Disclaimer: characters and settings still belong to JK Rowling and Warner.

ooOOoo

Chapter 59: See Snuffles Run. Run, Snuffles, Run!

Simon's ears were flat back. All his muscles bunched up, bulging along the crest beneath the plaits, and his tail switched once with a snapping sound.

"Er, maybe it was an anti-theft ward after all…" Sirius said, interrupting Harry, who was about to ask Sirius to try the spell again.

"Sirius, get rid of the wand," Harry said in a quiet, intense voice. The last sparks of magic crackled off the spell in Simon's chest and the horse had its black eyes fixed on Sirius.

Sirius threw the wand aside.

But that didn't stop Simon's charge.

The thunder of hooves was unnaturally loud in the small space. Harry was brushed aside by Simon's shoulder, nearly getting trodden on as the horse cannoned forward. Sirius yelped, turned, and changed into Snuffles as he leaped out of the barn, Simon hot on his heels with his teeth bared and snapping at the dog's hindquarters. The black dog, tail clamped between its legs, sprinted down the hillside with the horse thundering after it. There was a second during which Harry picked himself up, then he ran out the door just in time to see Simon catch up with Snuffles. For the split second while his heart froze in dread, he was sure the horse had caught the Animagus, but then Simon stepped on his leadrope. The horse checked and almost went down. There was a snapping sound, and the clip broke. In a few stumbling strides Simon got control of his legs again, swished his tail and went straight back into a gallop.

Snuffles had gained a few meters but Simon rapidly closed the gap.

Harry shouted, "Simon! Simon! Get back here, Simon! Bad, bad Simon!"

Simon ignored him.

There was a howl: Simon caught up with Snuffles and Harry's heart seized a second time as a terrified black dog was bowled over by an enraged black stallion. By sheer luck Simon was travelling too fast to stop, galloping right over the dog. Before Simon could turn again and get a better kick in (or use his teeth, or his front feet and full weight to crush the dog's chest), Snuffles picked himself up and scrambled uphill towards some rocks as the horse bounced jerkily to a stop. Harry darted back inside to get his wand and was running down the hill just as Simon came storming back up, the horse's ears still flat back and teeth bared.

Snuffles was limping. One back leg dragged and the dog's mouth was open, panting with shock. Simon bared his teeth to snap at the dog. But Snuffles tripped on his own big paws and the horse's teeth clicked on air. Snuffles picked himself up as Simon wheeled and –

"Sirius!"

– and the dog ducked under a kick that would have smashed his skull in.

The black dog dodged a strike from a front hoof, and zigged into the tumble of rocks that made up the steeper part of the hill. Simon skidded to a halt, tail swishing with fury, and cantered around to cut off Snuffles' escape from the other side when Snuffles seemed ready to try going uphill towards Harry.

Harry could see Snuffles crouching in the rocks, trying to make himself invisible. Outside the shelter of the rocks, Simon tossed his head up and down. The horse paused with its head lowered, and pawed at one of the rocks. It seemed to be considering its options. The silky black tail twitched once, and Simon moved forward with all the determination and cold menace of a shark.

Silver shoes scraped and skidded on the rocks. The horse stumbled a little but wasn't deterred. Snuffles whimpered as it looked certain the horse was about to follow him in between the boulders and finish what it had started.

But Harry was already there, bounding down the hill and leaping up onto a smaller, flat rock between Snuffles and Simon. He had his wand out, but Simon ignored him. The horse didn't look silly anymore with his mane all plaited up: it was hard for half a ton of muscle, bone and fury wrapped up in satiny black hide to look silly when it was bearing down on you with its teeth bared.

"Simon! Back off!"

Snuffles barked at Harry.

Simon went to push past Harry. Harry sent up a few sparks from his wand. It wasn't much, but it did briefly distract the horse from its quarry. The horse reared, trying to intimidate Harry.

Harry wasn't going to let anything intimidate him at the cost of Sirius' life. "Simon…"

Simon shook his head angrily, ready to push Harry out of the way. "Simon!" Harry said more sternly. He shoved his wand behind his ear Luna-style before the horse could get even more worked up at the sight of a wand in a wizard's hand, and held out his hands to show they were empty.

He half expected the horse to bite them off.

Simon, his flanks twitching with rage, did not. But he shook Harry's hands off when Harry tried to take hold of the headcollar. Harry, who had hooked a finger around the strap under the muzzle, was pulled off balance. He fell.

"Ah, fuck!" he swore as his elbow cracked sharply on a rock and sparks of agony shot up his arm. He tried to ignore them and pushed himself up before Simon could jump over him. Simon, who'd been about to do exactly that, subsided a little, bouncing up and down, then, at a movement from Snuffles, Simon reared and pushed forward, knocking Harry down with his knees and chest.

