"Sirius Black," a terrified shriek came from behind Harry.
"Expelliarmus," the sickly man croaked, pointing Ron's wand at the group of teens.
Harry and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands and he caught them with ease. He took a step towards Harry, who refused to waiver or show he was afraid.
"I knew you would come to help your friend,–" he explained hoarsely, he sounded as if he lost the habit of speaking a long time ago. "–your father would've done the same thing for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher, no doubt why you're a Gryffindor. With just you three, it will make this much easier."
Harry's face burned with rage at the mention of his father. He tried to compose himself as Severus taught him, the Potions Master had warned Harry that his rash and impulsive behavior will worsen any situation.
However, Harry's anger showed clearly on his face, his jaw had tensed and a boiling hate was burning in his chest, dispelling any fear that was there before.
He wanted his wand to attack the man that stood before him, for once he had no instinct to play defense.
Harry didn't know what happened but he felt a hand on the back of his robes, dragging him backwards away from the fugitive.
"No, Harry," Hermione hissed, putting herself between Harry Potter and Sirius Black.
"He killed my parents," Harry's voice shook with rage.
Hermione ignored him and Ron stumbled to his feet, the two of them making a wall infront of Harry.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" Ron shouted towards Black with all the strength he could muster. It was clear that the effort of standing up had drained him, all color left his face, leaving him tinted green and he swayed slightly as he spoke.
"Lie down," Black sighed, "you will damage that leg even more."
"Do you hear me!" Ron said, leaning heavily on Hermione to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"
"There'll only be one murder here tonight," Black's grin widened.
"Why's that?" Harry spoke from behind his friends, trying to push through them. "Didn't matter last time when you slaughtered all those muggles to get to Peter Pettigrew! What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?" Harry taunted.
"Harry Potter, shut up!" Hermione said, pushing Harry backwards.
"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, knocking Ron over and he flung at Sirius Black.
He had forgotten all magic and the fact that he was short, skinny and merely thirteen years old.
He didn't even care that Black was a full grown man, the only thing Harry cared about was inflicting pain upon the man who destroyed his chance at a normal life.
One hand grabbed Black's wrist that held the wands, forcing them away from while the other hand collided with the side of Black's head, they fell backwards, colliding with the wall.
Hermione was screaming, Ron was yelling, there was a blinding flash as Black released sparks that were inches away from Harry's face. Harry could feel Blacks wrist twisting to get out of Harry's grasp, but Harry clung on tightly. He punched every inch of Sirius Black that his hand could find. But Blacks hand soon caught Harry's throat.
"No," he hissed, "no, I've waited too long." His fingers tightened around Harry's throat.
Harry choked, desperate for air, he helplessly pried at the fingers but Blacks hold was not relenting.
Out of nowhere, Hermione's leg swung and Black dropped Harry with a grunt of pain. Ron had thrown himself on the mans wand arm and Sirius Black fell unarmed.
Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw his own wand rolling on the dusty floor and lunged for it but—
"Ahh!" Harry yelped as Crookshanks front claws sunk into his outstretched arm.
"You stupid cat!" Harry sent Crookshanks flying off his arm. The cat hissed and sprung for Harry's wand. "Oh no you don't!" Harry aimed a swift kick at the blob of ginger fur that made the cat leap to the side. Harry snatched up his wand and turned to face Black.
Ron and Hermione saw the expression on Harry's face and quickly backed away from the escapee. Neither Hermione nor Ron were in the best shape. Hermione's lip was bleeding and the wound on her shoulder was visible through her ripped robe, she scrambled to the side, retrieving her and Ron's wands from the ground.
Ron was crawling over to the four-poster bed, clutching his broken leg and howling in pain.
Harry waited until they were both out of the way before pointing his wand directly at Black's chest.
"Going to kill me, Harry?" Black wheezed watching the younger boy step closer. The skin around his eye was turning a deep purple and his nose was bleeding however, he didn't seem to notice.
"You killed my mum and dad," Harry said his voice slightly wavering.
Black looked down at him with sorrowful, sunken eyes.
"I don't deny it," he sighed, "but if you knew the whole story."
"The whole story!" Harry laughed, "you sold them out to Voldemort, that's all I need to know."
"Listen to me Harry," Black pleaded with a hint of urgency, "you're going to regret it if you don't, if you never heard the real story."
"I don't want to hear anything from you," Harry snarled.
He was going to do it, he was going to avenge his parents, kill the man that killed them. Harry wound back his eyes to cast a spell but something leaped past him that threw Harry off focus.
Crookshanks had attached himself onto Blacks robes, settled down right on top of his heart.
"Get off," Black tried to push the cat off his chest but Crookshanks claws had too tight of a hold. The cat turned to look at Harry with a defiant look in his large ugly yellow eyes.
From behind Harry, Hermione gave a sob.
Harry stared at the scene infront of him, his wand wavering slightly. So what if he had to kill the cat too? He obviously was in league with the murderer, he was prepared to die protecting Black.
Harry's mind wrapped around the fact that Black tried to save the cat, that just meant that he cared more for an ugly cat then Harry's parents, his own friends.
Harry's wand arm steadied.
Now was the time, it was the moment to kill Black. He was going to kill Black. He had to kill Black. He stood there wand at the ready for a second before a new sound arose.
"We're up here!" Hermione shrieked hysterically. "We're up here! Sirius Black! Quick!"
Footsteps pounded downstairs and seconds later the door was burst open.
