Johnny's euphoria at finally winning the Quidditch Cup lasted at least a week. Even the weather seemed to be celebrating; as June approached, the days became cloudless and sultry, and all anybody felt like doing was strolling onto the grounds and flopping down on the grass with several pints of iced pumpkin juice, perhaps playing a casual game of Gobstones or watching the giant squid propel itself dreamily across the surface of the lake.

But they couldn't. Exams were nearly upon them, and instead of lazing around outside, the students were forced to remain inside the castle, trying to bully their brains into concentrating while enticing wafts of summer air drifted in through the windows. Even Fred and George had been spotted working; they were about to take their O.W.L.s (Ordinary Wizarding Levels). Percy was getting ready to take his N.E.W.T.s (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests), the highest qualification Hogwarts offered. As Percy hoped to enter the Ministry of Magic, he needed top grades. He was becoming increasingly edgy, and gave very severe punishments to anybody who disturbed the quiet of the Gryffindor common room in the evenings. In fact, the only person who seemed more anxious than Percy was Hermione.

Harry and Ron had given up asking her how she was managing to attend several classes at once, but they couldn't restrain themselves when they saw the exam schedule she had drawn up for herself and Johnny. The first column read:

Monday

9 o'clock, Arithmancy

9 o'clock, Transfiguration

Lunch

1 o'clock, Charms

1 o'clock, Ancient Runes

"Hermione?" Ron said cautiously, because she was liable to explode when interrupted these days. "Er -- are you sure you've copied down these times right?"

"What?" snapped Hermione, picking up both exam schedules and examining it. "Yes, of course I have."

"Is there any point asking how you're going to sit for two exams at once?" said Harry.

"No," said Hermione shortly. "Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?"

"Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading," said Ron, but very quietly. Hermione started shifting heaps of parchment. Johnny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had plenty of opportunity to speak to Hagrid.

"Beaky's gettin' a bit depressed," Hagrid told them, bending low on the pretense of checking that Johnny's flobberworm was still alive. "Bin cooped up too long. But still...we'll know day after tomorrow -- one way or the other --"

They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster. Try as Harry might, he couldn't get his Confusing Concoction to thicken, and Snape, standing watch with an air of vindictive pleasure, scribbled something that looked suspiciously like a zero onto his notes before moving away.

Then came Astronomy at midnight, up on the tallest tower; History of Magic on Wednesday morning, in which Johnny scribbled everything Florean Fortescue had ever told him about medieval witch-hunts, while wishing he could have had one of Fortescue's choco-nut sundaes with him in the stifling classroom. Wednesday afternoon meant Herbology, in the greenhouses under a baking-hot sun; then back to the common room once more, with sunburnt necks, thinking longingly of this time next day, when it would all be over.

Their second to last exam, on Thursday morning, was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had compiled the most unusual exam any of them had ever taken; a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a Grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a Hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new Boggart.

"Excellent, Johnny," Lupin muttered as Johnny climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."

Johnny's fear of his father had finally been conquered.

Flushed with his success, Johnny hung around to watch Harry, Ron and Hermione. Harry, like Johnny, got full marks. Ron did very well until he reached the Hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. Hermione did everything perfectly until she reached the trunk with the Boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, screaming.

"Hermione!" said Johnny, startled, rushing to her. "What's the matter?"

"P-P-Professor McGonagall!" Hermione gasped, pointing into the trunk. "Sh-she said I'd failed everything!"

It took a little while to calm Hermione down. When at last she had regained a grip on herself, she, Johnny, Harry, and Ron went back to the castle. Ron was still slightly inclined to laugh at Hermione's Boggart, but an argument was averted by the sight that met them on the top of the steps.

Cornelius Fudge, sweating slightly in his pinstriped cloak, was standing there staring out at the grounds. He started at the sight of Harry and Johnny.

"Hello there, Harry!" he said. "Just had an exam, I expect? Nearly finished?"

"Yes," said Harry. Johnny, Hermione and Ron, not being on speaking terms with the Minister of Magic, hovered awkwardly in the background.

"Lovely day," said Fudge, casting an eye over the lake. "Pity...pity..."

