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Harry's P.O.V. 

Harry and Ron's last exam was Divination. They parted ways with Hermione and Y/N on the second floor so the girls could go to their Arithmancy exam. 

"Noooo," Harry whined, gripping Y/N's hand tighter. "Just come with me, please? What if Trelawney finally makes all her visions come true and kills me herself?" 

"You can handle it," Y/N told him. "You've faced the Dark Lord - old bug eyes can't be much worse." 

"Yeah," Ron said, nudging Harry. "You can let go of Y/N's hand, now." 

With an eyeroll at Ron's protectiveness, Harry released Y/N's hand and said, "Fine. Bye, Y/N, bye Hermione - see you." 

"Bye!" Hermione and Y/N said. Ron gave a satisfied grin at the fact that Y/N and Harry were far apart now. 

Y/N chuckled and went up to Ron, ruffling his hair. "Bye, Ronniekins," she teased. 

"Only mum's allowed to call me that!" 

"Whoops!" 

They waved the boys goodbye and left for their exam. Ron and Harry stared at each other for a moment, then began the tedious journey to Professor Trelawney's classroom.

Ron kept checking his watch and Harry knew he was counting the minutes until Buckbeak's appeal.

When they arrived, the whole class was sitting on the landing, just like the first day of school. "She's seeing us one by one," Neville said. "Have either of you ever seen anything in a Crystal Ball?" he asked nervously. 

"Nope," Ron said. "Even if Harry did, it would just be an image of my sister," he added bitterly. 

"Why would I see Ginny in a Crystal Ball?" Harry questioned, thoroughly confused. 

Ron facepalmed, "You tosspot, I'm talking about Y/N! You two have been all over each other recently - don't think Hermione and I don't notice." 

Harry could feel the heat rush to his face, but he played it off. "We're friends," he said firmly. 

Friends, nothing more, though Harry desperately wished they were. 

Professor Trelawney called the first student. Slowly but surely, the line in front of the silver ladder thinned. Each time a student emerged, the rest of the class bombarded them with questions of, "How did it go?" and "Was it okay? What did she ask?" 

But they all refused to say. 

"She said that if I disclose, I'll have a terrible accident!" Neville squeaked, running back down the stairs, finally free from his exams. 

Well, Divination sounded really reliable.

"That's convenient," Ron snorted. "I'm starting to think that Hermione and Y/N were right about her! She's a right old fraud." 

"Yeah," Harry agreed, now looking down at his own watch. It was two o'clock. Professor Trelawney really needed to hurry up. 

Suddenly, a wispy voice called, "Ronald Weasley." Ron grimaced at Harry, who jerked his head at the silver ladder. 

Ron went and Harry spent the next twenty minutes staring out of the window, fiddling with his sleeves, thinking about how Y/N's (and Hermione's) exam was coming along and about Buckbeak's appeal. 

Ron descended back down the ladder. 

"How'd it go?" Harry asked, getting to his feet. It was his turn, now. 

"Rubbish," Ron muttered. "Didn't see anything...just made stuff up, normal bullocks, you know?" 

Before Harry could answer, Professor Trelawney called, "Harry Potter!" 

"Meet you in the common room, mate," Harry said, mentally preparing himself to sit through this stupid exam. 

Ron nodded and left while Harry climbed the ladder. He emerged into the dimly lit classroom, which still smelled sickly sweet. Harry coughed as he approached Professor Trelawney, who was sitting at a table waiting for him. 

"Good day, my dear," Trelawney said softly. 

No, it was not a good day. 

"If you would kindly gaze into the Orb for me...yes...take your time, tell me what you see." 

Harry leaned over the Crystal Ball and stared, willing something interesting to materialize, instead of the boring white fog. 

"Well?" Trelawney prompted. "What do you see?" 

Harry cast his mind around. Honestly, not much had been on his mind lately, except Y/N and Buckbeak. Deciding he didn't need to speak about how he liked Y/N Sterling, he rambled about Buckbeak. 

"A Hippogriff," Harry said firmly. 

