A/N: Aww, c'mon you guys, some more reviews? Please? Several of my fics haven't got a single review to their names, and I have to say I'm fed up with it. I'd like at least three reviews for each of my Harry Potter fics please, or you can wait a month or so for the next instalment of this baby. Go on, you know you want to make all the time and effort I've put into all this stuff worthwhile! (And I might stop sobbing over what THAT… woman did to my beloved Sirius long enough to type. Boo. Hiss. WAAH!)

Chapter 7. Rescues, Remus and Rose's New Talent

This was too much, even for the coolheaded Apollo.

Artemis crouched in a predator's stance, ready to spring. NO! he yelled, but too late: she launched herself through the air with a roar, slamming into Peter from behind, knife-sharp claws raking his shoulder. The man transformed; a badly bleeding rat slipped between her massive paws and ran for the cover of the trees. Apollo knew Artemis couldn't fight all the Death Eaters; he too sprang from his hiding place and took the closest Death Eater by the throat, shaking his head like a terrier until he snapped the enemy's neck.

Paws the size of dinner plates slashed the air dangerously as Artemis reared, slamming the Death Eater whose hands gripped her throat to the ground. Vicious swipes broke the bones and cracked the skulls of anyone near enough, her amber and ebony tail whipping dangerously. The golden-furred wolf stood tail-to-tail with her, fastening razor sharp teeth and claws on anything than moved.

"Avada Kedavra!" squealed a squeaky voice, and both animals dived away; Artemis swept Remus up as gently as she could with the front paw that had just snapped a man's spine like a twig and yanked him with her as she leapt away from the blast. A pop, and a beautiful dark-skinned woman took the place of the equally stunning tiger. She barely registered the embarrassing position she was in, tangled with Remus, as she sprang to her feet.

"PETER!" she roared, suddenly sounded like the big cat she had just been. "You never were too great at duelling, or should I remind you of all those embarrassing defeats? You couldn't even best the firsties!"

A quivering fair man emerged from the shattered henhouse. His laugh was high and cold but stuttering as he faced her, his wand clutched in a silver hand.

"You won't tease me again, Westhaven!" spat Wormtail. "Or should I call you- Fireclaw?"

Surprisingly, Artemis chuckled. "I know what you want," she sneered at Peter. "You want me to lose my temper so I'll get careless. The thing is, I'm no impetuous Gryffindor, I'm a Ravenclaw, and we have a little more sense than that, eh brother?"

Another pop; Apollo's grey eyes were icy cold. "Binding a man and kicking him while he was down- glad to see your standards have bettered, Wormtail."

Peter had never been very good at handling this sort of group taunting; he always got tongue-tied and frustrated. "Well- well- at least I'm on the winning side this time! There's nothing you can do about it- even those Death Eaters you've attacked can be healed!"

Artemis and Apollo wore matching cruel grins. "But we're not after them, my dear little friend." Artemis' hands were planted on her hips, her smile as pitiless as midwinter. "We want you. We want proof that Sirius is innocent. We'll take your so-sweet little pals out again- there's plenty of time for that."

"And I doubt most of the ones we got to will be awake to see the sunset, at any rate." Apollo didn't sound very sorry: he had seen too many murdered children, too many family and friends killed for their part in a war they hadn't started, to cry any tears over the demise of a Death Eater; all of them had. "Won't be too many tears shed over them. Not unlike you, if Monique or Sirius or Remus have their way."

"Speaking of which-" Artemis knelt down and untied Remus' gag in a businesslike manner as Apollo began to duel with Peter as a way of keeping him busy. As Remus smiled his thanks –the particular smile that always made her stomach back-flip- she reached for the silver at his wrists. "Ouch!" She yanked her hand back as an electricity-like power shocked her.

"They won't break until Wormtail's power is defeated," Remus whispered, his face grey with pain.

Artemis bit her lip until it bled. "Is it very bad, Moony?" she muttered.

Her old friend's grin was wry, and faint, but it was a grin nonetheless. "It's been worse." She didn't need Veritaserum to know he was lying.

Suddenly a light flared inside her; she glanced at Apollo and Remus to see that they felt it too. Arabella and Milo had broken through the spells that had stopped their communication necklaces from working. Peter looked scared for the first time and toppled forwards, his magic spent. No-one caught him.

Some of the Death Eaters started to struggle to their feet, wands drawn. Artemis grabbed her necklace.

All of you, get here NOW! she screamed, and was rewarded by a smoky-grey bird swooping overhead with a screech. Erin-Kestrel led the attack, diving with scissor-like beak and razor claws at the ready. A spitting wildcat, its fur standing out in all directions, leapt on top of another Death Eater, sinking all four set of claws into his head, as a bulldog snapped sharp teeth on the same man's leg and a gangly, bespectacled man whirled an amber-topped staff in the face of another. A blue-eyed, golden-furred lioness rugby-tackled a third, bringing him to the ground and snapping his neck, while a black jaguar, small for its kind, pelted out of nowhere, strange bright sapphire eyes blazing as a bear- sized dog pounced from behind her. The two guarded Remus as Artemis unceremoniously yanked off the now-open silver manacles. He sat up, rubbing his wrists to restore circulation, and immediately grabbed for his fallen wand as she helped him to his feet.

"Never mind that," Molly Weasley snapped, sending the nearest Death Eater flying with a wave of her wand and a 'Wingardium Leviosa!' Arthur stood next to her and Bill and Charlie flanked them. "Let's get moving!"

"Yeah," called Charlie, "let's get out of here before we lose someone!"

There were a multitude of cracks as Erin, Arabella, Mundungus, Rose, Sirius and Monique once more became human, Rose grinning with triumph: apparently she was a fairly new Animagi.

"Fair point," agreed Arabella, Binding all the Death Eaters within reach, helped by the rest. She Apparated calmly away from the melee, taking two tightly trussed-up men with her, and the rest followed, each bringing wither one or two Death Eaters with them. Rather than leave him to the uncertain mercies of Sirius or Remus, Artemis took Wormtail.