"How does it feel?" Sirius asked, "Your leg?"

Sirius and Sophie were helping Ron move through the passageway between the Whomping Willow and the Shrieking Shack.

"You nearly ripped it off so all in all, not stellar," Ron replied.

Sirius chuckled and said, "Normally I am a lovely dog. Try not to hold it against me."

Ron gave a weak smile and winced as they moved up through the exit of the tunnel.

As they emerged from the tunnel, Sirius said "Let's take a break." He eased Ron down onto the grass a ways from the willow.

Sirius moved away and stared up at the castle.

The night was cool and the sky was clear. You could see Hogwarts in all of its glory. The school had never felt like home to her, the way it had to Harry, but it was beautiful. It had a magic all its own.

Hermione and Harry emerged from the tunnel next. Harry just gazed at her as they walked over to where Sophie sat examining Ron's leg.

Harry was the most infuriating boy, in Sophie's opinion. He always looked as though he was thinking a million different things at once but never told her anything. It was absolutely maddening.

Hermione took over tending to Ron's wound and then said quietly, "Go on. Take Harry and go talk to Sirius."

Harry nodded and extended his hand to Sophie. She took it, ignoring the odd feeling in the pit of her stomach, and walked over to Sirius with him.

As they approached, Sirius said, "The two of you together is the best thing I've seen in 12 years. I wish James could see you two together, friends just like we were. I think he would have loved it."

Sirius smiled as he looked up at the castle. Sophie looked at Harry and wondered how Evelyn would feel about seeing her with Harry. Sophie honestly had no idea.

It did occur to her that Harry had not let go of her hand.

"I am so sorry, to both of you, for all that has happened because of me. I am sorry for any pain I have caused. I cannot imagine the difficulty you face being my daughter Sophie. It isn't fair to you," Sirius said miserably.

"Who cares, Sirius. Who cares about the people who are cruel to us and all of the difficulties we have faced. I'm here, you're here, and Harry's here. We are going to clear your name and then everything is going to be fine," Sophie said smiling.

Sirius gave Sophie a strange look and said, "You may look like me but you have quite a bit of Remus in you."

Sophie felt the corners of her mouth turn up automatically and said, "I'm taking that as a compliment."

Sirius turned towards the two of them. His eyes lingered on Harry's hand, still clutching Sophie's and then said, "Harry, I know you have a home with your Aunt and Uncle and Sophie, you have Remus, but I was wondering if when all this is over if you would be interested in living with me? I completely understand if you want to stay with your Aunt and Uncle, Harry. I don't know if you are aware but I am your godfather and I'd like for us to be a family. Remus would of course come and live with us as well, if you wanted to Sophie."

Sophie felt her breath catch and the accompanying tightness in her chest. She couldn't make herself speak.

Harry said, "Are you serious? Come and live with you?"

Harry's comment and Sophie's silence were definitely not what Sirius was hoping for. He looked at the ground and said, "It was a ridiculous idea."

That just about broke Sophie's heart but before she could regain her ability to speak, Remus emerged from the Whomping Willow holding Peter and suspending Professor Snape.

Peter was clutching to Ron, whimpering.

Remus pushed his hair away from his face and looked across the space at her. He tipped his head to the side and half smiled as he looked at her. It was so like Remus, assessing her from afar, checking up on her.

Then she spotted it, the worst thing that could happen.

It was the full moon, rising behind Remus.

"REMUS," she screamed and pointed behind him.

Sirius pushed her backwards, into Harry who held onto her, and raced towards Remus.

Sirius held him and said, "My friend, have you taken your potion tonight?"

Sophie moved towards them but Harry held her back. Remus had begun to change. His face formed a snout and claws began to emerge from his fingertips

It took Peter a moment to realize that Remus was no longer pointing his wand at him. But the moment the realization dawned, he smiled wickedly at Sophie and Harry and transformed into a rat. His clothes fell away and from them emerged a disgusting, traitorous rat. He scurried away like a coward just as quickly as he changed.

Sophie screamed and moved to chase him but Harry held onto her firmly.

"Let me go. Let me go. He can't get away," she cried.

"He's already gone, Sophie. He's gone and you'll only get hurt if I let you go," Harry soothed.

Sirius had yet to notice Pettigrew's escape. He was a bit preoccupied trying to get through to a rapidly transforming Remus.

"You know who you are. This heart, this heart is where you truly live, Remus," Sirius cried out.

Sophie struggled in Harry's arms but he would not release her.

Still holding her, Harry moved towards Hermione and Ron and stood in front of them. He reached for his wand but stopped immediately when Sophie barked, "You will not hurt Remus, Harry."

Then Remus broke free of Sirius' grasp, propelling him away. Sirius hit a tree and lay on the ground, unmoving.

Standing above Sirius, on his hind legs, was Remus as a fully transformed Werewolf.

Sophie knew exactly what she needed to do.

She elbowed Harry in the gut and stomped on his foot, escaping from his protection.

She pulled her mother's necklace off and thrust it into Hermione's hand and said, "Keep that safe."

Sophie stepped out in front of her friends and the feebly stirring body of Severus Snape.

