Heeey my darlings! Guess what - HE'S HERE! SIRIUS BLACK IS HERE! I can't help myself, he's such an amazing character *-*

Seeing as I don't believe I have anything special to say... Except for SIRIUS BLACK IS HERE! :x Ehem, I'll get on to the reviews ~.~

BlueGreen216 - The marauders are still James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. Athos is a part of it... And it shall be explained. The other characters that will appear in the special chapter are the ones that were in school with them. But the chapter is mostly based on the marauders. Well, mostly based on Athos Selwyn I suppose!

Little Foot - McGonagall is one of the best teachers ever! lol. It will and it won't come in handy... She won't exactly study it THAT much, but it's only because she doesn't want to... But she still has her little moments, the "I've got a bad feeling" moments! :p

Right... Let's get down to business, shall we? \o Enjoy!

Sirius Black and Remus Lupin

"IT'S THE GRIM! RUN!" Ron bellowed. Just as they heard it, the dog came dashing toward them, jumped over them and headed straight for Ron. It grabbed Ron by his leg and started dragging him toward the Whomping Willow.
"HARRY!" Ron yelled.
"RON!" Hermione screamed.
"Let's go." Jessica said, feeling unusually confident all of a sudden.

Ron cried out when he felt the dog's teeth sink into his skin. Next thing he knew, he was being dragged back toward the Whomping Willow. He hadn't realised the tree had been behind him the entire time; he'd been so focused on retrieving Scabbers, and now, the Grim had him. He wasn't sure if the Grim had wanted him all along, or if this was his way of getting to Harry. He continued to whimper as the dog dragged him down a small opening right under the tree's roots. There was a passageway under there and he was quite afraid to find out where it led to.

Jessica, Harry and Hermione had started running, much faster than ever before, in hopes that they would be able to save Ron before the Grim – or Scruffy – chewed his leg off. Harry, once he was close enough, threw himself onto the ground and reached out to Ron, crawling toward him as the dog continued to drag him back. The panicked look on Ron's face only made Harry feel worse. The Grim was after him, wasn't it? Then why would it attack Ron? It wasn't supposed to be this way.
"RON!" Harry cried, helplessly, as he watched Ron disappear from view. He had to get in there, he had to follow –
"Harry, get back!" Hermione cried.
But he hadn't been quick enough. Before he knew it, he was sent flying backward. He'd been hit by a long branch. Jessica and Hermione quickly ran over to him, though their eyes remained on the Willow.
"She's definitely awake." Hermione said, worriedly.
"And I bet she wants revenge because you crashed the car into her." Jessica added, as a queasy feeling started to develop at the pit of her stomach. Harry sat up with a bit of a struggle.
"In my defence... Ron was the one driving." He gulped.

"MOVE!" Hermione suddenly bellowed.

Exactly three branches came thrashing down at them. Jessica jumped to the left, Hermione ducked and Harry rolled over to the right. The tree wriggled and twirled itself in various directions, creating a loud creaking sound each time it moved. It was beyond furious and getting ready to attack. Ever so faintly, they could hear Ron's cries for help coming from beyond it.
"We have to do something!" Harry said, anxiously.
"We have to move together, but make it down there one at a time." Jessica panted.
"Right... Let's go." Hermione said, confidently.
They dangerously ran closer to the Willow, whilst narrowly avoiding being crushed by one of the thick branches or tripping over the roots. This was definitely much harder than it looked – and it already looked hard enough.
"DUCK!" Hermione screamed, and then one of the branches knocked Harry off his feet. Jessica and Hermione were both on the ground and the roots were closing in on them. "MOVE, JESS!"

Jessica scrambled back to her feet and jumped over a branch that came rushing toward her, but didn't notice the roots below – even if she had, it had been the perfect trap. She screamed when she felt the roots wrap around her ankle and lift her into the air. Hermione had managed to jump the same branch that Jessica avoided, and luckily for her, there were no roots to wrap around her. However, she almost lost her balance and while she was recovering, another branch came whooshing toward her. She clung onto the branch and, miraculously, something popped into her head. She wasn't entirely sure if her plan would work, but they didn't have many options. If she calculated things correctly, she might just be able to get at least one of them after Ron.

