Edmund had joined Harry and his uncle for every private lesson that they had, he would sit in the corner and read the book that Dumbledore had assigned to him for that month and enjoy the random bursts of blue that skipped through the dusty room. Harry didn't mind him reading in a corner, the two of them just both knew that it was important to support each other, as a cousin and as a friend.
Edmund will always literally and figuratively be in Harry's corner.
After his confession and reassuring Hermione that it is fine that she doesn't like him, and saying that she doesn't have to like him, they were at a decent spot in their friendship. If they were left alone for too long, she gets an awkward vibe around her and the conversation is at a stalemate.
With Ron he hadn't spoken with ever since Lavender sent another letter and confronted Edmund about it, crying and making a scene in front of him. All Edmund did was say, 'No, I don't like you.', for the rest of the scene she threw, Edmund kept his eyes on the ground before Ron intercepted and started to comfort Lavender, his housemate. Then Edmund would see the glint in Hermione's eyes that would make his stomach upset.
"Edmund." A voice called out and grey eyes snapped open to look at his uncle. He was so immersed in his improvised nap that he hadn't realised that his uncle was calling out for him. "Let's give Madam Pomfrey a moment to rest, won't we?"
Edmund blinked a few times and nodded, he had to remind himself of where he was. In the hospital wing, on a very comfortable chair and with hot tea in his stomach. "Of course." He turned towards the matron and thanked her for letting him take a nap.
"Are you still having difficulties sleeping?" His uncle asked, the two Lupin's walked through the empty corridors that only held a few students who were just coming down from the library.
"Yes, I am." Edmund admitted to his uncle. Ever since the last sighting of his father, sleeping has been far more difficult. Especially after the conversation he had with Dumbledore about his father. "Professor Dumbledore has been looking into a possible trial for father."
"Has he?" They walked down the stairs and onto the courtyard, which more students made use of rather than the corridors. Many were sitting down on a bench, talking with one another. Only a few of them had a curious look on their face as they peered over at the uncle and nephew duo.
"He has." Edmund nodded, "Where are we going, uncle?" He asked. They walked over the path that led out of the courtyard and near the greenhouses. Edmund remembers flying over it and throwing Neville's Remembrall, after that he earned the title of chaser of the Hufflepuff Quidditch Team.
"I thought it would be nice to show the history that I always reminisce about." Remus hummed with a distant look in his eyes. The Hufflepuff immediately knew of where they were going, the place that holds so many memories of terror and dread. The place that was said to be haunted by many. Including the ghosts of Hogwarts did not dare enter the abandoned house. "I know that you have always been curious about the place where my monthly transformation happened."
It was true, after the truth was revealed to Edmund of the nature of his uncle, he wondered how long he had had the disease that he had to live with and how he coped with it during his time at Hogwarts. Edmund always had the urge to know everything about the people that he loves, but he knows boundaries when it is needed.
They stopped as they looked at the sentient tree that would and will react aggressively to anything that would approach it, regardless of who or what you are. Including a flying car. The only thing that could stop the tree was a spell that only the staff knows off, and Edmund did as well. "You do it Edmund, I know that you have the knowledge of which spell to use."
Edmund had a small smile on his face as he pulled his wand out that was stuffed between his belt and pants. He held it up to the tree and whispered out the spell, "Immobulus." The twitching branches came to a halt and Edmund followed his uncle into the haunted house through a tunnel.
The walls and doors were boarded up and everything was dirty, the room they entered was covered with dust and the furniture was decaying with the natural help of moths. A lone broken chair stood in the corner of the shack, the wood splintered as if it was ripped off of the rest of the wooden body. His uncle let out a silent breath next to Edmund.
The Black stared around and observed the shallow nail marks in the brick wall and the boarded windows, not letting anyone look inside. There were only small peeping holes but Edmund figured that a transformed werewolf wasn't able to have a conscious thought of peeking out the crevices. "So this is where you were as a student."