Remus stood close enough to touch and at twice her height.

She met the eye line of her werewolf/father and did the only thing that felt right.

She started to sing.

"There is a house built out of stone

Wooden floors, walls and window sills," she sang.

Remus loved this song; it always made him smile. The werewolf made no movement and looked right at Sophie. So Sophie kept going.

"Tables and chairs worn by all of the dust

This is a place where I don't feel alone

This is a place where I feel at home," Sophie sang louder.

Sophie sang as she moved away from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She kept her eyes locked on Remus' eyes and he mirrored her movements

From the sounds Sophie could hear, it was apparent that Severus Snape had awoken. It wasn't like she could stop now though. She kept moving further and further from her friends as she sang.

"And I built a home

For you

For me" Sophie sang with all her heart.

Sophie took a breath and realized how silent the world had become. Nothing emitted a sound, like the world was waiting to see if she'd be eaten.

Sophie kept her eyes locked with Remus'.

She began to repeat her favorite parts of the song. She had to assume Remus wouldn't really mind.

"This is a place where I don't feel alone

This is a place where I feel at home," she continued to sing.

The werewolf almost swayed with her singing, looking at peace.

Sirius did not choose the right moment to regain consciousness.

He must not have understood what was happening. He probably just saw his best friend in Werewolf form and his daughter in danger of attack. His reaction was a rational one.

"SOPHIE," he yelled.

He clamored up from the ground and stepped between Werewolf Remus and Sophie.

The minute Sirius yelled, the calm Sophie had created disappeared. Suddenly, the reality that Remus had not taken his potion and he did not recognize his own daughter was dawning on Sophie.

Sirius had pushed her backwards, trying to distance her from Remus.

Remus was not handling Sirius' protection of Sophie very well.

He growled and snapped at Sirius and swiped his claw in his direction.

Sirius changed back into a dog and Sophie watched her fathers fight each other, one deranged and the other desperate. It was terrifying.

Sirius held is own, but as their fight waged on, it was clear he was no match for a highly agitated werewolf. Werewolf Remus managed to grasp a hold of Sirius and threw him. The resulting sound as Sirius hit the ground was not comfort. Sirius moved, alerting her it was not over. Remus stood over him, poised for the kill.

The paralyzing fear gave way to calm knowledge. Sophie knew what she had to do.

She reached down to the ground and felt her hand clasp onto a rock.

She whipped her head back and locked eyes with Harry.
"Look after Sirius," she ordered of him.

"Sophie," Harry started. Sophie didn't let him finish.

"HEY REMUS," Sophie yelled. She threw the rock with all her might and it hit its mark, right on Remus' head.

The werewolf growled as he turned to face her. On his four legs, he began to move towards her. Sophie whipped out her wand and since she wasn't about to fight her father, her instinct for flight set in. She ran as fast as she could into the forest with Remus the werewolf on her heels.

In the distance, Sophie could hear Harry screaming her name.

Sophie weaved in and out of trees and leaped over fallen branches. Her relatively small size and agility helped her stay ahead of Remus. His large form hindered his weaving through the closely scattered trees.

Sophie wouldn't stop moving until she had managed to put quite a bit of distance between them. Sophie didn't know where she was but she did know that she couldn't stay in the forest. She had to get back to Sirius, and to Harry. Of course, how was she supposed to find her way back, when she didn't know where back was?

Sophie's eyes darted around, searching, until they rested on a large tree with strong, solid branches.

Sophie climbed. She climbed as quickly and quietly as she could. With every branch she grabbed and hoisted herself higher, she became more calm. She moved higher and higher until she was high enough that she could see the whole world. Or at least the entire school grounds.

She found the Whomping willow with ease but unfortunately, she was much further from it than she hoped. She couldn't see Sirius or anyone else, which worried her. The tree canopy was so thick that she could not see the ground below her. Either Remus was down there or he wasn't. And Sophie wasn't just going to wait around for Remus to turn back into a man. Climbing the tree had been a good idea because she knew her way back now.

She climbed down and hit the ground running. Sophie ran fast, with her wand at the ready. Trees flew by and became less densely scattered. She had to be close, she had to reach Sirius.

She knew something was wrong. With every step, she knew it. There was no point in delaying the inevitable so she ran faster still.

She saw the Whomping Willow as she broke through the trees.

Below it laid an unmoving Ron, with a rather terrified looking Hermione attending to him. Hermione stood up as soon she spotted her.

"Sophie," she said with clear relief.

"Are you okay? Is Ron okay?" Sophie asked hurriedly, "Where is Harry? And Sirius?"

"We're fine. Ron's passed out from the pain. Snape went to the castle for help. Sirius and Harry went that way," Hermione answered, pointing to the left.

Sophie nodded and said, "I'll be back soon, with both of them. Stay safe, Hermione. I can't afford to loose you either. You're my only female friend, remember?"

And with that, she was running again.

She weaved through the narrow path, silently praying that they were both okay.

The path opened onto a small lake. The light of the full moon danced on the surface of the water and illuminated the clearing. In the moonlight, she saw them. Sirius and Harry.