Trelawney began to quickly scribble on her parchment, "Indeed...my boy, may you be Seeing the outcome of Hagrid's appeal? Look closer...does the Hippogriff have it's head?" 

Thanks for being reassuring, Professor. 

"Yes," he said shortly. "It has it's head." 

"Are you completely sure?" his professor urged him. "You don't see it writhing on the ground, do you? A weeping Hagrid!" 

"No!" Harry said hotly, wanting nothing more than to leave the room. "It's completely fine...it's flying away." 

Trelawney sighed, "Oh well, my dear...I think we'll leave it there...rather disappointing, but I'm sure you did your best." 

Thoroughly relieved, Harry let out a thankful sigh and picked up his bag. He turned to leave, excited to meet up with his friends after their exam. 

Then, a harsh voice spoke behind him. 

"It will happen tonight." 

Harry whipped around. His eyes fell on Professor Trelawney, who was slumped in her seat, her eyes unfocused and her mouth sagging. 

"S-sorry?" Harry asked, confused, terrified and concerned - even though she wasn't his favorite teacher.

But his professor didn't seem to hear him. Her eyes rolled back and Harry stood there in a panic. Was she having some sort of seizure? Was he supposed to do something? 

He hesitated, thinking of running to the Hospital Wing, but then Trelawney spoke once more that in harsh voice:

"The Dark Lord lies alone and friendless, abandoned by his followers. His servant has been chained these last twelve years. Tonight - before midnight - his servant will break free and set out to join his master. The Dark Lord will rise again with his servants aid, greater and more terrible than before. Tonight...before midnight...the servant...will set out... to rejoin...his master..." 

What the bloody hell? What the ever-loving fuck? 

Professor Trelawney's head fell forward onto her chest and her eyes were pure white. Then, suddenly, her head shot up again. 

"My dear boy!" she said, reaching a hand out. Harry stepped backwards in fear. "So sorry...must've dozed off in the heat of the day." 

Harry stood there, still staring, still silent. 

"Is there anything wrong, my dear?" 

His mind was reeling. 

"Er...professor, you just told me that Voldemort would rise and he'd be greater and more powerful than before...? And that his servant is going back to him, tonight?" 

She looked thoroughly startled. "Do not say his name - the Dark Lord? Rising once more? That is not something to joke about, my boy." 

"But you just said it!" Harry said, voice rising. "You said that Voldemort-" he ignored her wince, "- would come back!" 

"I think you must have dozed off, too!" Trelawney accused. 

Harry tried to shake his head and tell her again, but she continued, "Even I would not attempt to predict something as far-fetched at that!" 

She ushered him out of the classroom through his protests. What was that? Was any of that true? Had he just heard Professor Trelawney make a real prediction - or was that an impressive end to the test?

He rushed past the Security Trolls and into the common room, watching as students flowed in the opposite direction, basking in their freedom. 

The common room was basically deserted, except for Y/N, Ron and Hermione sitting in the corner, faces somber. 

"Professor Trelawney just told me-" he began, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Y/N holding a letter. 

"Buckbeak lost," Ron said weakly. 

"Hagrid just sent this..." Y/N said, handing the letter to Harry. Hermione said nothing. 

The note was dry this time, but the handwriting was so illegible that Harry was unsure if Hagrid wrote it, or Hedwig did. 

"Lost appeal. Execution at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down, I don't want you to see it. 

Hagrid." 

At least there was a signature this time, but the note felt very final. Depressing, even. 

"We've got to go!" Harry said. "He can't just sit on his own, waiting for the execution!" 

"Sunset...though," Ron said, staring out the window. 

"We'd never be allowed," said Y/N. "Especially not you, Harry - even if you were...It isn't the best idea." 

Harry sat, his head in his hands. He wracked his brain for an idea. He got one.

"The Invisibility Cloak..." he said. "It's in my trunk somewhere!" 

"No, it's not," Hermione said, speaking for the first time since Harry got there. "It's in the girls dormitory." 

"What?" Harry said, puzzled. 

