione you are absolutely correct." Sakura says as the ceiling creaks. They dash to the stairs.
They come out, look down. A wide, shiny stripe cuts through the dust covered floor -- as if something has been dragged -- to the end of the hallway, where a light seeps from a door.
"Nox." Harry calls out and his wands light dies out. Slowly, they step to the door. Exchange looks. Hermione nods, wand ready, Sakura nods and hides her wand, and Harry kicks the door aside.
Ron sits upon a sagging bed, clutching his bloody foot.
"Ron! You're okay!" Hermione asks worriedly.
"The dog, where's the --" Harry asks quickly.
"He's the dog. It's a trap, Harry. He's an Animagus…" Ron cries out as he points to behind Harry and Sakura. Harry looks down, follows the paw prints on the floor to a pair of filthy human feet. Harry looks up slowly at the man standing in the shadows. Filthy, matted hair hangs to his shoulders. His skin like a corpse. There stood Sirius Black.He studies Harry's face keenly and Harry draws his wand.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll -- you'll... have to kill us, too!" Hermione shouted.
"No. Only one will die tonight." Sirius states as he moves closer.
"Then it'll be you!" Harry shouts with anger.
"WAIT!" Sakura yells. Just then, footsteps sound. Sirius wheels toward the door, edgy. Harry eyes Sirius, wand in hand shaking violently. As Sirius turns back, he stops, regards Harry cautiously.
"Going to kill me, Harry?" Sirius asks.
"Yes." Harry raises his wand. The door swung open and there stoop Lupin.
"Professor Lupin!" Sakura states. Lupin ignores her, eying Black intensely.
"Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius? Finally the skin reflects the madness within." Lupin chimes slowly
"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius stated. The two regard each other, the moment taunted with tension, then Lupin steps forward and embraces Sirius like a brother.
"No! I trusted you! I covered up for you. And all this time you've been his friend! (pointing) He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!" Hermione shouted. Harry and Ron stare, dumbfounded, at Lupin.
"How long have you known?" Lupin asked Hermione.
"Since Professor Snape set the essay." she answered.
"You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."
"Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon. Enough talk! He dies. Now. If you won't do it with me, Remus, I'll do it alone." Sirius cut in.
"Wait, Sirius --" Lupin chimed.
"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban! Trust me, you wouldn't have lasted a week!" Sirius cried. Lupin eyes Sirius and then nods.
"All right then. As you wish.."
"No!" Harry raises his wand when Lupin wheels and, with a flick of his own, disarms him. Furious, Harry eyes Black murderously.
"You betrayed my parents! You sold them to Voldemort!" Harry cried with anger and sadness meshed together.
"Wait!" Sakura once again shouts, all eyes were on her. Sirius howls then, bitterly amused. Lupin eyes him, then turns back to Sakura.
"Something doesn't seem right here…If Sirius wanted Harry dead he would of killed Ron to anger Harry even more and blind him with that rage to destroy him! Harry don't you see? That night when you were walking in the castle late at night, when I followed you, the map had a name on it. A name of a person we all believed to be dead! I just cant remember the name!" Sakura stated with much confidence and embarrassment..
"She's right! I never would've betrayed James and Lily!"
"Harry! You've got to listen --" Lupin said and was cut off.
"Did he listen! When my mother was dying! Did he hear her screaming! I cant believe you'd take their side Sakura. Might as well kill me yourself!" Harry yelled, Sakura stared at Harry with disbelief in her eyes.
"No! I wasn't there! And I'll regret it the rest of my life!" Sirius stated. Harry's eyes flash to Sirius's, glittering with pain.
"The man Sakura was talking about is alive and he's in this very room right now." Lupin spoke quickly.
"He's as good as dead." Sirius said.
"What're you talking about? There's nobody here." Harry said.
"Oh yes there is…" Sirius turns then, to Ron, and croons in a cruel sing song voice.
