Magic? || Years 1-5

Beneath The Whomping Willow: Year 3

Amisty reached him first, a pained whine leaving her throat.

"Ron -- are you okay?" Hermione gasped, kneeling down beside him and staring with wide eyes.

"Where's the dog?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Not a dog. Harry, it's a trap -- " Ron replied, teeth gritted with pain.

"What -- " Harry started.

"He's the dog... he's an Animagus..." Ron groaned, staring behind them toward the dark corner.

Amisty spun around, her fur rising up along her back as a strange, weathered looking man snapped the door shut. His hair was long and matted, eyes dull and dark, with skin pale and stretched tight over his face and a yellowed grin.

    "Lupus Estaria," He muttered, pointing Ron's wand at Amisty and then turning it toward Hermione and Harry. "Expelliarmus!"

Amisty stumbled to the ground, her own wand flying toward the hand of Sirius Black.

Harry helped her up almost instantly, arm held in front of her protectively. Her mine was whirling. How did he of all people know the spell?

"I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would've done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful... it will make everything much easier," Black's voice was hoarse and rough as if he hadn't talked in many, many years.

Harry's face twisted with rage and he stepped forward. Ron, Hermione, and Amisty grabbed his arms, pulling him back.

"No, Harry!" Hermione whispered sharply, followed by Amisty's, "Don't get any closer to him!"

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron shouted, struggling up to his feet. He was saying, the little color in his face draining.

It took almost all of Amisty's self-control not to shove him back down.

"Lie down. You will damage that leg even more," Black muttered back, a glint of something Amisty couldn't identify in his dark eyes.

"Did you hear me? You'll have to kill all four of us!" Ron snarled, clinging to Harry so he could stay standing.

"There'll be only one murder here tonight," Black replied, his grin growing even further.

Amisty felt her stomach clench.

"Why's that? Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew... What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?" Harry growled savagely.

"Harry! Be quiet!" Hermione mewled desperately, her voice utterly terrified.

"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, breaking free of their grasp and leaping forward. Hermione screamed, Ron yelled, Amisty stared with wide eyes as a high pitched whine left her mouth as Harry shoved the wands away and punched Black across the face.

The two of them fell backward, and a flash of sparks erupted from the wands, narrowly missing Harry's face. He continued his attacks, teeth gritted.

Amisty felt her breath catch as Black's hand wrapped around Harry's throat.

"No, I've waited too long -- " He tightened his grasp, and Harry choked, glasses slipping down his nose.

Hermione was first to react, swinging her leg out and tripping him, Ron leaped forward onto Black's wand hand, sending all four to the ground, and Amisty barrelled into Black himself.

Harry escaped almost instantly, reaching for his wand.

"Argh!" He shouted. Crookshanks had latched onto his arm.

He threw the cat off, but almost as soon as its paws touched the ground he went scrambling for Harry's wand.

"NO YOU DONT!"

He kicked at the cat, who spat furiously, and Harry managed to grab his wand, spinning around to where they were tussling.

"Get out of the way!" He yelled.

They listened instantly, Hermione breathing heavily and darting away and grabbing their wands, Ron scrambling toward the four-poster and clutching his leg, and Amisty rubbing her eye, which had been bruised in the fray.

She would have a black eye by morning. If she survived that long. Black was lying at the bottom of the wall, chest heaving, eye bruised, and nose bleeding.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" He whispered the question softly as Harry inched closer, wand pointed at his heart.

"You killed my parents," Harry replied coldly, his voice shaking but body remaining still.

"I don't deny it. But if you knew the whole story -- " Black started, his voice very quiet.

"The whole story? You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know," Harry snarled back. Amisty had never seen him so angry.

"You've got to listen to me. You'll regret it if you don't... You don't understand..." He replied.

"I understand a lot better than you think. You never heard her, did you? My mum... trying to stop Voldemort killing me... and you did that... you did it..." Harry's voice shook further, and then in a streak of orange, Crookshanks leaped onto Black's chest, staring up at them.

"Get off," Black whispered to the cat, trying to push him off.

Crookshanks didn't budge, sinking his claws into his robes. Hermione whimpered. Harry stood there, staring at the two of them before raising his wand once more.

There were a few tense seconds, Harry with his wand raised, Black staring up and Crookshanks sitting there silently. Ron was breathing heavily, Hermione very quiet. And then there were footsteps.

"Someone's coming," Amisty whispered under her breath to Hermione, who was sitting next to her.

"WE'RE UP HERE! WE'RE UP HERE -- SIRIUS BLACK -- QUICK!" Hermione screamed.

Black jumped, Crookshanks falling off his chest, and the footsteps got louder still. The door flew open with a shower of crimson sparks, and Professor Lupin burst into the room.