Chapter 38

Alice's POV

Then they were falling, hurdling towards the ground; brooms pulled from beneath them, their bodies completely limp from the lost battle against the Dementors ability. If either hit the floor they surely could not live. No amount magic could bring back a life long after it was lost.

Once again, it was Harry I was most worried for having seen Bella in person. Then again, events could have traumatic consequences long after they were gone.

"Oh God" Esme gasped, her hand covering her open mouth in shock.

Anger flickered over Edwards' face and I saw him move to follow after her but no amount of trying could save someone in the past. Bella was alive, she was at home waiting for us.

"Edward! You can't catch her!" I reminded him making him stop in his tracks. Shame covered his face at the ideology of being helpless in the purist of the person her care for most, but he nodded anyway. The rest of us flew after them, hot on their tracks but they showed no signs of stopping. They were only feet away from the ground and I was beginning to fear that no one saved them, that they actually did spiral towards the ground from that high up. Maybe their magic could bring them back?

As the two came into sight, the students in the crowd began to roar in fear for their classmates. But just as they were seconds away from hitting the floor they started to slow down, suddenly no longer falling but instead floating; slow, swift motion until they thumped against the ground and a hurdle of teachers ran from the stands to their sides. The players on both sides of the pitch stopped playing all together.

From there, everything faded black.

"I still can't believe we lost the game."

"Shut up about the game Ron, I think- they're coming around." Hermione whispered.

"They look a bit peaky, don't they?"

"Well they did fall two hundred feet. How about we take you to the top of the astronomy tower and push you off it and let's see how you look." One of the twins voices joined the conversation.

"Probably better than he usually does." Harry chuckled, suddenly awake and sounding chipper.

"Harry! You're awake."

At the noise Bella started stirring in her bed, eyes slowly adjusting to the light as blackness turned into bright hospital light. "Ugh, that sucked. I told you Harry, Dementors…they suck."

"I'm glad you're okay. I know you would have been mad if you went down in a Quidditch accident." Hermione smiled leaning down to carefully hug her.

Okay…so I might have been somewhat mad at first that Bella had another incredibly close friend that wasn't me, but I was actually glad she had someone who clearly cared for her as much as she deserved.

If we were all going to visit tomorrow, maybe we could talk?

"Do you remember what happened? You fell from your brooms. Nobody blames you, the dementors aren't supposed to come inside the school grounds. Dumbledore was furious and sent them off straight away."

"Oh, so we lost." Harry sighed, "Wood's going to hate us."

Harry, you almost fell to your death I'm sure they'll be understanding.

"And…one more thing, to the both of you really. Well you see, when you fell…your brooms kind of fell into the whomping willow…" Ron grimaced.

"My broom." Bella whimpered and then sighed, falling back onto her bed with her eyes closed.

The scene began to blur before finally fading out and bringing us to what looked like the Defence against dark arts classroom. Of the DADA for short because damn that was a mouthful.

To everyone's surprise, Snape came from behind the door, slamming it shut behind him. Where was Lupin?

"As you all know, I am Professor Snape and I will be taking this lesson for today as Professor Lupin finds himself unable to teach you as seen fit. Animagus and Werewolves are what you will learn today."

"But sir, we only just started learning about Grindylows and Hinkypunks." Hermione's voice piped in from the front of the classroom.

"What they hell is a Hinkypunk?" Emmett asked. To that, we could only shrug.

"Miss Granger please stop speaking out of term. Ten Points from Gryffindor." He said coldly.

Rude! It was a valid statement! How anyone could let this guy teach was a mystery.

"Now can anyone tell me the difference between an Animagus's and Werewolves?" He asked the class, all bar Hermione, who's hand shot up the minute the question was asked, looked back blankly, "Oh no one, how disappointing." He sighed acting as though Hermione was invisible.

"Please sir, an Animagus is someone who chooses to turn into an animal whereas a Werewolf has no choice, when turned they forget completely forget who they are, they would kill their best friend if they got in the way." Hermione explained.

So then, I guess Werewolves and the Wolves from back home were widely different then. I guess…they kind of sounded more like there Animagus's then? I'd ask Bella about it when we got back, that is if Carlisle didn't beat me to it; he looked as though he was hanging onto every last word.

"Please Miss Granger, that is the second time you have spoken out of term today. Are you really that incapable of shutting your brainy, goody two shoes mouth!" He yelled. Causing Hermione to flush crimson red and turn her attention to her lap; wet tears forming in her eyes threatening to spill down her cheeks.

Anger boiled through me. How dare he! Having ridiculously greasy hair and being a vile man is one thing but embarrassing a young girl and making her cry is another. Not only is it completely unacceptable but it's awful behaviour for a teacher.

