I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.
Black
Alex closed his book, sighing in relief as he finished his Potions essay. It was Easter Sunday and all of the teachers, even Lupin, had piled on so much homework they had basically no free time. They were all swamped, and Hermione, despite having walked out of Divination finally, and dropping the class completely, was about ready to have a panic attack. Alex had been helping her with her homework when she would let him, small things she felt she could afford to miss like Muggle Studies or Arithmancy. Even with him helping where he could, she was still drowning, and had broken down into tears when it was just the two of them several times. Ron had taken over the task of helping Hagrid prepare for Buckbeak's appeal with Luna's help. And then, there was Quidditch. Harry had to practice every day, was constantly being harped at by Oliver Wood, and was dealing with the animosity between him and Malfoy being at an all-time high after Harry had apparently used the invisibility cloak to throw mud at Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, then got caught, only for Lupin to save him from Snape, at the cost of confiscating the Marauder's Map.
Gryffindor and Slytherin had both become so obsessed with the Quidditch Cup's fate that more than a dozen fights had broken out in the corridors, one of them ending with a Gryffindor fourth year and a Slytherin sixth year both going to the hospital wing with leeks sprouting from their ears. As the game approached, Wood gave the order for Harry to be accompanied everywhere so that Slytherin couldn't put him out of action and the entire house took up the challenge so enthusiastically that Harry couldn't even make it to classes on time most days, though it was a good thing, because Crabbe and Goyle seemed to always be popping up anywhere and everywhere Harry went, only to walk away slouching when they saw he wasn't alone. Alex had offered to put them in the Hospital Wing himself, but the offer had been rejected. Probably the only thing that Alex found positive about things, besides Luna, at least now that the cycle that started at the end of February was over, was the fact that Malfoy's tag seemed to still be in place, because everyone was still leaving several feet between him and them, and all of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff had taken to making fun of him for the foul stench radiating from him, kept absolutely unbearable by Fred and George setting off a dungbomb near the tag's mate every couple of days as needed, and taking the liberty of using that toilet themselves without flushing, which had put Filch in an especially foul mood.
Finally, the night before the game, everyone in the common room gave up on their usual activities, including homework. Even Hermione. Alex smiled as he watched Snow chasing Mouse and his tiny broom around the common room at a gallop, everyone cheering every time Mouse, now the official mascot, accepted by Wood, made a narrow escape from Snow.
"Everyone's so excited for the game tomorrow," Luna said.
"Same here," Alex said, taking a pull from his cigarette, which he'd needed to make it through the last few weeks, even being able to talk to Luna all hours of the day.
"How's your homework going?" Luna asked.
"Slow as ever," Alex grimaced. "I'll be working on it until Monday morning at this rate."
"I'm sure you'll be able to finish before then," Luna said. "How's your anxiety doing?"
Alex tugged at his sweater's collar and blew out a cloud of smoke. "It's been better."
As he took another pull, Luna began to sing softly. Alex smiled, flicking his cigarette butt into the fire, then leaned his head back against the side of the window, closing his eyes and allowing Luna's voice to wash through him. After a while longer, Oliver ordered the rest of the Gryffindor team to bed. Alex remained in the windowsill, listing to Luna sing for him for a while longer before saying goodnight and following most of the rest of Gryffindor to bed, taking Mouse and Snow with him. The next day, he woke bright and early, heading down to breakfast with Luna and Ginny, then to the lake. He went for a quick swim, just long enough to say hello to the Kelpie and Giant Squid, then returned to the others, drying himself with magic and sitting between the two, helping them both with their homework for a bit before they went to join the rest of the school for the match. They found seats with Ron and Hermione, as always, and sat down just as Gryffindor emerged from their locker room. As they did, three quarters of the school cheered for them, all of them wearing scarlet or waving scarlet flags. The Slytherins, however, booed almost as loudly as the rest of the school cheered, all of them wearing bright green, including Snape, of all people.
