Chapter 24: Rumor Has It

Harry, Ron, and Blake walked up to the North Tower for their Divination final exam. All three were dreading it because it was a bunch of pointless nonsense.

"I'm sure she will grant you blokes more points if you predict my unfortunate demise." Harry muttered as they got close.

"Ronald Weasley." Professor Trelawney's voice floated downward and noted that it was Ron's turn for his exam.

Twenty minutes later a very frustrated Ron came out. He was shaking his head and waited while the line dimmed down some.

"I just made up a bunch of bull and I guess she bought it."

"Blake Lewis."

"Wish me luck with this guys." Blake went up the ladder to his exam this time.

"I can't believe that we've had a normal year this year." Ron didn't know how much he just jinxed them.

"I don't know about that Ron. I never say things like that or think that because the minute I do is the minute that things get weird and my twin and I have had enough adventures to fulfill a lifetime. And I daresay that you have too mate." Harry laughed as they high fived.

"Maybe we should pick a different elective next year." Blake said coming down the ladder. Harry immediately headed up being the last to take the exam.

"My dear boy, tell me what you see in the crystal." Harry gazed in and all he saw was a great load of fog. Then he remembered what Ron and Blake said to do.

"I see me in a few years time. I've uh, just killed Kami and Voldemort then kills me."

"Poor boy, you are so brave to be able to see clearly your worst fears come alive." Professor Trelawney started crying. And then something happened to her. She got really stiff and her voice was all raspy when it came out.

"It will happen tonight. The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these last twelve years. Tonight, before midnight…the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than he ever was. Tonight…before midnight…the servant…will set out…to rejoin…his master…"

"If that's all you see my dear boy feel free to go now." Harry didn't need to be told twice. He ran out of that trapdoor and before he knew it he was running with Blake and Ron to the Gryffindor Common Room to find his sister and girlfriend…and perhaps Iris and tell them what had happened. He filled Ron and Blake in on the prophesy along the way.

"For the love of Merlin what are we going to do about that?" Iris asked once they sat everyone down and told them what happened.

"I still think that she is an old fraud that doesn't know what on earth she is talking about." Hermione spoke through the book she was reading and Kami nodded her head in agreement.

"Fine, then let's go support Hagrid tonight. After all it is Buckbeak's execution." Blake said.

"I think that's actually a great idea." Iris said looking at everyone else.

"Only one way we can get out of here right now then with it ticking this late. Girls with me boys with Harry." Kami spoke and they all at once knew to get up and get under the prospective invisibility cloaks.

It was harder for them getting around since they had grown some. It still hid all six of them quite well though and Harry and Kami were once again so ecstatic that their father thought to leave the cloaks to them.

Blake rapped on Hagrid's door three times before he got a crossbow between the eyes and Harry ripped off the cloak.

"Sorry there Blake I've been expecting, well I've been expecting someone. Anyways come in. Where are the girls?" Hagrid asked and just as the door closed Kami ripped the other cloak off.

"Here Hagrid." Kami smiled.

"Wish you lot wouldn't do that to me. And Ron I think I found something o' yours the other day." Hagrid reached into a milk jug and took out Scabbers.

"Scabbers! You're alive!"

"I think you owe someone an apology Ron." Hermione crossed her arms across her.

"Yeah, next time I see Crookshanks I'll tell him."

"I meant me."

"What the bloody hell for?" Ron asked. Just then something hit Harry on the

backside of the head. Harry turned around and it was a good thing that he did because he saw a whole lot of people including Dumbledore and Fudge coming towards Hagrid's hut.

"You six have to go. I don't need you lot in trouble today o' all days." Hagrid said shooing them out the back of the hut.

They ran around to the pumpkin patch area and hid behind it. Just then Scabbers bit Ron and he went after it. So naturally everyone went after Ron.

Just then a huge black dog came out of the Forbidden Forest. Right when Ron caught Scabbers again the dog grabbed a hold of Ron's leg and dragged him down into the Whomping Willow.

"Iris and Blake why don't you run and get Professor Lupin, I know that we can trust

him to help us out." Harry said as he made a stupid Harry Potter decision and jumped on one of the Whomping Willow branches. Iris and Blake didn't need to be told twice and ran out to get him.

