In third-year halls, their paths first crossed,
A Raven boy, a Blonde girl lost.
"Stay out of my way," she warned with a glare,
But something lingered in the frosty air.
Crimson with his scar and fame,
Emerald with her secrets untamed.
Two worlds ap...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Aria screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry felt as though he'd received a huge electricshock.
"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, carefulto keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..." Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph.
"You're wondering,perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office,Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky Idid... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all Ineeded to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."
"Severus —" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him. "I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into thecastle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this oldplace as your hideout —"
"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything — Ican explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry —"
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes gleaming fanatically. "I shall beinterested to see how Dumbledore takes this... He was quite convinced you were harmless, youknow, Lupin... a tame werewolf —"
"You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back insideAzkaban?"
BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselvesaround Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move.
With a roar of rage, Black started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight betweenBlack's eyes. "Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred. Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe. He glanced around at Aria, Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold of thestruggling Scabbers. Aria, however, took an uncertain step toward Snape and said, in a verybreathless voice, "Professor Snape — it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-wouldit?"
"Miss Hilton, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Granger, Potter,and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. Foronce in your life, hold your tongue."
"But if — if there was a mistake —"
"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged."DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of theend of his wand, which was still pointed at Black's face. Aria fell silent.
