Chapter 30) Execution

Selected Listening: God Knows I Tried- Lana Del Rey

Anastasia's birthday passed uneventfully with the stress of mid-finals week. She wanted to wish Draco happy birthday too, but since there was no need to see each other, she supposed it was only another memory he would have to erase. Anastasia avoided him, and after dinner with Albus in the headmaster's suite, she enjoyed the evening with her friends, eating candy as they studied for the last day of finals, and worried over Buckbeak's upcoming trial.

The next morning, the third years had to participate in a defense against the dark arts maze. Professor Lupin announced the instructions:

"This maze contains a challenge for each of the units we completed this year. You are to use the spells I taught you to prevail in each situation and finish the obstacle course."

One by one, the students made their way through. Most succeeded, taking about five minutes each. Finally it was Draco's turn, and Anastasia had to take a deep breath, hoping he wouldn't be hurt in the maze in a way that would give her symptoms.

Five minutes passed, then six, then seven…after ten Lupin finally went to rescue him.

"Quite alright, Malfoy," Lupin said, patting him on the shoulder as the boy stumbled out. "You won't fail but do try to review. Those pesky boggarts are not uncommon. Especially in older architecture."

Draco ran off before any of the Slytherins could tease him. The remaining students looked around, now fearing whatever came ahead.

"I didn't review boggarts, that was at the beginning of the year—" complained Lavender.

"How does he expect us to remember—" Romilda commented.

"Most of us didn't even get a swing at it," Seamus griped, glaring at Harry.

"Not the spiders again," sighed Ron.

All the while, Anastasia repeated in her head, sock puppets sock puppets sock puppets.

Yet she wondered what had tripped Draco up so badly.

When it was Anastasia's turn, she approached the entrance. Professor Lupin caught her shoulder and said quietly in her ear.

"Note that advanced transfiguration abilities will not be counted for points on this test…therefore you cannot sprint past the challenges on four legs and maintain a passing grade."

"How'd you—" but he simply winked and waved her on.

She made it past the grindylow, the red caps, and the hinkypunk with ease. Then she reached an old suitcase. The boggart emerged.

But this time, it did not take the form of the four friends that emerged before.

It took the form of two. The Cambridges. They took short steps towards her.

"It's been decided…" said Tamara gently.

"Your father is guilty. He's going to Azkaban," stated Eli, as if it were kind.

"Your guardianship lies with us now—"

Anastasia shuddered.

"Pack your bags—"

Anastasia aimed her wand at the couple and growled, "Ridikkulus!"

The homely couple turned into a pair of awkward gourds that rolled back into the cabinet. Anastasia walked out of the maze, quite proud of herself.

By the time the last final had ended. Hagrid sent word that Buckbeak's execution was set for seven pm, after curfew.

"We're never going to get out, especially with you, Harry," Ron whined.

"Not without the invisibility cloaks, we're not," Hermione said determinedly.

"We won't all fit anymore," Harry said, looking down at their ankles.

"I've got one," Anastasia said. "We can double up."

"Now she tells us! After all the shuffling around we've been doing these past years?" Ron whined.

"I told you now, didn't I?" she asked, hands on her hips.

So, at six pm, the troop ventured down from the common room, now covered by two invisibility cloaks held together by an adhesive charm. Underneath the cloak, Anastasia carried a bouquet of wildflowers she had picked that afternoon as a sympathy gift.

They approached Hagrid's hut and found three other students hiding behind a large rock, which protruded like a column from the ground on the hill. Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle peeked around the rock structure at Buckbeak, sitting in Hagrid's garden, picking apart his dinner. They cackled.

A rage lit within her, but Hermione acted first, tearing off the invisibility cloak from the group.

"Where'd you lot come from—" Crabbe started, but Hermione charged at Malfoy. He turned, ogling at the furious witch. She drew her wand and pointed it in Draco's face. Anastasia held her breath and took a step back.

"Don't, Hermione. He's not worth it," Ron advised.

Hermione let down her wand and turned to walk away. Anastasia let her breath out and turned to walk with her friends.

Hermione wound her fist up, pivoted and directed it straight into Draco's jaw.

"Ayp!" he yelped, then ran off with his crew.

Pain blinded Anastasia. She gripped the side of her face with both hands, half-keeled over.

"Oh, Anastasia, I'm sorry." Hermione's presence hovered beside her, her hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked. "What happened?"

Anastasia lifted her face and looked into the eyes of her friends. There was no hiding it. Her eyes had gone bleary from impact. Her face burned a blotchy red on that side. Hermione winced.

"Blimey," Ron gaped, "you've got a lifeline spell with Malfoy…thought those were a myth."

Inwardly, Anastasia seethed. She hoped Ron wouldn't have known. Then, she could have given some stupid excuse for the coincidence.

