Luna Mia || Theodore Nott

Chapter: 14

"Nox"
Nott's wand light dies. Slowly, we step to the door, exchanging a look. There, Ron sits upon a sagging bed, clutching his bloody foot. Hermione stands with Harry, who's wand is drawn towards a man standing in the shadows. Filthy, matted hair hangs to his shoulders. His skin like a corpse. Siruis Black. He studies my face keenly as me and Nott enter.
" If you want to kill Harry, you'll, you'll... have to kill us, too!" Hermione warns.
"No. Only one will die tonight." Black says.
Nott puts his hand infront if me, pushing me slightly backwards.
"Then it'll be you!" Harry yells.
"Harry! No!" I didn't want him to become a killer.
Just then, footsteps sounded. Black wheels toward the door, edgy. Harry eyes Black, wand hand shaking violently. As Black turns back, he stops, regards Harry cautiously.
"Going to kill me, Harry?"
" Yes."
Harry raises his wand again just as the door crashes open.
"Professor Lupin?!"
"Dad?"
My father enters the room. He ignores all of us eyeing Black intensely.
"Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius? Finally the skin reflects the madness within."
"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?"
The two regard each other, the moment taut with tension, then dad steps forward and... embraces Black like a brother.
Nott gripping my hand tightly as I started panicking. I didn't understand, I didn't get it. Sirius Black is a killer, why would he hug him like that.
"No" my whisper was echoed by Hermione's yell.
" No! I trusted you! I covered up for you. And all this time you've been his friend! He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!" She shouted.

Harry and Ron stare, dumbfounded, at dad. I could tell that Nott was looking at me questioningly, waiting for an explanation. I gave him a 'we'll talk about it later' look.Black howls then, bitterly amused. My father eyes him, then turns back.
"How long have you known?" He asks Hermione
"Since Professor Snape set the essay."
"You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."
"Yes, you glow like the sun, and you howl at the moon. Enough talk! He dies. Now. If you won't do it with me, Remus, I'll do it alone." Black said hysterically.
"Wait, Sirius-"
"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban! Trust me, you wouldn't have lasted a week!"
Dad eyes Black, then nods.
"Right then. As you wish..."

"Dad what's going on?" I finally found my tongue. I had so many questions. I was still griping Nott's hand, scared by the presence of a killer and what's going on between him and my father. Dad looks at me, as if acknowledging my presence in the room for the first time. I saw a questioning look flash momentary in his eyes at Nott's presence, but it was not the time to ask. I noticed Black's expression drop instantly when I said the word Dad. He stared at me hardly, intently, then glanced back at my father with a questioning look on his face. My father didn't meet his eyes.
"Sara you shouldn't be here"

Harry raises his wand at Black when dad wheels and, with a flick of his own, disarms him. Furious, Harry eyes Black murderously.
"You betrayed my parents! You sold them to Voldemort!"
Black snaps his eyes from me to Harry.
"It's a lie! I never would've betrayed James and Lily!"
"Harry! You've got to listen-" my father tried to talk.
"Did he listen! When my mother was dying! Did he hear her screaming!"
"No! I wasn't there! And I'll regret it the rest of my life!"
Harry's eyes flash to Black's, glittering with pain.
"Someone else betrayed your parents, Harry. Someone in this room right now. Someone who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead." My father said. He knew who betrayed Harry's parents?
"He's as good as dead." Black said with a glint of revenge in his eyes.
"What're you talking about? There's nobody here." Nott asked. He was as confused as I was.
"Oh yes there is..."

Black turns then, to Ron, and croons in a cruel sing song
"Come out, come out, Peter
Come out, come out and play..."
Ron draws back from Black's demented gaze and says "You're mad..."
My eyes shift from Ron's face to his hands, where Scabbers twists violently. As a curious expression befalls Nott and I as well as Harry, Dad and Black, as one, raise their wands.
"Expelliarmus!"
The wands fly from their hands. We all turn to find Snape standing in the doorway, smiling smugly. He eyes Black.
" Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

Well this keeps getting worse and worse. I look at Nott, worried, who is still standing slightly infront of me as if acting like a shield.
"Severus-" my father tried to reason.
" I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof."
"Brilliant! And, as usual, dead wrong. Now give us our wands back. Remus and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to." Black mocks

As Black approaches, Snape puts his wand to Black's neck.
"Give me a reason. I beg you."
" Don't be a fool, Severus!" The worry I saw on my fathers face in that moment was enough to tell me that I should trust him. If he cares that much about Black then surely they were saying the truth. I trusted my father.
"He can't help it. It's habit by now." I can't say I wasn't slightly enjoying watching Black mock Professor Snape.
"Quiet, Sirius!"
Snape clucks his tongue.
"Listen to you two. Quarreling like an old married couple. The creature and the criminal."
"Piss off." Under any other circumstances, I would've died laughter, but it was after all still Black.

"Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors?"
Black flinches
"Do I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must be like to endure the Dementor's Kiss. It's said to be unbearable to witness. But I'll do my best."
Snape's eyes harden. He gestures to the door.
"After you."