"Every month." Uncle Moony nodded to himself. "The moths really went at it." He said with an amused huff. "Your father, your mother and uncles have done a great deed to take care of me." He looked over at Edmund with a fond look, "I could never repay them fully."
The Hufflepuff gave him a small smile, however, it had faltered the moment his eyes landed on a corner in the room. "Uncle." He said softly, his knuckles turning white from gripping his wand tightly. "Someone is living here." A ruined blanket laid in the corner, crumpled along with a big bottle of water and such.
At an instant his uncle held out his wand in front of him as well, there the two stood, armed with wands and ready to retaliate if something were to attack them. "We need to get out of this place." His uncle said urgently, "Go through the tunnel, I'll protect you as you go, call out when you're outside. Touch the knot immediately."
With haste Edmund sped out of the tunnel, the fear of being followed and the fear of the unknown squatter. He reached the tree and touched the knot that his uncle had told him off. "Uncle!" he shouted into the tunnel as the tree once again was rendered frozen. "Let's go!" He was breathless as he looked around the grounds of the tree.
Out of fear he froze as he saw a shadow between the trees of the Dark Forest. He nearly gave himself a whiplash to look at the hand that held onto his arm. "Let's go." His uncle said and squinted as he looked back into the tunnel. With a quick walking pace to not show their panic, they make their way back between the glass walls of the greenhouses.
It was obvious that they felt safe between the greenhouses as their bodies relaxed only a slight bit. His nails were digging into his palm and his other hand was in his pocket, where he kept a tight grip on his wand. "I'm going to confer this uncovered discovery with the headmaster." The Defence Against the Dark Arts professor said to his nephew. "You rest up in your common room, I'll tell you about my meeting tomorrow, after class."
Edmund nodded. His uncle put a hand up against the back of Edmund's arm, as a silent comfort and a tell that he is there for him. The family members split up and Edmund made his way down into the basement where Neville and Susan were by a fireplace, talking and discussing by the looks of it, a book that they've both read.
"Ed!" Neville's face brightened as soon as he caught sight of his best friend. "Come over!" There was no way that Edmund could deny the comfort of his friends and the fire of the hearth.
Susan was in a single chair, known to be the most comfortable chair of that side of the Common Room. "There is a rumour going around that you're homosexual." She said as she continued to observe the pages of the book that sat on her lap. Edmund knew she wasn't reading because she had acknowledged his presence.
When Susan reads she is so immersed in her reading that everything around her disappears, just a lot less than Hermione does. "But I'm not?" Edmund said confused as he looked over at the blonde.
"Everyone knows that you aren't into men, the rumour is probably spread by someone who you rejected this week."
Edmund raised an eyebrow at her, "But what if I was into men?"
"Edmund, you're a dear," Susan finally looked up from her book and at Edmund. "But everyone knows that you're not romantically attracted to men, you're too much of a-" She couldn't find a word, her eyes locked onto Neville who was half-listening to the conversation. "What's the word for it, Neville, the American saying?"
"A bro."
She nodded, "You're too much of a bro, Edmund. You look at your male friends like your brothers and you act like you are their brother, for example." She bit the inside of her cheek, "You and Harry, you two are attached to the hip but yet, you never look at him like you look at Hermione."
Edmund snorted and looked away, not wanting to laugh directly in her face, "I'm sorry for laughing but Harry is family," He quickly caught himself in the truth, "We've been by each other's side since our first year."
"Ron Weasley then." Neville said.
"Absolutely not." Susan cringed, "Edmund dislikes Ron, especially since he had rejected Lavender, the girl who Ron likes." Edmund and Neville nodded.
"This confirms my gossipy Hufflepuff theories." A voice said and Edmund looked over at his Quidditch Captain and prefect. "Edmund can't be a homosexual. He stares at Hermione way too much for that."
"Cedric then?" Neville questioned and gestured over to the older student.
