Chapter 26
The Marauders
"There are some bonds of friendship that can never be broken."
General (ret.) Jigme Dorji Wengshuk
A dumbstruck look passed over Dora's face. "Jessica?" she asked, blinking. "No, it's Dora… Jessica's my mother."
Black shook his head as if shaking off a fly. "You… you look just like her…"
"Don't listen to him, Dora," Ronnie said keeping her wand trained on Black. Dora's own had been faltering from her surprise at Black's statements.
Black gave his head another shake and touched the spot on his forehead, wincing. Scabbers meanwhile was frantically struggling in his cage, gnawing on the thin bars. Hermione was fumbling with the knots still. Harriet grunted into her gag.
"Oh, sorry Harriet," Hermione said, pulling down the scarf. Harriet spat out the thick rag and worked her jaw.
"Thanks. How did you get past the Whomping Willow?" she asked as Hermione resumed trying to untie her.
"It was Crookshanks," Ronnie said, bending down to pick up Scabbers in his cage; inspecting it trying to find a way to free her rat.
At that moment, the ginger cat trotted in, quite casually, hopping up on the bed next to Erica and purring as he nuzzled her elbow.
"Little traitor," Black muttered but the cat paid him no mind, purring away.
"He pressed a knot on the trunk and the tree just… stopped…" Hermione explained, finally managing to free Harriet's hands. She looked around. "Where'd the dog go?"
Harriet pulled her wrists back around, rubbing them where the ropes had been and stretched her legs out before starting to wriggle her shoulders up and down, helping Hermione pull the ropes around her chest up off over her head.
"He's the dog," Harriet said, glaring at Black. "He's an animagus."
Dora glared even more angrily at Black. "It was you… it was you all along, wasn't it…? You used my little sister to get secrets into the school, didn't you? Admit it!" Dora shouted, her face reddening.
Black looked up at her with an even more pained look on his face, but Harriet somehow didn't think it was from the bump on his forehead.
"You knew about Emma and the dog?" Harriet asked.
Dora shrugged. "She's always wanted one. And I suspected she was up to something all year… she's my sister, after all."
"You're a mess," Hermione said, taking in Harriet's clothes before hugging her tight. "I'm so glad you're safe."
"I'm alright," Harriet said. "And you three should talk."
Harriet was just now taking in the other girls' appearances. They were all bruised and bloodied from where they'd attempted to get through the Willow's savaging branches.
Black attempted to get to his feet but Ronnie stepped forward and kicked him hard in the chest. Having spent two summers learning to play football and becoming an experienced goalkeeper, this was no light blow. Black sprawled back on the floor, gasping and clutching his chest. Crookshanks gave a low growl and his hackles raised.
Harriet bent down to untie her own ankles and knees as Hermione moved over to free Erica.
"His knife," Erica said after Hermione removed her gag. "He has a big knife in his pocket."
"Don't move," Dora said, stepping hard on Black's chest and pinning him down while Hermione rummaged nervously in Black's cloak for the knife.
Hermione drew it out, holding it between her thumb and forefinger like it was something diseased. It looked just like the knife Marcus had described Black holding the night he'd broken into the boys' dormitory.
Harriet got shakily to her feet and Ronnie moved over to her, helping her up. Dora turned to toss Harriet's wand to her. Harriet caught it and Dora smiled. Then it happened.
Dora was distracted just long enough for Black to swing and arm down, catching her leg that wasn't on his chest. Dora cried out, losing her balance and tumbling to the floor. Black was on her in an instant. He dragged her up, taking her wand and putting it to Dora's throat, holding her in front of him.
"No…" Black said, his voice trembling with rage. "I've waited too long, hunted for too long… you're not going to take this away from me… you're not going to cost me my revenge! I'm not going to be stopped by a handful of teenage girls!"
Black's face had gone manic again as he looked between the four other girls in the room.
"Sirius, this is insane!" Erica said, rubbing her own wrists. "Just tell them! Tell them the truth! Tell everyone the truth! You have the proof now! You can just turn him in and be free! You don't have to do this!"
Harriet had her wand trained on Black. Her own sense of rage was welling up now as she looked at the gaunt face. She raised her wand, trying to keep a bead right between his eyes. A new sensation, a strange and unpleasant one, was welling up inside Harriet.
This was it, this was the moment. She was here, face to face with the man who had sold her parents out to Lord Voldemort. The man who had been her father's best friend until he betrayed them. Who'd killed thirteen people with a single curse. Who'd used one of her best friends' little sisters. Who'd kidnapped Erica. Who now had a wand to that same best friends' throat.
"It's too late for that, Erica," Black said. He held out a hand to Ronnie. "Give me the rat…"
Ronnie blinked. "What the hell do you want Scabbers for?" she asked.