The roots let go of Jessica's leg once she was high in the air. She screamed as she realised she was falling head first – and then she crashed onto another branch. She managed to wrap her body around it, before she slid off and fell to the ground. To her right, she found Hermione clinging on.
"Any ideas?" Jessica screamed.
"Actually – yes!" Hermione yelled back. "How good are you with angles?"
"Well, when my life depends on it, I think I can be pretty decent!" Jessica bellowed.

Harry scrambled around on the ground as the tree continued to attack him. He'd dropped his glasses – and hurried to find them – at least twice already. For a moment, he was distracted when he heard Jessica scream, and that moment nearly cost him his life. An extremely large part of the Willow – which Harry was pretty sure looked like a trunk – came crashing down at him. He rolled over, faster than ever before, and winced when he realised that part of his jumper had been caught underneath. The large trunk rose to the air once again and Harry sighed. He was still intact. He then got up and ran in another direction, before the trunk decided to come crashing back down once more.

"When I say 'go', you go, okay?" Hermione screamed.
"Okay!" Jessica yelled, breathing heavily as she clung onto the branch.
The branch then rose many feet into the air, and Jessica felt as though her heart would jump out of her mouth at any moment. Without warning, it came thrashing back down, passing through various other branches and twigs. Jessica buried her head in her arms and screamed. She could feel it scratching her all over and it hurt, badly. She tried to reach for her wand, which surprisingly was still secured in her back pocket, but it was no use. If she let go now, she'd fall and possibly die.
"HARRY!" She heard Hermione shout. She quickly lifted her head up, wondering whether or not he was okay. He was. In fact, Hermione had grabbed onto his arm and was getting ready to throw him in. Jessica knew that Hermione meant they'd have to jump, when she asked her about angles, but she didn't think she'd have to jump this high. "JESS! GET READY!"
Jessica, however, wasn't ready. She was panicked. She couldn't breathe. The branches and twigs were scratching her. She was too high. Everything was moving too fast. She couldn't breathe. She screamed, much louder than before, when the branch rose once again.

Hermione knew too well what was going through her best friend's mind at that moment. She knew in perfect detail how the girl felt about heights, flying or anything that involved her being off the ground. However, they couldn't afford any of that now. Jessica had to be the first in, because she was the closest. She'd then have to throw Harry, otherwise she'd lose her grip on him and there was no telling whether or not there would be another branch below to break his fall. They'd have to do this – and fast.
"Jess! It's okay! Just let go when I tell you to! Just think about Ron! We need to save him!"

Hermione was right, Ron needed their help. They didn't know what the dog was doing to him down there. He could be dying. She'd never forgive herself if she let her friend die because she was afraid to jump off a tree – a temperamental, moving, trashing and dangerous tree.
"GO! NOW!"
With a deep, uneasy breath, Jessica closed her eyes, let go of the thick branch and fell. The aim was flawless and she soon found herself under the Willow's roots. She slid down a few feet before finally crashing down on her bottom. She silently hoped her wand hadn't broken from that fall. Without any warning, Harry came crashing into her a few moments later.
"Ow..." Jessica muttered, rubbing her wrist.
"Sorry." He said, nervously, as he tried to get up – and then Hermione came crashing into him, making him fall on Jess once again.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Hermione panted, as Jessica groaned underneath them all. Having two people crashing into you wasn't at all pleasurable, and she happened to be the smallest out of the three of them. Hermione quickly helped her up and gave her a quick scan – just to make sure no bones were broken. "Where do you suppose this goes?"
"I have a hunch... I just hope I'm wrong." Harry said, leading the way.