As the Slytherins arrived, Lee Jordan, commentating on the game as he always did, noted that the Slytherins seemed to have gone for size over skill when they changed the lineup for the game. And he was right. Aside from Malfoy, every other member was about Crabbe and Goyle's size. Then, Madam Hooch gave the whistle blast and the teams were off. After a bit of back and forth, Angelina scored the first point, only for Flint, the Slytherin Captain, to intentionally fly into her directly, nearly knocking her off her broom. Fred, who Alex suspected might genuinely have feelings for Angelina, was not impressed, and hurled his club into the back of Flint's head, bouncing his nose off his broom and starting it bleeding. Before Flint could respond, Madam Hooch flew up between them, awarding both teams a penalty shot. Angelina made her shot. Wood blocked Flint's. Alex grinned. Twenty to nothing. If they could get thirty more points, Harry would be free to catch the Snitch. Given the standing points for the cup, they had to win by more than two hundred points. The game resumed and not five minutes later, Katie Bell had the pleasure of having Montague, one of Slytherin's chasers, grab her by the head, making her cart-wheel in midair, once again very nearly knocking her off her broom. A moment later, she had made her penalty shot as well.
Lee began to call Slytherin cheaters, and when Professor McGonagall tried to tell him not to be biased, he stated he was just telling it like it was. Harry suddenly took off toward the Slytherin end of the field and Malfoy shot after him. Both of the Slytherin Beaters sent a Bludger at him, both narrowly missing. They decided to take him out directly, but he pulled up at the last second and they collided hard. After a couple more minutes, Flint scored and Lee swore loudly, having to fight Professor McGonagall to keep the magical megaphone, causing several people to laugh. The game began to go dirty rapidly. One of the Beaters hit Alicia with his club, then had the audacity to claim he mistook her for a Bludger, so George repaid him with an elbow to the face. Both teams got a penalty shot and Wood again saved it. Katie scored and Fred and George spent a moment guarding her against Slytherin retribution. Instead, both Slytherins sent their Bludgers into Wood's stomach, making him roll over and only barely cling to his broom. Madam Hooch was livid. Angelina scored the penalty, and a moment later, George used a Bludger to knock the Quaffle out of Slytherin hands and into Alicia's who instantly scored again.
All Harry had to do now was catch the Snitch. Alex caught a flash of gold above Harry and Harry shot upward, only for Malfoy to catch the Firebolt's tail, clinging to it. The Snitch vanished, and Harry couldn't even reach to hit Malfoy. Alex was tempted to do it for him, but that would get Gryffindor disqualified. Madam Hooch shot up to scream at Malfoy for blatantly cheating beyond any concept of making a mistake.
Lee Jordan had his moment of freedom as Professor McGonagall was so furious at Malfoy that she was shrieking up at him herself as Lee Jordan shouted, "YOU CHEATING SCUM! YOU FILTHY CHEATING BASTARD!"
Alicia took the shot, but she was so angry she missed by several feet. Gryffindor was so angry they were losing concentration. Slytherin, on the other hand, were so happy Malfoy had cheated to stop Harry winning that they were playing better than ever. Soon enough, they'd scored again. Harry flew so close to Malfoy their knees kept bumping. Angelina got the Quaffle and the entirety of the Slytherin team, minus Malfoy, shot up the Quidditch Pitch to block her, even the Keeper. Harry, furious enough to explode, dove, streaking toward them in a scarlet blur and forcing them to scatter. Angelina scored easily. Malfoy spotted the Snitch and dove. Harry shot after him. A Bludger flashed past him. Harry laid flat and became a blue. Harry hurled himself forward and knocked Malfoy's hand aside. Then, it was over. He soared into the air again, holding the Snitch above himself victoriously. Wood reached Harry first, then the rest of the team. They all flew to the ground and were mobbed instantly. Alex hung back with Luna, not feeling like getting trampled. Luna's smile was her usual, half-absent one, but her eyes were shining with joy and excitement. He pulled her into a hug and she instantly squeezed, leaning into him tightly as the Gryffindor team was lifted onto the crowd's shoulders and carried to where Dumbledore was waiting with the enormous Quidditch Cup.
Alex groaned as his brain deserted him partway through his last bit of homework in favor of thinking of Luna. He was certain he'd fail his exams this year. They were due during his current cycle. He'd swallowed his pride and brought the problem up to Professor McGonagall, but she'd informed him there could be no exceptions. He forced his brain to leave the warm, fuzzy, exceedingly comforting memory of hugging Luna after the final Quidditch match without any of the Weasleys around to say anything and forced himself to focus on the homework. Then, finally, it was finished. He sighed, heading back up to the common room, slipping his hearing aid in on the way.
"You there?" he asked tiredly.
"You sound awful," Luna said.
"It's been a bit worse this time, thanks to stress and homework being added on," Alex said.