Harriet wasn't really listening. She was too busy imagining her spell connecting with Black's forehead, watching him crumble, lifeless, like her parents. Avenged.
"Because he's the one… the traitor…" Black snarled.
That word seemed to snap Harriet to her senses. There was an awkward silence that was punctuated by a creaking floorboard downstairs.
Black's eyes widened at the sound and he spun towards the door. Hermione at the same time cried out.
"WE'RE UP HERE! IT'S SIRIUS BLACK! QUICK!"
Black shifted his grip on Dora, but it was Dora's turn to get the jump on Black. She buckled her knees and managed to duck out of his grasp. Black was wide open and Harriet acted without thinking.
"Expelliarmus!" she cried and this time Dora's wand sprang from Black's hand and spiralled towards Harriet instead.
Harriet caught it and stared in disbelief. That hadn't been the spell she'd meant to use. She'd meant something dangerous, something to hurt Black, to kill him. Why had that been the spell she'd used by instinct?
Dora scrambled away from Black and at that moment, both Professor Lupin and Daniel burst through the door, their own wands drawn.
Warm relief swept over Harriet at the sight of them as Daniel trained his wand on Black, his hand trembling, looking even more furious than Dora had been. Professor Lupin looked at the girls and warm relief spread over his face.
"You're alive," he said, breathing heavily, clearly having run quite a ways, as he looked at Erica.
"Where is he, Sirius…?" Daniel snarled. "Where's… Peter…?"
Harriet blinked. Black had called Scabbers, Peter. But who could they be talking about?
Black raised a shaky hand and pointed it at Ronnie. No, not Ronnie. He was pointing at Scabbers. Professor Lupin bent down a bit, squinting at the rat.
"But… why hasn't he shown himself…? Why has he stayed in hiding so long unless—"
Professor Lupin's eyes widened and Daniel finally took his eyes off Black, though his wand didn't falter. Understanding was passing between Daniel and Professor Lupin, though Harriet had no idea what it could be.
"Unless… it was him…" Daniel said slowly looking back at Black. "You switched without telling us… didn't you…?"
Black's eyes were moving between Professor Lupin's and Daniel's. Very slowly, he nodded.
"Daniel, Professor Lupin," Harriet asked, interrupting. "What's going—"
Harriet didn't get to finish. Ignoring Harriet's question, Daniel lowered his wand and both he and Professor Lupin stepped up to Black and embraced him as two brothers would embrace a long-lost third.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione shouted.
She was on her feet, pointing at Professor Lupin and Daniel, wild-eyed and frantic. "You! You!"
"Hermione—" Professor Lupin said calmly, holding up his hands.
"You and him! Both of you!"
"Hermione, please calm down," Daniel said.
"I never told anyone! I've been covering up for you when I should have said all along!"
"Hermione, you have to listen to us, please!" Professor Lupin said, beseeching.
Harriet felt her sense of rage growing. White hot anger filling her mind as she looked at the two men, Professor Lupin and Daniel, men who she had been slowly coming to regard as long-lost uncle and father respectively. Betrayed.
"I TRUSTED YOU!" Harriet cried, her voice cracking with emotion. "And all this time you've been his friend!"
Professor Lupin and Daniel both looked staggered. Daniel looking the most wounded.
"You're wrong," Professor Lupin said. "Neither Daniel nor I have been Sirius' friend for twelve years. But…" he looked back at Sirius. "But we are, now… please, let us explain."
"No, Harriet!" Hermione shouted. "Don't trust him! He's been helping Black into the castle! He's been trying to convert you to the Dark Arts too! He's a werewolf!"
Silence filled the room at this pronouncement. Professor Lupin's face had gone very pale, though he looked calm. Daniel however was glaring at Hermione, as if deeply offended by what she'd said.
"Not at all up to your usual standards, Hermione," Professor Lupin said, trying to keep his voice steady. "Only one out of three, that time. I have not been helping Black into the castle, nor has Daniel. In fact, Daniel has been leading the efforts to find Black since it was apparent he was in the area. Harriet, the night you saw Sirius in the grounds, before the Quidditch match, did you also see a big cat? Following the dog, as if hunting it?"
Harriet blinked. How had Professor Lupin known that?
"Y-yes?" Harriet said.
"That was me…" Daniel said.
"You?" Harriet asked, stunned. "You're an animagus, too?"
"Yes," Daniel said.
Harriet blinked processing this information. She remembered how tired Daniel had looked the morning of the match. It was more information that seemed utterly crazy, and yet all seemed to fit.
