Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter Seventy-Two

End of Third Year

After his Patronus disappeared, Harry turned around to looking at Hermione only to find that she wasn't standing next to him anymore.

"Hermione!" he hissed in a low voice, not wanting to be heard but not knowing where she had gone to.

"Over here," he heard the faint whispered reply not too far from where he was standing.

"What are you doing over here?" Harry asked annoyed.

"I tried to stop Pettigrew," Hermione said miserably.

"Oh … right," Harry sighed, bowing his head, he could tell that she didn't have any luck. He was also a little disappointed that he forgot about the rat completely … though he had to admit that it was more important to him that he saved his friends. "Don't worry about it Hermione."

"That was brilliant Harry … your Patronus!" Hermione said beaming at him.

"Yeah … well, it helped a lot that I knew I could do it, didn't it?" Harry rubbed the back of his head.

"I can't believe that Pettigrew cursed you … he tortured you," Hermione said miserably again.

"It actually wasn't that bad … I don't think he's very good at the spell … besides, Ron shocked him out of doing that quickly enough," Harry shrugged.

They didn't say anything else after that as they waited for the Harry and Hermione to leave and they could rejoin their friends.

"They disappeared!" Ron gasped when Harry and Hermione had indeed disappeared.

"Well I'm glad nothing gets by you," Harry said stepping out of the woods. Ron, Ginny, Fred and George all looked at him in awe.

"How did you get there?" Ginny asked.

"Did you two just Disapparate?" Fred asked.

"You can't Apparate or Disapparate on Hogwarts's grounds," Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"Well we are in the forest … I wasn't sure if the rule still applied," Fred shrugged.

"Besides, you lot fancy breaking rules so much, we thought you might have just carried on with that one," George added. "If it wasn't Apparition … how did you get over there then?"

"Oh, they must have stepped on a Travilloff," Luna said. "You're lucky that you didn't seem to have travel far because if the Travilloff was really angry, they could send you across the world."

"It wasn't a Travilloff … I used a time turner," Hermione said.

"We can talk about this on our way back to the castle," Sirius said, gesturing with his hands that the others should keep moving. He could tell that they all had several questions.

"Sirius, we have to get to the Shrieking Shack right now," Harry said to him, as he was walking with the others out of the forest. He noticed Hermione hand Luna and Ginny their wands and the two girls looked at her with obvious questions in their eyes.

"Harry, I've already told you that you aren't going there!" Sirius said and then glared at Harry in annoyance as he stopped walking and looked like he was concentrating on something. "Don't even bother … I'm not going to let you even if you can turn into an animal. And don't think …" he trailed off as he watched Harry start to change shape.

Harry was concentrating with all his might on transforming right now. He didn't really care what Sirius said about him not being allow to go help Remus even if he could change, he wasn't going to let anything stop him. He wasn't even going to allow the fact that he doesn't know how to transform fully stop him. He was using the same determined air that he had used not too long ago when he had cast the Patronus Charm. He wasn't going to let his loved one get hurt in any way if he could stop it.

Most of his body had listen to his silent plead to change, but his head seemed to be putting up a resistance that he hadn't thought of (not having tried to change his head yet, it wasn't surprising that he wasn't good at this transformation).

"Just stop thinking Harry … and let your instincts take over," Ron encouraged his friend.

"How would you know that?" Fred asked his little brother and Ron turned to grin at him.

"Because he transformed," George said and almost everyone looked at Ron in shock and Ron grimaced at the lot of them. George than walked over to Ron and ruffled his hair, "it really was quite the transformation, Redpaw."

Ron was grinning again.

Harry had not been paying attention to the others after hearing Ron's advice. He let his mind relax and let go of everything, even the determination he had been using to help him transform the rest of his body. He just let the instincts of the wolf/fox like creature he was turning into take over and he felt the changes coming over him immediately.

"I told you that this wasn't going to …" Sirius started to say and then looked down at the small and cute looking wolf. Harry's fur was just as raven color as his hair was, except for the slightly lighter lightning bolt shape scar on his forehead (though it only looked like a lightning bolt to Sirius because he knew that was the shape it was supposed to be). Harry's green eyes also seemed to be looking up at him as he tried to stare down the boy. Suddenly, however, he was laughing.

"You really are a cub now, aren't," Sirius laughed and reached down to pet Harry on the head. The look of indignation was hard to miss even on the wolf face Harry had now and Sirius soon was holding his own hand where Harry had given him a soft bit. "Ow … That hurt."

Harry just glared at him still, he would have liked to turn back to a boy and tell Sirius off for teasing him about his form, but he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to go back to being the Darwin Fox if he had done that. It really was the most peculiar feeling being in this form. He remembered who he was and what he wanted to do, but it also felt like he didn't have to worry about as many things in this from. Like his emotions were dulled and he just had to listen to his instincts.

