Love by the Law
A/N: After various uploading/saving/ general laptop problems, here is the new chapter.
All present people turned around.
"Severus!" Hermione gasped.
"Snape," Sirius snorted. "How's it been in the free world?"
Severus nodded, quirking. "Quite good, actually. Only, sadly for you, that you'll never have it again." He raised his wand.
"NO!" Harry exclaimed. He raised his wand against his teacher. Hermione, grudgingly, did the same.
Severus burrowed his eyebrows. He decided he wasn't going to be stopped by teens. He opened his mouth to speak.
"STUPOR!" three voices said. Three beams of red light hit the target, Severus Snape. He flew backwards and hit the wall behind him, collapsing against it. Looking around, Hermione saw that Lupin too had his wand raised.
"How did he even get in here?" Sirius panted, still pale.
Harry bent down and grabbed something off the floor. "Invisibility cloak," he said.
Remus grunted. "I left it at the Whomping Willow…"
Sirius grinned, taking and admiring it. "Wow. Can't believe it still exists!"
"Guys…?" Ron croaked. "Scrabbers… he's trying to get away… what do you want with my rat?"
Remus and Sirius whirled around to face him.
"Give him here," Black instructed, reaching out his hand.
Ron was reluctant.
"Do it," Lupin backed Black up. "Believe me."
He gave the struggling rat over.
The golden trio watched mesmerised as Lupin put a body binder on the rat for it to stop moving, then placing it on the ground.
"On three," Sirius grinned. He pulled his wand out and he and Remus pointed their wands at the miserable creature.
The teens had to shield their eyes as blinding light came out of nothing. A moment later it subdued. Looking back at Scrabbers, the rat wasn't there anymore. A man was.
"Hello, friend," Sirius smiled.
A plump, small man with a near bald head lay on the floor, wearing ripped trousers and a ripped shirt. He was covered in dirt, as if he hadn't washed in years. His eyes looked in all directions, insecurely, like a scared rat.
"Hello, Peter," Remus said. Although he'd expected this to happen, it still stunned him. After believing for twelve years that Peter Pettigrew was dead, murdered by his best friend Sirius Black, it was a bit of a shock.
Ron, on the mattress, fainted. Hermione felt like doing the same. Harry, next to her, just gaped. He didn't know how to react.
Sirius looked utmost happy. "This cleared any doubt?" he asked grinning broadly while kicking Peter Pettigrew, assumed dead for the last twelve years by the wizarding community.
Hermione pinched herself. "Is... this a dream...?" she managed to say.
Remus and Sirius both looked at her. "I hope not," they said in unison.
Harry continued to stare at Pettigrew. "So... he betrayed my parents...?" He lazily pointed at the filthy man.
Black grinned. "Sharp as your mother," he said proudly.
"Shouldn't we bring him out here and to the ministry?" Hermione lamely suggested.
Remus agreed. Sirius, next to him, started grinning madly. "I'll be free," he muttered, as if just now realising. "I'll finally be free…"
Slowly everyone started packing up. Harry and Hermione helped Ron up, Remus went to see how Snape was and Sirius kicked Peter a final time before he magically lifted him up. One after another everyone went down the creaking staircase. They entered the room where the tunnel started, and Hermione and Harry took their wands into their hands and said "Lumos." With two glowing lights illuminating the surroundings, the seven people engulfed themselves into the semi-darkness.
Remus, levitating the unconscious Snape, was first, with Hermione next to him showing the way. Behind them was Sirius with Pettigrew and lastly there was Harry, who was helping Ron walk.
Most of the journey they spent in quietness. No one really knew what to say.
"Harry…" Sirius finally spoke. "You know…"
"Know what?" replied Harry softly.
Sirius cleared his throat, accidentally knocking Pettigrew against the ceiling. "You know that… in case you don't want to… erm, continue living with your relatives, you can…. Comeandlivewithmeforthesummer."
Harry looked at him. "Pardon?"
Sirius shrugged. "I mean, obviously, it's your choice where you want to spend your summer, and if you want to stay with your relatives, then obviously it's fine with me, but –"
Harry grinned broadly. "I'd love to do nothing more than that," he cut in. Sirius relaxed visibly.
"We're there!" Hermione exclaimed from the front.