x.x

"Good evening, Professor." Joshua said, as he walked up to Professor Snape, who was standing in the middle of the corridor doing Merlin knows what. "Where should I start tonight? Polishing, sweeping, mopping, all at once perhaps? I could use this pretty awesome charm that-"
"Quiet, Selwyn." Snape spat, irritably. Joshua raised an eyebrow. It was always rather fun to irritate Snape.
"Are you spying on someone, Professor? Never thought you'd be the type. Who is it? Professor Trelawney? Madam Hooch? Professor McGonagall? No – she's way out of your league." Josh smirked at his last phrase.
"Go away and be quiet!" Snape said, pushing the sixteen year old back. Joshua sighed and made his way toward the Potions classroom.
He sat in Professor Snape's chair and waited impatiently for the man to give him his chores list. Getting detention for missing curfew was always the best kind, in his opinion at least. He smirked to himself at the thought of possibly getting into trouble again, tonight. There was a little spot on the seventh floor which he and Lila definitely needed to explore. Of course, after the incident in the Library, they had been on their best behaviour during their encounters, but apparently the teachers still weren't too keen on it. Forty minutes passed before Professor Snape entered the classroom. He had a rather unreadable look on his face, but Joshua didn't move. He remained seated in Snape's chair, almost daring the man to tell him off.
"Your detention is cancelled for tonight. I have more important business to attend to. You are to return to your dormitory and stay there." Snape said, coldly as usual.
"If you insist." Josh shrugged.

Joshua, being his usual self, didn't head back to his dormitory as Snape ordered him to. He was curious to know if Lupin had more information. Lupin was fantastic, but too slow. Joshua would have to find someone much faster if he was ever going to figure things out. After that, he'd set off to find Lila – who was most likely in the Slytherin common room with her friends, doing girly things. Luckily for him, however, he knew the Slytherin password. With that in mind, he quickly made his way to the DADA classroom and, once he was there, knocked on the door. There was no answer.
"Remus, it's me!" He said, knocking once again. Nothing.
He sighed and pushed the door open. He peered into the dark classroom but couldn't see anything. Maybe the professor was in fact out... And maybe he had some information stored away in one of his drawers.
"Lumos!"
Feeling mischievous – and completely careless about the consequences, if he happened to be caught – he casually made his way over to Remus' desk, glancing back at the door every now and then just to make sure no one was coming. Joshua headed for the cabinets first, avoiding the one which had a Boggart inside. There was nothing really special inside in, except for student files, but that would have to wait for another day. He then searched the drawers, but there was nothing of much importance there either. Then he saw something that he knew all too well, something he'd used millions of times. But what was it doing there? Why did Remus have it? Surely Harry wouldn't have been dumb enough to get caught, would he?
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"
He scanned the Hogwarts grounds, hoping he'd find Remus somewhere – and silently hoping he was nowhere near his classroom. However, Remus wasn't in the castle, and Joshua couldn't help noticing that more people, who were supposed to be in the castle, weren't either. A sudden bad feeling developed inside him and he began scanning the grounds. And then his heart skipped a beat. He watched as the name 'Remus Lupin' approached the Whomping Willow. What was he doing over there? Was he going to use the passageway underneath it? The bad feeling brewing inside him only grew and he soon realised that a few names were missing from the map. This couldn't be... Where was his sister? Then he noticed the 'Severus Snape' tag was also making his way out of the castle.
"Mischief managed! Nox!"
He wasn't entirely sure what he was feeling, but it wasn't good. He was more than certain that something bad was going to happen. The safest thing to do would be to go to a teacher, but what would he tell them? He couldn't simply ask them to investigate because he was getting a bad feeling, it would make no sense. Also, how would he explain the passageway without handing in the map? No... He'd have to do things alone.

x.x

Jessica, Harry and Hermione moved as fast as they could in the steep and narrow passageway. It went on and on, and it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes. All they could think of was Ron and what the dog might be doing to him. Jessica still couldn't believe it was the same dog that was at her house. It was once so friendly, and now it had Ron – and was possibly eating him alive. She couldn't help but whimper at the thought.
"What?" Harry asked, stopping suddenly in his tracks.
"N-nothing." Jessica said, urging him to continue.
"This is taking forever." Hermione complained. And then, just as she said it, the tunnel began to rise. They could see a patch of dim light through a small opening. They paused for a slight moment, just to catch their breath, and pulled out their wands.
"Whatever happens, we stick together, okay?" Harry whispered. The two girls nodded behind him.

