Erin turned and looked at her dad. She smiled and threw her arms around him. "Daddy."

Sirius looked the most lucid; most sane perhaps that any had seen him, even Remus. His face radiated his happiness as he met his daughter in a fatherly embrace. As if no time had passed at all. "Oh, my Erin!" He cried, holding her tightly. "My little girl! How I've missed you."

"I've missed you so much." Erin whispered. "I knew you were innocent...I never could believe that you were going to kill Harry."

Sirius leaned back just a bit, smiling. "Kill Harry?" He glanced at the boy. "Never." He said. "James and Lily were some of the kindest, bravest, most truthful people I ever had the pleasure to know. Kill him?" He nearly laughed before he knelt down before Erin, holding her gently by each hand. "Oh, let me look at you, Erin." He said, studying her face in wonder. "My you have grown into quite the beauty. Just like your mother. You look so much like her... you'll never even know how much." He said fondly.

Erin smiled at him. "I know..." She said pulling a locket out from under her shirt. "Remember this?" She opened it to reveal a picture of a little family and one of a little baby.

Sirius looked at the locket in wonder, gently holding it in one hand where he knelt before his daughter. Fingering the photos with the other hand. The photo of the family of the beautiful, smiling Xenia and of a younger, better groomed Sirius, holding a baby girl. They moved and smiled, joyful and happy. The portrait of the baby gurgled and kicked tiny legs happily. Smiling brightly. Sirius was a bit misty-eyed seeing this. "I remember." He said, almost as it had just pulled loose from his the foggy depths of his mind. "I remember that day." He said fondly, tears falling down his face. "You've kept it safe all this time." He said, smiling up at his daughter.

Erin nodded. "Of course. It was the only thing I owned from that night. I mean no father would send someone to a home where his daughter was to kill her. It never made sense to me. I knew you couldn't have done it."

"No, I love you and your mother more than my own life. You've been one of the only reasons I've endured that hell on my own...for as long as I have."

Remus had the struggling, sobbing Peter by the scruff of the neck and at wand point too, no less. "I hate to cut the happy reunions short, but I think it best we be off before Snape comes too. We must see to it, our package is promptly delivered to the castle, don't you agree Sirius?" He asked.

Sirius looked up, nodding suddenly. "Too right." He smiled at Erin before standing. "Harry, let's help your friend up. We ought to be off." Harry followed and helped him hoist Ron up. And the group, from there carefully made their way out of the Shrieking Shack and back through the underground tunnel together. Sirius glanced at Ron as they traveled through the tunnel. "Sorry about the bite. I reckon that twinges a bit."

"A bit!" Ron exclaimed. "A bit? You almost took my leg off!"

Sirius chuckled, apologetically. He smiled in the dark. "I was going for the rat. Normally I have a very sweet disposition as a dog. In fact, more than once, James suggested that I make the change permanent." He told Harry, Ron, Erin, and Hermione. "The tail I could live with. But the fleas," He shook his head, cringed and smiled. "They're murder."

Ron rolled his eyes. "12 years in Azkaban and you two still turn out just like him!" He looked at Harry almost growling and would have looked at Erin, but she was behind him. "Without them you two have become just like them. Although I am sure James and Sirius didn't kiss like you two do!"

Erin couldn't suppress a giggle.

There was much laughter all around. "Well I could answer that, but I think it best I don't. You've been frightened enough for one night." Sirius said good-naturedly. Remus just shook his head as they all began to emerge at the base of the Whomping Willow tree.

Once out in the fresh air, and Ron, safely a short distance from the tree, Sirius took a deep breath and walked out a ways away from the others. Taking in the night air, and the freedom of the outdoors. Harry looked off at him and then back to Ron. "You okay?" He asked his friend as Erin followed her father away from them.

"You'd better go." Ron said.

"No." Harry disagreed. "Don't worry, ok. It's fine. I'll stay."

Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing better. "You go, I'll stay."

Harry looked from her to Ron. "Are you sure you're ok?" He asked.

"I'm fine, go!" Ron said.

Erin turned and held her hand out to Harry. Harry looked up from them to Erin and went to join her. He heard their friends carry on in the background as he took her hand and smiled at her. "That looks really painful." Hermione said.

"So painful. They might chop it." Ron said.

"I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will fix it in a heartbeat." Hermione assured him.

"It's too late. It's ruined. It'll have to be chopped off." Ron sighed in defeat.

As Harry and Erin joined Sirius, they found him staring up in wonder at the sight of Hogwarts in the distance. "It's beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man." He said fondly, glancing finally at the children. "That was a noble thing you did back there. He doesn't deserve it..."

"Well I just didn't think my dad would have wanted his two best friends to become killers. Besides, dead the truth dies with him. Alive, you're free." Harry said, looking back to Sirius.

Erin smiled at Harry and then at her Dad. She took Harry's hand in hers grinning happily. "Free..." She said. "This has to be the best day of my entire life."

Behind them they heard Peter cry out. "Turn me into a flobberworm. Anything but the Dementors! Ron, haven't I been a good pet? You won't them give me to the Dementors, will you? I was your rat! Sweet girl, clever girl. Surely you won't-"

"Get away from her." Remus said with an annoyed tone, dragging Peter away from Ron and Hermione. Sirius chuckled softly to himself.

