"Rachel?" Imogen called.

"Yeah?" Rachel called back, turning off the shower so she could hear Imogen better.

"I have to go, I have a NEWT study session that I'm already late for. Walk back with Marcus, okay?" Imogen asked.

"Okay," Rachel said, turning the shower back on. She'd been racing around with the Chasers for the entire practice as they took turns playing 'keep away' with the Quaffle to practice their intercepting skills. As a result she found that she was rather sweaty and gross and decided to shower in the locker rooms instead of waiting until after dinner and their study session.

She wished she'd thought to bring her comb with her because her hair had become ridiculously tangled and she was left using copious amounts of shampoo and her fingers to get the knots out. She definitely should have put it in a plait before flying around. After a while of working at it she decided it was as good as it was going to get, rinsed her hair, used the bottle of conditioner that she assumed Imogen had left in there, rinsed her hair one more time, and then turned off the water.

It didn't take her long to dry off, get dressed back into her school uniform and robes, and then plait her hair. She knew she was already late for dinner, but there was usually still food this late.

Rachel left the locker room and went down to wait near the Slytherin boys' locker room. After waiting for a few minutes she knocked. About a minute after that she closed her eyes and opened the door. "Marcus? Draco? I'm supposed to walk back with you," she called.

When no one responded after a few seconds she opened her eyes and peered inside. The locker room seemed empty and she couldn't hear any of the showers running. Apparently they'd accidentally left her behind.

She looked around and couldn't see anyone - everyone was probably at dinner or studying. She decided that she wasn't going to mention this to Severus unless he specifically asked and started the walk back to the castle. It was the end of May and it was finally getting warmer. A late spring breeze was rustling the new leaves in the trees and Rachel tipped her head back to look at the start of the sunset.

Movement on the grass ahead caught her attention a few moments later and Rachel squinted through her glasses to get a better look. "Crookshanks? What are you doing out here? Hermione's going to be worried about you."

Crookshanks peered up at her and then continued on with a steady trot, going away from the castle.

"Crookshanks, come back," Rachel called, turning and following Hermione's cat. She was so focused on Crookshanks that she almost didn't notice the big black dog coming out from behind a copse of tall trees.

The dog looked at her and then began to follow Crookshanks.

"No, bad doggy, leave the cat alone," Rachel said.

The dog paused to look back at her, tipped his head to the side, gave a short bark, and then continued following Crookshanks.

Rachel sighed. This was not working. "Crookshanks, come here. Don't you want to go see Hermione? She's in the Great Hall. I bet she'll give you some of what she's having for dinner."

Crookshanks looked back at her and for the first time Rachel noticed that Crookshank's mouth was full. After a second Rachel realized it was a rat and grimaced. "Crookshanks, let it go! Hermione will feed you something better."

The dog barked and Crookshanks started walking again, not seeming too bothered by the dog.

"Look dog, you're probably from Hogsmeade, right? Don't you want to go back there? Your owner is probably looking for you right now," Rachel said, following them again. "We can go back to the castle and tell Severus, he'll help you get home."

The dog let out a low growl and Rachel paused to give herself a little bit more space between herself and the dog.

Rachel was at a loss. She couldn't just let Hermione's cat go off on his own. There were all sorts of creatures in the Forbidden Forest and he'd probably get eaten. However, talking to them didn't seem to be working and she wasn't keen on getting too close to the dog. She still had scars on her left ankle from being bitten by Aunt Marge's dog, which had aptly been named Ripper.

Before long they'd reached the Whomping Willow. "Crookshanks, no! Get back here before you get hurt!" Rachel called.

Crookshanks easily darted between the swinging branches and pressed his paw against a knot at the base of the tree. The branches immediately stopped moving. Crookshanks jumped down into a gap in the roots of the tree and disappeared. The dog followed a few seconds later.

Rachel hurried toward the tree, not sure how long it would be still, and leaned forward into the hole. "Crookshanks?" she called, easing herself forward. A moment later she found herself sliding down a steep dirt slope and she landed in a tunnel. Rachel looked back at the hole. She could probably climb up it if she needed to, but she had to get Crookshanks first. Hermione would never forgive her if she let her cat get eaten, and Rachel didn't think she'd be able to forgive herself either.

She took out her wand. "Lumos." She could just see the black dog ahead and she hurried after it, keeping her head ducked low so she didn't hit it on the top of the tunnel. For the first time she was grateful she was short - if she was any taller she'd have to crouch down in order to get through here.

The tunnel felt like it went on for a long way. Rachel checked her watch and saw that it was now after dinner. She needed to get Crookshanks and get back before anyone realized she was missing.

Finally the tunnel began to rise and then there was a tight twist, and then wooden steps leading up to a trapdoor that was already pushed open.

"Hello?" Rachel called, not wanting to intrude on someone's house. Maybe this was where the dog lived?

She went up the steps, looked around the room, and then changed her assessment. Nobody lived here, at least not for a long while. It was dusty, the wallpaper was peeling off in sheets, there were stains on the floor that she was hoping weren't blood, and all of the furniture looked like it had been ripped apart. There were boards over the windows which let in just a little bit of light.