"Lumos!" They said in unison. They slowly made their way toward the small opening, wands first so they were able to see what awaited them.
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; and the windows were all boarded up. Harry glanced back at the two girls and Hermione nodded at him. Jessica didn't have a clue what they meant, but she didn't really care at that moment. She only cared about finding Ron. Harry pulled himself out of the hole and helped the two girls out. The room was deserted, but a door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Jessica suddenly grabbed Harry and Hermione by the arm; her eyes were wide as they travelled around the room.
"We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" She said, her voice trembling slightly.
"Ron's here somewhere, Jess." Harry whispered back, his voice calm and reassuring. He too had been looking around the room and something seemed off. His eyes fell on a wooden chair nearby. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely. "I don't think there are any ghosts here, though."
"Let's go, we can't waste much time here." Hermione said, moving forward.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Jessica's grip on Harry's arm was so tight that it was beginning to go numb. They looked up at the ceiling in silence – the only thing audible were their heavy breaths. 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. Jessica whimpered once again and Harry grabbed onto her hand.
"Nox!" They whispered together, once they reached the dark landing, and the lights of their wands went out.
Only one door was slightly open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan and a few hisses. They exchanged one last look – and nod – before Harry, gripping his wand tightly, kicked the door wide open.

Inside the room was a magnificent four poster bed with dusty hangings. On the floor, beside it, clutching his leg desperately and looking rather pale, was Ron. Jessica, Harry and Hermione dashed across to him.
"Ron! Are you okay? Oh my God, your leg!" Hermione said, close to tears.
"IT'S A TRAP! HE'S THE DOG! HE'S AN ANIMAGUS!" Ron cried. He was staring over his friends shoulders and pointing at the door.
Harry was the first to wheel around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His filthy, matted black hair hung just above his shoulders. His rotten teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.
"Expelliarmus!" He croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them. Three wands shot high into the air, and Black caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Harry. His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful... It will make everything much easier..."
The taunt about his father rang in Harry's ears as though Black had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Harry's chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack... To kill.

Jessica stood behind Harry, still clutching his arm tightly. The man before them looked much scarier in person than he did in his wanted posters. She couldn't help but imagine him pulling out his wand and killing all four of them before they could scream out for help. They should've thought things through. Someone should have turned back to the castle and called a teacher – preferably Dumbledore. It should've been Harry, because then Sirius Black wouldn't have the chance to kill him now. She suddenly startled when she felt Harry moving. He was moving forward – toward Black. What was he thinking? Had he lost his mind? She clutched him even tighter, making him wince slightly, and noticed that Hermione had grabbed his other arm.
"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper. Ron, even though he looked terribly sick and pale, didn't seem too afraid. He spoke to Black, glaring intensely at him.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" He tried to stand, but it was no use. He had no strength.
Jessica kept her eyes on Black at all times. He'd taken a step back when Harry tried to move forward. He'd looked rather surprised when Hermione practically scolded Harry. And now... Now he looked somewhat concerned. Jessica looked away for a slight moment, as if to get her head back in the game. Of course that couldn't be true. Why would Black be concerned for any of them?
"Lie down..." Black said, quietly, focusing his eyes on Ron. "Lie down or you'll damage that leg even more."
"Didn't you hear him?" Jessica said, angrily. He had sounded concerned when he spoke to Ron, but perhaps that was his game. He wanted to play innocent before taking their lives. Well, she wasn't going to fall for it. She knew better. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill all four of us!"
"No..." Sirius Black said, his grin widening. "There will be only one murder tonight."
"Why's that?" Harry spat, as he tried to wrench himself free from Jessica and Hermione's tight grip. "Didn't care last time, did you? You didn't mind slaughtering all those muggles to get to Pettigrew. What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"
"Harry! Be quiet!" Hermione whimpered.
"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, and with huge effort he broke free of the girl's restraint and lunged forward –

