EXAMS WERE NEVER ARIA'S STRONG SUIT, there was no denying that the girl was extremely intelligent. But the nerves of sitting down and taking a test, filling out each question with memorization from past studying still brought anxious thoughts to her mind. And when the girl was nervous... she'd stress eat.
So when she sat with her friends, while her and Hermione studied. The girl dug into her sweet stash that she kept in her dorms from Honeydukes eating some of the chocolate she managed to snatch their last Hogsmeade trip they attended. Reading through her potions book, the girl broke off a piece and popped it into her mouth. Without realizing it, Ron - who was sitting across from the girl - reached over and took some himself without disturbing the girl and ate it. Yet as he did that, he managed to catch a glimpse of Hermione's exam schedule she had drawn up for herself.
Monday
9 o'clock, Arithmancy
9 o'clock, Transfiguration
Lunch
1 o'clock, Charms
1 o'clock, Ancient Runes
"Hermione?" Ron questioned confused yet cautiously, "Er- are you sure you've copied down these times right?"
Aria nudged her friend awkwardly, not knowing if she should speak up about the matter causing Hermione to snap, "what?" before picking up the exam schedule and looking at it. "Yes of course I have."
"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit for two exams at once?" Harry questioned
"No." Hermione simply responded "Has anyone seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?"
"Oh yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading." Ron answered quietly. Hermione started shifting through parchment around her table to which Aria picked her book up to give the girl room to move and rested it against her lap. A sound of flapping wings was heard as Hedwig fluttered through the window, a note clutched to her beak.
"It's from Hagrid, Buckbeak's appeal -- it's set for the sixth." Harry acknowledged reading the note this caused Aria to look up as Hermione spoke, "That's the day we finish our exams."
"And they're coming up here to do it. Someone from the Ministry of Magic and -- and an executioner." Harry's eyes met Aria's once he said executioner, and Hermione's head snapped up startled.
Aria felt her heart break as she swallowed, "That sounds like they've already decided."
"Yeah, it does." Harry stated softly
"They can't! I've spent ages reading up on stuff for him; they can't just ignore it all!" Ron exclaimed.
But Aria knew that's exactly what they would do, if Lucius Malfoy was the one who filed the complaint its a hundred percent chance that they had already made up their mind about it.
So when exam week began and the third years emerged from Transfiguration at lunchtime on Monday after there test, the tortoise that the girl had turned from a teapot was the last thing on Aria's mind but quite obviously the first on Hermione's as she ranted about the little differences in result of the transformation. Then, after a quick lunch which Aria used to study for her next test, Charms. Where they were indeed tested on Cheering Charms like Hermione had declared before.
Next, after dinner of course, was when they hurried back to their common rooms to study for the rest of their classes - Care of Magical Creatures, Potions and Astronomy.
So test after test, including Divination which was complete rubbish as usual and made Aria wish that she could've taken the classes Hermione had when she had the chance. Leaving Ron, Hermione and Aria to wait for Harry to finish his Divination test yet in the mean time they came upon an unsettling letter from Hagrid.
Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it
Hagrid.
Aria couldn't believe her eyes, she felt herself get choked up as glanced away, blinking back her tears.
It was so unfair.
And it just made the girl furious at Draco Malfoy and his dramatic need for attention, that her fist curled up against her side which caused the flames in the fire place to flicker dramatically in the common room. Ron, noticing this change placed a hand that wasn't holding the letter on his friend's arm causing her to snap out of it and look over at the ginger confused.
"You're going to burn the whole place down." Ron muttered lowly which caused Aria to blink blankly at the enhanced flame in the fire place, and taking a deep breath the flame went back to its normal size.
As the raven haired boy entered the common room, he headed over to his friends.
"Professor Trelawney, just told me --"
But the boy's eyes landed on Aria's facial expression then moved to the others confused.
"Buckbeak lost." Ron stated weakly handing Harry the letter "Hagrid's just sent this."
Harry took the note from the boy's hand and read it before declaring.
"We've got to go, he can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"
"Sunset, though, we'd never be allowed... 'specially you and Aria, Harry...." Ron acknowledged knowingly causing Harry to glance over towards Aria who hadn't bother to look at the boy as her shoulders were sunken and she stared at her hands causing him to sink his head into his own hands thinking.
"If we only had the Invisibility Cloak..." Harry trailed off.
"Where is it?" Hermione questioned and so Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one eyed witch.
"..if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble." he finished
"That's true," Hermione noted getting to her feet "If he sees you... How'd you open the witch's hump again?"