Could she have made it all the way to Hogsmeade and this was the Shrieking Shack?

A creaking noise upstairs drew her attention and Rachel held her wand down low to see the footprints the dog had left in the dust. She followed them up the stairs and into a room with a large four-poster bed. Crookshanks was sitting on the bed, the rat still in his mouth, and the dog was sitting on the floor nearby.

"Okay, Crookshanks. Enough messing around. Drop the rat and let's go back to Hogwarts before we're both in trouble," Rachel said, putting her wand back in her pocket since she could see well enough in the dim light from the cracks in the boarded up windows. She edged closer, not wanting to pick Crookshanks up while he still had the rat in his mouth. What if he dropped the rat on her and it was still alive?

"Rachel."

Rachel gave a short yelp and stumbled as she tried to turn around. "Professor Lupin?"

"I saw you enter the passageway of the Whomping Willow from my office and got here as soon as I could," Professor Lupin said, holding his lit wand out in front of him.

"I didn't mean to leave school grounds, I was just following Hermione's cat," Rachel said quickly.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble, at least not with me," Professor Lupin said, leaning down to look at Crookshanks. "And this must be Hermione's cat. With a rat missing one toe on its front paw. I might have known, if I'd thought past my grief to look closer. Clever Crookshanks. Part kneazle no doubt. And finally. Padfoot."

"That's your dog?" Rachel asked, following Professor Lupin's gaze to the dog.

Professor Lupin gave a short laugh. "Not exactly, though he probably appreciates that. Sirius, you should come out for this, I think."

Rachel felt a rush of cold all through her body at the name and watched in horror as the dog changed into a man. The man had long, matted hair. He was gaunt and his skin was sallow. And he was easily recognizable from his wanted posters. Sirius Black.

"You switched, without telling me," Professor Lupin said.

"Moony, my old friend," Sirius said, his voice rough.

A moment later, Professor Lupin and Sirius were hugging each other.

Rachel could feel that her legs were shaking. She wondered how far she could make it while they were distracted. Part of her was simmering in betrayal and regret - she should have listened when Severus warned her about Professor Lupin. But fear was winning out over everything else. She carefully edged back toward the door but a creaking floorboard gave her away.

Both men turned to look at her, Professor Lupin's wand still in his hand.

Rachel froze. She was helpless. Even with magic and everything else, she felt helpless.

"We need to explain to her what's happening," Professor Lupin said.

"We can explain when it's over," Sirius said, shaking his head and turning back to look at Crookshanks.

"No, she needs to know first. She's your goddaughter. She needs to understand," Professor Lupin insisted.

"Reveal Pettigrew first. Then we'll explain, and then we'll kill him," Sirius said.

The rat in Crookshank's mouth started squealing wildly. Crookshanks dropped the rat. A flash of blue-white light came from Professor Lupin's wand and Rachel edged her hand towards her pocket where her wand was as she watched the rat turn into a man.

The man got to his feet. He was shorter than Professor Lupin, and his clothes were too big for him. His hair was unkempt and he seemed to be shaking. "Sirius? Remus?"

Professor Lupin kept his wand pointed at the man. "Peter Pettigrew. You're supposed to be dead."

"My friends, it's been so long," Pettigrew said. "You don't know what I've been through."

"What you've been through is nothing compared to what you're about to go through," Sirius said.

"I'd like to hear it for myself, if you don't mind," Professor Lupin said. "Were you James and Lily's secret keeper, Peter?"

"No, it was Sirius. You know it was Sirius," Pettigrew said quickly.

"Liar!" Sirius shouted. "We traded to you! Three weeks before you murdered them!"

Rachel took another step back, her hand hovering above her wand. Could she just leave all of them here?

"Rachel, wait. You need to hear this. You need to know who was responsible for your parents' deaths." Professor Lupin turned back to Sirius. "You didn't tell me, because you thought I was the spy."

"Forgive me," Sirius said.

"No, forgive me," Professor Lupin said. "We will sort out the truth this time. You will be free once more."

Professor Lupin held out his wand and suddenly Pettigrew fell limp to the floor. With another wave of his wand ropes tied Pettigrew up tightly. "We'll get the truth, Rachel. Do you understand?"

Rachel shook her head. She didn't understand at all.

"Expelliarmus!"

Professor Lupin stumbled back as a red light hit him and his wand flew out of his hand.

Rachel yelped and tried to pull her wand out as she turned around to see who was behind her. She had just enough time to register Severus' face before she felt two hands gripping her arms and then she screamed as she felt herself being apparated away.


Severus stared in shock as he watched Rachel disappear right before his eyes. He couldn't cast anything at Black without hitting Rachel. He couldn't do anything at all. They could be anywhere.

"Severus," Lupin said. "This isn't as bad as it seems."

Severus snarled as he pointed his wand at Lupin. This was his fault.

"Look at the man on the floor, do you recognize him?" Lupin said, far too calm considering they'd just seen Rachel get kidnapped.