Harry fell on his back, seeing stars and silver as two hooves descended towards his head. The noise when they struck was deafening.

There was dead quiet. For a few heartbeats Harry thought it was a very literal dead quiet before he realised his heart was still beating. Hammering in his ears, in fact, and his ears were still tingling from the sound of silver shoes slamming the rock he was lying on.

Simon was looming over him, almost eclipsing the sky which was thickly padded with clouds almost as dark as the front hooves either side of Harry's head. One hoof lifted and stamped hard at the ground, ringing off a stone right by Harry's ear. It almost deafened him.

Harry grimaced at the pain in his ear and looked up.

Simon wasn't watching him. The horse angled its head, shaking its mane (or attempting to, because plaits weren't helpful for that sort of thing) at Snuffles, who had dragged himself up between two halves of a boulder with his teeth bared.

Harry tried to say something, but his mouth was too dry.

He swallowed and licked his lips. "Si… Sirius… change. Change back into human form. Right now. Please, Sirius."

There was a yelp of canine pain that swiftly became a human moan, and Sirius was half lying, half sitting in the crack. His face was deathly pale and already beading with sweat. "Harry…"

"Sirius. Stay where you are. He thinks the dog is threatening me." Harry reached up and patted Simon on the knee. "Hey, you daft horse. I'm right here, you know." He'd been trying not to sound frightened, but he didn't think he succeeded.

Simon lowered his head to blow a quick snort of hot air into Harry's hair, and lifted his head again. He seemed to be looking around for the dog he'd just been chasing. Why he didn't associate Sirius with the original cause for his fury, Harry had no idea. Maybe Simon really hated dogs… or maybe it was the lack of wand.

"Don't touch any sticks, Sirius," he croaked.

"Okay. Harry. Get up. Now."

Sirius sounded terrified. Harry realised it was because he, Harry, had nearly had his skull crushed like an egg.

"It's okay, Sirius."

"Get up, Harry."

Harry obeyed. He levered himself up on the rock, wincing when his banged elbow pressed against the hard surface. The next time Simon lowered his head to check on Harry's progress, Harry caught hold of the headcollar. Much more carefully, this time. Simon snatched his head back up too fast and Harry had to let go of the headcollar, but the next time Harry tried Simon wasn't quite so jumpy and raised his head slowly enough to lift Harry onto his feet. The horse even backed up a couple of steps to allow Harry to regain his balance.

Harry stood there a moment. He felt like he'd just been hit by a jellylegs jinx. "Good boy, Simon," he said at last in a croaky voice. He patted Simon's neck. "Settle down, Simon." He leaned into the horse's neck and rested there for a moment. Simon. It was definitely Simon. Even when Harry shut his eyes his nose told him it was Simon he was leaning against.

What the hell had he been thinking?

Simon smelt of anger and horse and hay. He didn't smell like potions or magic. Simon was still Simon. Harry was just going crazy, that was all. His idea he could have been Snape was insane – more than that, it'd nearly got Sirius killed. All those things that had made such perfect sense… Sirius had warned him he was seeing something that wasn't there. Sirius had been right – and Harry hadn't listened.

"Back up, Simon." He put his hand on the horse's chest – coincidentally over the spell – and pressed.

Simon backed up with greatest caution, his hooves ringing and sliding on the rocks. Harry made sure he was out and safe. Horses' legs were amazing examples of biological architecture, Robert Python had pointed out, but were also delicate. Harry hated to think of Simon breaking a leg. He hated even more to think of Simon killing Sirius. That could very well happen if Harry let Simon get upset again today. Or ever.

"Stay here, Simon. There's a good horse. I don't want you hurting yourself on the rocks."

Simon didn't seem to like the idea of Harry hurting himself on the rocks, because he flicked his ears worriedly and tried to follow when Harry went back between the boulders. But Harry pushed Simon's nose back and the horse took the hint and stayed. Harry scrambled over to where Sirius was still leaning against the split boulder.

"You're grey."

Sirius grinned through pain. "You look pretty pale, too. My leg hurts. What's your excuse?"

"My theory was wrong and I'm embarrassed," Harry muttered, still feeling light-headed and trying not to think about how close he'd come to being killed. Harry felt the blood drain from his face when he looked down at Sirius' thigh – beneath the robes there was an odd lump above the knee. That couldn't be right.

"Hold still a minute." He lifted the robes carefully. "Oh. Shit."

"How does it look?"

Harry swallowed as his stomach threatened to rise. "It looks broken." The bone was all but poking through the skin. It was beginning to discolour around the break, as if blood was rushing into the area. "I need to get Madam Pomfrey."

