A/N So this is late again, but honestly, my workload has been kicking my butt. So, the chapter is late, but it's of a better quality because of the extra day. This should close out third year, then I think the summer chapter will be a filler because we need one.

As always, unbeta-ed, sorry if I miss any errors.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter or Supernatural, or anything belonging to J.K. Rowling or Eric Kripke, I'm just using the characters for fun. I receive no money off of this story. Don't sue me.

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Chapter 17: Marauder

Harry swore again when she tripped over another tree root, one of the several that sprawled across the bottom of the already difficult to navigate tunnel. Hermione shushed her, pushing the green-eyed witch further, almost tripping her completely.

"Hermione, I swear to god if you don't stop it with the pushing I'm going to fall backwards into you."

"You wouldn't. Just hurry up, Ron's in trouble!"

"I know that, but he won't be helped if I fall down because you shoved me over another one of these creepers." They fell into silence again, wands drawn as they approached a lighter part of the tunnel. Harry peered in through the tarnished door, her first glance of the room being that of the cracked floorboards ridden with deep gashes. Then she caught sight of the bed that housed her resident ginger. Harry stepped into the room, swiveling to the left and right with her wand to clear the way. She didn't see the dog, which was clearly something other than the lonely mutt she'd met in Little Whinging, and thought it safe to move forwards. Hermione pushed past her with a cry of Ron's name. Ron groaned when she jostled his leg, but seemed to push past it, locking eyes with Harry.

"Harry! It's Sirius Black! He's an animagus!" Harry whipped around when Ron's eyes flicked behind her shoulder, moving so that her wand was trained on the ragged looking man that had just stepped out from behind the door. He smiled insanely at her, and Harry had a ridiculous passing thought that Hermione wouldn't appreciate the state of his teeth. Harry moved to disarm him, but he was half a second faster, using her shock. Harry dove out of the way of the jet of red light, rolling on the dirty floor, coming up and shooting a stunner at him. Black cast a shield, but it was weak, and he was obviously feeling the drain on his magic after not using it for 12 years. Two bolts of light shot out of Harry's fingers as she held her wand, a bombardment and slicing curse breaking the shield. Another flick and he was disarmed, and Harry cast a binding charm, but he'd shifted into a dog again, and her spell flew a foot too high over the dog that was now scrambling towards her.

Black jumped at her, and she whirled to the side, but he managed to hit her wrist, causing her to drop her wand. He shifted back to human form grabbing Ron's wand from the floor just as Harry held out a hand and summoned her wand back. They pointed the wands at each other, at stalemate, breathing heavily.

"I thought you'd come to help your friend. You're father would have done the same for me," he croaked out, eyes still wild. "Didn't expect that much of a fight though. James would have been proud."

"I'm not entirely sure you should be allowed to speak his name. After all, you're accused as their murderer."

"Voldemort murdered your parents."

"With help."

"Not from me. Although I might as well be their killer."

"You're sending very mixed messages here." He shot a red light at her, and she batted it away. "Nope, not gonna work." He shrugged. It was at this point that Hermione spoke up.

"If you're going to kill Harry, you'll have to go through us first!" She squeaked.

"Hermione, do you really think he can get the drop on Harry?" Ron asked, propping himself up and immediately groaning.

"Lie down. You've got a broken leg," Black interrupted.

"Yah, thanks to you." He tried to sit up a little farther and winced. "Bloody hell."

"He 'got the drop' on all of us, so hush Ronald." She turned back to Black. "You'll have to murder all three of us," She said primly.

"There will only be one murder tonight." The man's eyes increased in intensity, while also seeming to be emptier, as if he was caught in some deranged fantasy none of them could see.

"Geez, way to seem suspicious."

"Harry," Hermione said exasperatedly.

"Just sayin'," She shifted to a slightly more serious manner. "Why only one murder. Haven't got the mojo to kill us all?"

"It's time to right a wrong. There doesn't need to be any more bloodshed."

"Says the man who blew up a street full of muggles and one of his best friends."

"I didn't do that! It was that traitorous bastard, and he's not even dead!" Harry smirked towards Ron and Hermione.

"Who had a good theory?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"There can't possibly be enough drama in your life, can there?"

"You love it." She huffed and crossed her arms.

"What theory?" Black cut back in, thrown off somewhat.

"Well, I know it was Peter Pettigrew that blew up the street, and I know you didn't get a trial, and I know that everyone who talks about you pairs you with James Potter. They say you were best friends, brothers. Even McGonagall got teary-eyed." His expression shifted slightly.

"Oh, I haven't thought about Minnie in a while?" Harry snorted, ignoring Hermione's scandalised 'Minnie?!'

"So, I have a few theories. You're going to tell me your story, and I'm going to decide if you're telling the truth." That seemed to set something off in the man.

