As promised, this is the bonus scene – sixth year, Sirius' POV for a change.

I'm posting it now because the first chapter of the sequel – 'In the Shadows (Wizarding War)' – is now available. Link in my profile.

Sirius Black was sitting on his bed in the Gryffindor sixth-year dormitory. The Marauders' Map was spread open on his lap. The boys started planning their latest prank on Slughorn but, as usual, James was gushing about Evans within five minutes. Sirius was starting to think that his best friend maybe liked that girl for real, and it was not just James' boundless competitiveness that made him chase her.

Normally, Sirius would mock him mercilessly, but tonight he was not in the mood. Tonight, he could not keep his mind off someone either.

Not since she gave him that card for his seventeenth birthday. 'All your life… Waiting for this moment. To be free.' Nothing could ever capture his mood upon coming of age better. And then, in Hogsmeade, when she tended to his wound. He sighed at the memory, still able to feel her touch on his shoulder. He should have kissed her there and then.

But it was so hard. He fucked it up once already, and it took six months for her to speak to him without resorting to yelling. He would not risk that again. Besides, she had a boyfriend anyway. A stupid, pathetic weasel of a boyfriend…

"Hey!" James' voice interrupted his train of thought. "You with us?"

"Yeah," Sirius mumbled, desperately trying to remember if he caught anything of what the boys had been saying. But all he could picture was her face.

"The new dungbombs are arriving tomorrow," James said impatiently, "and we still have no idea who to test them on." He looked at Remus nervously. "Not since Snape is off limits, and Avery's graduated."

Sirius frowned at the mention of Avery's name. He remembered all too well the bruises that bigoted swine left on his younger sister's neck back in fourth year. It was in that moment Sirius first felt the overwhelming desire to protect her at all cost. A desire that had not left him since.

Sirius' eyes travelled across the Marauder's Map to the Slytherin common room, looking for a little label that read 'Claudia Avery'. When he could not find her in the dungeon, he began looking towards the library. She was always either there or on the Quidditch pitch.

Just as his finger ran across a fold on the map, he spotted her in the third-floor corridor. He waited for her to move, but she did not. Then he noticed the label began to flicker a little. That was not possible.

"Lumos," he said and swished his wand to take a better look. But his eyes were not deceiving him. Claudia's label was definitely flickering. "This can't be good," he mumbled, jumped out of bed, and run towards the door. "Someone tell Pomfrey to head to the third-floor corridor." He barked without stopping or turning around. "NOW!"

Sick to his stomach, Sirius sprinted towards Claudia's location. The map never lied. The only explanation was that she was in danger.

"Shit," he uttered as he turned the corner and saw her body lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. "Shit, shit, shit."

He dropped to his knees next to her and put his head on her chest. She was breathing, just. Somewhat relieved, he sat up again and tried to figure out what happened. There appeared to be some deep gashes on her neck and back. This was certainly no accident. "Bastards," he muttered. But he did not have the time to get angry. Not now.

Sirius took a deep breath, raised his wand, and began casting all the healing spells he could remember. "Come on, Claude, wake up." He kept muttering between the spells. It was probably wishful thinking, but he could swear that her eyelids moved a little. "Please, wake up," he was sounding more and more desperate.

"What are you doing?" Sirius heard an angry female voice. He briefly turned and saw Madame Pomfrey running towards him, closely followed by James, Remus, and Peter. But he did not have time for an explanation. The one wound he could see seemed to have been closing, and he needed to keep going.

"Just keep doing that," Madame Pomfrey added, now standing over his shoulder, in a much softer voice.

"She sounds impressed." The most silent of whispers left Claudia's lips.

Sirius' heart jumped, and a smile flickered on his face. "Stop talking." He whispered back and instinctively brushed her hair. It was sticky with blood.

Madame Pomfrey also kneeled over Claudia's body to begin her own healing procedures, and together, they finally stopped the bleeding.

"Let's get her to the hospital wing," the matron said, conjured a stretcher, and - with a flick of the wand - lifted Claudia's lifeless body onto it. James and Remus grabbed the stretcher and followed the matron towards the hospital wing.

Sirius just stood there, watching them disappear round the corner. The adrenaline had washed out of his body. He looked down at his hands. They were shaking and covered in blood. Her blood!

He had no idea how he got to the hospital wing. One moment, he was standing in the corridor, the next moment, he was there, watching helplessly as Pomfrey prepared several concoctions and pour them into Claudia's mouth. He watched as the matron shut the curtains around the bed, presumably to bandage the wounds. James may have gone to get the Headmaster. Sirius had no idea.

This could not be it, Sirius thought as he stared at the closed curtains. She was the smartest, the funniest, the most stubborn and extraordinary girl he had ever met. Whatever she did, her eyes were always twinkling. She was full of life.

But not anymore. Right now, she was on the verge of death.

Sirius dropped to the floor and held his face in his hands.

This could not be it.

"You should go," Madame Pomfrey said. She was suddenly standing above him. "Wash and change. There is nothing more you can do now."

"Is she going to be ok?" he asked, looking up at Madame Pomfrey with pleading eyes. His own voice was unrecognisable. Gone was the confident, snarky tone. He sounded shaken and despondent.

"We don't know yet," the matron replied. "But she has a good chance. Because of you."

They stared at each other for some time. "I'm not going anywhere," he finally whispered and turned away.

Madam Pomfrey did not say anything back. Just sighed and left.

"I brought you some fresh clothes," Sirius heard Remus' voice. He did not know how much time had passed since Pomfrey came to nag him. Time, space, reality. Nothing mattered to him right now.

Sirius swallowed dry and looked up at his friend. He and Remus barely spoke to each other since the full moon in June, when Sirius had the bright idea to tell Snape how to get into the Whomping Willow. Remus was still furious with him, and Sirius did not yet manage to overcome his guilt and apologise properly.

"You should wash. I brought you some fresh clothes." Remus whispered and took an empty washtub from a trolley nearby and placed it in front of Sirius. "Aguamenti," he said, and filled it up with fresh water.

Not having it in him to protest, Sirius took off the bloodied shirt, splashed his face and washed his hands. Instantly, the washbasin turned a bright shade of red. Remus vanished it as fast as he could. But not fast enough, Sirius trembled at the sight.

"When I was looking for your clothes," Remus said, "I found this." He sat down next to Sirius and handed him a beaten piece of parchment, which Sirius instantly recognised as the letter he wrote to Claudia while on Felix Felicis. The letter that he never got the courage to send. The letter that contained those three words that he had no idea how to say to her - 'I love you.'

"Have you read it?" Sirius whispered.

"Glanced at it," Remus replied. "Does she know?"

Sirius shook his head.

"You should tell her."

"What if I never get the chance?"

Remus reached over and squeezed his hand. "You will. I'm sure."

Sirius' eyes began to water at the thought. "I'm so sorry, Moony," he mumbled and buried his face in the crook of Remus' neck. "About what I did."

Remus closed his arms around his friend. "I know."