"No! No, she doesn't know I'm here. Get Remus. Or Albus."

Thunder rumbled overhead. Harry looked up at clouds so low and solid they grazed the hilltops.

"I can't leave you here. It's about to start pissing down!"

"Harry?" said a voice that wasn't Sirius'.

Luna.

Harry locked his gaze with Sirius'. Sirius looked just as horrified as Harry felt.

"Luna? Luna, stay back and look after Simon for a moment, please…"

"He's fine. He's – Harry? Oh, Merlin! Mr Black, do you want me to get help?"

"I – I – I…" Sirius stuttered.

Harry turned, crouching, to look at Luna. She had moved over the rocks nimbly as a rabbit (although the comparison would be taken as an insult), and now she was kneeling on a boulder overlooking them, concern etched in her face.

"Why," he asked softly, "did you call him that?"

"Don't be silly, Harry. It's not as if he could be anyone else. I'm glad he's decided to stop hiding as Snuffles – it can't be healthy to spend all that time in Animagus form. Mr Black, do you want me to get a stretcher, or would you prefer not to let anyone else in the castle know you're here?"

"Can you get Remus, please?" Sirius said. Sweat beaded on his pale forehead and his breathing was fast and shallow.

Luna nodded. She pulled out her wand and conjured a blanket. "Here, Mr Black. You need to keep warm. Femur sanguino impedimens. Sinepod immobilus. And that will stop the bone moving. Do you want me to put up a screen to stop anyone from seeing you?"

"Not necessary," Harry said. He felt around in his robes and realised he must have dropped his cloak. "Accio invisibility cloak."

Simon shied as the cloak rippled down the hillside. Harry arranged it over Sirius' already blanketed form.

"Can you change back into a dog?" Harry asked.

Sirius opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by Luna, her pale eyes wide. "Oh, no. He mustn't do that! It's dreadfully dangerous. The edges of the break might grind against each other as the form shifts. That could send splinters into the bloodstream."

"Er… Sirius broke his leg in dog form…"

Luna's jaw dropped. "And then changed into human? What on earth possessed you to do something so stupid, Mr Black?"

Sirius swallowed. "I…"

"I asked him," Harry said miserably. That was twice now he'd nearly killed Sirius by asking him to do something stupid.

"Well, that's something to ask Professor Lupin to check for," Luna said shortly to Sirius, who blinked up at her owlishly. "But in the meantime we have to get you under shelter before you get chilled." Luna drew a stretcher out of the air with her wand. It was lavender and had yellow sunflowers on it, but looked serviceable. Very gently, she and Harry managed to manoeuvre it beneath Sirius. Despite Luna's spells there must have been some movement of the break. Sirius made a small noise. His eyelids fluttered as Harry gently laid his head back on the stretcher and his eyes rolled up in his head.

"Sirius? Sirius?"

"He's just fainted for a bit. Best thing for him. Put the cloak over him."

Harry did so, tucking the blanket around Sirius as best as he could without jostling the broken leg. A large, fat drop of water hit him on the head. He looked up and another raindrop broke on the right lens of his glasses, making him blink.

Luna looked up and frowned at the pewter sky. "Drat. It's beginning to rain. We need to get him under shelter right now. Hypothermia won't help him one bit." She tapped the stretcher with her wand and lightened it.

Under her calm instructions, Harry picked up one end as she picked up the other. The invisibility cloak draped over Sirius make it look like they were carrying nothing, but even with the lightening spell they were carrying quite a weight.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked. "We mustn't drop him."

"We won't. I'm stronger than I look. So are you."

Harry wondered if there was an insult or a compliment in there. Probably neither – just Luna pointing out facts as she saw them.

It was tricky getting the stretcher and its cargo out from the rocks. That was when the hard work started: Harry had sprinted down the hill in a handful of seconds. It took much longer to get back up. And now it was beginning to rain in earnest. It was warm rain, or as warm as rain got in June in Scotland, which meant things weren't as bad as they could have been. But the wooden handles of the stretcher became slippery and so did the grass. Harry and Luna didn't skid, but it was a near thing.

They got the stretcher into the barn and put it down at the far end with relief. Rain was beginning to rattle on the roof. Harry straightened, stretching out his arms, then turned as the meagre light coming in through the door was blocked. Simon. Come out of the rain and curious about what they were doing.

Luna patted the horse on the nose as she said to Harry, "You're a faster runner than me, so you should be the one going to get Dumbledore. And then you can tell me what happened. I'm presuming it involved Simon?"

"Er, yes. But I think I should stay here…"

Luna shook her head. "I'll look after him." She twitched her wand and the wall jumped closer, suddenly putting itself between Sirius and Harry. Harry jumped. Simon didn't.