After a moment he spoke. "I don't know if you know Harry but when you were born, James and Lily made me your godfather."

Harry smiled a little, looking at Erin, then Sirius. "I know."

Sirius nodded at that. "Things will be different now... I can understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but if you ever wanted a different home-"

Harry looked up in wonder. "What, come and live with you?" He asked, almost as if he didn't believe it.

Sirius shrugged. "Erin and I... It's just a thought. I can understand if you don't want to. Neither of you have to..."

"I would certainly love that." Erin said smiling.

Sirius smiled at that. Harry was about to answer but suddenly. "Harry!" Hermione cried.

They all turned to see the full white moon bursting out from behind the clouds and Remus was standing, terrified, mouth agape at the very sight of it. Sirius ran to his old friend as fast as he possibly could, grabbing him by the coat lapels. "Remus, my old friend. Have you taken your potion tonight?"

But Remus couldn't answer; he began to tremble, his eyes turning an unnatural, inhuman shade of green. The wand fell out of his trembling fingers. Sirius spoke desperately to his friend, trying to get him to focus only on him and not the moon. "You know the man you truly are, Remus. This heart is where you truly live! This heart here! Remus! This flesh is only flesh!" He pleaded.

Peter took advantage of this and picked up the abandoned wand. "Expelliarmus!" Harry cried, but it was too late, Peter waved before he turned fully back into a rat and scampered off.

"Harry!" Hermione cried, she was staring at Remus and Sirius as the changes took hold and bone and muscle and flesh twisted.

It shaped and shifted, tearing Remus' clothing, stretching his very skin. "Remus!" Sirius cried. "Remus!" But the wolf that was Remus Lupin only howled out to the night. "Run! Run!" Sirius shouted after being knocked away from his old friend.

Harry tried to urge the girls away. "Come on." He insisted.

"Wait...Wait." Hermione said, stepping forward as the wolf bent his head, whining to himself, and no doubt from the lingering pain.

"Hermione!" Ron whimpered. "Bad idea. Bad idea!"

"Professor?" Hermione asked, looking over at the wolf. "Professor Lupin?" She asked, hoping he was still there somehow. The wolf whined softly, blinking, large glowing green eyes in the dark. Finally he focused on the girl speaking to him and then let out a monstrous howl! And charged towards the four kids.

Snape sprang from the Whomping Willow. "There you are!" He said menacingly. He saw their faces and turned around facing the werewolf. He put his arms out to protect them and was hit and knocked unconscious.

Suddenly a half grown black wolf sprang over their heads growling and slashing at the werewolf with her teeth drawing it away from the others.

"Erin!" Hermione called.

Harry looked surprised. "Erin?"

"I'll explain later." Hermione said quickly, just as the black dog went racing after the other two canines as fast as he could possibly move.

"Sirius." Harry said in wonder. He ran after them without a second thought, he had to make sure they were okay.

Erin and Sirius were snarling and biting at the werewolf when Harry came upon them. Erin was thrown into a tree and she came down in her own form.

"Erin!" Harry cried. He threw the biggest stone he could find at the wolf, he hit him, grabbing his attention only to have the black dog gain it back with a lunging attack. He went for the wolf's throat and held on quite well, biting and scratching, but eventually, he too, was shaken off. The only thing that kept the wolf from attacking them further was a far away howling in the woods somewhere.

The wolf grew alert and looked around, listening for the sound and then followed after it howling a reply. As soon as it was gone Harry ran first for Erin.

Erin was just getting up, there were bite marks and scratches all over her neck and her clothes were slashes in places showing blood through. "Are you ok?" She asked him.

"I'm fine." He said breathlessly. "What about you?" He asked in concern.

"I think I'm ok. Dad? Dad!" Erin cried out looking around.

"Sirius!" Harry called out looking around, he ran a little ways down the hill, thinking he saw or heard something from the older man, Erin was right behind him. "No, Sirius!" They say him lying on the cold, pebble shore of the lake and already the Dementors were beginning to appear in the sky.

Erin fell to the ground beside her father unable to keep herself up any longer. "No…" She cried out. "Harry..."

Harry dropped beside them, only to see Sirius wake up, a dreadful look of fear in his eyes; he feebly put up his hands, cringing at the sight. Harry looked up just in time to watch a Dementor swoop in a begin sucking the life out of Sirius; it nearly pulled the man off the ground as it did so. Harry stood up and pointed his wand. Shouting the incantation, but it didn't hold very long before the Dementors began feeding off of all three of them greedily, but most greedily their prize prey, the missing prisoner they had hunted down.

Erin reached for Harry's hand and then for her fathers'. She looked at Harry through the pain and managed to breathe out. "I love you, Harry." She thought they were going to die...

Harry grabbed her hand, suffering the pain of another Dementor "Erin, I love you." Harry proclaimed just as another attack came back for Sirius, this time sucking all life out of him it seemed, he went limp, a tiny spark of light left his body. Erin fell herself onto the ground not moving. Harry didn't even have the energy to shout out before he saw this brilliant energy across the lake, distant shouting, the form of a white stag, and behind that he thought he saw... He thought he saw... the world went black around him.