A/N: Ooh this is SOO difficult to try and stay with the general story but change it. These might be the worst chapters I write! I am So doing an AU one next time lol

Not many people read the last chapter, I hope that's because you're all busy, not because it's awful. Do tell me if it's awful, I don't mind lol

Okay to the story, let us all assume for a moment that you all are Harry Potter fans and you know how this story goes. But just in case it's been a while, here's the Cliff notes.

The Marauders were a werewolf and 3 unregistered Animagi – you all know how it goes
Snape hated them cos once he was trying to get The Marauders in trouble and Sirius let him find his way to the Shrieking Shack – James found him at the last minute, saved him, Severus hates James.
Before Remus tells them this Snape enters the room with the invisibility cloak on, and reveals himself after Remus finishes telling them.

Right, we up to date? I know that's a really bad way of doing this, but it's the only way I could think of!

"So that's why Professor Snape hates you, hates me so much?" Harry mused thinking over everything Professor Lupin had just said. As he was looking over at Ron and a very distressed Scabbers, pinned under Ron's hand a new voice joined the group.

"That is exactly why I hate you so much." Came the snide voice that they all knew so well. Hermione squealed and Harry, Lupin and Sirius all turned sharply to where the voice had come from. There was a shimmer, before Professor Snape revealed himself from under the invisibility cloak.

"Useful thing that." He said throwing it aside, but pointing his wand at the two men. "Thank you Potter." The man snapped, his wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "I knew it; I was right about you from the start." Lupin held his hands up and stepped in front of Sirius slightly.

"Severus, you don't understand, I wasn't helping Sirius, there's far more at work here than you could ever imagine." Snape however refused to listen as he gleefully pointed his wand at the Defence professor. "I'll get the Order of Merlin for this." He said gleefully before tapping his temple with his long finger. "I suppose you want to know how it is that I found you." Harry rolled his eyes.

A/N: So I'm there, and this guy's got me on the ropes and what does he do? He starts monologue-ing! (The Incredibles – gotta love 'em) Sorry I usually hate A/N in the middle, but that was too good to be true!

"You forgot to take your potion tonight and you left the map out on your desk." Snape said to Lupin with a rather menacing look in his eye. "I followed you here, and now I am going to take you back to the castle," he turned to the dumbstruck students, "two more for Azkaban tonight." He said with an all too happy look, "If I'm lucky, maybe they'll just call the Dementors for you Black, and maybe I'll stick around to watch them perform the kiss on you." He said smiling. Harry felt sick, Lupin was right, nobody deserved that punishment.

"Severus, really, is a schoolboy grudge really something to send two innocent people to Azkaban over?" Hermione jumped again, clutching the back of Harry's robes as a bang resounded throughout the shack and thick rope-like cords wrapped themselves around Lupin tightly throwing him onto the floor.

Sirius lunged forward but stopped short as Snape aimed his wand right between the man's eyes.

"Give me a reason." He whispered in a tone that Harry thought was reserved just for him. Harry looked around at the scene before him. He was completely overwhelmed with everything that was running through his head. His Dad was an Animagus, along with his best friends because Professor Lupin was a werewolf and Snape hated them because they nearly killed him during school and Peter Pettigrew was supposedly the man who betrayed his parent to Voldemort, and he was supposedly pinned underneath Ron's bloody hands, in the form of a rat. Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts as Hermione's voice cut through the uneasy silence.

"P-professor, surely, it wouldn't hurt, to um, to hear what they have to say?" she attempted, knowing that it probably wouldn't get her too far.

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school. You, Potter and Weasley are out of bounds and in the company of a wanted fugitive." His voice lowering dangerously. "Maybe you'll even get expelled."

"But Professor,"

"BE QUIET YOU STUPID GIRL." He screamed, looking even more deranged that Sirius Black did at that point. "DON'T TALK ABOUT THINGS YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND." Sirius took a small step back as sparks flew from Snape's wand. "How I hoped it would be me." He whispered, never taking his eyes of Sirius, who was looking more and more defeated.

"Jokes on you, Snivellus." He spate menacingly, jerking his head towards Ron, "as long as the boy brings his rat to the castle, I'll come quietly." He said holding out his hands. Snape looked positively gleeful.

"The castle? No I don't think we'll go there." Snape said scratching his chin, "I think we should go straight to the Dementors. They'll be so pleased to see you. They might even give you the kiss there and then."

Harry watched in horror as what little colour left in Black's face drained out of it quickly.

"Severus, the rat, you need to take the rat to Dumbledore, he needs to know. I'm innocent." Harry and Hermione shared a look as they watched the painfully thin man break down a little at the thought of being back with the Dementors. Harry repressed a shudder. He didn't really blame the man.

"Shut up." Snape spate, "you are in no position to bargain." He nodded towards the door. "Everybody out."