"You- you tap it and say 'Dissendium' but --" Harry began but Hermione already had walked across the room and pushed the portrait open and vanished from sight.
"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron questioned staring after her.
"That's exactly what she's done." Aria noted almost proudly as she picked at her tie wrapped around her neck, waiting for Hermione to return fifteen minutes later with the cloak folded into her robes.
"Hermione, I don't know what's gotten into you lately! First you hit Malfoy, then you walk out on Professor Trelawney--"
Hermione looked rather flattered at Ron's comment which made Aria smirk subtly. Minutes later they went down to dinner with everybody else, but didn't return to the tower afterward. Instead they waited until there was no one around and slipped under the cloak together and walked down to Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, looking around for his visitor but found nothing. His face pale as he trembled.
"It's us," Harry hissed "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off"
"Yeh souldn've come!" Hagrid whispered taking a step back letting them inside and Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the cloak.
"Wan' some tea?" Hagrid offered shaking as he reached for the kettle.
"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" Hermione asked hesitantly
"I-- I took him outside," Hagrid answered spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch.Thought he oughta see the trees an' — an' smell fresh air —before —"
Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.
"I'll do it, Hagrid." Aria offered hurrying over and started to clean up the mess.
"There's another one in the cupboard." Hagrid said sitting down and wiping his forehead.
"I'll get it," Hermione offered getting up and getting situated as Aria cleaned up the broken one.
"Isn't there anything anyone could do, Hagrid?" Harry asked fiercely sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore--"
"He's tried. He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' — an' smell fresh air —before — scared. . . . Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like . . . threatened 'em, I expect . . . an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's . . . but it'll be quick an' clean . . . an' I'll be beside him. ." Hagrid swallowed causing Aria to glance away with tears in her eyes at the mention of Malfoy, feeling guilty that she couldn't do anything to help stop Lucius or Draco, covering her mouth holding back a sob.
"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it — while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter — ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore." Hagrid trailed off. Hermione, who failed to hold in her own sob as she rummaged through Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug spoke up, "We'll stay with you too, Hagrid."
"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway. . . . If Fudge an'Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, Harry and Aria yeh'll be in big trouble."
Aria glanced over to Harry for a split second before feeling a silent tear slip down her cheek as the boy looked over to meet the girls eyes causing Aria to look away brushing the tear away as Hermione let out a shriek causing Aria to rush over.
"What happened?" Aria gushed concerned causing Hermione to show the girl the inside of the jug.
"Oh my -- Ron!" Aria exclaimed flabbergasted
"What?" Ron asked confused
"I don't believe it--" Hermione stuttered out confused "it's Scabbers!"
"What are you two talking about?" Ron gaped at the girls causing Hermione to carry over the jug and turn it upside and with a frantic squeak Scabbers came sliding out onto the table.
"Scabbers!" Ron stated blankly "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"
Ron grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. The rat looked dreadful as Aria glanced at it surprised. Yet despite this, he maneuvered his way out of Ron's hands and freed himself.
"It's okay, Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed desperately "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"
Hagrid then stood up his eyes fixed on the window, his face paling.
"They're comin'..." Hagrid trailed off causing the quartet to whip around and spot a group of men walking down the castle steps. In front was Dumbledore.
"Yeh gotta go," Hagrid ushered "They mustn' find yet here.... go now.."
Ron tucked Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak.
"I'll let yet out the back way," Hagrid noted causing the group to follow the man towards the back door into the garden. Aria's heart sunk once she spotted Buckbeak tethered to a tree behind the pumpkin path, turning his sharp head from side to side an pawing at the ground nervously.
"It's okay Beaky." Hagrid reassured softly "It's okay..."
Hagrid then turned towards the group and demanded, "Go on, get goin'"
"Hagrid, we can't —"
"We'll tell them what really happened —"
"They can't kill him —"
"This isn't fair--"
the group protested but Hagrid was having none of it. "Go! It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"
Hermione then threw the cloak over the group as they heard voices approaching the front of the cabin.
"Go quick, don' listen..." Hagrid stated hoarsely before walking back to his cabin as someone knocked on the front door. Slowly the group went off silently around Hagrid's house and reached the other side while the front door closed.
"Please, let's hurry." Hermione whispered.
"Yes, please. I can't bear it.." Aria trailed off with a waver in her voice and so the group started up toward the castle when Ron stopped walking.