He sighed deeply and looked down at Harry.

"I'm here on an unpleasant mission, Harry. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures required a witness to the execution of a mad Hippogriff. As I needed to visit Hogwarts to check on the Grindelwald situation, I was asked to step in."

"Does that mean the appeal's already happened?" Ron interrupted, stepping forward.

"No, no, it's scheduled for this afternoon," said Fudge, looking curiously at Ron.

"Then you might not have to witness an execution at all!" said Ron stoutly. "The Hippogriff might get off!"

Before Fudge could answer, two wizards came through the castle doors behind him. One was so ancient he appeared to be withering before their very eyes; the other was tall and strapping, with a thin back mustache. Johnny gathered that they were representatives of the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, because the very old wizard squinted toward Hagrid's cabin and said in a feeble voice, "Dear, dear, I'm getting too old for this.... Two o'clock, isn't it, Fudge?"

The black-mustached man was fingering something in his belt; Johnny looked and saw that he was running one broad thumb along the blade of a shining axe. Ron opened his mouth to say something, but Hermione nudged him hard in the ribs and jerked her head toward the entrance hall.

"Why'd you stop me?" said Ron angrily as they entered the Great Hall for lunch. "Did you see them? They've even got the axe ready! This isn't justice!"

"Ron, your dad works for the Ministry, you can't go saying things like that to his boss!" said Hermione, but she too looked very upset. "As long as Hagrid keeps his head this time, and argues his case properly, they can't possibly execute Buckbeak...."

But Johnny could tell Hermione didn't really believe what she was saying. All around them, people were talking excitedly as they ate their lunch, happily anticipating the end of the exams that afternoon, but Johnny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione, lost in worry about Hagrid and Buckbeak, didn't join in.

Harry's and Ron's last exam was Divination; Hermione's and Johnny's, Muggle Studies. They walked up the marble staircase together; Hermione and Johnny left them on the first floor. The exam was a success, Hermione and Johnny having the privilege that they were raised by Muggles. However, the atmosphere turned sad when they arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room where Ron was clutching a letter.

"Professor Trelawney," Harry panted, bursting in, "just told me --"

But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.

"Buckbeak lost," said Ron weakly. "Hagrid's just sent this."

Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.

Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it.

Hagrid

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

"Sunset, though," said Johnny, who was staring out the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed ...'specially us, Harry..."

Harry sank his head into his hands, thinking.

"If we only had the Invisibility Cloak..."

"Where is it?" said Hermione.

Harry told her about leaving it in the passageway under the one-eyed witch.

"... if Snape sees me anywhere near there again, I'm in serious trouble," Harry finished.

"That's true," said Hermione, getting to her feet. "If he sees you... How do you open the witch's hump again?"

"You -- you tap it and say, 'Dissendium,'" said Johnny. "But --"

Hermione didn't wait for the rest of his sentence; she strode across the room, pushed open the Fat Lady's portrait and vanished from sight.

"She hasn't gone to get it?" Ron said, staring after her.

She had. Hermione returned a quarter of an hour later with the silvery cloak folded carefully under her robes.

"You're so brilliant," Johnny said, smiling widely at Hermione.

Hermione looked rather flattered.

They went down to dinner with everybody else, but they didn't return to Gryffindor Tower or the Slytherin Dungeon afterward. Harry had the cloak hidden down the front of his robes; he had to keep his arms folded to hide the lump. They skulked in an empty chamber off the entrance hall, listening, until they were sure it was deserted. They heard a last pair of people hurrying across the hall and a door slamming. Hermione poked her head around the door.

"Okay," she whispered, "no one there -- cloak on --"

Walking very close together so that nobody would see them, they crossed the hall on tiptoe beneath the cloak, then walked down the stone front steps into the grounds. The sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest, gilding the top branches of the trees.

"This was easier when we were eleven" Johnny muttered.

They reached Hagrid's cabin and knocked. He was a minute in answering, and when he did, he looked all around for his visitor, pale-faced and trembling.

"It's us," Harry hissed. "We're wearing the Invisibility Cloak. Let us in and we can take it off."