"You were colluding with Black. You let him into the castle and you led Rachel here," Severus said, caught between horror and rage. "I will watch as the Dementors kiss you."

"Severus, listen to me. Sirius is innocent of what he's been accused of. I don't think he's going to hurt Rachel," Lupin said, seeming unconcerned about Severus' threats. "Look at this man. It's Peter Pettigrew. He was the secret keeper."

Severus tried to process that and finally walked over to look at the man on the floor. He couldn't be certain, but it did look like Pettigrew.

He cast the Patronus charm. "To Rachel Snow. Where are you? I'll be there as soon as possible." His doe darted away.

He looked around the room as he turned back to Lupin, recognizing that there were several urgent problems to be dealt with. Black kidnapping Rachel was at the top of his list, but it was the one he could do the least about. Finding the truth about Pettigrew and Black was also important, though Black had crossed too many lines to ever be considered innocent in Severus' mind. Finally, and perhaps most urgently, he was standing in the Shrieking Shack with a werewolf on the night of the full moon.

"Your potion is on your desk in your office. Moonrise is in less than an hour," Severus said. "Go, take your potion, and stay in your office. I'll have Albus come deal with you tomorrow."

"I was not collaborating with Sirius and I did not lead Rachel here. I saw her go down into the tunnel under the Whomping Willow and I followed her as quickly as I could. I presume you saw me from my office when you came to deliver the Wolfsbane potion?" Lupin asked.

"This is immaterial! Do as I say so we do not have a werewolf running loose in a castle full of students. I will take Pettigrew to Albus. The rest is out of your hands," Severus said, struggling to contain his rage. He had to get Rachel back. He had to go to Albus, but he couldn't allow a werewolf to run loose either.

"Of course, Severus. I trust you to get to the truth," Lupin said. "I want to assure you that I would never put Rachel in harm's way."

Severus ignored him and went to Pettigrew. A simple jerk of his wand left Pettigrew levitating behind him. "You will go through the tunnel first. I will not have you at my back." It would put him at a disadvantage leaving the tunnel, but he wasn't going to have a werewolf behind him in the tunnel. This was dredging up enough bad memories as it was.

Lupin retrieved his wand and led the way back down to the first floor of the Shrieking Shack. Severus followed with Pettigrew trailing behind him. An orange cat joined them and Severus pointed his wand at it and silently cast the spell to reveal an animagus. The cat turned to look at him but was otherwise unaffected.

Severus decided it was simply a part kneazle that was too curious for its own good and ignored it.

The trip back through the tunnel was not nearly as difficult as the trip to the Shrieking Shack had been. He had gone in, knowing full well there was a werewolf in front of him who hadn't taken the Wolfsbane potion and it was the night of the full moon. He had spent the entire time clutching his wand and telling himself that at least this time he knew what he was going into and that he was going to catch Lupin in the act of helping Black into the castle. It had to be done, for Rachel's safety. The last thing he had expected was to find Rachel already there.

And now she was gone.

He found himself hoping that Lupin was right and that Black wasn't actually a Death Eater. He would give anything if it kept Rachel alive.

Lupin crawled up the slope leading to the Whomping Willow and Severus followed after a moment, pausing at the exit to touch the knot in the trunk just to be certain he wasn't going to be attacked. The cat climbed out after him, and then Severus managed to maneuver Pettigrew out as well.

Severus checked the sky for any sign of the moon. He would kill Lupin if he had to in order to prevent a werewolf from attacking the students.

"I'm certain that Sirius won't hurt Rachel," Lupin tried as they reached the front doors to the castle.

"Go, take your potion. Do you need an escort or can you be trusted with this one small task?" Severus asked.

"I don't need an escort. Please take Peter to Albus and get to the bottom of this," Lupin said.

The cat darted between them into the castle and disappeared up the staircase.

Severus ignored Lupin and went up the stairs, parting ways with Lupin on the second floor.

"Fudge cakes," he told the gargoyle, which obligingly moved aside, and then stepped onto the rotating staircase, careful to keep Pettigrew behind him. He knocked on Albus' door once and then entered without waiting for Albus to respond. "Rachel has been kidnapped by Sirius Black."

Albus stood. "You're certain?"

"I saw him apparate away with her," Severus said.

"How?"

"In the Shrieking Shack. She somehow found a way past the Whomping Willow. Lupin was there as well, he's now in his office taking the Wolfsbane potion. We won't be able to get testimony from him until tomorrow. This is Peter Pettigrew." Severus lowered the man onto the floor.

Albus made his way around his desk and peered down at the man. "I am not someone who is often caught by surprise, yet you have managed it twice tonight. I ask again, how?"

"Lupin claims that Black is innocent and that Pettigrew was the secret keeper. How he came to be in the Shrieking Shack with them tonight, I do not know," Severus said.

"I think we best solve this problem first," Albus said, looking at Severus. "I know you wish to search for Rachel, but I hesitate to send the Dementors after him given their effect on her. She may not survive the experience without immediate intervention. Perhaps if we have more information we can offer Sirius Black a trade."

