A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof.
Chapter 55
Hermione and Ron watched with horror as Harry broke free of their grip and launched himself at Black.
Harry was punching Black for all he was worth. "He killed my mom and dad," was all that he kept repeating over and over in his mind.
Eventually Blacks hand got free and landed around Harry's throat. "No. You will not ruin this. I've waited too long."
As the fingers tightened around his neck, Harry's glasses went askew but from the corner of his eyes, he saw Hermione kick Black and Ron launch himself on Black's other hand, despite his broken leg.
When Ron had done that, he heard their wands hit the floor. Harry saw his wand and dove for it but Crookshanks clawed him.
"Get out of the way," screamed Harry to Ron and Hermione as he closed his hand around his wand despite the cat.
Lupin heard screaming and shuffling so he picked up he pace as he ran down the tunnel. Just as he reached the bottom floor of the shrieking shack, he stepped on a board that creaked.
"It's Sirius Black! Hurry!" he heard Hermione shout.
Taking the steps two at a time, the scene he stumbled upon shocked him. Mr. Weasley was sitting on the bed, his leg obviously broken, and was covered in blood. Ms. Granger had scratches on her face and a swollen lip. Her shoulder also appeared to be bleeding.
In the middle of the room though stood Harry with a look of madness in his eyes and he had his wand pointed at Black's chest which for some reason had a cat sitting on it.
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.
Harry stood in the middle of the room feeling raw and exposed. He hadn't done it. He didn't kill him when he had the chance.
He stumbled backwards towards Ron and Hermione but froze when he heard, "Where is he Sirius?"
Harry watched with no small amount of question in his eyes as Black pointed to Ron.
"I don't understand. Why ... after all this time ... unless ... unless you switched without telling me."
Black nodded.
Harry interrupted them. "Professor, what's going on?"
However before he could ask anything else, he watched with horror as Lupin helped Black up and embraced him like a brother.
Harry felt as though he had been sucker punched.
"No!" Hermione screamed startling everyone. "I trusted you. You've been helping Black into the castle. You want Harry dead!"
Everyone was looking at Hermione like she had finally snapped.
"He's a werewolf. That's why he's been missing classes all year."
Ron went even paler which made Lupin look at him with concern. "Let me look at your leg Ron."
"Stay away from me werewolf," he said with such venom that even Harry started.
Lupin halted mid motion though it obviously took some force to do so and turned towards Hermione. "Not up to your usual standard Ms. Granger. Only one of three this time. I was not helping Sirius into the castle and I most certainly do not want Harry dead. However, I am a werewolf. How long have you known?"
"Since Professor Snape set the essay."
Harry looked incredulously at Lupin when he laughed. "Severus will be delighted. That was the whole reason he wanted you all to write it."
"Enough!" Sirius said as the door creaked open. He wandered over to close it. "Let me kill him Remus."
"Wait Sirius. Harry deserves to know why first."
When the door had opened, Harry felt the air around him change. Someone invisible had entered the room. He let his gaze travel to where he was sure that someone was now standing. For the briefest second, he tried to convey with his eyes to let him handle this.
The next second they were full of anger as he refocused on Black. "I know why! He betrayed my parents and sold them to Voldemort." Harry made to leap at Black again but Crookshanks hissed at him at the same time Hermione pulled him back.
"Just listen to him Harry. Let us explain - although - there are certain parts that even I don't understand."
"No!" Harry pulled himself out of Hermione's grip. Ron was still grimacing in pain on the bed holding onto Scabbers tightly. He was trying to escape because of Crookshanks.
"It will just be lies. I won't listen to them!"
"Remus," said Sirius, clearly annoyed.
"Look Harry, here's your guys' wands." Harry was flummoxed as he took the wands and gave them to his friends. Remus then put the two wands still in his hands in his pocket (his own and the one Sirius had been using). "Now your armed and we're not. Let us explain."
Harry hesitantly nodded. He listened as Remus explained how each of them had became animagus' illegally.
Severus pressed himself up against the wall. He had picked up Potters invisibility cloak at the base of the tree outside. His blood had ran cold when he realized that Potter must have snuck down to Hagrids and was most likely ambushed coming back.
He should have known that the boy would go see Hagrid. He still had much to learn about his son but the boys affection for the gate keeper was obvious.
The thought of Black having his son had made him run down the tunnel even faster.
He saw that Potter was relatively unhurt, other than a few cuts and abrasions. That had eased his mind some but not a lot.
Black was sitting on the bed at Ron's feet. Severus noted that he was staring at the rat with a severe intensity.