"Yeh shouldn've come!" Hagrid whispered, but he stood back, and they stepped inside. Hagrid shut the door quickly and Harry pulled off the cloak.

Hagrid was not crying, nor did he throw himself upon their necks. He looked like a man who did not know where he was or what to do. This helplessness was worse to watch than tears.

"Wan' some tea?" he said. His great hands were shaking as he reached for the kettle.

"Where's Buckbeak, Hagrid?" said Hermione hesitantly.

"I -- I took him outside," said Hagrid, spilling milk all over the table as he filled up the jug. "He's tethered in me pumpkin patch. Thought he oughta see the trees an' -- an' smell fresh air -- before --"

Hagrid's hand trembled so violently that the milk jug slipped from his grasp and shattered all over the floor.

"I'll do it, Hagrid," said Hermione quickly, hurrying over and starting to clean up the mess.

"There's another one in the cupboard," Hagrid said, sitting down and wiping his forehead on his sleeve. Johnny glanced at Ron and Harry, who looked back hopelessly.

"Isn't there anything anyone can do, Hagrid?" Johnny asked fiercely, sitting down next to him. "Dumbledore --"

"He's tried," said Hagrid. "He's got no power ter overrule the Committee. He told 'em Buckbeak's all right, but they're scared... Yeh know what Lucius Malfoy's like... threatened 'em, I expect... an' the executioner, Macnair, he's an old pal o' Malfoy's... but it'll be quick an' clean... an' I'll be beside him...."

Hagrid swallowed. His eyes were darting all over the cabin as though looking for some shred of hope or comfort.

"Dumbledore's gonna come down while it -- while it happens. Wrote me this mornin'. Said he wants ter -- ter be with me. Great man, Dumbledore...."

Hermione, who had been rummaging in Hagrid's cupboard for another milk jug, let out a small, quickly stifled sob. She straightened up with the new jug in her hands, fighting back tears.

"Shh, shh," Johnny whispered, hugging Hermione from behind, drawing circles on her stomach to calm her down.

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," she began, turning to hug Johnny properly, but Hagrid shook his shaggy head.

"Yeh're ter go back up ter the castle. I told yeh, I don' wan' yeh watchin'. An' yeh shouldn' be down here anyway... If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh out without permission, yeh'll be in big trouble."

Silent tears were now streaming down Hermione's face, but she hid them from Hagrid in Johnny's chest. Then, as Johnny picked up the milk bottle to pour some into the jug, he let out a gasp.

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

Ron gaped at hi .

"What are you talking about?"

Hermione took the milk jug and carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.

"Scabbers!" said Ron blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"

He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself

"It's okay, Scabbers!" said Ron. "No cats! There's nothing here to hurt you!"

Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment.

"They're comin'...."

Johnny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione whipped around. A group of men was walking down the distant castle steps. In front was Albus Dumbledore, his silver beard gleaming in the dying sun. Next to him trotted Cornelius Fudge. Behind them came the feeble old Committee member and the executioner, Macnair.

"Yeh gotta go," said Hagrid. Every inch of him was trembling. "They mustn' find yeh here...Go now..."

Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak. "I'll let yeh out the back way," said Hagrid.

They followed him to the door into his back garden. Johnny felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Buckbeak seemed to know something was happening. He turned his sharp head from side to side and pawed the ground nervously.

"It's okay, Beaky," said Hagrid softly. "It's okay..." He turned to Johnny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Go on," he said. "Get goin'."

But they didn't move.

"Hagrid, we can't --"

"We'll tell them what really happened --"

"They can't kill him --"

"Go!" said Hagrid fiercely. "It's bad enough without you lot in trouble an' all!"

They had no choice. As Hermione threw the cloak over Johnny, Harry and Ron, they heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid looked at the place where they had just vanished from sight.

"Go quick," he said hoarsely. "Don' listen..."

And he strode back into his cabin as someone knocked at the front door.

Slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, Johnny, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off silently around Hagrid's house. As they reached the other side, the front door closed with a sharp snap.

"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it...."

They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged gray, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.