Jessica wasn't sure what to do at that moment. Harry was a short, skinny thirteen year old, whereas Black was a tall, full grown man. She didn't really need to be that smart to figure out how things would end. Black had Ron's wand – Harry was disarmed. They all were disarmed. However, she wasn't sure if it was the shock of Harry doing something extremely stupid, but Black didn't raise Ron's wand in time. One of Harry's hands had fastened over Black's wasted wrist, forcing three wands out of his hands – he still managed to hold onto Ron's wand. The knuckles of Harry's other hand collided with the side of Black's head and they fell, backward, crashing through the wall and into another room.
"HARRY!" Jessica and Hermione screamed.
Ron was yelling, but Jessica couldn't bring her mind to focus on what he was saying. There was a blinding flash as the wand in Black's had sent a jet of sparks into the air. Jessica jumped behind the four poster, next to Ron, as soon as she'd seen it. Hermione helped Ron move backward a bit, just in case the fight got worse.
"He's going to need help. He needs help." Jessica muttered to herself. She chanted those same words over and over, until she suddenly stood up and cautiously walked toward the ongoing fight.
"Jessica, get back here right now!" Hermione hissed.
Harry was desperately clinging onto Black's shrunken arm, and his other hand was punching every part of Black it could find. But then Black's hand found Harry's throat, and Jessica was definitely not going to allow that.
"No..." Black hissed. "I've waited too long-"
Jessica was certain his grip on Harry's throat was tightening. What should she do? She couldn't curse him because she had no idea where her wand was. She wasn't about to throw herself on them and start punching the grown man, because she wasn't strong enough. And then, partially without realising, she kicked Black. Hard. Black let go of Harry with a grunt of pain.

"Hermione... Our wands..." Ron whispered. Hermione quickly ran toward the three wands that lay forgotten on the floor and retrieved them. Black still had Ron's wand, but at least now they could defend themselves properly.

Harry didn't have to use much effort after Jessica managed to kick Black. He yanked Ron's wand out of the man's hand and stood. He walked back out of the broken wall and threw Ron's wand back at him. Hermione, in exchange, gave Harry his. Jessica practically dashed out of the other room, when she realised Black was getting up and following them. She found herself behind Harry once again, only this time, she was armed and ready – or at least she hoped she was ready. Black collapsed against part of the wall that had been left untouched. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Harry walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at Black's heart.
"Are you going to kill me Harry?" He whispered. Harry stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at Black's chest. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding.
"You killed my parents." Harry said, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady. Black stared up at him out of those sunken eyes.
"I don't deny it." He said, very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story..."
"The whole story?" Harry repeated, angrily. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know!"
"You've got to listen to me..." Black said. Jessica couldn't help but notice the 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!" Harry said, his voice shaking more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum... Trying to stop Voldemort killing me... And you did that... You did it..."

Jessica took a few steps closer to them, despite Hermione's constant hisses and whimpers. She too had her wand aimed at Black, but she couldn't help but notice certain things about him. He seemed desperate. His voice was urgent. Yes, he looked like a sadistic killer, and yes, he sounded extremely evil whenever he spoke... But there was something, something beyond all the madness. He was Scruffy. He had the chance to kill Harry before. Why didn't he? She glanced at Harry for a moment, and she noticed the sudden change in him. He suddenly looked determined and unafraid. He was going to do it. He was going kill Sirius Black. Should she let him? Even if the man was a mass murderer, should she allow Harry to kill him? Would it be worth it in the end? The seconds lengthened and Harry stood there, frozen. Black was staring up at him, Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed, and Hermione was silent. And then came a new sound – muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor. Someone was moving downstairs. Jessica quickly aimed her wand at the door. What if Black had friends? What if everyone else was right and she was just being paranoid, or attempting too much? She didn't want to die. She didn't want any of her friends to die.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE – SIRIUS BLACK – QUICK!"
Jessica wasn't sure why, but she felt panicked. Hermione's sudden words startled her – and Black, who nearly jumped.