Lupin was pacing back and forth in the middle of the room talking.
Ron was being clawed by the rat as it tried to escape. He appeared the most hurt with the obvious broken leg.
Hermione was standing with her hand on Ron's shoulder.
Harry, he was pleased to see, at least still had his wand drawn. While it wasn't pointing at anyone, he was standing in a defensive stance. The other two could take a page out of his book.
Being this close to Black made him want to kill him straight out but he knew how to be patient. Merlin knew he could patient when he needed to be.
And besides, Severus was curious as to what lies Black and Lupin would try to feed Potter and his friends. He quietly maneuvered himself to be in a position to protect Potter and harm Black and Lupin if either tried anything suddenly.
As Lupin explained about the anamagi, he raised his eyebrows. Now that certainly explained quite a few things. He, too, was surprised that they had managed to hide that from Albus.
"What does Snape have to do with this?" hissed Black.
Severus refocused his attention. The first thing he noticed was that when Black said his name, Harry's eyes darted right to where he stood invisibly and narrowed. He had been thinking of ways to torture Black while keeping an eye on Potter, who never moved from his defensive stance.
"He's still teaching here Sirius."
"Snivellus is still teaching? Has Albus lost his mind?"
Severus felt his blood boil.
"Professor Snape was at school with us and we ... er ... didn't like each other very much. You see, Sirius here played a trick on him. A trick that nearly cost him his life. A trick that involved me."
"The one my dad stopped?" Again the boys eyes flickered to where he stood.
Remus nodded.
"So Snape hates you all so much because he thought you were all in on it?" asked Harry while frowning.
Severus couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want his history exposed, especially like this.
"That's right," he sneered. He removed the cloak from himself and pointed his wand at Lupin.
Harry had a suspicion that it might have been Snape that had entered the room. He could tell that he had been standing in the corner but he was totally unprepared for the darkened glint in his professor's eyes as he removed the invisibility cloak. He looked like he was possessed by something.
"Two more for Azkaban tonight. I told the Headmaster you were helping Black all along."
"Severus," said Lupin softly. "Is a school boys grudge worth putting an innocent man back into Azkaban."
Harry's reflexes might have prevented the ropes that burst out of Snapes wand from hitting Lupin if he had known how to cast a shield over another person.
He made a note in the back of his mind that if he got out of this alright, he would look that up.
Harry and Sirius both tried to catch Lupin from falling to the floor. When Harry looked up, he saw the wand pointed at Sirius, straight between his eyes.
"Give me a reason," Harry heard Snape hiss. "Give me a reason - any reason - and I swear I'll do it."
Sirius froze.
Harry saw Snapes eye twitching and thought the glint in his eyes looked slightly feral. He was paralyzed. He didn't know what to do or who to believe but it was Hermione that spoke.
"Professor Snape, it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say would it?"
"Miss Granger. All 3 of you are likely to be suspended for being out of bounds. For once in your life, HOLD YOUR TONGUE!"
"But sir, what if there was a mistake," she persisted.
"Keep quiet you idiotic girl. Don't talk about what you don't understand!" Now Snape really looked and sounded deranged. "Oh, how I hoped I would be the one to catch you. Vengeance is very sweet."
Sirius finally spoke up. "The jokes on you Severus. As long as the boy brings his rat up to the castle, I'll come quietly." He jerked his head towards Ron and the squeaking rat.
"Oh no. We won't need to go all the way to the castle. I imagine the dementors will be thrilled to see you. I dare say they'll have a little kiss for you."
Harry had never seen Snape so - so beyond reason before. He was utterly baffled. But one thing was certain - until he learned the truth, no one could leave this room. He quickly crossed the floor and stood in front of the door.
"Potter get out of the way." Snapes eyes were still twitching.
"No. Not until I learn the truth. I want to hear what they have to say."
"Potter, you don't understand what you're saying. You certainly won't get the truth from them. Now move!"
"No. I still want to hear what they have to say," he said again quite simply. However as a token of how upset he really was, the chair in the corner of the room suddenly exploded.
"Potter get your temper under control and MOVE!"
"Harry calm yourself," Sirius said, very much wide-eyed as he glanced at the chair.
Harry realized that there was only one thing to do. He was probably going to get expelled but at least he would get the truth first. In half a heart beat, he pointed his wand at Snape and said, "Expelliarmus".
Harry watched in some confusion as the professor went flying. Then he realized that he was not the only one that spoke. While his spell would have sent Snapes wand to Harry, Ron and Hermione both tried to disarm him as well.
The power of the three spells combined knocked him unconscious.
Harry quickly untied Lupin who then checked on Snape.
