The Girl Who Fought | h.p |

Scabbers...Pettigrew?

Hermione screamed. Harry stood shell-shocked. 

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you. . . ." 

Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet along. And very lucky I did . . . lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight." 

"Severus —" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him. 

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your fiance Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout —" 

"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry —" 

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this. . . . He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin . . . a tame werewolf —" 

"You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

"Yeah! Tell him, Mr.Chocolate Man!" Nova cheered.

BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape'swand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes. 

"Shit!" Nova called, jumping to her feet. 

"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred. 

"Professor Snape — it —it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w — would it?" Hermione said stepping forward, speaking absolute uncertainty. 

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Potter, Black, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue." 

"But if — if there was a mistake —" Hermione tried again, voicing Nova's doubts. 

 "KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T  TALK ABOUT WHAT YOUDON'T UNDERSTAND!" 

A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Hermione fell silent

"SHUT UP, YOU WANKER!" Nova yelled, drawing the attention to her. "You say Hermione is stupid. She figured out your stupid riddle in first year! She figured out the monster in the Chamber of Secrets was a basilisk before your sorry arse did!"

"Black!" Snape hissed dangerously, sounding extremely like a snake. Nova knew she didn't need to be a parselmouth to speak to snakes . . . she's been speaking to this git for years. "Be quiet."

"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Sirius Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you. . . ."

"Actually . . ." Nova began, hoping to draw Snape's attention away from everyone in hopes of them freeing Lupin. "We caught him. Give credit where it's due, sir."