"And now you have to do your exams during it?" Luna asked, sounding as worried as Alex felt.
"I'll be fine," Alex flat-out lied. "I can focus for an hour at a time."
"Alright," Luna said. "Would it help if I sang to you during them?"
"No," Alex said. "Then you'd be failed for cheating. Besides, it'd just distract me." He sat on the common room window sill, lighting a cigarette and taking a long pull. "I'll manage, Luna. Really."
"Alright," Luna said. "Do you want me to sing now, then?"
Alex hesitated. He wasn't sure it was a good idea, but as long as she wasn't there, it should be safe, right? "Would you mind?"
"Of course not!" Luna said brightly.
As she began to sing, Alex took another pull from his cigarette, then leaned his head back, closing his eyes and breathing out slowly. His mind began to drift instantly, guided to the object of his cycles' obsession by her soft, beautiful voice. For the millionth time in the last three days, he returned to the Quidditch Stadium. He returned to a roar of cheers, and the warmth of Luna's arms around him. He felt his own arms around him again. And then, as he took another pull from his cigarette, his mind slipped from memory to fantasy as imaginary Luna lifted her head and leaned in. No sooner had their lips joined did Alex gasp harshly, snapping his eyes open and forcing the image away, coughing several times to empty his lungs of the smoke and bits of cigarette ash he'd inhaled. Several people were watching him curiously, including the Weasley twins and Ginny, and he felt his face go pink, tugging his collar up.
"What happened?" Luna asked.
"I fell asleep and felt like I fell out of the window," Alex lied as an explanation to everyone.
"It didn't help, did it?" Luna asked.
"No," he sighed quietly. "Thanks for trying."
"You're welcome," Luna said. "I should get to bed. I have my first exam early in the morning."
"So should I," Alex said. "Good night."
"Good night," Luna said.
Alex took his hearing aid out and finished his cigarette before heading up to bed, only for his mind to pick up where it left off as soon as his eyes were closed. He groaned miserably, struggling feebly to block the images out as he curled into a ball in his bed, pulling the covers up over his head.
Alex swallowed hard as he stared at the trunk. It was big enough for them to get into in order to face a new Boggart, but this time, they would be the only ones to see it. Alex was grateful about that, but he still wasn't thrilled about the idea. The exam was a full obstacle course, wading through a small pond containing a Grindylow, then cross a series of potholes occupied by Red Caps, then make their way across a quagmire inhabited by a Hinkypunk, who gave them misleading directions the whole way, then culminating in the trunk. Alex had done everything else, and Lupin was standing beside the trunk, giving him a knowing look. Alex took a deep breath and walked forward, climbing into the trunk. Sure enough, as soon as the Boggart saw him, there was a crack like a whip and he was facing himself in all of his horrible, monstrous shame. The Boggart snarled, stalking forward with a wet SLAP! SLAP! SLAP! Alex swallowed hard, focusing.
"Riddikulus!" he said.
There was another loud crack and suddenly it was a normal Alex standing with his arms around Luna, exactly as they had been in the horribly wonderful dreams he'd been plagued with all night. He groaned loudly, focusing and trying again. Another loud crack later and the Boggart was back. Alex rolled his eyes. At least this form wasn't based off of his cycle. And nothing else. At all. Only the cycle.
He shook his head and tried one last time. This time, the Boggart became a pink-faced child with two missing teeth, trying to run forward while wearing massive red clown shoes, tripping over himself and cackling with childish glee. Alex sighed in relief, walking back out of the tree, Lupin giving him the proudest smile Alex had ever seen on anyone besides Luna and his family. However, at the same time, his eyes were wrinkled in a knowing, amused smile that made Alex blush scarlet.
"Well done," Lupin said.
"Thank you, Professor Moony," Alex said.
Lupin smiled and nodded before freezing, Alex's face splitting in a wide grin. Lupin sighed, shaking his head. "You're quite sharp."
"Thank you," Alex smiled. "And thank you for the book, too."
Lupin nodded and Alex walked away to join Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Ron had failed to make it past the Hinkypunk, and Hermione had failed against the Boggart, but Harry had gotten top marks, like Alex had.
"Did you get it right this time?" Ron asked.
"Since there was no one around for me to be afraid of seeing what it turned into, yes," Alex said.
"Well done!" Hermione beamed.
"Come on," Harry said. "Let's get some lunch."
