A/N: Wow, this is it. The final chapter. Can't believe this portion of Athena's journey is over, and this is was the bit that got me to writing Athena. This is really what started it all, this chapter right here. I feel accomplished, it tis the little things in life, ya know.

However, there might be a bonus chapter if you, my mighty and beautiful readers want. To get it all ya gotta do is say so. Doing a review can be daunting, this I know but if ya even leave just a little 'I loved it' or even just a 'bleh' it still makes my day. All because you, glorious reader, took the time and had the courage to leave a few words. If you do this time, there will be a reward and it should be a good one.

So, without further procrastination, I give you Chapter Thirty-Seven. Happy reading…also, I don't own Harry Potter because my wishing well gave me ice cream instead. Should have chosen better….

Chapter Thirty-Seven: This is Where Everything Changes…

It was decided that Harry would run and get his invisibly cloak so we could sneak down to Hagrid's and while he went to retrieve it, the rest of us waited just outside the Great Hall. I was seated in a low window sill with Hermione between my knees resting her back against me, my girlfriend and Neville were once again discussing the Ancient Runes translation.

I had my arms wrapped around her middle and my cheek resting against her shoulder as I tried to doze off. That was ruined when Ron wondered over brushing the crumbling remnants off of his robes. He spotted us and made a beeline over.

"Hey, where's Harry?" he asked softly falling in next to Neville

Hermione shrugged and answered "he had to run up to the dorms for something."

Ron nodded and asked "heading out to Hagrid then?" he smiled when we looked at him questioningly "I got a note from his asking me to come down to his hut. Had something for me and I took a guess. I'm hoping that if you are, then I can go too."

Neville shrugged "well, I don't know if we'll all fit under the cloak but we could transform and go as our animagi selves I guess."

Ron grinned then "speaking of animagi, I talked to McGonagall this morning and they are holding the classes again next year," he looked rather proud of himself then "I showed her my patronus and she was impressed. Says that I have a head start on the others next year, what you think?"

"I think that you're wasting your time," Percy answered with a sneer and upturned nose, he'd come from the Great Hall and gave his brother a small shove "what you doing with these freaks, Ronald? I thought I told you to stay away from them! What would mum say?"

Ron growled softly and shoved Percy back, hard enough to make the older boy stumble a few steps backwards "she can say what she likes but I'm not listening to her mud-raking. I am my own person with my own opinions!" he snapped "I'm workin' on my temper and dad's proud of me again so bugger off Percy. Just because you have to hang on mum's apron strings doesn't mean I have to as well. Black, Longbottom, Harry and Hermione…and-and Angie are my friends and I chose them over your close minded git-self."

Percy shook his head slowly and chuckled lowly "you're going to regret that little brother. Just you wait."

With that Percy stocked off with his twin brothers watching him go from door to the Great Hall. The boys caught my attention and pointed towards the retreating Percy with a questioning look. Exams were officially over and they'd earned their five bits of gold and the boys were free to prank now. I nodded and the boys grinned devilishly before hurrying after their older brother.

"I'm half tempted to follow as see what they do to him," Neville watched the Weasley boys go but then shook his head "nope, I like my plausible deniability, thank you very much! And GO ST. WEASLEY!" he cried softly and playfully slugged Ron's shoulder "glad to see ya getting back to yourself. Got tired of wanting to punch you in your face."

Ron blanched and took a step away from Neville "yea…thanks for not doing that, even if I did deserve it. I happen to like my face and the way it's arranged, thanks."

***A***

We were chatting about possible summer plans when a smirking Harry arrived. He told us how Percy Weasley had been 'stuck' to the wall near the Gryffindor tower. His hair had been dyed bright pink and he was only wearing gold booty shorts. At least they hadn't turned him into a duck.

Harry was happy to add Ronald to our sneaking out and shifted our plan just a bit. I wore the cloak to climb up to the high windows and then dropped it back down once I was outside. Then I transformed and headed for Hagrid's while Ron and Harry carried Hermione and Neville in their animagus form until they were full outside.

It was probably an overly complicated plan when walking out the front door would have been just as easy but whatever. We were outside and headed towards Hagrid's hut in the dying light of the end of the day and from way up here I could see where Buckbeak had been chained to a post in Hagrid's pumpkin patch.

I landed on the eave of Hagrid's hut and waited for the other's to arrive. The sudden knocking on the door spooked me, I'd been off in my own little world again staring up at the castle and knowing that we'd all be going home next week. I couldn't wait to see Nym, Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted, there was a movie marathon in my future with a side dish of plotting to free Aunt Cissy.