Ron stopped dead.

"Oh, please, Ron," Hermione began.

"It's Scabbers -- he won't -- stay put --"

Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing, trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand.

"Scabbers, it's me, you idiot, it's Ron," Ron hissed.

They heard a door open behind them and men's voices.

"Oh, Ron, please let's move, they're going to do it!" Hermione breathed.

"Okay -- Scabbers, stay put --"

They walked forward; Harry and Johnny, like Hermione, was trying not to listen to the rumble of voices behind them. Ron stopped again.

"I can't hold him -- Scabbers, shut up, everyone'll hear us --"

The rat was squealing wildly, but not loudly enough to cover up the sounds drifting from Hagrid's garden. There was a jumble of indistinct male voices, a silence, and then, without warning, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe.

Hermione gasped, before burying her head in Johnny's chest.

"They did it!" she whispered to Johnny. "I'd -- don't believe it -- they did it!"

Johnny's mind had gone blank with shock. The four of them stood transfixed with horror under the Invisibility Cloak. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, behind them, they heard a wild howling.

"Hagrid," Harry muttered. Without thinking about what he was doing, he made to turn back, but both Ron and Johnny seized his arms.

"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him...."

Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven.

"How -- could -- they?" she choked. "How could they?"

Johnny stayed silent, kissing Hermione's head and drawing circles in her back.

"Come on," said Ron, whose teeth seemed to be chattering.

They set off back toward the castle, walking slowly to keep themselves hidden under the cloak. The light was fading fast now.

By the time they reached open ground, darkness was settling like a spell around them.

"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, You stupid rat? Stay still -- OUCH! He bit me!"

"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be out here in a minute --"

"He won't -- stay -- put --"

Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.

"What's the matter with him?"

But Johnny had just seen -- stinking toward them, their body low to the ground, wide two sets of eyes glinting eerily in the darkness -- Crookshanks and Quorra.

"Oh no!" Johnny moaned, glancing over his shoulder. "No, go away! Go away!"

But the cats was getting nearer --

"Scabbers -- NO!"

Too late -- the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks and Quorra sprang after him, and before Johnny, Harry or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.

"Ron!" Hermione moaned.

Harry, Hermione and Johnny looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; they pulled it off and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron; they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Quorra.

"Get away from him -- get away -- Scabbers, come here --"

There was a loud thud.

"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat --"

Johnny, Harry and Hermione almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.

"Ron -- come on back under the cloak --" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore -- the Minister -- they'll be coming back out in a minute --"

But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws.... Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow -- an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.

Johnny reached for his wand, but too late -- the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest; he keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth -

But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it rolled off him. Dazed, feeling as though his ribs were broken, Johnny tried to stand up; he could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack.

Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Johnny aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harry lunged forward, he seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll --

Then, out of nowhere, something hit Johnny so hard across the face he was knocked off his feet again. He heard Hermione and Harry shriek with pain and fall too.

Johnny groped for his wand, blinking blood out of his eyes

"Lumos!" he whispered.

The wandlight showed him the trunk of a thick tree; they had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop them going nearer.

And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backward into a large gap in the roots -- Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight --

"Ron!" Johnny shouted, trying to follow, but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and he was forced backward again.

All they could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him farther underground -- but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken, and a moment later, his foot vanished from sight.

"Harry, Johnny -- we've got to go for help --" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.

"No! That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got time --"

"Johnny -- we're never going to get through without help --"

"Immobilus!" Johnny yelled, pointing his wand at the tree. Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shook.

They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks and Quorra had slid into it with a flick of their tails. Johnny went next; he crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down an earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from his wand. Seconds later, Hermione  and Harry slithered down beside him.

"Where's Ron?" she whispered in a terrified voice.

"This way," said Johnny, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.

"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind him.

"We don't know... It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it... It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade..." Harry explained.

They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double; ahead of them, Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes... All Johnny could think of was Ron and what the enormous dog might be doing to him... He was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch....

And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks and Quorra had gone. Ahead Johnny could see a patch of dim light through a small opening.

They paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. Both raised their wands to see what lay beyond.

It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.

Johnny glanced at Hermione and Harry. Hermione looked very frightened but nodded.

Johnny pulled himself out of the hole, staring around. The room was deserted, but a door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed Johnny's arm again. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows.

"Babe," she whispered, "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack."

Johnny looked around. His eyes fell on a wooden chair near them. Large chunks had been torn out of it; one of the legs had been ripped off entirely.

"Ghosts didn't do that," Johnny said slowly.

At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. Both of them looked up at the ceiling. Hermione's grip on Johnny's arm was so tight he was losing feeling in his fingers.

Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.

They reached the dark landing.

"Nox," they whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod.

Wand held tightly before him, Johnny kicked the door wide open.

On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks and Quorra, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron.

Johnny, Harry and Hermione dashed across to him.

"Ron -- are you okay?"

"Where's the dog?"

"Not a dog," Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Guys, it's a trap, Grindelwald, he has help--"

"What --"

"Grindelwald's a Raven! The help is a dog... they're Animagus's."

Ron was staring over Johnny's shoulder. Johnny wheeled around. With a snap, two men in the shadows closed the door behind them.

A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Jakob Grindelwald, and Sirius Black.

"Expelliarmus!" he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them.

Johnny's, Harry's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Jakob caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on Harry and Johnny.

"How could you?!" Johnny yelled, jabbing a finger at Sirius. "What about your husband? Your daughter?"

"They know the truth," Sirius muttered, his eyes cast downwards.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," Grindelwald said hoarsely.

His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "Your father, Johnny's uncle, would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful... it will make everything much easier...."

The taunt about his uncle rang in Johnny's ears as though his father had bellowed it. A boiling hate erupted in Johnny's chest, leaving no place for fear. For the first time in his life, he wanted his wand back in his hand, not to defend himself, but to attack... to kill. Without knowing what he was doing, he started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of him and two pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back...

"No, Johnny!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Sirius and Jakob.

"If you want to kill Harry or Johnny, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.

Something flickered in Sirius's shadowed eyes.

"Lie down," Sirius said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all four of us!"

"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Grindelwald, and his grin widened.

"Why's that?" Johnny spat, trying to wrench himself free of Harry and Hermione. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew... What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Johnny!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"

"HE KILLED MY AUNT AND UNCLE!" Johnny roared. "Harry, you must want revenge? Back me up and let's get it!"

Harry stayed still, and with a huge effort Johnny broke free of Hermione's and Harry's restraint and lunged forward --

He had forgotten about magic. His father was a tall, full-grown man -- but all Johnny knew was that he wanted to hurt his father as badly as he could and that he didn't care how much he got hurt in return --

Perhaps it was the shock of Johnny doing something so stupid, but Jakob nor Sirius raised their wands in time -- one of Johnny's hands fastened over his fathers wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of Johnny's other hand collided with the side of his fathers head and they fell, backward, into the wall --

Hermione was screaming; Ron and Harry was yelling; there was a blinding flash as the wands in Jakob's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Johnny's face by inches; Johnny felt the shrunken arm under his fingers twisting madly, but he clung on, his other hand punching every part of his father it could find.

But Jakob's free hand had found Johnny's throat

"No," he hissed, "I've waited too long --"

The fingers tightened, Johnny choked.

Then he saw Hermione's foot swing out of nowhere. Jakob let go of his son with a grunt of pain; Ron had thrown himself on Jakob's wand hand and Harry disarmed a shocked Sirius --

Johnny fought free of the tangle of bodies and saw his own wand rolling across the floor; he threw himself toward it but

"Argh!"

Crookshanks had joined the fray; both sets of front claws had sunk themselves deep into Johnny's arm; Johnny threw him off, but Crookshanks now darted towards Johnny's wand --

"NO YOU DON'T!" roared Johnny, and he aimed a kick at Crookshanks that made the cat leap aside, spitting; Johnny snatched up his wand and turned --

"Get out of the way!" he shouted at Harry, Ron and Hermione.

They didn't need telling twice. Hermione, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up hers, Harry's and Ron's wands. Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg, and Harry sat next to him.