"Oh please Ron." Hermione begged
"It's Scabbers -- he won't --- stay put ---"
Ron bent over, trying to keep the rat in his pocket but it was going berserk.
"Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron." Ron hissed as they heard the door open behind them and men's voices.
"Oh Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathed as Aria reached out and tugged on the boys arm causing them to walk forward yet Ron stopped again.
"I can't hold him — Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us —" Ron ordered as the rat squealed wildly, Aria's eyes watched Ron's action trying not to listen to the men's voices in Hagrid garden and it wasn't until without warning that she heard an unmistakable swish and a thud of an axe. Aria gasped inaudibly feeling herself get choked up as she subconsciously spun away from the scene and dug her head into Harry's chest causing the raven haired boy to tense but relax while he placed a hand on the back of Aria's arm in comfort as Hermione swayed on the spot in shock.
"They did it!" Hermione whispered to Harry "I d- don't believe it -- they did it!"
Aria's mind had gone blank with shock, while everything else seemed to become still and muted as her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach, until she heard a wild howling behind them.
"Hagrid," Harry muttered as Aria released herself from his hold feeling numb and without thinking he made a move to turn back, but both Ron and Hermione seized his arms.
"We can't," Ron told his friend "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him..."
"How could they ---" Hermione choked "How could they?"
"Come on," Ron ushured his teeth chattering as they set off back toward the castle.
"Scabbers, keep still." Ron hissed clamping his hand over his chest. Ron suddenly came to another hault, trying to force the rat deeper into his pocket "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still — OUCH! He bit me!"
"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered "Fudge'll be out here in a minute--"
"He won't — stay — put —"
"What's the matter with him?"
"Crookshanks!" Hermione exclaimed quietly earning Aria's attention
"Oh god," Aria muttered
"No, go away. Crookshanks! Go away!" Hermione ordered but the cat didn't listen and instead kept approaching the group.
"Scabbers -- NO!" Ron exclaimed as the rat slipped between Ron's fingers and hit the ground, scampering away, Crookshanks on his tail.
And before Harry, Hermione or Aria could stop him Ron had throw the cloak off himself and ran away into the darkness.
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed and without thinking twice Aria took off after the ginger boy at a sprint, without the cloak.
"Get away from him -- get away -- Scabbers, come here--" Ron ushered
"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat----" Ron hissed after a loud thud while Aria came to a skidding halt right in front of him, Harry and Hermione right behind the girl. Ron was sprawled on the ground but Scabbers was back in his poket, his hand held over the lump.
"Ron-- come on-- back under the cloak--" Aria began panting.
"Dumbledore -- the Minister -- they'll be coming back out in a minute--" Hermione continued. But before the could even cover himself the sound of gigantic paws was bounding toward them. A jet black dog. Harry reached for his wand but it was too late the dog had made an enormous leap and it's front paws hit him on the chest. It then rolled off of him, the leap having carried it too far.
Harry tried to stand up with the help of Aria but he could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack. It's eyes landing on Aria causing the girl to freeze, her eyes connecting with the dogs - her heartbeat going a hundred miles per hour and as it went to spring towards her but Ron pushed the girl aside and the dog's jaw fastened around Ron's arm. Aria lunged forward to attempt to grab Ron from the dog's grasp but it was too quick and the dog began to drag Ron away like a rag doll.
In the spit of the moment a branch of the Willow had smacked Aria across the shoulder, causing her to gasp as it cut into her skin causing it to bleed but she didn't let that stop her as she dodged the rest of them, while Harry and Hermione were being hit restlessly by the branches. But all Aria could think about was Ron as he was getting dragged down into the tree - underground. So Aria without thinking twice grabbed last minute onto Ron's non broken leg before it disappeared out of sight hearing Harry call out the girls name desperately. Yet she had already vanished out of sight and away from the duo before the raven haired boy had time to stop her.
All the girl knew was whatever reason this dog was after her and her friends, Ron had jumped in front of her to protect her (despite that) and she was now going to do everything she could to repay that favor and get the two out of here as safely as she possibly could.
Aria felt herself being thrown down to the gap in the roots of the Willow tree the young girl pushed herself up coughing as dirt and dust was inhaled into her lungs while she pulled out her wand and glanced around after lighting her wand and took in her surroundings the room was deserted and the windows were boarded closed.