"And, of course neither of us want to turn Harriet to the Dark Arts. In fact, I'm fairly certain that we can now verify that Sirius has no such intentions either. However…" Professor Lupin shivered. "I will not deny, that I am a werewolf…"
He turned a pained face to Hermione. "How long have you known?"
"Ages," Hermione said. "I was first suspicious during Professor Snape's essay… then I asked Professor Stratton about it at Christmas to verify…"
"Ah, well, Severus will be delighted," Professor Lupin said. "He set that essay hoping someone would figure it out. Was it the lunar charts? Or did you realize my boggart was the moon?"
"Both," Hermione said.
Professor Lupin gave a little mirthless laugh. "You're the cleverest witch of your age, Hermione… bar none," he said.
"No I'm not," Hermione argued. "If I was, I would have told everyone. Is Professor Stratton in on this too? Is that how he knew?"
"Not at all," Professor Lupin said. "And if you think Desmond is the only one who knows, you're sorely mistaken."
"In fact, if you think Remus is the only werewolf at Hogwarts, you're equally sorely mistaken," Daniel said.
"Dumbledore hired you, when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ronnie asked. "Is he mad?"
"There's more of you?" Erica asked. Though her question was more fascinated interest than shock.
"Indeed. In fact, I'm surprised Desmond did not tell you about himself when he told you about me…"
"He's a werewolf too!?" Hermione gasped. "But, but he was never ill at the full moon! Not once!"
"Of course he wasn't," Daniel said. "He's a true wolf. Born from a long line of werewolves going back thousands of years. He has complete control over the condition because it runs in his family. He doesn't even need the full moon to transform. And he can resist transforming if he tries hard enough during a full moon. Instead of being drained by the full moon and the transformations, Desmond is rejuvenated by them. It's a complete symbiotic relationship with the bacteria. But normal humans cannot handle the effects, and it acts more as a parasite, slowly draining them. Normal humans who receive the bacteria through bites from true wolves or other human werewolves are usually referred to as… well—"
"Bitten…" Professor Lupin filled in, bitterly
"Yes… bitten wolves," Daniel said. "Though most of their kind consider that a borderline derogatory term…"
"But, I've never read anything about different types of werewolves. Never!" Hermione spluttered.
Professor Lupin grimaced. "No, you wouldn't have. They go to great pains to keep themselves legend only. About a hundred years ago, at the end of the Werewolf Wars, Desmond was one of the primary negotiators for peace with Albus. As part of the agreement, true wolves would remain in hiding, not having to register for the Werewolf Registry… in exchange, they were to work in secret to keep bitten wolves in check," he sighed. "And that is why Desmond is working at Hogwarts now, and why he came to work at Hogwarts all those years ago when I first began attending… to keep me in check when I transform… When he's not teaching here, he acts as an intermediary between non-human and part human species, working to broker peace during conflicts as well as preventing them from happening."
"A hundred years ago?" Dora asked. "I can see Dumbledore being that old, but—"
Daniel gave a little snort. "I don't think Dumbledore's even half as old as Desmond is."
"Well, in that general area," Professor Lupin said.
Harriet's mind was working overtime. This was all absurd, wasn't it? And yet, she remembered the way Professor Stratton's eyes had glinted the night of the Sorting. And then the night that Aurochius and the rest had first come to Hogwarts.
"Wait, that's why the fauns kept calling Professor Stratton "Ambassador" isn't it?" Harriet asked.
"Yes indeed," Professor Lupin said. "Though as officially he does not exist, he doesn't like to parade that information in front of people like the Minister of Magic."
"Then… Jeremy's a bitten wolf, too?" Hermione asked in a small voice.
Professor Lupin shook his head.
"No. No, Jeremy is like Desmond. But he was a late-bloomer… the first transformation typically happens much earlier in childhood, around the time magic first shows itself. In fact, it was thought the condition had not passed to Jeremy until he had his first transformation during Christmas of the previous school year. The sort of werewolf equivalent of a squib. I imagine hormones and puberty finally coaxed it out of him."
Harriet's memory banks kicked into drive again. She remembered. Jeremy had come back from the Christmas holidays looking ragged, and how he'd brushed off both Harriet and Isabella, and Harriet had thought he had started turning against her.
"But why does he get ill, too?" Hermione asked.
"Because he's still young," Professor Lupin said. "He hasn't fully adjusted… had he gone through his first transformation when he was supposed to he would be handling it better by now, but I'm sure within a few years he will be just as happy and healthy at every full moon as Professor Stratton is now."
Harriet was distracted by Black at that moment, who wearily crossed over to the bed and flopped down on it on his back, burying his face in one of his hands. Crookshanks nuzzled up to him now, purring.