The footsteps thundered up the stairs and suddenly, without much warning, the door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks. Jessica was beyond relieved when Remus Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. Remus flickered his eyes over at Ron, who was sitting on the floor, clutching his bleeding leg; to Hermione, who was next to Ron; then Jessica, who was closest to him and looking rather petrified; to Harry, who was standing there with his wand aimed at Black; and then finally to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.
"Expelliarmus!" Remus shouted and Harry's wand flew once more out his hand. Jessica nearly screamed when her wand also escaped her grip, as did Ron and Hermione's. Lupin caught them, and then moved into the room, staring at Black.
"You didn't have to take our wands too." Jessica muttered, pouting slightly and looking down at her feet.
"Where is he, Sirius?" Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice.
Jessica then looked back up at Lupin. What on Earth was he talking about? Why couldn't things be simple and easy to comprehend? She turned to Black once again, who looked 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. Jessica furrowed her eyebrows and looked toward Ron, who looked bewildered. She definitely had no idea what was happening.
"But then... Why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless..." Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something no one else could see. Jessica raised an eyebrow as she stared at Remus' expression changing as the seconds went by. She was now, more than ever, extremely curious to know what he was referring to. "Unless he was the one... Unless you switched... Without telling me?"
Jessica then turned to Black. His sunken gaze didn't leave Lupin's face, and very slowly, he nodded. Her confused look only grew as the two men continued to stare at each other.
"Professor, what's going on?" Harry interrupted, loudly. However, the question was no longer of importance, because what they all saw made their hearts sink. Lupin lowered his wand, walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet, and embraced him like a brother. Jessica's eyes were so wide; it was like they'd pop out of her head.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed. Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had taken a few steps closer to them and was pointing at Lupin, wild eyes. "You... You-"
"Hermione-"
"You and him!" She screeched.
"Hermione, please calm down-"
"I didn't tell anyone! I've been covering up for you!" She shouted. Jessica now stared at Hermione. She mentally cursed herself for thinking that Hermione yelling at a teacher was more impressive than Remus Lupin embracing mass murderer Sirius Black.
"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Lupin insisted. "I can explain-"
"I TRUSTED YOU!" Harry suddenly shouted. He was shaking with a fresh wave of fury. "All this time... You've been his friend!"
"You're wrong." Lupin said, shaking his head. "I haven't been Sirius' friend, but I am now. Let me explain-"
"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, don't trust him. He's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too – he's a werewolf!"
There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale. Jessica, however, was the first to break the silence, sounding rather pissed off.
"You're a bloody werewolf and you want Harry dead? Why didn't you just kill him off at Christmas? In fact, that question goes for the mad man too!"
"I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead." Remus sighed. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."
Jessica glared at him in complete disbelief. None of this was making sense. Remus Lupin was friends with her father, he was a good man. He wouldn't side with Sirius Black. He just wouldn't.

"How long have you known?" Remus suddenly asked, his attention solely on Hermione.
"Ages..." Hermione said, looking as though he was close to tears. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay."
"He'll be delighted." Lupin said, coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realise what my symptoms meant. Did you check the lunar chart and realise that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realise 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. If I'd been cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!" She yelled.
"But they already know..." Lupin said. "At least, the staff do."
"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"
"Some of the staff thought so." Lupin nodded. "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 THIS TIME!"
Harry was pointing at Black, who suddenly crossed to the four poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Ron moved further away from the bed, dragging his leg. Jessica stared at the worn out man. He was getting more and more desperate and time ticked away. Something was strange about all this. There were moments where Sirius Black didn't seem to be dangerous. This was one of those moments.
"I have not been helping Sirius. If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look..." He separated the four wands he'd been holding onto and threw each back to its owner. He then stuck his own wand back into his belt. "There... You're armed and we're not. Now will you listen?"
Jessica was very much surprised by this, but at the same time it made her think. What if Sirius Black wasn't what they thought he was? He would've have killed them all by now if he wanted to, as soon as they entered the room, when he still had Ron's wand in his hands.
"If you haven't been helping him..." Harry said, with a furious glance at Black. "How did you know he was here?"
"The map." Lupin said. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it-"
"You know how to use it?" Harry asked, suspiciously.
"Of course I know how to use it." Lupin said, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony – that was my friends' nickname for me at school."
"Wait..." Jessica said, thoughtfully. "You wrote-"
"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you four would try to sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid. I was right, wasn't I?" He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. "I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. Only now, there were five of you."
"What? No... There were four of us." Harry said, with a confused look growing on his face.
"I couldn't believe my eyes." Lupin continued, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "When you and Jessica mentioned it before, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. I thought that perhaps you two had seen something similar. I had scanned it more after that, but found nothing, until today. But I kept wondering, how could he be with you?"
"No one was with us!" Harry said.
"And then I saw another name, moving fast toward you. Sirius Black. I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow-"
"One of us!" Ron said, angrily.
"No, Ron." Lupin shook his head. "Two of you... Do you think I could have a look at the rat?"
"What?" Ron said. "What's Scabbers go to do with it?"
"Everything! Could I please see him?" Lupin asked once again.