Before Harry really knew what he was doing he strode to the door and kicked it shut, planting himself in front of it, arms at his side, clutching his wand.

"No." Harry said quietly. The entire years' worth of anger with Snape could not compare to this moment. "This is what this year was about wasn't it. Lupin coming back brought it all back for you and you hate me for it. Well I will not let you condemn this man, not without Albus seeing him first."

"Ooh, Albus ey Potter." Snape spat with another evil grin on his face. "Always did have a soft spot for you didn't he. Wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that he's screwing McGonagall now would it?" The anger that harry was feeling towards Sirius Black paled in comparison to the anger that was now coursing through his veins at the way Snape was talking about his grandmother.

"Tha thu as do chiall ." Harry spat without thinking, "You're out of your mind, this has nothing to do with her. This is about Sirius Black, Professor Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and my father." Harry said defiantly, his voice sounding infinitely calmer than he was feeling. "I will not allow you to do this." He said just as calmly, a slight edge creeping into his voice.

"The old bag doesn't know what she's getting herself into with you does she. Stupid woman probably thinks that she's doing you a favour. Probably thinks you and her are just the same. You lost your parents, she lost your parents. The sentimental, stupid, self-righteous, stuck up,"

"Oh shut up Severus." Sirius said from behind them, stepping back once more as Snape raised his wand at Black again.

"What would you know?" he spat at the convict. "You never had a family either did you? She took you in just as much once they were together." Harry mused for a second that Snape didn't seem to be able to say his mother's name. "She's just a dried up old spinster, who has a taste for orphans."

If Snape was going to say anything else, he never got the chance, for at that second three wands raised almost simultaneously and three albeit shaky voices screamed

"EXPELLIARMUS." The force of all three spells blew Snape off his feet and into the wall, where he slid down to the floor and remained still. Harry was breathing deeply as he watched his potions professor slide down the wall.

"Toll-tòine" arse hole, he whispered, startled as he realised Black's lips had twitched into an almost smile.

"One of the first words I made your mother teach me." He said quietly. Harry just looked away.

"We just hexed a teacher." Hermione whispered, the look on her face displaying the horror she felt. "But he said all those terrible things. Why did he say that?" she said, scrubbing her hands together to stop them from shaking. "He was going to give you the kiss." She said, equally disgusted.

Lupin was still struggling against his bonds and Black quickly unravelled them, helping his old friend up off the floor. Lupin checked Snape over, declaring that he was alright.

"Thank you." Black said thankfully to Harry as they stood looking at each other. Harry shook his head and couldn't meet the man's eyes. He wasn't sure what he believed anymore, he wanted Seanmhair; he wanted to curl up on her knee and forget about everything.

"I, I'm not saying I believe you, I just. I couldn't stand him talking about Seanmhair like that." Black wore a funny look on his face as he looked at Harry.

"Your mother would have been happy you found each other." He said quietly. Harry simply nodded. He was too numb for any more feelings.

"Right, how about some proof then." Lupin said as he walked towards Ron. "Ron, may I see the rat?" he asked in a voice that was far more polite that the situation called for.

"NO, are you mad, no you can't have my rat. He's Scabbers, he's not Peter Pettigrew. There are millions of rats," he said weakly a he looked to Hermione and Harry for support. "How does he know that it's this particular rat if he's been locked up in Azkaban?" Ron asked, looking now at Black, who had just a little hint of glee on his face. He drew a rather crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket.

"This." He said triumphantly.

Lupin took the paper off him, a look of understanding passed over his face. He passed it to Hermione, who passed it to Harry, ending up with Ron.

"So?" Ron said confused as to why Sirius Black had a photograph from the Daily Prophet of him on holiday in Egypt from before school started. "How did you even get this?"

"Fudge gave it to me when he came to inspect the prison." Black said a visible shiver running through him as he thought about his time in jail. "I knew as soon as I saw it. It was him, it was definitely him, how many times had I seen him transform, but what really made me believe was this," he said snatching the photo back from Ron, who just whimpered. Black showed the picture to Lupin, pointing at something as a look of understanding crossed the Professor's face.

"Of course." He whispered as he studied the picture closely. "Look," he said pointing out the rat in the picture, "It's got a claw missing." He said gently.

"So? It's always been like that." Ron said defiantly. Hermione however, looked thoughtful.

"Wait Harry didn't you say that the only thing they found of Pettigrew was,"

"A finger." Harry finished off for her, coming to the same realisation that Hermione did. That the rat, now clawing desperately at Ron's chest was in fact Peter Pettigrew.

"How simple, how brilliant." Lupin mused as he ran his hand through his hair. "He cut it off himself," he said almost as a question to Black, who nodded grimly.