"You go on," Alex said. "I need a cigarette first."
The others nodded and walked away, Alex pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, taking a deep pull before exhaling, mind returning to his dreams once again. He curled his free hand into a fist. It was just the cycle, wasn't it? He didn't think about anything like that in between cycles. She was just his best friend. Who happened to fit every single one of the requirements for what he wanted his potential eventual girlfriend to have. Including ones he had never told even his family, like being blonde and having a beautiful singing voice. He swallowed hard, taking a longer pull from his cigarette. It was the cycle. Just the cycle. The cycle would end and he'd go back to just being friends with her. Because that's all they were.
He put his cigarette out under his foot, feeling no less stressed than when he'd lit it, and stuck the butt back in the carton, walking inside, pausing to glance at Fudge and two other men on the way, one of the three having a silver axe blade in his belt. Then, he entered the Great Hall and sat with the others, beginning to eat in silence. He glanced up at Luna, eyes riveting themselves to her lips for a moment, the part of his mind being controlled by his cycle wondering if they were actually as soft as they looked, as soft as he'd imagined against his will. She pointed to her ear, and he pointed up at the ceiling. She nodded in understanding and smiled, then returned to her lunch. After lunch, he wished Harry and Ron good luck in their Divination exam before heading for his own Ancient Runes exam. It was probably the easiest one he'd had, even topping Charms class, for one simple reason. Sirens were able to learn new languages from seeing or hearing one hundred words of it one time, allowing them to sing in whatever language they needed. Songs using vocalizations were powerful and faster, but songs using words lasted longer at the price of being a bit slower, taking a couple minutes as opposed to a couple of seconds. He'd been fluent in Ancient Runes since about the fourth week of school.
Once he was finished, he headed to the lake, lying beside it. He could hear others enjoying being free of their exams, but he didn't care. He was back to trying to fight off the memory of his dreams again. Finally, someone sat beside him and he cracked an eye open, seeing Ginny sitting there, holding out a Pumpkin Pasty.
"You slept through dinner," Ginny said. "I thought you might be hungry."
He sat up, looking around and realizing it was a lot darker than when he'd laid down. He thanked her, accepting the food and ate it quickly, only for an invisible hand to tap him on the shoulder.
"Stand up," Harry's voice hissed, Ginny looking around wildly instantly.
"Hagrid lost," Hermione hissed, Ginny's eyes widening.
"Ginny, head on back to the common room," Alex said. "I'll be back later."
Ginny hesitated before nodding. "Be careful, all of you. Ron, I assume you're here too. Don't get caught. I'll try and cover for you all with Percy if I have to."
Alex nodded and thanked her, then stepped backward, crouching slightly and allowing them to wrap the cloak around him as well, Ginny's eyes going wide before she turned and hurried back toward the castle. They made their way to Hagrid's and Alex knocked. After a moment, Hagrid opened the door and looked around in confusion.
"It's us," Harry hissed. "We're in the invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."
"Yeh shouldn't've come!" Hagrid whispered, but stepped out of their way all the same.
Once the door was closed, Harry hurled the cloak off, and Alex turned to Hagrid. He wasn't crying, but he looked completely lost. It was heartbreaking to see him so helpless. Hagrid tried to make tea, managing to spill milk all over, and told them Buckbeak was tethered in the pumpkin patch outside, only to drop the milk jog and send it shattering on the floor when he stopped himself from mentioning Buckbeak's execution. He told them Dumbledore couldn't do anything about the execution but had promised to be with him when it happened. Hermione tried to say they'd be there too, but Hagrid refused, telling them that if any of the four were caught outside, there'd be hell to pay. Hermione moved to pour milk into the jog Hagrid had been about to pour it into before, only to let out a shriek.
"Ron!" she gasped. "Ron, it's Scabbers!"
"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.
Hermione carried the jug over an upended it, Scabbers falling out instantly.
"Scabbers!" Ron gasped. "Scabbers, what are you doing here!?"
He grabbed him and held him up. He looked horrible. He was thinner than ever, had bald patches everywhere, and was frantically trying to escape Ron.
"It's okay!" Ron said. "No cats! You're safe here!"
"They're comin'!" Hagrid hissed suddenly.
Hagrid let them out the back, refusing to let them stay and try to help, and Hermione threw the cloak over herself, Harry, and Ron. She tried to cover Alex as well, but he stepped away, shaking his head.
