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𝓐𝓷𝓷𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓮 ⇷⧪⧪⇸
Snape's arrival spooked everyone in the room. Hermione screamed, Black leapt to his feet, Annabelle jumped back on Ron's bad leg, making him hiss, and Harry jumped in the air like he had been shocked.
"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape said, throwing the Invisibility Cloak. His wand never wavered. It was still pointed at Remus' chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you. . . ."
Annabelle stared at Snape. He had a look of ascendancy, a small smile on his chapped lips, and his eyes bright. With this, Annabelle could happily say this was a dream. Snape would never smile.
"You're wondering perhaps how I knew you were here?" Snape's eyes glittered. "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 deck was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you and . . . Miss. Weasley running along this passageway and out of sight."
Snape glanced at Annabelle, assessing if she was on Black's side, but the confusion on her face gave Snape his answer.
"Severus —" Remus began, but Snape stopped him.
"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend 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 Remus imperatively. "You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry —"
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," Snape said with a bland sort of gleefulness. "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," Remus said with no animosity. On the contrary, he said it with a certain softness. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"
BANG! Thin cords flew from the tip of Snape's wand and wrapped around Remus' mouth, wrists, and ankles. Remus fell to the floor, banging his head against the chipped wood floors. Annabelle yelped and jumped to Remus, trying to remove the skinny ropes. Black started toward Snape, but Snape turned his wand on Black.
"Give me a reason," Snape whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
Black stopped dead. His and Snape's faces showed the same twisted hatred. It was impossible to tell who hated each other more.
"Snape, take this off Remus, please," Annabelle pleaded.
Snape scoffed. "I guess you are partners with Black and Lupin. Did the mutt successfully seduce you?"
