Blood In the Water

chapter 14.

  "Sorry about the bite and the head." Harry was holding up Sarah as she struggled to walk on her own due to the dizziness.
  "Harry, walk slower."
  "No. Just get on my back if you really can't walk."
  "There's no need to be rude. Also, I don't think you're strong enough."
  "You do realize so could just stop helping you right now."
  "You won't. You have your 'Chosen One' image to uphold." Harry shook his head in amusement as the reached the end of the tunnel and climbed up through the Whomping Willow. Ron and Sarah rested on the large rocks adjacent to the trees examining their wounds.
  "That looks really painful, Ron."
  "Yeah, be sure you get checked for rabies."
  "Sarah!"
  "I've lost a lot of blood. You can't hold me accountable for any of my words or actions until I am one hundred percent healed, and right now, I'm only getting further and further away."
  "We really need to take you to the infirmary."
  "It's fine. Let's wait for Harry."
  "Sarah-"
  "Hermione."
  "Ron." Sarah and Hermione both looked over at Ron as he said that. "What? I just wanted to feel included!" The three of them laughed as they sat under the tree. The sky above them was clear of all clouds, and the full moon was in perfect review. The glow reflected across Sarah's face, her eyes dripping shut.
  "Sarah!"
  "What?!"
  "You can't go to sleep if you have a concussion."
  "I was just basking in the moonlight. Excuse me for enjoying the few moments I get of peace in nature."
  "Your idea of peace is bleeding out of your head and being covered in dirt?"
  "Shut it, Ron. You know what I mean. It's quiet out." Ron, Sarah, and Hermione fell into a comfortable silence as they all examined their surroundings. Sarah caught Ron examining Hermione. She leaned over to him, "Ronald Weasley, do you have a crush on Hermione?"
  "Shove it, Sarah." Sarah started to laugh harder and harder as Ron's face became redder and redder due to his increasing levels on embarrassment.
  Their enjoyment was cut short by the arrival of Peter Pettigrew. "Ron! Haven't I been a good pet? You won't let them give me to the dementors, will you? I was your rat!" When he saw that Ron would not help him, his sights set on Hermione and Sarah. "Oh sweet girls. Clever girls." Sarah could not make out anything else as his ramblings became less and less coherent.
  Sarah's eyes suddenly widened with fear. "Professor Lupin! If you're a werewolf, what happens to you on a full moon?"
  Hermione immediately shouted over to Harry and Sirius as the group flooded with realization. The glow of the moon washed over Professor Lupin's face as his features changed from that of a man to a beast of the night. Sirius ran over to support Remus while Pettigrew cowered away from them. "Remus, my friend, have you taken your potion tonight?" Lupin could not reply; he could only let out groans of anguish during his transformation.
  Hermione and Harry helped Ron and Sarah up off the rocks, all four slowly backing away in fear. Peter Pettigrew decided that this was the perfect time to escape, and he did exactly that to the dismay of Harry. Harry tried to chase after him, but Sarah pulled him back. "You'll get hurt if you go." Sarah gestured over to a screaming Remus. Soon, he began to let out howls as his spine curved and claws ejected from the beds of his nails. His ankles and feet became longer while Sirius struggled to control Remus. Lupin's face morphed into once of a wolf as he threw Sirius off of him. For some odd reason, Hermione thought it would be a brilliant idea to approach the beast, ignoring the protests of Sarah and Ron.
  "Professor? Professor Lupin?" Everyone jumped up into the air out of fear as their professor let out a ghastly howl. He began to approach them when Snape crawled out of the hole. He began to scold them until Lupin let out a growl that caused him to spin around and shield the four students behind him. Snape raised his wand in an effort to protect them, but he was smacked down by the werewolf; the beast was ready to attack when a black dog leaped into the air, tackling the wolf down.