"It's okay," said Luna. "It's just an illusion. See?" She poked her hand through the wall. "Just in case anyone come up here. I'm afraid it doesn't work on horses." She pulled Simon's head back when he tried to poke his nose through the illusory wall.

"Oh. Good thinking." Harry had to raise his voice as the rain was very loud now. It was like being inside a drum.

Luna grimaced at the roof. She took out her wand and cast a quick spell upwards. The thunder lessened, although Harry could see the rain was still hammering down just outside the door. She rested her hand on his arm. "I'll look after him and make sure he's warm and dry. Besides, I also have a couple of questions to ask him. Go."

Questions? But she shooed at him and Harry went, casting a shielding spell against the rain as he sprinted down the hill for the second time that evening.

By the time he reached the castle he was gasping for breath and his backside hurt from where he'd skidded on the wet grass and fallen. He wanted to find Dumbledore, but couldn't. Even McGonagall wasn't around. He literally bumped into Remus as he was running around a corner coming back from Gryffindor tower.

"Oh! Sorry."

Remus dropped his hands, which he'd put on Harry's shoulders to steady him. "That's all right. What's the rush, Harry? Have you been out wading in the lake?"

Harry looked down at his sneakers, which were squelching. The shielding spell hadn't been quite broad enough. And why couldn't he have bumped into Dumbledore – or even Sprout, who could go and get Dumbledore? Well, Sirius would want Remus more than anyone else, Harry admitted to himself reluctantly. "Er, it's your dog. He's broken his leg," he said quietly, mindful that there were other students passing by. Some gave him puzzled looks, which he ignored, trying to look like there was nothing unusual going on. "Can you come right now?"

Remus drew himself up, looking extremely worried. "Where is he?"

"Up at the paddock…" Harry took a step back at the look of fury that passed over Remus' face.

"That horse…" Remus said in a low voice. A hint of gold peeked out from his eyes and for a moment Harry was uncomfortably aware he was standing in front of a werewolf.

"Stop it," Harry growled, pushing aside his momentary fear and the guilt that followed it for his thinking of Remus as a dangerous beast. "Just… are you going to help or not? It's not like I can ask Madam Pomfrey."

Remus nodded crisply. "I need to get a few things. Who's with him?"

"Luna."

Lupin's eyes widened momentarily then narrowed with anger just as brief, but he didn't comment. He turned on his heel and strode off down the corridor. "Come."

Harry followed. They stopped in Lupin's office, where Lupin grabbed a small bag and a couple of bottles. He tucked them inside his cloak with care, where they clinked against the other contents. "Now," said Lupin, "take me to him."

ooOOoo

"Sirius… how are you?"

"Bloody sore. Did you bring some Boneset?" Sirius also appeared uneasy, and wouldn't look at Luna for some reason.

Lupin sighed and sat back on his heels. The rain thrumming on the roof was still muffled by Luna's spell. Luna herself was holding onto Simon's headcollar. She'd taken down the illusion of the wall as soon as Remus came inside, and then the horse had tried to nip Lupin. Fortunately for everyone Lupin had chosen to ignore that. He was now squatting next to Sirius and pulling bottles out of his bag. "Yes. But the bone's not straight. I'll need to put it back into place."

Sirius laughed humourlessly. "Brilliant."

"What are you going to do?" Harry asked. He was standing between Remus and Simon. Just in case.

"Well, the muscles have spasmed and contracted…"

"Oh, is that what they've done. How jolly," Sirius put in, grinning like a skull.

Remus clasped his shoulder briefly. "No comments from the cheap seats. The bone is out of proper alignment. It needs to be straightened. We," he added deliberately, looking at Harry, "will have to pull it back."

Harry swallowed.

"Aren't there spells for that?"

"Yes. And Madam Pomfrey is very good at them. Unfortunately I'm not and we can't involve her."

"Dumbledore…"

"…Is busy stopping some Hufflepuffs from starting a riot – they seem to think the Slytherins are fashionable, and want to begin their own republic."

"Huh," Luna said. "Copycats. Simon, you stay here and be good." She patted him on the nose for emphasis. "I know some osteotic regeneration spells."

Harry remembered the ones Snape had taught him and suggested them to Remus, who frowned. "They're Dark Magic, Harry. Where did you learn them?"

"From Severus."

"What?"

"Don't ask," Sirius said grimly, although he might have been upset because of his leg instead of the reference to Harry's time travel. "You won't like what you'll learn."

"What?"

"Just trust me, Moony. Some things you don't want to know."

Harry interrupted, "Look, are we going to fix your leg or argue all night?"

