Part - Vampire at Hogwarts

Sirius and Remus

Riana's POV

"WE'RE UP HERE -- SIRIUS BLACK -- QUICK!" Hermione yells.  Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; Harry gripped his wand convulsively. I hear footsteps were thundering up the stairs.

The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks to reveal Professor Lupin. His face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, cowering next to the door, to Harry, standing there with his wand covering Black, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet. Landing on me as I stand beside Harry one at the ready.

"Expelliarmus" he says disarming as all. Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at Black. "Where is he, Sirius?" he asks him. Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. "But then... why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless... unless he was the one...unless you switched... without telling me?" he asks.

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded. "Professor, what's goin..." Harry starts to ask. But he never finished the question. Because what we saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione exclaims. Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin. I stand in front her and the others. "I didn't tell anyone! I've been covering up for you!" she shrieks.

"Hermione, listen to me, please. I can explain" Remus tells her.

"I trusted you and all the time you've been his friend!" Harry shouts. Looking betrayed.

"You're wrong. I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now -- Let me explain" he says.

"No, Harry, don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too -- he's a werewolf" Hermione tells him.

"That was not your place to say Hermione" I tell her.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione" Lupin tells her calmly. "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" He states.

Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped. "Get away from me, werewolf!"

"Grow up Ronald" I snap.

"How long have you known?" Lupin asks Hermione.

"Since Snape's essay, can we stay on topic?" I ask him annoyed. "Give me one good reason not to release my powers on you both?" I demand. "But first, our wands" I tell him. He thinks about it and sighs. Returning them and pocketing his own.

"You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?" Remus asks the others.

"If you haven't been helping him, how did you know he was here?" Harry asks him.

"The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it" Lupin states.

"You know how to work it?" Harry asks him surprised.

"Of course I know how to work it. I helped write it. I'm Moony -- that was my friends' nickname for me at school" Lupin states.

"Makes sense, get on with the story" I tell him intrigued.

"I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, 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?" he asks. "You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry" he says.

"How d'you know about the cloak?" Harry asks him.

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it" Lupin says waving his hand. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still 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 toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else" he explains.

"No, we weren't!" Harry exclaims.

"Who was it?" I ask him.

"Peter Pettigrew" Lupin answers.

"Pettigrew is dead, he killed him" Harry states pointing to Black.

"I meant too" Black sneers. "But little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!" he states. Black lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.

"Sirius no!" Lupin shouts pulling him away from Ron. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that -- they need to understand -- we've got to explain" he tells him.

"Yes and explain quickly. My patience is wearing thin" I tell them.

"Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for" Black tells Lupin. Who explains their history. Of how he's been a werewolf for years. How his three best friends figured it out and became animagi to help him cope with his transformations. Black into a dog and was nicknamed Padfoot. Harry's dad James turned into a stag and was nicknamed Prongs. Finally Peter Pettigrew turned into a rat called Wormtail.

As he spoke I remember an old article about Pettigrew's death. The biggest part of him they found with a finger. Scabbers is missing a toe on one of his front paws. And has been with the Weasleys for twelve years. It all starts to make sense. I go to voice my thoughts when Snape appears in the door way.

A/N

Gif above of Sirius hugging Remus.