"We're too slow that way," he said, drawing his wand and twirling it over himself quickly. "Go!"
His body blurred from the top down, the spell spreading with the fealing that someone had just cracked a dozen raw eggs over the top of his head, his body rapidly becoming a transparent blur. He headed for the castle, moving carefully and giving the group coming down from the castle a wide birth. However, he couldn't tell where the others were. Darkness fell and he had to slow. Then, suddenly, he heard Ron.
"Gotcha! Get off you stinking cat!"
He turned toward where he thought the shout had come from, but found nothing for a long few minutes. Finally, he heard Hermione shriek in pain off to his right and turned, sprinting full speed, his Disillusionment Charm failing to keep him hidden and fading. And then, there was light. Harry had lit his wand and illuminated the Whomping Willow. At the base, Ron was shrieking in pain and fear as a massive black dog dragged him backward by the arm into a hole under the Whomping Willow. He hooked a foot around a root to try and hold himself, but with a horrible crack, his leg broke and he was dragged into the darkness.
Alex charged. The great tree swiped at Harry for trying the same and Harry had to dodge backward. Alex rolled aside from a branch big enough to crush him and stood at a run again. Crookshanks was heading for the tree. Alex leapt backward from a branch, which speared into the ground. Then, the tree froze. Alex looked to Crookshanks, seeing its paw on the tree's weak point.
"Good boy, Crookshanks!" Alex said, sprinting for the gap. "Let's go!"
He dropped, sliding into the hole legs first, sliding down a low slope before landing in a crouch in a low tunnel, seeing Crookshanks up ahead. He drew his wand, holding it in front of himself before hurrying forward, remaining crouched slightly and bent nearly in half. He hard Harry and Hermione behind him and was glad they got through. He heard them discussing the passage, Harry saying it was heading toward Hogsmeade on the Marauder's Map, but he himself remained silent. The dog was an Animagus. He was sure of it. Lupin was Moony, so Pettigrew, Black, and Potter were Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail. Scabbers was Wormtail. Black was either Padfoot or Prongs. Based on the fact they were chasing a dog, he'd wager Padfoot.
Finally, they left the tunnel at last, exiting into a trashed room. The floor was stained, the windows boarded up, and the furniture was broken like someone had smashed it. The room they were in was empty, but there was a door open off to one side.
"The Shrieking Shack," Alex hissed, looking to the others, Hermione nodding, pale. "Come on."
He held his wand up and ready, the other two doing the same as they crept to the open door. Something creaked overhead, and Alex looked up at the ceiling, seeing the floorboards had spaces. He flicked his wand and his Wand-Lighting Charm went out instantly. Harry and Hermione followed suit and they crept as silently as the creaking floorboards would allow, climbing the crumbling stairs before stopping and looking around. There was one door open and they could hear a loud purring and a low moan. Alex glanced at the others, bot of whom nodded, and pushed the door open. Crookshanks was sitting on the magnificent four-poster bed, and Ron lay on the floor, leg sticking out at an odd angle.
"Come on out, Black," Alex said, stepping into the room and turning to look around slowly, Harry and Hermione staring at him as they hurried over to check on Ron. "He's an Animagus. It's how he got past the Dementors, I believe."
"Very good," a voice growled behind them.
They all turned, seeing Black step out from behind the closed door, his matted hair falling to his elbows, eyes shining deep in his eye sockets. His waxy skin was stretched tight over his skin so much his face looked more like a skull than a face, and his yellowed teeth were bared.
"Expelliarmus!" He said, pointing his wand at them.
Alex flicked his wand, a pulse of white-silver light going off in front of him as Harry and Hermione's wands sailed into the air, Black catching them, Ron's wand remaining fixed on Alex, a wicked glint in his eyes as he grinned.
"Very impressive," Black said, his voice raspy and hoarse, as though he hadn't spoken in twelve years. "I'd heard one of Harry's friends was good with magic. I'd heard Moony finally passed on that spell book he was so proud of."
"Happy to impress, Padfoot," Alex said.
"Padfoot!?" Harry asked.
"It's how he snuck into the school," Alex said. "He's one of the Marauders. He knows all of the secret passages."
"Not bad at all," Black said, then turned his attention to Harry. "I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful. It will make everything much easier."
Harry took a step forward, but Alex stepped sideways in front of him as Hermione caught his shoulder, stopping him.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron said, struggling to stand on his good leg, growing paler quickly.
