Warning: second Chapter posted in 24 hours. You might have to read chapter 21 first
So it turns out the major plot change is going to be in the next chapter... My b, lovelies. It would have been in this chapter but I broke it in half so yeah... The good news is none of you know what is. The bad news is... Well... I might not be that merciful of a lord after it happens... Well, unless we use Voldemort's standard of a merciful lord than I'm pretty solid... I think... You decide next chapter!
Enjoy!
3 Chapter 22: The Shrieking Shack
Alexis blinked, her mind racing a mile a minute on the situation in front of her. Here she was in the Shrieking Shack with an injured best friend, her only way out blocked by the mass murderer Sirius Black. Sirius Black...
"Where's..." Alexis started.
"He's Grim!" Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Sirius Black, he's an Amimagus!"
Alexis's eyes widened.
"He's... You."
Sirius Black, his hair slightly less matted and his boney figure more filled out than the last time Alexis had seen him, smiled softly at Alexis as one would expect a pleased parent would look at their child.
"Hello Alexis," he said kindly as if Alexis was an old friend of his. "I suppose Harry will be here soon?"
"Shut up!" snapped Alexis, a wave of magic rippling off of her, but Sirius Black seemed unfazed. "You shut up! Don't you dare speak about Harry! You- you murdering son of a-"
"Please," cut in Sirius, "calm down. I'm not going to hurt you, pup."
"Don't call me that!" Alexis shouted taking a threatening and protective step in front of Ron. Again, Sirius Black was unfazed. "I'm not your pup! I'm not your anything! So don't you dare tell me what to do!"
Sirius crackled loudly. He seemed beside himself with laughter which only infuriated Alexis more.
"What's so funny?" Alexis growled.
"You're so much like her," said Sirius, his laughter slowly subsiding. "Your mother. She used to be so protective to her family before... Before she took the Mark."
With his laughter completely gone, Sirius Black looked at Alexis with an odd expression. It reminded Alexis of a deer looking into the headlights of a car but there was something else in the escaped prisoner's eyes, something sad.
"Oh Trix, if only you could see her..."
Alexis froze. It was as if Sirius Black had cast a spell on her, freezing her in place like he had on Halloween. She hated him for all he had done - what he had done to Harry - but the answers to her family was so close. He was so close. In fact, he was right in front of her, his left hand gently stroking the side of her face and hair while his right hand kept a tight grip on his wand.
He still had his wand. Why hadn't she disarmed him yet? McPherson was asking her the same question over and over. He was distracted; he wouldn't know what hit him.
'But he knows the truth,' Alexis reasoned as burning coal eyes smiled down at her.
"Get away from her!" barked Ron, snapping Alexis out of her trance when he grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the convict.
Sirius's eyes snapped towards Ron, a strange look of worry in his eyes.
"You need to put pressure on that or you'll bleed out," he said almost as if he cared.
Ron laughed bitterly.
"That's rich," he crackled. "You plan to kill our best friend but you're telling me to how to stop myself from bleeding out. We won't let you commit murder tonight."
Sirius Black's face darken as did his eyes.
"I'd like to see you stop me."
Whatever stupor Alexis had been in, Sirius's words had snapped her right out of it. Rage took over and she charged the convict. But despite being a weakened ex-prisoner, Sirius Black was stronger. He had her back pressed against his chest and her arms pinned against her own chest with only one hand in a matter of seconds.
"Just like Trix," said Sirius, coldly. "More then capable of taking me out with magic but decides to fight like a Muggle. Please, I don't want to hurt you."
Alexis laughed bitterly.
"Funny way of showing it."
"You were the one who attacked me," Sirius grumbled.
"You killed Harry's parents!" shouted Alexis. She kicked and squirmed to no avail. "You want to kill my best friend you'll have to kill me first!"
Ron shouted in agreement but Sirius shook his head. His eyes hardened as he spoke.
"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Sirius, and his grin widened.
"Why's that?"
The door opened wide revealing Harry, his wand trained on Sirius Black.
"Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew...What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"
Alexis was about to ask where Hermione was but realized she already knew where. They must have heard Alexis and Ron shouting and sent her to get a teacher.
