Part Thirty-Six

Lily was almost sorry she said it when she saw the looks on the Marauders faces. They were a mixture of loathing, fury, disbelief, and, more than anything else, hurt.

Remus- But why? We have been ITS friends since the train ride first year. What have we ever done to IT but protect IT, accept IT, help IT?

James- (in a somewhat defeated tone) Maybe we didn't do enough. Maybe we made IT doubt us in some way. You heard what Fudge said in the Leaky Cauldron, Nothing changed when they left Hogwarts... If, as Sirius said, IT had been working for Voldemort for more than a year before we died... That would put the time back to when Harry was born... Maybe IT got jealous and thought we didn't care what happened to IT anymore.

Lily- James, don't beat yourself up about this. There was nothing that you could have done more than you already are. Think, James, who knew that your parents would be there at that time on that day?

James- (thoughtfully) Well, not even Dumbledore knew that they would be there at that exact time. I mean, they were supposed to be at a meeting with the Order, but they were running late.

Sirius- (slowly) What about IT?

James- What do you mean?

Sirius- Think about it, James, we had all sent owls to IT telling him that IT could come over that your parents were going out. Did we tell IT what time they were leaving?

They all thought about it.

James- Yes, I did. It was because my parents had said that they didn't want any more of my friends over while they were gone and...

There was a stunned silence.

James- (shoves the book at Sirius) Read. I want to see what kind of punishment they give the little !

Sirius- (looks at the chapter title and gives an evil grin) I like the sounds of this chapter.

Remus- Why?

Sirius- It's called The Dementor's Kiss.

All- (grin evilly)

Harry had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron went next, looking like contestants in a six-legged race. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Harry and Hermione brought up the rear.

James- Sounds like a good order to me.

Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Harry went right after Sirius, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. Harry had the impression Sirius was making no effort to prevent this.

Sirius- Good, maybe it will knock some sense into him and remind him to listen for once in his life.

"You know what this means?" Sirius said abruptly to Harry, as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

Sirius- I won't have to be on the run anymore thanks to that...

"You're free," said Harry.

Lily- (heart felt) Thank God.

"Yes ..." aid Sirius. "But I'm also - I don't know if anyone ever told you - I'm your godfather."

Remus- And a better godfather you could never find.

Others- Damn straight.

"Yeah, I knew that," said Harry.

"Well ... your parents appointed me your guardian," said Sirius stiffly. "If anything happened to them ..."

James- Thank you, Sirius, I'm glad you can be there for him.

Sirius- We will all be there for him, James. We will not let IT tear us apart.

Harry waited. Did Sirius mean what he thought he meant?

Sirius- Of course I do, Harry.

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Sirius.

All- (snort in distaste)

"But ... well ... think about it. Once my name's cleared ... if you wanted a ... a different home ..."

Lily- (sadly) My goodness, Sirius, I never thought to see the day that you would be so unsure of yourself.

Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Harry's stomach.

"What - live with you?" he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. "Leave the Dursleys?"

James- Yeah, Harry, you will never have to see those gits again.

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Sirius quickly. "I understand. I just thought I'd -"

Lily- Sirius...

"Are you mad?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius'. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

All- (smile and Sirius has tears in his eyes)

Sirius turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Sirius didn't seem to care.

James- (bitterly) Who would!

Lily- James...

James- Lily, he just tried to have the souls taken from my two best friends. How do you expect me to feel?

"You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"

Lily- You will be good for each other to help get over what happened.

"Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry.

Sirius' gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger was shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry's parents' wedding.

All- (smile)

They did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron clambered upwards without any sound of savaging branches.

Lily- That's good.

Sirius saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Harry and Hermione to pass. At last, all of them were out.

All- Yeah!

The grounds were very dark now, the only light came from the distant windows of the castle.

(AN Okay, this isn't in the book, but it is one of my favorite lines from the movie, so I'm putting it in.)

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" said Sirius staring at the castle with misty eyes. "I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man."

Remus- And you have witnesses to prove this plus the "dead" man whom you supposedly killed.

"That was a noble thing you did back there," Sirius continued, "he doesn't deserve it."

All- Not in any lifetime.