"Freedom for her safe return," Severus said. He hated the idea, but it was the best one they had. "I trust you will want Veritaserum?"

"Yes, I think that's for the best. I would like to question him before we bring the aurors into this," Albus said.

"May I use your floo?" Severus asked.

"Of course. I'm going to ask Minerva to join us as well," Albus said. "We'll continue once you're both here."

Severus nodded. He didn't care if Black was innocent, though he wanted his pound of flesh from Pettigrew if he had indeed been the secret keeper. But he would do anything to get Rachel back.

He flooed to his quarters and went into his private lab. It only took a moment to pick out the small vial of Veritaserum that he kept on hand for situations like this. Thankfully there had been precious few such situations over the years since the end of the war. He flooed back to Albus' office to find Minerva already there.

"Rachel is gone?" she asked, peering at him over the rim of her glasses.

"Yes, Black apparated away with her," Severus said.

"We'll do whatever it takes to get her back safely. I'm sure the Ministry will feel the same way," Minerva said, nodding once.

Severus inclined his head, though he disagreed. He suspected the Ministry was going to be very reluctant to admit they had sent Black to Azkaban for life by mistake.

They had arranged Pettigrew in one of the chairs in front of Albus' desk, though they had left him bound. Severus stepped forward and forced the man's mouth open. He then gave him three drops of Veritaserum directly on his tongue.

"Are we all ready?" Albus asked.

Severus stepped back, drew his wand, and nodded.

Minerva also drew her wand.

"Rennervate," Albus said, pointing his wand at Pettigrew.

Pettigrew's eyes opened and he looked around. "Professor Dumbledore, sir. You have to help me. Sirius Black is here and he's going to kill me."

"Peter, I have some questions for you," Albus said. "Were you the secret keeper for James and Lily Snow?"

"Yes," Pettigrew said, then his eyes grew wide with shock.

"Were you a spy for Voldemort?" Albus continued.

"Yes," Pettigrew said again, now twisting against the ropes that were binding him.

"Did you tell Voldemort where to find James and Lily Snow?" Albus asked.

Pettigrew pressed his lips together for a second before answering. "Yes."

"Did you kill twelve muggles in an explosion when Sirius Black confronted you?" Minerva asked.

"Yes," Pettigrew said again, tears now running down his face.

"Where have you been for the last twelve years?" Albus asked.

"With the Weasleys and at Hogwarts," Pettigrew answered.

Severus and Minerva both looked to Albus in confusion.

"How did you remain undetected?" Severus asked.

"I was in my animagus form," Pettigrew said.

"And what form is that?" Minerva asked.

"A rat," Pettigrew said.

"If I'm not mistaken, Ron Weasley had a rat as a pet, and Percy Weasley before that," Minerva said.

"How did you come to be in the Shrieking Shack tonight?" Severus pressed.

"I was captured by a cat and brought there," Pettigrew said.

"There was a cat in the Shrieking Shack and it followed us back. Part kneazle, I presume. I did cast the animagus revealing charm on it, but it had no effect," Severus explained.

"Is there anything else we wish to know before I stun him again?" Albus asked.

"Has Sirius Black committed any crimes that you are aware of?" Severus asked.

"No," Pettigrew answered.

"To your knowledge, is Sirius Black a Death Eater?" Severus asked.

"No," Pettigrew said again.

"That's all I need," Severus told Albus.

Minerva nodded and they watched Albus stun Pettigrew once again.

"Little Peter Pettigrew. A spy for You-Know-Who and an animagus. I can hardly believe it," Minerva said.

"People are never as easy to read as we'd like them to be," Albus said. "However, this is a ray of hope. Rachel may indeed be relatively safe with Sirius Black. I think now it's time to call on Auror Shacklebolt and begin the process of clearing Sirius Black's name. The sooner we can do that, the sooner we can convince him to return Rachel to us."

It was a small amount of comfort, but it was all they had. Severus could only hope that Rachel was as safe as Albus seemed to think she was.


Rachel's scream cut off as they arrived. It was completely dark and she felt Sirius' rough hand take her wand from her before he let go of her. She stumbled forward a few steps, her hands reaching out and finding a rough stone wall. She put her back against it and waited, feeling tears running down her face.

She was about to die. She could only hope that Sirius would kill her outright instead of torturing her first, like the way that Neville's parents had been tortured.

"Damn it! He ruined everything!" Sirius shouted.

She was terrified and she couldn't help but think about the last time she thought she was dying. She'd been shut in her cupboard after vomiting blood, shortly after Aunt Petunia had forced her to drink the cleaning fluid. She'd laid in her cupboard, vomit covering her face and chest, her throat and her stomach burning, and waited to die. The only good thought she'd had was that at least she'd see her mom and dad, and maybe they'd want her in the afterlife even if they hadn't wanted her to begin with.

Now she had so many more regrets. Severus was probably upset and he would know that she didn't listen to him about Professor Lupin. Her friends were probably worried about her since she didn't come back after Quidditch practice. At least none of them would be alone. Severus was more alone than any of her friends were and she wondered if he had started wanting her to be around.

