Belladonna

Beneath the Willow

Belladonna 29

Beneath the Willow

Ana hurried down the dark narrow tunnel. She could see the faint bobbing of wand light ahead of her, but she didn't dare to call out to them and alert the massive dog of their approach. More than once Ana questioned how wise it was to go along with this instead of seeking a teacher, but she had already gone too far to turn back.

At long last, the earth began to slope upwards. It twisted in a spiral and Ana could make out a faint patch of light at the top. She edged towards it, wand at the ready, and stepped out into a dust-covered room. The wallpaper was peeling, the windows were boarded, and there were broken bits of furniture scattered around the floor. Ana had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, and half a mind to turn back and let the foolish Gryffindors deal with their own mess.

Then she thought of Fred. He may have teased his younger brother relentlessly, but Ana knew how important family was to him. Ron may be a pain in her arse, but Fred wouldn't want anything to happen to him; so, neither did she. And Harry and Hermione weren't so bad, Ana reasoned.

Besides, the Wicked Witch would have turned back, so Ana couldn't.

A loud bang echoed from upstairs. Ana followed a path in the dust up a creaking staircase. About halfway up she heard a door snap closed. She darkened her wand as she stepped onto the second-floor landing. The path led to a door at the end of the hall. As Ana moved towards it, she could see feet moving through a large hole in the bottom, and she heard a muffled voice.

"...Brave of you not to run for a teacher." The voice was hoarse and raspy, as though it hadn't been used in a very long time. "...it will make everything much easier..."

Ana took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She could see the talker's bare feet through the hole, and she could tell he was positioned away from her. The others must have been at an angle where they couldn't see her approach. Ana gingerly placed her hand on the doorknob, careful not to make a sound as she did so.

Then in one swift motion, she pushed the door open, aimed her wand at a thin, hallow man, and shouted "Expelliarmus!"

Three wands flew out of the man's hand and into Ana's waiting one.

"But I bet you didn't count on me following them."

"Ana! What are you doing here? Get out!" Harry ordered.

Ana rolled her eyes. "You three are always getting into trouble and somehow walking away with loads of house points. Slytherin may not be in running for the cup, but you better believe that I'll do what it takes to secure second place."

"Slytherin?" the man before her said with a disgusted sneer on his face, if man was even the right word for him.

Ana took in his appearance carefully. He looked more like a cross between a wild animal and a deranged corpse. His dark hair was matted and hung below his knees. His stripped robes were tattered and torn. His skin was pulled tight over his face, and his eyes were dark and hallow. Still, Ana recognized the face as the one that had been starring out of the Daily Prophet since that summer.

Sirius Black.

As Black stared back at her, Ana felt a twinge of sharp pain behind her eyes. She closed them against the onslaught and Black moved to take the wands back. Harry was faster though. He shot across the room and tackled Black to the floor. They tussled in a tangle of swinging limbs. Black tried to push Harry off, while Harry punched every bit of Black he could manage.