Together (A Harry Potter love story) 3

57

MILLIE'S POV:

Mione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Lupin jumped as though he'd received a huge electric shock. Harry grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him protectively - though I just shook him off and stepped forward again.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the Cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Dad'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 dramatically, his eyes glittering in danger. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your Potion tonight, so I took a gobletful 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 moved his wand so quickly to direct it at him that he stopped.

"I've told the Headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. But not only cool Professor Lupin, but also the great Auror Jake Donovan. Not even I dreamed you would do this, Donovan-"

"That's because I haven't," Dad growled, and I watched as he very discreetly slid his hand into his back pocket to his wand.

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

"Three more for Azkaban tonight," Snape continued, completely ignoring both Dad and Lupin. "I shall be interested to see how Fudge takes this...his trusty sidekick...and Dumbledore...he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a tame werewolf..."

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

BANG!

Thin, snake-like cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. Black roared with rage and Dad started towards Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.

"Come any closer and I'll do it," he whispered to Dad, glaring at him as he stopped dead. "Give me a reason, and I swear I will."

I stared at the back of Harry's head as it repeatedly turned to each man; Ron looked extremely confused, still fighting to keep hold of the struggling Scabbers; Mione was watching the scene breathlessly. My eyes dropped to my godfather wincing on the floor, and despite everything, I felt a new wave of anger flood through me as I glanced back up at Snape.

"It wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, would it?" I spoke up, and Harry spun around to look at me with a shocked expression on his face.

"Miss Donovan, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat, "and it's about time, too. You, Potter, Granger and Weasley are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and his accomplices. For once in your life, shut up."

I gaped at him furiously. "Don't tell me to shut-!"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" I parted my lips to argue, feeling uncontrollably angry, but a few sparks shot out of the end of Snape's wand, which was still pointing at Black's face. Harry stared at me warningly, and with a single shake of his head, I fell silent. Dad, however, looked as though he was about to strangle Snape any second now.