"No." His expression clouded. "I've waited too long, I won't wait a second longer!" He surged forward, casting with fervor. Harry deflected the slew of spells, but had to direct part of her attention to her friends, who were trying to avoid the rebounding curses. Her eyes flicked over to Hermione when she narrowly avoided an off-color stunner, before dodging a stunner of her own. Harry responded in kind, layering disarming charms on top of each other, casting them until he was holding up a shield. Then she waved her hand behind her back and summoned his wand, well, Ron's wand into her hand. She pointed hers back at him, binding him in some conjured ropes and tying those to a chair. He glared at her sullenly from where he'd been defeated. She turned as new footsteps were heard running up the stairs, only to find Professor Lupin burst into the room. She relaxed her position the slightest bit. That was a mistake.

"Expelliarmus!" Emotions flooded Harry when Lupin caught the two wands, chiefly betrayal and anger. "Where is he, Sirius?" Another flick of his wand untied Black, who stood up rubbing his wrists. "You switched, didn't you? Without telling me?" Harry shifted, but was distracted by Hermione.

"No!" She screamed. "I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Harry raised an eyebrow as Hermione yelled.

"Hermione-"

"You and him-"

"Hermione, calm down."

"I've kept your secret all year. I trusted you! And you're a… a werewolf!" Harry felt a modicum of pride at her discovery, but it was overtaken by the current situation.

"What?!" Yelped Ron.

"Yep. There's been a werewolf at the school all year. Oh, Professor Lupin's been taking potions to curb the risks, one of the reasons why I thought I could trust him. And that's not easy for a hunter." She flicked her wrist, summoning her silver knife, forgetting any sort of facade she'd previously projected to the teacher. Lupin stepped backwards, his face getting paler. "But no, I was wrong. Good job Professor, you got one over on me. It won't last long though." She lunged forward, punching Black in the face when he tried to tackle her, moving towards Lupin while dodging the single spell he managed to shoot at her in his shock. She dropped as another stunner was sent her way, rolling between his legs and coming up so that her arm was around his neck with the blade pressed up against his heart. Everyone in the room had frozen. Black was staring at her with wide eyes, something other than madness filling them for the first time. He was scared.

"Now, shall we try this again?" Harry nodded to the chair, and the fugitive sat down slowly. "What's. Your. Story. And talk fast, I've already had enough of tonight."

"Remus hasn't been helping me. I have no idea how he managed to-"

"The map. It showed you here. And a dead man." Harry's face momentarily broke from the cold mask she'd been wearing since Lupin barged in.

"You know how to work it?"

"I was one of the creators. Me, Sirius, James, and Peter Pettigrew."

"Talk about that last name. What happened to him?"

"We were all friends at school. And then the war got worse, and we all joined the Order of the Phoenix to fight back. Soon enough we got word that the Potter's were being targeted, so you all went into hiding. There was a charm, the fidelius charm, that can hide a secret in the soul of another person." Black hurried.

"I know. Get to the point."

"Well, I was supposed to be their secret keeper-"

"Supposed to be?"

"We switched. Me and Peter. I'm sorry Remus, we didn't tell anyone, not even you." Harry nodded, seeing why the man would want to appear dead. "And then I got the news that James and Lily were dead. That little rat bastard sold them out! And then when I tried to track him down, he shouted for the whole street that I was the secret keeper, then blew them all up." She had to admit, the story was plausible. But there was just one thing…

"What does that have to do with us here now? Why'd you attack my friend, and then attack me?"

"I need to commit the crime I went to jail for."

"But-"

"When we were at school, there wasn't a Wolfsbane potion, I just had to transform here every night," Lupin cut in. "And I would scratch and bite myself because I had nothing else to do cooped up here. So, you father and my other friends decided to keep my company by becoming animagi." Suddenly it all clicked.

"Oh shit." Sirius Lupin nodded carefully, the knife still pressed against his heart. She relaxed her hold, stepping to the side to look at Ron.

"What?" asked Ron. Hermione was frowning, trying to connect the dots. Harry knew she had when she looked up in horror and turned to stare at Ron. "What?!"

"The whole street had been obliterated, bodies turned to pink dust. But they found Pettigrew's finger. Pettigrew, the animagus missing a finger." Harry directed her gaze to the rat squirming in Ron's clutch, and the redhead followed her gaze.

"No, no bloody way-"

"Ron-"

"NO BLOODY WAY! Scabbers is not this Peter guy! He's my rat."

"Ron, he's been in your family for 12 years. 12 years, missing a finger." Harry turned to Black and Lupin. "Pettigrew was a rat animagus, wasn't he?" They both nodded. Harry looked back at Ron. "Sorry?"

