Dark Magic

Full Moon

As the rat transformed into the monster before us, we watched him crawl to his knees and plead Harry and I for his life. He proclaimed that he did not wish for our parents' deaths. That his fear clouded his judgement and Voldemort threatened his own life in exchange for our mother and father's. We rejected the notion, his squabbling useless under my brother's guise. Pettigrew was going to die. But as we both came to the same decision, his sentence would be best served under the careful watch of the Dementors. In Azkaban, as he should have been all these years instead of Sirius.

Escorting Pettigrew back to the castle, we hastily made our way out of the secret passageway from the Whomping Willow Tree. I stood with Remus, watching as Harry and Sirius wandered off from the group, beginning their own, hushed conversation. But Sirius' thoughts echoed through my mind, a slight release from the pain of having to fight them away as I watched the duo's exchange.

"Sirius is going to ask Harry to live with him." I spoke solemnly, the guilt of my envy causing my stomach to churn slightly. Remus let out a sigh, "I am sorry that you cannot come and live with me, Emerald."

Rubbing my forehead frustrated, I huffed and turned to face him, "But I could. If you showed me how to become an Animagi-"

"-You know that I won't allow it. Besides," The man shrugged, his eyes finally meeting my own as the sun had fully set in the distance, "My Teacher's salary is not enough to provide for you." He spoke, almost as though he was trying to justify to himself more than me.

"You know that's a pathetic excuse." My lips pursed. My sulking attitude was short-lived, however, as I turned back to face the Whomping Willow, where Hermione stood aiming her wand at Pettigrew to prevent him from escaping. "I better get Severus before the moon rises." Remus nodded at my simple notion as I made my way inside, beginning my journey back towards the shrieking shack.

I wasn't more than a minute or two into my journey, however, before a loud and blood-curdling scream sounded in the distance. That scream turned into a howl, and I knew in an instant that I was already too late. "Shit!" I spat, turning on my heel and running back towards the entrance.

My eyes landed on Sirius as he fought to keep Remus at bay during his long, painful transformation. It looked like agony as I watched the man claw at his own skin, revealing fur underneath, covered in blood and gashes. "Remus, my friend; did you forget to take your potion tonight?" Sirius spoke, the terror evident in his shaky voice as our worst fears had been answered. No, I gave Remus the Wolfsbane before I left to meet Ron, Hermione and Harry. He couldn't have forgotten...Could he?

Remus continued to howl in pain, his entire body changing before us all as Sirius transformed into a giant dog; not nearly big enough nor strong enough to take on the huge wolf that towered over him. The werewolf took the dog in it's mouth like a rag toll, and throw him aside. "Sirius!" I called out, beginning to run towards the edge of the hill that the black dog had ascended down. Unfortunately, my journey was caught short by the sudden attention my noise had brought to the werewolf. It's eyes were those familiar, human ones that belonged to my Godfather; corrupted by a foreign entity that told me this beast was not Remus Lupin. Remus Lupin was not the wolf. Not the monster.

"Remus." My voice broke as tears streamed down my cheeks and I prayed that he might be in there somewhere, fighting to come out. My breathing hitched as I took a step forth, the beast calming slightly at the tone of my voice. "Remus, it's me." My lip quivered at the words escaping my lips as I willed my Godfather to be here, instead of the werewolf before me. Even if I could slowly reach into my pocket and gather my wand, I could protect us; if even for a brief moment whilst we tried to escape.

"Emerald!" A monotonous voice cried from the entrance to the Whomping Willow, a twig breaking under someone's foot as the werewolf launched himself at me, pinning me to the floor. I screamed, my head hitting the ground hard as my vision clouded, the air knocked from my stomach as claws pinned me to the ground. Screams sounded, which now felt much further away from before as I could feel myself slipping fast.

There was a harsh jolt, another gush of pain piercing my neck as I felt my eyes roll to the back of my head, my entire body freezing over as nothing but darkness engulfed me. The voices fading under nothing was left but an empty void, greeting me like a long, lost friend...

My eyes shot open with a gasp as I flung from my place, instinctively reaching to my sleeve to grab my wand. Before I could do so, however, a pair of arms encased my shoulders, forcing me painfully back down onto the bed. Wait. Bed. How did I-?

My eyes began to take in my surroundings; I was in the hospital wing, my wand was gone and I donned a gown that felt like paper against my bruised skin. "Emerald?" A voice spoke, as I turned to face my brother and Hermione. Along with Severus and Professor Dumbledore; whose eyes watched me, solemnly. Severus looked utterly drained, his eyes filled with remorse and guilt. Why? Ron sat on the hospital bed opposite me, where Madam Pomfrey was tending his wound.

When she realised I was awake, however, her attention diverted straight onto me and she fled from his bedside, making her way towards me. "Wha-What happened? Remus, is he-" I began to question, my bead pounding as my entire body ached. Severus' eyes narrowed, growing distant at my questioning, "-The werewolf is fine." He spat.

"What about Sirius?" I asked, my eyes finding my brother's meadow green ones as he sent a forced smile my way. "He's safe. And so is Buckbeak, but I'll explain all of that to you later, Sis." He reassured.

My brows furrowed confusedly as I scanned the room, making sure everyone else was accounted for. In doing so, however, a searing pain shot through my neck, causing my hand to shoot towards the bandaged area. I closed my eyes momentarily, wincing as I fought through the burning sensation and a potion was handed to me; Madam Pomfrey instructed I drink, with a bittersweet expression in her eyes. She was hiding something. They all were. "Not until someone explains to my why you all look like someone died!" I spat angrily, placing the potion back down onto the dresser beside my bed, where my blood-soaked clothes sat that I had worn the night before.

Hermione was the one to shift in her seat, her saddened eyes unable to look at my own as she found herself fumbling over her words, "Emerald, w-what's the last thing you remember?"

I struggled to momentarily recount the night prior's events, small pieces beginning to come back to me, "I remember Remus transforming...And pinning me to the ground. Um..." I paused, racking my brain for the rest of the story. "There was...Remus pinned me to the floor." I repeated, angrily pressing a hand against my temple as I willed the memories to present themselves, "And I remember feeling a pain in my neck. But there's nothing after that."

The group's sullen expression did not falter as I watched them all, pleadingly, "What happened after I passed out?" I asked, exchanging short glances with each of them as Snape gulped, his angered expression softening as his dark eyes met my own. Dumbledore, however, was the next to speak, "Remus Lupin did not take the Wolfsbane potion prescribed by Professor Snape, last night, Emerald." The man's lips pursed and I watched as he took a deep breath, "It appears that, in the midst of yourself and Sirius Black attempting to subdue his werewolf state, he..." Dumbledore's voice trailed away.

Snape, however, answered for him; too quickly for anyone in the room to bear, including myself, "He bit you."