That didn't mean that he didn't want to get to Remus as quickly as possible … actually he was feeling that particular longing even more keenly than when he was a boy. He thought that had to do with the fact that family was important to the animal he now was, and the will to help one of his, for lack of better words, fathers.

Harry was also aware that as soon as Sirius turned into a dog that he could understand Sirius's feelings a lot better. He was afraid that Harry would get hurt. That Remus wouldn't have enough control over himself and would attack Harry. Even if Harry could turned into a werewolf in his animal state, that didn't mean that he couldn't be hurt. Harry realized that Sirius had understood his own feelings at the same time, and knew how much he wanted to help. Then suddenly Sirius was a man again.

"Fine you can come, but we have to get the others back to the castle first," Sirius said. "And I'm telling you now; that you're going to wait by the passageway until I let you know it's safe to come in … you understand!"

Harry the wolf nodded his head.

"Sirius, we can take the other to the castle," Fred said. "It seems pointless that you would have to go all the way up there, only to come right back."

"I don't know?" Sirius hesitated.

"Come on … there's six of us, I'm sure we'll be fine," George said. "Besides, you have the Marauder's Map, you can watch us while we're on the grounds."

"Good point," Sirius said. "Fine, go."

Sirius did watch as the others went to the castle at a quick pace and where there not too long after that. Feeling that they would be safe now, he folded up the map and stuck it in his pocket and turned to Harry. "Like I said, stay here until I tell you it's okay …"

Sirius then turned back into the black dog and ran into the passageway. He could hear the snarls and howls several minutes before he got to the shack and he knew that the werewolf was in a particularly bad mood tonight. The werewolf knew it as soon as he got into the shack and without any thought at all, he attacked Sirius. Sirius had to fight the werewolf for nearly half an hour before it was too tired to attack at the moment. Things got better as soon as that happened because the rage seemed to loosen just enough to allow it to recognize the scent of the dog. It approached Sirius cautiously after that, taking in his scent again and remembering that he was a friend.

Sirius relaxed a little; now understanding that the werewolf wasn't going to fight him anymore. He also realized that the werewolf was not happy about being back in this shack. He had remembered the many times that he had transformed here and there was nothing for him to do. He remembered having to bite himself just to make the time past faster. However, now that the dog was here, he would be able to do something else. He was wondering if they were going to go out and have a little fun on the grounds …

Sirius felt bad about getting the werewolf's hopes up this much, but there was no way that they were going to leave the shack. He could feel it's annoyance at that, but the werewolf was still happy that he wouldn't have to be alone at least. He suggested that they have a play fight to pass the time but Sirius informed him that there was someone else that wanted to come into the shack. The werewolf wanted to know if it was going to be the stag or the rat. He thought it might have been the rat because he could smell him on the dog's breath, but the dog just growled, annoyed at the mention of the rat. Sirius then told the werewolf that the newcomer was someone new and the werewolf got excited. He liked meeting new animals.

Sirius then went to get Harry, who came as soon as he sensed Sirius's approaching, feeling that he was telling Harry that it was safe. Sirius told him to be careful around the werewolf at first, that he wasn't dealing with Remus, but the wolf within him. Harry nodded his head and walked slowly into the shack, looking at Remus's werewolf form for the first time. He looked just like any other wolf, though Sirius let him know that the werewolf looked a lot more vicious when he was angry.

Though Harry was moving cautiously, the werewolf wasn't. He moved towards Harry at a brisk walk and smelling him all over before he started to lick Harry. Harry could feel it as soon as the werewolf approached him, a sense of protection was coming off of the werewolf and as he lick Harry, he could tell that the werewolf had taken him in as one of its cubs, as Remus had always called him. It was shocking feeling the amount of care the werewolf was giving him, and Harry wondered if this was how much Remus cared about him in really life. Sirius rubbed his head against Harry's own in a sure message that of course this was how Remus, and he, felt about Harry. They had spent many hours getting to know each other, and then Remus and Sirius had a play fight. Harry wanted to join in to, finding the wolf in him being excited at the prospect but Sirius was wary of this. The werewolf, however, seemed to like the idea, saying that every cub had to learn how to fight and hunt. The werewolf seemed excited himself at the idea of teaching his cub a few things and Sirius let it happen.

Harry had to admit that his first night's transformation was a very enjoyable one. He had learned a lot about being a wolf from the werewolf though he knew there was still aspect of this form that he needed to learn. After the moon had set, he turned back into a boy. The process took longer than he thought, and again it was his head that was the hardest to transform. It was just hard for him to remember what it was like being a boy after being an animal for so long.

"That was your first time turning, wasn't it?" Sirius said to him as soon Harry was a boy again.

"Yeah …. was it that obvious?" Harry asked, his body feeling soar and awkward. "Does it always hurt this much going back to being a human?"