"Lots of rats are missing fingers! They get in fights with monster cats and live rough and-" Harry raised her hand, palm up, asking for the rat. "Harry-"

"Let's just test it." He reluctantly placed the still scrambling scabbers into her hands. She cringed at the thought that this was the man that betrayed her parents, squirming as a rat in her hands. She squeezed tight, stopping his efforts to bite her. She summoned her wand back from Lupin, ignoring his surprised look, and waving it at the rat she'd frozen and silenced after placing it on the ground. Scabbers expanded in size, his grey fur shrinking into the skull of the man that was kneeling on the floor. His teeth, nose, and watery eyes all gave the appearance of a rat, and she was unsure whether the transformation had influenced it, or if he'd just always held the ratlike features. Ron was gawking, along with Hermione, while Harry still held her cold mask in place, hiding the thoughts going through her mind. This was the man who had betrayed her parents, effectively killing them. This was the man that caused her to be sent to the Dursleys to endure their abuse for five long years. A bubbling anger sat deep in her gut, and she clenched her jaw. Black looked ecstatic, like a child about to destroy a pinata.

"You slept in my bed!" Ron's remark brought her out of her murderous ponderings.

"Oh my god, Ron, you're right." Harry was stuck on that detail at the moment. "Wait, Fred and George had the map years before me, shouldn't they have seen that?" Ron paled again.

"Bloody hell, in first year they went up to me randomly and told me that they supported me no matter what. Then they said that love comes in many shapes and forms, clapped me on the shoulder, and walked away!"

"Huh. I'm not sure whether to be proud of their support or confused that they were okay with you sleeping with someone else in first year."

"That's incredibly irresponsible," Hermione cut in.

"Regardless of the decisions of your brothers, I think we need to get back to the main issue." Lupin looked pointedly at the still restrained and silenced Pettigrew, whose wide eyes were flitting back and forth.

"Indeed." Everyone jumped and looked around to find Snape standing in the doorway. He looked around the room with distaste, settling on Black. Harry saw a murderous rage enter his eyes, and wondered what the man had done. "I told the headmaster that someone in the castle was in league with Black. It seems that I was not mistaken."

"Snape?!" Black yelled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"He works here, Sirius." Black did another double-take.

"Snivellus? This place must really be going to the dogs."

"Hey!" Harry protested, "That's my favorite teacher!"

"What?!" Snape and Black said at the same time. They traded an uncomfortable glance, before looking back at her.

"I'll win you over one day, Professor."

"Harry, is this really the time?"

"Sorry, Hermione." At that moment Ron groaned again, and the attention was drawn back to the issue. Snape stared at Black like he was something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

"How is this possible?" He spat. His murderous glare was being traded between Black and Pettigrew, with it occasionally flicking to Lupin.

"They switched secret keepers."

"Pettigrew?" Snape asked, almost in disbelief, if that much emotion could be taken from his voice.

"Yep." Harry glanced at him. "I'm not sure what to do now."

"I am." Black pushed forwards, but was thrown backwards by Lupin, and oddly, Snape.

"No, Sirius, justice must be served"

"Who ever wants justice?" He asked, struggling against their holds, magical in the case of the potions professor. "Revenge makes for such a better story." He broke free of Lupin, grabbing his wand and casting an orange curse at Snape, who flicked it away lazily, before reshielding.

"Look, if anyone's got a claim to his life, it's me. So, with all due respect Black, back off." He must have heard something in Harry's voice, because he reluctantly moved away.

Harry stepped forward with the knife she'd used against Lupin, raising it so that the tip was resting against the point in between his eyes. The point broke skin, a drop of blood rolling down the side of his nose. Pettigrew's eyes were fully open now, terror coursing through them. "You got my parents killed. And not only did you cause their death, you betrayed them to do it." She twisted the knife, and it dug into his skin a little bit more. "See, I can understand murderers. They have an objective, they get it done, usually to aid some sort of overarching cause they believe is the morally correct choice. But traitors? They don't have a cause. They flip-flop between sides, making friends and then killing them for their own personal gain. The only kind of person that backstabs and betrays to survive is a loser, and a coward. Which is what you are. And I think the world might be better without another traitorous coward in it."

"Harry!" Hermione yelled. Harry looked up, seeing the unsettled gaze of Lupin, Snape, and Black. Ron and Hermione were looking at her cautiously. "Remember what we talked about. Justice, not revenge." Harry held her gaze for a long moment, teetering on the edge of a cliff. Then she looked down, blowing out a long breath of air, rolling her eyes and pulling the blade away from his forehead.

"Fine." She stood back up, shoving her hands in her pockets while hearing sighs of relief from Ron and Hermione. "But…" She drew her hand back out, brass knuckles gleaming, before slugging Pettigrew. A chorus of 'Harry!'s and 'Potter!'s filled the room. "Okay, okay, I'm done." She turned back to Black.