"Hello, Harry," said Sirius, his voice barely above a whisper. "Care to close the door?"
But Harry didn't move. His wand stayed trained on the ex-prisoner.
"Let her go," Harry hissed. "Let her go and let me kill you."
"So you're going to kill me, Harry? I'm afraid I can't let that happen, not yet anyway. I'm here too so I can kill someone but I'm afraid your friend is in my way."
"Leave them-"
"Only one, Harry," cut in Sirius. "Your ginger friend I'm afraid-"
"Leave him alone!" shouted Alexis. She landed a perfect kick into Sirius's knee, forcing him to let her go. But Sirius Black wasn't going down without a fight. Before any of the three Gryffindors knew it he had cast an Expelliarmus on Harry and was now standing, though with slightly less pressure on his right leg, with his two wands fixed on Alexis and Harry.
"It hurts seeing how much like your parents you two are," he said, and Alexis swore she almost heard sorrow in his voice. "Harry, you're just like James, so stubborn when it comes to defending your love ones. And Alexis... Oh, the splitting image of-"
"Don't say it."
All heads whipped around towards the door. Standing there, a gaunt look on his face, was Remus Lupin. He had his wand trained on Sirius Black but his hand was shaking as he kicked the door shut. A quick Expelliarmus disarmed the convict.
"Remus" Sirius Black whispered. His voice was shaking with a plea Alexis didn't understand. "Please..."
"Where is he, Sirius?"
Alexis looked up at Remus who was avoiding her eye. She knew Remus and Sirius had been friends at Hogwarts but the question had confused her. Who was Remus talking about? She glanced back at Sirius.
Sirius was still for a moment before slowly he raised his hand and pointed straight at Ron. Ron, like the other two third years, was wearing a bewildered expression.
"But then..." Remus muttered, staring at Sirius Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless -" Remus's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Sirius, something none of the rest could see, "- unless he was the one...unless you switched... without telling me?"
Very slowly, his sober gaze never leaving Remus's face, Sirius nodded.
"Professor," Harry interrupted, "what's going on -"
But he never finished his question because what he saw made his voice die in his throat and Alexis's stomach drop. Remus lowered his wand, his eyes solely on Sirius. He walked to Sirius's side, seized his hand, and embraced Sirius like a brother.
Alexis felt utterly betrayed.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Alexis screamed.
Remus let go of Sirius and turned to Alexis. She dove at Remus, clawing viciously at him when Harry caught her. "You - you -"
"Alexis -"
"I trusted you!"
"Alexis, calm dow-"
"I told you everything!"
"Please, Alexis, I -"
"I didn't tell anyone!" Alexis shrieked. "I've been covering up for you -"
"Alexis, listen to me, please," Remus shouted. "I can explain -"
Harry could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury. He let go of Alexis, who continued her charge at her teacher only to be stopped by Sirius once more.
"I trusted you," he shouted at Remus, his voice wavering, out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"
"You're wrong," said Remus. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now - Let me explain..."
"NO!" Alexis screamed, struggling viciously in Sirius Black's grip. "Harry, don't trust him, he's been lying all year! I should have told you when I first figured it out, he's- he's a werewolf!"
There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Remus, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.
"I know you feel betrayed, Alexis," he said, "but I would think you'd know that me being a werewolf would have no effects on my morals." Remus continued, ignoring Ron as he moved farther away on the bed. "I would never help Sirius into the castle, at least, not when I thought he was going to hurt Harry."
"She knew you were a werewolf?" asked Sirius, looking down at Alexis struggling in his arms to Remus by his side.
Remus nodded.
"Since Halloween," he said simply. "Severus warned her."
Alexis snorted. She had ceased struggling in Sirius's grasp but wasn't done glaring at Remus venomously.
"Yeah," she laughed bitterly, "warned me. More like told me in hopes to spread your secret. But I didn't because I trusted you. My mistake but don't worry, it won't happen again."
Murderous eyes met calm ones, both an equally sharp emerald green.
"They thought I was going to hurt Harry?"
The staring/glaring contest was immediately cut short with Sirius Black's words.