"Ron, sit on the bed," Alex instructed. "You can't help like that. As for you, Sirius Black, why should I not jinx you right now?"
Black watched him for a moment, eyes glinting almost amusedly as he considered. "Well, first of all, there's the fact that I was one of the best duelists in Hogwarts when I went to school, then got more practice fighting in a Wizarding War after it. Also, there's the fact that there need only be one murder here tonight."
"Why's that?" Harry spat. "Didn't care last time did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew! What's the matter? Gone soft in Azkaban?"
"Harry!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"
"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, breaking free of Hermione's restraint and lunged only for Alex to catch him and turn, hurling him onto the bed with Ron, which groaned loudly but held.
"Enough!" Alex snarled. "He didn't betray your mother and father, did you?"
"How-"
"Expelliarmus!" Alex said, all three of the wands Black had spinning into the air, the others catching their respective wands.
Black's eyes glinted in the darkness of the room and Harry scrambled up, wand raised, only for Alex to shove his arm down.
"Shut the fuck up, sit down, and let me speak," Alex snarled. "Black didn't betray your family. Pettigrew did."
"Pettigrew's dead!" Harry snapped. "You heard Fudge!"
"Oh, yes, because Fudge can't possibly get anything wrong!" Alex snapped. "I'm sure he's right about Buckbeak too!"
Harry stopped, staring at Alex, who turned back to Black.
"Sirius Black is Padfoot," Alex said. "Professor Lupin is Moony. Your father was Prongs. And Peter Pettigrew was Wormtail, an Animagus who could transform into a rat capable of living for more than twelve years when a normal one might live for three." He turned, looking directly at Ron, whose eyes widened. "Where is Scabbers?"
"Scabbers isn't an Animagus!" Ron snapped.
"How'd you figure it out?" Black asked. "I'm curious."
"Shut up Black!" Harry snapped, wand up again. "You killed my parents!"
"I don't deny it," Black said. "But you don't know the full story."
"Harry, I'm not going to tell you to shut up again," Alex said. "Either sit down and be quiet, or I'm taking your wand back. To answer your question, Black, I saw Filch boarding up mouse holes to keep out a full-grown man. If they didn't suspect you were an Animagus, they wouldn't have bothered with that. Once I thought about it under the assumption that you were an Animagus, I came up with a theory, which I can't prove except to ask you, that Dementors can't sense animals emotions, or at least, they didn't think to. And then, once I assumed you were an Animagus, and realized that Professor Lupin was Moony, I realized you and James Potter were two members of the Marauders, which would have to make Pettigrew the third. Figuring out who was who took me a bit. All I had to go on was a theory. But then I remembered rats are supposed to live three years but Scabbers lived twelve or more. I knew he was an Animagus. I wasn't sure who it was until I saw your dog form. You're Padfoot, which left Prongs and Wormtail. James Potter had to be Prongs, because the rat's been around for twelve years while James Potter's been dead, which leaves only Pettigrew."
Black nodded, smirking. "Bright boy."
Just then, Crookshanks leapt off the floor at Black, sinking his claws into Black's robes and forcing Black to catch him. He looked at the cat in surprise as the cat stared Alex and Harry down, Harry's wand once again raised, though the anger in his eyes was slightly more muted now. Just then, the floorboards creaked below them.
"WE'RE UP HERE! Hermione shrieked. "WE'RE UP HERE! SIRIUS BLACK! QUICK!"
After a moment, the door burst open in a shower of red sparks and Lupin stepped into the room, wand out and ready, and looked around at them all.
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin said, all four of their wands sailing into the air, only for Alex's to reverse direction, Alex catching it when it returned. "Wandless Magic. Very good."
"Thank you, but that wasn't me," Alex said. "My wand is very picky about who's allowed to hold him."
"Where is he, Sirius?" Lupin asked.
Black raised a hand slowly, pointing at Ron.
"But then, why hasn't he shown himself before now?" Lupin asked, staring at Black as though trying to read his mind. "Unless..." his eyes widened "Unless he was the one...unless you switched...without telling me?"
Very slowly, Black nodded.
"Professor, what's going-" Harry began to ask, only to stop as Lupin walked over, pulling Black into a hug.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione shrieked.
"I told you, Lupin and Black are both Marauders," Alex said. "They've been friends since school."