"Come out, come out, Peter Come out, come out and play…" Ron draws back from Sirius's demented gaze. "You're mad." Ron says as he tries to move further back away from Sirius. Harry's eyes shift from Ron's face to his hands where Scabbers twists violently. As a curious expression befalls Harry, Lupin and Sirius, as one, raise their wands when..
"Expelliarmus!" Snape yells out as he comes rushes through the door. The wands fly from Lupins and Sirius hands. The others turn, find Snape standing in the doorway, smiling smugly.
"Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you." Snape hissed at Sirius.
"Severus --" Lupins tries to speak.
"I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof." Snape said with much happiness.
"Brilliant! And -- as usual -- dead wrong. Now give us our wands back. Remus and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to." Sirius says as he approaches Snape. Snape puts his wand to Sirius's neck.
"Give me a reason. I beg you." Snape growled out through clenched teeth.
"Don't be a fool, Severus" Lupin said.
"He can't help it. It's habit by now." Sirius said with laughter.
"Quiet, Sirius!" Lupin yelled.
"Listen to you two. Quarreling like an old married couple. The creature and the criminal." Snape retorted. "Piss off." Sirius growled.
"Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors? Do I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must be like to endure the Dementor's Kiss. It's said to be unbearable to witness. But I'll do my best." Snape says as his eyes harden. He gestures to the door.
"After you." As the others start to go, Harry glances at the table where Lupin has left Harry's wand. In a flash, it's in his hand.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouts while pointing his wand at Snape. Snape soars into the air, hits the wall with a thud, and slides down. Ron, Sakura and Hermione stare in shock.
"Harry you attacked my teacher!". Harry looks a bit shocked himself, then turns to Sirius.
"You said Peter before. Peter who?" Harry demanded.
"Pettigrew. He was at school with us. We thought he was a friend." Lupin replied.
"He killed No. Pettigrew's dead he killed him.". Harry said as he pointed at Sirius. Sirius laughs mirthlessly.
"I thought so, too. Until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the Map." Lupin sighed.
"The Map was lying then --" Harry was cut off.
"The Map never lies. Pettigrew's alive. And he's right there." Sirius points at Ron. Ron goes white with fear.
"M-me? It's lunatic."
"Not you, you idiot. Your rat." Sirius said.
"Scabbers? Scabbers has been in my family for --" Ron was saying.
"Twelve years. A curiously long life for a common garden rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?" Sirius said as he unfolds a dog-eared clipping from The Daily Prophet: it shows Ron in Egypt with his family, Scabbers on his shoulder.
"So what?" Ron cries.
"All they could find of Pettigrew was his --" Harry was saying.
"Finger. Dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. Then he transformed into a rat." Harry stares into Sirius's sunken eyes. Wanting to believe. Desperate to believe. Glances at Ron and his agonized face. Scabbers squirms violently.
"Show me." Harry says. Lupin and Sirius turn to Ron who holds Scabbers protectively.
"What are you going to do to him?" Ron cried. Sirius and Lupin exchange a glance.
"Together." Sirius says. With that, Lupin takes out his wand and, as one, he and Sirius cast a stream of blue white light. Scabbers twists madly in midair, then -- FLASH! -- transforms into... a very short man with thinning hair and grubby hands. Peter Pettigrew.
"S-Sirius... R-Remus. My old friends." Neither speaks. Pettigrew's small, watery eyes dart toward the windows and door. Suddenly, he makes a break for it, but Sirius merely shoves him back. Pettigrew's nose twitches, his gaze finding Harry. His hands flutter nervously, revealing a missing index finger.
"Harry! Look at you! Y-you look just like your father. Like James. We were the best of friends, he and I --"
"Shut up!" Sirius cried.
"You you the one who killed James and Lilly?!" Sakura yelled as her crystal wand glowed a bright red. Pettigrew realizes she's a fairy and become more scared then before.
"I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself what you would have done, Sirius. What would you have done!" Pettigrew talked the conversation back to 'his old friends'.
"Died! I would of died rather than betray my friends! And you should have realized, Peter, if Voldemort didn't kill you…" Sirius lost his breath for a moment.
"We would." Lupin finished for him.