"If I don't get revenge, neither do you. Let's take him to the castle and then maybe you can actually be a free man instead of whatever this is." She waved her hand at his gaunt figure.

"Sound decision, Potter."

"Was that a compliment Professor?"

"Merely an observation that your usually insufferable nature seems to be overshadowed by the criminals in the room." Harry knew it was a compliment. Eventually, they got Ron's leg splinted, with Lupin helping him out of the room. Black followed after them, tailed by Snape, who was also levitating the still-frozen Pettigrew. Harry and Hermione brought up the rear. They crawled back through the unkempt passageway, exiting under the Willow tree, which was frozen by a conspicuous Crookshanks who received a greeting from Black. Because of course they knew each other. Naturally, that's when everything went to hell.

Ron fell as Lupin stopped, staring at the full moon. Snape dropped Pettigrew, running with Sirius towards Ron, while Hermione froze, staring at the transforming werewolf. Harry only had eyes for the man who'd somehow escaped the freezing charm, and was reaching for Ron's fallen wand. All the times that Harry had compromised her identity in front of Scabbers, all the times she'd revealed her special skill set, and all the secrets she'd revealed flashed through her mind, and she knew she had to stop him or it was her destruction as well as Black's. She shot off an obliviate through her finger, willing the spell to erase everything about her, leaving behind stock-memories of a seemingly normal girl. She cast another spell to stop him in his slight daze, but he'd already started transforming into a rat. Harry started running to where Pettigrew had shrunk, but was stopped by someone screaming her name. Harry looked back and saw Hermione and Ron hiding behind Snape while the werewolf Lupin fought Black in his animagus form. She turned away from the escaping animagus, moving to help defend her friends. She reached the huddle as Black dealt a blow to Lupin's side, only to get tossed down the hill as the werewolf bludgeoned the animagus. Harry drew her silver knife, nodding to Hermione as she pulled the knife off of her charm bracelet, the weapon enlarging into a foot and a half long dagger.

Just as Lupin advanced closer, a howl sounded from somewhere in the forest. Lupin paused, head tilting up as he howled back automatically. The werewolf turned and ran off towards the source of the noise, leaving Harry and Hermione standing there, with Ron leaning heavily on one leg behind them. Snape whirled around, barking out a quick "Follow me." They ran down the slope of the hill where Black had disappeared. Harry caught a glance of the man collapsed, in human form, at the edge of the lake. They reached him, Harry kneeling to check his pulse while Snape examined the surroundings, Hermione fretting in the background with Ron, who was now grimacing and leaning heavily on the bookworm.

Then of course the bloody dementors had to show up. Harry looked up, seeing the swarm circling like vultures. She pulled out her wand, knowing that she had to get the patronus right. Even if Snape could do one, it would take more than one patronus to drive them off.

"Hermione, Ron, the words are 'expecto patronum'. Think happy thoughts. We're going to need them." Her two friends pulled out their wands, staring up as the black swarm got closer. Snape sent out a silver animal to her right, with Ron and Hermione producing flickering shields occasionally, but Harry pulled away to focus on her own attempt. She thought of the happiest memories that she had: tossing water balloons at Sam and Dean, laughing under the tree by the lake with Ron and Hermione, Bobby smiling proudly when she fixed her first engine, rectangular glasses as she was thrown high into the air and caught again, a blurry memory of a bright smile and long red hair. The need to cast the charm to protect those memories.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A silver form burst from her wand, flying up with whatever Snape had conjured, repelling dementors. There were hundreds of them, and Harry increased the power behind her spell. It was like now that she'd actually done it, it was much easier. Her patronus split into 3, circling and forming a glowing sphere of energy around the group, Snape's creature loping around the ground and catching any stragglers while Ron and Hermione's vapor-like attempts added to the shield. It was easy to see what her patronus was now, and the silvery crow was actually defending them. The dementors were actually being fought back.

When the last of the monsters swept away, apparently back to their posts, Harry let go of her spells, slumping in exhaustion. Hermione caught her, now under the weight of both her friends. The last thing she remembered before she blacked out was Ron's voice.

"Bloody hell…"

.

.

"... known fugitive on the property! He has to be taken… "

"... castle. I'll do as I see is best for…"

"... the Kiss. There's no proof that he's innocent as you say, but there's plenty of… "

Harry's head was killing her. She opened her eyes, a bright light encouraging her to shut them tight again. There was someone yelling nearby. She forced herself to open her eyes again, sitting up as much as she could in the hospital bed, wincing from muscle aches and exhaustion. Just as she was getting her equilibrium back, the doors to the hospital burst open, Fudge and Dumbledore striding through, followed by Snape.

