Redemption For A Monster (Marauder fanfic) Book Three

3- Home At Hogwarts Again

After saying goodbye to John, Sara and Sirius Apparated to Hogsmeade, where Sirius immediately transformed into Padfoot.
The two of them walked slowly passed all the shops, trying not to attract any attention, or make eye contact with anyone.
Once out of the town, they headed across the hill and towards the Shrieking Shack.
Sirius stepped inside the building first, and changed back into his human form.
"Are you sure it's safe?" Asked Sara quietly, closing the door behind her.
"It smelled empty to me, when I was a dog. I don't think anyone has been in here, since us, when we were kids" replied Sirius.
"Good. So now that we're here, what is the plan?"
"I'm working on it"
"Oh great"
"Hey, my plan was to get here, without getting caught, and I succeeded. So now I just need to think of a way to get inside Hogwarts, without being seen by the Dementors".

"Why would there be Dementors at Hogwarts?" Questioned Sara.
"The Ministry sent them there to guard Hogwarts, and keep an eye out for me" revealed Sirius, as he collapsed down into a nearby chair.
"What! How do they know that you would be coming here?"
"Well, they think that I'm evil don't they, so I expect they assume that I'm after Harry".
Sara noticed how tired Sirius looked, and it worried her, as he wasn't very healthy right then.
"We need to find you some food, and fast" insisted Sara.
"I'll take the passageway through the Whomping Willow, and catch some animals from the Forbidden Forest to eat, later. But right now, I need to rest" sighed Sirius.
"O.K, but we need to get you some food soon. You are very thin".

Sirius grinned.
"Always a worrier, weren't you Sara".
"Well there is a lot to be worried about. I'm currently standing inside the Shrieking Shack, with an escaped convict, on a mission to break into Hogwarts, and catch a murder, who's been pretending to be a rat for 12 years" admitted Sara.
"You didn't mention the Dementors, that want to suck out my soul" teased Sirius.
"You're not making me feel any better about this"
"Chill out Smokey. No one knows that I'm an Animagus, so I can go anywhere I like, as Padfoot"
"Yes, but Hogwarts is one of the safest places in Britain, without Dementors. So imagine how secure it is now".

"Listen, once I've taken a few days to rest my body, I'll sneak into the castle, using one of the passages we used to use, when we were at school. Once inside, I'll find Wormtail, and finally commit the crime I was convicted of" explained Sirius.
"What if someone sees you, when you step onto the school grounds? James left the Marauders Map in Filch's office, so what if someone has figured out how to use it, and they see you?" Quizzed Sara.
"Time has turned you into a fool Sara. Only the Marauders can see each other on the map. If anyone else finds it, they can use it, but they won't be able to see us on it"
"Oh. Let's just hope that Peter hasn't found it then"
"I doubt that useless lump would be able to find it. Besides, I bet he hasn't turned back into a human, in 12 years. He wouldn't want to risk it"
"Good. So unless Remus suddenly turns up-".
Sara faltered when she saw a strange look cross Sirius's face.
"What?" She demanded.

"It's Remus. I stole a paper on the way up here, and found an article about him. He's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year" revealed Sirius.
"What! Remus is here, and you didn't mention it to me until now!" Gasped Sara.
"I didn't think about it. My focus is on Peter right now, so I forgot"
"You forgot! You forgot about the one thing, that changes everything. If he gets the map, then he can find us, as soon as we step foot on the Hogwarts grounds"
"I don't think Remus would want to find the map. Too many memories, come with it"
"Well why don't we try and get him on our side then? I'm sure he could help us find Peter-"
"No. It's too much of a risk. You said yourself, he believed that I betrayed James and Lily. We can't tell him, and take the chance that he would turn us in, before we get to Wormtail. Once we've caught the traitor, then it will be safe to speak to Remus. But not until then".

"I don't even know what to say him" mumbled Sara.
"Neither do I. There's a lot to explain" agreed Sirius.
"Being back here, it brings back so many memories. I can't imagine what it'll be like to be back inside the castle"
"Sara, you can't come in with me. It'll be too dangerous for you, as you don't have an Animagus form to disguise yourself. I'll have to break in, by myself"
"But I could help-"
"No. I won't put you in danger. Besides, it's easier for one person to sneak around the castle, than two"
"I guess you're right. It's a shame we don't have James' invisibilty cloak anymore. That was very useful for sneaking around at night"
"Yes, it was".

"When do you think is the best time to break in?" Sara questioned.
"I was thinking next Saturday. Everyone will be at the Halloween feast, so the corridor's and dormitories, will be empty that evening" answered Sirius.
"Sounds like the perfect time to do it"
"Yes. Since Wormtail is pretending to be a pet, he'll either be in the Gryffindor common room, or the boys dormitory. So I'll just have to try as many passwords as I can think of, to get passed the Fat Lady. And if that fails, I will have to force her to let me in, using other methods of persuasion".
Sara's eyes caught the knife attatched to Sirius' belt, and she could guess what he meant by, other methods of persuasion.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to plan your break in very carefully, until then" suggested Sara.
"Yes. We can't afford to make any mistakes" agreed Sirius.

"But the number one rule is, that no matter how much you want to, you can't see Harry. He thinks you helped murder his parents, so he won't exactly be very happy to see you" reminded Sara.
"I know. I visited him briefly as Padfoot, before I came up to Scotland. I wanted to see what he looked like, just for a second... He looks exactly like James" admitted Sirius.
Sara smiled.
"I bet he does... Maybe one day, once we've dealt with Peter, we could explain it all to Harry. Provided he didn't try to kill you on sight, of course"
"I would give anything for us all to be a family again"
"Me too. We're his Godparents afterall, it's our job to keep him safe and happy. Which is why we are both here, risking our lives to find Peter, to keep Harry safe".

Sirius took hold of Sara's hand, and squeezed it tight.
"We will succeed. We can do it, I know we can" he reassured her.
"I hope so" replied Sara.
"We'll kill the traitor, and maybe then, we'll have a chance at a new life"
"Is that even possible? Surely we've lost too much, to ever be happy again".
Sirius stood to his feet, and wrapped Sara in a tight hug, holding her close to his chest.
"I know we've been through some bad sh*t. But we can get through this. I won't lie, it's not going to be easy. But we'll get there in the end. Together".
"Well, I hope you're right Padfoot" muttered Sara, as she rested her head on Sirius's shoulder, and closed her eyes, praying that they would both make it out alive.