"Brother figures, again." Susan nodded, "Last year they did everything together." The two boys looked at each other and nodded, agreeing with her. "Everyone thinks they're handsome and most want a taste of each, so they don't think they're in a relationship."
Edmund blinked. "Right." He hummed, "Why are we still talking about this?" He asked, confused, "I thought that we already established that I am not queer."
"Just a train of thought." Susan said and Neville nodded. "It is fun to imagine scenarios."
"You really should start reading non-fiction books." Edmund said and caught the title of the book that they were reading, "I thought that you have already read that?"
"I have." Susan nodded as she held up her romance novel, "But I got Neville one as well, so that we can read it together."
"Since one of us doesn't want to read romance books." Neville coughed, trying to hide his remark.
Edmund rolled his eyes with an amused huff, "I don't want it to ruin my perspective of love." He explained, "Most books and tv programs or movies really turned it into something it shouldn't be, and some watched it because they keep making more!"
"You feel very strongly about this." Cedric hummed.
"I do." Edmund nodded.
"Think about it as you sleep, maybe you'll get a nice romantic dream about Hermione." Cedric teased and Susan cringed. Neville just looked confused, not really following the topic that switched up that fast. "What?" Cedric said as he looked at the cringed face of Susan.
"I confessed and we're still friends, Ced." Edmund said with a small smile. Cedric frowned and looked at him as if he couldn't believe it.
"You're just pulling my leg, right?" Cedric blinked a few times, "How could she not like you? You're everything a girl wants, and many of them know it!"
"Bros." Susan muttered under her breath but everyone could hear it. Edmund cracked a genuine smile at that.
"She likes Ron at the moment." Edmund shrugged, "He's got something about him that she likes."
"Rude comments?" Susan snorted.
"Immature jokes?" Neville questioned.
"Jealous personality?" Cedric suggested.
Edmund frowned, "You guys, Ron isn't that bad."
"Maybe not all the time." Susan said, "But you should hear him whenever he talks about us Hufflepuffs." Neville nodded. "He's quite rude. I seriously don't see what Hermione sees in him."
"Well, he can be caring." Edmund countered. "Like he did when Lavender was crying, because of me." He grimaced as he thought about that scene.
"He just jumped on an opportunity to make you look bad." Susan said, Cedric and Neville nodded thoughtfully as they finally got another point of view of what happened. "He likes Lavender and this would make him look good, caring and charming while it would make you rude, emotionally unsympathetic and angry."
"Most people still talk about how you pushed her off of you." Neville nodded. "They forget that she was being rather touchy."
"Merlin, we really do gossip a lot." Edmund said as he leant back onto the empty chair, the less comfortable one of that side of the room. He really wanted to sit in the comfortable chair where Susan sat.
The four of them share a laugh and the thought of the shadow in the Dark Forest had escaped from Edmund's head as it didn't weigh in on him anymore. At that moment, he was talking and laughing with his friends, no longer was he in the haunted shack that even the ghosts are afraid of. At that moment he was at peace and comfortable by the fire.
He was right that it would get better, after being sore from the rejection and knowledge that Hermione likes Ron and not him. It is getting better to live with it, lately, he no longer diverted his eyes whenever Hermione would catch him staring at her. No longer did he look sad whenever he saw her walk around with the ginger.
He still liked Hermione Granger and that won't change anytime soon. He was just glad that he changed his behaviour towards her, that he can finally openly like her and even compliment her, glad that Hermione knows that he means it and didn't have to say it because he is her best friend.
He's glad that Hermione knows.
They went to bed after talking some more about things they noticed, their conversation varied as Cedric talked about the Gryffindor Chasers having a thing for Edmund and how Cho Chang changed the way she does her hair. Neville talked about how there was a weed growing in the corner of the garden, and that it would be annoying to remove. It was a project that Professor Sprout had for the students who had to read Gilderoy Lockhart's books, so they could properly educate themselves. Susan talks about how a Slytherin was being more friendly towards her, which was unusual for they have only one thing in common.
