p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;" align="center"June 23, 1994 (Full moon)/p
hr style="margin: 0.875em auto 1.2525em; border-style: solid; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; width: 359.25px; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15.12px; background-color: #ffffff;" /
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as Seren's body toppled to the floor, restrained in strands of magical silver, her head bounced roughly off the wooden floorboards of the dusty room drawing up a thick cloud of dust. Hermione screamed; Sirius black shot up to his feet and even Harry lurched, as if he'd received a nasty shock./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I found this at the base of the whomping willow." Snape sneered, tossing the invisibility cloak aside, his wand now aimed dangerously at lupins chest. "Very useful, Potter." Remus cast a worried look at Seren who looked oddly still on the floor./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I thank you." Severus snape seemed out of breath but his face was filled with triumph, "You're wondering perhaps how I knew you were here?" Remus made a small movement as if to go check on the now unconscious girl, but snape made sure he stayed put, his eyes glittering, "I've just been to your office, span style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-weight: inherit; font-style: oblique; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"Lupin/span, you and miss Price forgot your potions, so I took a goblet full along and very lucky I did. Lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map, one glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Severus…" Remus began, snape quickly cut him off, "I've told the headmaster 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 hide out."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Severus, you're making a mistake." Lupin exclaimed urgently, "You haven't heard everything. I-I can explain. Sirius is not here to kill Harry."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Two more for Azkaban tonight." Snape jeered, his eyes now gleaming frantically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this. He was quite convinced you were harmless. You know, Lupin, a tame werewolf." Severus' eyes briefly flicked to the unconscious student across the room, "You fool…" Lupin murmured softly, following his colleagues gaze, "is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"a loud bang filled the room, thin, snake like cords burst from the end of Snape's wand, twisting them in a similar fashion to Seren's own bindings, around Lupins mouth, wrists and ankles. Remus overbalanced and fell to the floor unable to move. With a roar of rage, Sirius started towards snape as Harry moved towards Seren. Snape, spotting Sirius' movement pointed his wand sharply between Black's eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Give me a reason."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You attacked a student." Harry murmured spitefully, Snape ignored him, "Give me a reason to do it and I swear I will." Lupin's eyes fell on Harry who brushed dust covered hair from Seren's face, before flicking back to Snape./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Sirius froze, it would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred. Harry stayed knelt next to Seren, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. He glanced around at Ron and Hermione, Ron looked just as confused and worried as he did, still fighting to keep hold of the struggling Scabbers. Hermione, however, took an uncertain step towards Snape and said, in a breathless voice, "Professor Snape, it…it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, would it?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school." Snape spat with disgust, "You, Potter and Weasley are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and two werewolves. For once in your life hold your tongue."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The whole school knew Seren was a werewolf, and until now Hermione had never been afraid of her, she'd had no reason to be, none of them did, she was timid and kind and the three of them had seen her willingly assist student of every year and house when they had questions, and Lupin was a professor, he'd been undergoing transformation's all year and no one had been hurt…she didn't understand where Snape's hatred for werewolves came from./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""But if there was a mistake…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Keep quiet you stupid girl!" Snape spat, looking heavily deranged, "Don't talk about what you don't understand." A few sparks flew from the end of Snapes wand which was still aimed at Sirius' face. Hermione quickly fell silent/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Vengeance is sweet." Snape almost smirked at Black, "How I hoped to be the one to catch you."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""The jokes on you again, Severus." Sirius snarled, baring yellowed teeth at the potions master, "as long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle—" he jerked his head towards Ron, "I'll come quietly."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Up to the castle?" Snape question, his voice sulky. "I don't think we need to get that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the willow."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And the unconscious student, Severus?" Snape only briefly glanced at Seren who still hadn't moved, "Surely you'd not subject her to the dementors when she can't even defend herself."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""It's of no consequence to me what happens to her." Even he knew his words were untrue, as a werewolf Seren held little value to the wizarding world, but as a student she had proven herself competent and well versed in his classes which is why he had awarded her outstanding grades. Severus Snape did not know she'd been accepted into the Auror position./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""They'll be very pleased to see you, Black. Pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I dare say."