"You shouldn't have done that Harry," said Sirius. "You should have left him to me."
Harry pointed his wand at Sirius. "I'm not saying I believe you. Prove to me that Ron's rat is Pettigrew or I'll hand you over to the dementor's myself."
Forty minutes later, after Lupin and Black turned Scabbers into Pettigrew, Harry was beside himself.
"No! Don't kill him," shouted Harry. Everyone (except Snape who was still unconscious) looked at Harry strangely.
"Harry, this piece of garbage is why you have no parents."
"Don't kill him," Harry said more firmly.
"Sweet boy. Kind boy," sputtered Pettigrew.
"We'll take him to the castle with us and hand him over. If he's dead, the truth dies with him. Alive - and Sirius you should be set free."
"Right. We better get back to the castle then," said Lupin. "Ron, I can put a brace on your leg but we need to get you to Madam Pomphrey to fix it."
Ron nodded warily. He seemed to be too stunned for words.
Sirius pointed his wand at Snape which made him float eerily above the ground with his head lolling around. "We probably shouldn't wake him until we get back to the castle."
"Peter, if you transform at any given time, they have my permission to kill you," said Harry coldly.
Pettigrew started trembling even more.
As they all started down the tunnel, Harry and Sirius were in the back talking.
"I don't know if anyone ever told you or not but I'm your god father."
"I know."
"Well, for a while, my life might be chaotic but if you want, you can eventually come and live with me."
"Live with you?"
"Of course, I'd understand if you wanted to stay with your aunt and uncle ..."
"Are you kidding? Do you have a house? When can I move in?"
Sirius stopped walking. "Do you really want to come live with me?"
Harry nodded while smiling.
They continued to chat quietly as they walked down the tunnel.
Lupin was changing and since he never took his potion that night, he wasn't safe.
Pettigrew took advantage of the situation, grabbed Lupin's dropped wand, pointed it at Ron (who was still tied to him) and cursed him.
"Expelliarmus! Incarcerous!" shouted Harry.
The first spell hit. The second one missed by about 3 inches.
"Sirius! Peter changed!" yelled Harry. But Sirius didn't hear him because he was trying to distract Lupin from everyone else.
Harry and Hermione turned and looked at Ron. He was breathing but they couldn't get him to wake up.
"We need to get him to the castle," said Hermione frantically.
Harry nodded. Just as they were about to levitate Snape, Harry felt them.
The dementors had come onto the grounds.
"Sirius!" yelled Harry. He turned and ran off in the direction the dementors were heading.
"Harry!" cried Hermione. She followed after him.
Severus slowly became aware of his surroundings. He then quickly sat up and looked around. He saw Weasley spread out on the ground next to him. He swiftly knelt down beside of him to check him over.
Just unconscious.
He then started looking around for everyone else. The good news was that their were no bodies. Of course, the bad news was that he didn't know where anyone was.
Severus subconsciously put his hand in the pocket of his robe where he normally kept his wand and was surprised to find it there. Surely they would have kept it away from him?
He quickly conjured a stretcher for Weasley then looked around again - this time with the light from his wand.
"Point me Harry Potter."
Snape watched as his wand did nothing. He sighed.
"Point me Sirius Black" Yet again the wand did nothing. Just as he was about to try Miss Granger, he heard a faint "Expecto Patronum" come from the direction of the black lake.
He muttered a spell to have the stretcher Weasley was on to follow him and then he sprinted down the hill. To his horror, he felt dementors.
A lot of dementors.
But as he rounded the next to last bend near the lake, he saw all of the dementors head back to their stations around the grounds. He frowned. Was Albus already down there?
When he rounded the final corner what he saw made him sick to his stomach. Granger was on her back next to Potter, who had himself thrown over Black as if trying to protect him.
He ran to check on Potter first. Thankfully his hands weren't shaking too badly. This allowed him to see that all 3 were only passed out.
Potter was going to give him a heart attack if he kept this up.
After he had put all 3 on a stretcher, he put extra ropes on Black.
A mad gleam came into his eyes then. He could simply kill Black now - either say it was self defense or blame it on the dementors.
He raised his wand and pointed it at Black but then he had an image in his head of Albus looking at him disapprovingly and lowered it.
He pointed his wand at the stretchers and had them follow him into the castle while muttering under his breath.
A/N: Ok .. so it's posted sooner than I thought it would be. I'm sure none of you mind this. :P I realize that I'm going to get flogged b/c it's almost the same as the book, but I promise I have a reason for this ... even if it can't be seen yet. Next chapter should be up in a couple of days. =)