SABAISM | H. POTTER

SEVENTEEN. | A FAMILY REUINION

"My star," the deranged felon croaked, his voice a raspy, chilling whisper that echoed hauntingly off the crumbling walls of the decrepit room. His familiar orbs darted restlessly, glancing around at the trembling children, "My precious Gem, where is she?"

The moment those words reverberated in Harry's ears, they rang like a deafening bell, reminiscent of the menacing bellow of Bellatrix Lestrange in his nightmares, leaving behind a simmering festering anger that bubbled within his chest like molten fire. How dare this man, this convicted criminal, presume to extract any information from them — her friends? For the very first time in his thirteen years, Harry Potter gripped his wand tightly in a manner not meant for self-defense, but rather with the fervent intent to unleash harm... to inflict pain... to take a life.

"Expelliarmus!" Sirius Black shouted, brandishing Ron's wand in a desperate gesture, sensing the storm of acrimony brewing within Harry.

Yet this action, meant to disarm, only fanned the flames of Harry's protective fury. "What? Scared of a child, are you?" Harry growled, his lips curling back into a snarl as anger coursed through his veins. Without fully comprehending the extent of his actions, driven by a visceral need to protect, he took a step forward, his voice dripping with venom. "And she is NOT your Star. Why, she's not your ANYTHING! So get her name out of your fucking mouth!" Abruptly, two hands—one from each side—gripped the fabric of Harry's Gryffindor robes, halting his advance, a lifeline thrown in the tempest of his rage.

"Well," Sirius began, a bemused glint lighting his darkened eyes as he regarded Harry's furious state, "You're an angry little thing, aren't you?"

Ron, whose pain had mostly been overshadowed by the explosive tension in the room, shot back defiantly, "Don't patronize him."

Sirius peered at the freckled boy with a mixture of astonishment and contemplation, recognizing the unyielding spirit that shimmered in his azure eyes—a spirit that had chosen to stand firm alongside Harry, as they faced the nightmare unfurling before them. "Lay back down," Sirius urged Ron gently, his voice taking on a tone softer than before, "You'll do yourself more harm standing on that leg."

But Ron stood resolutely, undaunted. "Oi! I am NOT going to do what you say! None of us are! So just shut the bloody hell up!" Hermione gasped in a shocked whisper, the realization of their perilous situation saturating her voice. "Ronald," she hissed, her panic surging as she smacked his arm. But Ron, with fire igniting within him, retorted fiercely, "No, 'Mione! This...this gutless wonder managed to ruin both Harry and Gemini's lives! I am NOT going to just stand here and let him make bold comments or demand whereabouts when he is the root of all their misery!"

Sirius, taken aback, raised a brow and whistled lowly, the act laced with a mix of admiration and disbelief. "Damn. I suppose it is true then, you know, what they say about redheads."

Just as Ron prepared to "accidentally" loosen his grip on Harry's arm, muffled footsteps filtered up from the bowels of the house beneath them. A wave of alarm washed over the trio, drowned under the urgency of their grim revelations.

"WE ARE UP HERE!" Hermione cried out suddenly, desperation clawing at her throat as she initiated the appeal for help. "HELP - SIRIUS BLACK, HE'S HERE! BE QUICK!" The unknown individual, seemingly drawn to her panicked call, altered their course with haste, the sound of footsteps pounding up the worn staircase echoed like the hurried drumbeats of a warning bell.

The door to the room swung open with a dramatic flourish, spilling sparks and shadows into the dim light of the interior; Professor Lupin burst into the scene, his wand raised and poised for action, a fierce protector instinctively ready for a confrontation. "Sir, what're you doing here? Where is—," his last question trailed off as his gaze fell upon the scene before him. Harry's heart raced. Lupin—the werewolf running free on a full moon—was a blessing, yes, but the specter of dread loomed large; where were Gemini and Draco? "Not now, Mr. Potter," Remus replied sharply, scanning the room with piercing eyes that took in every detail, every flicker of movement. "Where is he, Sirius?"