"I will not have Sirius Black pardoned! It's absolutely preposterous! He's a criminal, a war criminal, who caused the deaths of three popular members of the community, and there is no proof otherwise." Fudge was spitting out his words, angry and defensive.

"There are witnesses," Dumbledore answered calmly.

"Children! Probably confunded, too."

"There were also two professors-"

"A werewolf! You had a werewolf teaching! Not a very reliable witness."

"And Professor Snape?"

"I'm sure you understand why I wouldn't take his word for it." Harry saw Snape's jaw tighten imperceptibly.

"That's sort of rude, isn't it minister? I mean, I generally don't trust men who wear bowler hats. Would that stop me from acknowledging one of them as someone who might be right sometimes, no, but then again, there are generally other traits involved in that decision anyway." Fudge squinted, trying to unwrap her insult, before he shook his head.

"Miss Potter. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. In pain. Oh," She snapped her fingers, pointing at him. "Not confunded."

"Well, whatever you may think, Sirius Black is a criminal and justice needs to be served."

"Oh, you mean a trial."

"What?"

"Justice. A trial for Sirius Black. Where the truths could come out, so to say. Like why he didn't get a trial in the first place. You were the undersecretary when the war ended, weren't you? Was Black the only one who was spared a trial, or was it a more widespread justice?" Fudge started stumbling on his words. "Anyway, I'm glad it's happening now." Harry lied back in bed, catching a glance at Black, who was in a magically shielded pen across the hospital wing, still out cold.

"What are you doing in here?! These children are hurt! They need rest!" Madam Pomfrey came bustling out of her office, scolding the three adults standing in front of Harry's bed. Fudge ordered Snape to levitate Black out with him, so that he could be more heavily secured, and the professor obliged after a nod from Dumbledore. She ushered them out, Dumbledore lingering in the doorway, talking lowly with the matron. She nodded unhappily after a minute, shutting the doors with him inside.

"Miss Potter."

"Headmaster."

"I believe this would best be a conversation for your two friends to hear as well. He waved his hand, and Ron and Hermione stirred. A wandless, wordless renervate. Hermione rubbed her eyes, immediately straightening up when she saw Dumbledore. Ron took it slower.

Ten minutes later, Harry was shaking her head at Dumbledore, and Hermione. He'd given her a time-turner. And actual time-turner, to travel in time. Harry shoved down the jealousy and excitement, focusing on the Headmaster's words. God, she still hated him, but this touch of rule breaking was both making her hate him more for being a hypocrite, and instilling a slight touch of respect for him in her psyche. Then, Hermione was spinning the necklace, and Ron was fading away. The day seemed to decelerate around them. Luckily, the hospital wing was empty when they arrived, and the witches were able to find a nice broom closet to hide out in for 20 minutes until it was about the time they'd gone to Hagrid's.

Of course, trying to get Buckbeak to cooperate was more difficult than she'd imagined. Even threats of murder weren't enough to warrant more than a snort from the creature. She rolled her eyes, trying again as Hermione whisper-yelled at her to hurry.

"Do you want to try? I can be lookout for a few minutes."

"I'm not good with animals." Hermione said, backing away slightly.

"What? You've got the most monstrous cat there ever was wrapped around your finger. You spent hours every week researching past cases for Buckbeak's trial. And you don't want to get involved now?"

"You're just so much better with him…"

"Coward."

"Just get him to move! Oh no." Harry looked up, seeing the group of ministry officials heading towards the house, their counterparts not noticing. "Why aren't we leaving?"

Ten minutes later, and it turned out that Hermione could move Buckbeak with the right amount of ferrets to feed him, and Harry was already tired of the rules of time travel. She rubbed her head where she still had a slight bruise. They waited on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest for a few hours, just watching the Whomping Willow. Harry offered to play cards with Hermione, but she said it was more important to pay attention. She folded after the first hour of silence, interrupting Harry's game of solitaire to join in on a round of Go-Fish.

"What's 'Egyptian Rat Slap?'" Hermione asked.

"Oh, with that penchant for hitting people, you'll love it." The sky slowly darkened, and finally, it was around the time they would exit the shack. The cards had been put away, and they were staring determinedly at the entrance to the shack. Soon enough, a group of people exited. Harry watched in morbid fascination as Lupin transformed, before struck by the thought that she could catch Pettigrew. She hadn't actually seen him escape, so she could feasibly capture him without breaking the laws of time. But then, Hermione ruined her mood.

"Harry, why did Lupin run away again?" Hermione asked in concern.