From the looks of it, Rose and Esme weren't too pleased either.

Scattered around the room, Slytherins smirked and laughed; most of all Draco whose arm was still wrapped in a cast from the Hippogriff accident. Bella clenched her teeth, glaring at all the laughing parties like she was ready to tear them apart (which I wholesomely would not put past her), Snape being at the front of her attention. Reaching over to take hold of her hand within her own she inched her chair closer, shoulders brushing side by side.

He waited for the chuckling to die down before continuing, "What Miss Granger said was right. An Animagus is a person who chooses to become an animal and can turn into their chosen animal whenever they intend to do so. Of course, first they have to learn how to do so and then sign their names into a Ministry database. A Werewolf, on the other hand, turns only when bitten by another on a full moon, then when the full moon comes out they will become just that."

Flicking his wand behind him he changed the image on the screen to now show a picture of what a Werewolf looked like. It was tall (edging eight feet and standing on both legs), fur black and a glowing pair of red blood eyes stood out among its features. They looked nothing like the Quileute Wolves and for that I was glad, because they honestly looked terrifying.

"The Werewolf will forget all human qualities and will embrace animal behaviour; they will become wild and a killing machine from until they change back. Now turn to page three hundred and ninety-four."

Bella had said that Lupin was a Wolf himself…so did the other Professors know? Did Snape Know? Instantly changing from one work area to another was he trying to expose his secret?

"Now your homework will be on how to identify a Werewolf and I want it for two days-time." Snape announced as his voice faded out, grumbles erupting out from around the class.

We moved from the grim classroom to outside where bundles of kids were stood chatting. For the most part, the sky was blue and speckles of snowflakes danced from out of the sky landing on the already thick blanket covering the ground. Running in-between people Harry and Bella suddenly broke out from the doors with letters clutched tightly in both of their grasps. Now changed out of her school uniform Bella was wearing a dark blue coat paired with a pair of black skinny jeans and a woolly hat. Protecting her against the chill that hung in the air.

"Professor McGonagall!" They called her name as they neared closer.

"I'm sorry but no signature signed by a parent or guardian means you are unable to attend."

"Yes Professor, I understand but I thought that if you signed it then maybe we could go…" Harry explained desperately. Was this the thing Vernon had promised to sign before they had…well, blown up Marge and left in a hurry?

"As I am neither a parent nor a guardian then I cannot sign." She sighed, "I'm sorry but rules are rules. Now I must go, I'm sorry." And with one apologetic glance she walked off.

"I really hate Vernon." She muttered angrily kicking a pile of snow aside. Heading back towards the building the cluster of students dispersed in the opposite direction, "Well great, what do we do now?" Bella sighed slouching down to sit on the stairs.

"Bella, Harry," Lupin greeted as he walked past, "Aren't you going to Hogsmeade?"

Bella shook her head, "Well then, would you like to come with me and have a chat? There're a few things that I would like to talk to you about" He offered an alternative to their boredom. Following Lupin in silence as they walked, heading towards the bridge that connected one part of the castle to the other.

"You both did take quite a fall the other day, I do hope you were both alright. I am sorry to hear your brooms, is there really nothing that you can do to fix them?"

"Nope." Harry shook, "They were a little too smashed up beyond repair."

"Better them than you at least."

"Professor Lupin, are you feeling okay? You weren't in class yesterday, Snape mentioned something about you not feeling up to teach?" Bella asked.

"I am doing okay, but I have been better." He turned to smile softly at them though it didn't fully reach his eyes, "You're exceptionally kind you know, much like your mother. The both of you."

He knew their Mother?

"You-you knew our Mother?" Bella stuttered.

"Why yes. And your Father too of course, they were inseparable. Your Mother was there for me in a time where no one else was." His eyes seemed to go distant, thinking back to a time where they were alive.

"I assume that means him being a Wolf?"

They pair let the newly found information sink in before either spoke again, "Professor I was wondering…first on the train and then the other day…why do the Dementors seem attached to us? I haven't heard of them attacking anyone else."

"It's not because your weak if that's what you're thinking. It's because you have seen more gruesome and horrible things than many other people your age." Lupin explained.

So does that mean they're drawn to bad memories? The more horrible things you've seen the bigger of a target you are?

"Can't you show us how to stop them? Like you did on the train." Harry pleaded.

"Please Professor." Both begged.

"Fine, but not until after Christmas." As Lupin spoke we appeared back inside the DADA classroom, alone except for the twins and Professor.