"I'll have the arguing if that's all right by you," Sirius replied, with a pale shadow of his normal grin. "What about your spells, Luna?" He still wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Oh. Those're the ones I know," Luna said, downcast. "Why are they Dark, Professor Lupin?"

"They – oh, this isn't the time for magical morality… Sirius, I'm going to put you out for this one."

"Fine by me."

"Somnambulus."

Sirius was asleep in the next second. And by a minor miracle, Simon didn't attack Remus. Harry had forgotten to caution him about wands in front of the horse.

"Will that horse stay still while we work?" Remus had remembered all on his own. That was promising.

Luna opened her mouth to say yes, frowned, and went and tied Simon's second-best leadrope to a piece of string she'd threaded through the wall. After another moment's thought, she took a long piece of cloth from the roll they used for scrap, and put it over Simon's eyes as a blindfold. "Now he will."

"Right," said Lupin, as Harry considered bitterly how Snape, even if he had lost his memory of being a human, would have had the sense to scrape the blindfold off against the wall. "Now, if you could come over here, Harry, I'll need you to put your weight on Sirius' torso. Luna, I'll need you to guide the tractor spell."

ooOOoo

Harry felt very pale by the time the bone was put back into place. His teeth chattered slightly although he wasn't cold. It had been the sound of bone grinding against bone… He sat at Sirius' side while Remus murmured spells to reduce the bruising (the sight of the incriminating semicircle of a horse shoe incited a glare from Remus at an indifferent Simon). He conjured a wrapping out of the air that spun itself cocoon-like around Sirius' thigh, extending down the knee to the ankle and – Remus had Luna turn around for that bit – up to the waist. Harry could only hope he'd remembered to leave holes in the right places so Sirius could go to the toilet, and then wondered at himself for thinking something so prosaic after his godfather had nearly been killed. It was slightly shaming, too cold to be properly human.

"I hope you left a hole so he can go to the loo," Luna said. She'd turned round after Remus had pulled Sirius' robes back down.

"Of course I did," Remus snapped wearily. "I may be an amateur, but I'm not a complete fool with it."

"I'm sure that's not what she meant," said Harry, cross at any slight of Luna (although at the same time he was relieved that worrying about things like people in magical plaster being able to go to the toilet was acceptable behaviour in the wizarding world).

"I might have meant it a little bit," Luna replied honestly. "It's hard to know if someone knows how to look after broken bones properly when they dismiss Morgana's osteotic range as Dark Magic. But I'm sorry. It was rude of me."

Remus squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He looked like he had a headache. "I think we need to get the headmaster up here."

"Will Mr Black not be alright with what you did?" Luna asked, casting a worried look over Sirius, who was still unconscious and even paler than Harry felt.

"He should be fine. But I'd like a second opinion."

"I'll go and get him if you like," Luna offered.

"Are you sure?" said Harry, not liking the thought of Luna going out in the rain. It wasn't that she couldn't look after herself, it was that… he didn't like her going out in such filthy weather.

"Yes. I think you should stay and look after Mr Black. He is your godfather, after all."

And how had she learned that? Had Harry let it slip in conversation? He couldn't remember. "Er… right."

"I'll be back as soon as the Glorious Hufflepuff Revolution has been crushed by the Powers That Be. Bye."

There was an uncomfortable silence in the little stable with Harry and Remus carefully not looking at each other, thinking their own dark thoughts, Sirius snoring softly, and Simon standing still, any equine concerns of his completely usurped by a blindfold. The silence lasted until Luna and Dumbledore appeared half an hour later.

Remus sat up as the two figures hurried in through the doorway, shaking the rain off their waterproof spells. Simon, despite the blindfold, turned his head and whickered. It was possible he knew the sound of Luna's footsteps by now.

"Albus, thank goodness. How goes the revolution?"

"Professor Sprout is dealing with matters. Hot cocoa and a few handkerchiefs for some of the younger students, but detention for the seventh year fomenters of discontent, I'm afraid. She's quite cross – seems she's had a bad day that started with sixth year Potions and kept going. Hello, Harry."

He might have noticed Harry's guilty foot-shuffling. "Sir."

"And Simon – ah. You've started wearing blindfolds for the summer. And… that's an interesting look for your mane. My word, fashions have changed for horses since I was a lad. My poor old friend. Here, let me take the blindfold off you at least." He did so, and Simon nudged at his shoulder in a friendly way.

"No peppermints, only sherbet lemons or jelly babies, neither of which you've ever liked. You'll just have to settle for the pleasure of my company." He ruffled Simon's forelock. With a sigh and a small shake of his head, he took out his wand. One small wave later, and the Yo Leo bobbles had vanished and the plaits all unwound and unplaited themselves, leaving the mane as crinkly as if Aunt Petunia had been at it with her hair crimper.