"Wha'?" Hagrid frowned when he opened the door and found no one there

Harry coughed loudly and called softly "it's us, Hagrid, we're under the cloak."

Hagrid sighed heavily and nod "should hav' figured yer lot would wind up here, Harry," the big man huffed and stepped to the side, he rolled his eyes when I cawed at him "right, you too, Black. Come on," he reached up and presented an arm to me.

Gently I moved so that I was sitting on Hagrid's arm. I didn't want to hurt the man so I was trying to move as tenderly as possible. Hagrid smiled proudly at me as he carried me into his home and then softly set me on the floor so I could shift back to my glorious human self.

"Wha' are you lot doing here?" Hagrid demanded briskly as he started to put on a kettle of water to make tea with

"I had a note," Ron pointed out quickly "and we were worried about you Hagrid. We were worried about Buckbeak."

Hagrid raised a bushy eyebrow and looked us over with a critical eye "tha' right, is it?" he asked as we all nodded "well, Ronald, ya could've come by tomorrow, would have been better and as for the rest of ya, I am perfectly fine!"

"Hagrid, you crushed the kettle," I pointed to where the man had squeezed the kettle so hard it had crumpled in his hand "wanna try that one again, big guy?"

Hagrid sighed, strode over the window overlooking the pumpkin patch. He opened the window and then chucked the kettle out the open window with a satisfied huff when the kettle disappeared rather quickly. I stood beside him to watch the kettle vanish. Then he turned back around and shrugged effortlessly.

"I told ye, I'm perfectly fine, Athena. I've accepted tha' there's nuthin' more I can do for Bucky," he tried to keep his voice even but there was a bite to it "I gave him the time of his…well, I made him a happy hippogriff the las' few weeks and now it's time ta say goodbye…which I have."

"But Hagrid," Hermione stood and wrapped her arms around the big man "we're your friends. If there's anything you can do for you, please let us."

Hagrid sighed again and gently patted Hermione on the top of her head "well, there is sumthin' ya could do."

"What's that?" Neville asked

Hagrid snorted and deadpanned "leave before the ministry folk get here and not get us all inta' trouble!"

Hermione scowled up at the big man while I started laughing. The laughing stopped and was replace by much swearing when a rock came soaring in through the window and thumped against my shoulder. That hurt! I squealed unhappily and turned to look out where Buckbeak was staring at me curiously.

"Shite!" Hagrid swore when he came to stand beside me and looked up towards the castle in passing "they're coming! Right, you lot need to leave!"

"But Hagrid, what about what you wanted to give me?" Ron asked as Hagrid tried pushing us towards the back door.

Hagrid huffed indignantly and went to nearby cupboard "don't hav' time for this but here," he shoved something that was squeaking loudly into Ron's hand "found the bugger in my larder and I'm not happy about tha' but whatever, now leave!"

"Scabbers!" Ron called happily as Neville and Hermione made a break out the back door in animal for and Harry had tossed the cloak over the pair of them "ow! Stop biting, Scabbers, seriously!"

"Ron, shut up!" Harry hissed and dragged the redhead out the door.

I was that last to leave the hut. Gave Hagrid a quick hug and then flew out the door, literally flew out the door. I circled around Harry and Ron, if my hawk could have frowned it would have at the way that Ron was squirming. The rat was fighting him and I could now see why. For some odd ass reason, Crookshanks had wondered out of the castle and was purposely stalking towards the pair of boys and ignoring the caracal and red fox that were nearby.

Several things happened then that played out almost too fast for comprehension. Scabbers made a break for it and streaked out across the grounds with Ron following, clearly leaving behind the hidden safety of the cloak. That big black dog was back, the one with the missing bit of ear, both he and Crooks were going after Ron with Harry and the others not too far behind.

The dog slammed bodily into Harry before continuing after Ron, who'd finally captured his wayward rat. With a sharp cry I dove down and shifting just before landing, rushing to Harry's side to make sure the wheezing boy was alright. Hermione and Neville had shifted back, they were crouching down beside us.

"What the fuck was that?" Neville demanded wide eyed and clutching his wand tightly.

Harry shook head and then pointed "look, that hellhound is dragging Ron into the Whomping Willow."

First instinct would have been to run and help but the Willow was awake and swing its limbs trying to hit anything and everything. I looked to Harry as Harry looked to me with a grimace. This was going to be just another thing to add to our list of dumb ideas.

We rose as one and sprinted to where Ron was crying out and clutching desperately to the roots of the tree so he wouldn't be dragged further into the hole. There was no dodging and weaving through the Willow's maelstrom of branches. The tree was out for blood and it got it from Harry and myself. We had scrapes and cuts by the time that a branch caught us in the stomachs and flung us backwards.