"That has to be a foul!" Edmund shouted out, waving his fist at the Slytherin chaser smashed into Angela. He stood next to Professor McGonagall who was shaking her head disapprovingly.
For the next fouls and disrespecting nature of the Slytherin game play, he and Professor McGonagall exchanged disapproving words of their strategy and were just shaking their heads. It was one of the dirtiest games that Edmund had seen at Hogwarts. Grabbing a broom by a tail was just distasteful and Edmund was disappointed in his Slytherin friend. "Must you really!" Edmund called out angrily and sighed.
It would have been an amusing sight to see Edmund being flushed red out of anticipation and anger, next to a Professor McGonagall whose hat had fallen off as she waved her finger at the Slytherin seeker, shouting angrily as well. Along with Lee behind them, shouting furiously through the megaphone.
Edmund cheered as Harry presented the Golden Snitch up into the air, waving it victoriously. The Gryffindor had a cheeky smile on his face as he looked over at Edmund. Edmund had a grin on his face as well. They were at a draw and another game of Quidditch will be set up by the Headmaster to finally appoint a true victor of the Hogwarts Quidditch competition.
The final match was played out in June as the weather seemed to be excited by their final competition. No word of the shadow in the woods and no worries about it either. Edmund was dressed in his gear and he sat on his Firebolt.
His eyes scanned the crowd and ended up on the staff tower, where most of the professors sat, observing the match from a far quieter tower where only professors, scouts and headboys and headgirls sat. "We must do this right." He heard Cedric say, but he kept his eyes locked on his uncles and Dumbledore. "We could win this and show Lila off." Edmund tore his eyes off of his family and patted her back.
"We can do this, Lila." Edmund said to her. "We'll win and show that we badger's are victors too!" He shouted and the group roared with him. They were revved up and ready to win their final match.
Edmund had a smile on his face as he looked over at the Gryffindor team, "Edmund, wink!" Cedric poked his back, "Make the ladies get distracted by you."
Edmund turned to look at Cedric, "Are you serious right now?"
"Deadly." Cedric nodded. "I overheard Fred and George talking about how they had Ron ask Hermione to sit with him so you'd be distracted and jealous." Cedric hummed, "They did that to throw you off of your game."
Edmund raised his eyebrows as he heard the new bit of information. "Right." He hummed and glanced over at the Gryffindor team. Only to get caught staring by Katie Bell, she smiled and waved.
He smiled back at her and winked before turning back to look at Cedric, "I just felt dirty and guilty for doing that." He said and gazed up to see Ron and Hermione sitting together, peering over the edge to look at the teams.
"Don't be!" A voice shouted out as a group of three entered the edge of the field. "It's a good tactic." Padma said, it was a rare sight to see her donned in yellow rather than the usual blue. "That blush wasn't directed at me but it had me blushing as well." She teased as she fanned her face.
"Now now, no distractions." Cedric hummed as he shooed them off of the field.
—
Both seekers held the cup by both its handles up in the air. It was an electrifying and slightly confusing moment when they racked up the points together and found out it was a tie the moment Harry had caught the snitch.
Hufflepuff had gathered so many points because of their chasers and had enough to call it a tie when the snitch signalled the end of the game. It still caused a great reaction from the crowd, even his uncle Severus was clapping, which he never does at Quidditch games that weren't Slytherin's. His uncle Remus was enthusiastically waving around a Hufflepuff scarf in support of his nephew and Professor McGonagall was cheering happily for the win of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
After that intensive and energy draining match, all Edmund wanted to do was flop down in a patch of grass and feed the giant squid alongside Hagrid, but it wasn't an option as their exams crept even closer towards them. Ever since Hermione reminded them of it, Edmund had been in the library studying with her, Padma, Susan, Neville and Harry who brought along a reluctant Ron who just fell asleep after settling down in a chair in some corner.