"I...er...borrowed it, for a prank," Y/N said guiltily. "I'm sorry, Harry! I was going to give it back-!" 

"It's fine, Y/N," Harry said. Could this girl get any better? Her obsession with troublemaking was quite endearing. 

Not the time, Harry. 

Really not the time. 

"I'll go get it..." she said quietly. 

Y/N came back two minutes later, the Cloak folded in her arms. She handed it to Harry and their hands brushed, leaving tingles along his skin. 

"Lets go to dinner," Hermione said. "We can discuss this...and whatever Professor Trelawney told you, Harry. 

"Alright, let's go." 

✦

Y/N's P.O.V. 

The quartet went down to dinner with everyone else, trying not to look suspicious as they dug in to the End of Exam feast. 

Many of Y/N's friends came and said hi, Fred, George and Elijah decided to give her a "You Finished Your Exams and Didn't Fail!" gift. 

"What's the gift?" Y/N asked brightly, looking around. 

The twins and Elijah just chuckled, then Elijah put his hands over Y/N's eyes. "What are you doing, Ellie?" Y/N demanded. 

"You'll see, pretty girl, calm down,' Elijah answered. "We just need to get it ready." 

"What happened to 'Rascal,' ?" Y/N asked, ignoring everything else.

She could feel Elijah shrug behind her, "I'm experimenting, now shh!" 

Doing as he said, Y/N fell quiet. She knew her face was probably red, but Elijah did this all the time. It was hard to hide the blush, so why try. 

"And you three," Fred and George said. "Don't say anything about what it is," they warned. 

"Or else what?" Harry asked. His voice sounded bitter. 

"Or else your dorm room will become a fish tank," Elijah answered simply. "Or a zoo - you get to choose!" 

Harry huffed, but fell silent beside Y/N. Then, she felt Elijah's hands come off her eyes. 

Blinking, she couldn't see for long, because the moment she opened her eyes - 

THWACK 

Fred and George had pied her in the face. 

"Really funny," Y/N muttered, swiping icing from her face. "Incredibly hilarious and thought-out."

But none of the others heard her. Even Harry, Ron and Hermione were laughing along. This was honestly just bullying, in Y/N's opinion. 

Blindly pulling in her wand out from her robes, she murmured, "Scourgify!" to rid her face of the icing. 

She glared daggers at her three friends, Fred, George and Elijah. She'd get them back for that. 

"YOU INSOLENT LITTLE-" 

"Bye, sis," Fred and George said. 

"Bye, pretty girl," Elijah added. 

Then they all ran away from her, going off to entertain (or enrage) some other students. 

"They are such gits," Y/N complained, grabbing Harry by the arm and shoving her face in his shoulder. "Kill them for me." 

"I would if I could," Harry said jokingly. But still, that angry tinge to his voice was still present.

"Herms, Ronnie, fix it," Y/N demanded playfully. Ron just chuckled and ruffled her hair, while Hermione laughed.

Harry had shoved the Invisibility Cloak, for their plan, under his robes and needed to cross his arms to hide the lump.

Y/N found this as the perfect opportunity to tease the boy. It would diffuse the tension and make her feel better about this whole thing and...the whole Buckbeak situation.

"Awwww," Y/N whispered to Harry, eyeing his crossed arms. "Are you expecting? Boy or girl?" 

It took him a moment to understand, but when he did, Harry rolled his eyes. 

"Ha-ha, very amusing, Y/N."

"I don't think you've ever said a word larger than two syllables, Harry!" Y/N praised. "Amusing? That's new." 

"Shove off," he said, affectionately nudging her side. 

"Make me," Y/N said, sticking out her tongue. 

In all honesty, the playful side of Harry was the best side. Sure, she loved it when he was awkward...but who doesn't like flirty?

"Can you two be serious for a moment?" Hermione said in a hushed whisper. "Can we talk about what Harry heard Professor Trelawney say?" 

"Yeah," Ron said. He looked around at the departing students - they were sitting alone at the far end of Gryffindor table. 