"Incendio."

Rachel hunched her shoulders. She had expected the Killing Curse, not being burned to death.

A pile of branches and dry leaves surrounded by a small ring of uneven stones caught fire, illuminating the relatively small cave. There were two exits, a few tin cans, a pile of newspapers, and a ratty blanket that was near the fire. Sirius was by the fire, his back to her, and he sat down.

Severus' Patronus appeared. "Where are you? I'll be there as soon as possible," came Severus' voice. She wished she could tell him, but she didn't know where she was even if she'd had her wand to reply.

Rachel tried to quietly edge toward one of the exits.

"No, you're staying here with me for a bit," Sirius said, not looking up. "Come sit by the fire, it gets quite cold in here at night."

Rachel frowned. She wanted her wand back, but she couldn't think of a good way to get it.

"We're a ways from the nearest town and there's a cave system. I don't want to have to come looking for you," Sirius continued. "Did you get any of that? What happened back at the Shrieking Shack?"

She considered her options. She could try to leave. Chances are she'd get lost in the cave, and even if she didn't, she had no idea where she was. She also wasn't wild about the idea of being out just before sunset without her wand. She could stay here and try to get her wand back. Sirius had to sleep at some point. If she had her wand she could use her Patronus and ask Severus for help.

"Really, I don't bite. Not even as Padfoot," Sirius said. "You do talk, don't you?"

Rachel felt her face flush. She'd been talking quite well for over a year now. She didn't think most people even remembered that she used to not talk. "I do," she said quietly.

"Good. Come sit down and I'll do as Remus asked and explain," Sirius said, sounding somewhere between sarcastic and irritated.

She decided he could just as easily kill her over here as he could if she was by the fire. Besides, cooperating might make him lower his guard around her. She went and sat down on the opposite side of the fire, keeping well out of reach.

"So, what have you been told about me?" Sirius asked, looking at her over the low fire.

"That you were friends with my father and with Professor Lupin," she said, not wanting to start out with the fact that he was a murderer in case it upset him.

"That's true. Me, James, Remus, and Peter. The Marauders, as we dubbed ourselves," he said, the twitch of his lips upward making him look a little more alive. "We met the night we were Sorted into Gryffindor and became fast friends. James and I especially though. He was like a brother to me, more so than my actual brother ever was. James and Lily made me your godfather, did you know that?"

Rachel nodded. "And you were their secret keeper, during the war."

"That's also true, but not the whole truth. When James and Lily went into hiding, Dumbledore told them about the Fidelius Charm. James asked me to be their secret keeper. Alice and Frank Longbottom went into hiding at about the same time and I believe Dumbledore suggested the same thing to them. You saw the man in the Shrieking Shack, the one who had been a rat?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, Peter Pettigrew, you called him," Rachel said.

"Yes, our other friend at school. Wormtail, we called him, because of his animagus form. I'm Padfoot, your father was Prongs, and Remus is Moony. We were all in the Order of the Phoenix. You know about the Order?"

Rachel nodded. "A little."

"Anyway, he was in the Order with us, but Peter was never much of a duelist. Most of his duties didn't have him fighting, while James, Frank, and I were out responding to almost every attack. Lily and Alice got pregnant, and then Dumbledore said they were being targeted, shortly after you and Neville were born. And then it was me and the aurors we had left. The Death Eaters were working on trying to capture me and I knew that I would be tortured for information if they did. Dumbledore said that the Fidelius Charm was resistant to torture, but I didn't want to take the chance. I went to Peter. I went to him, damn it! We knew there was a spy in our ranks, the Death Eaters' information was too good. And we suspected Remus, much to my shame, because of...a problem he has," Sirius explained.

It didn't take her long to realize what the problem was. "Because he's a werewolf?"

"Yes. Did he tell you?" Sirius asked.

Rachel shook her head. "There was a lecture in class on werewolves. And he's always out on the full moon, among other things."

Sirius chuckled. "Of course you'd be bright, what else could you be with James and Lily as your parents."

"So Peter became the secret keeper? He's the one who betrayed my parents?" Rachel asked. She wasn't entirely sure she believed him, but it seemed best to just go along with it for now.

"Yes. We did it in secret, because we didn't want the spy to know. We didn't even tell Dumbledore, and all along Peter was planning on pinning it on me," Sirius said, shaking his head. "I came to Godric's Hollow as soon as I heard there had been an attack. I knew immediately what had happened. I found James and Lily, dead. And you, crying in your crib. I then took off after Peter, ready to kill him for what he'd done, and then I'd come back for you."

"For me?"

"Yes. James and Lily wanted me to take care of you if something should happen to them. When they told me that, when they told me I was your godfather, I couldn't believe it at first. Your father and I were quite the troublemakers when we were in school. Of course this was balanced out by Alice being your godmother. They were to take you if I couldn't," Sirius said.

Rachel felt stunned. She was supposed to have lived with Neville? "What about my relatives?"

"What? The muggles?" Sirius asked.

"Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon. I grew up with them," Rachel said.

"What! Why?"

