This is the longest chapter yet. :D It also contains a lot of POA scenes, so just letting you know I changed them up a bit. I hope you enjoy it!
The next day we were back in Care of Magical Creatures, only Draco would no longer be coming to this class. Sigh.
I stood awkwardly behind Hermione, Harry, and Ron, wanting to fit in with their group again. Hagrid had had just assigned a partner project which made it even more awkward. Normally, it'd be a given that Draco and I would be partners, but now I didn't know what to do.
Hermione already had her arm linked with Harry's, meaning she obviously had claimed him. I looked at Ron, and he looked at me. I guess he could be my partner. He wasn't all too smart, but he'd have to do since Dean and Seamus were already partners, and even Neville had found a decent partner.
"Partner?"
"Sure." Ron looked over at Hermione and gave her a nasty look. She returned it with an equally icy glare and turned on her heel away from us.
"What's her problem?" I asked.
"The problem is that her cat ate my rat!" She wheeled around quickly to face us again.
"Did not Ronald!" Her face was a feisty red. "Crookshanks would never do that!"
"Then explain to me where my rat is eh?"
"How should I know!"
"BECAUSE YOUR BLOODY CAT IS A WILD ANIMAL-"
"Oi, what's all the yellin' abou'?" Hagrid lumbered over to intervene.
"Hermione's cat ate Scabbers Hagrid, and she won't admit it. I mean it's completely obvious."
"It is not." She crossed her arms across her chest and faced away. "Ronald just doesn't take proper care of his pets."
"Scabbers you say? Big ol' rat that's missin' a toe?"
"Yeah that's him! You've seen him?"
"You bet I have. I caught the little bugger scurryin' around yesterday after the incident. C'mon, I'll take ya' to him." Ron followed Hagrid back to his hut, and Harry and Hermione trailed behind.
"I do think you owe me an apology." Hermione said to Ron. Those two, I swear. They'll be best friends again in a matter of minutes. Harry turned around to look at me.
"You coming?"
"Err, I think I'm going to head back to the castle."
"Ok, see you at dinner then." He smiled weakly and followed the others. And now I was off to go visit my man in the hospital wing.
XXX
"Do you want to blow this off and go back to the common room? It's so cold out here."
"Ron come on, if we do this we can just get it over with."
"Nargles are invisible, how the bloody hell are we ever going to catch them!" Ron said, throwing his arms into the air. "Hagrid's great and all, but when are we ever going to need to learn how to catch Nargles in life." He mumbled.
Ron and I continued to stumble outside in the chilly weather to look for Nargles for our Care of Magical Creatures assignment. Ron kicked the occasional tree stump to see if there were any Nargles swarming about, while I used Luna Lovegood's advice and shook around my mistletoe branch to see if any would come to infest it.
"If you ask me, there's no such thing as Nargles."
"Ok, if I buy you 2 pumpkin pastries on our next visit to Hogsmeade, do you promise to stop complaining and help me look for these stupid things?"
"Hmm, make it 4."
"4? Merlin Ron, I'm not made out of galleons!" I said as I fished through my pockets to see how much money I even had.
"Fine, how about 3 Pumpkin Pastries and a chocolate fr-"
"SHH… Did you hear that?" I whispered suddenly right before I was going to insult him about his eating habits. There was a mysterious rustling come from a bush only a few feet away from us.
"What? I don't hear anything…" Ron looked around with a puzzled expression.
"Shh! There it is again!" I grabbed Ron's arm to keep him still. This time there was no way he couldn't have heard it. The leaves were rustling eerily and if I wasn't mistaken I could hear a low growl. Ron slowly turned to me with a look of sheer dread.
"Artemis…" he half whispered, half cried. I stayed frozen to the spot, trying to see what was in the bushes. Suddenly a black creature emerged from the leaves and took a few slow strides out into the open. It was a big, no HUGE, black dog with broading copper eyes. Its mouth was curled into a snarl that was obviously directed towards us.
"Artemis!" Ron cried again, pulling onto my sleeve. Finally my common sense kicked in, and I realized that this wasn't a friendly dog. I slowly began to back up.
"Scabbers, no!" Ron yelled out. Scabbers escaped from his jacket pocket and was clambering frantically all over Ron's shoulders and neck. "Scabbers, this is not the best time!" He tried to grab a hold of him, but the rat seemed to sense the panic we were in.
"Ron stop moving!" I said in a low voice. The dog began to circle around us very slowly. "Let's just make a run for it." Scabbers seemed to agree, and he jumped off Ron and made a run for it.
"Scabbers!" Ron ran after him.
"Are you kidding me?" I chased after him, not wanting to face the dog alone. This broke the balance between the dog and us, and with that the dog was sprinting towards us. I let out a shrill scream when I saw its teeth snapping towards me. I tripped over Merlin knows what, and fell directly onto my arm with a deafening crunch.
