Apologies for the slight tardiness of the chapter, got caught up with getting food after class... college life... anyway, happily here to present the next chapter, and to cheer for all the chapters that I got edited in my burst of inspiration... all the way into book six now! hurray! Thx to the anon review that reminded me before I got started with other things! Enjoy ~F
Chapter Fourteen
Treachery
Draco sat in the Slytherin common room, basking in the fact that all his exams were finished, when he overheard Theodore Nott storming out of their dormitory with Crabbe and Goyle behind him.
Nott was gloating loudly about how Buckbeak was going to be killed soon, and boasting that he was asking his father if he could donate the beast's head to the Gryffindor common room's décor. The two half-trolls he had as friends chuckled at that, and together they left the common room, heading for Merlin-knew-where.
Draco shook his head. Nott was becoming a huge pain, constantly following around after Harry and Faykan, mocking and antagonizing them, especially Faykan. Why the other Slytherin had such a fixation with Fay, Draco did not know.
Draco sighed, rising and going to where Nott had come from. He was exhausted, and had been waiting for Nott to leave so he could lie down in peace. The third year Slytherin dormitory had five beds arranged around the rectangular room, each giving them their own small cubby of space, although with Nott's ego there was never enough space.
Draco lay down on his four-poster and sighed into his pillow in delight. His back straightened, and several distinct popping sounds signaled the realigning of his spine. There was a small cough from the other side of the room. Draco looked up from his pillow to meet the eyes of Blaise Zabini. The Italian boy was sitting against his headboard, reading from a Quidditch magazine.
"What?" Draco asked, slightly annoyed. Blaise was rather quiet, but seemed to think himself better than everyone, including other purebloods.
Zabini raised his eyebrows as he looked over at Draco, "Nothing Malfoy, just enjoying the lowered temperature since Nott left the room."
Draco snorted, "Yeah, he is rather insufferable these days."
Blaise smiled as he returned to his magazine. Draco closed his eyes, ready to drift off, but Blaise spoke again, "So, what is with Undol?" he asked.
"Hmm?" Draco said sleepily, rolling back to face the other boy.
"I mean, he was dancing and talking with my mother at your parents Yule party, and has been exchanging letters with her every few months since then, but she won't tell me anything about it when I ask her. I wanted to know if you knew anything related."
This time it was Draco's turn to raise his eyebrows. "I had no idea that Faykan had any more contact with anyone from that party, he's a rather a private person to be truthful…" he answered honestly.
"Don't you find it odd, that you know very little about such a close friend?" Zabini asked
Draco found it very odd to tell the truth, but he kept silent as he lay his head down to try and sleep.
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Hermione looked up from the fireplace as Harry burst into the common room, red faced and rather winded. Both Ron and Faykan turned from reading the note they had just received from Hagrid. Hermione had already seen it and was shocked at the news.
'Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it.
Hagrid'
"Professor Trelawney," Harry panted, "just told me…"
But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.
"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this."
He held the note out for Harry to read. Scanning it quickly, his red face suddenly paled dramatically.
"We've got to go," Harry said at once. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"
"Sunset, though," said Ron, who was staring out the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed... especially you, Harry..."
Harry sank his head into his hands, clearly thinking.
"If we only had the Invisibility Cloak..."
"Where is it?" Hermione said quickly, a plan formulating in her mind. Harry explained about the one eyed witch statue on the third floor, and the methods of opening it, and how he had left the cloak in the passageway beneath it.
"… if Snape sees me or Faykan anywhere near there again, We're sure to be in serious trouble," he finished.
"True," Hermione said, grinning as she stood. "If he sees either of you… How do you open the witch's hump again?"
"You tap it with a wand and say 'Dissendium,'" Faykan replied, "But…"
Hermione didn't wait; she bolted to the portrait hole and down to the statue to retrieve the cloak for them. She returned fifteen minutes later, the cloak folded carefully under her robes. Harry and Ron's jaws dropped as she revealed it. Faykan, standing behind them, smiled widely at her.
"Hermione, I don't know what has gotten into you lately!" Ron said astounded.
Hermione blushed, flattered at his praise.
They went down to dinner with everybody else, but did not return to Gryffindor Tower afterward. Harry had the cloak hidden down the front of his robes; he had to keep his arms folded to hide the lump. They skulked in an empty chamber off the entrance hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard a last pair of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door.
"Okay," she whispered, "no one there… cloak on."
Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, they crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath the cloak, and then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds.
