Chapter 3: In the Shrieking Shack

Padfoot's Story

Disclaimer: Sami is mine. No one else is.

I'm back! Glad you're still here.

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Sirius sat up, panting, with his sheets wrapped tightly around him. Lightning brightened his dark room, following the thunder that had woken him up. Visions from the dream kept flashing in front of his face: Lily scowling at James, Peter yelling at him in frustration, Sami laughing. Sirius dimly realized that he was thirsty, and struggled to free himself from his sheets. He fell out of bed onto the cold, hard floor, muttering curses furiously under his breath. Clumsily, he worked his way into the bathroom, and poured himself a glass of water from the cracked sink. He stood there staring into the mirror through eyes blurred with sleep, the hand with the glass shaking so much he kept missing his mouth and his other hand gripping the sink so hard his knuckles turned white. Finally he managed one word in a low croak, a word that pretty much summed up his feelings about everything that was happening.

"Why?"

Why was he dreaming about Sami Jackson, the girl he had dreamed of and desperately desired when he was seventeen? Why was he suddenly reliving his seventh year in perfect detail, almost twenty years after it had happened? Why now, in the middle of June, when he had so many more important things to deal with, such as Harry, cleaning out his mother's horrible old house, and the Order of the Phoenix?

Sirius did know one thing, however, which was that this had to stop. Things had happened in his seventh year that he didn't want to remember, things that were so painful the wounds were still healing. He had barely made it through living them once. How was he supposed to survive living through them again?

Sirius tore his eyes away from his blurry reflection and looked at his hands. One was still holding a full glass of water; the other was completely numb. He knew it was hopeless to try and drink anything, so instead he threw the water in his face. Then he stumbled back to his bed and checked the clock. Two in the morning. Sirius groaned; it was too early to get up. He wasn't going to risk knocking something over in the dark and waking up his mother's portrait; that would make him very unpopular with the rest of the Order for about a month. So he fell back onto his pillow, dreading sleep and trying to think of anything except his seventh year at Hogwarts.

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James was still scanning the map; Peter was looking over his shoulder.

"Good. Filch in the dungeons, Mrs. Norris in the Charms classroom- hey, that's odd. Dumbledore's not on the map. I wonder where he could be at this time of night?" James muttered.

"Probably got some call from the Ministry of Magic and had to leave," Peter whispered back. "But it doesn't really matter, that's one less person we have to look out for."

Neither of them seemed to have noticed Sami's dot, and Sirius didn't mention it to them. He was still wondering what she was doing. 'Most likely meeting some boy in Hogsmeade,' he thought miserably to himself. James wiped the map blank and stuffed it back into his robes. Then the three friends started walking slowly down the Grand Staircase.

They made it to the front doors without any trouble, except a little run-in with Peeves, who was chucking Dungbombs at the doors to the Great Hall. James cautiously reached out and opened the door, cringing when it creaked. The thunderstorm raged in and released its wrath, rain pelting all three of them and the wind howling, echoing around the whole corridor. The Marauders quickly stepped outside, huddling under the cloak as rain rolled off the top of it (James had long ago bewitched the cloak to repel water). James closed the door with enormous difficulty, they all lit their wands, and started walking towards the Whomping Willow. It was a mark of how often they did this that they could find their way; anybody else attempting to reach the violent tree in this weather would easily have gone off in the wrong direction. The full moon, which usually shed enough light to lead the way, was entirely smothered by the dark clouds.

They knew they had reached the Willow when the sound of slashing leaves could be heard over the wind, and they all jumped back quickly.

Peter disappeared from James' side. After a few seconds the swinging branches froze, and Sirius and James grinned at each other.

"Here we go," James said cheerfully, and clapped Sirius on the shoulder. Sirius nodded back, and transformed.

For the umpteenth time that week, he was the large black dog, feeling more free and happy than ever. These monthly escapes were the best times of his life. How many people got to spend one night each month running wild around Hogsmeade or the Hogwarts grounds with his best friends? And then, there was the fact that he had the perfect way to spend time with a pretty girl on a regular basis...Even if his friends didn't approve of it.

Sirius slid down the hole in the trunk of the Whomping Willow, his tail wagging energetically. Behind him, he could hear James sliding down, probably backwards or headfirst, knowing him. Wormtail was waiting for them at the bottom of the chute when they came sliding out, and he immediately jumped onto James' back to hitch a ride. Sirius gave a loud woof of excitement as they set off down the passage together.