She immediately recognized her surroundings as the Shrieking Shack while she advanced into the small shelter of a building attempting to track down the Weasley boy that she lost track of in the most recent occurrence. It wasn't until she heard a small scatter of noise coming from the room that she just advanced from that she paused in her motion, her breath hitching as her heart picked up speed she turned around and her eyes fell on a wooden chair near them, large chunks had been torn out of it and one of the legs had been ripped off entirely causing her grasp to tighten on her wand and when she heard the floorboard creak she rushed to the nearest corner, pulling herself behind it as she whispered, nox.
All she could hear was the creaking off the floor boards and the deafening sound of her heart beat but all she could think about was Ron and what that dog could possibly be doing to him. She needed to get to him now.
So in a spit of a moment the girl spun around the corner, without thinking and her wand at ready however before she could even mutter a spell out another hand clasped over it causing her eyes to widen until she made eye contact with who was holding it.
"Harry?" Aria whispered out in relief.
"I didn't mean to startle you --" Harry began but Aria only cut the boy off with a hug wrapping her arms around him and exhaling deeply to which the boy returned the hug, the girl moved to Hermione's side after the short exchange and swallowed nervously after explaining everything that happen as quiet as a mouse and then they advanced forward until they reached a dark landing causing Hermione and Harry to turn off the light of their wands with a simple spell and they looked around. Only one door was open so they crept towards it - hearing a movement behind it and a low moan alongside a deep loud purring.
Exchanging glances, they nodded - gripping their wands tightly causing Harry to kick the door wide open. On a four poster bed with dust hanging, laid Crookshanks and on the floor besides him sat Ron clutching his leg at a weird angle causing the trio to dash towards him with no hesitation.
"Ron- are you okay?"
"What happened?"
"Where's the dog?"
the three spat out questions left and right in a whispered tone.
"Not a dog." Ron hissed out through his teeth in pain. "Harry, it's a trap--"
"What --" Harry began confused but was cut off
"He's the dog... he's an Animagus..." Ron continued staring over Harry's shoulder causing Harry and Aria to wheel around after Aria followed the boy's sight and soon enough with a snap the man in the shadows closed the door behind them.
He had filthy matted hair hung to his elbows, waxy skin and yellow teeth. It was Sirius Black. It didn't take the girl two seconds before she noticed the resemblance from the photo her mother showed her as a kid. She had barely any memories of living under the same roof as this man - her father, and the ones she did recall they were blury and unclear. But one thing that was not cryptic was the fact that this man that towered over her, left her mother unprotected and betrayed his friends leading them to their death (her best friend's parents) and that thought caused her blood to boil and her to retort towards snapping a quick defensive spell but he was faster than he was and disarmed the group with Ron's wand causing their wands to shoot out of their hand and Black caught them taking a step forward his eyes fixed on Harry.
"I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful ...it will make everything much easier." Sirius began just the mention of Harry's father caused him to lung forward but was grabbed by his friends in the motion.
"No, Harry!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper. Aria however decided on a different experience and stepped forward her head held high.
"And you clearly didn't have the same respect towards him, you narcissistic back stabbing wanker!" Aria growled under her breath. Aria noticed something flicker in Black's eyes as they came across Aria's appearance and nevertheless he choose to ignore her. Though secretly ever part of him was proud at her durable appearance. He also counldn't help but notice in that short spared glance the resemblance of how he remember the recently decreased Lorelai Anderson and just that conclusion caused him to swallow and glance away unable to look at the girl.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron joined in fiercely yet the effort of just standing caused energy to drain from him along with his color as he swayed slightly as he spoke causing Aria to reach over towards the ginger as he went to tumble and wrapped his arm around her helping stable himself.
"Lie down, you will damage that leg even more." Sirius spoke quietly to Ron before his eyes snapped back to Aria's causing a chilling shiver to spread across her arms. How could she be related to someone this cruel?
"Did you hear me?" Ron stated weakly "You'll have to kill all four of us!"
"There'll only be one murder here tonight." Sirius stated his grin widening as Aria's face twitched in disgust.
"Why's that?" Harry spat trying to wrench himself free from Ron and Hermione while Aria held onto Ron stabilizing the boy every second of this conversation. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to getat Pettigrew ... What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"
"Harry!" Hermione whimpered "Be quiet!"
"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry bellowed breaking free from his friend's grasp and lunged forward, one of Harry's hands fastened over Sirius's wasted wrist, forcing the wandtips away and the knuckles of Harry's other hand collided with the side of Sirius's head and they fell backwards into the wall causing Hermione to scream and Ron to yell. There was a blinding flash as the wands flew into the air - a jet of sparks barely missing Harry's face as he clung on the other hand punching every part of Sirius it could find. Yet Sirius's free hand found Harry's throat.