The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees. Faykan had changed into his fox form to ease up room beneath the cloak, and he trotted ahead of them, his tongue lolling slightly out of his mouth as he sniffed around, acting like a normal animal for the sake of anyone who might be watching from windows.
However, before they made it across the grounds, Faykan's ears perked sideways and he turned, looking into the forest near the cabin as they approached. Before any of them knew what was going on, Faykan bolted into the trees and disappeared.
"What's with him?" Ron asked, dumbfounded.
"Must have heard or smelt something." Hermione said, confused. Faykan usually wouldn't have left them like in a situation like this.
"He must have a good reason, comm'on… Hagrid," Harry said, urging them forward to the door.
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They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.
"It's us," Harry hissed. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."
"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, and they stepped inside. Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the cloak.
Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon their necks. He looked like a man who did not know where he was or what to do. This helplessness was worse to watch than tears.
"Wan' some tea?" he said. His great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.
"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.
"I… I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an', an' smell fresh air… before…"
Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.
"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.
"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Harry glanced at Ron, who looked back hopelessly.
"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Harry asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore…"
"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared... Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like... threatened 'em, I expect... an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy and Nott... but it'll be quick an' clean... an' I'll be beside 'im... "
Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.
"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it… while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter… ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore..."
Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back tears.
"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she began, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.
"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway... If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry, yeh'll be in big trouble."
Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid, bustling around making tea. Then, as she picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, she let out a shriek.
"Ron, I don't believe it… it's Scabbers!"
Ron gaped at her. "What are you talking about?"
Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.
"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"
He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself
"It's okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"
Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment.
"They're comin'..."
Harry, Ron, and Hermione whipped around. A group of men was walking own the distant castle steps. In front was Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun. Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner, Macnair.
"Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here... Go now..."
Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak. "I'll let yeh out the back way," said Hagrid.
They followed him to the door into his back garden. Harry felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's Pumpkin patch. Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head from side to side and pawed the ground nervously.
"It's okay, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's okay..." He turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."
They had no choice. As Hermione threw the cloak over Harry and Ron, they heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.
"Go quick," he said hoarsely. "Don' listen..."
And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.
Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off silently around Hagrid's house. As they reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.
"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it..."
They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west there was a ruby red glow.
Ron stopped dead. Hermione tugged on him to get them moving again, but Ron complained that Scabbers wouldn't stop squirming in his grasp. The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.
Hermione swayed on the spot. "They did it!" she whispered to Harry. "I d-don't believe it… they did it!"
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Crookshanks could smell the rat-man, even though he could not see him. The dog-man and the ancient fox had formulated a plan to capture the rat, and it was Crookshanks' job to drive the rat-man away from the children, to protect them while they sprung the trap.
He crawled toward the scents of the children, and could hear the red haired boy struggling and talking at the rat-man and his mistress calling at him.
"No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"
But the plan had to work for the safety of his mistress and her friends, so Crookshanks stalked forward further.
"Scabbers… NO!"
And the-rat man dashed out of thin air. Crookshanks dived after him, the red haired boy behind him, bursting out of the area of nothing that the humans were hiding inside.
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Harry and Hermione almost fell over Ron in their haste to follow him; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. They had chased after him as he ran after Crookshanks and Scabbers. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.
"Ron… come on back under the cloak…" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore, the Minister… they'll be coming back out in a minute…"
But before they could get the cloak back over Ron, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws… something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow, an enormous, pale eyed, jet black dog.
Hermione stood wide eyed, watching as the dog leapt at Harry, and caught him with its front paws, knocking him to the ground and bounding past because of the force is its jump. It was growling as it skidded around for a new attack.
But Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Harry and Hermione aside; the dog's jaws latched instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged, seizing the dog, but the beast ignored them, dragging Ron as easily as a rag doll.
Then out of nowhere, something hit Hermione and she fell, shrieking with pain. At her side she saw Harry fall.
They both groped for their wands. "Lumos!" they murmured together.
The wandlight showed him the trunk of a thick tree; they had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop them going nearer.
And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backward into a large gap in the roots… and Faykan, standing with his back to the trunk, oblivious to the madly swinging branches. He was stroking his hands across the trunk, speaking soothing words to the tree, causing it to ignore himself and the giant dog. "Faykan?" Harry cried, and the boy turned his bright blue eyes to them.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, "Ra orn putta sen." The branched flailed again, creating a deadly shroud around Faykan as he changed into a fox, and dived into a hole at the base of the tree. Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight.
"Ron!" Harry shouted, trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and he was forced backward again.