"What's a lifeline spell?" Harry asked. "Is that a curse?"

"It's a rare piece of magic that keeps two people alive by allowing them to redistribute pain and energy. It's irrevocable," Hermione explained.

Anastasia stormed towards Hagrid's hut. The group followed behind her. They didn't have time for this.

"Narcissa used it to save my life when Voldemort attacked my mum. Now, anytime Malfoy is hurt I feel it too…and vice versa," she explained.

"You're connected to Malfoy?" Harry asked in disbelief, carrying the bundle of cloaks. Anastasia closed her eyes and turned her head downwards, flowers still enclosed in her fist by her side.

"That's why he's always been popping up all these years. He's been keeping tabs on you," Ron said accusingly. She snapped.

"It's not like I chose this, okay? It's the only way I could have survived," she said and closed the distance between them and Hagrid's front door.

"But he's awful, there has to be some way you can st—" Harry began. Anastasia turned sharply, glaring.

"Maybe he's awful to you, but you three don't know anything about him beyond the surface. His actions aren't excusable, but to me they're understandable."

"You lot shouldn't be here, it's past curfew…" Hagrid stuttered as he opened the door, "what in Merlin's beard are yeh' talking about."

Anastasia turned to Hagrid.

"We're sorry about Buckbeak. We came to be with you," she offered the bouquet.

"Stasia, your face—" he said hesitantly. She pushed past him into the hut, wanting to disappear under the cloak once more.

"Anastasia was enlightening us that she has a lifeline spell with Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed. "A real one! Isn't that rich?"

"Would you shut up! I don't need the whole castle knowing," she said.

"Blimey…" Hagrid whispered. "…Albus Dumbledore's daughter connected to that conniving little spoiled rotten, blood purist—how'd that even happen?"

Anastasia, exasperated, ignored his comment. She found a glass stein, filled it with water from the sink, and sat the glass down at the center of Hagrid's table, arranging the flowers as Harry continued berating her.

"And what do you mean his actions are understandable? I saw him call you horrible names in Diagon Alley, and then he got you into trouble in Hogsmeade, and then you came back crying after having dinner with his family!" Harry asked, baffled.

Anastasia tried her best to hold in her frustration. She arranged the pink cranesbill and purple willowherb alongside the indigo butterwort and green bog myrtle. They smelled wonderful.

"Not to mention he's called Hermione slurs multiple times, had an innocent animal sentenced to death, and seems to have no respect for others' feelings!" Ron added.

Hermione stood guiltily in the corner for bringing the situation to light, trying not to look in anyone's direction.

Anastasia took a deep breath, turning from the little buds of the flowers she collected and looking at her friends. They had a right to be angry with all Draco had done over the years.

"Look, I know it's bad, but I can't do anything about it…I have to cope with it somehow…"

Anastasia looked out at the window where the great bird with silvery smooth wings stared hopelessly down at his shackles.

The great half-giant lumbered towards her, casting her in shadow. He placed one large hand on her shoulder.

"Anastasia," Hagrid said, "even if yer connected to Malfoy…doesn't mean you have to share the blame. You weren't the cause of all this."

She looked up at his kind face and remembered her conversation with Professor Lupin.

How do you deal with the fact that you're a monster?

Maybe Anastasia couldn't do anything about how horribly Draco treated people, or how his father was constantly pulling his strings…

Ensure that the good I do overwhelmingly outweighs the pain I create.

…but maybe she could balance the scales.

Anastasia turned to the half-giant determinedly.

"We'll find a way to set Buckbeak free, Hagrid," she said resolutely. Hagrid reeled at the thought.

"You will not!" he thundered back. "And get yourselves and Professor Dumbledore in even more trouble? No, no, this was unavoidable. I shouldn't eh brought em out on the first day a class anyway. It's really my fault—" he sobbed.

"Hagrid, it's not—" she argued. He waved it off.

"Oh, by the way, Ron. Found yer rat," he opened his sugar bowl to the squeals of Scabbers, climbing out.

"Scabbers!" Ron cried with joy and grabbed the rodent, stuffing him safely in his jacket pocket. The rat didn't seem so happy to be returned, flailing wildly for escape, but Ron zipped him up so only his nose could poke out.

Anastasia almost mentioned how she saw him in the forest one day. The conversation between Crookshanks and a dog that almost seemed like a dream at this point, and how it seemed very odd, but then a knock sounded at the door.

"You best get out, you four, or we'll all be in trouble. Out with you now!" he shooed.

The four stumbled back up the slope to the rock formation where they had found the Slytherins. They now hid behind it themselves, peeking glances at Albus stalling with meaningless chitchat, Minister reading the charges, and the executioner, sharpening his blade.

The time came.

Anastasia couldn't look. She turned her head, looking over Hermione's neck as she tucked her head into Ron's back. She spotted the glint of the time turner's golden chain, and over the chain, at the edge of the forest, sat the large black hound.