"I don't know. Professor Dumbledore sent me to live with them when I was just a baby," Rachel said.

"That. That was not supposed to happen. Lily would never ever have wanted you to be raised by Petunia. They weren't even on speaking terms after Lily finished school. Why didn't Alice stop Dumbledore? This was in James and Lily's will."

Rachel realized abruptly that Sirius didn't know what happened to Neville's parents. "She couldn't. Neville's parents were tortured to the point of insanity. They're in Saint Mungo's for the rest of their lives."

Sirius' face lost what little color it had and he jerked back like Rachel had hit him. "No," he managed to say before he began changing form. Moments later he was a big black dog again. The dog began to pace and then barked a few times.

She watched, not quite certain what had just happened. What she'd told him had clearly upset him a lot, far more than she'd expected.

Sirius circled the cave and then came over and laid down next to Rachel, giving a small whine.

Rachel instinctively reached over, half forgetting that Sirius was really a man, and began to pet his head. Sirius closed his eyes and Rachel shifted over so she could gently pet him. He'd been right that the cave was getting colder and she was grateful for the fire. Now would be a really good time to get her wand, but she waited and kept petting him, hoping that he'd go to sleep first.

Finally she stopped petting him and she checked her watch. It was almost nine o'clock at night now. Sirius didn't move when she stopped, so she carefully got to her feet and went around the other side of the fire and picked up her wand where Sirius had dropped it. It felt good to have it back - she hadn't realized how dependent she'd become on her wand.

"I only took it from you to stop you from hexing me. Your mom would have hexed me. She did from time to time," Sirius said, now a human again.

"I won't hex you," Rachel said. "But I want to contact Severus. I need to go back to Hogwarts."

"Severus?" Sirius asked. "Why would you want to contact Snivellus?"

Rachel frowned. "That's rude. Please don't call him that. He's my guardian."

"What! That slimy snake is your guardian? You just told me you were raised by muggles," Sirius said, sounding disgusted.

"I was. Severus adopted me in my first year at Hogwarts when he realized that things weren't very good with my relatives," Rachel explained.

Sirius shook his head. "James must be rolling over in his grave. And your school tie, it's green."

"I'm a Slytherin, yes. Is that a problem?" Rachel asked, her hand tightening around her wand.

"Just a surprise. James and Lily were both staunch Gryffindors," Sirius said.

"Would they have been upset that I'm a Slytherin?" she asked.

"James would have been surprised at first, but Lily would have hexed him if he said anything about it. They both loved you dearly, more than life itself, and that would never change," Sirius said.

Rachel smiled. That was nice to hear.

"So how exactly are you planning on sending a message to Snivellus?" Sirius asked with a slight sneer.

"Don't call him that," Rachel said again. "I'm going to send him a message with my Patronus."

"You have a Patronus? But you're, what, thirteen years old?"

Rachel straightened up. "Yes, I can cast a corporeal Patronus."

Sirius shook his head. "There's so much of Lily in you. I bet you get the best grades in your year."

"Third best," Rachel admitted, a little embarrassed.

"Still. James and I did well enough, but only in the classes we were interested in. James certainly got an earful when he failed History of Magic in our fourth year," Sirius said with a smile. "Lily was always top of the class in everything. She was brilliant."

Rachel smiled again and got to her feet. She bet her mom would have liked Hermione.

"Tell Sni-Snape, that I'll return you when I have a promise from the Ministry for a fair trial and that they'll call off the Dementors. And ask them if they have Peter Pettigrew in custody," Sirius said.

She pointed her wand and closed her eyes, taking the time to push away any lingering fears and focusing on the memories that filled her with happiness. She included Sirius saying that her parents had loved her dearly. "Expecto patronum."

Sirius laughed and clapped his hands as Rachel's doe appeared.

"To Severus Snape. Sirius Black is innocent. He'll bring me back once the Ministry guarantees him a fair trial and has sent away the Dementors. Do you have Peter Pettigrew? Oh, and I'm fine," Rachel said as clearly as she could. Her doe paused and then darted away. Hopefully it would be able to find Severus.

Sirius was laughing again. "Oh you're going to give that man a heart attack."

Rachel sat back down, closer to the fire. She wasn't entirely sure what Sirius meant by that, but that wasn't important at the moment. "Was your first trial not fair?"

"I never had a trial. I surrendered myself to the aurors, when they came after Peter exploded all those muggles. He cut off his own finger and then changed into a rat and ran into the sewer, to make it look like he died. I was going to explain all of this to them. They put me in a holding cell and left me in there for days. When they dragged me out it was in chains, and then they read the charges and sentenced me to life in Azkaban. I was screaming that I was innocent as they took me away. I spent days in Azkaban screaming to the guards that I was innocent, that someone had to listen to me. No one did," Sirius explained, his expression growing blank.

Rachel shivered. She didn't know much about how wizarding law worked, but she knew people were supposed to get a trial. Leander had a trial before he was sentenced to Azkaban.

All they could do now was wait until they heard back from Severus.