"Headmaster, if you'd please?" Remus said stiffly. He'd stood, back straight and stiff when Dumbledore removed the blindfold, and now he eyed the horse with dislike. "It might be best to put that animal outside."

"Nonsense. It's pouring down and Simon's not got his cover on. He'll catch his death."

"He's already nearly given Sirius his," Remus growled.

Simon's ears went back. Dumbledore stroked the horse's nose. "Let me check on Sirius. In the meantime, no more talk of putting Simon out of his home. He can stay or leave as he chooses." His tone as he unclipped the lead from the headcollar was mild, but Lupin clamped his mouth shut angrily at the words.

Surprisingly agilely given his age, Dumbledore crouched next to the stretcher which was still floating just above the ground. He took out his wand and ran it over Sirius' motionless figure, a small white light following just behind the tip of the wand. The light went pink over the liver and then pulsed crimson over the break in the thigh.

"Hmm. Has he been drinking much lately?"

"Er, he's been a little stressed," Remus said.

"Understandable. As for the leg, it's definitely broken but already setting nicely. Did you use a boneset potion?"

"Yes. The last of mine – I've had it since before the barrier went up but it should still be potent." Remus frowned.

Dumbledore looked up. "I'm sure we'll be able to get some more before the next full moon – even if we have to make it ourselves."

Remus nodded and looked at his shoes. Was the transformation into a werewolf bone-breakingly bad? Harry wondered. Hermione must know about the potion, maybe they could… Harry shook his head. Hermione was right: he really did have a rescuer complex.

Dumbledore cast a few more silent spells, spells Harry guessed were diagnostic by the way they hovered and didn't sink into Sirius' body, and then stood.

"You've done an excellent job, Remus."

"Thank you."

"He'll need painkillers for the next few days. It's a nasty break and the bruising was worse. Such a shame Poppy can't see him, but she'd have kittens."

Harry nodded glumly along with Remus and Luna.

"Shall we take him back to the castle?" asked Remus.

"It might be a good idea. I'm not sure if we should lift him right now, however. The spell holding the bone in place is still quite fragile. It needs to harden more before we can risk jolting it. Sirius, are you awake?"

Sirius had stirred. There was a low moan along the lines of: "WherethehellamI?"

Dumbledore's eyes creased around the corners into a warm smile. "You're in the stable, Sirius. Dear me, that was a nasty bang you had. Painkillers seem to be the order of the day. Do you have some handy, Remus? Ah, excellent… Here you go, Sirius…"

He held up Sirius' head and tipped the bottle at his lips. Sirius drank. Relief spread across his face as the potion took immediate effect.

"There," Dumbledore continued, carefully letting Sirius' head back down on the stretcher. "Now. What happened?"

"Er," Harry began, not sure how much he could say without incriminating Simon. "It was my fault. I asked Sirius to look at the charm in Simon's chest…" He paused at Dumbledore's raised eyebrow.

The headmaster darted a look at Luna over his half-moon glasses.

Luna was frowning fit to crack glass. "Why would you do that?" she said in a shrill voice. "You know how Simon hates having that charm touched!"

Sirius blinked and managed a watery smile. "I've come to realise that, yes."

Harry bit his lip and crouched down next to his godfather. "I'm so sorry. I should have known he'd go a bit mental if you did anything to that charm…"

"A bit mental? Try going totally bonkers. Berserk's a good word, too. Told you that horse wasn't Snape." Sirius' eyes crossed as he tried to focus on Harry. "Mind you, nutting off like that is pretty normal for Snape…"

"Why would you think Simon is Professor Snape?" Luna said, her voice still a little higher than usual. Harry looked up to see her pale silvery eyes narrowing down at him, and an uncomfortable feeling ran down his spine. It was like Voldemort had just walked over his grave. The set of her upper lip made him think of points falling from Gryffindor like the rain outside.

"An excellent question," Dumbledore seconded. He sighed tiredly. "Harry?"

"Er… I… um… It seemed to fit. Lots of things. Simon showing up when Snape disappears, for one. And that charm in his chest – it's a snap-back point charm. It could have been the charm that turns him back into a human."

"Instead of an anti-theft charm?" Luna said. By the high points of colour in her cheeks it was certain that the reason she wasn't shouting was because Simon was within biting range.

"But if it isn't an anti-theft charm… I mean, it looks like an anti-theft charm, but…"

"Let's see… it looks like an anti-theft charm and it has acted exactly like an anti-theft charm, one to trigger a violent reaction in the stolen item… If it looks like an anti-theft charm and triggers like an anti-theft charm, then what makes you think it's a transfiguration spell? Professor Dumbledore, I said this would happen…"

"So you did. Harry, that was a foolish thing you did. Hadn't I just warned you about trying strange things out with Simon?"