"It's… it's why Professor Dumbledore hired me this year…" Professor Lupin said, himself sinking onto the chair Harriet had been tied to. "To counsel Jeremy on the effects; how to deal with them and cope until he grows into the changes. And like I said… why Desmond returned as well…"
"BUT INSTEAD YOU WERE HELPING HIM!" Harriet cried out, pointing at Black. She didn't know where her renewed anger was coming from.
"We have not been helping Sirius," Professor Lupin said. "If you can please just give us a chance to explain… here."
He took his wand back out of his belt and actually held the handle out to Harriet. Harriet took it, suspiciously at first, but Lupin made no move to attack or otherwise and let her take it. Daniel in turn held his out to Hermione.
"There, you're armed, we're not. Now please, let us explain."
"Okay then," Harriet said, eyeing Professor Lupin, Black, and Daniel. "If you haven't been helping him, how did you know we were here?"
"The Map of course," Professor Lupin said. "The Marauder's Map. We were in my office examining it."
Harriet blinked. Something about the way Professor Lupin had so casually mentioned the map by name caught her attention.
"Wait… you know I'm the one who turned it in, don't you?"
"Of course I knew, Harriet," Professor Lupin said. "I've been your teacher for a year now, do you think I didn't recognize your handwriting at once?"
Harriet flushed, suddenly feeling very stupid.
"But I was very proud of you for doing so," Daniel said. His voice was so sincere that Harriet blushed even brighter with a swell of pride in spite of all that was going on and her suspicions.
"And you didn't need the instructions either," Professor Lupin said, chuckling bitterly.
"Why not?" Harriet asked.
"Because we wrote it," Daniel said.
"You?!" Harriet gasped.
"Yes," Professor Lupin said. "I'm Moony. Daniel here is Paws. Sirius is Padfoot. Your father was Prongs, and Peter—" he eyed the cage darkly, "was Wormtail… anyway, the important thing is, we were watching it closely tonight, because we thought you might sneak out to see Hagrid, and knowing Dawlish is—"
"A buffoon," Daniel muttered.
"Uh, naïve," Professor Lupin corrected. "He takes his work seriously, but he's ambitious and expects people to adhere to the law as he does. This leaves him rather susceptible to deceptions. Anyway."
Professor Lupin rose and paced the rug. "You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harriet—"
"H-how do you know about the cloak, too?"
Professor Lupin waved an impatient hand. "The number of times all of us hid under it with James during our adventures. The point is, even if you're wearing the cloak, you show up on the map. We watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut."
"I thought they had you at the door," Daniel interjected.
"Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid," Professor Lupin went on as though Daniel hadn't spoken. "But this time… there were five of you."
"What?" Dora asked. "No there were just four of us."
"I couldn't believe it… I thought the map must of have been malfunctioning, how could Peter have been with you?"
"No one else was with us," said Harriet.
"Oh yes, he was… and then we saw another dot running fast towards you, labelled Sirius Black," Daniel said. "We saw him collide with you and drag you and Peter into the Whomping Willow."
Harriet glanced at the rat. He must have been referring to Scabbers, as Black had also called Scabbers "Peter", but who was Peter? Then she realized who they all must be referring to.
"You…" she looked at Professor Lupin and Daniel. "You can't seriously think that Scabbers is—"
"Yes," Black snarled from the bed, sitting up and glaring at the cage in Ronnie's hands. "That's exactly who he is…"
"But, it's Scabbers," Ronnie said, backing away slowly. "He's just a rat."
"No, he's not," Daniel said darkly.
"He's a wizard, Ronnie," Professor Lupin said.
"An animagus… by the name of Peter Pettigrew…" Black said.
This pronouncement was met by a very awkward silence.
"You're all mental," Ronnie declared.
"That's ridiculous," Hermione said.
"Yeah, Peter Pettigrew is dead!" Harriet said, pointing at Black. "He killed him twelve years ago!"
Black snarled. "I meant to… but little Peter got the better of me, but not this time… not this time!"
Black lunged towards Ronnie who cried out and backed into the wall. Professor Lupin and Daniel both managed to catch Sirius by the arms and haul him back away from Ronnie and Scabbers.
"No, Sirius!" Daniel shouted.
"You can't just do it like that, we need to explain!"
"We can explain after!" Black growled. "His corpse will be enough explanation!"
"You're not going to kill him, Sirius!" Daniel snarled and pushed Sirius forcibly back down on the bed.
"They've got a right to know everything," Professor Lupin said. "He's been Ronnie's pet for years. There are parts of it I don't understand yet either."
"Nor me," Daniel admitted. "And Harriet… Sirius…" he knelt in front of Black and put a hand on Black's shoulder. "You owe Harriet the truth, Sirius… about what happened that night… about who really did it…"
Black seemed to come to his senses.