"No," he hissed "I've waited too long --"
Sirius's hands tightened causing Harry to choke; Aria passed Ron over to Hermione in an instant and in a swift motion, not knowing what she was doing - the girl used her knowledge from her and Hermione's study sessions to ball up a sphere of magic in between the palms of her hands and toss it between the two causing them to be thrown apart Sirius hitting the wall and releasing Harry from his grasp letting Harry rush over for his wand trying to beat Crookshanks who went after it as well.
Yet Aria - who's veins bubbled furiously at the fact that he just attempted to kill her best friend among all the other terrible things this man had done in the past the girl held out her hand and without touching him focused on raising the man from his position against the wall on the ground to against the wall. She may have been abusing her powers at this point, the one's that she hated having that absorbed her life so much to the point where people called her the crazy witch of the west but at this exact moment she was using them for the good. To protect her friends and to avenge the losses of innocent people.
Sirius's breath strained as he was pinned against the wall with an unnatural force his eyes locked with his daughters as he watched her eyes flicker with evil. He had heard about the deal Lorelai made and it made his blood boil and now because of it the consequence was reflecting against Aria who now had these unnatural powers that seemed to be controlling her and she didn't even know it. He feared for her, that's why he came back - to take her away from this hell of a life she lived. Since Lorelai was murdered, Sirius dreaded coming back - escaping Azkaban and finalizing his thought out plan but he knew he had to. For his daughter. She deserved at least that after the shit he put her through.
Aria felt herself getting light headed - she had never gone this far using her powers and as she watched the man gasp for air she felt herself go numb. Her mind was blank as her head tilted to the right and it wasn't until a hand landed on Aria's shoulder that Aria finally blinked back into realization, the girl glanced around almost confused as she dropped the man on the ground - she looked over to see Harry his wand grasped tightly in one hand and in the other hand was Aria's as he held it out to her.
"back down," Harry muttered under his breath as Aria took the wand from his hand.
"Harry, no --"
"Now." Harry demanded as his eyes shot together in a stern way which made Aria shrink down surprised - he had never talked to her like that and sure she understood why, he wanted to talk to Sirius - to avenge his parents alone. But she had her issues with the man too and she didn't think the boy understood that and instead just thought of his hatred towards the man and - what the girl didn't know - protecting her as much as he could.
"Going to kill me Harry?" Sirius whispered as Harry walked slower to the man his wand pointing straight at Sirius's heart while Aria walked back towards Ron squatting down next to the boy who earlier had collapsed back on the ground in his previous position - to check up on her friend.
"You killed my parents," Harry said his voice shaking slightly.
"I don't deny it." Sirius replied very quietly "But if you kill me," Sirius paused glancing over towards Aria who was glancing over Ron's leg and attempting to fix it with whatever she could find which caused Harry to glance over as well to see what he was looking at before glancing back towards Sirius. "You'll be killing one of her parents too and if you knew the whole story --"
"The whole story?" Harry repeated furiously "You sold them to Voldemort, that's all I need to know!"
"You've got to listen to me," Sirius began almost in urgency "You'll regret it if you don't... you don't understand..."
"I understand a lot better than you think." Harry's voice shook "You never heard her, did you? My mum ... trying to stop Voldemort killing me ... and you did that ... you did it...."
Before either of them could say another word, Crookshanks leapt onto Sirius's chest and settled himself there - right over his heart. Sirius blinked and looked down at the cat.
"Get off," the man muttered attempting to push the cat off of him but it wouldn't budge instead he sank his claws into Sirius's robes and wouldn't shift then the cat gazed up at Harry with those big yellow eyes of his.
Harry raised his wand like he was going to and Ron nudged the girl who was trying to help her friend causing her to look up and see another pointing his wand directly at her father's heart. her breath hitched - she didn't know how to feel. She knew he was a terrible man, but he was her family - the only one she had left.
"Harry..." Aria spoke up hesitantly but before she could even approach the raven haired boy muffled footsteps echoed up through the floor.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly "WE'RE UP HERE _ SIRIUS BLACK -- QUICK!"
Sirius bad a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks. Professor Lupin then came hurtling into the room his wand raised and ready his eyes flickered around the room at each of the students and then to Sirius himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted causing Harry's wand to fly out of his hand and so did the two Hermione was holding, and Aria's as well. Lupin caught them swiftly and moved into the room staring at Sirius who still had Crookshanks laying across his chest.
