Draco Malfoy *3rd Year*

Chapter 16

Once we had climbed out of the hole Pettigrew was chatting nervously

"Turn me into a maggot. A dung beetle. A Flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors..." Ron sighed and winced in pain as he limped out of the hole, leaning onto Harry for support.

"Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat..." I shoved him over to Lupin and helped Ron sit down. Harry came over to check on Ron when he noticed Sirius standing and looking at the castle.

"Go over to him" I smiled, Harry nodded and took a deep breath

"Beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again. Freely." He then turned to Harry

"That was a noble thing you did back there. He doesn't deserve it. " He continued.

"I don't reckon my father'd want his best friends to become killers for a worthless piece of vermin like Pettigrew. Besides: Dead, the truth dies with him. Alive... you're free." Harry replied

"I don't know if you know, Harry, but when you were born, James and Lily made me your guardian..." Sirius said quietly, Harry smiled

"I know."

And, well, I'll understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but, so you know, you could --"

"Come live with you?" Harry butted in

"Soon as my name's cleared..." Harry grinned at him and looked out back towards the castle.

" Harry..." Hermione's voice quivering in fear broke the conversation. Lupin was frozen, twitching ever so slightly as he stared at the full moon. Sirius rushed over to him

"Remus, old friend... did you take your potion tonight?" Lupin shook his head. Free due to the commotion, Pettigrew noticed Lupin's wand and grinned.

"Run. All of you. Now." Sirius commanded but none of us moved as we watched him wrap his arms around his friend as his spine began to lengthen

"You know the man you truly are, Remus. This flesh is only flesh." Sirius said trying to comfort his transforming friend.

"This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here!" Lupin began to howl. Pettigrew seized this chance and grabbed Lupin's fallen wand

"No!" Harry yelled out

"Expelliarmus!" Hermione cried out making the wand fly through the air and into her hand. Pettigrew froze and he grinned as he slowly changed into his animagus form and he darted off into the night. Lupin, now no longer human, howled as he flipped Sirius off him and into the night. Harry grabbed my hand and we began to edge back slowly.

"Professor?" Hermione whispered, a loud growl escaped the werewolf's throat and we turned in surprise but crashed straight into Professor Snape. He pushes us behind him seeing the werewolf getting ready to pounce, it howled and he jumped at us only to be thrown aside as a black dog flew into its side. They both hit the ground with a series of growls, the dog pushed the wolf back but the werewolf was stronger

"Sirius!" Harry yells out as the dog whimpers in pain and the werewolf fings it into the tall grass. As it charges after the dog, Harry pushes past Snape and I cry out as he dashed into the night. Hermione and I go to follow him but Snape holds us both back.

"Harry!" Hermione cries as he sprints off towards the werewolf and dog, he spies them both, the werewolf standing over the dog's neck with his razor-sharp claws hanging dangerously close.

"No!" Harry shouts, he picks up a large stone and hurls it towards the werewolf. Bullseye. The wolf freezes and turns to growl at him as he advances towards Harry. Harry draws his wand, terrified as a howl pierces through the night. The werewolf then turns his head in the direction of the howl. He then snaps his jaw at Harry, when a second howl rings out, slowly Harry drops his arm as the werewolf bounds off towards the other howls in the forest. He soon disappears. Harry's eyes then scanned looking for Sirius, the wounded dog lurches, rises and falls, then rises again but this time as a human. He then tumbles down the ridge and Harry scrambles after him into the darkness.