"Now to use a Patronus is very difficult and is not taught until your last year, so don't be too disheartened if you don't get it on your first go. You have to do is say Expecto Patronum, loud and clear; also think of a happy memory. A very strong and powerful memory."

Lupin headed over to the closet in the corner of the room, the same one they had used to contain the Bogart, "Do it together, that way if something goes wrong you have the other to rely on." Slowly unlatching all the secured locks, the door swung open and out the Dementors black and bony figure emerged, turning it's attention on the two.

In defence they started shouting out the spell, but nothing happened. That's when they blacked out.

Luckily the two woke up not too long later. Similar to on the train he handed out chocolate.

"That was one mad Dementor." Harry said whilst slowly getting up.

"Oh no, that was a Bogart. A Dementor would have been a lot more violent than that, dangerous as well. But don't be gloom, I wasn't expecting you to get it on your first go; that would be remarkable." He said noting their gloom expressions, "Now what happy thought were you both thinking of may I ask?"

"The first time I rode broom" Harry responded

"Our first day here."

"Both very touching moments I'm sure but hardly strong enough. Do you have anything more powerful?"

Bella and Harry quickly turned to glance at each other. It was mind-blowing how they always seemed to know what each other was thinking. Did they always know what they were thinking and feeling? I had so many things I had to ask Bella when we got back.

"I think- I think I might have something." Bella shrugged timidly as Harry seemed to nod after her.

This time when the Dementor returned, a silvery wisp shot from both set of wands shieling them from the Bogart and pushing back into the closer where Lupin was waiting to close it."

So if succeeding on your first attempt is deemed remarkable, a second attempt must be unbelievable, especially if they were still four years away from the age of being taught.

My sister was exceptional.

"Well done! Well done! That is truly remarkable!"

With the picture fading once more we returned to the grounds, snow still coating the floor my confusion over where everyone was only lasted a moment as I soon could see the footsteps pressed into the ice leaving marks heading towards us. There they are.

Swooping onto the scene Fred and George appeared, both with equal smirks present on their faces. Gleefully they swooped past, taking hold of the two by what I could only assume was their arms to pull them back.

"Hey! Let us go!"

"Guys! Come on." Bella's voice whined also. I could only imagine her small legs kicking out like a feisty kitten; it almost made me laugh. Reaching the inside of the Castle either of the twins pulled the cloak from over Harry's shoulders. Sighing in defeat Bella let go of her hold on her necklace and came back into sight, shoulders slumped.

"We know how much you want to go down to Hogsmead…" One of the redheads started,

"Forget about them!" Emmett whined, "I wanna go."

"Therefore, we are giving you this." They both finished, handing out a hand holding a folded parchment of coffee paper.

"This my friend is the secret to our success. Watch." Tapping his wand against the empty paper, like a river, an image of black ink appeared taking over the sheet until it was covered in bleak colour:

Mooney, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs are proud to present the Marauders Map!

Parting, the paper showed a map. Showcasing the entirety of the castle with footsteps enclosed with names showing where people were and where they were headed. This was a gold mine.

"Ooh, that map is everything." Emmett smiled.

"With one of those I could tell where you kids are always disappearing off two, stop you from doing stupid things." Smirked Esme.

"This shows the castle and everyone in it." Lefty spoke with an enthusiastic grin. Other than the tiniest differences I could barely make out through Bella's hazy perspective the two were identical, name tags would definitely be of use until I could meet them both in person.

"Everyone?" Bella quoted in surprised.

"Everyone." Both repeated as the other finished, "Stole it from Flinch's office during thirst year."

Flinch…the creepy care taker who has no understanding of hygiene nor should he likely work in a school.

"Do you have any idea who made it?"

The one on the right shook his head, "But today we are deciding that your needs are greater than our own. Now, I would recommend this way. It leads straight into Honey Dukes; it's the fastest and the easiest without being caught."

"Great, thanks guys." Bella thanked before she and Harry ran off. Ghosts, moving stairs, three-headed dogs and now secret passageways; what didn't this place have?

"I would die for a map like that," Emmett continued, "Imagine it. All the people you could scare. You would know what they were doing and where they were."

"Now son, as much as anyone would want one of them, it's never going to happen. Not too mention you already do have heightened abilities." Carlisle told him and Emmett pouted at his response.

Running the corridors until they found the spot where said passage was meant to be hidden; with Harry pressing down against something on the wall the floor began to rumble and a wooden plank supporting the floor moved to reveal a set of descending stairs. At the opening of the tunnel Bella's face seemed to brighten, "Come on." She said leading the way.

The marble stairs led to a long walk way that was lit dimly by only a few fire lanterns illuminating the path that seemed to go on for about a mile.