"There was a howl…" Well shit. She sighed, bringing her hands up to her mouth and howling loudly, a sonorus charm enhancing the sound. The werewolf froze, turning towards them and howling back. Then, the enormity of the situation hit her. There was a magical werewolf heading towards them, and Harry was pretty sure the same methods worked, but she'd had tea with the man and didn't really want to have to wash out his blood from her jumper. Having said that, she grabbed Hermione, who grabbed Buckbeak, and they ran further into the forest.

Once she'd made it deep enough into the copse of trees, Harry turned and began waving her hands in a pattern, carving some runes that she'd learned during self study into the packed Earth. The howling was getting closer, so she hurried while shoving off Hermione's frantic "Harry!"s. She cast a second spell while working on the carvings, one that had a rudimentary shield around Hermione and Buckbeak, so that the werewolf wouldn't be able to see, hear, or smell them and it would focus on Harry if the warding failed. The last rune was in place, and she was casting the spell just as Lupin leapt into view. Harry had just finished when the werewolf slammed into an invisible barrier in front of her. They were nose to nose, the spell holding as the werewolf paced inside the column of energy, unable to leave the prison. Harry sighed, probably in unison with Hermione, only to be caught off guard by another voice.

"Avada Kedavra!" A beam of green light shot past her, hitting the wall of the shield in front of Lupin and bouncing off to hit a tree. Harry turned with her wand held aloft, aiming into the darkness at the perceived threat.

"Miss Potter?" A shrouded figure appeared from the crowded trees, pulling down its hood to reveal…

"Professor Corbyn?" She asked, surprised and hesitant. "What are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing." He walked closer, stopping 6 feet from her. "You're out of bed, in the forest, next to a werewolf."

"Yes, but I'm not shooting any killing curses, so I think your explanation takes priority."

"Alright, you got me. You know Arthur Ketch?" Harry's eyes widened imperceptibly. "I work with him. Above him. That's why I got the cushy job and he got assigned as a shop boy." He was smiling at her, joking, and Harry found that his attitude didn't fit with the situation.

"You're in the Men of Letters?"

"Yes. And I know that you consider yourself a hunter."

"I am a hunter," she growled.

"No, I meant no offense, I only meant that you could be doing great work with us. I mean, you've captured a werewolf. I was tasked with killing it, but this is genius! We can bring it in for experiments. There are slight differences between the magical monster, and the muggle ones, as I'm sure you've noticed." The floor beneath Harry's feet was moving, she was sure. "The top brass said you had an impressive level of power, and I saw some of it in my classes, but this is something else. Good job."

"Thank you," She got out. Her mouth was dry, and her instincts were screaming at her that this was wrong.

"Oh, you're welcome." He paused again, taking the time to walk around the perceived barrier, running his hand along it while Lupin followed from the inside. "You know, I'm glad that we could talk. The top brass thought that, given your family's history, you might not hold the right views."

"My family history?" She asked, her mouth on autopilot as she tried to piece together what he was getting at, and how she would get out of this situation with Lupin. Luckily, Corbyn hadn't noticed Hermione and Buckbeak, and she hoped her friend would know to stay quiet.

"Rose Evans. Word is, she was a great agent, but she got too attached. She started letting some of her assignments go, kept the reigns too loose, if you know what I mean. One time, she even let a vampire go. There was nothing to do about punishment, as the older clauses say that magical monsters are off limits unless they've violated their paroles. But still, it was good and bad when she left to raise her family." He stopped for a moment, turning his head to look at her. "But you, well, you might be one of the best agents we've had. Already trapping monsters. You've done more than Ketch has, at this point."

"So, what happens now?" She was fishing, but he was too caught up in the moment to notice.

"Well, if you can hold it still I can inject it with a serum. Then we can take him back to the Men of Letters Hogsmeade outpost, and the testing can start, to better understand how we can stop them in the future. I'm a magical member, but it's difficult for me a lot of the time as well as my muggle counterparts."

"So you're going to do experiments on Professor Lupin?" Corbyn looked at her funny.

"Well, not me specifically, they have a whole other department for that. But yes, he violated his parole. He didn't take his potion, and he transformed around people, so he either needs to be put down or reassigned to something useful. All registered magical monsters are watched, you know, and when they violate, they get punished. It's why there aren't monster deaths in the UK. Excluding wartime, we haven't had a dead muggle since the fifties. It's a good system." No, Harry thought, it was an easy system. Just killing anyone that steps out of line, that wasn't a good system, it was a corrupt one. Harry understood so much more of the subtext of her Grandmother's journal with what Corbyn had revealed. And oh, he thought she agreed with him, because she'd trapped Lupin. He was going to try and take the Professor.

Harry was getting really tired of Dumbledore's hiring abilities. Hogwarts needed an HR department.