"Alright… but make it quick… I've waited twelve years… I won't wait much longer…"
"You're all nutters," Ronnie said, coming to her senses as well. "I'm off!"
"Please, Ronnie." It was Erica this time. "Please wait and hear them out…"
Ronnie paused, and finally turned back around. "Fine…"
"Good… now… please keep a tight grip on Peter while I—"
"HE'S NOT PETER! HE'S SCABBERS!" Ronnie bellowed.
"There were witnesses who saw Black kill Pettigrew!" Harriet said. "A whole street full of them!"
"They didn't' see what they thought they saw," Black snarled.
"Yes… everyone thought that Sirius killed Peter… as did I until I saw the map tonight," Professor Lupin said. "Because the map never lies, Harriet. Peter is alive, and Ronnie is holding him."
Harriet shook her head. This was getting hard to grasp again. There was no way that Scabbers could be Pettigrew. She was sure that Black could believe that, he'd spent twelve years in Azkaban, it must have unhinged him after all. But why were Professor Lupin and Daniel playing along? Maybe it was a trick? Maybe they were trying to talk Black down; into surrendering?
"P-Professor Lupin," Hermione said. "Scabbers can't be Pettigrew… he just can't be…"
"And why not?" Professor Lupin asked. He sounded as casual as if it was a lesson and Hermione had spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows.
"Because… because people would know if Pettigrew was an animagus… Professor McGonagall taught us about Animagi, and I looked her up doing my homework, and the ministry only has seven recorded animagi this century, and Pettigrew wasn't one of them."
"Yeah, and I wasn't on there either, I expect?" Daniel said. "Nor was Sirius, or Harriet's father?"
"Well… no…" Hermione said.
Daniel chuckled. "Careful Hermione, that's borderline Dawlish thinking. Just because you won't break the law, doesn't mean others won't."
"The ministry does keep a close watch on animagi, yes. But they never knew there were four unregistered animagi running around Hogwarts."
"Hurry up, Remus…" Black snarled.
"Alright, Sirius, alright. But I'll need your help… you see, I only know how it began…"
Professor Lupin sighed looking around the room. However, at that moment there was a creak and the door to the room slowly swung open on its own as if by a breeze. Everyone stared at it and Lupin stepped up to it, looking around.
"No one here…"
"Well it's the Shrieking Shack," Dora muttered. "It's kinda, you know, haunted?"
"It's not," Daniel said. "Never was."
"No…" Professor Lupin agreed. "You see, Dora, the Shrieking Shack was never haunted. The screams, howls, and breaking furniture that the villagers used to hear were… well… me…"
He sighed and brushed aside his prematurely grey hair. "That's where all of this starts… with my becoming a werewolf. None of what's happening now would have happened at all if I hadn't been bitten… or so foolhardy…"
"Heh, all of us share in that last one," Daniel said.
Ronnie opened her mouth to speak but Hermione, Dora, and Erica all shushed her as Professor Lupin continued.
"I was very young when I received the bite… I only just barely survived with my life. My parents tried everything, but there's still no cure for Lycanthropy. It can only be tempered by the Wolfsbane potion that Severus has been making for me, and that's a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, so I keep my normal mind as a true-wolf does, and can ride out the full moon safely in my office, a threat to no one."
"Really?" Black said raising his eyebrows. "That woulda simplified things back then."
"Yeah, but it would have cut down on the adventures dramatically," Daniel said.
Black smiled, an altogether different smile than he'd shown before. It almost made his skull-like face look human once more. In fact, if he hadn't been so thin, it would have been almost boyish.
"Anyway," Professor Lupin went on. "Before the potion was invented, I became a fully-fledged monster once a month. No parent was going to want me at Hogwarts where I could injure their children. A worry they were right to have…"
"Remus…" Daniel said but Professor Lupin ignored him.
"My parents had given up on the prospect of me attending Hogwarts, until Professor Dumbledore became headmaster. He was sympathetic… he came to my house… he spoke with my parents… he played a game with me… he told us of his plans to secure the school… to take precautions for my, and others' safety."
He sighed again. "I told you months ago that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came ot Hogwarts… the truth is it was planted because I had come to Hogwarts. Dumbledore set it all up… he created the tunnel to this house… he sealed the house to prevent other people from getting in and me from getting out, then planted the Whomping Willow over the tunnel entrance to keep anyone from getting in while I was dangerous. And then of course he hired Desmond. All of it was to protect me and the school."
Harriet wasn't sure what Professor Lupin was getting at, but she couldn't help but listen with rapt attention. Even Ronnie was listening close now, her mouth hanging open.
