I will always find you

POA 17

Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron went next, looking like contestants in a six-legged race. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius, Ella beside him. Harry and Hermione brought up the rear. Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered with his wand, edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Ella went right after Sirius, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. 

"So what's going on between you and Harry then" Sirius asked his daughter in a quiet voice.

"Absolutely nothing. He's my brothers in every way but blood. We've grown up together since I was seven. He's my best friend" Sirius smiled at her.

"You know what this means?" Sirius said to Ella and Harry, as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?" 

"You're free" Harry said. 

"Yes" Sirius said. "But I'm also - I don't know if anyone ever told you Harry- I'm your godfather." 

"Yeah, I knew that" Harry said. 

"Well your parents appointed me your guardian" Sirius said stiffly. "If anything happened to them. I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle. But well think about it. Once my name's cleared if you wanted a different home both of you" He looked at Ella and Harry. 

"What - live with you?" Harry said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling making Ella laugh. "Leave the Dursleys?" 

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to" Sirius said quickly. "I understand. I just thought I'd"

"Are you mad?" Harry said, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius'. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?" Sirius turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Sirius didn't seem to care. 

"You want to?" he said. "You mean it?" 

"Yeah, I mean it!" Harry said. 

"What about you Ella?" 

"I would love to live with you Dad" Sirius' gaunt face broke into the first true smile they had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger was shining through the starved mask. They did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron clambered upwards without any sound of savaging branches. Sirius saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Ella, Harry and Hermione to pass. At last, all of them were out. The grounds were very dark now, the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. 

"One wrong move, Peter" Lupin said threateningly, ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest. Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Sirius, his chin bumping on his chest. And then - A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in
moonlight. Snape collided with Lupin, Pettigrew and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Sirius froze. He flung out an arm to make Ella, Harry and Hermione stop. Lupin had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake. 

"Oh my" Hermione gasped. "He didn't take his Potion tonight! He's not safe!" 

"Run" Sirius whispered. "Run! Now!" But they couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. Harry leapt forwards but Sirius caught him around the chest and threw him back. "Leave it to me - RUN!" There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's fur was on end again, he was backing away. Ella stood there frozen, it was just like watching her Boggart. "Ella" Sirius said snapping her out of it. As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared. He had transformed. The enormous, bear-like dog bounded forwards. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backwards, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other. Ella stood, transfixed by the sight; too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's scream that alerted her. Pettigrew had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.