'He's joking right?' thought Alexis.
'Does he look like he's joking, Hex?' supplied McPherson making Alexis feel uneasy.
"Well, you did kill my parents," Harry hissed.
Sirius looked as if he had been slapped. He released Alexis and took a step back, leaning heavily against the wall.
"I might as well have," he whispered softly, making Alexis feel twice as uneasy as before. Had they been wrong about Sirius Black?
"It's not your fault, Sirius," comforted Remus.
Harry took a step forward in anger.
"Don't you dare comfort that murderer-"
"Wait!" exclaimed Alexis, grappling Harry's arm. He stopped his charge almost immediately. "Let him explain."
She nodded curtly to Remus who nodded right back. He removed a second wand from his pocket. It was Ron's. He tossed it as well as Harry's back to its owner before tucking his and Sirius's wand in his pocket.
"There," said Remus. "You're armed, we're not. I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
There was a pause for half a second.
"If you haven't been helping him," Harry said, with a furious glance at Sirius, "how did you know he was here?"
"I spotted him at the Quidditch game, actually, but I found out he was in the Shrieking Shack thanks to the map," said Remus. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it -"
"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.
"Of course I know how to work it," said Remus, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony - that was my friends' nickname for me at school."
"Your Moony -?"
"But how did you know to be watching it?" asked Alexis.
Remus smiled softly. He reached into the inside pocket of his robe and withdrew a familiar looking parchment.
"I believe you know what this is?" he asked calmly.
Alexis nodded her head.
"A notepasser," she said softly. "But how did he know we were outside of the castle without you telling him?"
"Because I knew where Prongs hid his," answered Sirius. He pulled a similar parchment out of his breast pocket. "He always hid things in the boat house."
"The important thing is," continued Remus, "I was watching the map carefully this evening, because I had an idea that the four of you might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"
Harry looked at Alexis who merely shrugged her shoulders.
"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry-"
"How d'you know about the cloak?"
"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it..." said Remus, waving an impatient hand again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."
"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"
"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Remus, who had started pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"
"No one was with us!" said Harry.
"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black...I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow -"
"One of us!" Ron said angrily.
"No, Ron," said Remus. "Two of you."
He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.
"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.
"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"
"Everything," said Remus. "Could I see him, please?"
Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks, who came charging up the steps, made a soft hissing noise.
Remus 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," croaked Sirius Black suddenly.
Alexis's eyes widened.
'Don't jump to -' started McPherson but he stopped himself. 'Okay, go ahead.'
"What d'you mean - of course he's a rat -"
"No, he's not," said Alexis quietly. "He's a wizard."
"An Animagus," said Sirius, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."
It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Harry was thinking.
"You're both mental."
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Sirius, whose face twitched convulsively.
"I meant to," he growled. The face he made caused Harry and Ron to look at Alexis. There was no denying her heritage now. "But little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!"
Sirius Black lunged at Scabbers. Ron yelled with pain as Sirius's weight fell on his cut leg.
"Padfoot, NO!" Remus yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Sirius 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!" snarled Sirius, trying to throw Remus 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!" Remus panted, still trying to restrain the crazed ex-prisoner. "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!"
Sirius stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.
"All right, then," Sirius said, without taking his eyes off the rat.
"Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for..."
"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry Alexis Harry for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."
He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Alexis stopped him.
"Tails," she said pleadingly. "You can't just leave. You can't just ignore them!"
"Look, Padfo- wait, did you call him Padfoot?"
"Yes," said Remus calmly. "I suppose we should get this part over with. The Marauders, or at least the original ones and the creators of the map, were Sirius, James, Peter, and myself. As I said, I was Moony, Peter was Wormtail, James, your father, Harry, was Prongs, and Sirius was Padfoot."
"That's... Ironic," stated Alexis for everyone.
"It explains why he was so worried when he caught us in the Astronomy Tower," mumbled Harry but he quickly regretted his words when both Sirius and Ron raised suggestive eyebrows at them. Remus merely smirked. "Um... How can Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew?" he said trying to change the subject. "There was a whole street full of witnesses that saw you kill him."