"No... please... you can't...Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat…" Pettigrew pleaded to Ron, who drew back in disgust. Pettigrew turns to Hermione.
"Sweet girl. Clever girl. Surely you won't let them…" He said to Hermione. As one, Lupin and Sirius raise their wands, point them directly into Pettigrew's face. He shrinks back trembling, closing his eyes in fear.
"No." Harry shouted. Pettigrew's eye lids lift. Lupin and Sirius turn and stagger.
"Harry, this man…" Lupin tries to explain.
"I know what he is. But we'll take him to the castle." Harry said in a strong manner.
"Bless you, boy! Bless you --" Pettigrew said as he kneeled down.
"Get off! I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the Dementors can have you." Harry said as he pushed Pettigrew off his leg.
As Pettigrew emerged from the gap, he prattles desperately.
"Turn me into a maggot. A dung beetle. A Flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors...Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat…" Pettigrew repeated what he had earlier said. Ron drew back in disgust just as a sleepwalking Snape bumps his head against a low limb.
"Don't worry. He's under the Somnambulist Charm. It's primarily used to transport the seriously deranged." Hermione said to Sakura who looked like she was a deer caught in a head light, just dead scared. Sakura soon finds herself starring at Harry, who was standing with Sirius gazing at Hogwarts. Hermione came up to her.
"You ok Sakura?" She asked.
"Yea. Hey remember last year when you were in the infirmary from hairballs?"
"how can I forget." Hermione sighed.
"Remember what I told you? About my memories." Sakura said.
"Yea, about how they were getting bad, and it was hard to even be around Harry."
"Yea, well there getting worse. They stoped over the summer for a while, and I don't have problems with being around Harry anymore,…but maybe once a month or twice a month I get sick and pass out and I remember a lot of things. I'm kind of scared."
"Sakura, you have nothing to be afraid of. So what if you become human? We all will still be your friends. You'll still come to Hogwarts. Nothing will change." Hermione said. Sakura just looked at her and smiled. Thinking 'That not what I was afraid of..I was afraid it was me who would change.'
As Harry walked over to Sirius they began to talk. "Beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again. Freely. (turning to Harry) That was a noble thing you did back there. He doesn't deserve it." Sirius said referring to Pettigrew. Harry studies Pettigrew briefly, looks away lost in his thoughts.
"I don't reckon my father'd want his best friends to become killers for a worthless piece of vermin like Pettigrew. Besides: Dead, the truth dies with him. Alive... you're free." Harry retorted.Sirius studies Harry's profile, moved by this.
"I don't know if you know, Harry, but when you were born, James and Lily made me your guardian…"
"I know." Harry replied Sirius.
"And, well, I'll understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but, so you know, you could --" Sirius was cut off by Harry.
"When! Come live with you?" Harry said way to quickly.
"Soon as my name's cleared…" Sirius said as Harry looks at Hogwarts and grins; Sirius does the same. Then, Hermione's voice rises on the air, quavering with fear.
"Harry…" He turns, sees Hermione staring at the full moon. His eyes shift to Lupin, whose figure went rigid, his fingers twitching.
"Remus, old friend... did you take your potion tonight?" Sirius asked as he rushed up to Lupin who was twitching, he shakes his head. Pettigrew's eyes dart, taking in the situation, eyeing Lupins wand.
"Run. All of you. Now." Ordered Sirius. But none of them do, transfixed, watching as bristles poke through Lupins skin. Sirius steps forward, wraps his arms around his friend and presses his mouth to his ear.
"You know the man you truly are, Remus. This flesh is only flesh. This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here!" Sirius yelled while pounding on Lupins chest. Lupin weakened from what was happening dropped his wand, Pettigrew dives for it, Harry seeing this tries to stop him.
"No! Expelliarmus!" Shouted Harry as Lupin's wand flies from Pettigrew's hand, who freezes. Then slowly turns, Face blank, eyes closed, then he suddenly grins hideously and transforms. Stunned, Harry watches Pettigrew as a rat dart into the night.