"I chased him down after James and Lily were attacked, cornered him in muggle London and he screamed for everyone to hear that I betrayed James and Lily Potter before blowing up part of the street, killing those muggles before he transformed and went down the sewer, like all those other rats." Sirius said, his voice wavering at having used it so much after so long a time.

"He could have lost it in a fight?" Ron said weakly.

"It doesn't matter," Harry interrupted forcefully. "YOU KILLED THEM, YOU WERE THEIR SECRET KEEPER." Harry screamed, no longer able to deal with any more. Sirius Black shook his head sadly.

"I as good as killed them Harry, I got James to change his mind at the last minute, made Peter their secret keeper, I knew that someone was betraying people to him and I thought it would be too obvious for me to be their secret keeper, me being James' best friend." He took a shaky breath. "When I heard there was an attack on James," he looked at Harry, "on all of you, I went to check on Peter, but when I got there he was gone, but there were no signs of a struggle. I had the most terrible feeling, so I went back to Godric's Hollow. When I saw what had happened, I, I realised what he must have done." He looked at Harry. "I'm sorry." He said genuinely, causing Harry just a little more confusion.

"Right, there's only one way to prove all this." Lupin said in an almost business-like manner. "Ron, please hand over the rat."

"Why, what are you going to do to him?" he said looking from his professor to his pet.

"I am going to make him reveal himself." He turned to Harry, who was watching all of this in silence, "Although I believe your grandmother is far more suited to the task." He said gently, causing Harry to look up sharply.

"Leave her out of this." He said darkly, still caught between a feeling of whether to believe the wild story or not. Lupin nodded and took the rat of Ron, muttering a spell over it, everyone jumping backwards as a figure appeared on the floor.

"Sirius, Remus." Came the shaky voice. "My old friends."

"Oh,"

"My."

"treamsgal." Bullshit. Harry whispered as he saw the man on the floor. He couldn't believe his eyes. It couldn't be.

Harry stood in stunned silence as the conversation rolled around him. He caught snippets of what they were saying; how Sirius Black had escaped because he'd been able to turn into an Animagus, how Pettigrew had been looking worse for wear since the news of Sirius' escape. The longer the conversation went on, the more Harry started to see the sense in it.

Harry took a deep breath and raked his fingers through his hair. He actually believed this madness.

He came back to the present just as Sirius and Remus were clasping hands.

"Forgive me my friend." Sirius said with something that was close to a smile.

"Not at all Padfoot." Lupin said in response, rolling up his sleeves.

"Now, shall we do it together?" passing Sirius Snape's wand, which had landed near Ron when he was shot.

"I think that is an excellent idea."

Peter Pettigrew started wailing and moving to each of them begging for mercy.

"Harry, Harry, you look just like your father you know." Pettigrew crawled towards Harry grovelling, "you have your mother's eyes though." Black threw himself in front of Harry, kicking out at Pettigrew.

"Don't you dare speak to Harry, you worthless piece of dragon dung."

The two men grabbed the now sobbing man and threw him against the wall.

"You sold Lily and James Potter to Voldemort." Sirius said loudly. "Do you deny it?"

The only response he got was more wailing. Harry watched them question the man, thinking about how his year had been the craziest year of his life, and how much he had gained this year. Without thinking, he moved in front of Pettigrew, between the two men and their wands and the man who had been responsible for the murder of his parents.

"No." he said quietly looking at both of them. "I don't believe for a second that my parents would have wanted you to kill foe them." Especially when we can take him to Albus." He said firmly, ignoring the praise and thanks from Pettigrew, who was now attached around Harry's ankles. "Get off me traitor." He spat down at Wormtail, "I didn't do this for you. I hope you get the kiss, or at least life in Azkaban for what you did."

Lupin swept Harry into a hug.

"I'm so proud of you Harry. I know Minerva would be too." He said gently as Harry nodded. "Right stand aside Harry." He said as he smiled at the boy. "I'm going to tie him up, and then we'll get everyone back to the castle."

"If you transform Peter, I will kill you." Black said looking pointedly at Harry, who nodded his agreement.

"Right, Ron, there's no way I can mend bones as well as Madam Pomfrey, so let's just get you bandaged up until we can see her." Ron nodded his thanks as a spell wound bandages around his leg.

"Um, Professor, what about Snape?" Hermione said casting an awkward look at the potions professor, who was still unconscious.

"He'll be fine. I'll levitate him back to the castle will you?" Sirius nodded but not before he turned to Pettigrew.

"There will be two people chained to you at all times." He said menacingly. Lupin walked forwards as did Ron, insisting that seeing as it was his rat he had the right.

"Right, are we ready then, off we go then."

As Harry wandered down the tunnel and out onto the grounds he realised that he had never been part of a stranger group. He stood watching them for a moment, before taking a deep breath and gazing at the castle smiling slightly at seeing it again.

