Karlito awoke in his bed, not sure how he got there. He didn't care, as long as he was safe. Karlito got up and walked to the shower. A couple of boys were in there, standing around, self consciously. They were embarrassed. Whether it was justified or not, Karlito couldn't decide. He didn't care. He wondered what the girl's bathroom looked like.

Karlito finished and put on his clothes. He walked down to the class. Today would be a drag, he could feel it in his bones.

Oh, how he wished he was wrong! Karlito slowly entered a dark Potions room, eyed by a malice filled Snape. His eyes were like pits of despondent anger that lie dormant. One bad move, one wrong word, and it meant he would strike. Karlito doubted he would be ready.

If Karlito thought Snape despised him, he was understated. The way he sneered at the Trio was unparalleled. Ron partnered with Seamus, who darted to work with a Slytherin. That was how angry Snape looked. There was no containing his anger. Get out of the way, or be eaten.

The lesson started off good enough. No one messed up, or gave Snape a reason to be angry. That's when Dean Thomas made a big mistake. He was working with Parvati Patil, a loud and sometimes irritable girl. Karlito guessed the Gryffindor girl didn't get the memo not to irk Snape. When Dean accidentally spilled some Almond butter on her, she exploded. "This is new Versace! Why, you idiot!" Dean tried to calm her, putting a finger to his lips.

She didn't get the message. "Trying to silence me, eh? Well, no-" It was a flash. First, she had a tongue. The next, she had a foot long slug in her throat. Everyone, even half of the Slytherins, watched in shock and agony as she choked on it. Karlito didn't think she deserved that, even if she had called for it and ignored Dean.

Snape laughed sadistically from his desk. That made Karlito even more mad. Harry was shuddering on the other side of the room. Karlito walked over there under the cover of getting supplies. He whispered. "Don't make a scene. Imagine, if you step out of line, what he'll do to twist it on Ron or Hermione! You want something bad to happen to them?"

Harry stopped and gained his mind again. That made Karlito question whether Hermione was right. Harry listened immediately to Karlito, while Ron or Hermione couldn't get to him. Did he have that much power over the Golden Child?

Karlito went back to his seat. The rest of the period went by in silence. Parvati was sent to the medbay. It didn't dawn in Karlito's just why she was selected.

There was only twenty minutes left in the Double Potions Period when Ron made a fatal mistake. Professor, sir..." "Shut up!" "But, sir I have to use the bathroom. Please!..." "Silence, you ungracious bat! You stinky pure blood idiot traitor." Karlito snickered to himself. "Always new he was a rascist!" Harry heard and laughed, since they were only five feet away.

The problem was, Harry was looking to Hermione, a descendant of muggle parents.

"What did you say, you filthy mudblood!"

It was a flash. Harry couldn't get there quick enough, since Ron had a loose grip. He got loose though. Karlito had no one near him, so he flew off the handle to Snape the quickest. Dean held Seamus back, and all the Gryffindor girls were screaming. Karlito had hid wand out in a flash. Hermione was leaking tears.

Karlito saw her...crying...he couldn't control it anymore. He knew Hermione through Harry, but she was an amazing friend. He was a prick to be mean to her the other day.

Karlito pulled out his wand and jumped over the table. It was slow motion for everyone else, but it was regular time for him, maybe even a little faster. Snape was defenseless. A strong Stupefy spell could hurt him a lot. Karlito didn't want to kill, even if it was this prick. Karlito saw Harry struggling out of the corner of his eye. Hermione has her hands out, trying to tackle Karlito.

He was faster.

Karlito darted over a chair and was on Snape in an instant. "Stupe-" "Protego!" Someone had blocked the spell. Who? No student could block it, not even Hermione. A flash was in his sight. A white flash. Long hair, and a longer beard. "DUMBLEDORE!" The gutteral scream escaped Karlito and Harry at the same time. Hermione even looked shocked.

The headmaster, who supposedly put his students first and foremost, was protecting a uppity man who segregated against blood types. An angry man who just threatened his students. This cemented everything Karlito thought about the Headmaster. Before he could even turn towards him, a calming spell hit him.

