"This way. This way, now." Harry said urging Buckbeak deeper into the woods. Eventually they stopped, it was darker and Hermione gave Buckbeak the last ferret. "Now what?" Harry asked as he let go of Buckbeak's chain, letting him be free now.
"Now we save Sirius." Hermione said as they moved on through the trees together.
"Any ideas, guys?" Erin asked.
"No idea." Hermione said shaking her head as they peered out at the Whomping Willow. "Look, it's Lupin."
"Immobolus." Lupin said, pointing his wand.
"And Snape's coming..." She added, pointing. Harry watched, glancing at Erin.
"And now we wait?" He asked.
"Now we wait." Erin said sitting down and checking her bandages.
"How are you feeling?" Harry asked sitting down next to her.
Erin smiled. "Like I fought with a werewolf. I think the odds were slightly in Remus' favor."
"Slightly." Harry said with a wry grin.
"I bet he'll be plenty sore in the morning. Poor Lupin..." Hermione said. She had something of a little crush on her professor. Nothing serious though, after all there was still Ron.
Erin sighed. "Harry...were you wondering about me being a wolf?"
"Actually..." Harry began.
Hermione frowned. "Oh, right...I forgot to tell him...you better explain it." She said glancing at Erin.
Erin shot Hermione a look. "Since the beginning...well since Hermione and I met we were interested in Animagi and we decided to learn everything we could about it. With me so far?"
"Yes." Harry said, listening attentively.
"Well, I had learned everything by Christmas. Hermione was a little slower. I was ready to try it...but with everything happening we waited until after the Stone. I did it. I changed into a wolf. All that summer Hermione and I wrote and at the beginning of second year Hermione managed it too. We're Animagus' Harry, just like our fathers were and are."
"So you've kept it a secret all this time? You're a wolf..." Harry said and then he glanced at Hermione. "What are you then?" He asked.
Hermione pretended not to hear him. "What? Oh, Harry it's hardly important." She said, still watching the clearing.
"She's a cat." Erin said. "And she looks a lot like Crookshanks."
"Really?" Harry asked with a smile.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "A little, except I have a much nicer coat and I'm more brown than orange. That and I don't have that cute, squished up face like he does."
"You think that's cute?" Harry asked.
Hermione whacked him. "Crookshanks is uniquely beautiful. I don't expect you to understand." She defended.
Erin leaned over. "I don't know about you but that is one ugly cat...I think he's part kneazle."
"He is NOT ugly!" Hermione protested, reaching over to swat Erin to, but Harry was between them and wouldn't let her. He laughed.
"I expect you to defend him. You're the cat after all. When this is over I want you to show me, you know that?" Harry said laughing.
"Only if you're nicer to my Crookshanks." Hermione said poutily.
"You show me and I'm not nice to Crookshanks...except to let him sleep in my bed." Erin rolled her eyes before she lowered her voice. "I'd rather have Ron sleep in my bed than that cat."
"I think Hermione would t-" Harry was cut off.
"Finish that sentence Harry Potter and you're a dead man." Hermione warned. Harry laughed and shut up. After that they quieted down...things started to get boring. Hermione sighed watching Buckbeak catching bats. "At least someone's enjoying himself."
Erin leaned against Harry ducking her head. "Oh, I hate bats!"
Harry gently shielded Erin from the bats chuckling. "Yeah..." He glanced at Hermione while still holding Erin. "Hermione?" He asked.
"Yeah?"
"Before, down by the lake when I was with Sirius I did see someone." He said. "That someone made the Dementors go away."
Hermione nodded. "With a Patronus. I heard Snape telling Dumbledore. According to him only a really powerful wizard could have conjured it."
Harry suddenly smiled. "It was my dad. It was my dad who conjured the Patronus..."
Hermione looked questioningly at him. "Harry, but your dad's-"
Harry nodded. "Dead. I know. I'm just telling you what I saw."
Hermione had no more time to wonder about what he really did see. "Here we come." She said patting their shoulders.
Erin reluctantly sat up watching what was going on. She smiled. "Harry..." She was watching them talking with her Dad. She squeezed his hand in hers.