After that, Edmund and Cedric help study the younger years and teach some lessons if many didn't understand it. They knew it was serious when Edmund and Cedric were taking a break from repeating their lessons and walking past a studying Fred and George.
"You're spreading yourself too thin, Hermione." Edmund said as he put down her exam schedule. "How can you do your very best if you're literally in three places at once?"
"I only have two exams!" She defended herself and Edmund snorted.
"That won't stop you from hiding another you in the library to study for your exams after the first two exams!" He argued and put a hand on the table as he looked in the eyes of the girl he liked so much. "You need to pace yourself." He said to her, feeling the warm feeling in his stomach when she stared back at him.
"Right." She nodded and slumped in her seat.
For the following days of their exams, Edmund had performed up to standard and most of them better than average and a few worse than expected. He had turned a teapot into a tortoise, the only flaw being the porcelain tail that the tortoise had.
Writing a paper about Hippogriffs, writing about an alternative approach to domesticating them and adjusting their nutrition. They also had to keep a Flobberworm alive while writing said paper.
For potions they had to brew a Confusing Concoction and Edmund excelled at it, he accepted the proud smile his uncle gave him.
Mediaeval witch hunts was an easy subject for Edmund because he had read many books about it, his curiosity about the knowledge the witch hunter Van Helsing possessed had sparked a time where he wanted to learn about all of it in intricate detail.
He had finished the obstacle course the fastest as most wizards didn't expect physical activity and never really trained to run as fast as Edmund did. The beaming uncle was happily talking about it to his colleagues.
For the rest of his subjects he had scored a little above average, which was still an accomplishment.
"That's weird." Edmund said as he walked next to Harry, making sure they were at the same pace. "I am not taking her subject for a reason." Edmund cringed as she thought of the Divination Professor.
They were invited by Hagrid for tea to celebrate the end of their exams, Edmund and Harry wore their casual clothes, Edmund had bought some new ones for Harry. Sharing is caring, is what he had said.
Edmund reached his hand up to knock at the door, after the first knock the door swung open and he was face to face with Hermione. He was a bit breathless at first before he chuckled after he had caught sight of it, "You're wearing a Ravenclaw pin, couldn't bear to leave without a bit of blue, Hermione?" He said teasingly.
The girl blushed. "I told her that it was rather ridiculous that she is still wearing blue." Another voice behind her said and Edmund's smile faltered.
"Right so." Edmund muttered and followed Hermione into Hagrid's hut. "Is Hagrid out to feed Buckbeak?" He questioned as he immediately walked towards the kitchen.
"He forgot about it." Hermione answered from the living room. "He's out there now." Edmund nodded and picked up the heavy kettle of water that was filled to the brim. He put it over the fire and walked back to the kitchen to pick out the extra things that they would put in their tea.
Harry enjoys having a splash of milk in his tea, Ron drinks it as if he wants to have diabetes later and Hermione drinks it the same as him, a bit bitter but with a smooth aftertaste. He put the sugar on the table and turned back to grab the milk jug.
But the moment his hands touched the jug it felt unbalanced and Edmund frowned as he turned around to quickly put it on the table. "There is something in there." he said, gaining everyone's attention. "What the- merlin!" He exclaimed as a rat fell out of the milk jug.
A panicked squeak came from the presumed dead rat as it tried to crawl back into the jug. It had bald patches and was thinner than usual. All that Edmund could think about was how Ron hurt Hermione's feelings over a rat that had just run away. "Is it even your rat?" Edmund questioned, many rats were around the castle, some were pets and well, some were just vermin. He took a closer look at the hands on the rat, "It is, nevermind me." He said as he caught sight of the missing toe.
"Oh, you caught that damn rat!" Hagrid exclaimed as he walked through the door that was a bit too small for the half giant. "Been eating my grain that I give the creatures here."
They left after talking and complaining to Hagrid about their complicated exams, something that was some sort of tradition. "Ron can you stop-" Edmund started but was interrupted as Ron shouted out in pain.
