Chapter 25: Sirius Black and the Shrieking Shack

Chapter 25

Sirius Black and the Shrieking Shack

Sage was working on some more of the potions he needed to make up for the first two years he had missed. In just a year of school, he had managed to complete almost all of them. His uncle was near him finishing up the Wolfsbane Potion. It was almost end of term and Lupin would be needing the potion that night. If the potion's smell was any indication of how it might taste, Sage was glad he was a Magi and not a Lycanthrope. Sage looked up at his uncle.

"Sir, I'm done if you want to check this when you get a minute."

Severus was busy stirring an ingredient in some Wolfsbane, which was the finishing step, and he didn't even look up at Sage. "Come over here and stir this, and I will look at it."

Sage walked over and took the huge stirring spoon from his uncle. He watched the thick potion curl around the spoon as he stirred it. Briefly, he looked up at the Potion's Master to see if what he had made measured up. The man's lips were curled slightly upwards which was always a pleasant sign. Severus felt his glance.

"Concentrate on what you're doing." He said abruptly.

"Sorry sir," Sage said, looking back down at the Wolfsbane.

Severus moved around the classroom fluidly and soon was back by Sage's side with a big goblet. He ladled in some of the potion, told Sage to clean up, and went to give the potion to Lupin.

After fifteen minutes had passed, Sage began wondering where Severus had gone. There was no way the man was making small talk with Lupin, Severus still hated him, even if Sage liked him well enough. Then a thought flew into Sage's mind. What if Lupin had changed already? That very night was the full moon and it may already be out. Sage flew out of the classroom, first making sure to set the fire under the potion to a simmering mode. He took the stairs two at a time as he ran up to Lupin's office. As he ran, he got more worried that something was wrong. His body was telling him there was something wrong. His uncle had warned him that sometime prescience was not conscious and was more of a sixth sense, and he was experience that feeling of dread. He just knew something was wrong when he found the door to Lupin's office wide open.

He stopped at the desk and looked around for any signs of what could have happened. Nothing was amiss, nothing was thrown around like it would have been if Lupin had changed. Sage was perplexed, but the drop in his stomach made him redouble his efforts to find a clue. Suddenly, his eye caught on a piece of parchment thrown facedown on the desk. Sage picked it up and looked at it. His eyes jumped open wide. There, on this map of sorts, was a bunch of dots in Hogsmeade labeled Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, and Sirius Black. Sirius Black! Sage dropped that paper and ran out of the castle as fast as he could. This time he began jumping down lengths of stairs and swinging himself around the corners in the staircases. It did not even occur to him to get the Headmaster, or any other teacher.

His heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't feel his own breathing, he was moving so fast. He cursed the fact that he could not apparate inside of the grounds. It would be so much faster if he could. He slammed into the door and out onto the grass. The ground squished beneath him as his feet pounded into it. He couldn't see anything much in the dark, other than glimmers of the full moon. His heart fell into his stomach. The potion! It was sitting on Lupin's desk, Severus didn't have it with him and Lupin was there as well. If he came outside, he would turn immediately. Sage stopped dead. He looked back and then forward. It was too late to head back. He took off toward the whomping willow again. He'd deal with Lupin once they had dealt with Sirius Black. For all he knew, Black was holding them all hostage or worse. The dots didn't say if the person was alive or not. If Sage had any wind, he would have gasped at that thought.

His feet thundered into the ground faster and harder. Suddenly, he heard screaming in the distance, then yelling. He couldn't distinguish his uncle's voice. Then he realized something. When he had come flying out of the castle, he didn't see any of the dementors. He ran faster as he heard someone yelling Expecto Patronum! He feared the worst. He saw a big flash of light ahead of him, but not large enough to battle a horde of hungry Dementors. Stopping, he took a deep breath and concentrated on the form in the darkness casting the spell. Sage held his hand up and concentrated on doing the Transference he had done earlier in the year when the (fake) Dementors had attacked Harry. There were sudden pulses of light. Sage took another gasp of air, feeling a great weight on him that made him want to sink to his knees.

His heart came out of his stomach when he saw the Dementors leaving. One of them had looked about ready to give the kiss to someone. He yelled Lumos and the ground around him lit up the area around him. He saw his uncle laying on the ground to his left.

His heart pounded back into his stomach as he ran up to him and slid onto his knees at his uncle's side coming to an abrupt halt after running so fast. He leaned in closer to him, he thought he heard the man breathing, but he had blood on his face. He put his hand over Severus' head and said Enervate!

Severus' eyes opened up piercingly, as if he were ready to kill.

"Sage! What are you doing here! Where's Black? Did you kill him? If not I will and those three damn Gryffindor friends of yours."

"Sir, sir, calm down. I didn't do anything. I just got here. What happened?"

"Lupin was helping Black all along. He managed to get your three idiotic friends to join him in the Shrieking Shack and brought them right to Black. I caught them and they confunded your annoying, little, meddling friends and they stupified me at the same time."

Severus jumped up and looked around. He caught the tail end of the Patronus driving the dementors away. He saw the three Gryffindors lying on the ground nearby. Sage also noticed them for the first time. He gasped and ran over to Hermione, who was nearest to him. He felt for her pulse. His hand was shaking. Finally, he felt a thump against his finger. Severus was already conjuring stretchers for them all and levitating the boys onto them. He also had a wicked and maniacal smile plastered on his face as he levitated a third body onto a stretcher. Sage knew that it had to be none other than Sirius Black.