"Sorry," Y/N muttered. "Harry, spill." 

With a sigh, the boy next to her said, "So, at the end of my exam I was turning to leave, right?" 

He gave a pause and the other three nodded. 

"And then Trelawney says something about, 'It' happening tonight - and then...she goes on about how Voldemort's servant, who's been chained for twelve years, will break free from his chains tonight and rejoin his master, helping him rise more terrible than before," Harry told them as quietly as he could. 

Sirius Black - it had to be. He'd been in Azkaban for twelve years, going mad. Lord Voldemort's most faithful servant. 

But then again, could they really trust a 'Prophecy,' from Professor Trelawney? 

Nonetheless, Y/N said, "It has to be Black." 

Ron nodded, "Yeah - everyone's been saying he was faithful to Lord Voldemort...he betrayed your parents." 

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions," Hermione scoffed. "This is Professor Trelawney we're talking about." 

"Herms," Y/N frowned. "I know that Divination is a huge pile of shit, but maybe this one is right?" 

Harry was silent beside her, seemingly lost in thought. Y/N snapped her fingers in front of his eyes. "Potter, do you have any input?" 

"I think we need to focus on Hagrid right now," Harry said firmly, getting up. "Let's go." 

"We'll use the Cloak once we get closer to the grounds," said Hermione. "It'll be suspicious if anyone hears footsteps in the halls without seeing people - and we don't walk quietly enough." 

They hurried out the front doors, careful to avoid anyone seeing them. The sun was steadily approaching the horizon, washing the grounds in gold. 

On a patch of grass near a cluster of stones was a group of students - Slytherins. More specifically, Draco Malfoy and his cronies. 

"Not this bitch again," Y/N complained to Ron as they neared. 

"You should hex him, N/N," Ron urged. "Please? It'll give us a laugh." 

When they were a couple meters away, Draco Malfoy turned around, his face twisted in delight. "Ah, come to see the show?" he asked.

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Harry said angrily. Was it hot in here - er, outside? 

"Can't wait to see that idiot, Hagrid! Blubbering about his stupid Hippogriff," Malfoy continued with a malicious smile. 

Y/N pulled out her wand, prepared to jinx him, but Hermione beat her to it. 

"You!" Hermione shrieked, taking a stride forward, her wand resting at Draco's throat. "You foul, loathesome, evil little cockroach!" 

"Hermione, no!" Ron yelled from beside Y/N. "It's not worth it!" 

Y/N didn't think that Draco Malfoy would ever be grateful to Ron, but somehow it was happening. The blonde shot the ginger pleading look, relieved when Hermione pulled away. 

"Knew you wouldn't have the nerve, you filthy little mudbloo-" 

SMACK! 

Hermione had whipped around, wand forgotten, her fist making contact with Malfoy's nose. 

That was her best friend. 

Malfoy and his friends gave them looks of absolute hatred, then scurried away into the castle, Malfoy clutching his bleeding face.

"Herms, that was brilliant!" Y/N exclaimed, walking up to Hermione. 

Hermione shrugged, a look of disgust still on her face. "It was necessary." 

Ron looked as though he was seeing Hermione in a new light. He went up and hugged her, "Hermione! That was - that was...bloody hell that was amazing! You're amazing!" 

At this, though, Hermione turned a light shade of pink. She hugged Ron back, only letting when Harry coughed loudly. 

"Hermione, that was honestly incredible - but we really need to get going," Harry said. 

He unraveled the Invisibility Cloak and draped it over all of them. They were all squished together while they trudged to Hagrids. Harry was impossibly close to Y/N - she could hear his heartbeat. 

They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. It took him a minute, but when he opened the door, he looked around for his visitor. 

"It us, Hagrid!" Hermione whispered. "We're under the Invisibility Cloak! Let us in so we can take it off." 

"You shouldn't've come!" Hagrid hissed, but he let them in nonetheless. 

Harry pulled the Cloak off and they separated, but he stayed near Y/N. 

Hagrid was not crying, he did not throw himself at them in a crushing hug. He stood there helplessly. It was worse, to Y/N at least, than seeing him in tears. 