"You...you..."
"Hermione-" Lupin began.
"You and him..."
"Hermione, calm down-"
"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you!"
"Hermione, listen to me, please," Lupin said calmly. "I can explain-"
"I trusted you!" Harry snapped. "All this time, you've been his friend!"
"You're wrong," Lupin said. "I haven't been his friend, but I am now. Let me explain-"
"NO!" Hermione shrieked. "Harry, don't listen to him! He's been helping Black get into the castle! He wants you dead too! He's a werewolf!"
"They don't want Harry dead!" Alex snapped, stepping forward and turning to the other three. "I've said it, what, three times now? Black didn't kill Pettigrew. Black didn't betray Harry's parents to Voldemort. Harry's not the one they're after."
"He even admitted to getting them killed!" Harry snapped.
"He told a friend, and that friend was a traitor!" Alex snapped back. That friend is now in Ron's pocket, hidden as a rat for twelve years after faking his own death!"
"How did you..." Lupin trailed off.
"He is rather bright isn't he?" Black asked, then snatched Alex's wand from him.
"You shouldn't have done that," Alex said.
A blast of red sparks exploded from the back of the wand, hitting Black in the chest and hurling him backward into the wall. Alex knelt, picking his wand back up, but didn't turn around as Black stood.
"Alex is right," Lupin said. "I don't want Harry dead. I won't deny that I'm a werewolf, though. How long have you known?"
"Ages," Hermione said. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay."
"He'll be delighted," Lupin said. "He set the essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant. Did you check a lunar chart and realize that I was always ill on the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"
"Both," Hermione said quietly.
Lupin let out a short laugh. "You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione. Though, I'd say Alex is about your match for brain power. A bit more magical aptitude, but he has two very powerful advantages for that, between his nearly sentient wand and his heritage."
Alex spat on the floor in front of Lupin. "You're lucky I figured out what you're after, or I might hex you."
"I meant nothing bad by it," Lupin assured him, then paused. "That's right, your cycles also make you more angry, don't they?"
"Yes," Alex growled, then turned back to Ron. "Give me the rat, Ron."
"Why are you helping them?" Ron demanded.
Lupin sighed, tossing the other three their wands before putting his own away. "Look, you're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"
"How'd you know we were here?" Harry asked.
"The Marauder's Map," Lupin said. "I believe Alex has already explained that we are two of the creators. Even under your father's old cloak-"
"How do you know about that?" Harry demanded.
"The number of times I saw him disappear under that cloak," he waved his hand impatiently, beginning to pace. "The point is, I was watching the map carefully this evening because I suspected you might go and visit Hagrid and his Hippogriff before the execution. And I was right. But twenty minutes later, the four of you left with a fifth."
"Pettigrew," Alex said, Lupin nodding.
"I couldn't believe my eyes," Lupin said. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. But then I saw a new dot appear labelled Sirius Black and drag two of you into the Whomping Willow-"
"One of us!" Ron corrected.
"No, Ron, two of you," Lupin said.
"This is going nowhere," Alex said. "Give me the rat and we'll have him explain everything."
"No!" Ron said.
Alex rolled his eyes and held out his left hand. Suddenly, there was a tearing sound and Scabbers burst out of Ron's robes, streaking across the room to Alex's hand, Alex squeezing his index finger and thumb around Scabbers' throat to keep him from biting him as Scabbers flailed madly.
"Professor, if you would," Alex said, holding the rat out to the side where Lupin would have a clear shot.
"There were witnesses that saw Black kill Pettigrew!" Harry said as Hermione kept Ron from trying to take Scabbers back.
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Black said savagely. "Hurry up, Remus, I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for!"
"But Scabbers can't be Peter Pettigrew," Hermione said. "We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework. The Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things...and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."
Alex nodded appreciatively as Lupin began to laugh.
"Right again, Hermione," Lupin nodded. "But the Ministry never knew there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."
"Get on with it, Remus," Black growled. "I've waited twelve years. I'm not going to wait much longer."
"Alright, but you'll have to help me, Sirius," Lupin said. "I only know how it began."
Just then, the door creaked open of its own accord. Lupin strode across the room, looking around, but frowned. "No one there."
"This place is haunted!" Ron whimpered.
"It's not," Lupin said. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted. The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."
Then, Lupin began his explanation, ignoring Alex's growing impatience and the screaming rat.
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