All they could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him farther underground, but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken, and a moment later, his foot vanished from sight.
"Harry, we've got to go for help…" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.
"No!" Harry gasped, struggling madly to try and get closer to the tree, "We haven't got time…"
"Harry… we're never going to get through without help…" Hermione gasped.
Another branch whipped down at them, twigs clenched like knuckles.
"If they can get in, we can," Harry panted, darting between the writhing branches, trying to find a way in.
"Oh what to do… what to do?" Hermione said to herself, "Help, oh help please," she said to no one in particular.
Crookshanks darted forward from the darkness. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paw upon a knot on the trunk.
Abruptly the tree froze all movement ceasing. "Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. She reached forward and clutched Harry's arm. "How did he know?"
"Because he's friends with that dog… and Faykan…" Harry replied grimly, bitterness dripping off his voice, "Come on… keep out your wand…"
They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. Harry went next; he crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from Harry's wand. Seconds later, Hermione slithered down beside him.
"Where's Ron?" she whispered in a terrified voice.
"This way," said Harry, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.
"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind him.
"I don't know... It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it... It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade..."
They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double; ahead of them, Crookshanks' tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes... All Harry could think of was Ron and what Faykan and the enormous dog might be doing to him... He was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch; every thought of Faykan at the moment filled him with confused rage...
And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Instead, Harry could see a patch of dim light through a small opening.
He and Hermione paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. Both raised their wands to see what lay beyond.
It was a room; a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.
Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked very frightened but nodded. Harry pulled himself out of the hole, staring around. The room was deserted, but a door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed Harry's arm again. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows.
"Harry," she whispered, "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack."
At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Both of them looked up at the ceiling. Hermione's grip on Harry's arm was so tight he was losing feeling in his fingers. He raised his eyebrows at her; she nodded again and let go.
Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.
They reached the dark landing. "Nox," they whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod.
Wand held tightly before him, Harry kicked the door wide open. On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron.
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Sirius was watching the door to the bedroom while Faykan kept his wand on the red haired boy. Sirius knew that Harry and the bushy haired girl would come for their friend. Then he could explain everything and deal with Peter in one go. Faykan sniffed once, and Sirius looked at him.
The boy looked slightly forlorn; he had had a lot of resentment about his part of the plan: keeping the Whomping Willow from hurting Sirius as he pulled the rat, or as it turned out the boy with the rat, into the secret passage. Sirius had seen the look of betrayal and pain on Harry's face as Faykan used his special gift with the tree to prevent them from following until Crookshanks would intervene. It had torn straight through the boy's heart. It blearily reminded him of how James would look when Lily was mad at him.
"Don't worry," Sirius whispered, "If Harry is anything like his father, he'll understand, eventually." Faykan smiled slightly, and at that moment Harry and his friend burst into the room, darting straight to the red haired boy.
"Ron… are you okay?"
"Where's the dog?"
"Not a dog," the red haired boy, Ron, moaned. His teeth were gritted in pain. "Harry, it's a trap…"
"What…"
"He's the dog… he's an Animagus, just like him."
Ron was staring right at Sirius and Faykan across the room. Harry wheeled around, along with the brown haired girl. Sirius shut the door with a snap as he and Faykan stepped out of the shadows.
Faykan sadly flicked his wand, disarming both his friends, and caught their wands, his eyes downcast. But Sirius had eyes only for his best friend's son.
"I thought you'd come and help your friend," Sirius said, his voice still rather hoarse, even after all this time out of Azkaban. "Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you both, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful… it will make everything much easier…"
He had clearly said the wrong thing. All emotion left Harry's eyes as Sirius mentioned James. The boy lunged for Sirius, but his friends held him back, "No Harry!" the girl gasped. Ron tried to stand and speak to Black and Faykan.
"If you two want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, and he swayed slightly from the loss of blood.
"Ron, lie down," Faykan said calmly to the boy, "You'll hurt yourself more."
"Did you hear me?" Ron replied weakly, clutching to Harry just to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"
"There'll be only one murder here tonight," Sirius said, grinning as he watched Peter squirm in Ron's pocket.
"Why's that?" Harry spat at him, straining to wrench himself free from Ron and the girl. "You didn't care last time. You didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew… What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"
"Harry," Faykan said softly, "It's not what you…"
"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared back, and with a huge effort he broke free of his friends and lunged at Sirius. "AND YOU LIED TO KEEP ME FROM STOPPOING HIM!
