Venus

20- Into The Willow

The second years sat their first set of Hogwarts exams that June.

Venus was confident in Transfiguration and Defence Against The Dark Arts, but the rest of her classes Venus had to work that extra bit harder.

"Look class, see how Venus is doing it!" Ginny did an impression of McGonagall one lunchtime just before their last exam, which just so happened to be Transfiguration. "Venus you're going to be a great witch!"

"Shut it!" Venus shoved Ginny, a little bit harder that she has meant to, causing the girl to fall off the bench.

"Are you okay Gin?" Mali peered over the table.

"She's fine," Venus laughed as Ginny scrambled to her feet. "C'mon, we're going to be late for McGonagall."

********

That evening Venus ventured into the grounds alone, she was hoping to see the large black dog and wander around with it for a while, but instead she bumped into an invisible something.

"Ow!" Venus complained as Ron emerged from underneath Harry's invisibility cloak.

Ron charged off after Scabbers, who appeared to have run off. Some Sparks flew out of the end of Venus's wand, which was stowed in her back pocket.

Harry and Hermione appeared and charged after Ron. Venus shrugged and followed them.

She skidded to a stop when she spotted the large black dog. It was looking at Ron, who was not clutching Scabbers. Venus planted herself in-between the dog and her brother.

The dog growled at her, but she stared back at it.

The dog lunged and knocked her to the ground. It's teeth sunk into Ron's leg and it dragged him into the Whomping Willow, which Venus only noticed just then.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled, but Ron's yells of pain disappeared after a loud crack signified that his leg had broken.

"Hermione how do we get in there?" Harry asked.

The tree had no pattern and it's branched thrashed, ready to hit anyone who came too close.

Then out of nowhere Hermione's ginger cat Crookshanks snaked underneath the thrashing branches and pressed a knot in the tree's roots.

The branches froze.

Harry, Hemione and Venus wasted no time scrambling into the hole that Ron had been pulled down.

Venus was glad that Harry and Hermione didn't try to object when she tagged along. They didn't have time for arguing.

Although that dog had appeared tame when Venus had petted it before, it now seemed far from tame and was definitely big enough to eat Ron.

They emerged into a boarded up house. It was all covered in dust and chunks of furniture lay in piles on the floor.

"I thing we're in the Shrieking Shack!" Hermione hissed.

"Ghosts didn't do that," Harry gestured at the ripped up furniture.

"Maybe the dog did," Venus suggested.

There was a strip in the floor where no dust was present. Clearly something had been dragged across the floor.

They followed the strip into a room.

"Ron!" Harry hurried over to where Ron was sprawled on the floor.

"Harry it's a trap!" Ron said, "the dog it's not a dog it's-"

The door creaked shut to reveal Sirius Black standing there.

His robes were just as ragged as when Venus had last seen him, but he appeared more dirty and the glint in his eyes was more manacle.

Harry and Hermione pointed their wands at him.

"Expelliarmus," Black casually flicked Ron's wand and Hermione and Harry's wands forward into his hands. Venus's wand remained clutched tightly in her hand, if Black was surprised by this he didn't show it.

Venus want sure why the spell hadn't worked on her wand, but she recalled what Ollivander had said when she bought the wand, "Thunderbird cores are extremely loyal to their owners."

Prehaps this had been what the man had meant.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," Black croaked, his eyes flitted between Venus to Harry. "Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher, I am greatful, it will make everything much easier."

Harry's face broke into rage and he started forwards, Hemione and Venus grabbed his arms and Ron pulled himself to his feet

"No Harry!" Hemione hissed.

Ron was pale, but he faced Black, "if you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too," Ron's teeth were gritted.

"Lie down," Black told Ron in a surprisingly gentle voice, "you'll damage your leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" Ron demanded, "you'll have to kill all three of us!"

"Four of us!" Venus shot Ron a glare, then turned to look back at Black. "Can you really kill your own daughter."

"Only one will die tonight," Black said.

"You didn't seem to care when you killed all of those muggles!" Venus taunted him, "what? Have you gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Venus stop!" Hermione moaned.

Harry let out a howl and lunged forwards, a sort of animalistic rage spread across his face.

Harry's hand connected with the arm that Black was holding the wands in and his first connected with Black's face. They fell back into the wall and sparks shot from the wands.

Harry punched every part of Black that he could.

"No!" Black's fingers closed around Harry's neck, "I've waited too long!"

Venus pointed her wand at Black and before she could even say a spell Black was blasted backwards off of Harry. Black let go of the wands and Harry scrambled to pick up his own wand.

"Get out of the way!" Harry yelled at Hermione, Ron and Venus.

They scrambled back.

Harry advanced slowly towards Black, "going to kill me Harry?"

"You killed my parents," Harry's voice shook.

"I don't deny it," Black looked straight back at Harry, "but if you knew the whole story-"

"The whole story!" Harry growled, "you sold them to Voldemort, that's all I need to know!"

"You've got to listen to me!" Black said with a note of urgency, "you'll regret it if you don't, you don't understand!"

"I understand more than you think!" Harry's voice shook more, "you never heard her, my mum trying to stop Voldemort killing me-and you did that, YOU!"

Crookshanks climbed up on to Black's chest and curled up over his heart. Crookshanks wouldn't shift from the spot, he sunk his claws into Black's robes.

Harry glared at both the cat and Black. Harry's eyes darkened, but it seemed that he couldn't do it.

Ron clutched Venus's arm, keeping her back.

Then there was a noise from downstairs, footsteps.

"We're up here!" Hermione yelled, "Sirius Black! Quick!"

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~Em xx