"He bit me!" Edmund raised his eyebrows at the ginger whose eyes immediately zeroed in on the roaming cat of Hermione, its eyes shining yellow in the twilight of the sunset. "Scabbers!" Ron moaned out and started running after the rat.
"Merlin." Edmund muttered under his breath as he ran after the three of his friends. He had to look around to make sure none of the staff saw them outside that late. Tea with Hagrid had certainly dragged out a long time.
He heard shouts and Edmund sped up, his wand in his hands. He cursed as he could only reach for Harry's clothes, pulling him back from a branch that was out for blood. A gasp sounded and his eyes turned to look at the Ravenclaw. "Hermione." He gasped out as he saw red blossom from her shoulder.
Immediately he pressed a hand against it and ordered Harry to hold the light up to it. But his head turned to the sound as he heard a crack through the silent but tense air. "Fuck." Edmund cursed and held his wand up to Hermione's shoulder. He used a spell from his medical book that his uncle had gifted him and stopped the bleeding and bandaged it.
"Immobulus." Edmund waved his wand and remembered the last time he was there. The tree froze and no more was a twig waving itself aggressively like a whip. They moved as fast as possible, Edmund was following after Crookshanks and the two Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were lagging behind.
Edmund saw the peeled paper that appeared in his haunted dreams along with the stains on the floor. He had to take calming breaths to keep his wand hand from shaking. The moment Harry and Hermione had caught up, a creak sounded right above them. Someone was moving upstairs and the possibility it was Ron walking was near zero.
To their ability to be as quiet as possible, Edmund had a sneaking suspicion about the hound that abducted the Gryffindor, and he was afraid of what would happen next. A single door was open as they sneaked towards it. A low moan and deep purring sounded. "Ron?" Harry whispered as he opened the door. "I know you're there, where is h-" The door snapped closed and before Edmund knew it, Harry and Hermione were stuck inside with an unknown factor.
A single kick had splintered the rotten wood of the house that was falling apart, immediately a spell was directed at the first figure he saw that wasn't his friends. "Petrificus Totalus." Edmund casted and the figure dropped to the ground. The fluency of this motion made the element of surprise.
Matted hair and dark sockets, waxy skin that made him look like a skull. "Sirius Black." Edmund breathed out as he looked at the frozen figure. He put the man up against the wall and casted a spell that put ropes around him.
"I thought that you'd come in here," The man said after he was unpetrified, everyone had their wands in hands and kept it directed at the escapee. His father looked over at Ron, "I apologise for taking such extreme measures."
After all this time, Edmund thought that meeting his father would be like looking in the mirror because of how many people had mentioned they look alike. A squeal sounded and the man's eyes never met Edmund's as it snapped over at the squeezed shut pocket of Ron Weasley.
The broken door creaked as what remained opened, "Moony!" His father exclaimed as his eyes fell on the scarred face of Edmund's uncle. "The rat! Take him! Look at it, it only has one missing finger!" The man said as he shook in his constraints.
Edmund frowned and looked over at Ron. "Give me the rat."
"You think I'm handing him over to you?" Ron argued, turning as red as his puffed up eyes. "You're listening to him!"
Harry looked at Edmund for confirmation. Confirmation that he should trust Edmund, to support his choice and Edmund didn't quite know if he was sure of it himself, but it could explain everything. "Hand him the damn rat." Harry called out after Edmund nodded at his cousin.
"What, Harry! No-" Ron complained but moaned out in pain as his hand was bit.
Edmund looked untrustworthy as he looked at his father, "You're staying tied up," He said, "You broke his leg." The rat was suspended in the air by his uncle. Edmund ignored the wide eyes that stared up at him from the ground, would it be Ron's and Sirius Black's eyes, he wouldn't care to know at the very moment.
"Wormtail." Edmund said and looked at his uncle for guidance. He shouted in surprise as another person crept into the Shrieking Shack. A glass pushed into the hands of his other uncle.
