Serendipity [Book 2]

Ghosts of The Past (Bonus Chapter)

Sirius paced the small room he had confined himself to since Ariella’s ghost had appeared to him that fateful night. Peter had gone too far with her murder.  He had been naïve to assume Peter would just go after Harry. He had been so concerned with Harry’s safety; he had forgotten about Ariella. His heart shattered thinking about it.

“I will kill you, Pettigrew.” He swore more to himself than anything else. Every cell in his body burned for revenge. Revenge for James. Revenge for Lily. Revenge for Harry. Revenge for Remus. Revenge for Ariella. Peter had ruined all of their lives with his cowardice that night. Something rubbing against his leg caught his attention and Sirius looked down to Crookshanks sliding in between his legs. He sighed as he bent down to stroke the large cat’s orange fur. His pain had not dulled in the long years he had been locked away with bits of his soul sucked out of him. He looked around the room and saw a claw mark that reminded him of Ariella’s first shifting as an animagus. He smirked as he thought of that night that seemed so far away.

*

September 16, 1975:

“So, we just drink this?” Sirius asked as he eyed the gel-like substance his friends had handed him. Ariella pursed her lips as she sniffed the concoction. Peter eyed it warily. After all, he was a coward at best.

“This is the last step, I promise,” James replied before he gulped back the liquid. Ariella and Sirius shared a look of trepidation before following in his footprints. It took Peter  a few more minutes before he steeled his nerves enough to repeat their actions.  At first there was nothing. And Sirius commented on it.

“That’s it? I was expecting…well more,” he remarked before James collapsed violently to his knees. Sirius leaned forward to go to his friend’s aide before he too felt himself land on the rotting floor. Peter squealed before he fell back against the floor.  Ariella stepped away from her now thrashing friends. She suddenly felt dizzy and leaned against a nearby wall. Everything in her vision was going in and out of focus, an intense ringing filled her ears and her nostrils burned like she had shoved hot embers up her nose. The assault on her senses sent her to her knees as she fought to stay conscious.

“James? Sirius?”

When James and Sirius awoke from their involuntary sleep, they felt different and didn’t have to look at themselves to know they were no longer human. James climbed to his feet slowly. He stumbled a bit as he got used to using four legs instead of two. When he was steady and upright, he turned to Sirius and helped his friend to his feet with the two antlers that protruded from his elongated head. The two then looked down when they saw a rat squeaking at them.

Mate, you’re a stag

Well you’re a dog.

And I am apparently a rat.

James and Sirius laughed before they turned to their friend expecting to see something similar. All they saw was Ariella staring at them dully.

James instantly transferred back into a human, although he had to admit it was mildly painful and completely disorienting.

“Ella! What’s going on?” James bent down next to his friend and gently shook her shoulder to earn her attention. Ariella’s snapped her neck in his direction and pinned her now feline-like eyes on him. Sirius grabbed his friend’s collar in his mouth and pulled him away before they watched their kind-hearted friend transform, rather violently, into a large lioness. James and Sirius stared at the creature as it roared and swiped at a nearby wall, tearing three large gashes into it. The action sent Peter scurrying under some collapsed furniture. Another roar and Peter was scared right out of his animagus form.