When they reached the Shrieking Shack, they heard shrieks of pain as Remus thrashed around the broken down building, and a loud crash that sounded as if the werewolf had chucked a table at the wall. Sirius reached up with a muddy black paw and turned the doorknob.

A giant werewolf was savagely tearing chunks out of a gray moth- eaten sofa with his teeth and claws. Shaggy, rumpled black fur covered his body, causing the wolf to resemble a giant shadow. Bright yellow eyes flashed as lightning illuminated the room. The wolf howled eerily every time thunder exploded outside. The room was destroyed, and Sirius noticed with satisfaction that they last complete table was indeed lying in pieces against the far wall. There were already many scratches along Moony's body, including a deep, nasty one all the way down his front left leg and paw. Thunder screeched again, and the werewolf snarled before turning his gaze to the animals in the doorway. For a heart stopping moment, no creature in the room moved.

Then Moony bared his teeth in a horrible grin, showing flecks of blood on his canines. 'If a werewolf's dreams could come true, the expression on it's face would look something like this,' Sirius thought grimly. 'And he wasn't wishing for some friends to play with.'

Even though he had done this countless times, Sirius's heart was beating fast. Moony started growling, and Sirius growled back. Taking a deep breath, Sirius leaned back on his powerful hind legs and sprang at the werewolf. He landed on Moony's back, wrestling with him and biting his ears. The pair rolled around on the floor, crashing into broken furniture and splintered wood. The racket was loud enough to wake the dead. Finally Sirius cornered Moony against the back of the sofa. The two animals hissed and spat at each other furiously, their teeth bared. Moony's ears were bloody and torn, while Sirius had a slash down the side of his muzzle and pieces of stuffing tangled in his fur. Then Prongs, realizing it was his turn to join the fight, galloped forward and forced the werewolf back against the sofa, pinning him between his antlers. Last to attack was Wormtail, who scurried forward, jumped, and bit Moony right on the nose. He hung on tightly, cold flesh clamped in his front teeth, waiting for the signal to let go.

Slowly, Moony stopped growling. His fur lay flat, and a look of surprise and recognition came into his eyes. The vicious, bloodthirsty spark disappeared. Wormtail let himself fall to the floor. Prongs pulled his antlers out of the fabric. Padfoot walked up to Moony and nudged his face; Moony nudged back. Sirius let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. It was over- as long as Moony had no contact with humans, he mind would stay as un-wolfish as was possible. Humans, though…humans would set off the wolf instincts like an alarm inside Moony's head.

The oddly assorted group of animals set off together down the passageway. Wormtail was on Prongs' back, Moony was limping because of his front paw, and Prongs was licking the cut on Padfoot's face. They all knew where they were going: to the shack behind the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.

Sirius leaped with joy when they reached the hole in the Willow's trunk. It was still pouring, but the pounding droplets were almost soothing against his ripped fur. Wormtail had already pressed the knot, and he rejoined them a few seconds later. Now it was off to Hogsmeade, to explore whatever they pleased. 'Maybe even knick a few treats from Honeydukes,' Sirius thought happily. 'And some Bertie Bott's Beans for Sami, they're her favorite.'

They reached the entrance to Hogsmeade around one o'clock, judging by what Sirius could make out of the large clock near the gates. 'We have about four hours till the sun comes up, that'll be plenty of time.' Now they all moved around Moony to conceal him as best they could: Sirius on the right, Prongs on the left, and Wormtail (now riding on Moony) keeping watch in the back. Sirius highly doubted anyone would be taking a leisurely stroll at one o'clock in the middle of a thunderstorm, but Peter always insisted. Once James had suggested that they put a Disillusionment Charm on Moony when they wanted to visit Hogsmeade, but Peter had squashed the idea instantly because there was no way they could charm Moony without him attacking them for being human.

By the time they reached the Three Broomsticks, the four of them were sopping wet but still in high spirits. Nobody- and no thing- had interfered. It was looking like another great night, and Sirius, feeling bold, let out a loud bark. Moony howled. Then they rounded the corner, the shack behind the Three Broomsticks came into view, and Sirius's heart stopped.

Sami Jackson was standing in front of the shack's moldy door, one hand on the rusty doorknob, staring at them with a look of utter horror on her face.

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-Padfoot-Dreamer-