Yes, it's been like years. I know, I know. You can thank my parents. They randomly decided to watch the third movie so I guess I'm back to writing but whatever. As of right now, all my other stories are on hold. I'm going through, and have gone through, various other obsessions and right now, Harry Potter is not on the top of my list.

Chapter Two: Back to Normal… Well, somewhat.

The unusual group made its way up the tunnel of the Whomping Willow. Crookshanks led the way, followed by Remus, Peter, and Ron all tied together so they looked like they has entered a six-legged race. Snape came next, floating along. Sirius was behind him, holding him up with his wand. Cradled in his arms was Adrianna. Last were Harry and Hermione.

Sirius suddenly turned to look at Harry, "You know what this means, don't you? Turning Pettigrew in?"

"That you're free."

"Exactly. I'm not sure if anyone told you, Harry, but, Adrianna and I are your godparents." Harry stared at Sirius not daring to hope. "I'm not sure you'll want to, and I won't be offended, I'll completely understand if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle, but… well, what would… would you think of a… a different home?"

"Live with you?" Harry asked. "Leave the Dursley's?"

"Yes, if you want to, of course."

"I'd love to!"

"You mean… I thought you wouldn't want to—"

"Are you insane?" Harry said. "Of course I want to leave the Dursley's! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

"You want to? You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!" Sirius's face broke into the first true smile they'd seen.

The rest of the journey out of the tunnel was silent. They'd just reached the top when the clouds shifted and they were bathed in moon light. Remus, Ron, and Peter stopped. Adrianna immediately barked in Sirius's arms. He looked down and back up again in time to stop Snape from crashing into Remus, Ron, and Peter. The smile that hadn't yet left his face suddenly disappeared. He flung his arm back to stop Harry and Hermione but his gaze never left Remus. Harry and Hermione looked at him also. Remus's limbs were shaking violently.

"He didn't take his potion tonight," Hermione whispered. "He's not safe!"

"Run! Run now!" Sirius whispered and dropped Adrianna to the ground. "Get them to the castle, don't stay with me!" Harry didn't move. Ron was still chained to Remus. He leapt forward but Sirius caught him around the chest. "Leave it to me! GO!"

Paralyzed with fear, they watched as Remus slowly changed into a werewolf. Sirius suddenly disappeared from Harry's side. He'd transformed. Sirius dived at Remus as he tore himself from the ropes binding him. Roughing, he pulled the wolf away from Ron and Pettigrew. Harry was too intent in the battle taking place before his eyes to notice anything. It was Hermione's scream that brought him back.

Pettigrew had lunged for Remus's wand. Ron fell. There was a bang and Ron lay unconscious on the ground. Another bang sent Crookshanks into the air. He landed in a heap on the ground.

"Elpelliarmus!" Harry shouted. The wand flew from Pettigrew's hands and landed some distance away. "Don't move!" It was too late. Pettigrew had transformed and was scurrying through the grass before they could blink. A howl from behind them brought Harry's attention back to the fight. The werewolf was flying over the forest. "He's gone, Sirius! He transformed!" Sirius was back on his feet at those words. Within seconds the sounds of his paws on the grass was barely audible.

Harry and Hermione ran to Ron. Adrianna hung back, staring in the direction Sirius had run.

"What'd he do to him?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know." Harry said softly. He looked around desperately. Their only company was Snape, still hanging in midair, unconscious. "We better get up to the castle. Tell someone. Come—" He stopped. Barely in their range of hearing, was a dog yelping, whining in pain. "Sirius."

Adrianna was off at the speed of light. After a moment's decision, Harry ran after her, Hermione following quickly. The yelping stopped abruptly. As they'd run, Harry had felt the air become cold but hadn't realized what it meant.

As the lake come into view, they saw Sirius, in man form, on all fours, Adrianna by his side. "Nooo," he moaned softly. "Nooo… please…"

Suddenly Harry saw them. Everywhere. The Dementors, at least a hundred, glided toward them. The lake under them froze to solid ice as they flew. Their effects overwhelmed all of them.

"Think of something happy!" Harry shouted at Hermione. Sirius collapsed and lay motionless. Adrianna started shaking her head, yelping loudly.

"Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum! Hermione, help me! Expecto patronum!"

"Expecto— Expecto—" Hermione tried. "Expecto—" She couldn't do it.

The Dementors were closing in, not even ten feet away, and forming a solid wall around them. Adrianna's yelping was quickly increasing in pitch, becoming more and more distressed.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Next to him Hermione collapsed as a thin wisp of smoke escaped the end of his wand. "Expecto patronum! Expecto patronum!"

He was on the cool grass. Not far in front of him, Adrianna fell to the ground with a final cry. Like when Pettigrew had transformed from a rat, she seemed to grow and change. Harry blinked and found himself staring at a young girl, maybe thirty. She was wearing a black skirt and a red shirt with fishnet sleeves that said "Guilty" in Gothic letters. Her hair was long, hip length, and blue black against a face that was porcelain white under its tan. Adrianna Davis. He knew her from the photos of his parents. The same photos from which he knew Sirius.

The last of his Patronus died and he collapsed to the ground. Harry could feel them watching him, could hear their ragged breath. He watched with unfocused eyes as the nearest Dementor raised its rotted hands and pushed back its hood. There were no eyes, no real face at all. Instead, there was rotted, pealing skin pulled rightly over the shape of a human head. The mouth, though, was there… a shapeless hole sucking in the air around it.

He couldn't see. He couldn't move. He lay there, paralyzed with fear until strong, clammy hands pulled his head up. He knew what was going to happen. Suddenly the fog was drowning him. He could see something silver growing brighter and brighter. His face was back in the grass and he was too weak to move it. Too tired, sick, and shaking. The light was growing brighter and the cold leaving. He used what strength he had to lift his head and saw an animal in the light, galloping away across that lake. He watched the creature stop on the other side of the lake and a figure pat it. It looked so familiar.

The last of his strength gone, Harry collapsed into darkness.

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And that's all for now. Hope you like it. No promises about when the next chapter will come out.