Magic (5sos/l.h. Hogwarts AU)

Chapter 47

~A/N~ I'm thinking of writing a new book but I'm also thinking about writing a bunch of short stories or a play but I also have 0 free time
Enjoy the chapter!
Leila xx

Despite not wanting to comply and leave the two perhaps fighting for their lives, I knew it was imperative to get assistance from a teacher, and take Ginny (and Calum, in no fit state to fight) away from the danger zone.

What a sight we must have been, six dishevelled students with tear tracks still visible on their faces racing down the corridors to McGonagall's office. Thankfully, apart from a few strange looks here and there, we didn't have many distractions and reached the room in record time.

"Professor, we need help!"

"It's Ron-"

"Giant dog-"

"The Grim was there, it chased him-"

"The Whomping Willow, Hermione and Harry are trying to get in-"

"I think it broke his leg-"

She raised a hand for silence, and we all stopped clamouring. "What is going on!?"

Michael took one for the team, and came forward to tell the whole story. When he had finished, McGonagall was white with fear and distress.

"This sounds like a matter for Dumbledore. I would ask you all to stay outside the Whomping Willow and see if your friends remain, but I assume Mr Hood has had a difficult evening?"

"Ginny can stay with him, the rest of us will wait," I said quickly, grateful for an excuse to keep my friend out of danger despite the death glares she was throwing me. Neither of them argued, which McGonagall took as agreement.

"Now, if Potter and Granger have not found a way into the Whomping Willow, do not let them enter. Simply wait for me to fetch the headmaster, and the staff shall sort things out from there."

"Right," agreed Ashton before we all departed from her office and began to rush towards the Whomping Willow once again. The sky was now a velvety purple colour, which I would've marvelled at had I not been in such a state of panic. Of course, when we reached the tree it was deserted - clearly Harry and Hermione had already got in, so it was time to play the waiting game.

Apart from Dumbledore coming to inform us that he knew another way through, and not to worry, nothing interesting happened for a long time.

A very long time.

I was beginning to nod off, my head lolling into Luke's lap, when a cry of surprise and fear erupted from Ashton and jolted me awake.

"What's going on?"

"Look!" screamed Ashton. In front of us was a most peculiar sight. Hermione in front, followed by Ron and Lupin both handcuffed to a tiny, sickly looking man with a pasty complexion, then Harry and a levitating, unconscious Snape. But it was the man next to Harry that surprised me the most.

"Regulus Bell?" He looked much, much worse than when I had seen him last. His skin was yellow, and looked like it had been plastered over a gaunt skull. Two black eyes popped out of their sockets, and his teeth were yellow and cracked.

"That's... Sirius Black!" Luke hollered, raising his wand and pulling me protectively behind him.

"What?" I asked, looking at the party. I hadn't seen a picture of Sirius Black so didn't know what he looked like, but I could take a very good guess at who he was...

"You're Sirius Black?" I gasped at Regulus, and he nodded sadly. "WHAT?"

"Leila, calm down!" Hermione shouted. "He's not dangerous!"

"No?" I laughed. "Then why did he kill all those people, and why is he in Azkaban, and why did he lie to me about who he was in the Shrieking Shack!?"

"I didn't kill those people!" protested Regulus- Sirius, waving his hands around. "It was Peter Pettigrew!"

"Who's Peter Pettigrew?" squeaked Michael, white as a sheet.

"Scabbers," said Ron glumly, pointing at the man he was handcuffed to. "He's not actually a rat."

"What!" yelled Luke. "Right, can someone just, please, tell us what's going on, what Sirius Black is doing here, why he isn't dangerous, how you all fit into that hole and why Snape is dead."

It hadn't occurred to me that Snape might be dead, not that I really minded though you aren't supposed to think those sorts of things. That was just another thing to add to my list of worries, the cherry on the cake.

"Let me explain," said Hermione gently, stepping up to us slowly. "So, this is Sirius Black. He's innocent, the person that actually committed the crimes he was accused of was Peter Pettigrew. Sirius, Peter, and Professor Lupin were best friends with Harry's dad in school, and Peter betrayed them, and fed You-Know-Who information on the Potters. It was Peter that really killed them, and all those muggles. He's been hiding as a rat for twelve years, acting as Ron's pet. He's an unregistered animagus, they all are."

"Not Lupin, he's a werewolf," I spat, and Luke started choking in surprise while Ashton and Michael retreated quickly.

"So you're in on it too?" asked Lupin, shocked. "Honestly, it's like the whole school knows! You really are quite bright, aren't you both?"

I ignored him, and turned to Sirius. "So you were trying to get in to kill Harry, and you used me to give you information?"

"No, I was trying to kill Peter," he corrected me.

"Right," I said slowly. "And what happened to Snape?"

"We all tried to disarm him at the same time," said Ron, far too happily, then realised his tone and hastily changed it to a more grim one. "Which is terrible, of course..."

"Wait," Hermione butted in, her eyebrows furrowed, "Leila, do you know Sirius? And why did you call him Regulus Bell?"

"Oh," I scratched my nose awkwardly, "the first Hogsmeade trip, I got curious. I wanted to know if the Shrieking Shack really was haunted, so I broke in and Regulus - Sirius - was there. He said he was Katie Bell's uncle, I believed him. I was stupid."

"Your curiosity is going to get you killed!" Ashton hit my shoulder, his face paler than snow.

"You know, I'm sure we'll get the opportunity to hear the whole story with all the details soon," butted in Michael quickly, "but it's getting late, and I really just want to get back up to the castle."

And so, with great difficulty, the strange group now with us added carried on traipsing up to the castle.