Severus stood at the back of Albus' office, watching as Shacklebolt and Dawlish questioned Pettigrew, a transcription quill taking notes of everything they said. They'd asked him about his involvement in Lily and James' deaths, his time as a spy, and his life after he had faked his own death.

Albus had remained at his desk, watching with a reserved expression as Pettigrew explained how he spied on the Order and gave details to the Dark Lord.

It was a small comfort - though more of a point of pride than a comfort - that Pettigrew had done a poor job as a spy. They'd known there was a traitor in the Order for months because the Death Eaters' information was just too good. Severus had spent hours upon hours with Albus after becoming a spy, going over what information he knew, what information that could possibly have been gotten from other sources, what the Dark Lord wanted him to leak to Albus, and what the Dark Lord was hiding. They'd used their information well, never compromising Severus' position. The Dark Lord had never suspected that someone was spying on him.

Minerva was standing near Severus, her expression grim as she watched the proceedings.

Severus thought he understood - Pettigrew had been hailed as a hero, as they had all believed he had gone to confront Sirius after Lily and James' deaths. To have him return alive and having been the traitor all along, it must have been a blow to her. Severus knew too, what it meant to have a student that you trusted and believed in betray you. He'd learned that the hard way last year.

A silver doe bounded into Albus' office and approached Severus. "Sirius Black is innocent. He'll bring me back once the Ministry guarantees him a fair trial and has sent away the Dementors. Do you have Peter Pettigrew? Oh, and I'm fine," came Rachel's voice.

Severus exhaled in relief. She was alive. That was all he needed to know.

"Thank Merlin," Minerva said quietly.

Albus got to his feet. "Auror Shacklebolt, I believe we'll need to arrange a meeting with the Minister, Auror Scrimgeour, and Madam Bones to arrange for a trial for Sirius Black and to have the Dementors removed from around Hogwarts grounds. Surely we've gathered more than enough evidence tonight to merit that."

"I believe so, Headmaster. However, I believe you will need to make a very convincing case. The Ministry will not like to admit that it was in error," Shacklebolt said.

"Certainly the fact that one of Black's supposed victims is alive and well should be more than enough to call the rest of the case into question. And seeing as Miss Snow is still in Black's custody, I will make my case to the Ministry tonight. Once you have Pettigrew secured in a Ministry holding cell, I would like for you to assist with presenting evidence based on the testimony you've gathered here tonight," Albus said.

"Of course, Headmaster," Shacklebolt said, bowing his head slightly.

"Severus, please send Rachel a message that we have Pettigrew in custody and we are working on arranging a hearing and for the Dementors to be removed. Ask her if she needs anything and tell her that we will contact her as soon as arrangements have been made," Albus continued.

"Yes, sir," Severus said.

"Minerva, you're in charge of the school while I'm gone. I hope to return by morning," Albus said. "Do you prefer to transfer Pettigrew by apparation or by floo?"

"We can take him by floo, I can bind him to me so he can't get out any grates that we pass," Dawlish said as he stood up and gathered the scrolls of parchment they'd used in transcribing.

They arranged themselves and Albus threw the floo powder into the fireplace. "Ministry of Magic, Auror's offices." They filed through - Shacklebolt first, then Dawlish with Pettigrew, and finally Albus.

"That was Rachel's Patronus," Minerva said. "The same form as yours, if I'm not mistaken. And Lily's as well."

"Yes," Severus said, pulling out his wand.

"That's quite remarkable, a Patronus at thirteen. You've done well with her," Minerva said.

"I'd prefer if the fact that she has a Patronus is not spread around," he said.

Minerva nodded. "I understand. Best not to draw any more attention to Rachel than she already receives."

Severus cast his Patronus. "To Rachel Snow. We have Pettigrew in auror custody. Albus is working with the Ministry to secure a trial for Black and to remove the Dementors. I'll let you know as soon as we have any more information. Are you well? Do you need anything? Where are you?"

His doe waited for a moment and then darted away.

"She was well enough to cast a Patronus, Severus. I'm sure she'll be fine," Minerva said.

Severus gritted his teeth. He wouldn't feel certain of that until he had Rachel back with him. Even knowing that Black wasn't a Death Eater didn't really decrease his suspicion of the man. "Hopefully Albus can negotiate with the Minister quickly."

"It's the Ministry, these things are never quick. If worse comes to worst, Albus can offer Sirius sanctuary in exchange for bringing Rachel back," she said.

Rachel's doe appeared before Severus could respond. "I'm fine, really. We're in a cave and we have a campfire to keep warm. Sirius didn't get a trial before, so he wants one now. He said that Peter Pettigrew can explain what really happened."

Severus shook his head, but saw the corners of Minerva's mouth tilt up. He cast his Patronus again. "To Rachel Snow. Stay where you are if you can and if it's safe to do so. I'll keep in contact with you regularly and you'll hear from me as soon as I hear from Albus."

"Did Sirius truly not get a trial?" Minerva asked when his Patronus had disappeared through the wall.

"I do not know," Severus said. At the time, he hadn't cared. At the time he had been so consumed by his grief that he had barely felt satisfaction at Black being sentenced to a life in Azkaban.