Faykan stepped between them, spreading his arms wide and blocked Harry from attacking Sirius. Harry collided heavily with the other Boy, but Faykan seemed rooted like iron to the floor and did not budge.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Harry yelled at him, but Faykan wouldn't move.
"No, Harry." He said, looking directly into the boy's face.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY, I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!" Harry roared, spittle flying into Faykan's face.
"No!" Faykan yelled back, "I won't let you, not until we've explained why we did this."
"YOU!" Harry screamed at him, trying to push past and get at Sirius. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THIS TIME! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIEND, BUT YOU HELP THE MAN WHO WANTS TO KILL ME?"
"Please Harry," Faykan pleaded, "please calm down and listen to us."
"I'M NOT GOING TO WAIT FOR HIM TO KILL ME!" Harry screamed. He launched himself at Faykan, who refused to budge, and caught the full force of Harry's charge again.
Harry struggled to get around Faykan for a moment, and Sirius saw much of the rational thought drain out of the boy's eyes. He turned his wrath onto the obstacle blocking him from Sirius, and latched his hands around his friend's throat, straining to squeeze the life out of him. Faykan clawed at Harry's fingers, pleading with his bulging eyes, while their two friends shouted from across the room.
"Y-you don't… argh… understand… Harry," Faykan gasped, struggling to breathe as Harry choked him. "Pl-please… let us explain…" he sagged to his knees, Harry hands still around his throat. His, Harry's and the girl's wands clattered to the floor as he struggled to remove Harry's hands.
"NO!" Sirius yelled, springing to pry the boy's hands off, but the girl attacked him with a strong kick, and the boy, Ron, threw himself at Sirius' wand arm.
He fell, the boy's wand he had taken flying from his hand to join the pile on the floor, which the girl recollected and returned to Harry and Ron, keeping hers and Faykan's. Harry took his wand, releasing Faykan, who gasped and panted on the floor, while Harry pointed it at Sirius.
"Going to kill me Harry?" Sirius whispered.
"You killed my parents," Harry replied, his voice shaking, but his wand hand quite steady. Sirius didn't doubt that the boy could kill him in an instant right now.
"I don't deny it," Sirius replied very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."
"N-no!" Faykan gasped, trying to get up, but still unsteady from the lack of oxygen.
"The whole story?" Harry repeated. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know.
"Harry…" Faykan moaned quietly, but the boy ignored him.
"You've got to listen to me," Sirius said, urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't... You don't understand..."
"I understand a lot better than you think," said Harry, and his voice shook more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum... trying to stop Voldemort killing me... and you did that... you did it..."
Before either of them could say another word, Faykan threw himself over Sirius, directly in the path of Harry's wand, shielding Sirius from any curse Harry could possibly have cast.
"Move Faykan," Harry said coldly, "He deserves it,"
"Deserves it!" Faykan said, his voice still rough, but regaining its strength rapidly, "Don't be too eager to deal out death in judgment Harry. Even the very wise cannot see all ends." He looked up into the emerald green eyes that glowed with fury. "Many that live deserve death," Faykan continued in a small voice, "And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them Harry?"
Harry stared down at them both, but his wand arm was trembling now. Sirius wondered if he was considering killing them both, the friend that betrayed him and the supposed murderer of his parents. He raised the wand, his eyes darting from Faykan's face to Sirius'. The seconds lengthened, but he stood there frozen, ready to cast a curse.
And then a new sound came from beneath them. Footsteps, echoing up through the floor, someone was coming up the stairs.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" the girl screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE… SIRIUS BLACK… QUICK!"
The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks, causing Harry to wheel around as Remus, wonderful Remus Lupin hurtled into the room. His face was white, wand raised and ready. His eyed surveyed the room quickly.
"Expelliarmus!" Remus shouted, causing all the wands in the room to sail into his free hand. Sirius breathed a small sigh of relief. His most intelligent friend would at the least hear him out.
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Harry stood there, wandless and empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. The inkling of doubt prevented him from avenging his parents. Black would be handed to the dementors, and vengeance would pass from him.
Harry wondered absently what would happen to Faykan when they found out he had been helping Black from the beginning. Harry was so lost, his best friend had betrayed him; helping a murder get so close to him, and almost kill him. But the tinest speck of doubt wanted to believe them, to consider that there might be something more to the story.
Then Professor Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice. "Where is he, Sirius?"
Harry looked quickly at Lupin with wide eyes. He didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was he talking about? He turned to look at Black again.
Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Harry glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered.
"But then..." Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "... why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless…" Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, "…unless he was the one... unless you switched... without telling me?"
Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, and Black nodded.