I laid there as Hermione and Neville rushed over, very thankful that I hadn't had dinner because I seriously would have thrown up for a second time that day. Hermione helped me to sit up while Neville was helping Harry. A look through the branches showed that Ron was gone down into the gaping hole.

"How the hell are we getting through that?" Neville asked as Harry was wiping at his bloodied nose.

Hermione shook her head "we're not, not without help. We need to go get Dumbledore!"

"Or," I stated dumbly, tasting blood in my mouth, as I pointed to where Crooks was trotting deftly through the whirling branches and used his front paws to push against a knot in the tree. The tree froze instantly and Crooks looked back at us, a smirk on his kitty face "we could just wait for that."

"Anyone else just see what I seen, cat froze tree?" Harry asked, probably wondering if he hit his head during that lashing from the tree.

"Yep," Neville nodded and pulled Harry to his feet "let's go before the tree starts up again."

***A***

It was with wands drawn and lit with wand-light that we entered into the darkened tree, Neville refusing to draw straws to go for help. He wasn't getting left behind this time, not after the near fatal ending of last school year. Hermione refused to let go of my hand so I guess we all were going into the mysterious tunnel with the big black, possibly rabid dog. Yay…no, not yay at all.

"Where do you think this goes?" Neville wondered squinting down the tunnel, he had the better night vision of the four of us.

Harry frowned as he ran his hand over long and parallel groves in the wall of the tunnel "the Weasley twins didn't know about this one. It goes off map and they've never been able to get into it."

"Yeah, I'm gonna assume because there was a murderous tree planted as the entrance," I snarked darkly and held tightly to Hermione's hand "that dog is so going to regret this."

Hermione only nodded her agreement, her fox's hunting skills coming into play so she was staying quite. For some reason that was comforting and helped keep me calm. I'm not sure how long we walked in the deep dark of the tunnel but we eventually came to a rickety set of stairs that ran smack into a dusty and warped trap door.

"We can still turn back," I offered the other three an out "we can go get Gran or someone and let them deal with it."

Harry shook his head "we're here now and it's just a stupid dog."

I looked to my girl and tried not smile when she bravely nodded and then bumped fists with Neville when he nodded as well. This was it then, I let out a long sigh and went first. Had to use all my strength to push the trap door open and found that we were in a very rundown and ramshackle hovel.

"I think this is the Shrieking Shack!" Hermione exclaimed in a hushed whisper

Neville blanched and pointed to the busted, cobweb and dust covered furniture in the corner "there's no way that was ghosts, no way! Ghosts don't leave claw marks on the walls!"

"I doubt even Peeves could do this," Harry said in wonder at the damage the place had endured and then froze when there was a creaking above us.

He pointed towards the stairs and I nodded, again going first. We found Ron on a broken bed in the second room of the upstairs. The other room didn't have a floor for the most part. He was pale, his leg had a slight and strange angle to it and he looked terrified out of his gourd.

"IT'S A TRAP! HE'S AN ANIMAGUS!" Ron screamed and pointed behind us just seconds before my wand was ripped out of my hand and clattered across the room with Harry's, Hermione's and Neville's as well.

"Well, hello cousin, fancy meeting you here," smirked Sirius Black as he came out of the shadows with Ron's wand in hand "you're looking well."

"And you're looking like shit, you selfish bastard," I spat at him, I wanted to punch him in the face but Neville was holding me back.

Sirius frowned "how am I selfish? Have you been talking to Cissy about me?"

"Don't you dare talk about Aunt Cissy you sack of shit!" I growled trying to pull away from Neville "your escaping has hurt the House of Black in so many fucking ways."

The shallow faced man with the waxen skin littered with tattoos and matted hair sighed heavily "you wouldn't understand this even if I explained it to you, little cousin, but I assure you that I have a purpose."

"Screw your purpose," Harry snarled, Hermione had a hold of his arm to keep him in place "I think we should let Athena kick his ass!"

"I have a wand," Sirius held up Ron's wand "she'd better stay where she is, I would really, really hate to use magic against my own kin but I will. Not to hurt or maim, mind you but just to keep you in place."

Harry snorted in disbelief "right, that a new development for you?" he demanded incredulously "you liar!" Harry shouted through clenched teeth "you were their friend, my godfather! You betrayed them in one fashion or another. Used magic against them to hurt them! Which is it? You were the secret keeper and you handed them to Riddle on a silver platter or you weren't and you stupidly went after Pettigrew and killed him, got yourself thrown in Azkaban instead of taking care of me! Which is it?"

