Out of The Shadow – Year 3
Harry's POV
We knocked on Hagrid's door. "Hagrid, it's us." I said when I heard his footsteps approach. He ripped open the door and ushered us in. he made us tea as Hermione asked him where Buckbeak was. "I let him outside to enjoy the fresh air and tree's before..." Hagrid's hands started shaking and he spilled some of the kettle. "Here. Let me." Hermione said offering to help him.
We asked him about getting help from Dumbledore, but he told us that it was out of Dumbledore's control now. "He wrote to me and said he was going to come sit with me when…. Good man Dumbledore." Hagrid said hanging his head. "You need to go back up to the castle. I won't have you here watchin and if Dumbledore or Fudge catch you, you'll be in big trouble." He added, even though I was pretty sure he knew we weren't just going to abandon him.
I looked out the window in the back of Hagrid's small hut watching Buckbeak. I watched as a small red fox dashed around the pumpkin patch before disappearing into the woods. I wasn't sure I had ever seen a fox up at the school before, but then again, I never really looked for what animal's roam freely around here, apart from the dangerous ones Hagrid held on too.
Just then Hermione screamed, and I rushed back into the other room. "Ron! It's scabbers! I don't believe it." By the look on Ron's face he didn't believe her. Hermione stuck her hand in the container and pulled out the rat. "Scabbers? What are you doing here?" Ron asked taking the rat back from Hermione. "I think you owe someone an apology." Hermione said giving Ron a stern look. "Right, next time I see Crookshanks, I'll tell him."
"I meant me." She said through gritted teeth. I turned away from them to find Hagrid looking out his front window. "Their comin'. Quickly before they see ya." Hagrid said quickly trying to usher us out the back door. We peered around the door just as Dumbledore knocked on Hagrid's front door. Behind him was Fudge and the executioner. As they slipped inside, we snuck around the pumpkin patch and ran back up towards the castle.
We stood at the top of the hill looking down on Hagrid's hut as the executioner prepared himself, and Hagrid brought forward Buckbeak. We were far enough away that we could just make them all out, but far enough away that we didn't see the details. The moment of Buckbeak's death Hermione started crying, and Ron and I did what we could to comfort her, while also battling our own emotions about the unnatural death of the poor creature.
"Ow!" Ron said suddenly as Scabbers dropped from his hand. "He bit me." Ron was shocked, his rat never lashed out on him. Ron took off after him and Hermione and I followed close behind him. Ron finally caught up with Scabbers directly under the womping willow. "RON!" Hermione and I shouted in unison, but Ron didn't seem the slightest bit concerned for his own well-being. Instead he was pointing past us and shaking, with a look of terror on his face. "Harry, Hermione! Look out!"
A large black dog with big gold eyes jumped out from behind Harry and Hermione and made a dash for Ron, grabbing him by the leg and dragging him into the large tree. "RON!" We screamed rushing towards him, but we were thrown backwards almost instantly by a large branch off the willow. We could hear Ron screams inside the tree. Every time Hermione and I got close the tree lashed out. "We have to be smart about this." Hermione said. I could practically see her brain thinking.
Just then I caught sight of the little red fox, it was dancing around the branches that tried to come down on it before it dove into the tunnel. Hermione and I looked at each other and I got a sinking feeling that that wasn't just your average fox. Eventually Hermione got a plan to use to branches to throw ourselves into the tunnel, and it worked. We dusted ourselves off as we stood up trying to see in the darkness. "Lumos." I said lifting my wand. "Where do you think this goes?" Hermione asked me.
"I have a hunch; I just hope I'm wrong."
We walked along the dark tunnel until we found outsides inside the shrieking shack where we could hear Ron. We bolted up the stairs and found him in the first room. He was sitting on the ground, seemingly unharmed apart from blood coming from his leg. He had a tight grip on Scabbers. I hadn't even noticed the other people in the room as Hermione and I rushed to his side. "It's him. Sirius Black, he's an Animagus." Ron said shaking his finger behind me.
Hermione and I turned slowly around, and I saw Sirius standing there looking worse for wear. He was thinner than I had ever seen him, with more tattoos then before. His hair was slightly longer, and he had bags under his eyes. He didn't smile at us, just remained transfixed on Ron. Hermione jumped in front of me. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too." Just then I heard an exaggerated groan coming from behind Sirius. "He isn't going to kill Harry." Holly's voice rang out.