Minerva shook her head. "Disgraceful, if it's true. Twelve years in Azkaban for crimes he didn't commit."

Severus rather thought Black had committed plenty of crimes, including the 'prank' that had nearly gotten him killed. Did that deserve a sentence in Azkaban? Perhaps. They could also add kidnapping to Black's list of crimes now.

"I suppose I will have to tell Ron Weasley the truth about his rat," she said, shaking her head again.

"Perhaps let Arthur and Molly know first?" Severus suggested. After all they had been harboring a fugitive in their home for twelve years without realizing it.

"Quite right," Minerva said.

A silvery shark Patronus swam into the room and approached Severus. "Sir, Rachel is missing. She never came back after Quidditch practice. We tried to find you, but couldn't, and we can't find Professor McGonagall either. Please let us know if she's safe and with you," Theo Nott's voice said.

"Two of your third years have corporeal Patronus'?" Minerva asked.

"Rachel has been teaching her study group, but I didn't realize any of them had successfully cast a corporeal Patronus yet. It seems I need to go set my House in order," Severus said. "Since they were also looking for you, it's likely that Miss Granger, Mr. Longbottom, and Miss Weasley are also involved."

"Yes, I will go see to them," Minerva said.

Severus nodded and went to borrow a handful of Albus' floo powder. "Severus Snape's quarters."

He went from his quarters down to the Slytherin common room, hoping he would find Rachel's friends there. He stepped into the common room and noticed that Gemma, Imogen, Millie, and Theo immediately looked up.

"Sir. Rachel's missing," Gemma said as they rushed over to him.

"I'm aware. Let us speak in my office for a moment," Severus said.

"Can we come, sir?" Millie asked. Her eyes were red and she'd clearly been crying.

"Yes, you may," Severus said.

The four students followed him into his office and he set up a privacy ward as soon as they were all inside. "This information is not for public consumption," he began, giving all of them a look.

"May we tell the rest of our study group, sir? We've all been looking for Rachel for hours now," Theo said.

"You may," Severus said. "Rachel is currently with Sirius Black."

"No!" Millie said loudly, tears starting to run down her face again.

"She is well, I have heard from her," Severus said, realizing he should have led with that.

"The same way I contacted you, sir?" Theo asked.

"Yes, precisely," Severus said. "It appears that Black is not a Death Eater. I believe that Rachel is relatively safe for the time being and Professor Dumbledore is working with the Ministry to ensure her safe return."

"Sir, this is my fault. I told Rachel to go back to the castle with Marcus, but when I asked him he said he never saw her," Imogen said.

"We will discuss that later," Severus said. While he was not pleased with what had happened, he did not plan on doing anything more than lecturing Imogen and Marcus on responsibility and ensuring the safety of their team members.

"Rachel's really okay?" Millie asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Yes, she said she's fine. I'm hopeful that she will be returned tonight or tomorrow morning," Severus said. "The Headmaster and I will not rest until she is back."

"They're not going to send Dementors after them, are they?" Gemma asked, looking worried.

"No, under no circumstances," Severus said. He didn't think Rachel would be likely to survive that experience.

"What should we tell everyone? The rest of the Quidditch team is worried, and other people have heard too," Imogen asked.

"Tell them that Rachel is okay and that the Headmaster and I have the situation under control. If they press you further than that, tell them they can come see me," Severus said. Most students upon hearing that they'd have to ask Severus for more information chose not to.

"Thank you, sir," Gemma said. "I'll make sure the common room is under control."

Severus nodded. "Mr. Nott, stay behind for a moment."

"I'll wait for you in the hallway," Millie told Theo.

Theo nodded and waited while the rest of the students left. "Sir?"

"I'd like to first congratulate you on achieving a corporeal Patronus. That is a feat of magic very few people your age have succeeded at," Severus said.

"Thank you, sir. Rachel is the one who taught me," Theo said.

"Have any of the rest of your study group produced a corporeal Patronus yet?" Severus asked.

"Not yet, I only managed mine two days ago," Theo said.

"And how many people know about it?" Severus asked.

"The study group and Gemma, and I've already asked Gemma not to tell anyone," Theo said. "I'm aware of the advantages of keeping this information to myself, though I thought in this instance the necessity of letting you know that Rachel was missing outweighed the advantages of keeping it a secret."

"I appreciate that and I thank you for doing everything you could to let me know," Severus said with a short nod. He was glad Rachel had both loyal and powerful friends. He remembered his conversation with Rachel earlier in the year regarding Theo. "Is there anything you need my assistance with?"

Theo hesitated and then shook his head. "No, sir. I'm fine."

"If there is anything, please ask. I protect the members of my House," Severus said, certain that Theo would understand his meaning.

"Yes, sir. Is that everything?" Theo asked.

"It is. You may return to the common room," Severus said.

He watched Theo go and then dismissed the privacy ward. He checked the clock on the mantle and decided that he would check in with Rachel once every hour. He would send a message to her again in forty minutes, and hopefully the Headmaster would message him soon. All he could do now was wait.