Kami jumped and dodged like she did in Quidditch and managed to dive into the hole that Ron was pulled into. At that moment Harry grabbed onto Hermione and spun her down the hole as well right before letting go himself and flying down the hole after them. They landed in a sort of tunnel entrance and nobody really knew where they were.

"Do you know where this goes Harry?" Hermione asked grabbing onto his hand.

"No but I have a hunch. Let's just hope that it's wrong." Harry said as they headed down into the tunnel. And like Harry

thought, it looked like they were looking at the entrance to the Shrieking Shack.

"Harry, Kami, Mione run! He's not a dog, he's an Animagus!" Ron yelled to no avail. Harry turned and was looking face to face at the face of Sirius Black.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry and Kami voiced together getting rid of Ron's wand that Sirius Black had and Hermione jumped and caught it.

Before Kami could do a single thing Harry ran up to Sirius and had his wand pointed at his throat.

"You going to kill me Harry?" Sirius chuckled. Kami and Hermione stood agape as Professor Lupin came into the room and disarmed Harry, Kami, and Hermione in a matter of seconds. Looking

at Sirius and nodding a few times before embracing him in a huge hug.

Harry wondered what was going on as he put Kami and Hermione behind him.

"If you want to kill them you'll be going through me first." Harry said defensively.

"Harry is very protective of his sister and girlfriend." Lupin explained to a skeptical Black.

"Just like James." Sirius shook his head.

"How dare you talk about our father after you betrayed him to Voldemort!" Kami yelled at him from behind Harry.

"Kami you don't understand things right now. Just give us a few minutes to explain everything to you." Professor Lupin said looking at Sirius for an explanation.

"Like Kami and Harry know, I am a werewolf. I remain tame now if I take my Wolfsbane Potion that Professor Snape brews me, but back when we were in

Hogwarts, I wasn't so lucky. So, your father and Sirius and Peter Pettigrew decided to become Animagi to help me with my transformations."

"But what about our parents?" Kami asked.

"At the last moment Dumbledore thought that it would be a good idea to switch secret keepers from me to Peter, thinking that Voldemort would automatically come running to me for the location because I am your father's best friend. But instead Peter ran and told Voldemort the minute he learned the secret and betrayed your parents to Voldemort. That night I went and confronted him and he decided to blow up an entire street and cut off his finger, transform into a rat and run off. I lost it at that point I was convinced that it was my stupidity for trusting Dumbledore knew what he was doing. I never should have listened to him and changed the

secret even though I knew in my heart that this was never going to end well."

"Ron please hand over Scabbers." Professor Lupin asked nicely.

"What are you mental?"

"I guess another story first Moony."

"Boy has he got a good one."

"Yes, I'll tell him all about old Snivellus." Black was nearly priming with glee.

"Here we go." Lupin looked like this used to happen far too often.

"Well, one transformation I dared old Snivellus to follow Moony here and he actually did. It was a practical joke of course and it was supposed to get him killed but James decided to be the hero at the last moment and saved him. That's actually how he ended up getting your mother too. I bet you're muggle-born and a braniac too." Sirius smiled at Hermione.

"Uh…"

"It's a male Potter tradition Hermione." Lupin rolled his eyes.

"A what?" Harry asked confused.

"All throughout the Potter line they have married the smartest witch of the year, which so happened that they were muggle-born too."

"Ew gross Sirius. I'm not marrying my sister."

"Wait, Kami you're the smartest one in your year?" Sirius asked.

"Barely by one O." Kami smiled.

"Well, I'll be you did get your mom's brains after all. When you were a baby you showed no usual signs of magic. Your mother was of course concerned. But your father was thrilled none the less. Though we should have figured Lily because she was reading before she could talk." Sirius looked at Lupin who once again rolled his eyes.

Just then Snape came out from underneath of Harry's invisibility cloak and had his wand pointed at Sirius.

"Chumming it up again like best mates are we Remus. I could do it, but why deprive the Dementor's the joy of their kiss. I have heard it's supposed to be unbearable to watch but I am sure I will do my best."