"There's…there's a dog…that dog, I've seen it before." Anastasia said, wiping her tears on her fist.

The mangy thing crouched low, staring at them ferociously.

It charged them.

Anastasia transformed. The dog leapt over her, soaring to land behind her. She circled around to find Hermione and Harry's shocked faces as the dog seized Ron, leg in his jaws, and drug him towards the whomping willow.

"Ron!" Harry and Hermione shouted and ran towards the tree. They were instantly snatched up by the branches.

"Anastasia!" Hermione shrieked.

"Save Ron!" Harry wailed as they both spiraled helplessly through the air.

Anastasia leapt into the hollow of the tree, dodging roots as she burrowed further and further through the passage, running, following Ron's screams.

She hadn't been in this passage in over three years' time, yet the damp smell of mold hit her full force as she descended, night vision guiding her way.

She stopped when she reached the point where the muck became floorboards and listened.

She could hear a low voice and Ron's frantic wailing.

"Leave me alone! I haven't done anything."

"Would you shut up—"

Anastasia crept slowly into the darkened house and ascended the staircase, one paw after the other. She reached the landing, where the last bit of sun leaked into an open bedroom.

Sirius Black leered above her.

"Good to see you again, ducky!" he snarled, grabbing her by the scruff of her crimson neck, and dragging her into the center of the floorboards. Anastasia heard a whimper escape her lips.

"Force forma."

Black shot the spell at her. Pale blue light immersed her. Anastasia heard Ron scream.

Anastasia instantly shifted back into a human. She snatched her wand off the floor and, seeing Sirius Black aim Ron's wand at her, huddled back into the corner with her friend. Ron sat on the floor, shaking.

"Bloody hell, I thought he killed you for sure…he could still kill us…he could still murder us…" Ron's voice grew higher as he slipped into hysteria. His foot lay out at an odd angle alongside where she stood. She held her ground, wand aimed at Black's chest.

Yet every spell she learned seemed to escape her mind.

"You should be more careful with that, ducky! Only a week and how many people know you're an animagus? Three? Four? Something tells me ol' Dumblydore didn't have you registered either. Eh? Don't think you'd have much of a stomach for Azkaban."

"I-I-how—"

"How'd I do that? You became an animagus and didn't know there was a spell that could force someone out of their animagus form?" Sirius black laughed.

Anastasia paused, uncertain if she had read anything about the process at all.

"Did Minerva teach you? Tsk, tsk. Whenever we asked, she pretended she didn't hear us, and then left books to find whenever we needed new information. Sounds like she did most of the work for you…"

Anastasia took a step forward.

"Leave us alone, or I'll—"

"You'll what? Kill me? You're a little witch, no offense, but I doubt you even know the spell."

She wasn't sure what she remembered, but she must have shouted something. A white light burst from her wand and bounced off the wall behind Black as he dodged.

"Anastasia, be careful!" Ron shouted.

"I know what you're like!" she shouted at Black with her punch of adrenaline, "My godmother told me. You're—"

"What? Crazy? Deranged? Uncouth? What did little goody-two-shoes Cissa say about her poor estranged cousin Sirius? Not like she married one of Voldemort's most loyal servants!"

"You-you're not serious—" Anastasia stumbled back. She believed Lucius Malfoy was cruel, evil even, but she never would have guessed he was evil enough to be within Voldemort's inner circle. Although she supposed she could have guessed that via the journal incident the previous year.

"Oh, trust me, I am…" he winked. "Lucius Malfoy and his little crew of blood purist brutes—"

"She didn't want to marry him! She was forced to after her sister ran away—" Anastasia said, suddenly defensive of her godmother. Sirius only grinned more.

"Oh ho ho! Is that what she told you? She was dating him for long enough—two years—and trust me she is powerful enough to have left him long ago—"

"She didn't tell me!" Anastasia squeaked, "I read it in my mum's diary…"

Sirius's gaze softened slightly.

"Ah, yes. You're Holly's girl…she, like me, placed her trust in the wrong person. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if it wasn't for Cissa, she would never have crossed paths with the Dark Lord that day. Holly would still be alive…and you wouldn't be going through all of this."

"Don't insult my godmother! She saved my life."

Black scoffed.

"With that pesky lifeline spell? I saw him pass out next to you when the dementors attacked, even though they never touched him. I overheard you talking Albus in the forest…and then again on the hill just now."

Anastasia began to tremble. The most dangerous wizard alive now discovered her two most fatal secrets. He folded his arms and began to pace.

"But you're right, ducky. It's not like Cissa planned that from the beginning…not like she would want to play geneticist and matchmaker and tie her son to the daughter of the most powerful wizard alive."