Remus Lupin came charging into the room with red sparks streaking out of the tip of his wand.
His eyes hurriedly flicked over Ron who was lying on the floor, over to Hermione who was cowering next to the door, Harry who was standing with his wand raised to Black's chest and then Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.
At once, Harry's, Hermione's and Ron's wands went flying into the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's grasp.
Lupin took a few more steps into the room, his eyes locked on Sirius Black and Crookshanks who still lied on Black's chest.
Harry stood there feeling empty inside. He hadn't done it, he hadn't gotten revenge, his nerve failed him and now Black was going to be handed to the Dementors.
Then Lupin spoke with an odd tone of voice, one that shook with suppressed emotions, "Where is he, Sirius?"
Harry's eyes darted rapidly between Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. He didn't understand what was going on. Who was Lupin talking about? He surveyed Black's face, it was expressionless, he didn't move for a few seconds but then his hand raised very slowly to point directly at Ronald Weasley. Harry glanced at Ron who looked bewildered.
"But then..." Lupin muttered, staring intently at Black as if he was trying to read his mind, "why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless—" Lupins eyes widened in realization. "—Unless he was the one... unless you switched... without telling me." Lupin watched Black for something Harry, Ron or Hermione didn't understand.
Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin, Black nodded.
"Professor," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's going—". But he never got to finish his question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat.
Lupin was lowering his wand. Next moment he had walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him up to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor and embraced him like a brother.
Harry felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.
"I don't believe it!" Hermione screeched.
Lupin let go of Black and turned to face the young girl who's eyes were wide with betrayal. She was pointing accusingly at her Professor, "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–"
Harry shook with fury.
"I trusted you!" He shouted, "I trusted you and this whole time you've been his friend."
"You're wrong," Lupin countered, "I haven't been Sirius' friend in twelve years. But I am now, let me explain..."
"No!" Hermione cried, "don't listen to him! Harry he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too! He's a— he's a werewolf!"
There was utter silence as everyone stared at Remus Lupin who looked paler than usual, but remarkably calm.
"Not at all up to your usual standards, Hermione." Lupin sighed. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius into the castle, I most certainly don't want Harry dead..." he shivered, "but, I won't deny that I am in fact, a werewolf."
Ron made a valiant attempt to stand but fell over with a whimper of pain. Lupin made his way towards him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, "get away from me!"
Lupin froze, an unreadable expression on his face. He turned to Hermione.
"How long have you known?" He asked.
"Ages," she mumbled, "it was quite obvious."
Lupin chuckled, "clever as always, Hermione. Tell me, was it when my Boggart took the form of a full moon or did you look up the lunar chart and discover my absences always fell around the full moon?"
"Both," Hermione whispered.
Lupin laughed again, "you're truly the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."
"No I'm not," Hermione spat, "if I were cleverer I wouldn't of trusted you, I would've told everyone what you were."
"But they already know," Lupin said in a dismissive way, "at least the staff do."
"Dumbledore hired a werewolf!" Ron gasped, "he really is mad."
"Some of the staff thought so," Lupin admitted, "he had to work very hard to convince them I was trustworthy."
"But he was wrong," Harry said dangerously, "you've been helping him this whole time." He jabbed a thumb at the former Azkaban prisoner who had crossed the room and collapsed on the four-poster bed, Crookshanks purring at his side. Ron edged away from them, dragging his leg across the floor.
"I have not been helping Sirius!" Lupin's annoyance was clear. "Just let me explain, here." He separated the wands he was holding and threw them all to their respective owners.
Harry caught his, stunned, but recovered quickly as he raised it to his Professor.
"There," Lupin said, tucking his own wand back into his pocket, "you're armed we're not, now will you let me explain."
Harry tensed, "if you haven't been helping him, how'd you know he was here?"
"The map," Lupin answered, "the Marauders Map, I was in my office examining it..."
"You know how to work it?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"Of course I do, I helped write it! I'm Moony, that was my friends nickname for me back in school."
"You wrote—"
Lupin cut Ron off. "The important thing is I was watching it carefully this evening, I assumed you would try to sneak out and visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"
Nobody answered him and he continued, pacing as he spoke.
"I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. A whiles later you left Hagrid's and set off back towards the castle but you were accompanied by someone else."
"What?" Said Harry.
"No we weren't," Hermione protested.
Lupin ignored their interruptions and kept pacing.
"I couldn't believe my eyes, I thought the map must be malfunctioning, how could he be with you?"
"Nobody was with us!" Ron exclaimed.
"And then I saw another dot moving fast towards you labeled Sirius Black. I saw him collide with you...drag two of you into the Whomping Willow."
"One of us!" Ron said, angrily.
"No, Ron, two of you." Lupin said calmly. He had stopped pacing, looking Ron up and down. "Do you think I can have a look at your rat?" He asked evenly.
"What?" Said Ron, "what does Scabbers have to do with any of this?"
"Everything," Lupin grimaced, "may I see him?"
Ron hesitated but pulled a squealing rat out of his chest pocket. Scabbers was thrashing madly, Ron had to hold onto his tail to prevent him from getting away.
Crookshanks hissed at the rat.
Lupin moved closer to Ron, seemingly holding his breath as he saw the rat.
"What?" Said Ron again, holding Scabbers to his chest, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"
"That's not a rat." Croaked Sirius Black suddenly.
"What do you mean, of course he's a rat."
"No he's not," said Lupin quietly, "he's a wizard."
"An Animagus," Black added, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."