A Circle of Flame- Sirius Black x OC

Chapter 26

A faint moan escaped her lips at the effort. Liza tried again, relaxing her thoughts. Magic couldn't be forced, only invited.

Slowly, a trickle of feeling rolled down her limbs. Liza tested her fingers. Her thumb flexed slightly. Then, it bent to grasp her wand. The vinewood offered a momentary comfort.

Liza puffed out a breath of relief as she was able to roll on her side and movement flooded back into her body. Gasping for air, she forced herself onto her feet and towards the tunnel beneath the Whomping Willow.

A sharp yell pierced the darkness.

Breaking into a sprint, Liza tripped down the passageway, her ankle still burning from when she had twisted it earlier. She hardly paid attention to the swath of cobwebs above her as the tunnel passed in a blur.

Then, a dark shape appeared in front of her, and Liza collided with Snape, unable to break her run and sending them both toppling. She sprawled on the ground painfully as Snape let out a series of nasty curses.

Not far behind, a howl echoed down the tunnel, followed by a thud and a dog's yelp. Liza grabbed Severus's arm, ignoring his disgusted protests and she hauled them both to their feet.

"Bombarda!" she pointed her wand at the ceiling of the tunnel. The earth split, releasing a rain of pebbles and dirt. Liza covered her face from the debris with her sleeve.

"Wonderful," Snape snarled, pulling her along the tunnel. His cloak flared out behind him. "I'm sure a bit of mud will stop a werewolf."

Liza's lungs heaved for breath as the sound of pawsteps warned of Remus's pursuit. "Do you have an—" she swallowed, hating the taste of iron in the back of her throat, "any brilliant ideas?"

Clearly, Severus was at a loss. Several streaks of sweat had begun to drip down his forehead.

Liza chanced a look behind them. She swallowed a scream.

Yellow eyes glinted only meters away, lit with the reflection of Severus's illuminated wand. An enormous snout protruded from below the werewolf's gaze, snapping as it tasted the air. Liza swore the canines were at least the size of her palm.

"Bombarda!"

Severus's' curse was stronger than hers had been, and a large portion of the tunnel caved in on itself. Shards of rock plummeted from above, slowing the werewolf's pursuit and it let out a pained whimper.

"How can such a massive beast," Severus's snarl was undeterred despite the danger of their predicament, "be the product of a human Bowtruckle?"

"Remus isn't that—" Liza broke off, not really having an argument. The Gryffindor was unhealthy thin. "I don't know if he," she gave up, not knowing whether to refer to the werewolf as a "he" or an "it". Was the creature even still technically Remus?

There was a loud snarl behind her, and Liza let out a yelp as a pair of jaws snapped a meter from her neck. Clearly, Severus's curse had not given them much time. She whirled around, her wand outstretched.

"Stupefy!"

The red light crashed into the werewolf's shoulder, slightly off-center in her panic. The beast stumbled, but seemed more annoyed than injured. It raised its head into the air, parting its jaws into a low howl. Saliva glimmered on its exposed gums and ran down into its scuffed fur.

"Prewett—"

"Just go!" Liza did not know what inspired her sudden wave of resolve. All she could think was of the repercussions if Remus hurt Snape. Expulsion would be the least of his worries.