Finding the Truth (Being edited)

chapter 18 -

Ciarra had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next Orla pointing her wand at Pettigrew's back make sure he made no sudden movements. Then 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. Ciarra, 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; Orla still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. Ciarra could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Ciarra Harry went right after Black, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. Ciarra had the impression Black was making no effort to prevent this. 

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

"You're free," said Ciarra. 

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

"Yeah, I knew that," said Ciarra and Harry. 

"Well... I'm your gaurdian along with your mum and your parents appointed me your guardian," said Black stiffly. "If anything happened to them..." 

Ciarra waited. Did Black mean what she thought he meant? 

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with Remus, Ciarra or your aunt and uncle, Harry," said Black. "But... well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you guys wanted a... a different home..." 

Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of Ciarra's stomach. 

"Live with you and mum" Ciarra exclaimed.

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

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

"I love Remus but your my parents!" Ciarra said shocked he thought she wouldn't want to.

"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black's. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?" 

Black turned right around to look at them; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care. 

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

"Yeah, we mean it!" said Ciarra. 

Black's gaunt face broke into the first true smile Ciarra had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man she had seen in so many of Remus' pictures. 

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 upward without any sound of savaging branches. 

Black saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Ciarra, 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. Ciarra's mind was buzzing. She was going to live with her parents. She was going to live with her Mum, who she had thought dead, and her Dad, who she had thought a mass-murderer, most people would ask if she was crazy.

"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin 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 Black, 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 Orla, Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron, who had stopped abruptly. Black froze. He flung out one arm to make Ciarra, Harry and Hermione stop. 

Ciarra could see Lupin's silhouette. He 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," Black whispered. "Run. Now." 

But Ciarra couldn't run. Her mum was up there trying to calm Lupin down. She leapt forward  as did Harry but Black caught them both around the chest and threw them 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 hair was on end again; he was backing away -- 

As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Ciarra's side. He had transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Orla, Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other. 

"Stay here I'm going to the castle for help" Orla shouted to Ciarra, Harry, Hermione and Ron. Orla transformed back into Fawkes and flew towards the castle.

Ciarra 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. 

"Expelliarmus." Harry yelled, pointing his own wand at Pettigrew; Lupin's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are!" Harry shouted, running forward, Ciarra followed him before he could do anyting stupid. 

Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Ciarra saw his bald tail whip through the manacle on Ron's outstretched arm and heard a scurrying through the grass. 

There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Ciarra turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest -- 

"Sirius, he's gone, Pettigrew transformed!" Ciarra yelled. 

Black was bleeding; there were gashes across his muzzle and back, but at Ciarra's words he scrambled up again, and in an instant, the sound of his paws faded to silence as he pounded away across the grounds. 

Ciarra, Harry and Hermione dashed over to Ron. 

"What did he do to him?" Hermione whispered. Ron's eyes were only half-closed, his mouth hung open; he was definitely alive, they could hear him breathing, but he didn't seem to recognize them. 

"I don't know...." Harry replied

Ciarra looked desperately around. Black and Lupin both gone... they had no one but Snape for company, still hanging, unconscious, in midair. 

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," said Ciarra, pushing her hair out of her eyes, trying to think straight. "Come --" 

But then, from beyond the range of their vision, they heard a yelping, a whining: a dog in pain.... 

"Sirius," Harry muttered, staring into the darkness.