"Yes, but I thought Simon was Snape –"

"Then why didn't you come to me about it?" Dumbledore asked gently.

Harry hung his head. "I just… I wanted…"

"To do the right thing by your friend?" the soft voice asked.

Remus frowned. "Headmaster?"

Dumbledore raised his hand and Remus stopped, frowning. Dumbledore continued sadly, "Harry. I'm sorry I couldn't just wave a wand and make everything right for you – then as well as now. But you mustn't try to force Simon into something he's not able to do because of any guilt you feel for not telling your friend of the past how he could save himself."

As the weight of the gnarled hand rested on his shoulder, Harry looked up into clear blue eyes that understood.

"How did you do it? How did you wipe his memory… and then yours, knowing what I'd told you?"

There was an instant's pain so brief Harry thought he had imagined seeing it, then Dumbledore smiled without a trace of humour and said, "You knew then just as well as I did that history cannot be denied. To change it could damn us all. Yes, I knew as soon as Lucius arrived how matters were going to play out – you'd told me as much. And I had to let those matters go. As you had to. You did what you had to – and you did it very well. Please, Harry, stop blaming yourself."

Harry thought, or perhaps whispered so softly that only his lips shaped the words, "But I can't."

The hand on Harry's shoulder squeezed momentarily, then released. "Hypocrite that I am, neither can I," Dumbledore said softly.

Remus was shaking his head in perplexity. "Albus, what on earth are you talking about?"

Dumbledore sighed. He stepped back from Sirius and rested a hand on Simon's shoulder. Simon turned and rested his nose in Dumbledore's other hand. "Harry, do you have the Sickle with you?"

"Yes."

"Now might be a good time to show it to Professor Lupin."

"Er… you might want to sit down, Professor," Harry said to Remus.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it, Moony. It's like being smacked between the eyes with a Bludger."

Remus glared worriedly at Sirius. "What's like being smacked between the eyes with a Bludger?"

"Getting your memory back."

"My…?"

Harry decided this was one of those times actions spoke louder than words. He pulled the Sickle out of his pocket. "Look."

Remus looked at the Sickle, frowned again, opened his mouth to speak, and –

Went white.

He staggered back against the wall, his hands splayed out against it for balance. He breathed quickly, in shallow gasps. Then he slowly slid down until he was sitting against the wall and put his hands over his face.

"I forgot. You made me forget."

Dumbledore knelt in the straw by the werewolf, his hands on Remus' shoulders. "I'm sorry. But it had to be done. You know that."

They sat there a moment longer until Remus took his hands down. His face was still the colour of new cheese apart from the circles under his eyes which looked bruised. He looked so much like the Remus Harry had seen in the Infirmary after the Shrieking Shack that he half expected his mum and dad to come strolling in out of the rain. Remus rested his arms on his knees, hands dangling from the wrists. "Yes. I know that." His expression was closed off, and, apart from the pale face and a brief cold glare at Sirius, who flinched, he seemed unaffected.

Harry wondered if there would be an explosion later.

Dumbledore gave Remus one last pat on the shoulder and turned back to the primary patient.

"Sirius, do you think you are up to being moved back to the castle?"

"Through a horde of jumpy students ready to practise any hex they can on a convicted mass murderer?" Sirius said, almost jokingly. He didn't look at Remus.

"You'll have my Invisibility Cloak," said Harry, who understood why Sirius seemed almost ashamed. Remus had just been brutally reminded of the time Sirius had betrayed him.

Quickly shedding any humour, Sirius said, "Cloaks can fall off. And I don't want anyone getting any more suspicious than they are – Luna's already managed to figure out I'm Snuffles. How did you do that, Luna?" He finally looked at her, slanting a groggy sideways glance her way.

"Oh, it wasn't that hard. Harry, remember when I found you up with Simon that rainy evening? I'd been in the Infirmary the previous night because I had concussion…"

The concussion she'd had after Harry had been a prime git, and then the rainy evening they'd made up and he'd kissed her for the first time… "I remember."

"You said something odd to Simon. About how you were house trained. And your godfather was, too. I already knew Sirius Black was your godfather," (How? wondered Harry) "but I wondered why his being house trained might be something worth saying."

"Oh." He hadn't remembered that.

"And then of course there was the way you were angry at Snuffles when you got back after having Sirius, Remus and your father treat you abominably when you were back in time, and how Professor Dumbledore expects the judgement level of an adult human from him, and how you, Professor Lupin, treat him like his opinion is critical, and how Hermione and Ron might give him food and pat him on the head while at the same time they're a little self-conscious about it, as if they know he isn't a real dog, and the way Snuffles sneeze-laughs at jokes, and the way he obeys you when he chooses and then only after you've argued him into it like you'd argue with a person, and then there's how he –"

"All right, all right…" Sirius said. He looked both embarrassed and amused and annoyed. With significant pain thrown in, pinching the corners of his mouth. "So I'm rotten at hiding out."