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"What little color had been left in Sirius' face quickly drained, "You've got to hear me out." He croaked, "The rat, look at the rat." There was a mad glint in that no one present had ever seen before. Snape seemed beyond reason, "Come on, all of you." He clicked his fingers and the cords binding Remus and Seren both, flew into his hands, "I'll drag the werewolves, perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for them too."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"The three young Gryffindor's looked at Snape with utter shock, before anyone knew what was going on, Harry had crossed the room and blocked the door. "Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already." Snape's voice was menacing, "If I hadn't been here to save your skin."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren wouldn't hurt a fly!" Hermione shouted./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And Professor lupin could have killed me about a hundred times year." Harry frowned, "I've been alone with them both loads of times, having defense lessons against the dementors. If he was helping Black why didn't Professor Lupin just finish me off then?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works." Snape hissed, "Get out of the way, Potter."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You're pathetic!" Harry yelled, his voice bouncing off boarded up walls, "just because you were made a fool of in school you won't even listen!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Silence! I will not be spoken to like that." Snape spat, looking more deranged than ever, "Like father like son, Potter. I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee. You should have bene well served if he'd have killed you'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might have been mistaken in trusting Black. Now get out of the way or I will make you. Get out of the way, Potter!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Before Snape could take even one step towards Harry, he had raised his wand, "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, except that his wasn't the only voice that had shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on it's hinges. Snape was suddenly lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, sliding down it onto the floor, a small trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. Severus snape had been knocked unconscious./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Harry's eyes darted around the room, both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snapes wand soared through the room in a high arch before landing on the bed beside Crookshanks./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You shouldn't have done that…" Sirius grimaced, looking at Harry, "You should have left him to me." Harry avoided looking at Sirius, uncertain about if his actions were justified…but Snape said he was going to turn over Black, Lupin and Seren to the dementors…he couldn't let that happen./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He attacked a teacher." Hermione whimpered,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And Snape attacked a student." Harry Justified, "He was going to give her to the dementors…he was going to give all of them to the dementors…" Hermione just continued to stare at the lifeless snape with terrified eyes,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble…" Remus struggled against his bonds, Sirius bent down quickly, untying him, watching as his friend hurriedly untied Seren, checking her over for any signs of injury from the fall and wiping smudges of dust from her skin./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Seren?" Remus shook her softly but she made no indication of waking up, fear and a hint of anger pooled in his stomach. She'd been hurt because if him. Ignoring his own injuries, he quickly straightened himself out, rubbing where the restraints had cut into his skin,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Thank you, Harry."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'm still not saying that I believe you…" Harry fired, "then it's time we offered you some proof." Sirius replied, "Is she okay, Remus?" he had caught the worried look in his friends eyes, "She hit her head pretty hard, but Seren has always been quite resilient so I know she'll pull through." Sirius quickly turned back to Ron, "You, boy, give me Peter, now!" Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest, "Come off it."br / Ron said weakly as Remus picked Seren up off the floor, moving towards the four poster bed to lay her down./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on scabbers? I mean…" he looked up to Harry and Hermione, feeling the bed dip with he addition of a new body, "okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat, there are millions of rats, how is he supposed to know which one he's after when he was locked up in Azkaban?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""You know, Sirius, that's a fair question." Lupin said, turning to face Sirius with a slight frown, "How did you find out where he was?" One of Black's hands reached inside his robe and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed out and held up to show the /br /it was a photograph of Ron and his family on their trip to Egypt that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""How did you get this?" Lupin inquired, looking at Sirius with blatant curiosity, "Fudge, when he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me this paper and there was Peter, on the front page, on this boy's shoulder. I knew him at once, how many times had I seen him transform? The caption said the boy would be going to Hogwarts, to where Harry was."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""My god." Lupin whispered softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again, "His front Paw."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What about it?" Ron asked defiantly, "he's got a toe missing." Black Informed the red-haired boy./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Of course," Lupin muttered, seemingly to himself, "so simple, so brilliant."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"" He cut it off himself…just before he transformed. When I cornered him he yelled for the whole street to hear that I 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. "/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""didn't you ever hear, Ron?" Lupin asked his student, "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger." Ron still didn't believe the two men infront of him,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Look, Scabbers probably just had a fight with another rat or something, he's been in my family for age's, right?