"Nah, you get use to it," Sirius said. "It only hurts the first few times."

"Good," Harry said.

"Harry, we have to talk about this," Sirius scowled at him.

"Can't we wait until we get home, I'm exhausted," Harry said yawning.

"No, you decided to stay up all night, now you're just going to have to suffer though your lecture," Sirius huffed at him, but Harry could see amusement in his eyes. Sirius obviously wasn't that angry about this.

"Argh, I was hoping that was just wishful thinking," Remus said coming down the stairs in the robes that Sirius had conjured for him to wear (the ones that he had taken off the night before had been torn apart by the werewolf while it was alone in the shack). "Harry, what have you done?"

"Er …" Harry looked up at him, biting his lip.

"Isn't it obviously, Moony, he's become an Animagus," Sirius said. "He also has gotten his friends to learn the transformation as well, judging by the fact that Ron had turned into a lion last night and no one but me was shocked by that. Well actually they were shocked, but it was more like they were shocked that Ron was the one …"

"You got the others involved in this as well," Remus said gravely. "Didn't you realize how dangerous it is for you to attempt to do this?"

"He's right, Harry, there are so many ways that the transformation could go wrong," Sirius said grimacing at him.

"Like you're one to talk … you did the same thing!" Harry pointed out to Sirius.

"That's different," Sirius said. "James and I were geniuses at Transfiguration. I know you're good at it, but you're no genius."

"Gee, thanks Sirius," Harry grumbled. "Besides, you don't have to be a genius to become an Animagus, as long as you work hard, you can do the transformation."

"Hm … I think I know why you have been doing so well in Transfiguration now …" Sirius said. "Finally it makes sense!"

Harry pouted more than ever at that. "Laugh all you want … but Ron and I were still able to transform before you were!"

"Hey!" Sirius was the one to pout now.

"This is not a joking matter, Harry!" Remus said seriously. "It was dangerous for you to try this, especially at such a young age. You don't know how your body is growing right now; it's not smart to be changing it into an animal when you're still changing yourself."

"I'm sorry," Harry said and Remus shook his head. James had looked the same way when Remus had tried to tell him off the first time the Marauders' transformed. Harry obviously believed that he did the right thing and though he didn't like that Remus was upset; he would have done it again if he had the choice.

"You're going to be grounded when you get home," Remus said in his annoyance. "No arguments."

"I wasn't going to," Harry said with a sighed. "I knew that I would be."

"But you weren't about to let that stop you from helping someone you care about," Sirius said smiling at Harry. "Well then, we should probably get back to the castle."

"Yeah," Remus agreed and as they walked back to the castle Sirius told him what happened the night before and Harry told them about the prophecy he heard Trelawney gave him. Once they got into the castle, Harry went to the Gryffindor Tower and Remus and Sirius went to Remus's room.

"Admit it Remus, it helped a lot having cub there with you," Sirius said.

"You're calling him cub now?" Remus questioned, raising his eyebrow at Sirius.

"Maybe … you have to admit that he looks like a cub when he transforms," Sirius said chuckled. "He bit me when I said so much to him."

Remus couldn't help but smile at that and at Sirius's previous questioned. "Of course it helped having Harry there. You know I can't remember much when I'm a werewolf, but I do remember feeling content last night in a way that's never happened to me as a werewolf before."

"Then don't be too hard on him," Sirius said. "He was only trying to help you … I can understand that."

"I know you can," Remus grumbled at his friend. "But I thought you would be even angrier than I am … you know how hard the transformation is after all."

"It's hard being angry after I've seen the influence he had over your wolf self," Sirius shrugged. "I was terrified that you were going to have a horrendous night, but it wasn't bad at all."

O

The rest of term went by quickly. After lunch that day, Sirius had gone to Dumbledore and told him everything that happened, especially about how the Dementors had come at exactly the wrong moment and helped the rat escaped. He also told Dumbledore how the rat had gone to Snape's room and the headmaster summoned Snape to him immediately. Once told what had transpired, Snape looked pale and told him that he had noticed several things have been moved around, including valuable information that the rat could use. Sirius shared what Harry told him about the prophecy that Trelawney had given and both men looked grim about that.

"At least, it seems that things are probably going to become even more dangerous," Dumbledore had sighed. "I fear Voldemort's absence in events is going to come to an end soon."

"You really think that rat could do anything to help the Dark Lord?" Snape snared.

"I believe he can," Dumbledore said. "It is foolish to underestimate a person, and I fear we have all been underestimating what Peter Pettigrew could do for far too long."

"I know I have," Sirius said bitterly, thinking about the screams he had heard coming from Harry before he was able get to the scene. He then turned, "I've got to go; I have to report to the Aurors office. We have to get those bloody Dementors away from the school as quickly as possible."

