Trying | June Potter and the Mysterious Azkaban Escapee| Book 2

The Full Moon Causes Problems

June had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Remus, Pettigrew, and Ron went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next came ProfessorSnape, drifting creepily along, his toes hitting each stair as they descended, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Harry, June and Hermione brought up the rear.

Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Remus, Pettigrew, and Ron had to turn sideways to manage it; Remus still had Pettigrew covered with his wand. June could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in a single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead. Harry went right after Sirius, who was still making Snape drift along ahead of them; he kept bumping his lolling head on the low ceiling. June had the impression Sirius was making no effort to prevent this.

"You know what this means?" Sirius said abruptly to Harry and June as they made their slow progress along the tunnel. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," said Harry.

"You'll stop being on the run," June smiled.

"Yes..." said Sirius, then turned to Harry. "But I'm also — I don't know if anyone ever told you — I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," said Harry.

June lightly hit Harry, "You didn't tell me that you knew." June said annoyed.

"Well... your parents appointed me your guardian," said Sirius stiffly. "If anything happened to them..."

Harry was silent, as though he was waiting.

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," said Sirius. "But...well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you wanted a... a different home..."

June smiled brightly. Some sort of explosion took place in the pit of her stomach. She would love for Harry to be able to leave the Dursleys. Harry could finally get out of that horrible situation.

"What — live with you?" he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Sirius quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd—"

"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius'. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can we move in?"

Sirius turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Sirus didn't seem to care.

"You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"

June smiled even brighter.

"Yeah, I mean it!" said Harry.

Sirius' gaunt face broke into a smile. Harry and Sirius did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Remus, Pettigrew, andRon clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches.

Sirus saw Snape up through the hole, then stood back for Harry, June and Hermione to pass. At last, all of them were out.

The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still wheezing and occasionally whimpering. June'smind was buzzing with excitement. Harry would be leaving the Dursleys. They were going to live with Sirius, they're parents' best friend. June was in a daze.

"One wrong move, Peter," said Remus threateningly ahead. His wand was still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest.

Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger. Professor Snape was still drifting weirdly ahead of Sirius, his chin bumping on his chest. And then a cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight. June's eyes widen.