Sirius looked surprised by Harry's outburst "well, I'm surprised you know that much, wait…" he scoffed as his eyes flicked towards me "no I'm not, you're best mates with my little cousin here. Not that any of this matters mind you, I'm here for the rat."

"Why?" Hermione demanded "why are you here for the rat?"

Sirius growled in frustration "because he's an animagus! I saw him in the Daily Prophet with the Weasleys!"

"Scabbers?" Ron whimpered and clutched the squirming animal closer to his chest "HEY!" he screamed as Crookshanks jumped into the middle of him going after Scabbers. Ronald cried out in pain as he tried to fight the cat off, Hermione came to the rescue.

Sirius made to intervene, taking his eyes off of Harry and me, bad choice. Harry leaped across the room (stag-like reflexes) to where our wands were and snatched them up as I took the opportunity of a distracted Sirius to punch him in the face. Sirius grunted and stumbled backwards, Ron's wand was stolen away by Neville. Harry returned our wands and we trained them on Sirius.

"No more of this cryptic bullshit," Harry growled "we want answers and we're going to get them," Sirius glared at us "why do you think the rat is an animagus, who is he?"

Sirius made to respond but the door burst open, nearly off its rusted hinges, and Professor Lupin jumped through. Could have killed the man when he disarmed the four of us, I say four even though Ron had gotten his wand back. Neville, and his cat like reflexes was able to catch his wand just after it came out of his hand. Lupin skillfully caught the rest of our wands.

"I'm going to need your wand, Neville," Lupin held his hand out "please."

Neville shook his head "yeah, no, Professor, I think I'm going to hold onto it if that's alright with you."

Lupin must have realized that was going to be a fight he was going to win without forcing Neville. So he turned back to Sirius instead, visually inspecting him. When the man was done he just shook his head in disbelief.

"You're looking scruffier than usual, my friend…did you…" Lupin frowned "did you lose a chuck of your ear?"

Sirius scowled "yes, I was attacked a few weeks ago by some stupid bird."

"Wait," I frowned and squinted at Sirius's mangled ear, just now realizing it because of Lupin pointing it out "you're the mangy, flea ridden mutt that tried attacking Hermione?" I asked dumbly pointing my thumb over my shoulder at my girlfriend.

Sirius shook his head "no, I was going after a fox and I am not mangy, I'll have you know."

"Idiot," I rolled my eyes at him "Hermione was the fox and I was the hawk that attacked you, or did you not find that weird?"

Hermione huffed loudly and held her hand out to Professor Lupin "I want my wand back, Professor, this man tried to attack me."

"Oh, shut up," Sirius stuck his tongue out at Hermione "I didn't know you were an animagus…wait…how are you an animagus? When did this happen?"

"I don't think you've the right to that answer, you immature mutt," Harry snapped folding his arms across his chest and glared at my cousin (though why I keep claiming him is beyond me).

"You know, he as just about to start giving answers and explanations before you burst in all dramatically, Professor," I was glaring at the man now too "so, what's the plan? Hmm…make a campfire, roast marshmallows now that half of the Marauders is back together?"

Sirius's face scrunched up in confusion "how do you know about the Marauders?"

"They found the map, Sirius," Lupin sighed "plus they are very smart."

Sirius scoffed "yea, right, if they were smart they would have run to a teacher for help."

"Give me back my wand and there won't be a need for a teacher," I snapped, gritting my teeth "besides you're the one who's a fucking idiot…"

"Language, please, Athena," Lupin chided

I raised an eyebrow at him and pointed an accusing finger at Sirius "he is a selfish man-child cretin! He should haven't gone after Pettigrew by himself! He should have stayed with Hagrid and told the DMLE everything he knew and avoided going to Azkaban!" I shouted

Harry picked up right after me, his hands clenched into angry fists "I was put with Petunia Dursley! My life with her was abysmal!" the dark headed boy screeched with hard and narrowed eyes "you wanna know what it was like living there? It was the worst thing ever! If you were innocent then you failed my parents twice! Do not…do not call us stupid when you take the cake!"

"I will not be lecture by children," Sirius growled and pointed towards Scabbers with a dirt caked hand "that is Peter Pettigrew!"

"Am not," Ron swallowed weakly, he was looking even more ghastly than before "I'm Ronald Weasley, son of Arthur Weasley, he works at the Ministry."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief "not you, boy, your rat!"

"Honestly!" Hermione cried out "you can't be believing this Professor Lupin! We need to get Dumbledore!"

Lupin frowned and stared at Scabbers "can't be…he's dead!"

"I thought so too!" Sirius cried excitedly "but look at his paw, he's missing a finger!"