"No, only one will die tonight."
"Don't be so mellow-dramatic either, Sirius."
Hermione and I turned and looked each other as my sister stepped out behind Sirius. "That fox. That was you? When did you become an Animagus?" I asked her, completely shocked by the news. Holly just shrugged. "I asked McGonagall about it, and she allowed it." Was all my sister said. Hermione looked between Holly and I as she slowly started to pull her wand from her pocket. Just then the door burst open and Remus and our father burst through the door.
"Remus! James! My old friends." Sirius said smiling and opening his arms up to Remus and Dad. Holly looked like someone slapped her in the face. "Dad?" We both questioned in unison, but he didn't face us. "He's here! Let's kill him." Sirius said to Remus and Hermione gasped. "We trusted you!" Lupin turned to her and blinked sadly. "He's a werewolf, that's why he's been missing classes." She said to Ron and I. Holly let out a chuckle. "We know. Well, Harry and I do anyway." Hermione looked at Holly with a face like thunder, presumable upset that Holly figured it out before her.
Lupin put his hand up to Holly and turned to Hermione. "How long have you known?" He asked her. "Since Professor Snape set the essay." Hermione said weakly. "You really are the brightest witch of your age, Hermione." Lupin started to say. "Hey!" Holly interrupted but no one paid her any mind. Remus and Dad were back to facing Sirius. "Just wait." Dad was saying to Sirius. "Harry deserves to know the truth." Remus added.
Sirius looked manic as he stood before his two best friends. Holly and I exchanged a glance, not sure if he was trustworthy. "I did my waiting!" Sirius shouted. "In Azkaban!" I couldn't figure out why my father was about to let my Godfather murder me. What had happened since that night we had to flee from the house? Was our Dad under the Imperious curse as well? I swallowed hard. Finally, Dad turned to me. "Do you remember someone betrayed us? The night you were attacked. We thought the man to be dead now?" I nodded. "We he isn't. he's right here, in this room." Sirius said starting to sound frantic. "Come out Peter! Come out, come out and play!" Holly was starting to look concerned as she took a step backwards putting distance between herself and Sirius.
Just then Professor Snape burst through the door and disarmed Sirius, who had been holding on to Lupin's wand. Lupin rushed to Sirius' side, and Dad put himself between Snape and me. I glanced at my sister, but she was gone. I looked around frantically as Snape talked to Remus and Dad. It was then I noticed the small fox creeping under the old Piano in the room. I slowly removed my wand from my pocket as Snape started saying how he was going to set the Dementors loose on Sirius, Remus and Dad.
"Expelliarmus!" I shouted pointing my wand at Professor Snape. He went flying back into the large bed in the room, which broke under his weight and he was knocked unconscious. "Harry! You attacked a teacher!" Hermione gasped. Everyone in the room was looking at me now. I kept half an eye on Holly who was watching me through small black eyes. "Tell me about Pettigrew." I demanded.
"Peter was a friend of ours in school, but when Voldemort came to power he chickened out and changed sides. He was the only who told Voldemort where we were, and framed Sirius for it." Dad said giving me a sympathetic look. "Prove it." I said. The had spent the entire school year telling me that Sirius wanted to kill me, so I was taking every precaution needed.
Sirius ripped the rat from Ron's hands and Holly's eyes never left the rat. "Scabbers? No. he's been in my family for…"
"Twelve years?" Sirius asked. "Curiously long life for a common garden rat."
Sirius dropped the rat on the table and proceeded to force him to come out of his Animagus form while Holly chased it through the house. One of the spells hit Holly instead and she was instantly transformed into her human form. "OUCH!" She said looking at Sirius with a pointed looking, rubbing the back of her head. Sirius paid her no mind as Scabbers ran across Sirius' path making a beeline for the door.
When the spell connected with the rat, we were all surprised when it transformed into a fat, mousey looking man. Remus and Dad ripped him off the floor and threw him back into the room. "Remus, James." He said looking happy to see his friends before running past them. I ran to block the door. "Harry!" He said holding on to him. "Don't you talk to him!" Sirius said ripping Peter off of me.
"You sold us out, didn't you?" Dad asked him.
"Then framed me for it?" Sirius added.
