Elysia Riddle [A Harry Potter Fan Fiction]

Chapter Thirty-One ~ Moony and Padfoot

Leon ran ahead of me valiantly, chewing down on the twisted knot in the roots of the Willow, allowing me safe passage through. We found ourselves in a cramped, dusty tunnel, leading to the Shrieking Shack... I hoped... Tip-toeing forward, I heard screams and yells in the distance.

Footsteps echoed behind me, sending shivers up my spine. Closer and closer they came, making every nerve tickle with confusion and excitement. Hardly daring to breathe, I turned around and slapped my hands over my mouth in order to muffle my scream..., Which died away as soon as I saw that it was Lupin.

His wand was dimly lit, allowing me to cast my eyes over his gaunt features and sunken eyes. Why was he here? He hadn't brought Dumbledore, or worse, the Dementor’s, right?

"I took your advice, and you were right, Peter is here." he whispered, his voice so quiet that I could barely decipher his words.

"Go! I'll stand guard!" I hissed, equally quiet.

Nodding, Lupin rushed in to the shack, climbing the stairs as quickly as he could.

"WE'RE UP HERE - WE'RE UP HERE - SIRIUS BLACK - QUICK!" screamed Hermione, her voice ear-splitting.

I heard the shout of Lupin as he bellowed "Expelliarmus!", except, by the sounds of the gasps, Lupin hadn't disarmed Sirius at all, rather, one of the three students who were upstairs. I yearned to run up and explain it, but it was best to be left with Sirius.

"Where is he, Sirius?" said the faint voice of Lupin, and I could barely contain my excitement.

This was it. This was the moment. Peter would be revealed, and all would be safe once more.

Muffled voices rung out from upstairs, and I could only catch small snippets of the conversation, which was mainly mutterings of 'Where is he... But... Switched? Surely...', none of which made any sense to me, so I watched carefully, standing guard.

"Professor Lupin! What's going-" began Harry, his voice slightly louder than the men’s voices.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" screamed Hermione, her voice higher than I could believe possible.

"You- You"

"Hermione-"

"-you and him!"

"Hermione, calm down..."

"I didn't tell anyone! I've been covering for you-"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!"

"I trusted you!" added the voice of Harry, "and all this time, you've been his friend!"

I was well and truly confused by now, but I could only assume that Hermione knew that Lupin was a werewolf, and that Harry felt betrayed. Oh, why wouldn't they listen? If they only stopped with their hysterics, they'd know the truth!

Suddenly, three words rung out, higher than the others,

"He's a werewolf!"

Hermione had blabbed out the truth in her anger, and the room fell silent. Lupin and Hermione were having an eerily calm conversation about how she had discovered that he was a werewolf, and the tension was seeping in to the area that I was in.

After a few minutes, Harry's voice rung out violently again, disturbing the dangerous silence hanging in the air.” AND HE WAS WRONG! YOU’VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THIS TIME!"

I wished that I could go up and slap Harry, he wouldn't shut his mouth, let alone lower his voice. Leaning against the wall, I heard the clattering of two wooden objects on the floor, and Lupin declaring that they weren't dangerous.