"This is the moment in any horror movie where something evil would jump out of the dark and try to kill someone."

"I very much doubt that, Emmett." Edward grumbled stepping to surpass his bother appearing closer to Bella.

"You never know, it could. We're talking about the school that has a Troll in their basement." Emmett shrugged.

At the end of the passage was a small wooden door on the ceiling, the kind you would push open in order to climb out of. Jumping, Harry was able to push it open far enough however being too high they were unable to move any further.

"Get on my shoulders."

"What?"

"I'll help push you up." Harry explained looking up, "Then you pull me up, okay. Now, get on." Moving into a position for Bella to climb onto his outstretched hands and hold onto his shoulders for support; shakiness and uncertainty aside she managed to jump through the gap so that she was resting on the floor. Or the ceiling I suppose…

"You're heavy Harry." She wheezed, dramatically collapsing back onto the floor after pulling Harry up himself.

"Well your hardly a feather either." He smirked back.

Bella put her hand up to her heart before continuing, "I'm offended." She faked hurt before throwing Harry his cloak and standing back up. The door lead to a small compressed room filled to the brim of boxes. Where were we now?

Climbed the stairs they entered a shop filled with varying candy and lots of students: every flavoured jelly beans, fudge flies, blood spiders, chocolate frogs, chocolate cauldrons, something called fizzing whizzbees and lots of weird looking things in bottles filled the shelves.

They all looked gross. Then again, all human food looked gross to me.

Once outside, they removed their barrier of visibility. Their efforts otherwise unnecessary with their tracks in the snow.

"So Hermione said she and Ron would be waiting nearby the Shrieking Shack. No real idea where that is but she did give some very detailed directions." Walking for a while longer we ended up in a small forest surrounded by trees. On the far end was a rickety old house standing on old legs.

"Looking for your dream house Weasel B? It's a little big don't you think? Don't your entire family share one bed?" Draco's laugh came from behind the bark.

"Shut up Malfoy!" Ron growled.

When it came to the biggest asshole competition Draco was trailing just slightly behind Snape.

With my attention focused solely on Draco and his idiot groupies I hadn't even realised Bella and Harry's absence. That is until snowballs started appearing out of nowhere.

"Wh-Whats happening?" Crabbe yelped as snowballs began pelting him in the back looking behind him but of course, no one was there, at least not anybody he could see.

Somewhere admits the chaos and Draco's very far from many screams for help, Goyle ended up with his pants around his ankles as the three scrambled through the snow to get away.

Oh god, this was hilarious.

"Harry, Bella." Hermione smiled through giggles as the two reappeared and all four fell into a cackle of laughter.

"Not that I'm not glad to see you both but you were pretty undescriptive about how you managed to get here. I can only hope that it wasn't through breaking handfuls of school rules?"

"That depends on what you call this," Harry held out the map, "Your brothers. Said that our needs were greater than theirs and thought to tell us of all the secret passages out of the castle."

"The Castle has hidden tunnels? Why did they never tell me? Gits."

Hermione snatched the map, looking at it with a grimacing face, "Is this what I think it is?"

"That depends on if you think it's a secret map that shows where everyone in the school is at all times?"

"What!" Ron exclaimed, "Fred and George had this and not once bothered to tell me about this? I'm going to kill them."

"And where exactly did they get this from?"

"Stole it from Filch first year apparently. Though I doubt he has any more understand of where it came from then those two do." Bella shrugged, "Look at the front. I assume those are the names of the people that made it, or nickname I guess, but I've never heard of them. Still, isn't this cool?"

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, Bells, maybe it's dark magic or something? Filch probably took it for a reason." Hermione still looked uncertain.

"Filch probably took it because he hates magic. And Hermione, think about how helpful this could be. If Black ever makes his way until the school at least we'll know about it first." She meant it as a joke but it didn't sit well with Hermione…or Edward for that matter.

Bella, I don't care if you've almost been killed ten times over, you need to always worry about your safety.

"Could you please not joke about this. Bella someone is trying to kill you, both of you, and you don't even seem remotely bothered."

Smart girl.

"It's hardly the first time." Harry muttered. His voice lost under the wind.

"I'm sorry Rosmerta, but you know that it is customary if we want to catch Sirius Black." Minister Fudge's voice carried as he spoke to a woman; her blonde hair pulled back into a bun, maybe around her late twenties hidden underneath a woolly dark green coat for protection against the winter cold.

But it was the mention of said killer that caught everyone's attention.

"Ha! Sirius Black in Hogsmead! Now, why on earth would Sirius Black be roaming around Hogsmeade? To buy a butterbeer?" Rosmerta snorted.