Hermione roared in frustration "we need to get Dumbledore!" she screamed, letting Crooks drop to the floor "I kept your secret!" she snarled at Lupin and I had to raise an eyebrow at that "now I demand you get Dumbledore!"

"What secret?" Harry asked looking very confused and a little worried. I knew where his mind went, what happened the last time one of our family had kept a secret for a teacher. We now call that secret Alec.

"He's a werewolf!" Hermione proclaimed cutting off whatever Lupin was going to say, the man deflated in defeat and looked away from us.

"How long have you known?" Lupin asked softly, amusement in his voice as Harry sighed with relief.

Hermione shrugged "since Snape set the essay, Athena helped me confirm it."

Lupin bowed his head to her "that was rather the purpose of the essay, Snape would be very happy to know it worked."

I groaned in frustration when I looked over to see a smirking Snape standing at the door, I'd heard his snigger "well, shit, he's right there, why not ask him!" I cried pointing towards the doorway.

"He's not there." Sirius deadpanned

Harry groaned and shook his head "he's wearing my cloak," he sighed heavily as he pointed out a little fun fact "Athena can see through it."

"Shit," I threw up my hands "I'm seriously going to figure out how to tell if someone is where that thing!"

"That a very interesting thing to note, Miss Black," Snape was grinning as he pulled the cloak away and had a wand trained at Lupin "I told Dumbledore that you were helping Sirius get into the castle."

"Actually, I'm not," Lupin frowned "I came here to apprehend Sirius when I watched him attack Harry but Severus, Pettigrew is alive!"

Snape sorted and shook his head "that's a lie, a prank. That's all you and your lot do. He's brought Potter and rest down here to kill them," he shrugged casually "I think it'll be two for Azkaban and the Dementor's Kiss."

"Wait, Professor Snape," I sighed heavily as I said, my mind jumping in leaps and bounds. I needed Sirius Black alive if the bastard was indeed…innocent "I would love to kick Sirius in the tenders just as much as you do," Sirius protested at that and covered himself protectively "but…just hear me out, please."

Snape growled, glancing at me before locking his gaze on my cousin "fine, what do you have to say Miss Black?"

"There is a chance he's telling the truth about the rat," I frowned as I verbalized it "and if it's true then he can help Draco and Aunt Cissy."

The potion's professor raised a dark eyebrow, the wheels turning in his head before he scowled "you want him to dissolve Narcissa's marriage to Lucius."

"Yes," I nodded "that bastard is hurting my aunt in order to control Draco, to mold Draco to be exactly like him. I know because I talk to Draco every chance I get. He's my family, Professor, and I'm asking that you help me help them. If there is a chance then I beg you," I had brush at the angry tears that were brought to the surface by the thought of Aunt Cissy getting hurt "please, help me? What if that woman you loved was in the same position as Aunt Cissy?"

Snape growled resentfully "that's emotional blackmail, Miss Black," he smiled then with a snort of laughter "you should have been in Slytherin."

"That or Hufflepuff, honestly," I smiled at the man, there was a reason I liked him sometimes "the hat didn't like my sense of humor."

"HEY!" Sirius screamed indignantly "as creepy as it is for my kin to actually be getting along with Snivellus! What about the literal rat in the room? I'm done waiting! I DID MY WAITING, TWELVE YEARS OF IT…IN AZKABAN!"

"Oh my god, you sack of immature shit!" I cried and walked over to shove against Sirius's chest, making him stumble backwards "did you know hear what I just said to the man? Huh? Don't you care about Aunt Cissy?"

Sirius snarled with a twisted face as he righted himself and got right into my personal space "she made her bed let her lie in it! I have more important things to worry about!"

"Don't you dare!" Snape roared grabbing a fistful of my school robe and yanked me backwards as Sirius's hand went up for a backhanded slap "don't you hit her," he pointed his wand at Sirius's heart, Sirius still had his hand up to slap me "give me a reason, Black and I will kill you," Snape smirked darkly "with you dead, the title automatically falls to Miss Black, Andromeda becomes full-proxy with all of your privileges. Including the ones that your cousin is trying to save your pathetic life for!"

"Professors!" Neville cried in a scared quiver "Ron's passed out!" the blonde boy shouted before he leaped and transformed mid-air and landed on a scurrying rat trying to flee. The creature squealed when Neville dug his claws into its sides, drawing blood.

Lupin carefully made his way around and caught the rat by its tail. The rat was in meager conditions. He wasn't as fat as he used to be, there were large hunks of hair absent from him and now part of his tail was missing. The thing would have made a poor meal to any predator. Neville transformed back looking very pleased with himself.