"Wan' some tea...?" Hagrid asked.

When they nodded, Hagrid picked up the kettle, his hands shaking. 

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" Hermione asked hesitantly as they all sat down. Y/N sat down beside Harry and Ron, with Hermione on Ron's other side. 

Hagrid sniffed. "Ou' back...all tied up," he said, a splash of milk spilling on the table as he filled the jug. "Wanted him ter see the trees...an' breathe tha' fresh air one las' time, y'know?" 

His hands trembled so violently that he milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered. 

"I'll clean it up, Hagrid, don't worry," Y/N said softly, guiding Hagrid to a seat. 

"And I'll make the tea," Hermione offered, walking to his cabinets and pulling out a new milk jug. 

While the two girls bustled around, Harry and Ron comforted Hagrid. 

"Isn't there anything anyone can do?" Harry asked. "Dumbledore-" 

"Dumbledore can' do nuthin'...he's al'eady tried...it'll be quick an' clean..." Hagrid said, his eyes darting all across the room. 

"We'll stay with you, Hagrid," Hermione said in a small voice. 

Y/N joined her in making tea, having finished cleaning. "Through the whole thing - we'll be there," she said. 

"He lived a good life, Hagrid," Ron said. 

The cabin was silent for the next few minutes. Y/N could see tears streaming from Hermione's eyes, but said nothing. As Y/N readied the tea cups, Hermione peered inside the milk jug and let out a sob. 

"Ron - Ron! I don't believe it! It's Scabbers!" 

Ron gaped at her. 

"Herms, what are you talking about?" 

Hermione carried the milk jug to the table and flipped it over. Sliding out, squeaking in protest, was Scabbers. 

"Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed, grabbing the rat. "What are you doing here?" 

Y/N observed the rat - he looked worse than ever. He was skin and bones, large tufts of fur missing in patches on his body. He wriggled in Ron's hands, desperate for escape. 

"Do you know how much trouble you've caused?" Y/N scolded the rat. 

Harry laughed slightly, looking at her. "Ron's been worried sick, you fleabag," Harry added. 

Hagrids face went very white. His gaze was fixed on the window and the group could hear voices approaching. The Committee members, Cornelius Fudge and Albus Dumbledore were making their way to Hagrid's hut.

"Yeh've got ter leave!" Hagrid said. Every inch of him was trembling. 

"We can't just leave you, Hagrid!" Y/N exclaimed. "We're staying." 

"No, yeh're not," Hagrid said firmly. He heaved everyone up and practically dragged them to the back door. "I'm real grateful tha' yeh all came down ter see me - but yeh need ter go." 

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket while Y/N eyed the rat suspiciously. In truth, how did Scabbers end up in Hagrids hut? A rat wouldn't be smart enough to make it across the grounds without getting eaten by something. 

"Let's go," Hermione said sadly, picking up the Cloak. Y/N took it from her hands and threw it over the quartet. 

"Bye, Hagrid," they said sadly.

They exited through the back door, hearing the front door snap shut. This was it. 

Beginning their journey up the sloping hill to the castle, Y/N couldn't help but glance back every few seconds. 

Ron, apparently, noticed. He gave Y/N a comforting pat on the shoulder. "There's nothing we can do, N/N," he said softly. 

Y/N nodded and slipped her hand into Hermione's, squeezing tight. "Herms, I'm going to miss Buckbeak." 

Hermione gave a sigh, "We all will, Trouble - Hagrids sorrow is the worst part, though." 

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "It's painful to watch..." 

"Scabbers, stop squirming!" Ron exclaimed, ruining the moment. 

The rat was trying to jump from Ron's pocket. Ron grabbed Scabbers, wincing as the rat sunk his teeth lightly into Ron's finger. 

They heard loud voices behind them and the rustling of leaves as the men approached the Pumpkin Patch.

"They're about to do it!" Hermione whispered, her hands sweaty, interlocked with Y/N's.