"Bloody hell, I'm not going to be running after you like a dog. You take that potion now." The voice of Snape said and Edmund turned at the noise of squeaking. He used the levitating spell to not let the rat run away.
"Drink the potion, uncle." Edmund said and glanced over at Hermione who had an 'Eurika' look on her face. Edmund knew that she recognized the potion by its classic blue smoke. His uncle threw it back and drank it all in one gulp.
"Ed-" Severus Snape turned to look at the prisoner with a sharp look.
"Don't you dare say his name." Snape hissed out and casted a jinx at the man, sticking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. Sirius Black could no longer speak.
"We do this at the count of three, it is the spell that I taught you, Edmund." Remus said and held his wand out, a flash of blue and white light erupted from the three of their wands as Harry, Hermione and Ron were just looking at them with wide eyes.
Scabbers was frozen in the air, the rats body contorting swiftly and painfully. Ron yelled out for his rat as it fell onto the floor. Another flash and it was as if Edmund was watching that nature documentary with Mary of the sped up growing plant, he watched a man shoot up from the rat's body.
"He's just like in the memories." Edmund said speechlessly, the only thing that was different was the bald patch and sunken appearance that contrasted his plump, happy past self of him.
"Hello Peter, done playing hide and seek?" Lupin said sarcastically.
"S-Sirius, R-Remus." The former Marauder looked at the grown men in the room, then his eyes rested on Edmund and the boy felt the urge to scrub himself clean until he was red. "E-Edmund, you've grown into quite a man."
Snape casted a spell that made the man jump, "Tell us what happened the night Lily died." The man ordered. His other uncle winced at the bold order and Sirius Black dropped his head against the wall with closed eyes. Edmund took in a shuddering breath as he looked at a stunned Harry.
"He had everything to lose." Hermione whispered under her breath and Edmund had heard her, he gave her a small nod after he swallowed the bile that was rising up in his throat. He felt sick of discussing his murdered aunt, right in front of the orphaned son nonetheless. "Your father is Sirius Black and he was framed."
"No!" Pettigrew pointed at Edmund's father on the ground. "He has come back to try and kill me! Again!" He exclaimed.
"I will kill you!" The man roared from the ground, uncle Severus' spell had run its course and allowed the man to speak again. Edmund shot the man a sharp look and he had stopped struggling against the rope, it was as if he was afraid of disappointing his son.
Edmund wouldn't know, he hadn't been a son ever since his mother died. He had been a friend, a cousin to Harry and a nephew to his uncles. He was a son until the moment his mother had died and now he stood before his estranged father, and he no longer remembered how it felt to be someone's son.
"How did you escape?" Hermione interrupted their staring contest, Edmund turned to look at the wall with a shuddering breath. A hand dropped on his back, hidden from the other's view.
"Knowing I was innocent kept me sane, it wasn't a happy thought so the dementors couldn't feed on me. Knowing who I am made me keep my powers, when it just knew." Familiar grey eyes glared over at Pettigrew, "Dementors are blind, can only sense emotions and if I were a dog, my feelings would be less." He explained, his mood shifted and his glare turned sharper. "We should kill him."
The bile in Edmund's throat didn't disappear, it rose especially when Pettigrew began begging at their feet. He listened to the begging of getting Ron to save him, of having Hermione, the clever girl that she is, manipulate her into helping him. She was backed up against the wall, looking repulsed.
Then Harry's feet, muttering I'm sorry over and over again, saying that he had no choice but to submit to the side that was winning. Edmund felt as repulsed as Hermione looked. "Sweet Edmund, your mother-"
"Do not speak of her with that dirty mouth of yours!" Sirius Black roared from the ground. "She does not deserve your mercy!" His uncle Severus looked murderous.
"We can't kill him." Edmund said quietly and all the heads turned to look at him. Pettigrew fell at his feet, thanking him for the mercy he had shown him. "We kill him, we risk Azkaban, again." He said as he threw a shot at the man most called his father. "Dumbledore has a defence for you. He has someone to represent you in court and a case that can pronounce you innocent."