"For once, good job Longbottom, you're not completely useless like I thought," Snape puffed out and looked to Lupin "as much as I really hate this, I mean really hate this, my need to protect my Slytherins is just a little more powerful than how much I hate your guts, which is substantial. Give them back their wands and well see if Black is as crazy as I really hope he is."

Lupin consented with a shake of his head and gave our wands back, still holding the rat firmly by his tail "you know that I never wanted to you hurt, Severus. What happened between us was what I never wanted to have happen."

Snape rolled his eyes and snapped "we'll have heart to heart later, ya Nancy, let's get on with it so I can kill Black and say he was trying to escape. Make my year that way."

"Umm…shouldn't we help Ron first?" Hermione asked looking the ashen and unconscious boy.

Snape sighed as if it was an inconvenient interruption and reached into his robe for a small vial, he tossed it to Hermione "pour this in Weasley's mouth, it's my personal healing potion," he scowled when Hermione just looked at the little blue bottle "you are capable or are you not Granger?"

Hermione squeaked and moved to pour the potion into Ron's gapping mouth. Almost instantly his color improved and he started groaning. He cried out when his leg snapped back into the correct position and through the tear in his pants we could see his skin kitting itself back together.

"Where's Scabbers?" Ron asked weakly with a slur

Hermione patted him on the shoulder "he's getting checked to see if he's an animagus."

"Fuck me!" Ron groaned lulling his head back "I hope not, I've been sleeping with that rat in my bed everything for three years. So gross. Too many animagi this year."

Harry asked "what do we do if Scabbers is Pettigrew?"

"Send for Madam Bones," I answered quickly "I trust her and Nym over most everyone else in the Ministry, no offense Ron."

He shrugged feebly "none take, though dad's in the Miss Use of Muggle Artifacts department, not really in position for anything useful really."

Snape let out a low, irritated growl "can we get on with this? We can send a patronus to Bones if he's really Pettigrew, now stop messing about!"

Lupin nodded as Sirius started pacing. As one, the two professors brandished their wands to emit a bluish white light that struck the squirming rat one after the other. Lupin dropped the rat as it started to grow larger and larger until it was a man. A short, not as plump as I would have pictured, blading fat faced man with a severe case of buck teeth. We all took a step back from the sniveling and beady eyed rat who really needed a bath.

"I FUCKING TOLD YOU SO!" Sirius cried happily "twelve years in Azkaban and I was right the entire time!" he laughed and then glowered dangerous at the newly formed man "how could you sell James and Lily out to Voldemort?" he demanded, Pettigrew blanched at the name as if Sirius slapped him cross the face "you were secret keeper not me so we could better protect them!"

Snape turned and pointed his wand towards the door, a bright bluish light sprang forth from the tip and formed into that of a doe "go to Madam Bones and tell her she is needed at Hogwarts right away, Peter Pettigrew is alive and Sirius Black is in custody."

The doe let out a soft call before dashing out through the wall in a blink of an eye. I saw it leave but I'm not sure anyone else did. Snape looked very pleased with himself when he turned back and found Sirius snarling at him. There probably would have been banter but that's when Pettigrew found his voice.

"R-Remus and S-Sirius, my friends I-I-I have missed you…" he started

"Oh shut up!" Harry rolled his eyes and demanded to know "are you the one who got my parents killed or not?" he glared at the rat faced man with balled up fists, wand in one of them sparking red stars out the end of it.

"W-well I-I-I don't…" the rat man squeaked loudly, jumping when I hit him with a stinging hex "it was Sirius!"

"No it wasn't Sirius," the man himself countered folding his arms across his chest "we switched, ask Dumbledore. We made you secret keeper because no one would have suspected you! Why would you pretend to kill yourself after Voldemort had fallen? You were hiding!"

Harry looked to Professor Snape, the man looked ready to kill "what do you think, Professor Snape?"

Snape looked a little startled that Harry would ask for his opinion but he answered all the same "Black was loyal like a dog," he sniggered at the pun he'd made "Pettigrew attached himself to whomever had the most power, befriended the bullies so he wouldn't get bullied."

Pettigrew tried to protest but Harry hit him across the face and did it as hard as he could. Given Harry's built up strength along the same lines as mine, he hit the rat man hard enough to break teeth and knock him out. Pettigrew hadn't been expecting the cheap shot and hit the floor face first oozing blood whilst snoring lightly.

"Fuck that hurt!" Harry hissed and was shaking out his scraped up and reddened hand as he hopping from foot to foot "how do you do that Athena?"

"I know how to hit," I deadpanned "sloppy form but great execution, Potter!"

Snape chuckled "for once, I agree, this has been a night of firsts for me," he sighed and then nodded to Lupin "we should get your friends to the castle to await the Aurors. This will have to do for me getting to see Black suffer."