"Ron, get that dumbass rat under control so we can walk!" Y/N hissed to Ron, panicking only a little bit. 

The voices behind them got louder and Harry said, "Ron control Scabbers, hurry up!" 

"This isn't working!" Ron said furiously. "Scabbers, pipe down!" 

Scabbers was squealing wildly, but it wasn't enough to drown out the noise of the men a long way behind them. 

Jumbled voice behind them got even louder, then there was a prolonged silence. Suddenly, without warning, the quartet heard the swish! and thud of an axe. 

And the drop of an object, the drop of Buckbeak's head.

Hermione and Y/N swayed in their spot. 

"They did it..." they whispered together. 

Y/N's mind had gone blank with shock.

 The four of them stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. Now, the sun was barely visibly. The sky was dark, but there was a glow of red in the west. 

A wild howling came from behind them. 

"Hagrid," Harry muttered, turning back. 

Y/N and Hermione seized him by the arms. "We can't," Y/N pointed out. "We all be in trouble if they know we've been to see him." 

Harry nodded slightly, then shrugged her arm off. What was that about? 

When he realized that Y/N made a face, he hastily grabbed her hand and apologized

Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven, she let go of Harry's arm. "How - could - they?" she managed out. "They're horrible!"

Ron was still struggling with Scabbers. "Scabbers, keep still!" Ron hissed. The rat was wriggling madly, now. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket. 

"Ron, hurry up!" Hermione urged. 

"I'm trying, Mione! But this stupid, goddamn, fucking rat- Scabbers! Just stay put! OUCH WHAT THE HELL HE BIT ME!" 

"Ronnie, be quiet!" Y/N shushed. "Fudge'll be coming this way in a minute!" 

Harry gripped her hand tighter, "Ron, mate, just hurry! Leave the rat, he doesn't matter. He always comes back anyway!" 

"He won't stay put!" Ron complained. 

Scabbers looked plainly terrified, which was completely deserved in Y/N's opinion. He'd caused so much recently. 

"What's the matter with him?" Harry demanded. Then, his eyes fell on something. The whole group turned to look. 

Crookshanks was slinking through the grass, yellow eyes narrowed and staring directly at Scabbers. 

"Crookshanks go away," Hermione groaned. "Crookshanks, not the time!" 

But it was too late. 

"SCABBERS - NO!" Ron yelled. 

The goddamn fucking rat had already slipped from Ron's fingers and bounded across the grass, Crookshanks on his tail. 

"Ron, no!" Y/N, Harry and Hermione all shouted when Ron threw off the Cloak to chase after Scabbers. 

The trades exasperated looks, then Harry pulled the Invisibility Cloak off of them and they took off at a sprint. 

Y/N had to let go of Harry's hand, which, she wasn't exactly happy about. 

They could hear Ron shouting at Crookshanks, "Get - away! You stupid, bloody, fucking cat!" 

Hearing a loud thud, Y/N groaned. 

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat-" 

When they finally caught up to Ron, Crookshanks was nowhere to be seen. Ron stood, a hand over the quivering lump in his pocket - Scabbers. 

"Okay, can we go now?" Harry asked, a tone of irritation in his voice that Y/N found incredibly attracti - no, she didn't. 

"Ronnie, hurry up!" Y/N urged. 

"Ron, please," Hermione begged. "Dumbledore, the Minister, they're going to be here in a minute!" 

Harry readied the Invisibility Cloak, but before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the sound of pounding paws. 

Something was bounding towards them through the darkness. When Y/N turned, she saw an enormous, pale-eyed, jet black dog. 

The swish of it's tail was excruciatingly familiar and they all reached for their wands a second too late.

The dog took a huge leap, it's front paws hitting Harry on the chest, pushing him roughly to the ground.

And the dog would regret it. 

"Stupefy!" Y/N yelled, aiming at the dog. It was a spell Remus had taught her. 

It landed almost shy of the dogs ear, but left a searing burn mark. The dog howled in pain for a moment, then kept running. 

Y/N crouched beside Harry and helped the boy up while Hermione shouted, "RON!" 

