The Other Side of the Story~~~Book 3~~~

My Godfather

Dinner in the Great Hall ended at 8:00. I left at 7:15. 

As I went to Lupin's office for "detention," I thought about my parents. If Padfoot didn't help kill them, then who did? And why would he be blamed if he was my godfather? Did they not know? Maybe it was a secret. That has to be it. 

Lupin was in his normal wear when he opened the door. He said we had to go to the forest to retrieve some plants. 

Walking toward the forest's edge, I noticed little animals speeding to their holes or trees. Something was scaring them because we were not even close to them. He must be here. As we got closer though, the trees seemed to be looming down at something. A red-brown mess? No, and an orange mess.

Crookshanks?

She turned and ran to my feet to head-bunt me. 

"Do you know her?

Well, ya," I said as I bent down to touch her. "She is Hermoine's cat." 

At that she hissed, she never did that to me or anyone when we said it was hers. "Don't you mean your old cat?"

"What do you mean?" I said as I looked into the trees.

"She was just a kitten but she spent most of the time in your bed when you were sick. It was the only way to keep you from screaming or letting them give you your treatments. Padfoot gave her to you. He thought you and Harry would have black hair, so he got a redhead as he called it. She took up to you as soon as she saw you. Anyway, she is friends with the one we want to meet, so lead the way, Crookshanks."

She walked into the forest with Lupin right after. I had no choice. Either my detention would be unfulfilled and I would have to do it another time or I would have to walk into the forest and meet Sirius. Either way, I would have to see him. Crookshanks wouldn't leave me alone otherwise. I slowly toke a step and another to the forest.

By the time I caught up to them, the forest was dark and kinda creepy. Not like my Dad's study creepy. One wrong move and you're dead creepy. At many points on our walk, I felt something creeping by watching. I hoped it was a snake and I could tell it off.  That was the best part of parseltongue. They found you the master. 

We ended the journey in a grove of trees. Crookshanks laid down as soon as we both walked in.

"So.... where is this said Padfoot?"

"You will see."

He walked over to a large oak tree and laid down. Within seconds he was sleeping. I walked over to see if he was pretending, but I hit the ground hard. I rolled over as I pulled out my wand. The dog was on top of me. He started licking my face. I pushed him off and got up. I pointed my wand at a big black dog. I didn't lower my wand. He sat down studying me. Can dogs do that? He picked a tree and walked around it, disappearing from view for less than a second. As he walked out, it wasn't a dog, but a man that looked like a full-blown prisoner. Which he was.

"You can put the wand down."

"What if I don't?"

"Then I will sit here and wait, but you might want to hurry because Moony is going to wake up any minute and give me some food before you leave."

I lowered my wand and he replied, "Good girl."

"You look horrible," ignoring his dog-calling obsession.

"Well, when you live in a forest where you are rarely safe as a human, you don't care."

"So, what am I doing here?"