I grinned and moved towards the potion's professor "Thank you, Professor…"

He interrupted me "hug me, Black, and you'll start next year with a month's detention!"

***A***

Pettigrew was wrapped in chains being led down the wand lit tunnel by a limping Ron Weasley and a pleased looking Crookshanks. Professor Snape was just behind him with a wand on the shackled rat man. Harry, Hermione and Sirius was just behind them and I hung back with Professor Lupin. The DADA Professor had a soft smile to his scarred features.

"I never thought I'd ever see Severus Snape choose peace over getting even with Sirius," he said softly enough so only I'd hear him "how did you manage to become one of his favorites?"

I shrugged "snarked back at him," I guessed "didn't treat him like an automatic villain and I saved a Slytherin girl from an exploding cauldron. He's not all bad if given the chance."

Lupin nodded knowingly and whispered "I think we would have given him the chance but Sirius hated him from the start. Want to know a theory? Between you and me?"

I nodded "not to tell a soul, even Hermione."

Lupin smiled "I think that Sirius fell in love with Severus and didn't know how to handle it. I've never told anyone about why we gave Severus so much trouble or why Sirius tried to murder Severus via teenaged werewolf."

"Why you telling me?" I asked curiously, worried about the murder part of that statement.

Lupin leaned closer and said "so that you might understand your cousin a bit better. You like reason, logic and proof, yes?" I nodded "then there is a reason so that you might, one day, have a better relationship with Sirius. He's not all bad if given the chance."

He parroted my words back to me and patted me on the shoulder. I looked up to where Harry was shaking his head and I heard him mention Aunt Andy and Uncle Ted. He called them that too and Sirius scowled, looking away from Harry with a look of hurt on his face.

"So, let me get this right," I looked back to Lupin "the Marauders are unregistered animagi who created a map of Hogwarts that shouldn't exist and tried to kill my potion's professor?"

"Yes," Lupin nodded "in our fifth year for the animagi bit, Ginny and her group sort of stole our record for unassisted transformations. James, Sirius and Peter did it to help me. I was bitten as a young child and I never really had friends until I came to Hogwarts," Lupin smiled then "you know, James was a stag as well. Harry truly has his father's spirit," he smile morphed into a worried frown "and I think that's what going to kill Sirius the most. Harry is not his father but he is so very much like him."

"That's what people say about me and my mum," I added in a sorrowful tone, I guess answers for the murder bit would have to wait as Lupin didn't seem to want to answer them "Sirius has a lot of things to adjust too. I think that Aunt Andy should stay proxy and keep transfer of headship at my majority. Honestly, I'm not sure that Sirius can handle being Lord Black."

"Oh, why?" Lupin asked sound curious as we came upon the last leg of our journey

I sighed "because instead of getting in contact with Aunt Andy and showing her the picture of Scabbers in the paper and going through official channels…he escaped without thought of what it'd do to our house," I pointed out "he didn't give thought to the bigger picture and only thought of his wants and desires. Who's to say that Pettigrew couldn't have killed Harry knowing that Sirius was escaped and coming after him? There were bounty hunters looking for him and Harry and I were not allowed in Hogsmeade because of it, Gran was worried they'd use us for bait."

Lupin smiled, a genuine smile "I think I understand."

***A***

At the end of the tunnel, Crookshanks once again immobilized the tree and let us all exit safely into the gloomy night. The sun having set fully while we were arguing over a rat. Just beyond the tree we stopped to make sure that we had everyone and that's when all hell broke loose because the few clouds in the sky shifted; the full moon came out.

Hermione gasped in horror as Lupin cried out in pain and fell to his knees. His body started trembling and his clothes started tearing as his werewolf transformation took over. The snapping of bones and the tearing of sinew was obscene sounding as Lupin's body elongated and morphed into a creature that was neither man nor full beast. He was a long limbed wolf like creature that had a stretched out muzzle filled with jagged teeth and vicious yellow eyes.

Snape put himself between us and Lupin as Sirius went to try and calm the beast. All hope was dashed when Hermione wondered aloud if Lupin had taken his wolf's bane potion. The one that supposed to help him keep his mind. I figured the answer was no when Lupin bitch slapped Sirius to the ground.

The whole situation was a great distraction that Peter Pettigrew took full advantage of as he tried to snatch Ron's wand out of his hand. Neville hit him in the face, making the man stumble and lose the wand that he never had a good of hold of to being with. Harry was shouting that Pettigrew was getting away over the sounds of dogs fighting.

