CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CAT, RAT, AND DOG

Sirius took the book and started to read "Chapter 17, Cat, Rat, and Dog."

333

"Poor Hagrid" Molly said sadly.

Charlie looked on the verge of crying.

"You okay Charlie?" Remus asked.

"It's fine." Charlie said with a blush and a broken voice

"He's always been like this." Arthur said. "He can handle most anything, but execution of animals…"

"I'm okay" Charlie cut off clearing his throat and becoming 'manly' again. "I've gotten better. I have to with my job. But this was injustice!"

333

"That's not like Scabbers" Bill said.

333

"That is a very good question." Arthur said.

333

Harry buried his head in his hands and groaned. If only he had grabbed it.

333

Eyebrows were raised at the reader.

333

Sirius stopped and turned to Harry.

"They weren't" Harry confirmed.

333

"What happened?" Molly asked worried.

333

"Yeah….looking back, probably shouldn't have" Ron realized as it had been the fighting that really broke his leg.

"You couldn't have known." Sirius said.

333

Molly glared daggers at Sirius.

"It came from the fighting Mum" Ron said. "My kicking caused my leg to get caught in a rock and before I knew it, it was broken."

"Besides, Madame Pomfrey can heal any injury" Ginny said.

333

"I don't know if that cat's smart or just plain stupid" Tonks said.

Hermione gave her a dirty look.

"On one hand, he came to his mistress' aid when she asked for it and was able to assist. On the other, he MUST have known Harry would be furious at Sirius."

"Well, and to add to the first," Remus said. "It allowed Harry to learn the truth."

"Hey. I was there. I would have figured it out" Ron said.

"You may be my best mate, but looking back, I doubt I would have believed that." Harry admitted. "I needed to hear it from parties who were there."

"Harry's right Ron." Sirius said. "everyone would have blamed that I used 'dark magic' to mess with your head and hide the traces."

"Is that possible?" Tonks asked.

"To mess with the head, yes." Snape said beating Mad-Eye. "To hide the trace, depends on from which wizard."

"Hate to say it, but Snape's right" Mad-Eye said. "Albus would have been able to see."

"But Fudge is too stubborn." Arthur added. "Even if Albus was in his good graces, it would be REALLY hard to convince Fudge Sirius was innocent. Especially with Malfoy in his back pocket."

"What does Malfoy have to do with this?" Harry asked.

"Because of inheritance stuff." Sirius said. "I'll explain later."

333

Fred and George were currently on the edge of their seats eager to find out where this passage let out at.

333

"Wait a minute….EW!" Hermione said making a face as she suddenly realized just WHAT those floor stains were.

"What?" Harry asked.

She whispered to Ron who made a face and then whispered to Harry. Harry made a similar face and turned to Sirius and Remus.

"Out of the four of you, how many were housebroken?"

"That is none of your business." Remus said calmly with no indication of embarrassment as everyone else laughed.

"Considering the way they did it," McGonagall added giving Sirius a look. "It wouldn't surprise me. That is why there is usually an age restriction on the transformation."

333

"LUCKY!" the twins exclaimed. Bill, Charlie, and even Tonks and Arthur were looking a tad jealous.

333

"Try werewolf" Sirius said.

333

"Did I really look that hideous?" Sirius asked.

"If younger you could have seen yourself, you would have dropped in a dead faint" Remus confirmed.

333

"OW!" Sirius said.

"Could you have chosen a worse set of words?" Remus asked.

333

"It wasn't a taunt." Sirius told Harry.

"I know now." Harry said leaning against his godfather and gripped his arm as if to remind Sirius that what he was reading was no longer applicable.

333

"Like you're in any position to help" Mad-Eye scoffed.

Arthur smiled at his son's loyalty. Ron saw the smile of pride and returned a happy one to his father.

333

What?" Ron asked confused.

"You had actually reminded me of myself." Sirius said. "The willingness to protect your brother-in-all-but-blood."

Ron blushed.

333

"Poor choice of words again" Remus said.

333

"Was that the reason?" Harry asked his godfather.

"No. The only spell I was using to use on you was the disarming one at the time. I never could bring myself to use a harmful spell on you."

333

"I was about to move him when he slackened." Sirius explained before continuing.

333

"He's not going to." Snape said with an air of disappointment.

"No." Albus said with a proud air. "It's not in his nature."

333

"If the situation hadn't been dire, I would have laughed at you being overpowered by a kid." Remus told Sirius.

333

"Okay, hindsight, I should have expressed who 'he' was" Remus realized.

333

"And only took you 13 years to figure it out" Sirius teased.

"Less than some" Remus teased back. "Not like you told anyone."

333

"Not gonna happen" the students chorused.

333

"Run for the hills! Hermione got a failing percentage!" Ron joked.

She 'Gibslapped' him. (For those who don't know, it's hitting the back of the head. See watch?v= quckbuNK_YE for examples)

333

"Sorry" Ron apologized.

"I was used to it" Lupin said.

333

"Didn't we cover that in Book 1?" George asked.

333

"That was a stupid move." Tonks told Remus. "Giving three hormonal angry teenagers weapons."

"HEY!" the trio exclaimed

333

"WHAT!?"

Sirius looked up and saw the twins gapping at Remus and the teachers and parents groaning.

"You're…." Fred whispered

"…Moony?" George asked

"All this time?" they chorused.

"Fred." George said. "We were taught by one of the greatest!"

"I knew there was a reason Lupin was always my favorite Defense Professor." Fred added.

The two got up, walked over to Remus, and prostrated themselves at his feet.

"We are not worthy oh great one!" they chorused

"Get up you two. You are plenty worthy" Remus said with an eyeroll before turning to Sirius "Read."

333

The Weasleys' jaws dropped.

"Perhaps it would be best if I read next." Dumbledore said.