"Well, I just didn't think that my day would want his two best friends to become killers. Besides, dead the truth dies with him, alive you're free." said Harry calmly.

James- He's right, nothing short of a full confession from the true traitor would be enough for Fudge.

Without another word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. Harry's mind was buzzing. He was going to leave the Dursleys. he was going to live with Sirius Black, his parents' best friend ... he felt dazed ... What would happen when he told the Dursleys he was going to live with the convict they'd seem on television!

Lily- I could just see their faces.

"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly, ahead. His wand still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

James- Yeah, IT, you're not getting away this time. It's time to pay the Piper.

Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was drifting weirdly ahead of Sirius, his chin bumping on his chest.

All- (snort)

And then -

Lily- Uh-oh.

Others- What!

Lily- I just remembered something. You know back when Snape came into the room...

Remus... Yes... No, I would never be that forgetful as to not take the potion the night of a full moon.

Lily- (soothingly) But, Remus, you had just seen a thing on the Map that you thought was dead, you weren't in your right state of mind.

A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground.

Their party was bathed in moonlight.

Remus- This can't be happening.

Snape collided with Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Sirius froze. He flung out an arm to make Harry and Hermione stop.

Remus- Get them out of there, Sirius, don't worry about me, there isn't anyone else on the grounds tonight.

Harry could see Lupin's silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.

Remus- (buries his head in his hands)

"Oh my -" Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!"

"Run," Sirius whispered. "Run! Now!"

But Harry couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. He leapt forwards but Sirius caught him around the chest and threw him back.

Sirius- Don't worry, Harry, I know how to deal with a werewolf when there are humans around.

"Leave it to me - RUN!"

Lily- Let Sirius take care of it, he's better equipped.

Remus- And I'm less liable to attack him.

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's fur was on end again, he was backing away -

James- Smart cat.

Remus- But I would never attack another animal.

As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Harry's side. He had transformed. The enormous, bear-like dog bounded forwards. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backwards, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other -

Remus- (puzzled) But why would I attack you?

Sirius- Remus, you've had a lot of shocks tonight, you're emotional state isn't the best. And when you're not thinking clearly, neither is the wolf.

Harry stood transfixed by the sight; too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted him -

All- Now what!

Pettigrew had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light - and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang - Crookshanks flew into the air and back to earth in a heap.

James- No, he can't get away.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted running forwards.

Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Harry saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm, and heard a scurrying through the grass.

All- No!

James- (furiously) That's it! IT'S going down!

There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Harry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the Forest -

Remus- At least I won't be able to hurt anyone.

"Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Harry yelled.

Lily- I said they should have put an anti-transforming spell on him.

Sirius was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back, but at Harry's words he scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws was fading to silence as he pounded away across the grounds.

Sirius- Yeah, I have a better chance of finding him than anyone else does.

Harry and Hermione dashed over to Ron.

"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered. Ron's eyes were only half-closed; his mouth hung open. He was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to recognize them.

Lily- What kind of spell does that!

James- A Dark Arts one.

"I don't know"

Harry looked desperately around. Black and Lupin both gone ... they had no one but Snape for company, still hanging, unconscious, in mid-air.

Sirius- He wouldn't help even if he were conscious.

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," said Harry, pushing his hair out of his eyes, trying to think straight. "Come -"

Lily- Yeah, go get Dumbledore, he's the one who would most likely believe what you tell him.

But then, out of the darkness, they heard a yelping, a whining; a dog in pain ...

Lily- Sirius...

"Sirius," Harry muttered, staring into the darkness.

He had a moment's indecision, but there was nothing they could do for Ron at the moment, and by the sound of it, Black was in trouble -

Sirius- I hope it isn't dementors.

Harry set off at a run, Hermione right behind him. The yelping seemed to be coming from near the lake. They pelted towards it, and Harry, running flat out, felt the cold without realizing what it must mean -

Remus- Dear God.

The yelping stopped abruptly. As they reached the lake's shore they saw why - Sirius had turned back into a man. He was crouched on all fours, his hands over his head.

Lily- Leave him alone! Haven't you done enough to him!

"Nooo," he moaned. "Noooo ... please ..."

And then Harry saw them. Dementors, at least a hundred of them, gliding in a black mass around the lake towards them. He spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides, fog starting to obscure his vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side; they were encircling them ...