Ron hesitated, and then put a hand inside his pocket. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately. Ron had to seize his long, bald tail to stop him escaping. 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..." Sirius Black croaked, suddenly.
"It's clearly a rat." Jessica said, rolling her eyes. "A filthy, disgusting, dirty little rodent."
"No... No he's not." Lupin said, quietly. "He's a wizard."
"An Animagus." Black said. "By the name of Peter Pettigrew."
Jessica stared at Sirius Black. She could see the hatred in his eyes whenever he glanced over at the rat. Their story was completely insane – but it was rather believable. Though, judging by the look on her friend's faces, she was the only one that thought so.
"You're both mental!" Ron said.
"Ridiculous!" Hermione said, faintly.
"Pettigrew's dead. He killed him twelve years ago!" Harry said, once again pointing to Black. The man's face twitched convulsively.
"I meant to, but little Peter got the better of me... Not this time though!" Black growled, and suddenly lunged at Scabbers. Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his injured leg.
"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that! They need to understand! We've got to explain-"
"We can explain afterwards!" Black snarled, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.
"They've-got-a-right-to-know-everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand, and Harry – you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"

Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.
"Alright, then." Black huffed. "Tell them whatever you like, but make it quick. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."
"You're nutters, both of you!" Ron said, shakily, looking around at his friends for support. All three seemed to be stuck in deep thought at the moment. Ron huffed, irritably. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."
He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.
"You're going to hear me out, Ron." Remus said, quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."
"HE'S NOT PETER! HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard. Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Hermione caught him and pushed him back down to the bed.
"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die. There was a whole street full of them..." Harry said.
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Black said, savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter..." Lupin nodded. "I believed it myself, until I saw the map tonight."
"Well... What if the map lied?" Jessica said, suspiciously.
"The map never lies!" Black said, desperately.
"Peter's alive, Harry, and Ron's holding him." Lupin sighed.

Jessica wanted to know what Sirius Black meant when he said the map never lied. How could he be so sure? Remus had already revealed he'd written it... Did Sirius Black help? Did Harry's father help? Then, perhaps... Perhaps her father helped too?
"Scabbers can't be Pettigrew, Professor! It can't be true... You know it can't!" Hermione spoke, in a trembling voice.
"Why can't it be true?" Lupin asked, calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment.
"Because... Because people would know if Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. 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. Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list." Hermione said. They barely had time to marvel at the effort Hermione put into her homework, when Lupin started to laugh.
"Right again, Hermione!" He said. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."
"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus!" Black said, irritably. "I've waited twelve years; I'm not going to wait much longer."
"All right... But you'll need to help me, Sirius." Lupin said. "I only know how it began."
Lupin stopped, suddenly. There had been a loud creak just outside the door. Jessica had immediately raised her wand, though she looked rather terrified, but there was nothing there. They all stared at the door, waiting for something to happen. Nothing.
"This place is haunted!" Ron whimpered.
"It's not." Lupin said, still looking puzzled. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted. The screams and howls that were heard were made by me... That's where all of this starts – with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten... And if I hadn't been so foolhardy..."
Remus looked sober and tired. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione stopped him immediately. They were all watching their Professor very intently. Jessica would sometimes glance over at Black, just to see how he was reacting.