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Sirius savagely, his eyes returning to Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Remus, nodding. "I believed it myself - until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's map never lies...Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."
'They're out of their minds,' thought Harry and Ron together but Alexis wasn't ready to disagree yet.
"But the only way Peter could be Scabbers was if he was an Animagus," she said aloud. Sirius started grinning like the madman Harry and Ron thought he was.
"Exactly."
"But Animagi have to be registered with the Ministry," said Alexis. "Unless... Unless you're telling us Peter was an unregistered Animagus!"
"Brilliant!" shouted Sirius startling the three third years both with his voice and his sudden action of twirling Alexis in the air. "Absolutely brilliant, Remus! My praises to Tomas!" He then placed Alexis back down and turned to Scabbers with a sneer. "She figured you out, Peter, all on her own! There's no getting away now!"
Remus, who was also grinning proudly like Sirius, stepped forward clearing his throat.
"Excellent, Alexis!" he said, his grin never fading. "Only there were three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts: Peter, Sirius, and James."
There was suddenly a loud creaking noise outside the bedroom door. Remus opened the door cautiously but found nothing outside it.
"No one there..."
"This place is haunted!" said Ron.
"It's not," said Remus, still looking out the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted...The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me. And that's where all of this starts - with my becoming a werewolf, None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitter...and if I hadn't been so foolhardy..."
He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Alexis elbowed him to keep quiet.
"I as 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 and Alexis have 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.
"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..." Remus sighed, and looked directly at 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" - Remus looked miserably around the room, giving Alexis the sudden urge to hug him - "the tunnel that leads to it - they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous.
"My transformations in those days were - 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 rumor...Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it...
"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black...Peter Pettigrew...and, of course, your father, Harry - James Potter.
"Now, my three friends could hardly 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, Alexis, worked out the truth...
"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?" said Harry, astounded.
Remus nodded with a soft smile towards Harry.
"But wouldn't you just attack them?" asked Ron.
"Werewolves are only a danger to people, Ron," answered Alexis. She then turned to Remus. "I'm guessing that this were they would meet you? The three of them would hide under the trusty Invisibility Cloak, transform and then hang out with you under the full moon light?"
Remus smirked despite himself.
"More or less."
"That's... Kinda cool," said Alexis. Ron looked at her as if she was crazy but Harry seemed to agree with her.
"Of course you would say that," sneered a cold voice from the door.
Five head simultaneously snapped towards it. Standing in the doorway with his wand trained on Remus was none other than Severus Snape.
"I did tell Dumbledore again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout -"
"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Remus urgently. "You haven't heard everything - I can explain - Sirius is not here to kill Harry -"
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this...He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a tame werewolf -"
"You fool," said Remus softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"
BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Remus's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Sirius started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.
"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
Alexis rushed forward, stopping only when she was between the two equally hate filled men.
"Are you even listening?" Alexis snapped and for a moment Snape looked like he was about to lower his wand. "Let him explain-"
"Enough," Snape spat. "It's time for you to be reunited with the Dementors, Black."
"Damn it, Snape!" shouted Alexis in such a way both Harry and Ron jumped. She was most definitely not using the correct tone with her teacher. "Just listen-!"
"I SAID ENOUGH BELLA!" barked Snape. The name Snape had called her would have bothered Alexis if her Potion's Professor didn't suddenly go flying across the room. He landed in a heap on the floor completely motionless.
"Sorry if I scared anyone," said a bodiless voice that made everyone jump. Suddenly Hermione appeared removing Harry's Invisibility Cloak. "I saw Snape coming so I hid under the Invisibility Cloak. I followed him in in case you three needed help. To be honest I thought I might have to knock Black out not Snape. Which leads me to asking, what did I miss?"
"Remus admitted to being a werewolf, Sirius Black didn't kill Harry's parents - oh! And Scabbers is actually Peter Pettigrew who just so happens to be an unregistered Amimagus," replied Alexis without missing a beat. She turned to Remus, who Harry had immediately began untying, and Sirius. "Did I miss anything?"
The two men shook their heads.
"That's all," said Alexis with a shrug.