The dog had take Ron's foot in it's sharp-toothed mouth. Ron's yelps and cries were drowned out by the wind. 

"RON!" Harry and Y/N began to scream. 

Then, suddenly, Y/N was bashed in the stomach by something unknown. The force sent her flying backwards, absolutely winded. 

"OW WHAT THE FUCK?!" 

When she looked around, she saw that Hermione and Harry were also on the ground. "HERMIONE! HARRY!" she said. "WHAT IS HAPPENING?" 

Harry was too busy crawling around on the ground in search of his glasses. Hermione was doubled over in pain. 

Getting up, Y/N winced badly, but found Harry's glasses and gently fixed them onto his face, her fingertips brushing his skin. His breath hitched and when Y/N pulled away, he almost leaned into her touch.

It was completely dark, now, so Y/N muttered a "Lumos!" to illuminate their surroundings. 

Hermione screamed again as the light turned on and Y/N realized that as they were chasing Scabbers, they ran into the shadow of...the Whomping Willow.

And Hermione just got hit. 

"Stupefy!" she angrily yelled once more, aiming at the branch that had whisked Hermione away.

When it didn't stop, she cursed. A scream echoed from somewhere closer to the tree and Y/N squinted to see Ron getting dragged, by the dog, into a hole at the base of the trunk. 

"RON!" she shrieked. "LET GO OF HIM, YOU MUTT!" 

Y/N, panicked, attempted to run to Ron, dodging the blows of the Willow's branches. But it was last ditch effort, for the dog was pulling a furiously fighting Ron out of sight. 

"Y/N!" came a muffled shout from the tree. "Y/N, HARRY, HERMIONE! HELP!" 

"RON!" Harry screamed, darting forward to join Y/N and Hermione, but a lethally moving branch came forward, obstructing his path. 

A horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot and Y/N saw Ron's foot turn limp. The dog had broken her brother's foot. The dog was going to die. 

She couldn't fire any spells without the chance of hitting Ron - and before they knew it, Ron had vanished under the trunk of the angry tree. 

"We've got - we've got to go back! We've got to get help!" Hermione wailed, clutching her bleeding shoulder. 

"We can't!" Harry reasoned. "That thing is big enough to eat him! We have to go in and now!" 

"And I am not letting that stray mutt hurt my brother!" Y/N exclaimed. She was absolutely fuming. "If the dog can get in, we can too." 

The trio tried to reach the hole, but each time they advanced, another branch came swinging down. 

Suddenly, Y/N felt something swish around her ankles. Immediately thinking it was a vine or a branch from the Whomping Willow, she pointed her wand - but it was just Crookshanks. 

Maybe she should hex the cat anyway. 

But before she could do anything, Crookshanks leapt forward, avoiding every blow, and struck his paw on one of the tree's roots. 

Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to stone, it stopped moving. Not a twig, not a branch, swayed. 

"What?" Hermione said. "Crookshanks - was that Crookshanks?" she asked. "How did he know?" 

"He's friends with that dog," Harry said grimly. "Saw them together one night - come on, lets go. Keep your wands out." 

"Don't gotta tell me twice," Y/N said lowly, tightening her grip on her wand. 

The three took their breaths, finally free from the harsh blows of the tree. 

"Herms...you're bleeding - you too, Harry!" Y/N said worriedly.

Harry and Hermione brushed it off. Hermione said, "Ron first, we'll worry about us later. Also, haven't you noticed? You're bleeding too." 

Huh? 

"No I'm not," Y/N scoffed, but when she looked down, she saw a patch of blood blooming along her light grey sweater. 

"It's fine - like you said, Ron first," Y/N said, determined. 

"Alright, then," said Harry. He walked to the hole in the trunk of the tree and peered into the darkness. "Reckon we just go for it?"

Without warning, Crookshanks pounced down the tunnel. 

The three traded glances, then followed Crookshanks. The stupid cat that got them in this situation in the first place, all by chasing Scabbers and making him panicked enough to run. 