"You must know the powers the Dark Lord processes…." Peter started to say. "Nothing would have made me turn against my friends." Sirius added. Peter ran around the piano and clung to Ron. "I've been a good pet, tell them." When Ron tried to back away, he clung to Hermione who looked appalled. "Smart girl, brilliant girl. You'll help me." Holly pushed him. "Get off of her." Pettigrew gave Holly the most wicked and sinister smiles I've ever seen.
"It's true." He moved his hand like he was going to stroke her face and Dad ripped him away from her with such a force, I was almost convinced he broke the man's neck. I had never seen my father so enraged before in my life. "Don't you dare touch my daughter. Do you understand me, Wormtail?" Remus now stood protectively between Peter and Holly. After a moment everything calmed down and we prepared to go back up towards the school. "Wait." Hermione said before we attempted to move Snape. "Can you just explain to me how you knew Lupin was a werewolf?"
"He's my godfather." Holly said simply. "Sirius is Harry's. We've known them our whole lives, but we had to assume Sirius was under someone else's control since you know, he's a maniac." Sirius scoffed as if he was offended by Holly's words, but then he walked over and patted her on the head. "Nice moves, little fox." She beamed up at him before leading us out of the tunnel. She led the way, with Peter behind her, and Lupin behind him.
We stepped outside and I walked towards Sirius who was looking up at the school. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you." I said to him letting my guilt take over. He smiled at me and put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I know you're Dad would do anything to keep you, and your sister, safe."
"What happens now?" I had to asked. Sirius just shrugged. "I'm going to have to say off the radar for a while." He didn't go into detail as Hermione gasped from behind us. We turned to see her facing a full moon that was now high in the sky. Sirius and I ran towards Lupin who was already trying to fend off the transformation. "Remus! It's me, come on, you can fight this." Sirius was trying to keep Lupin focused but we all knew it was fruitless.
As Lupin burst into form, he threw Sirius back. Dad rushed over to Sirius just as Peter gave us a little wave and disappeared into his rat form. Holly transformed suddenly then too into a fox and attempted to chase after him but instead Lupin caught her and threw her a few feet away. Just as Snape stepped out of the tree. He rushed over to us and grabbed me by the collar.
Just then Lupin let out a howl and Snape stood before us, blocking us from Lupin. I watched from behind his arm as a small fox, a black dog and a stag all emerged from the field and charged towards Lupin, trying to keep him distracted from us. Lupin grabbed a hold of Holly by the tail and flung her into a tree. Her head made contact and she was instantly knocked out, slumping to the ground. I heard Hermione gasp beside me. I watched as my father gave up on Lupin, transforming himself back and rushing to Holly's side.
Lupin threw Sirius next. We waited as I watched Sirius get up and stagger down the pathway. I attempted to get past Snape, but he held me back. Instead Hermione slipped passed and attempted to sweet talk Lupin. "Professor Lupin?" However, he let out a long howl and dashed off into the woods. With Snape distracted by Hermione I got loose and ran into the woods to find Sirius. "POTTER!" Snape called after me. I ran past my Dad, who was picking up Holly's limp body. "Harry?" He questioned and I knew he was torn between following me and taking care of Holly.
Once inside the woods I didn't know what to do, or where to go. I found Lupin only a moment later, he seemed to be looking for something. I threw myself behind a tree when I realized he caught my scent. I skirted around the tree, trying to control my breathing and praying he wouldn't follow me. Thankfully something howled and Lupin took off deeper into the woods. I sighed and gave him a few minute head start before I ran off to continue looking for Sirius.
I found him laying on the ground near a lake. He was unconscious. "Sirius. Sirius please wake up." I said shaking him. He didn't move, and I was running out of hope. Lupin was somewhere lost in the woods having no idea he hurt his best friend and his goddaughter, Sirius was on the verge of losing his life, and Holly, I didn't even know her status. It looked like my night was just getting started as a cold chill moved through the hair. It was then I noticed the water before Sirius starting to freeze over.
Before I realized it we were surrounded by dementors. They flew around us, dive bombing us, trying to get at Sirius. I stood up and attempted a Patronus charm. I managed one, that would had fended off maybe one dementor, but fifteen or twenty? That was impossible, there was no way I could make that happen as they continued to attack us. I was growing weaker; I could feel it.
"Exspec….Ex….."
I collapsed on the ground, feeling the guilt of letting Sirius down. I could feel myself drifting from reality before I noticed someone in the distance. A flash of bright white light cascaded over the lake in the shape of a stag.