"It… it is very painful when a bitten-wolf transforms," Professor Lupin explained. "And as I was separated from other humans to bite, I would bite and scratch myself instead, when I wasn't tearing apart the furniture. I created such a racket the villagers thought the house was full of violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged that rumour, and it clung on so strongly that even to this day, none of the villagers dare approach the house."
"That's why Scott couldn't get in," Hermione said, more to herself than anyone.
"Nor Fred and George," Ronnie chimed in.
"Of course not," Professor Lupin said. "But, in spite of all that… I was the happiest I had ever been in my life. Because for the first time in my life, I had friends… great friends... Sirius Black," he said gesturing to Black. "Daniel Dusk, Peter Pettigrew, and of course, James Potter, Harriet… your father…"
Professor Lupin grimaced and went on. "The problem was… it's very difficult to have a friend who is a werewolf and not figure it out eventually."
"Which we did," Daniel chimed in again.
Professor Lupin finally gave a hint of a smile. "Yes. You did. Though it was not for a lack of trying."
"No, what was that line you kept giving us at first?" Black asked.
"His mother was ill," Daniel replied.
"Oh yeah!" Black replied.
Professor Lupin chuckled. "Well, long story short, they did work it out, but they did not desert me after all. Instead, they did something for me that not only made my transformations more bearable, but… the best times of my life."
"What?" Harriet asked.
"We became animagi," Daniel replied.
"Yes," Professor Lupin said. "It took them the better part of three years to do it. Your father, Sirius, and Daniel were the cleverest students in the school—"
"Right, because you never beat us in any exam," Daniel quipped.
"Or all of them" Black added.
Harriet shook her head. The level of familiarity that Professor Lupin, Daniel, and Sirius Black were showing was freaking her out quickly. It just didn't seem right, and yet their interactions were so natural…
"Well, anyway," Professor Lupin said. "Lucky they were so clever, as the animagus transformation can go horribly wrong, which is why the Ministry keeps such a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get of course. But finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."
"But how did that help?" Hermione asked.
"Well you see, a bitten werewolf is only a threat to humans. This meant they couldn't keep me company as humans. So instead, they became animals. They would sneak out of the castle using James' cloak. Peter, as the smallest, would press the knot and freeze the tree. Then they would transform, and slip into the tunnel after me. And under their influence, I became less… wolfish… I still transformed, but I did not seem quite so monstrous in my mind."
Professor Lupin paused and took a deep breath. "This… opened many, er, exciting new possibilities to us. Soon, we even started leaving the Shrieking Shack and exploring the grounds. We were shadowed by Desmond everywhere we went, but we pretended not to know he was there. But soon, we knew more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than any student before or since I think. And that was how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames."
"What sort of animal did—" Harriet started to aske but was cut off by Erica, who had lost some of her excitement and now sounded reproving.
"That was still so dangerous! You could still have given them the slip and attacked someone!"
"Yes… that still haunts me to this day…" Professor Lupin said.
"Me too," Daniel muttered.
"There was the three of us and Desmond lurking about. I think we were fine," Black said.
Professor Lupin ignored him. "We did have some near misses… but we were young and foolish… too carried away with our own cleverness… I did sometimes feel guilty about betraying Professor Dumbledore's trust of course. He had let me into Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking all of the rules he had set up to keep myself and others safe. And not only that, I had led other students to break the law in becoming animagi illegally."
"Hey," Daniel snapped. "You don't get to blame yourself for that. That was our idea."
"Yes… well… either way, I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next adventure. And I haven't changed…"
Professor Lupin's face hardened and his voice filled with self-disgust. "All this year, I've been battling with myself over whether I should tell Dumbledore about Sirius being an animagus… but it would mean admitting what we had done. And Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me…"
"Again… you're not alone," Daniel said, shamefully.
"I know, Daniel, I know…" Professor Lupin said in a sympathetic tone. "But in my cowardice, I talked myself into believing that Sirius being an animagus had nothing to do with his escape, or how he was getting into the school… that it must have been dark arts he'd learned from Lord Voldemort… so I suppose, in a way, Severus has been right about me, all along."
"Wait," Black said. "Severus? Not Severus Snape? What the hell does he have to do with it?"
"He's here… Sirius," Professor Lupin said. "He's teaching here as well."
Black growled. "Lucky I never ran into him then…"
Professor Lupin sighed again. "Professor Snape was at school with us. He was in our year, but Slytherin, though I suppose that's no mystery."
"Yeah, not really," Ronnie said.
"Anyway, Severus fought very hard against my appointment to the Defence Against the Dark Arts position. For more than his own ambitions… you see… Sirius here played a… well… trick, on him… which involved me…"
Professor Lupin's voice became bitter once again but Sirius did not look abashed.