Harry hadn't known him that long, but Lupin was a good man. That much she can tell, even if she'd threatened him earlier. He didn't deserve what was happening. Corbyn was staring at her, and she realised he was waiting for an answer, or an agreement.

"You don't think that's a little unethical?" Harry asked offhandedly.

"They're just monsters."

"They're people." Corbyn's face shadowed, and Harry knew she had to make a move soon.

"Stupefy!" She cast, just as Corbyn whipped his wand around for a shield. And then they were off, casting as quickly as possible, sometimes missing but usually forcing the other to jump or roll out of the way. She had to admit, he was a good duellist. But she had some tricks.

Corbyn shot a chain of stunning and slicing spells at her, and she jumped out of the way, pushing away the pain as one of them nicked the side of her neck shallowly. "I wish you'd reconsider your position," he called, dodging a blue spell from Harry that looked suspiciously like a chain of bluebell flames.

"What position? The not-murdering-innocent-people position?"

"They aren't people, they're monsters! They're only good for death, destruction, and research!"

"I know you were a Ravenclaw, but this obsession with research doesn't seem healthy. Especially for the guy you're cutting open!" She sent a wave of oxygen at him, followed by the bluebell spell. The air ignited around him, but when the smoke cleared he was there with a wall of water circling around him, thrown back at Harry like a whip. She countered with another wall of fire, shoving it at him and transforming it into sand. He sputtered when the sand passed through his water, throwing wet sand into his face. Still, Corbyn deflected the stunners that followed. Harry shoved him backwards with a wave of air, charming the roots of the tree to creep forward and bind around his legs, climbing his body until he was immobilised, wrapped in the tree. She disarmed him then, squeezing the roots tighter, before she remembered her promise to Ron and Hermione.

"Unlike you, I'm not a murderer, so I'm offering you mercy. You'll leave Hogwarts and the Men of Letters, and mend your ways, or however the saying goes."

"How do you know I won't just say that I'll do what I'm told then turn around and continue to torture people?"

"Because I'm going to obliviate you." Harry pointed her wand at his forehead as his eyes widened. "Obliviate." Harry willed all knowledge of the Men of Letters to leave his head, setting him up instead as a travelling scholar. She pulled her wand away, releasing the roots so that his cloudy-eyed form could sink to the ground. Harry turned back to check that Lupin was still in the invisible cage.

"You should look up Occlumency, Potter." She twisted around to find Corbyn clear-headed and drawing a spare wand from his boot. "Diffindo Maxima!" He aimed and fired in less than half a second, a white light shooting towards her. Harry apparated on instinct, landing a few feet to her right, grasping for her wand, only to watch the spell rebound and strike him in the neck as she removed her wand. Blood spurted outwards, spraying her across the face and chest. She froze as his body fell to the ground, an expression of surprise still on his face as the gash sputtered like a leaky faucet. He was dead.

Harry stared in shock for several moments. It was only after Lupin howled once more that she snapped back to reality, averting her eyes from the dead body. The corpse that she'd made. Yes, technically, it hadn't been her, but he'd been firing at her. She should have just stunned him, but she decided to trust in her ability, and now a man was dead because of her, by proxy. Then, her mind flashed back to earlier that day. It seemed like weeks ago, but the memory of her Divination final sped through her head.

Trelawney had gone weird, and seizing up and gasping out words in a guttural voice.

The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these twelve years. Tonight, before midnight, the servant will break free and set out to rejoin his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servant's aid, greater and more terrible than ever before, opposed by the girl who will upset the balance. Tonight… before midnight… a life will be returned to death… the servant will set out… the battle will begin…

She'd had a bad feeling when the message had been given in the first place, but now that she could connect the life being returned to death to Corbyn and the servant to Pettigrew, she was more worried about the rest of the prophecy. And she thought that Trelawney was a blithering idiot.

Harry jumped when she felt something lick her neck. Buckbeak had sidled up next to her, and was licking the blood off of her neck and face. Her stomach turned a little, but she forced down any nausea, looking for Hermione. The bookworm was standing behind Buckbeak, staring at the body of their history professor.

"I… I didn't-" Harry swallowed, attempting to compose herself. "His spell rebounded, and-"

"I know." Hermione cut her off. "I saw."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Me too." They stood there for several moments, Hermione watching Buckbeak lick the blood off of Harry, while the dark haired witch transfigured Corbyn's body into a rock, pocketing it. As much as it upset her more, he at least deserved a proper burial, and they had a schedule to keep to.

"I think we're being taken to the hospital now," Harry muttered. Hermione nodded, but didn't move.

"Why didn't the obliviation work?" She asked suddenly.

"He said look up occlumency. It guards the mind, and on occasion can guard against obliviation." Harry swallowed again. "I could obliviate you, if you didn't want to remember." Hermione stared at Harry for a long second, before shaking her head.