"I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week, preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform... I'm able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again." Lupin said. There were obvious signs of remorse in his voice. "Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me. But then, Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school."
Jessica glanced at the door once again when she heard another creak, but she soon turned her attention back to the story.
"Harry, I told you months ago that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house..." Lupin looked miserably around the room. "The tunnel that leads to it... They were all built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle and into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."
Harry wasn't sure where this story was going, but he was listening carefully. They all were. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was the rat's squeaking.
"My transformations in those days were... Well, they were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumour... Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it." Remus continued. He had a half smile on his face at the mention of the villagers. "But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends. Four great friends. Sirius Black... Peter Pettigrew... Athos Selwyn... And of course, your father Harry – James Potter."

"Now, my four friends couldn't fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her... I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you Hermione, worked out the truth." Lupin said, shaking his head. "And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."
"My dad too?" Harry said, astounded.
"Yes, indeed." Lupin nodded. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were two of the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong – one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."
"Wait... My dad isn't an Animagus." Jessica said, confused.
"Athos was ridiculously brilliant with all the school subjects, but he never managed to master the art of transformation. He knew the theory, though... I'll admit that James and I wouldn't have managed without his help." Sirius chuckled.
"But Professor... How did their transformation help you?" Hermione asked, puzzled.
"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals. A werewolf is only a danger to people." Lupin explained. "They sneaked out of the castle every month under James' invisibility cloak. They transformed... Peter, being the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it-"
"There's a knot?" Jessica cried dramatically. "There's a knot... And we nearly killed ourselves out there!"
"Yes, little one, there's a knot." Remus laughed, slightly. Though, a part of him grew concerned. No wonder they all looked so worn out. "My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less while I was with them-"
"Hurry up, Remus!" Black snarled. He watched Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger in his eyes.
"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there... Well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack, and roaming the school grounds and village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt where any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the grounds and Hogsmede than we did." Lupin smiled at the thought. "And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot, Peter is Wormtail and James was Prongs. We all wanted Athos to sign it too – seeing as he was the actual creator. We only did the research and helped him draw up a few things... But he decided against it.
"That was extremely dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?" Hermione shrieked.
"A thought that still haunts me." Lupin said, heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless... Carried away with our own cleverness. I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course. He had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other Headmaster would, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own – and other's – safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilt every time we sat down to plan our next adventure."

"All this year..." Lupin's face suddenly hardened, and there was self disgust in his voice. "All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed Dumbledore's trust while I was at school. Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. So, I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort; that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it. So, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."
"Snape?" Black said, harshly, taking his eyes of Scabbers – for the first time in minutes – and looking up at Lupin. "What's Snape got to do with it?"
"He's here, Sirius." Lupin said, heavily. "He's teaching here as well."
"When did you first meet Snape?" Hermione asked.
"Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the DADA job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons... You see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him. A trick which involved me-"
"Served him right!" Black sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to... Hoping he could get us expelled..."
"Sounds a lot like Malfoy." Ron muttered.
"Severus was very interested in where I went every month." Lupin told them. "We were in the same year, you know, and we – er – didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Anyway, Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be... Amusing... To tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick-"
"I still can't believe there's a knot." Jessica huffed, irritably. Remus chuckled slightly.
"Well... Of course Snape tried it – if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf. But your father, Harry, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life. Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was..."
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you." Harry said, slowly. "Because he thought you were in on the joke?"

"That's right..." Sneered a cold voice from the door. Severus Snape appeared, out of nowhere, and pointed his wand directly at Lupin.

Of course Snape had to arrive to ruin the moment. Snape I love you, but YOU THREATEN SIRIUS! HOW COULD YOU? Okay, sorry. :x

So yeah, I decided to go along with the book for this part, because I love it when Lupin explains everything to Harry. He has a right to know everything. The next chapter should be up soon - and I mean before the weekend! I started writing it last night, so it should be done... tomorrow, perhaps? So until next time! XOXO!