"RON!" I screamed out. How could he be so stupid! "Heeeelp!" The pain immediately began to settle in my forearm, and I clutched the spot tenderly. I could feel a warm liquid spreading all over my hand, which could only mean blood.
The pain quickly left my mind when I saw the dog hovering over me, its golden eyes piercing right into my own. I stared up at it, but all I could see was my short little life flashing before my eyes, so I glued my eyes shut. I was going to die right here because Ron was a stupid prat and let this dog maul me to death. But instead the dog leaned its head down towards me, let out a warm stream of breath on me, and then ran off.
I opened my eyes and saw it running off in Ron's direction, followed by Ron's screams.
"Ron…" I mumbled. I tried to get up, but I instantly fell back down. I was losing a lot of blood. My eyesight became dark as I tried to crawl towards the sound of Ron's voice. No, don't don't pass out. Help Ron….
XXX
I awoke propped up in the corner of a dark room. I looked around nervously. Where was I? I attempted to sit up but the scorching pain in my arm told me otherwise. I used my other arm to sit up and peer around the corner of the wall where I could hear low voices. I could see Hermione and Harry, their backs were to me, but why did they look so tense and beaten up. What the bloody hell was going on?
I stood up and walked into the room. At the sound of my footsteps they both whirled around to face me.
"Artemis." Hermione said almost silently. She looked at my blood stained shirt and limp arm and looked and came to stand next to me. Harry turned back around.
"What's going o-" I started to say, but Hermione silenced me with a pleading look to be quiet. I looked at her confused, then followed her and Harry's gaze to the other side of the room where 2 men were standing, almost on the verge of pulling out their wands and hexing one another. Was that…Professor Lupin? And…Sirius Black? The murdurer!
I now understood the danger we were in. My heart began to beat uncontrollably. Sirius Black was standing only feet away from me… why was I even here, all I wanted to do was catch some Nargles with Ron! Hermione must have sensed my fear and she took my hand.
"Enough talking Remus!" Sirius yelled suddenly. "Let's kill him!"
"Wait!" Professor Lupin yelled.
"I did my waiting! 12 years of it… in Azkaban!"
"Fine…" Professor Lupin turned to hand Sirius his wand. "Harry should have the right to no why though-"
"I know why." Harry said shakily. "He betrayed my parents."
"No, Harry, it wasn't him." Professor Lupin said defensively.
"Yes. Yes you did! I'm not stupid. That night you betrayed my parents. You're the reason they're dead-" Harry raised his wand and pointed it at Sirius's chest.
"No!" Sirius' eyes turned black with rage. "I tried to save your parents. In fact, I tried to find them a safe house; somewhere where James, Lily, you, my wife, and my daughter could live safely. But no." Sirius's gaze lowered, as if reminiscing on the past. Harry still looked at him with disbelief. "The only ones I could save were you, and my daughter-your godsister."
"Godsister?" Harry asked.
"That's right," Sirius fixed his eyes on Harry. "And she's right here. In this very room."
Sirius slowly turned his to look at me. I looked around, but no one else was around except for Hermione. He was talking to me.
"Didn't realize you just met your father, now did you?"
"Me? Your daughter?" I squeaked. What? No this couldn't be happening.
"That's right." He smiled, revealing a set of yellowing teeth.
"I…no, that's impossible, my mum would never…"
"Marry someone like me." He shook his head and took a step closer to us. Harry's wand flew back up, warning him to stay back. Sirius stayed at bay. "That was the funny thing about your mum. She was in every way like her best friend Lily. Sweet and smart, but always falling for the wrong guy." He looked back at Professor Lupin to share a nostalgic glance. "You look just like her, your eyes, and the hair…" I glanced at Harry to see his reaction. I didn't know what to do. If Sirius expected me to run into his arms and call him daddy, he was quite mistaken.
We heard footsteps coming through the hallway and we all turned our attention to the approaching person. Professor Snape emerged out of the darkness and immediately pointed his wand at Sirius.
"Vengence is sweet, isn't it?" Snape said in his usual drawn out tone. "I told Dumbledore that you are here, you know. Now all you have to do is wait for the dementor's kiss." Snape creeped slowly towards him. Sirius appeared to be unthreatened.
"Oh Severus…need I remind you of our time at Hogwarts? You wouldn't have the guts to even touch me." Snape pressed his wand to the side of Sirius's neck warningly.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, disarming Snape and shooting him back into the wall. His wand went flying, and Harry caught it with on swift motion. Hermione and I looked at Harry with disbelief.
"Harry!" Ron shrieked. I noticed him for the first time, sitting in the corner with his clothes tattered and bite marks and blood on his leg.
"You just attacked a teacher!" Hermione squeaked. Harry ignored them and turned back to Sirius and Professor Lupin.
"Well, who did betray my parents then?"
"Someone who until recently, I believed was dead-" Professor Lupin coolly.
"Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius's gaze began to scan the room. "Come out come out wherever you are!" He sang like a lunatic. Finally his eyes rested on Ron.
"There he is." Sirius pointed directly at Ron.
"Me? What? He's mental-"
"No, not you, the rat!"
"What? Scabbers had been in my family for-"
"12 years. Curiously long life for a rat, don't you think? And he's missing a toe isn't he?"
"So what! That doesn't mean anything." Ron clutched Scabbers to his chest.
"All they could find of Pettigrew was his-"
-finger!" Sirius finished for Harry. And then he transformed into a rat so everyone would think he was dead." Sirius smiled with bloodlust.
"Show me." Harry demanded. Sirius took 3 long strides over to Ron and tried to snatch Scabbers out of his hands.
"No no no! Scabbers! Don't hurt him!"
"Let him go Ron!" Harrry yelled. Hermione bent down to help calm down Ron. I knelt down beside them. Sirius finally managed to snatch him out of Ron's pleading hands, and he took him by the scruff of the hideous rat's neck over to the top of a broken down piano. Sirius pointed his wand at the rat as it tried to run away. He attempted to transfigure him before he could escape. All 3 of us kids stared intently as it went from rat to a horribly ugly little man. His thin and scraggly hair, his fingernails long and dirty, patchy facial hair, and overgrown buck teeth gave him the appearance of a rodent.
"Remus…Sirius" He tried to run towards his old pals, but they pushed him away with detest. Sirius and Lupin pointed his wand at him and Pettigrew threw up his hands like a coward.
"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort didn't you?" Lupin accused.
"I didn't mean to! You have no idea of the weapons the Dark Lord possess. What would you have done?" Pettigrew shed a few crocodile tears.
"I would have died! I would have died rather than betray my friends!"
"I bet you didn't realize that if Voldemort hadn't killed you, then we would!" The two men advanced upon Pettigrew.
"No!" Harry stopped them. We'll take him to the castle."
"Bless you boy, bless you!-" Pettigrew fell onto his hands and knees and tried to touch Harry.
"Get off! I said we'd take you to the castle. After that the dementors can have you." Harry was a boss. I almost wanted to laugh, but then I remembered the situation we were in. Sirius and Lupin shared a quick glance.
"Well then back to the castle it is then." Professor Lupin said, grabbing Pettigrew and leading him up the stairs and out of this room. Hermione and I got up slowly and followed. Harry and Sirius helped Ron limp out behind us.
"Sorry about biting you, I normally have a sweet disposition as a dog." Sirius tried to joke. I still didn't know what to think of him. Sirius Black was my Dad. The murder-no-not a murder, the best friend of Harry's parents.
"You nearly took my leg off!" Ron glowered at him. Sirius ignored this.
"How's that arm Artemis?" I turned around to look at him quickly.
"It hurts…a lot, but I should be fine."
"I really am sorry my love." I turned around to give him a half-hearted smile and to reassure him I'd be ok.
We made it up the staircase and outside into the dark night. I looked up at the building we had just gotten out of- it was the Shrieking Shack. Wait until I told Draco.
Harry and Sirius set Ron down under a nearby tree and attended to his wound. Sirius drifted off from us, and stared out at the castle. I slowly walked up behind him.
"Beautiful isn't it." He looked out of the corner of his eye at me. I looked up at him, then back to the castle. It really was beautiful. The lights were still on, and the entire castle reflected in the lake below. "I still remember my first time walking through there and meeting your mum… back when I was still a free man." He smiled a small smile. "It was love at first sight." He said quietly. "I had never loved anyone greater, that is, until you were born." He looked down at me. I smiled up at him. "Now look at you. You've grown into such a beautiful young lady." He put his hand on my cheek. I put my hand over his.
"What happened? Why couldn't you come back to us?" I asked quietly.
"I was blamed for the murders of Peter." His eyes glanced behind me to see Pettigrew struggling for freedom. "There was no way I could contact you. I didn't want the entire Wizarding World to know that your father was a 'killer'".
"LOOK!" I heard Hermione yell. We turned around to see her pointing at the full moon.
"Oh no…" Sirius whispered. I looked back and forth between everyone. What was the big deal? Sirius rushed over to Lupin's side.
"Remus! Have you taken your potion tonight?" Professor Lupin began to groan as if in pain and his wand fell out of his hands. Pettigrew took this moment to snatch it and transfigure himself back into a rat. Harry tried to disarm him, but it was too late. Pettigrew was gone.
"Run! Run!" Sirius screamed as Lupin began to lash about. Lupin's yells became louder and his body began to disfigure. What was going on!
"He's turning into a werewolf!" Hermione finally explained.
"Go! To the castle! Go now!" Sirius yelled.
I took one last look at Sirius- I mean my dad- and he looked back at me almost forlornly, and we ran back to the castle.