All- (hold their breath)

"Hermione, think of something happy!" Harry yelled, raising his wand, blinking furiously to try and clear his vision, shaking his head to rid it of the faint screaming that had started inside it -

All- Come on, Harry, you can do it. You've done it before.

I'm going to live with my godfather I'm leaving the Dursleys.

Lily- That's the best idea for a memory yet.

He forced himself to think of Sirius, and only Sirius, and began to chant "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"

Black gave a shudder, rolled over and lay motionless on the ground, pale as death.

James- Come on, Sirius, you've stood against them for this long.

Sirius- I know, but...

He'll be all right. I'm going to go and live with him.

Lily- Think positive, Harry, you can do it.

"Expecto patronum! Hermione, help me! Expecto patronum!"

"Expecto -" Hermione whispered, "expecto - expecto -"

But she couldn't do it. The dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from them. They formed a solid wall around Harry and Hermione, and were getting closer ...

All- (shudder)

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled. trying to blot the screaming from his ears. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand and hovered like mist before him. At the same moment, Harry felt Hermione collapse next to him. He was alone ... completely alone ...

James- No, you're not, Harry. Believe in yourself.

"Expecto - expecto patronum -"

Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass. Fog was clouding his eyes.

Lily- (whimpers and James puts his arm around her)

With a huge effort, he fought to remember - Sirius was innocent - innocent - we'll be OK - I'm going to live with him –

"Expecto patronum!" he gasped.

By the feeble light of his formless Patronus, he saw a dementor halt, very close to him. It couldn't walk through the cloud of silver mist Harry had conjured. A dead, slimy hand slid out from under the cloak. It made a gesture as though to sweep the Patronus aside.

Lily- Get away from him!

"No - no -" Harry gasped. "He's innocent ... expecto - expecto patronum -"

He could feel them watching him. Hear their rattling breath like an evil wind around him. The nearest dementor seemed to be

considering him. Then it raised both its rotting hands - and lowered its hood.

All- No!

Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray, scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth ... a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death-rattle.

All- (look sick)

A paralyzing terror filled Harry so that he couldn't move or speak.

His Patronus flickered and died.

White fog was blinding him. he had to fight ... expecto patronum ... he couldn't see ... and in the distance he heard the familiar screaming ... expecto patronum ... he groped in the mist for Sirius, and found his arm ... they weren't going to take him ...

Sirius- Stay away from him, he's just a boy!

But a pair of strong, clammy hands suddenly wrapped themselves around Harry's neck. They were forcing his face upwards ... he could feel its putrid breath ... his mother screaming in his ears ... she was going to be the last thing he ever heard -

All- NOOOOOOO!

And then through the fog that was drowning him, he thought he saw a silvery light, growing brighter and brighter ... he felt himself fall forwards onto the grass -

Lily- A real patronus, they're saved.

Others- (cheer)

Face down, too weak to move, sick and shaking, Harry opened his eyes. The blinding light was illuminating the grass around him ... The screaming had stopped, the cold was ebbing away ...

All- (breathe a sigh of relief)

Something was driving the dementors back ... it was circling around him and Sirius and Hermione ... the rattling, sucking sounds of the dementors were fading. They were leaving ... the air was warm again ...

With every ounce of strength he could muster, Harry raised his head a few inches and saw an animal amidst the light, galloping away across the lake. Eyes blurred with sweat, Harry tried to make out what it was ... it was bright as a unicorn.

James- Most patronuses are, Harry.

Fighting to stay conscious, Harry watched it canter to a halt as it reached the opposite shore. For a moment, Harry saw, by its brightness, somebody welcoming it back ... raising his hand to pat it ... someone who looked strangely familiar ... but it couldn't be ...

All- Who!

Harry didn't understand. He couldn't think any more. He felt the last of his strength leave him, and his head hit the ground as he fainted.

Sirius- That's the end of the chapter.

James- (bitterly) I can't believe IT got away. Well, IT will not get away from us.

Lily- Do you guys want to go up to the castle? People should be back by now.

James- No, I want to know what happens to Sirius. Then we will go to the castle.

Sirius- All right, Remus, it's your turn to read.