"Served him right," Sirius growled. "Always sneaking around after us, trying to get us expelled…"
"Uh Severus was a bit… overly interested in what we got up to every month," Daniel said. "This was more than the usual inter-house rivalry. It was mostly towards James, but the rest of us were guilty by association."
"Well… we did help out with the tormenting," Black said, smiling again wickedly.
"Anyway," Professor Lupin said, frustrated at the interruption. "One night, Severus saw Madam Pomfrey leading me to the Whomping Willow. Sirius thought it would be, erm, amusing, to tell Severus that all he had to do was prod the knot on the trunk with a long stick and he could follow. Well, of course, Severus tried it. If he had made it as far as this house, he'd have met a fully-formed werewolf. However, Sirius told your father and Daniel what happened and they acted at once. Daniel told Desmond, while your father ran after Severus, at great risk to his own life, and tried to pull Severus away. The sound of their scuffling in the tunnel attracted me, and I went down to investigate. I saw them and charged, but fortunately Desmond arrived in time and managed to hold me off until your father and Severus could escape. Unfortunately, obviously the cat was out of the bag at that point. Professor Dumbledore forbid Severus to tell anyone, but the fact remained, Severus now knew what I was."
"Is, is that why Professor Snape is so afraid of Professor Stratton?" Harriet asked.
"Yes, the sight of a fully-grown, fully-formed blood-wolf on the attack is a rather shocking experience," Professor Lupin said.
"And that's why Professor Snape doesn't like you," Harriet said, more comprehension dawning on her. "Because he thought you were in on the joke."
"That's right."
The voice was cold and sneering, and came out of mid-air. At that moment, Professor Snape appeared out of thin-air himself, directly behind Professor Lupin, whipping off Harriet's invisibility cloak and pointing his wand directly at Professor Lupin's face.
Hermione actually screamed, and Black leapt to his feet. Harriet felt her feet briefly leave the ground, she jumped so hard.
"I found this on the ground on the way to the Willow," Professor Snape said, holding up the cloak. "Very useful. This is yours, I presume, Potter?"
Professor Snape was breathless with barely suppressed triumphant excitement. "You ought to be more careful with your toys, Lupin," he said. "I took a goblet of potion to your office, as you'd forgotten to take it earlier today. There, on your desk, I saw a certain map I thought I had managed to get confiscated by Filch all those years ago. On it, I saw you and Dusk running down this tunnel and off the map."
"Severus," Professor Lupin started but Professor Snape cut him off.
"I've told Dumbledore time and again that you were not to be trusted, Lupin, and now here's the proof. I never dreamed that you'd have the nerve to use this place again as your hideout. And you, Dusk. I had come to expect better of you over the years. But it seems old habits die hard, don't they?"
"You're wrong, Severus," Daniel said. "You didn't hear everything. Sirius is not here to hurt or kidnap Harriet."
"No? I was under the impression he'd already done both," Professor Snape said, eyeing Harriet, whose clothes were dirty and torn from Sirius' attack.
"Well, okay he did but not for the reason everyone has thought!" Daniel said.
"Severus, please listen," Professor Lupin said, still trying to talk sensibly.
"Well, well, well, I suppose this will make it three more for Azkaban tonight, won't it?" Professor Snape said. "Poor Dumbledore, he's going to be heartbroken by this development, won't he?" he went on, sneering at Professor Lupin. "A tame werewolf… harmless…"
"You fool," Professor Lupin said. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting innocent men in Azkaban?"
With a loud bang and white flash, thin cords burst from Professor Snape's wand and coiled around Lupin's wrists, mouth, and ankles. He lost his balance and fell to the floor with a thud. Black and Daniel roared but Professor Snape's wand flashed again. Daniel was thrown backwards against the wall, sliding down, apparently unconscious. Black started towards Professor Snape but with another flick, Professor Snape's wand was pointing right between Black's eyes.
"Give me a reason," Professor Snape muttered. "Give me a reason to do it and I swear I will…"
Black had stopped dead, but his face lost none of its rage as he glared at Professor Snape.
"Big man now, aren't you Snivellus…?" Black snarled. "Attacking the unarmed."
Professor Snape's contorted with, if possible, even more rage. Harriet couldn't tell anymore which face was showing more abject hatred.
Harriet was frozen in her spot. She felt paralyzed. She didn't know what to think. She had no idea whom to believe. She glanced at the other girls.
Ronnie was looking as dumbstruck as Harriet felt. Dora was now glaring at Professor Snape instead of Black. Erica was looking furious, while Hermione uncertain. Hermione went to take a step forward when Erica finally hopped off the bed.