"Remember in first year, how I said I was going to stick with you? That doesn't include leaving friends to deal with the rough experiences while you remember all the more pleasant ones. So, no, thank you." Harry nodded, and Hermione put a hand on her shoulder. She withdrew it quickly, some blood soaked into the fabric. They traded glances, and moved towards the Hospital Wing so they could follow Fudge to see where Black would be transferred.

Twenty minutes later, they were flying Buckbeak to an empty classroom on the third floor. Hermione blasted the bars off the window, opening it while Harry controlled the height of Buckbeak. Black climbed on his escape beast after wasting a few moments gawking at the teenagers, one of which still had some blood on her. When they sent him off, they were left with thank yous and the insistence that they call him Sirius.

"I am your Godfather, after all."

Harry and Hermione barely made it back to the hospital wing, a quick tergeo to get rid of the leftover blood. Dumbledore swept in after the raging minister, his eyes twinkling obnoxiously as Fudge yelled. Harry didn't remember much more, as Madam Pomfrey shooed them out and administered heavy does of dreamless sleep.

.

.

The last few weeks of term were relatively uneventful, apart from Lupin's resignation and subsequent regifting of the Marauder's Map. There was also the matter of Harry summoning Crowley again, and he helped cover up Corbyn's death in exchange for some interrogation of one of the demons on the list he gave her. She gave him a hunter's funeral, with Ron and Hermione in attendance. He probably would have hated it, but it gave Harry some closure. She'd checked in Hogsmeade for Arthur Ketch, but he was nowhere to be found. Harry had a bad feeling about that.

She spent a lot of time just going through the motions, and she knew that Hermione had nightmares almost as much as she did now. For all the talk of murder and revenge, Harry hadn't really been ready for the fallout and what happened afterwards. For the first time, she was ready to leave Hogwarts and head back to Bobby's. He would understand.

The night before the end of term, Hermione found Harry sitting on her bed hugging a pillow in their otherwise empty dorm room. She looked up at the bookworm with red tinged eyes.

"You were right, Hermione. I didn't want to become a killer."

.

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Cyan-Snake: I probably haven't made this clear enough in the story, but Harry is continuing to train as a hunter while at Hogwarts. Maybe she doesn't go on as many hunts, but the knowledge she's getting at Hogwarts can also be used in hunting. For example, the knowledge about the differences between magical and muggle monsters will help when she may fight another monster in the future. You might remember how Binns was unstable when she tried to exorcise him the muggle way, and he morphed into some kind of monster because the magical component hadn't been fully taken care of. I think Ron and Hermione might hold her back in the case of cold-bloodedness, like Sam as a hunter in season 6, but she gains more diplomacy skills by being friends with them and seeing different perspectives than her own and the hunters that she lives with and around. And she is researching still, just probably not to the same extent with the extra work loaded onto her. You also have to remember that she doesn't really trust the government, so it's less likely that she would approach them directly.

Greer123: Isn't that interesting.

LuciferRedeemed: Snape is not considered evil by Harry. I think she views him as a challenge. Bobby was gruff when he first met her, and Snape is sort of like that but multiplied and bitter as well, so I think she would view getting him to like her the same as getting Bobby to like her. The Lupin question was answered in this chapter, I think. I'm uncertain as to what to do with Sirius at this moment. I had a whole other storyline going for him, but I wanted to add in the Men of Letters stuff, so his whole previous plotline has been blown to bits, so more on that next chapter. As for Lucifer... Spoilers.

Meep: Love the Chuck idea, I might take that. Harass me for credit if I forget to give it if I use the idea. The French mistake is also a good idea, although I might also find an actress who I think could portray Harry and include that as well. The Winchester enemies idea is probably going to be used at some point, so I'll try to remember to credit you, if not, write an angry comment and I'll fix it. Her scar hurt partially because of the fumes, as a regular headache, but it's also supposed to act as a sort of warning, so think on that. Harry was going to go the funny route and snap off a one liner while saying fine, I won't kill him, but I wanted it to be a little more serious, so... Harry probably is jealous about Pansy and Draco, but not romantically. I think she views it more as 'he's mine to corrupt, you're ruining progress', etc. Plus, Pansy is really annoying in my story. You'll see more of that later, though. Harry and Castiel and Harry and Luna are going to be interesting scenes to write, but I think the best one would be Luna and Castiel, because Luna would be like "there are some nargles in your wings" and Castiel would be like "Nargles went extinct several thousand years- wait you can see my wings?" or something like that. Harry does have a complex relationship with Dumbledore. I'm looking foreward to writing the 6th and 7th book scenes that look at that relationship. As to the Ron entering the girls dorm, I think it's probably a combination of Harry allowing him in and her heritage as related to some of the founders.