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Twelve years, infact." Lupin murmured, "didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""We've…we've been taking good care of him." Ron defended, "not looking so good at the moment though, is he?" Remus asked, his eyes once again flicking to Seren to see if she showed any signs of waking up,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""He's been scared of that mad cat." Ron shouted, nodding towards Crookshanks who was now curled up near Seren's feet, purring quite loudly./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That cat isn't mad." Sirius informed, crossing the room before stretching out a bony hand and stroking Crookshanks' fluffy head, "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized peter for what he was right away and when he met me he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me, finally I managed to communicate to him what I was after and he's been helping me."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What do you mean?" Hermione's worried look hadn't faltered, "He tried to bring Peter to me but couldn't, so, he stole the passwords into Gryffindor tower for me. As I understand it he took them from some boys bedside table. Peter, however, got wind of what was going on and ran for it." Sirius croaked, "This cat, Crookshanks did you call him? Told me Peter had left blood on the sheets, I suppose he bit himself. Well, faking his own death had already worked once."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And why did he fake his death?" Harry shouted, growing furious with the longwinded explanation, "Because he knew you were about to kill him, like you killed my parents!"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""No." Remus quickly cut Harry off, "Harry…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""And now you've come to finish him off."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Yes, I have." Sirius cast an evil look at Scabbers, "Then I should have let Snape take you!" Harry shouted again, however, it wasn't just Sirius that Snape had wanted to take, Harry knew this…/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Harry." Lupin scolded, "don't you see? All this time we thought Sirius betrayed your parents and Peter tracked him down…but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your parents. Sirius tracked Peter down—'/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""That's not true!" Harry's voice filled the room again, "He was their secret Keeper, he said so before you turned up, he said he killed them!" Harry was pointing an accusatory finger at Sirius who shook his head slowly, his sunken eyes were suddenly very bright,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Harry…I as good as killed them." He wheezed, "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…when I arrived at his hiding place, he was gone. There was no sign of a struggle, it didn't feel right, I was scared. I set out for your parents' house right away and when I saw their house…destroyed, their bodies…I realized what Peter must have done, what I'd done." His voice cracked as he relived the horrid memory and he turned away./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Enough of this." Lupin's tone was steely, "there's one certain way to prove what really happened that night. Ron, give me that rat."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""What are you gonna do if I give him to you?" Ron's voice shook, but he tried to appear stubborn, "Force him to show himself." Lupin told Ron, "If he really is a rat it won't hurt him." There was Hesitation in Ron's eyes, at long last, he finally held out Scabbers and Remus took him./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. "Ready Sirius?" Lupin asked, holding Scabbers tightly to prevent escape./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Sirius had already retrieved Snapes wand from the bed, stopping for a moment to give a curious look to the sleeping young woman, he'd not gotten a close enough look at her before, but he had to commend Remus for his taste in women, she was certainly something to look at up close./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Approaching Lupin and the struggling rat, his eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Together?" Sirius asked quietly,/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""I think so."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"Remus' grip hadn't loosened, he still held firmly to Scabbers, his wand brandished in his free hand./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""On the count of three." Sirius seemed to Agree, giving a curt nod in response./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"" /'Two."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Three."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"A flash of blue light erupted from both wands and for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small grey form twisting madly, Ron yelled, the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then…it was like watching a sped up film of a growing tree, the head was shooting upward from the ground, the limbs were sprouting and a moment later a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spinning and snarling on the bed, standing protectively infront of the defenseless seventh year, his hackles raised./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione, thin colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who had lost a lot of weight in a short period of time, his skin was grubby almost like the fur he had recently worn and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and small, watery eyes./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;"He looked around at them all, breathing fast and shallow. Harry could see the man's eyes dart to the door and back again./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15.12px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5; color: #2a2a2a;""Well hello, Peter." Lupin greeted pleasantly, "Long time no see."/p