"Well, yes, but you're lucky, because most people don't expect to see Escaped Prisoner Sirius Black running around in the guise of Hogwarts Mascot Snuffles. And people only see what they expect to see. People," she said matter-of-factly, "are pretty thick."

Sirius looked like he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. "Lucky me." He moved slightly and winced.

"Yes, because you're not very good at pretending to be a dog. Would you like a pillow?"

Sirius frowned. "No, thank you."

"Oh, don't be cross."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are. Professor Dumbledore, could Mr Black stay up here? We could put up the wall illusion I used before, and it'll be nice and warm with the right spells. Simon won't let any monsters hurt him…"

"Sirius isn't Draco. Simon won't defend him," Harry pointed out, not liking the idea of Sirius staying outside the castle at night. It would be cold and dark.

"So long as he doesn't attack me, I'm fine here. It's no worse than anywhere else I've stayed. And Simon, even at his most dark and looming, isn't a patch on a Dementor for bringing on depression. Albus, it's much less fuss if you leave me here. Just for tonight, at least."

Remus shook his head. "Sirius, you can do better than lying with a broken leg in a stable."

"Maybe, but I've done a lot worse. Perhaps it's the painkillers, but I'm quite happy here." Sirius tried to lever himself up onto his elbows, winced, paled, and lay back down again, hissing with pain. Simon, who'd edged forward uncannily silently for an animal weighing close to half a ton, brushed his nose over Sirius' shoulder.

"That beast is –" Remus began, but was interrupted by Sirius.

"Remus, he's just being friendly." Sirius patted the velvety muzzle. "Simon, you've got a split personality problem. I hope you're going to stick with the angel persona for a little while longer."

Simon lipped at his hair, making Sirius smile. "There. I think he's saying sorry."

"No, he's not," Remus said, exasperated. "Albus…"

"It's not as bad as it looks, Remus," Dumbledore said. He rested a hand on Simon's shoulder. "The horse does not seem to be holding a grudge against the one who tampered with the charm he is so mightily defensive over. If only more people had his sweet, forgiving nature." He smiled at Luna before addressing Remus again. "Sirius and Luna might have a point. It should be safe enough for Sirius to stay up here. I shall ward the area. If you are sure, of course, Sirius, because the offer to levitate you back to Hogwarts still stands."

"Sirius, please…"

"Remus, it's all right. I'll be fine. It might be quieter up here, anyway." He managed to smile with one corner of his mouth. "It'll be almost like a holiday, not patrolling the Forest at all hours, or accompanying students in an ego-bashingly useless attempt to keep them out of trouble."

"What was that?"

"Tell you tomorrow," Sirius said, ignoring Remus' glare by shutting his eyes. He yawned – Harry didn't believe it was a real yawn for a second. "G'night. Put up the wall illusion on your way out."

Remus shook his head. He looked frustrated and totally exhausted. Harry could almost sympathise. Then he flicked his wand, conjuring up a wide-necked glass bottle. Water in the form of a thin stream of rain flowed sideways past Simon, who snorted, and into the bottle. It was full in a few seconds. Remus put it down next to Sirius. "There. If you get thirsty. You ingrate."

Sirius smiled but didn't open his eyes.

"Albus, he's not going to be safe here with that horse."

"Now, Remus, I'm sure Simon will behave himself. As long as Sirius does, of course. Come. Time to get back and see what mischief has been managed inside the castle. Harry, Luna, don't you two have homework for History you've been avoiding?"

Luna blinked. "Harry too? We have so much in common." She glanced at Simon. "Although I don't go around provoking poor innocent horses. Horses who need their covers on, by the way." A flick of her wand, and Simon had his blanket on his back and buckled up.

Was this a spat? Harry hoped not. "Er… I suppose I'd better get that homework done…"

"Ah, the enthusiasm of youth. Always endeavouring to better itself by heartily embracing the pursuit of knowledge," said Dumbledore. He might even have meant it sincerely.

"Well, let's enthuse them in a downhill direction," Remus said sourly. "Come on, you two. And Albus… You'd better be right about Sirius being safe here."

"I have always maintained that behaviour determines fate," Dumbledore replied serenely. "It might be time for Sirius to see if he can put that theory into practice."

Remus paused on the threshold of the stable and looked up into the rain. "Sirius, if you die up here I'll kill you."

As they set off into the rain Harry thought he heard Sirius chuckle.

ooOOoo