A minute later everyone emerged from under the Whomping Willow, smiling at Crookshanks who was waiting at the trunk keeping the branches from lashing out. They all made their way towards Hogwarts.
"It's such a nice full moon tonight," Sirius stated, looking up at the night sky. A cloud was just passing over the bright round plate. All seven stood still for a moment to admire the moon.
"Shit!" Lupin's voice echoed moments later. Everyone turned to face him. Instead of seeing their friend and professor, Sirius, Hermione, Harry and Ron found a writhing man with hair sprouting from all over his body. The still unconscious Snape fell limply to the ground.
Sirius too swore, paling. Just as Remus' transformation finished he turned into his dog form. As the werewolf started to leap at the remaining people, Sirius jumped at his chest in an attempt to fight him off.
"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed, letting go off Ron who fell to the ground crying out in pain. A moment later he blacked out.
The black shaggy dog had been thrown across the grass where he lay still.
The werewolf ran away into the nearby bushes. Momentarily Sirius' leg started twitching and seconds later he followed Remus.
"Pettigrew!" Hermione instantaneously gasped. In the chaos no one had noticed that the traitor had transformed back into his rat-self and vanished, like Lupin.
"We gotta go after Lupin," Harry decided. He threw a glance at Ron and Snape, but Sirius and Remus were more important to him right now.
Together with Hermione he vanished where the dog and werewolf had gone. Once they scrambled through the thick bush, they stumbled over plants and almost ran into dozens of trees. The only thing leading their way was the faraway barking of Sirius and the occasional howling of Lupin.
"Where are we?" Hermione hissed, pulling at Harry's arm to make him stop. She looked around. Nothing was familiar to her.
He looked around, too. "No clue," he admitted warily. "Duck!" Harry pulled her down with him as he saw his godfather approaching, ready to jump. Behind them they heard howling.
Sirius, knowing Lupin was too much for him, fled into one direction, making sure Hermione and Harry were always in front of him. Neither of the teens really knew where they were going, but soon later they exited the forest and appeared at the lake.
Hermione looked at Harry. "I know the way back to the Whomping Willow from here, should I go and check on Ron and Severus?"
Harry nodded. "Do that," he said.
She disappeared from their sight.
"Hermione, what I'm about to do will make me seem like I'm a cold-hearted bat who doesn't care about anyone except me. Please understand, however, that I'm doing this to keep up my reputation."
She chuckled. "Maybe you shouldn't have chosen a reputation that is damaged this easily."
He frowned. "Take this serious, I beg you.
"Once the Minster and Dumbledore come here I will tell them that I caught Black and saved you from him, and then you and Potter will protest. However, I'll say that he brainwashed you. Poppy will most certainly shoo me and Fudge out after that. Dumbledore is going to stay and once she vanished in her office, he'll tell you to use your timeturner to go back in time and save Black from getting the Dementors' kiss."
She looked at him, surprised.
He chuckled. "I'm not as stupid as you might think I am," he smirked.
Hermione nodded, and took his hand. She held it, deep in thought, until the infirmary ward door sprung open and Fudge and Professor Dumbledore came in. Severus, in reply, shot up and strode towards them.
"Why, here is the man of the day!" Fudge grinned, shaking Severus' hand. "Professor Snape, the man who caught Sirius Black!"
Harry touched her arm. He slightly shook Hermione.
"Huh?" she said, disorientated, as he pulled her from her thoughts.
"Lupin just went in," Harry reported. He burrowed his brows. "Maybe we should get the invisibility cloak he left behind…"
Just like Severus had told Hermione earlier, Dumbledore had suggested they go back in time. After successfully freeing Buckbeak from his doom and watching the executioner, in a rage, behead a pumpkin upon finding that the hippogriff had disappeared, Harry and Hermione had set up camp just meters away from the Whomping Willow behind some bushes.
She shook her head. "Severus needs it later, remember? And anyways, we can't risk anyone seeing us here, especially with Buckbeat."
He nodded. After a moment, he thoughtfully said, "Hermione."
"Yes?" she whispered, stroking Buckbeak's face.
"Would you… would you ever consider divorcing Snape?" he asked, looking away.