The tunnel was an earthy slope, brushing against Y/N's sides as she slid in next to Harry and Hermione. 

"Where's Ron?" Hermione whispered. 

"I dunno," Y/N said. "Better follow the tunnel - where does it lead?" she asked. 

Harry shook his head, "It's marked on the Marauders Map...but it was blocked off, Fred and George told me. Nobody's ever got into it...I think it leads somewhere in Hogsmeade..." 

"Ugh," Hermione said when she saw a worm. "Maybe it leads to the Shrieking Shack? Y'know, the place that Hogsmeade villagers are scared of...hear screaming all the time." 

"How do you even know that, Herms?" Y/N asked absently.

"History of Magic." 

"Yuck." 

The only thing in Y/N's mind right now was Ron's safety. What was the dog doing to him? If it could break Ron's foot with one bite, what else could it do? 

Then, quite suddenly, the tunnel sloped upwards. The dirt and sand turned into panels of floorboards and Crookshanks disappeared from view. 

Y/N could see dim light shining from an opening. The three paused, taking deep breaths. Y/N nodded and they pulled themselves out of the tunnel. 

They emerged into a dusty, disordered room. Paper was peeling from the walls and the windows were boarded up. Every piece of furnished was destroyed, like it was torn apart. 

"Herms...you were right," Y/N whispered. "We're in the Shrieking Shack..." 

The chairs and tables were flipped over, chunks taken out of their legs. 

"The ghosts didn't do that..." Harry said slowly as they traversed deeper into the room. 

A creak sounded from the floor above, causing them all to jump. 

"We have to go up there, right?" Hermione sighed loudly. 

Y/N nodded and jerked her head at the staircase. They crept up it slowly, avoiding cobwebs and loose floorboards. Along the floor was a wide stripe where the dust had been cleared...possibly by something being dragged. 

They reached a dark landing. 

"Put out your wands," Y/N said quietly. "We don't need anyone - or anything, for that matter - knowing we're here." 

The other two nodded and they all said, "Nox!" 

Only one door on the landing was open, so they slowly approached it and heard movement behind it. A low groan, a growl, a purr. 

Exchanging one final look, Harry, wand held tightly, creaked the door open. 

There was a magnificently dusty four poster bed, on which sat Crookshanks, purring contently. On the floor next to him, foot set at a disturbing angle, was Ron. 

They all rushed to him, "Ron!" they exclaimed. 

Hermione threw her arms around him in a hug, "Oh, Ron, you're safe!" 

"As safe as he can be - mate - are you okay?" Harry asked weakly, half-hugging Ron.

"Ronnie, please, never scare me like that again, you absolute tosspot, oh my Merlin!" Y/N rambled, also going to hug him. 

"Where's the dog?" Harry asked. 

"Not a dog," Ron panted out. "Not... a dog - please, turn around, its a trap!" 

"What?" 

"He's the dog...he's an Animagus!" 

Ron's eyes were wide, his arm was outstretched and he was pointing at a figure behind the creaky door. 

Y/N, Harry and Hermione whipped around just as the man in the shadows snapped the door shut. 

A mass of filthy, black hair framed his face, hung to his shoulders. He was thin, deathly so. His skin was waxen and pale - if his eyes weren't shining, he would've looked like a corpse. 

The dog, the man in front of them, 

Was Sirius Black. 

─── ☆: *.⋆˖⁺‧₊☽◯☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ .* :☆ ───

hi pookies :) 

new chapter!! (say ong annie) 😝 

kind of a short chapter but oh well 😭

pause i was gonna ask ya'll sum...

OH MY GOD YEAH I REMEMBERED. 

opinion time, this is important. wolfstar or remadora? i'm kinda leaning towards wolfstar but i wanna hear ur input 😍

third year is almost over 😕

BUT THAT MEANS FOURTH YEAR + YULE BALL so win-win 

plus, fourth year will be more interesting i think i hope (who's writing this book idk her)

anywayyysss, as always: vote, comment and point out any errors :) 

ily guys 

byeyeye

- dizzyann1e