Sirius was lying on the ground, unmoving, and Harry kneeled beside him.

Adrenaline pumped through her veins and drove her forward.

"Harry," she said softly, approaching them.

"Soph! Thank God. I was so scared," Harry said, turning to look at her, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. How is Sirius?" Sophie responded. Harry gazed right at her but Sophie had eyes only for Sirius. The sight of her father, covered in scrapes and blood, made her heart hurt. It made her pulse quicken.

"I don't know. He stumbled down here and collapsed. He's still breathing," said Harry faintly.

She moved over to them and kneeled next to Harry.

She stroked Sirius' hair and leaned down to towards his ear.

"Hey Dad, you're not allowed to die. I forbid it so wake up. Wake up and you and I can go home, together," she whispered in his ear.

A hand clasped Sophie's. Her heart hoped it was Sirius but her mind knew it was Harry. She glanced sideways at him and smiled. It was the best she could manage.

"We have to get help, Harry. We have to save him," Sophie said.

"Okay," Harry said, squeezing her hand, "Do you want to go or shall I?"

Sophie didn't get the chance to respond. The whole world went cold. Happy thoughts of finally having a home with her fathers disappeared and were replaced with hopelessness. They were coming for him.

"Harry," She said urgently, "You can cast a Patronus right? Remus taught you, didn't he?"

"Yes, Yes he taught me. Come on," Harry replied, quickly helping her to her feet, "Let's keep him safe."

Harry did not release her hand as they watched the sky fill with Dementors, preparing to descend upon then.

"Together," Sophie whispered. Harry nodded.

Sophie chose her happy thought, she allowed it to fill her up.

I have Sirius back and Remus, Sirius, and I are going to live together. I am going to have a home.

Her happy thought was the strongest she had.

She looked at the descending Dementors and then at Harry.

In sync, they cried, "EXPECTO PATRONUM."

Silver shields flowed from both of their wands. They flowed together and shielded the 3 of them from the hundreds of incoming dementors.

They swooped, on after another, and were stopped by the Patronuses.

It became difficult to hold on and Sophie gripped Harry's hand even tighter.

He squeezed back and knew he couldn't hold on any more either.

The shields fell away and they took deep breaths, exhausted by the task in front of them.

"Have you ever cast a corporeal patronus?" Harry asked.

"No," she said.

"Well we have to try."

The dementors dove again, this time sucking away at them, as they were unprotected.

Sophie needed a new happy thought and she found one. This really was the strongest happy thought she had.

Harry. Harry standing up for me in the Great Hall. Harry being my friend when no one else would be. Harry.

Sophie had never cast a corporeal Patronus and she was worried for Sirius, if she failed to protect him. But her thought was strong and her mind was clear and she was going to try her best.
She looked over at Harry, wondering what he was thinking.

He nodded at her and together, once again, they cried, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Silver substance flowed from her wand but rather than turning out into a shield, the silver substance twirled and began to form a shape. The substance twirled and formed an animal. It was difficult to determine what it was but it circled around them and charged at oncoming Dementors. It protected them.

After a moment, Sophie realized her Patronus was not alone. Harry had conjured one and it charged after hers, protecting them together. Harry's Patronus was easy to distinguish. With the antlers and four legs, it was undoubtedly a stag. Proud and beautiful, Sophie was somewhat in awe of its pure beauty. It was only when the stag was next to her own Patronus that she finally saw it for what it was. Her Patronus, with its four legs and delicate structure, her Patronus was a doe. A beautiful, powerful doe. A doe that danced through the night with a stag by her side.

Sophie turned her rapidly to the left to look at Harry and found he was already looking at her. Of course, he had figured it out first. He always figured things out before she did. Looking at Harry made her stomach do a weird flip floppy thing so she chose to watch her Patronus instead.
She remembered how proud Remus had been when she produced a incorporeal one. She was so excited as well because they tried for so long and when they finally succeeded she felt a sense of resolve. And finally she had produced her own corporeal Patronus. She had produced her doe.

Watching her doe and Harry's stag dance through the sky had a magic all of its own. They twirled through the sky, like out of place dancers, who had no knowledge of the danger surrounding them. Despite their blissful ignorance, they kept the Dementors, who hungered for Sirius' soul, at bay.

"They're beautiful," Harry said quietly, after a while.

"Yes. They really are," Sophie whispered.

Keeping focused on her happy thought, keeping her Patronus alive was difficult. It was draining her energy. As she looked over at Harry, she could see it was draining his energy as well. Her left hand went limp in his grasp and her want arm dropped. The doe pranced once more with the stag and was gone.

Sophie fell to her knees as she felt darkness closing in. She tried to move towards Sirius, to shield his body with her own. Harry's stag had also faded away and the Dementors began to descend. Harry lay next to her, barely moving as Happiness was extinguished as they sucked pieces of her away. Everything began to fade away and the last thing she saw was a bright light from across the lake. That was the last thing she saw before the darkness. Before nothing.

***A/N: I hope you liked it! This was a little shorter but I didn't want it combined with the next part. I have a very nice Harry/Sophie scene in the works that I hope you'll like! You're all wonderful!. R/R pleaaase.