Anastasia saw the glisten of Black's eye. He spoke a grain of truth.

"I said don't…insult…my godmother."

He waved it off, her comment a tiny gnat on his shoulder.

"You'll accept it in time. Stand aside, girl. There's only one I've come for tonight—"

"Why in bloody hell do you care about Ron?" she asked.

"Hey!" Ron shouted in protest, "…but yeah, why?"

Sneakered footsteps pounded up the stairs. Hermione and Harry ran into the room, bruised and bleeding.

"Expelliarmus!" Sirius Black yelled, and he had all their wands in one swoop. The four teens stared at him in stark fear. "That's right, back with you!"

Harry and Hermione joined Anastasia, surrounding Ron in the corner. This was the end.

Anastasia's mind reeled as Sirius began threatening. Ron, bravely stumbled to his one good foot, saying he'd have to kill the four of them if he wanted Harry. Anastasia gripped Harry's arm, holding him back.

But it was no use: Harry charged, knocking Black to the ground, struggling for their wands. Hermione and Ron followed, piling on top of the fray.

Anastasia, who didn't want anyone to fight, began trying to pry her friends off the madman. A slash of nails under her bruised eye. Her arm grabbed and nearly pulled out of its socket.

"Stop! Stop!" she kept shouting.

"Out of the way!" Harry ordered. He had grabbed his wand and emerged victorious. Anastasia and the others stumbled away from Black, who lay on the floor, panting.

They exchanged words, Harry now threatening Black with murder. Hermione held the three remaining wands. The friends stared on in anxious agony.

Lupin's form eclipsed the doorway.

Nearly an hour later, they understood the entire truth of what happened between Pettigrew and Black, Snape and Lupin, and prepared themselves to go to the castle. Professor Lupin and Ron had chained themselves to Peter Pettigrew to keep him still. Sirius Black levitated an unconscious Snape along behind them as they plodded along the trail.

She could hear Sirius softly offering Harry a new home as they reached the crest of the hill and emerged from the tree hollow. She silently wished her friend all the happiness a new guardian could bring him.

A cloud moved. The moon emerged. The group froze as Lupin lurched into the form of a wolf. They aimed their spells at Ron, breaking him free from the shackles. Sirius dropped his spell on Snape, leaving him awake and baffled on the ground. Sirius transformed again and fought the wolf through the long grass on the hill's opposite side.

Harry sped after the fighting canines, Ron and Hermione gripped each other for dear life.

In the confusion, Anastasia spotted the rat speeding away from the scene.

Someone had to catch the true criminal, and a fox could hunt a rat.

Anastasia bounded behind Pettigrew, transforming in midair as she chased the fleshy tail, all the way down the hill to the tree line of the forest.

The fox gained on the rat and pounced.

As she did, the rat transformed back into a man, three times her size, and knocked her over. She shifted back into a girl, staring up at the murine face.

She had a wand. He didn't.

"Ingenious, don't you think?" Peter asked, examining his filth-encrusted nails, "These disguises? A hassle to obtain, but a hiding place for a lifetime—"

Anastasia stumbled back and reached her feet.

"I don't intend to hide behind mine for twelve years!" she shouted. At least, she didn't anymore. The haggard visage of Peter Pettigrew had completely ripped the idea of running away from her mind. What a disgusting monster he'd become in his cowardice. "How dare you sell your friends to Voldemort when they trusted you?" she accused.

Peter twittered a little giggle that made Anastasia's nerves roll.

"Oh, it's not that hard. When faced with death or worse in exchange for some information…the choice becomes clear quite quickly."

Anastasia's mind reeled back to the words Sirius spoke moments before in the Shrieking Shack you should have died rather than betray Lily and James!

"I wonder whose side you'll choose when the Dark Lord rises again—" Pettigrew wondered devilishly.

Anastasia fumed.

"He won't, because I'll stop you now!" she yelled.

But in her shock, any useful tactical spell fled her memory.

The man twittered, and she cringed inwardly. She didn't know how to attack someone. What was she thinking?

"I've seen you, watched you for three years. You have a soft spot for the Malfoy boy…that speech you gave earlier, so endearing."

"I don't know what you're talking about—" she snarled.

"Ooh, touchy. The Malfoy family will certainly be protected by the Dark Lord when he returns. I suppose it will be easy for you to choose death and suffering over him…"

"Are you threatening me?" she growled, but she could hear the twinge of fear in her own words.

"All I'm saying is, you ought to know which side has your best interests at heart when the time comes…it's not like no one knows who you are…"

The man transformed into a rat and scampered into the thickets of the Forbidden Forest. Anastasia transformed and dove after him, but her snout couldn't tear past the brambles. She clawed desperately. Thorns prodded her cheeks and eyes. The rattish tail slipped through, and the last opportunity to save herself from a hellish fate escaped through the brush.