"Because of the Pot-" He all but stopped suddenly when he saw Harry and Bella watching the exchange, "Let's take this inside shall we."

What exactly couldn't they talk about in front of them? If he was after them they deserved to be in the loop especially with their safety on the line.

Now I had questions.

Quickly turning invisible again the pair ran through the open door and inside to where the three adults had departured into. Hermione and Ron being stranded at the door we strolled in after, reaching a deserted closed off room within the grim pub.

"Twelve years ago when the Potter's were marked for death, remember how they had to go into hiding?" McGonagall said speaking first, "Well you see, few people knew where they were but one who did was Sirius Black. He was a close friend of the Potters and he was the one who told You-Know-Who where they were. Then when Peter Pettigrew, you remember him? A little lump of a boy who was always following Potter and Black around? He tried to warn the Potter's, but Sirius killed him before he was able to get there."

"Black didn't kill him, he slaughtered him. All they found of him was a finger." The Minister reminded, and I shuddered. A finger? Really? What on earth happened to the rest of him?"

"Sirius might not have killed the Potter's that night but he sure is the reason that they're dead. But to this day…Sirius Black was, and always be, Harry and Bella Potter's Godfather."

Wh-No!

"He was their Godfather?" Esme gasped, "And he betrayed them!?"

"How could someone do that? That's sick! He was their friend." Close enough to be granted their Godfather and yet…he willingly chose to hurt them? To try and kill those he swore to protect?

I couldn't wrap my head around it. It was disgusting.

The door slammed shut which was a reminder that Harry and Bella were still here, and that they had heard everything.

"I'm sorry. Excuse me!" Hermione apologised knocking her way through a crowd of people as she chased after the two twins who showed no signs of stopping. Waiting by the door she took flight as soon as the footsteps with no owner appeared on the snow.

Finally, they came to a halt at the sound of quiet weeping. "Oh those poor dears" Esme hushed,

Slowly Hermione walked over to where the source of the crying was coming from, reaching out to where Harry's head should be to take the cloak straight off. Underneath Harry sat red faced, shaking slightly as the cries wracked through his body.

Oh no, I hate this.

"Bella, take the necklace off." Hermione whispered, "Please."

It took a few seconds but she finally became visible again. Her eyes and nose were red as she hurried to brush aside a fallen tear from her cheeks.

"What happened?" Hermione asked in a hushed tone.

"He killed them." Bella whimpered, "He was supposed to be their friend…our-our Godfather." She could barely even stomach the word, "And yet…he betrayed them."

"He was their friend!" Harry's entire demeanour suddenly turned angry, "I'm going to find him and when I do I'm going to kill him!"

"But Harry he's a murderer. He'll kill you first." She turned to Bella desperate for her help to calm her brother, "Bella what do you think?"

"I think," Her face remained miserable with the recent news but now suddenly with a fire burning in her eyes, "That he's the reason our parents are dead. The reason why our lives have been so crap. He deserves it, I want him dead too."

"They should have the chance to kill him." Rosalie muttered staring down at the ground, har face just as miserable as Bella's. She had killed the men who had destroyed her life and left her for dead, she wanted them to have that option too.

"Rosalie, killing is never the right option!" Carlisle shook his head.

"That's not what you said to me," Rose mumbled in distaste,

The scene faded out, my focus on Hermione's concerned look, we were back in the Castle. Lined up on the stairwell with a crowded group of other Gryffindors looking to head into the common room for the night.

and now we were in the castle on the stairs which were crowded by a bunch of Gryffindor students,

"It's the fat lady! She's gone" Ginny yelled as she ran down the stairs opposite the direction of awaiting teenagers.

"Let me through! I am head boy!" Ron's brother pushed his way through the crowd until he could get to the top. At once, Dumbledore and Filch followed to see what was going on.

"Mr Flinch, gather up all the ghosts and find the fat lady at once." Dumbledore ordered.

"I don't think there is any need for the ghosts Professor." Filch pointed at a picture on the next floor which sent everyone in a frenzy, itching to know what was going on.

"Stop! Let me go first, I am head boy!" Percy continued to yell in a beg of authority, but even Dumbledore ran past him.

"It was him!" The fat lady cried, her body coated in mud as she now sat framed with a Hippo. The pictures could really move from picture to picture? Didn't that technically make them like, alive? Fully alive and aware of their surroundings? "The one you call Sirius Black. He was in the castle"

"Damn…" Emmett whispered under his breath.

The four froze. Harry and Bella's eyes went wide. Shock.

.(Updated)