She shrugged. "Probably. I mean, it's only a temporary marriage. I can't really see myself falling in love with him, let alone have his child." She shuddered. "Once I'm of age and I found someone I want to marry, then yes, I'll divorce him."
He nodded. "You know… that I'll always be there for you, right?"
She smiled at him before her eyes went back to the Whomping Willow. It was almost an hour until something happened.
Amazed the two of them saw Lupin transform and Sirius too. They saw Pettigrew slip away, watched as Ron blacked out and Severus too hit the ground. They observed themselves running off into the bushes not to far away from them.
"We need to follow them," Harry hissed. He sounded excited.
Hermione energetically shook her head. "We can't, the risk's too big."
"I need to," he insisted. "I just have this feeling… that this is what I have to do!"
He got up from the ground and ran off.
"Harry!" Hermione screeched, hurriedly making sure Buckbeak was tied to a tree before setting off after Harry. In the darkness it was hard seeing where he went, but she just about managed. Although she constantly stumbled she soon caught up to him. Looking around she saw they were near the lake.
Harry sprinted the last fifty meters to the shore. On the opposite shore, two figures were on the ground with a black curtain surrounding them. Weak silver rays come from them.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry shouted, skipping to halt and raising his wand.
Hermione yelped, coming to a stop right behind him. A magnificent silver figure emerged from the tip of Harry's wand. It formed itself into a respectful stag. On light foots it galloped over the water, and upon contact the Dementors vanished into all directions.
"That was... amazing," Hermione whispered.
Harry looked at her. "Let's get Buckbeak and free Sirius. We haven't very long left."
She nodded.
The darkness had grown, and they found it almost impossible to find their way back to the hippogriff. After getting lost and walking in circles, they finally arrived back at the Whomping Willow. Buckbeak was impatiently looking for something edible on the floor with his beak.
Harry tied him loose and then he helped Hermione get on before he too climbed on the wonderful animal. Silently he slightly pushed his feet into Buckbeak's sides. Swiftly the hippogriff left the ground.
"Flitwick's office," Hermione reminded Harry. She was leaning forward; heights were not her strength and especially on a hippogriff.
While Hermione restrained herself from looking around, Harry looked up at the moon and down at the forest, at numerous dark figures walking across the grounds to the lake. Presumably it was Snape who had just woken up.
They arrived at the window Dumbledore had named them. Harry leant over to knock on it once getting Buckbeak to hover in front of it. Sure enough, inside was Sirius Black, his godfather. Upon the knocking noise he looked up, and seeing Harry he grinned broadly. Harry signalled him to stay back as he pulled his wand out. A coloured ray shot out and the glass smashed. Hermione shrieked in surprise and held tightly on to Buckbeak. Seconds later Sirius had climbed out and onto the hippogriff. They were all squashed together as Buckbeak took off again, but no one cared too much.
The atronomy tower came into sight instants later. Buckbeak landed softly on it. Harry slipped off and helped Hermione down.
"Thank you," Sirius grinned. "And there I was thinking it was all over."
"Don't thank me," Harry argued. "Thank Hermione. If it wasn't for her being so smart she'd never been allowed to take all possible subjects, and the result would have been that she'd never gotten the timeturner which brought us back to save you."
"You really must be the brightest wicth of your age, Hermione," Sirius said impressed. "But I'd better get going before they capture me again, eh?"
"Bye-bye!" Hermione and Harry both yelled in unity waving to Sirius Black fly away towards the full moon. They saw his figure raise a hand, waving. After a moment of watching they noticed they only had a couple of minutes left before they needed to be back at the infirmary.
Neither expected much to happen in the last week before the holidays.
"You happy?" Hermione asked. She came through her bedroom door to say goodbye to Severus before she went off home.
Severus looked up from his book. "Should I be?"
"Professor Lupin resigned." She sat down next to him.
His lips curled into a smile. "Maybe now I'll get the position of DADA teacher." Then he got serious. "Did Weasley invite you to the Quidditch Championship which is held this summer?"
"No," she answered truthfully. She smiled cockily. "Why, you planning on taking me?"
He sniffed as if she'd offended him. "Indeed I was." To his utmost surprise she hugged him.
"Send me an owl, will you?" she whispered into his ear before she vanished back in her bedroom.
Summer really was here.