"Where is he, Sirius?" Lupin finally spoke in an odd voice causing Aria to look at the professor suddenly, confused, then glanced to Sirius whose face was quite expressionless. Then very slowly he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron causing Harry and Aria, bewildered to look back at Ron who also looked confused.
"But then..." Lupin muttered staring at Black "why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless -- Unless he was the one.. unless you switched without telling me?"
Sirius nodded at this conclusion.
"Professor Lupin," Harry interrupted loudly "What's going --"
Harry couldn't even finish the question as Lupin lowered his wand and walked towards Sirius's side and seized his hand pulling him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor and embraced the man like a brother causing Aria's mouth to fall in shock.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed causing Lupin to let go of Black and turn to her, she had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin.
"You-you--"
"Hermione--"
"– you and him!"
"Hermione, calm down –"
"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you –"
"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Lupin shouted. "I can explain –"
"I trusted you!" Harry shouted furiously at Lupin "and all this time you've been his friend!"
"You're wrong," Lupin stated "I haven't been Sirius' friend for twelve years, but I am now ... let me explain...."
"NO!" Hermione screamed "Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black getinto the castle, he wants you dead too – he's a werewolf!"
Aria felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach as she looked from her friend towards her professor, she felt so confused and overwhelmed she didn't know what to think as the room fell silent as all eyes were on Lupin who looked calm but still rather pale.
"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione." he said "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead... But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."
Ron had made another effort to get up again but he fell back down with a whimper of pain causing Lupin to make his way towards him concerned but Ron gasped.
"Get away from me, werewolf!"
Lupin stopped dead at this and then turned to Hermione "How long have you known?"
"Ages," Hermione whispered "Since I did Professor Snape's essay..."
"He'll be delighted." Lupin stated coolly "He set that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant. Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"
"Both," Hermione stated quietly causing Lupin to let out a forced laugh.
"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione"
"I'm not," Hermione whispered "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"
"But they already know," Lupin hummed "At least the staff do."
"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Aria whispered out confused
"Is he mad?" Ron gasped shocked himself
"Some of the staff thought so," Lupin acknowledged "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that i'm trustworthy --"
"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!"
Harry pointed at Sirius who had moved over to the bed and sunk onto it his face hidden in his hands - Crookshanks leapt up and stepped onto his lap purring while Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.
"I have not been helping Sirius," Lupin urged "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look--"
the man separated the quartet's wands and threw each back to its owner.
"There," Lupin concluded sticking his own into his belt. "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"
"If you haven't been helping him," Harry stated glaring at Black "how did you know he was here?"
"The map. The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it --" Lupin began but Aria cut him off suspiciously "You know how to work it?"
"Of course I know how to work it," Lupin stated waving his hand around impatiently"I helped write it. I'm Moony --- that was my friend's nickname for me at school."
"ironic," Aria muttered earning an almost amused glance from Lupin
"You wrote--?" Harry asked confused
"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Aria, Ron and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?" Lupin noted beginning to pace up and down looking at them.
"You might have been wearing your father's old Cloak, Harry --"
"How d'you know about the Cloak?" Harry questioned
"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it.." Lupin muttered waving his hand impatiently again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak you show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back towards the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."
"What?" Harry scoffed in disbelief and confusion "No, we weren't!"
"I couldn't believe my eyes," Lupin continued on "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"
"No one was with us!" Aria exclaimed becoming frustrated herself
"And then I saw another dot, moving fast towards you, labelled Sirius Black ... I saw him collide with you, I watched as he pulled three of you into the Whomping Willow--"
"Two of us!" Ron stated angrily gesturing towards him and Aria with his hand.
"No Ron," Lupin shook his head "three of you."
Lupin had finally stopped pacing and his eyes moved over towards Ron.
"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he asked
"What? What's Scabbers got to do with it?" Ron asked confused
"Everything," Lupin exaggerated "Could I see him, please?"
Ron hesitated then put a hand inside his robes causing Scabbers to emerge thrashing desperately while Lupin moved closer to Ron he seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed at the rat.
"What?" Ron asked holding Scabbers closer to him looking rather scared "What's my rat got to do with anything?"
"That's not a rat?" Sirius croaked suddenly
"What d'you mean -- of course he's a rat --"
"No, he's not," Lupin stated quietly "he's a wizard."
"An Animagus, by the name of Peter Pettigrew."
[edited? : yes! (03-26-21)]