A howl pierces the air and Harry wheels. With a shrug, Lupin tosses Sirius into the air, then turns and starts whimpering. Harry, Sakura, Hermione and Ron all Back up.
"Professor...?" Sakuras asked thinking the Lupin was in control of the hideous body she saw. The werewolves eyes blaze. Long teeth glitter. Then... a horrifying growl erupts from its throat. Harry, Sakura and Hermione spin and begin to flee only to run flat into Snape. As they collapse in a great clumsy pile, Snape's eyes flutter open, the spell broken. Seeing Hermione atop him, he sweeps her aside.
"Out of the way!" Snape hisses and finds the werewolf preparing to pounce. Leaping to his feet, Snape draws his wand and steps forward, shielding Hermione, Sakura, Harry and Ron. The werewolf howls and sprints forward, when a giant jet black dog intercepts it in midair. They hit the ground in a fierce tangle of flashing white teeth. Again and again, the dog pushes the werewolf back, but the werewolf is too strong...
"Sirius!" Harry shouts. The dog yelps and roars in pain, and the werewolf flings it into the tall grass. As it charges after it, Harry pushes past Snape, dashes into the night, Sakura follows him. Hermione makes to follow, but Snape holds her back.
"Harry! Sakura!" Hermione called. Harry runs full out up ahead, until hes pulled back by Sakura who runs ahead of him. She spies the dog, lying inert, the werewolf's razor-sharp claws suspended over its neck.
"No!" Shouted Harry desperately as he got up from the ground. Sakura looks around in a hast to see a rock. She picks it up and throws with all her might. Bull's-eye. The werewolf freezes. Turns and begins to move toward Sakura. Harry runs up behind her and draws his wand, terrified, but tormented as well, knowing Lupin dwells somewhere within the beast.
"Please, Professor. Stop... It's me." Harry pleaded. Suddenly... a howl pierces the night. The werewolf falters, cocking its head toward the forest. Harry waits, petrified. The werewolf's eyes shift back to him. It snarls and moves closer, ready to kill. Harry covers Sakura with his body, when... A second howl echoes high above the forest. Slowly, Harry drops his arms from around Sakura, turns and looks. The werewolf bounds toward the forest, vanishes. Harry's eyes shift to the wounded dog who lurches through the tall grass. He falls and rises again and falls. Each time becoming more human. As he disappears over the ridge, Harry sprints after him. It took Sakura a few minutes to register what had just happened but once she did she went bounding after Harry.
Harry stumbles down to Black, who lies on the water's edge, now fully a man, arms and face gleaming with lacerations.
"Sirius!" Harry looks into his glassy eyes.
"Sirius!" he called out again.A fragile mist escapes Harry's mouth. A raw wind tosses his hair. Chilling bumps pebble his skin as a fringe of ice appears at the lake's edge. Then they appear, oozing like smoke through the trees across the lake, Dementors.
"No... No! Expecto... Patronum!" A thin silvery wisp weeps from Harry's wand, hovering like a veil, but the Dementors continue to come. They begin to suck out Harry's and Sirius's souls. Harry places his hand on Sirius's heaving heart, poises his wand once more.
"Expecto... Patronum" He called once more. The Patronus blooms briefly... and dies. Harry's eyes flutter, the dementors twisting madly in his vision, drawing closer. Sirius gasps and sliver feather of light tumble from his lips, as if his very soul were leaving him. Then a light splinters the trees. Harry squints, sees a fiery stag appear... its body luminous... slashing through the trees... sowing light in the darkness. The Dementors wilt in its wake, but more replace them, sweeping down in waves. Still, the stag charges on. The light expands and the forest blazing with it. The remaining Dementors flee, drifting across the moon like ash. The light ebbs. The stag's luminous body flickers. There is a bright flash and darkness returns, a single thred of light is all that remains, spinning down to the size of a pearl in the palm of man, standing deep in the trees. Harry studies the strangely familiar figure, then... it is gone. Silence drops like a curtain. mist rises from the lake. As Snape appears at the top of the hill with Sakura passed out hanging over his shoulder.
END OF CHAPPIE!