I don't know why I did what I did next and I wish to the Great Divines that I could take it back but…I chased after Pettigrew. Moments before I'd been accusing Sirius of being brash and not seeing the big picture and here I was doing the same thing. Let me tell you why the thing I did was so stupid.

It wasn't the curses shot after the now rat shaped Pettigrew. Hell, it wasn't even stunning him and transfiguring a steel cage out from the grass around him that he couldn't break through. No, it was the running after him in the first place. Predators like werewolves chase things, its thousands and thousands of years of instinct. Just like its ageless instinct for prey to run. I made myself prey to Lupin's werewolf and it was more than happy to leave Sirius to come after me.

I can't think of a time I've ever run as hard as I did then. I'd heard Hermione's scream of terror, her calling my name frantically and only had a glance back over my shoulder to see my doom with big wick teeth. There was no destination in mind but to just get away from the beast following me.

Everything I'd ever learned from Fraser about the beasts went out the window in that spilt second. I even forgot how to shift to my hawk form. Instead of running to the safety of the castle, I sprinted in the direction that Pettigrew had been heading. I ran for the woods with voices screaming after me.

My legs pumped hard and fast as my lungs burned and my heart beat wildly. Every spell I'd ever learned stalled at the edge of my brain and I forgot what that bit of wood in my hand really was. I was more focused on dodging trees and teeth than I was anything else, hoping the trees would slow the beast down.

Then…then I freaking tripped over a hidden and gnarled root. I was a good ways into the forest now as I rolled in the debris of the forest floor, losing my wand in the process. The loss of forward momentum allowed the wolf to gain on and I screamed as monster talon hands swiped at my leg as I entered a small moon bathed clearing.

Those monster talons had tripped me as it gouged deep lacerations into my left leg and I couldn't put any weight on the leg, try as I might when I tried to get up and start running again. I was forced to shuffle backwards on my butt, tearing my clothes worse than they already were (they were close rags by now because of my run through the woods) and scraping the palms of my hands as I watched my death looming closer and closer. Tears streaked down my dirty face as I trembled with pure and unadulterated fear. I hadn't felt like this since I was in the grasp of Miss Abby.

The wolf advanced slowly, enjoying the taste of my fear on the air. It kept licking its tongue out and growling in a self-pleased manner. This thing was not Remus Lupin, this thing was true beast and it was going to kill me. I knew this and I didn't know how to fight back. I was going to die without a fight, not how I thought I was going to leave this world.

I stopped when my back hit something hard, pokey, hollow and metal. The creature growled lowly, threateningly but it wasn't looking at me with this warning. It was looking at what was upwards and behind me. I didn't know if this was a good thing or not so I looked to see what I was up against.

It was a very tall, vine covered and faded statue of medieval armor with a giant broadsword in its gauntleted hands. My hand started twinging like crazy with the sheer magic that was starting to roll off the armor. This suit of metal had been enchanted beyond anything I'd ever heard of and I wouldn't have been surprised if it had some level of sentient consciousness.

I was torn away from my gaping wonder of the statue when the wolf growled challengingly again before leaping at the armor. The statue reacted as I curled up in a ball at its feet and through the crook of my arm I watched the armor grabbed the creature by its throat and then throw the wolf clear across the clearing we'd run into. The wolf howled in pain, tripping over itself as it tried to regain its feet in a hurry.

The armor didn't move but waited, I could feel that it was waiting for the wolf to attack again. I could see that the wolf was going too but stopped when a distant and calling howl sounded. It belonged to a wolf. The first call was short and cut off, the second was longer and stronger.

The wolf snarled at the armor before eyeing me, then it bounded off into the woods. There was too much fight in the armor to get at me. It wanted the easy prey and I had been it until I'd gotten to the strange suit of armor. My heart nearly stopped and I sat frozen for a long time after the wolf had bounded into the forest in search of the other wolf.

My ears strained to hear every sound while I tried not to pant and vomit. Slowly, I turned and with badly shaking hands I started to climb my way up the front of the armor. I couldn't stand on my own and I needed to get out of the woods. The others had to be looking for me and I needed to get them or at least find my wand so I could signal them.

I got myself into a standing position and still found myself dwarfed by the armor. Turning, I put my back to the armor and started to limp away, now very much aware of the warm blood rolling down my leg and into my shoe. It was gushy and very unpleasant. I had gotten all of two steps before there was a grating sound.

Metal rubbing against metal and that fear that had griped me with the wolf was back. I screamed when strong arms wrapped around my middle and yanked me off my feet. They pulled me backwards into the chest cavity of the armor that had opened up. I grunted when my back slammed into the armor and the last thing I saw before I was drawn into darkness was the moon bathed clearing where I was almost murdered by my DADA professor…again.

THE END