His eyes snapped back to look at Harry who was nodding, agreeing with the motion that they shouldn't kill Pettigrew. "We'll hand him over to the dementors." The rat flung his arms around Harry's knees and the Gryffindor kicked him off.
"Fine, transform and you're dead." Lupin sneered at the traitor and Snape nudged Edmund in Ron's direction.
"Bandage him as you did with Miss Granger." He said in his monotone voice. Their wands were lowered to the ground, but Edmund could see how white his uncle's knuckles were from how hard he gripped his wand.
Edmund walked over to Ron and kneeled down to his leg, "I'm sorry for being an ass towards you, Edmund." Ron said quietly.
"Now isn't the time for excuses, Ron." Edmund whispered as he clenched his jaw. "You don't get to just apologise and think that the way you treated me is forgivable." He casted the bandaging spell, "Ferula." He casted and continued, "You haven't been a friend for a whole year, just because Lavender had reacted heavily to my rejection."
"Lavender didn't-" Ron protested but quickly shut up at the furious glare Edmund gave him. "Like father, like son." Ron whispered under his breath as Edmund was a few steps away from him.
Edmund had developed a headache in the midst of the discussion and closed his eyes tightly as he heard his father call out for him. "Edmund." He pleaded, "Edmund please." Edmund looked over at him and he felt nauseous. "If what Dumbledore says is true, we can be a family again, your mother and I can-"
"Mom is dead." Edmund broke the news to the man who only was recently freed. "She died when I was six." He snapped as anger coursed through him, "You weren't there for it because you were rotting in Azkaban." He knew it was unfair of him but Edmund couldn't cope with the confirmation that the hound that haunted Harry was his father. That the man didn't even know that the love of his life was dead.
"No." Sirius moaned out as his body limped against the wall, tears streamed down his face as he mourned his love. "Amanda, my love, no." Snape interrupted his crying as the man was levitated up in the air by him.
"We're leaving." Uncle Severus said without revealing any of his feelings. Edmund wiped away a few stray tears as he followed after his uncle, not wanting to talk to anyone of what had happened.
They stepped out from the tunnel and Edmund cursed as he rushed to push his uncle back inside of the tunnel. The concentration was lost causing Pettigrew to be released and the coward immediately turned into a rat. It wasn't Edmund's biggest concern as it was that the full moon was out and about.
"Bloody-" Edmund was about to curse but stopped as soon as he heard the bones snapping and repositioning itself. His uncle was turning into a werewolf and by the enraged look on the potion master's face, he wasn't happy with it.
"Leave him to it!" His uncle snapped and Sirius sneered at the man. "We're heading back to the castle!" He diverted his attention back to his former tormenter. "You better watch out and realise the opportunity you have! Shut up and listen so you can be with your son."
Sirius Black's jaw clenched in silent rage as he listened to the familiar sound of his old friend transforming. "You listen, and I don't feed you to the dementors." Snape hissed and Harry had to drag Edmund away from the hole.
"Uncle Moony will be alright." Harry said to him. "He drank the potion."
Edmund nodded silently as he now had to stare at the back of his father. A stranger that had the title of father. He took in a shuddering breath and looked at the Headmaster's tower, where a single light was on, a blue light like the colour of a patronus.
His head snapped to look at Harry with wide eyes, "The Dementors-" He breathed out and as soon as the words left his mouth, cloaked figures emerged from the treeline and went straight at them.
As if the cool ground wasn't cold enough, the presence of the Dementors did. Harry and Edmund had their wands out and with a thud, Snape had a wand free as well. Together, they casted patronus' to protect them.
For a few seconds, Edmund's happiness was being sucked out of him. As well as Harry and mostly his father was the victim of it. A weak Sirius didn't complain when he was once again lifted up by the levitation spell of Snape.