Karlito fell back into the arms of Hermione. Everything suddenly speed up. Dumbledore was surrounded by teachers, who looked accusingly at the students. Hermione was lifted from his and bounded. Karlito couldn't reach out, being bounded also. Then, everything was dark.

The room was black. Not pitch black, hair dark enough to make out figures. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Then an unknown figure. A scraggly man with dirty clothes and skinny build.

"You finally awake?" "...What going on?" "You'll see. It's nice to meet you, Jackson Alexander." "..How do you know me!? No way...your Sirius Black!" "Correct. And I should kill you."

"Why? I shouldn't let you." "You would, if only you knew." "Knew what?" "Your grandfather is the sole purpose for Harry's life up till this point. He, and the old man Dumbledore, that is." "Why should I believe you? Give me one good reason!" "Your grandfather. Ever wonder why your parents rejected him." "Why?"

Sirius leaned down into Karlito's face. "Only because your grandfather is the one and only Dark Lord, Voldemort."

A chill ran through the spine of Karlito. He wanted to deny it, but couldn't find the words. It all made since. They way his wand matches up with Harry's, and was told that it also matches up with Tom Riddle's. He had thought that he and Harry were sworn soulmates. But, they were just sworn enemies.

Harry heard all this in the corner, and reacted with a surprising subtleness. "Even so, he's still my friend. He wouldn't betray me, right?" "Of course." "I know that." Black said. "That's why I brought a friend to clear things up." Some scurrying was heard, and the appearance of...

"Mr...Mr Lupin?!"

Karlito wouldn't lie and say he expected this turn or outcome. He didn't expect Remus Lupin, the dead man hanging on the wall, to walk to him, alive and well. Karlito searched his surroundings. "Are you seeing this? Am I bloody mad? The corpse was verified." Ron was hysterical.

Karlito tried to move, but was detained against Black. "Let me go." "No. I won't say this again. Stay still, or you will die." "If you were really innocent... innocent people don't say that." "Let me rephrase. Something in this room will kill you." "Again, not good wordplay." Remus clicked his tongue. "To hell with it, Sirius! Take the rat!" Harry frowned. "Your...your with him!?" "Yes, and when we do this, it'll explain everything."

Hermione screamed. "Don't believe the blimey werewolf!" "It is true I am a werewolf, but the rat in Ronald's possession is worse. He is the killer of Harry's parents." Before anyone could object, Harry relented. "Untie me." They did. They also gave them their wands back. "If your lying, I'll kill you. Give them the stinking rat, Ron." "No, Scabbers is..." "Give him the damned rat, Ronald." That was Hermione. Karlito chuckled. "Damn, Mione, that was hot."

Black snapped. "Ok." They sat the rat down and waved their wands. "Expose!" At first nothing happened. Before they could question it, the rat slowly morphed into a human. A rat ass looking human. Hermione gasped. "Do you now get it, Hermione?" Remus said. "Harry, this...this disgusting man...he was the man who killed your parents, not Sirius."

"...Explain." "He gave them up to Voldemort." The rat man chattered. "No, it wasn't me.." He tried to crawl to Harry, but was nearly burned. "It wasn't me! Don't forget, my fingers were chopped of by him." "You did that yourself, you pesky rat. I should've killed you, but that honor belongs with Harry. What will you do, boy?"

"Take him to McGonagall and explain." Karlito said. Sirius frowned. "Secondhand spawn of Voldemort, this ain't your decision, so don't interfere." Harry turned to Karlito. "Why do you want to spare the man who killed my parents?" "Because, if we kill him, we're no better than him or Voldemort. Do you honestly want to get your hands dirty for the likes of him. And trust me, I'm not doing it for him. McGonagall is the only person we can trust in Hogwarts to not let him escape, and to listen to us."

Harry decided Karlito was correct. He was about to lead the way out of the Whomping Willow when a shadow slid down and a body appeared. "Oh, no...not you." "Yes, me!"

"Severus Snape."