Hermione nodded her head slowly, "That's... Nice."
"Now," said Remus, rubbing his wrist were the rope had cut him. "It's time we give you proof. The rat, Ron."
Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.
"Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean..." He looked up at his three friends for support, "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat - there are millions of rats - how's he supposed to know which one he is after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"
"You know, Sirius, that's a good question," said Alexis, turning to Sirius who looked baffled with hearing Alexis saying his name. "How did figure out Scabbers was Peter Pettigrew?"
Sirius smirked softly before pulling a photograph out of his robes. It was the picture from the Daily Prophet of Ron and his family, and there on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.
"Fudge," Sirius explained, "he gave me his paper last year. I knew it was Peter at once... And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts...to where Harry was..."
"His front paw..." whispered Remus. "His toe is missing. He cut it off himself?"
Sirius nodded.
"Just before he transformed," he said. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself - and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."
"And the biggest bit of Pettigrew they found was his finger!" exclaimed Harry. "Tails-"
"Not you too!" Ron cried. "He's just a rat!"
"But you said he's been with your family for years," said Hermione. "Twelve years. Rats don't live that long, Ron, no matter how well you take care of them."
"But- but-"
"Tails," said Alexis. "Your rat has faked his death twice this year. Pets don't fake their deaths."
Ron looked like he was about to give in when Harry jumped up furious.
"I would fake my death too if I had a murderer after me!" he snapped, glaring at Sirius. "You were going to kill him like you killed my parents!"
"No," said Remus, "Harry-"
"And now you've come to finish him off!"
"Yes, I have," said Sirius, with an evil look at Scabbers.
"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.
"Harry," said Remus hurriedly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down - but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father - Sirius tracked Peter down -"
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"
He was pointing at Sirius, who shook his head slowly.
"Harry...I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me...I'm to blame, I know it...The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies...I realized what Peter must've done...what I'd done..."
His voice broke. He turned away.
"Enough of this," said Remus, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."
"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Remus tensely.
"Force him to show himself," said Remus. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."
Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Remus took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. "Ready, Sirius?" said Remus.
Sirius nodded his head and took his wand back from Remus. He approached Remus and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.
"Together?" he said quietly.
"I think so", said Remus, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One - two - THREE!"
A full chapter with Sirius?! Maybe I am a merciful lord... Anyway, Sirius seems pretty, um, not serious? Fun? Not completely grim? I'm hoping at least. I tried giving him a more confusing role in there (confusing for Alexis because he is NOT her father. That would be just... Eww) and threw a few hints in there for you to find on your own like name calling and eye color but whatever... You can ignore that or not. It depends, you know?
ANYWAY! Two chapters in about 24 hours? Hope y'all notice that before accidentally skipping chapter 21.
Now for the reviews!
tikitay13: Glad you like the suspense! And thanks for the title opinion! Hope this chapter satisfies your taste!
Ingrid: Updated!
ssddrff: errrrrrrrr... Ummmmmmm... Oh look! Helena Carter sticking a wand in Neville's ear!
pheonixfelicis07: I'm glad you like Hex and Remus's relationship and I hope I did a good you-betrayed-my-trust-and-I'll-never-forgive-you-unless-Scabbers-turns-out-to-actually-be-Peter-Pettigrew mood for Alexis. I think I should merely hint at the major plot change may not be as serious as, idk, Harry getting hit by a gender changing spell and finishing the series as a girl or Sirius Black turning out to really be Salazar Slytherin sent from the past to train Alexis in blood magic, it is as serious as if I were to have Peter caught and turned in to the Dementors (it's not that btw. Not at all original so not going in here if I can help it). I'm sure you'll figure it out though I'm hoping to surprise you as much as I am to surprise everyone else! Fingers crossed
caring16: thanks for the name opinion! Hope you like the chapter!
Anyway, please review and PLEASE give your opinion on titles. The three choices are Alexis Lestrange and the TriWizard Tournament, Alexis Lestrange and the TriWizard Champions (this one was given to me by pheonixfelicis07) or Alexis Lestrange and the Tasks Three (another pheonixfelicis07 original).
Review!
DCF