Harry squeezed back, smiling too. "You see Sirius talking to us, there?" He asked Hermione.
She nodded. "Mhhmmm."
Harry grinned. "He's asking me to come and live with him and Erin."
Hermione smiled over at them both. "That's great!"
Harry nodded this time. "When we free him, I'll never have to go back to the Dursley's. It'll just be the three of us. We could live in the country; someplace you can see the sky. I think he'll like that after all those years in Azkaban." Harry said fondly.
Erin laughed. "Yes, Hermione just imagine...me, Harry and Dad...all alone in the country..."
"It sounds perfect, just as long as Ron and I can come visit often." Hermione said just as she heard herself shouting Harry's name in the distance. They all stood up.
"Run! Run!" Sirius was yelling at the kids.
"Let's go." Harry said, watching the scene, clutching Erin's hand, ready to move.
Erin followed them through the undergrowth and to the bottom of the hill where they looked up. Erin let go of Harry's hand remember Hermione's words, 'They only respond to the call of their own kind...' Erin was wolf after all. She put her hands to her mouth. "AWOOOO!"
"What are you doing?" Harry cried. Hermione looked as though she already knew, but was no less frightened.
"What I always do!" Erin cried. "AWOOOO!"
"Thanks." Harry said smiling, but then... "Oh, no, now he's coming after us.
"Yeah." Erin said. "Didn't think about that. Run!"
They ran through the forest trying to elude Remus. They hid behind a tree watching Remus move away from them. They inched around the tree backward. Behind them they heard a growl. Erin whirled around and changed fluidly into wolf form. Erin growled and sprang at the wolf that was charging.
"Erin, no!" Harry cried worried about what would happen if she took on the werewolf already injured.
Erin didn't pay any heed to him. She bit down hard on the werewolf's snout. He whimpered and ran after hitting her across the head. Erin changed back holding her head.
"Erin!" Harry ran to her, almost instantly letting her use him as a crutch.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked worriedly.
Erin took her hand from the side of her face seeing the blood. She swore under her breath. "How bad is it?" She asked leaning against Harry.
"Bad enough." Harry said, unpleasantly.
Hermione looked her over though, checking with much less bias than Harry. Her assessment was more realistic. "But you'll live...Oh, That was so scary."
"Poor Professor Lupin is having a really tough night." Harry said with a sigh, walking Erin over to a nearby tree.
Erin suddenly looked up. "No…" She said. "Look just leave me here...go, Harry...we need you..."
"No, I won't just leave you out here alone, wounded. Lupin might come back." Harry said.
Erin sighed. "Ok...ok." She leaned against him. "Then you'll have to take me with you. Let's hurry though."
"Come on." Harry picked her up, ignoring any protests; they hurried on through the woods towards the Lake.
"Look!" Hermione said pointing to the sky where Dementors were flying off somewhere.
"Come on." Harry said, moving faster, still carrying Erin. He didn't put her down until he found a safe enough spot in the clearing by the lakeside. There they saw the Dementors feasting on themselves and Sirius. "This is horrible!" Hermione said, almost unable to watch such a thing.
"Harry..." Erin looked at him and swallowed. "Harry...we have to do something..."
"Don't worry. My dad will come. He'll conjure the Patronus." Harry insisted confidently, watching and waiting. A minute passed, maybe, more, but no one showed up. "Any minute now. Right there, you'll see!" He promised.
"Harry...we're dying..." Erin said seeing herself take Harry's hand in hers and whisper to him.
"No one is coming, Harry." Hermione said softly. " She's right... You're dying. All three of you..." Harry didn't understand it…it didn't make any sense. He was so sure but... he couldn't wait any longer. "Harry!" Hermione called as Harry strode down the point, revealing his wand.
A great wind picked up before he had barely raised his wand. "Expecto Patronum!" He cried and out of no where a huge burst of light and energy was conjured and almost seemed to throb in waves out over the lake and sky, over themselves, driving away all the Dementors with it's intensity.
"Well, Snape was certainly right about one thing. It took a great wizard to conjure that Patronus." Erin whispered loud enough for them to hear. Hermione had to agree. What Harry just did was the most amazing thing she had ever seen in her life.