"It might help to mention that Pettigrew is no longer going to be threatening Hogwarts," Dumbledore said. "He has gotten the information that he needed and has left."

"Right," Sirius nodded his head, knowing that he wasn't going to be needed at Hogwarts either and was likely going to be assigned to a new post soon. Despite the fact that he was going to miss being at the castle, he was looking forward to seeing Emmeline again when he got back. He left the office, and thought it would be best to say goodbye to Harry, sure that he wouldn't be back in the castle for a long time.

As soon as Sirius left, Snape groaned and Dumbledore looked at him questioningly.

"I should never have kept those letters here at Hogwarts," Snape admitted. "It was foolish of me and now I've given the rat the key to finding the Dark Lord."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Severus, you could not have known this would happen," Dumbledore said and when he noticed that did nothing to alleviate his Potions Master's guilt he added, "we both knew that Voldemort was going to come back one way or the another. He is not a man that would stay weak and harmless for too long. It's regrettable that it had to happen this way, but this might have strengthened your appearance as a spy, Severus. You said you believe that he read your letter from Lucius after what happened with the Philosopher's Stone."

"Yes, that letter had been sticking out form the other ones." Snape agreed.

"If Pettigrew tells Voldemort that you had informed Lucius of your meeting back then, he will be more likely to believe that you were working to help him as we have been hoping will happen," Dumbledore said. "It is regrettable that this information has gotten out, but if your cover is more secure than it was before, we can at least be thankful for that."

Snape didn't say anything to that, still not liking that the rat had gotten information out of him. He soon excused himself from the headmaster's presence.

O

The following week that past for Harry seemed to rush by in a blur. He had been so tired that first day that he had slept through most of it, but he argued that he had been up for more than twenty four hours (what with the extra three hours that he had gone through thanks to the time turner) and he deserved his rest. When he did wake up, Sirius was there to say goodbye to him, telling Harry that he won't be seeing him until the end of the term. Sirius also gave him the Marauder's map to return to Fred. Harry was surprised at how sad he was to see Sirius go. It wasn't like he had seen too much of Sirius (and when he did it was usually in the guise of the dog Snuffles), but it felt nice having him around. Harry was even more upset when Remus told him that he wouldn't be teaching next year.

"Harry, you knew the job is cursed … it's not safe to even try to stay another year," Remus said as Harry pouted at him.

"But you were the best professor we've ever had," Harry whined.

"So you're only going to miss my teaching skills," Remus pouted

"Of course … it's not like I want you around or anything," Harry said, trying to be in good humor again but he really did want Remus to come back for both of those reasons. "Who knows what we're going to get next year as a professor … at least you're able to teach us things. I bet even the Slytherins would have to admit that though they wouldn't want to just on principle."

"With such high endorsements I don't know how I could leave," Remus chuckled.

"But you're still not coming back," Harry sighed, knowing this was true.

"You know I would love to stay and teach you, along with everyone else, but I know it's not going to work out one way or the other," Remus said with a sad sigh. "Besides, I hate thinking about what might have happened if Hermione had not reminded me of my transformation. It is dangerous for me to be around and with that curse … I fear that another, much more deadly, incident might happen."

"I don't believe that would happen," Harry scowled, but there really wasn't anything more he could say about this subject.

O

When Harry was with his friends, he mostly told them what it was like being the Darwin Fox, Ron joining him in this conversation, telling the others about being a lion. They had decided to go back to the Room of Requirement and the two boys turned into their Animagus forms. Harry found that it was a lot more difficult understanding what Ron was thinking or feeling than it had been for Sirius and Remus. He reasoned that was because he was more closely related to the dog and werewolf than he was to a lion, so it was easier to understand what they meant.

The fact that two of their members had transformed, the group known as Infinite Light had redoubled their effort trying to do their own transformation. However, no one was able to do it with the two days that was left for them to try.

"Well the good thing is, you can practice this transformation outside of school because you're not using your wand for anything," Hermione told the group as they were on the train ride home; she seemed to be talking mostly to herself. She was still upset that two people had now transformed before her and she was still stuck at learning how to transform her head. "It said in the books I've read that the Ministry can't detect this sort of magic no matter how old the wizard that's attempting this is."

"That's good," Fred said. "And it's even better that Sirius and Remus haven't told Mum what we're up to … do you have any idea why they didn't do that, Harry?"

"Nope, I was sure Remus at least would tell, but I guess he's not going to …" Harry shrugged.

"Either way, I'm glad he didn't … I don't fancy getting killed by my own mum before I come of age," George said.

Harry enjoyed the rest of his train ride back to London as he laughed with his friends about plenty of things having no idea about the surprise that was waiting for him as soon as he got home.

A/N: So that's the end of the third year and like always I'm going to take two weeks off so that I can think about what's going to happen in the next year for this story. Which means I won't update this story until the 8/25 I think.