Sage helped Severus get everyone back to the castle. Sage was standing next to Severus, watching Black passed out in a room when Dumbledore showed up. Severus proudly explained that he had apprehended Black. He also added that the meddling Gryffindors had almost fouled it all up and gotten themselves killed. He also mentioned that Dumbledore could not ignore the fact that they had been breaking all sorts of rules that were set up for their safety. Snape was adamant about Harry especially. Dumbledore told them that Fudge was on his way and that he would watch after Black. Severus turned to leave, but Sage looked up at Dumbledore.

"Sir, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Severus stopped and grabbed Sage by the shoulder ready to lead him out. Dumbledore, however, put up an imperious hand. "Severus, you should go and get ready for the minister's arrival. No doubt he will want to talk to you first. I wouldn't mind some company here," he said nodding in Sage's direction.

Severus scowled at his nephew and gave him a warning look. Eventually, he left. Sage looked back up at Dumbledore. The headmaster looked very worn and serious, but turned a kind eye to Sage.

"Sir, er, I don't think Sirius Black is bad, that he's a killer." Sage looked down. He knew he sounded mad.

But Dumbledore just looked at him curiously, "And why not?"

"Well, you know how I get sick from my visions. I also get sick whenever I am around evil or when something evil is about to happen. I even get sick around my Uncle Lucius. But, the strange thing is, I don't feel sick now, and I've been around Black for at least a half and hour. Sir, I'm sure I would feel sick if he was really one of Voldemort's followers."

Dumbledore rubbed his chin and nodded. "Is there anything else?" He knew Sage was holding back to see what his reaction would be.

"Yes sir. My uncle told me about how Black was muttering about Peter Pettigrew and a rat, and how Pettigrew was an animagus. He claimed that Peter was Ron's rat Scabbers. That Pettigrew had framed him and that Pettigrew had betrayed the Potters. It just came to me a short while ago, but all year during my visions and dreams I have seen a green rat and a snake. Earlier today, Harry and Ron told me that Professor Trelawney had a vision and her voiced changed and she said 'the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master' Then it all came together in my head: Pettigrew was the green rat, green because he is a Death Eater; the snake, Voldemort; the snake and the rat joined in my vision. Sir, if it's true he has set out to rejoin the Dark Lord. Black is innocent I'm sure of it. I just didn't want to say so in front of my uncle." For obvious reasons.

Dumbledore sighed and adjusted his glasses. He closed his eyes in thought and then looked to the unconscious body of Sirius Black.

"Your reasons are quite compelling Mr. Snape. I too am perplexed by the fact that you are fine near Black, when you should be very ill. You interpretation of your visions, coupled with Trelawney's prediction, are also curious. Let us enervate Mr. Black and see what he has to say."

Severus was startled when Sage came running into the hospital wing where Severus was talking to the Minister. Harry and Hermione had just exclaimed that Black was innocent when Sage entered. Severus protested that they had been confunded by Black. The minister seemed to agree. Sage felt that he had to try and stop it. Black was innocent. He jumped in between the two of them.

"Minister, sir, they're right. Black is innocent!"

Severus' eyes darted onto Sage, "Silence, boy!"

"But, sir, you know that I get sick around people shrouded in evil or before something evil is about to happen. I've been around Black for over a half and hour and I'm fine!"

Harry yelled, "See, we told you!"

"Shut-up Potter."

"Now, Snape, the boy's been through a lot."

Snape growled in response. Sage persisted, "Black said that Pettigrew's an animagus and that he turned into a rat. That Pettigrew framed him. I've been having visions all year, uncle, about snakes and rats. About Voldemort and Pettigrew."

"I said SILENCE NOW!"

"No, I can't let a school grudge let a man be worse than killed, Uncle. You're making a mistake. Black is innocent. Please, just listen to me!"

"NO MORE!"

"You've got the wrong man, Pettigrew is probably going to the Dark Lord as we speak. You can't let the dementors have him Minister. My uncle is wrong."

Severus smacked him mightily on the back of the head. "Stay out of this," he yelled. Dumbledore came in finally and stopped next to Sage, eying him with concern. In just a moment he had put together what had happened.

Sage looked to him, "Headmaster, you can't let them do this. He's innocent!"

Severus grabbed him by the collar. "One more word out of you and I'll curse you into next week. You are in enough trouble as it stands."

His hair fell into his face as he looked down. Sage knew his uncle was going to be really angry about what he had said. Also, it had apparently not done any good. Even Dumbledore seemed to not think a fight was worth it. Finally, his uncle left with the Minister, but not before telling him that they were going to have words later that night.

He stared up at Dumbledore, just as Harry and Hermione were. They were already rambling off their story, saying that Sirius was innocent, and asking him to do something. Even Sage was hoping that Dumbledore, who always had answers, would be able to save Black. It seemed not likely as he shook his head and said he did not have the power and that there was no evidence.

He left if up to Harry and Hermione to save Black, and Sage was left crossing his fingers with the headmaster in the hallway outside of the hospital wing.