"Why don't you go run along and play with your chemistry set?" Sirius sneered at Snape.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry grabbed a jacked wand from Remus and pointed it at Snape, disarmed him and managed to render him unconscious.

"Now, you were going to show us Pettigrew."

"Ron the rat." Lupin put his hand out for Scabbers and this time Ron reluctantly handed him over. Between Lupin and Black pointing their wands out they forced Peter to transform back into a human.

"Why'd you do it Peter?"

"Do what?" Peter asked timid but innocently.

"Why did you betray Lily and James to Voldemort?" Lupin asked.

"I didn't mean to. The Dark Lord, you don't understand the power he possesses."

"You should have known Peter that if Voldemort didn't kill you that we would!" Sirius and Remus both had their wands up at Peter.

"Stop!" Harry suddenly yelled.

"Harry, he is the reason why you and Kami didn't have parents."

"I know, but we'll take him to the castle. After that the dementors can have him. I just don't think that my father would have approved of his two best friends becoming murders."

As they were heading back to the castle it started to get late. But Sirius managed to pull Harry aside for a moment.

"I know that I haven't been there for your most of your life Harry, but I would love it when my name is clear and everything is done, that you would come and live with me. Kami is welcome to come and live with me too if she wants of course. The place is big. And I'm sure Hermione came come over during the summer too if her parents approve. You two look like soul mates."

"Then you should ask Kami to tell you about her boyfriend." Harry laughed.

"I'd understand though if you would like to stay with your relatives."

"Are you kidding? I'd leave there in a second."

"And don't trust the Weasleys. Except maybe the twins, Arthur, and Bill."

"What about Ron?"

"The entire plan Dumbledore concocted was so that Molly could assert more control over things. She wanted to marry your father for his money but wasn't able to because she was too late. Your father had already fallen in love with your mother."

"So, that explains Ginny trying so hard. Wow, I'm flabbergasted. I don't understand."

"Neither did I until I heard Dumbledore telling Fudge about it one day right in front of my cell. And they expected me to not doing anything about it. Idiots."

"But Ron may be a dick at times but I doubt that he doesn't have my best interests at heart."

"Well, think about it. Does he insult Hermione more than he should? Put her down, make her think ill of herself?"

"You know the reason we even became friends was because Ron made her cry and a troll was set loose in the dungeon on her."

"See, he's trying to put distance between you two. Get rid of him. Lupin has already had a chat with Blake and Iris. They are waiting in the Common Room for you guys."

"So, basically everyone is out to get Kami and I. Great, and I was starting to think that it was only Voldemort."

"Not everyone. Iris' family actually wanted to take you two in but Dumbledore said no. And Blake might be an airhead at times but his performance level is right up there next to you. He might not be Hermione but he's doing quite well. Now, who is Kami's boyfriend?"

"Oliver Wood." Harry laughed. Sirius nodded in understanding meaning that it was an okay choice.

"Harry look!" Kami pointed to the full moon and Lupin's scared face. Sirius ran over to his old friend.

"Remus have you taken your potion tonight?" As a deep growl erupted from Sirius he got his answer. "Apparently not." Peter used this opportunity to change back into a rat and scurried away. Harry clenched his teeth and tried to charge after him but Snape had just come up and stopped him. Harry turned and watched as Lupin transformed into a werewolf. Sirius changed into a dog again and ran out and was protecting them from the wolf.

The werewolf Lupin heard a wolf call and then ran out into the forest. Kami held Ron up with him and his broken leg so

that Hermione could run to Harry. As much as her heart ached to run to Harry as well, she knew that Hermione had a whole much more right.

But before Hermione could get there she saw it. She saw Harry and Sirius on the ground and the dementors surrounding them. Hermione was petrified and couldn't move. All she could see was Harry screaming louder and louder. Then all of a sudden there was a great big white stag that came out of the distance from across the frozen lake. It scared away all of the dementors and got rid of them. Then she saw that Harry had fainted. She ran over and grabbed him and dragged him up the embankment. Snape then took over and levitated both Harry and Ron to the hospital wing and insisted that Madame Pomfrey look at Kami and Hermione.