"Would you just listen to what he has to say!" she demanded of Professor Snape, angrily. "I've been here with him for two weeks now, and he hasn't hurt a hair on my head. He didn't even want to kidnap me! It was an accident!"
Professor Snape growled. "Don't be stupid, girl. You've clearly been Confunded. Listen to yourself, 'accidentally kidnapped'?"
Erica flushed but Black shot her a look and she fell silent, though remained fuming.
Hermione stepped forward too. "Professor Snape, it really wouldn't hurt to hear what they have ot say, would it?" she asked, breathless. "If…"
"Miss Granger," Professor Snape snarled dangerously. "Keep quiet. You're already facing a suspension from this school for this. You, Weasley, Flamel, and Potter are out-of-bounds in the company of a convicted mass-murderer and a werewolf! For once in your life will you hold your tongue!"
"Hey!" Dora shouted. "We may be out of bounds, but we caught Black!"
"Silence!" Professor Snape snapped.
"But, if there was a mistake—" Hermione started but Professor Snape cut her off.
"KEEP QUIET YOU STUPID GIRL!" he cried. He was starting to look even more deranged than Black had done in the tunnel. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
Professor Snape's wand set out a jet of sparks that dispersed less than an inch from Black's forehead. Hermione whimpered and fell silent.
"Vengeance is sweet, Black… so very sweet… how I hoped I would be the one to catch you… and here you thought you were going to kill me, instead…"
"Kill you?" Black snarled. "I didn't even know you were here until tonight!"
Professor Snape blinked. Harriet looked at Professor Snape. Did that mean that Professor Snape was the spy everyone had been talking about?
"Either way, the joke's on you again, Severus," Black said, his voice still a snarl and jerked a thumb at Ronnie. "As long as Ronnie here brings her rat up to the castle, I'll come quietly…"
Professor Snape's baffled expression vanished and his sneer returned. "Up to the castle?" he said silkily. "No, I don't think we'll need to go that far. We only need to get out of the Willow again and I can summon the dementors. I'm sure they'll be pleased to see you again, Black. Happy enough to kiss you, I should think."
Finally, Black's rage faltered and his face went very pale. "You've got to hear me out," he said, pointing at Ronnie and Scabbers again. "The rat! Look at the rat!"
Professor Snape's sneer grew. He seemed beyond all reason. In spite of how Professor Snape had acted in the past; so ready to go to Ginny's rescue, how panicked he'd been that Harriet was going on ahead into the Chamber of Secrets without him, Harriet suddenly felt distinctly afraid of him.
"Come, all of you," Professor Snape said. He clicked his fingers and some of the cords binding Professor Lupin sprang up into his hand. He pointed his wand at Daniel's unconscious form and Daniel was dragged straight up into the air by his ankle, hanging upside down as if caught in an invisible snare.
"I'll drag the werewolf," Professor Snape said. "I don't think the dementors would mind giving him a little kiss too."
"You…" Harriet said, her voice shaking.
Professor Snape slowly turned to look at her, his eyes unfathomable.
"You… you're… pathetic!" she snapped. "What happened to you? Is that why you're like this? Why you're so mean to everyone? Just because they made a fool of you at school? I put up with my cousin bullying me for years but I still try and be nice to everyone!" Harriet said, her rage rising. She began shouting now. "BESIDES! PROFESSOR LUPIN COULD HAVE KILLED ME A HUNDRED TIMES THIS YEAR! SAME WITH DANIEL! LAST YEAR YOU WENT INTO THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS TO SAVE GINNY, BUT SINCE GETTING HERE ALL YOU'VE CARED ABOUT IS YOUR PETTY REVENGE OVER A STUPIDLY THOUGHT OUT PRANK! YOU DIDN'T THINK FOR A SECOND TO CHECK IF ERICA WAS OKAY!"
Professor Snape was frozen. He looked like a statue. Harriet's throat was throbbing from the diatribe.
"We'll speak of this… later… Potter…" Professor Snape said, his voice dangerously icy now. "Now come… back to the school… now… or I assure you… you will be expelled by the time I'm done with you… you and your friends… now… come. It's time to introduce our little criminal trio to their cloaked new friends…"
Harriet took a step forward and went to reach for her wand. However, at that moment, a shout rang out from the doorway.
"STUPEFY!"
Professor Snape was knocked off his feet as a jet of bright-red sparks hit him from behind. Black just managed to duck out of the way as Professor Snape went sprawling onto the floor, his wand clattering across the floor. Black managed to step on it and bent down to pick up it up. Daniel meanwhile dropped to the floor with a cringing thump.
"That. Felt. So. Good!"
Everyone not bound or unconscious spun back to the doorway. There, standing on the threshold, his wand pointing at Black, was George Weasley.