Portrait of a girl (editing)

Graduation

June 23, 1994 (Full moon)

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The air was chilly for June, and though Remus had hoped it might cool Seren off, it appeared the opposite was true, she became fitful as they stepped out of the tunnel beneath the whomping willow. Snape drifted eerily along behind them, his toes dragging along the ground, held up by his own wand which was being held up by Lupin.

"You know what this means?" Sirius' voice was an abrupt end to the comfortable silence that had fallen over the group, "Turning Pettigrew in..."

"You're free." Harry looked at Sirius, "Yes. But I'm also...I don't know if anyone ever told you...I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that." Sirius gave a slight nod, "Well, your parents appointed me your guardian..." the older man was stiff, "If...anything happened to them." The atmosphere was suddenly quite tense, "I'll understand of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle but...well, think about it."

Remus had looked for a place to set Seren down as Harry and Sirius continued their conversation, giving her a gentle smile as he looked down at her.

"I never meant for you to get caught up in all of this." Her fingers closed around a bit of fabric that made up his cardigan, causing his gentle smile to falter to a look of confusion as her face suddenly contorted in pain.

"Don't go..." another nightmare he presumed, holding her closer to him now, rather then setting her down. Pettigrew whimpered from behind him. "One wrong move, Peter..." Lupin warned, readjusting his grip as they trampled through the grounds, the light of the castle growing ever closer.

He felt another tug on his cardigan as the clouds above them drifted precariously, much like the dementors across the grounds of Hogwarts, the party suddenly bathed in moonlight and Remus realized exactly what today was.

Snape suddenly collided with Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron who had stopped quite abruptly. Harry, Sirius, and Hermione froze.

Tonight was a full moon. Everything made sense now, it hadn't just been Sirius' poor treatment and lack of hospitality...Seren was fighting back her wolf, much the same way she had at the leaky Cauldron, she hadn't wanted to hurt anyone and it had spawned a nasty fever as her wolf tried to tear through to the surface to defend its host.

Lupin had gone rigid, his limbs shaking violently, Seren's body fell with a sick thud to the ground as Hermione gasped, "He didn't...They didn't take their potions tonight!" Sirius looked over his shoulder, watching his friend begin the horrific transformation, "They're not safe."

"Run." Sirius whispered frantically, "run...now." No one moved, Ron was still chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. A horrifying scream of pain echoed across the Hogwarts grounds, drawing startled eyes back, not only to Lupin, but the second poor soul transforming tonight.

Harry made to move towards them but Sirius quickly grabbed him, throwing him back. "No, leave them to me. Run!" there were audible snarls as all eyes watched the two werewolves faces lengthen, bones popping as their bodies took on new forms, hair sprouting visibly on their hands and faces before their hands and feet curled into clawed paws.

Harry watched with terrified interest, Crookshanks hissed, his hackles raised as he backed away. As Remus reared, snapping his jaws, Sirius had disappeared, transformed once again, into a big, black, shaggy dog.

Seren, who's body had also twisted from human to wolf's eyes suddenly shot wide open, staring through bleary eyes at Remus' wolf form as Sirius lunged, just as Remus had wrenched himself free of the manacle, binding him to Peter. She watched, dazed, as the big black dog seized Remus about the neck and pulled him backwards, away from Ron and Pettigrew.