"You know what this means?" Sirius said from behind him. He spun around, still a little wary of the man, but saw that Sirius was wearing the same expression that he would have been wearing as he looked at the castle. "I mean, once Peter is in jail?" Harry shook his head, not realising what he meant. "I'm your godfather Harry." He said quietly.

All thoughts in Harry's head ceased. He had a godfather.

"I was wondering maybe if, you know when all this is over, maybe you'd like to come and stay with me."

Harry could have laughed at the irony of it all. He'd gone fourteen years on his own and suddenly in the space of one year he'd gained a grandmother and a godfather.

"I, I," Harry shrugged, "I don't know what to say." Harry said honestly. He wasn't sure what to say. He did want to live with Sirius, but he was fairly sure he wanted to live with Minerva as well, possibly even more. "I do, I would like that but,"

Harry was interrupted by a strangled cry and a gasp from Hermione. Snape crashed to the floor and rolled over with a groan as Lupin stood transfixed looking at the sky.

"He hasn't taken his potion." Snape managed to cry as he came back into consciousness. In the confusion, Peter Pettigrew smiled evilly and started transforming.

"NO!" Harry screamed, diving towards the rat, who was too nimble even for Harry's seeker abilities.

"Harry!" came a call, just as Lupin transformed. Harry spun around and watched Minerva leap off the steps to the castle, transforming to a cat as she did, sprinting towards the little group. Harry's blood ran cold as he heard a growl from behind him, turning back to find himself face to face with Lupin, in his complete werewolf form. He froze as he looked in the eyes of the thing in front of him. They were so like Lupin's yet so dangerously different.

Just as Lupin was about to lunge at him, he was knocked out of the way by a big back dog who snarled at the werewolf, lunging at it, before running off, leading it away from the still stunned student.

"Harry." Was all he heard before he was swept into the arms of his grandmother.

"Seanmhair." He breathed in relief, stopping only for a second before yanking himself out of her grasp as he heard a loud yelp from in the forbidden forest.

"Sirius." He yelled running towards the sound.

"HARRY!" Minerva wasn't sure who yelled louder, Hermione or her, but she was not quite so quick on her feet as Hermione, watching on in distress as the young girl followed Harry into the forest. She took out her wand and went to run after them, only to find herself being stopped by Snape.

"Severus, unhand me this instant." She spat, no longer caring about decorum.

"I will go Minerva." He said pointing at Ron. "Get him to the hospital wing."

"You get him to the hospital wing." She spat yanking her arm back, thankful that Ron couldn't hear her, it wasn't like she didn't want to, but right now he was safe, and Harry and Hermione were not. Ignoring any further protests, she raced down towards the forest, following the closest things she'd had to family in the last 14 years. "I am going to save my grandson." She said, ignoring the look of amazement on Snape's face.

Harry raced towards the sound where he last heard Sirius yelp and found him lying next to a small pool, in his human form, covered in scratches.

"Sirius!" he said as he looked at the man.

"S'ok." He mumbled, wincing as he moved his arm. "Gonna be ok."

Hermione came out of the forest not long after Harry and they sat holding Sirius hands, Hermione muttering that she should know the healing spells by now considering all the trouble they get themselves into.

Harry suddenly felt a chill in the air and Sirius shuddered underneath them.

"They're here." He whispered, fear coating his voice, making it barely a squeak.

Harry looked up and saw hundreds of Dementors floating down. He tried to conjure a Patronus, just like Lupin had taught him to.

"Hermione, expect patromun. Think of something happy." He said, as he heard his mother's voice filling his head again. "Expecto Patronum." He shouted, thinking of him winning the Quidditch Cup. He repeated it again and again, thinking of everything that had ever made him happy, Minerva's hugs, Albus' talks, and the fact that the man they were trying to save was his godfather. "Expecto Patronum." He cried, almost to the last of his strength. For a minute, he lost touch with reality as a Dementor swooped low taking Harry around the neck with its cold and clammy hands. "No." he whispered as he tried one last time. "Expecto,"

He didn't get to the end of the spell, but watched in amazement as a blinding light encompassed them all, causing the Dementor currently attached to his throat to release him suddenly. He crawled over to Sirius and Hermione, taking their hands, willing them to wake up as his dreams seeped into his reality. He watched as the bright shape blew back the Dementors before running back across the lake, stopping next to someone who looked extremely familiar, before he slipped in and out of consciousness, trying and failing to push the imaginary people that were crowding him away from Sirius and Hermione. He looked around trying to find a way out of the crowd before there was another blinding light and squinting, unsure if he was in reality or in a dream, his eyes locked on a pair of familiar emerald orbs.

"HARRY!"

"Seanmhair." He whispered as he lost consciousness completely.