"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going on…?"
But he never finished the question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet, and embraced Black like a brother. Faykan stood shakily afterward, and stood in a corner trying to stop his hands from trembling.
Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.
Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wild eyed. "You… you…"
"Hermione…" their professor started, but Hermione cut him off.
"…you too!"
"Hermione, calm down…" Faykan said, his voice still very gravely from what Harry had done. Harry felt a tiny pang of remorse. He had been so angry and had lost control of himself.
"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you," she glanced at Faykan as well, "Both of you."
"Hermione, listen to me, please" Lupin shouted. "I can explain…"
Harry could feel himself shaking again with a fresh wave of fury.
"I trusted you," Harry yelled, partially at Lupin and partially at Faykan, who shrank back as if physically struck, "and all this time you've both been helping him, all this time you've been his friends!"
"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius' friend, but I am now… Let me explain…"
"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust them, they've been helping Black into the castle, and they clearly want you dead too… Lupin is a werewolf!"
"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead." An odd shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."
Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, "Get away from me, werewolf!"
Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"
"Ages," Hermione whispered. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay..."
"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant... Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"
"Both," Hermione said quietly.
Lupin forced a laugh. "You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."
"I'm not," Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"
"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff does."
"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf!" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"
Faykan laughed slightly, watching his feet, and he mumbled something that sounded like, "Dumbledore… mad…"
"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy…"
"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!"
He was pointing at Black, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, beckoning for Faykan to come over to him. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring as Faykan joined him, standing in front of Black, still not looking up. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.
"I have not been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look…"
He separated Harry's, Ron's, Faykan's, and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner; Harry caught his, stunned. Faykan's hit him and clattered back to the floor. He didn't even try to pick it up again so Black did it for him, handing him the wand. Faykan took it and looked at it confused, then slowly put it in his robes.
"There," said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"
Harry didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?
"If you haven't been helping them," he said, with a furious glance at Faykan and Black, "how did you know he was here?"
"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it…"
"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.
"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony… that was my friends' nickname for me at school."
"You wrote…?"
"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, Faykan, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I."
He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet.
"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry…"
"How'd you know about the cloak?"
"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it...," said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds, watched as Faykan broke off to disappear into the forest, and as you entered Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."
"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"
"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. It seemed to every time I looked at Faykan's dot, but how could he be with you?"
"No one was with us!" said Harry.
"And then I saw another pair of dots, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black, and Faykan Undol... I saw Sirius collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow, followed quickly by Faykan…"
"One of us!" Ron said angrily.
"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you."
He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.
"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.
"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"
"Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"
Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and made a soft hissing noise.
Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.
"What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared.
"What's my rat got to do with anything?"
"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly. Even Faykan's eyes widened.
"What d'you mean… of course he's a rat…" Ron stammered
"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."
"An Animagus," said Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."
"You're mental, all three of you!" Ron cried.
"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.
"Of course…" Faykan breathed, looking at Scabbers.
"No." Harry said firmly, "Pettigrew's dead. You killed him." He declared, pointing at Black.
"I meant to…" he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me…" he then turned to look at Lupin again. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for…"
"But there were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," Harry said, ignoring Ron's mutterings of 'nutters, the lot of them.'
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "I believed it myself, until I saw the map tonight. The Marauder's map never lies... Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."
Harry looked down at Ron, and as their eyes met, they agreed, silently: Black and Lupin were both out of their minds. Their story made no sense whatsoever. How could Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew? Azkaban must have unhinged Black after all, but why was Lupin or Faykan playing along with him?
Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly.
"But Professor Lupin... Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..."
"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with grindylows.
"Because... because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework - the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things... and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."
"Was my name on the list Hermione?" Faykan said suddenly. Hermione opened her mouth, but didn't speak.
"Unregistered Animagi exist everywhere Hermione. It is not unheard of for three to have run around Hogwarts unnoticed." Faykan continued, snapping out of his daze.
"If you two would like to get a move on," Black said, still watching Scabbers, "I've waited twelve years; I'm not going to wait much longer…"
Ra orn putta sen : Great tree stop them
Potential Spoilers Ahead: You Have Been Warned!
Very canon chapter here at the climax, predominantly because the shakers and movers here had little to no interaction in plan-making with Faykan. and yes, shameless cliffhanger I know. If/When I finish the edits I am considering upping the postings to every week so that it can get pushed through quicker, let me know whether this is something you'd want or if the pace now is good to balance with everything else I write, should you read the other stories I write. Until next time everyone! ~F