  Snape attempted to shield the students again as the dog and the wolf began to snarl at each other. Their claws and canines met in the air, fighting each other for dominance. Eventually, the dog was knocked down to the forum, but it got up again to fight the wolf. Sirius, in the form of his animagus, attacked Remus, in the form of a werewolf, once again. This time, Sirius drew Remus' attention away from the Snape, Sarah, Ron, Hermione, and Harry and back on him. Remus chased Sirius' retreating form. Harry rushed forward to try and intervene, but Lupin remained victorious and threw Sirius down the side of the hill before rushing off into the night.
  Snape decidedly let Harry go and helped Sarah and Ron to the infirmary. For the first, and most likely last, time, Sarah was grateful for Snape.
                                       •••
  When they arrived in the infirmary, Sarah and Ron were immediately placed into two beds while Madame Pomfrey ordered Snape to go tell Dumbledore.
  Sarah was the first to be treated. Madame Pomfrey poured a clear liquid onto a cloth, patting it against the gash on Sarah's head. "What did this to you?!"
  "I fell."
   "Fell on what?"
  "A rock." Madame Pomfrey grumbled as she finished cleaning and bandaging Sarah's wound, moving directly onto Ron's. He was not spared any of her scolding either. Once Pomfrey finished with Ron, she threw her hands into the air and walked into her office, completely exhausted with the mess that Ron, Hermione, and Sarah got themselves into. Just wait until she hears about Harry.
  Speak of the devil, Harry was carried into the infirmary by Hermione who left a few minutes ago to help him. Madame Pomfrey laid him down on the third bed in the row, throwing her hands into the air. After she ensured that he had no physical wounds, Madame Pomfrey left the room until further notice. She could not handle the three injured students at that time of night.
  Sarah was not paying attention until Sirius was mentioned. "Listen, Harry. Sirius was captured, and any minute, the dementors are going to perform the kiss."
  "They're going to kill him." Harry tumbled out of the bed much to Sarah's chagrin. He needed to rest. They all did.
  "No, it's worse. Much, much worse. They're going to suck out his soul." Before any of them had the chance to reply, the doors were opened wide by Dumbledore. "Headmaster, you've got to stop them! They've got the wrong man!"
  "It's true, sir. Sirius is innocent."
  "It was Scabbers who did it."
  "Scabbers?"
   "Yeah, it's my brother's rat, sir. He's not really a rat. Well, he was a rat. He was my brother Percy's rat. Then, they give him to me."
  "The point is we know the truth. Please believe us."
  "I do, but I'm sorry to say that the word of four wizards will do little to convince others." Dumbledore walked forward, going on about listening as he tapped Ron's leg. Sarah covered her mouth in horror. That was just sadistic! "Mysterious thing time. Powerful. When meddled with, dangerous. Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the tower." Dumbledore turned around, speaking directly to Hermione. "You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen, and you will do well to return before this last chime. If not, the consequences are too ghastly to discuss. If you succeed tonight, more than once innocent life may be spared. Three turns should do it." Dumbledore walked out of the room, leaving Harry, Ron, and Sarah confused.
  "What is he talking about?"
  "He lost me when he started talking about time."
  "Sorry, Ron and Sarah, but seeing as you can't walk and you're too injured." Hermione pulled out a necklace, wrapping it around her and Harry. She turned it three times before her and Harry disappeared into thin air.
  "Where did they go?!"
  "Did they just turn invisible?" A few seconds later, Hermione and Harry entered the room looking as happy as ever. "Where did you two go?"
  "What are you talking about?"
  "You guys just disappeared!"
  "I have no clue what they're on about, Harry."
  "Neither do I. It must be the medicine that Madame Pomfrey used. It's making them see things."
  "If I wasn't injured right now, I would come over there and make you see things!" Harry and Hermione bursted with laughter as Ron and Sarah shared alarmed looks. Sarah was too young to go insane.
  A few minutes had passed before Madame Pomfrey reentered the infirmary, ordering Harry and Hermione out and Ron and Sarah to sleep. Finally, Sarah was comfortable and in a non-life threatening situation. "Night, Ron."
  "Night, Sarah."

enjoy!!