Sirius and Jakob was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. Jakob's thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Johnny walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at Jakob's heart.

"Going to kill me, my son?" Jakob whispered.

"I'm not your son," Johnny said, disgusted. "We might be related through blood, but that doesn't make us family."

Johnny stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at Jakob's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Jakob's left eye and his nose was bleeding.

"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady as he approached them.

Jakob stared up at him out of those sunken eyes.

"He doesn't deny it," Sirius said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Harry repeated, a furious pounding in his ears. "My uncle sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."

"You've got to listen to me," Jakob said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't... You don't understand...."

"Johnny and I understand a lot better than you think," said Harry, and his voice shook more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum... trying to stop Voldemort killing me... and you did that... you did it...."

Before either of them could say another word, something ginger streaked past Harry; Crookshanks leapt onto Jakob's chest and settled himself there, right over his heart. Jakob blinked and looked down at the cat. Quorra however, was still led on the bed, lazily rolling her eyes at the science

"Get off," Jakob murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him.

But Crookshanks sank his claws into Black's robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his ugly, squashed face to Harry and Johnny and looked up at them with those great yellow eyes. To his right, Hermione gave a dry sob.

Johnny stared down at his father, Sirius and Crookshanks, his grip tightening on the wand. So what if he had to kill the cat too? It was in league with his father... If it was prepared to die, trying to protect him, that wasn't Johnny's business... If his father wanted to save it, that only proved he cared more for Crookshanks than for his own son....

Johnny raised the wand. Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge his aunt and uncle. He was going to kill his father. He had to kill him. This was his chance....

The seconds lengthened. And still Johnny stood frozen there, wand poised, Sirius and his father staring up at him, Crookshanks on his chest. Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed; Hermione and Harry was quite silent.

Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor -- someone was moving downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE -- SIRIUS BLACK -- QUICK!"

"Avada-" Johnny went to finish the Killing Curse at his father, but Lupin burst through the door, followed by Evelyn.

"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.

Johnny's wand flew once more out of his hand; so did the two Hermione was holding, and so did Harry's. Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at his husband and Jakob, who still had Crookshanks lying protectively across his chest.

Johnny stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. His father was going to be handed back to the Dementors.

Then Evelyn spoke, in a very tense voice.

"Where is he?"

Johnny looked quickly at his mother. He didn't understand what she meant. Who was she talking about? Johnny turned to look at his father again.

Jakob's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Johnny glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered.

"But then..." Lupin muttered, staring at Jakob so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless" -- Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Jakob, something none of the rest could see, "-- unless he was the one...unless you switched... without telling me?"

Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Jakob nodded.

"Professor, mum," Johnny interrupted loudly, "what's going on --?"

But he never finished the question, because what he saw made his voice die in his throat. Lupin and Evelyn was lowering their wands, gaze fixed at Jakob and Sirius. Lupin helped Sirius up and Evelyn helped Jakob up, the four of them embracing in a hug. Johnny felt as though the bottom had dropped out of his stomach.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.

Lupin let go of the other three and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin and Evelyn, wild-eyed. "You -- you --"

"Hermione --" Evelyn said

"-you and them!"

"Hermione, calm down --"

"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for Lupin --"

"Hermione, listen to me, please" Lupin shouted. "I can explain --"

Johnny could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury.

"I trusted you all of you," Johnny shouted at Lupin, his mother and Sirius, his voice wavering, out of control, "and all the time you've been on his side!"

"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Jakob's friend, same with my husband and Evelyn, but we are now -- Let me explain...."

"NO!" Hermione screamed. "Harry, Johnny, don't trust him, they've been helping Grindelwald get into the castle, Lupin wants you dead too -- he's a werewolf!"

There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Jakob get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry or Johnny dead." An odd shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."

"I'm the same, minus, the werewolf," said Sirius, raising his hand, Evelyn nodding with what he said.

Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Evelyn made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, "Get away from me!"

Evelyn stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, she turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known about Remus?"

"Ages," Hermione whispered. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay..."

"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant... Did you check the lunar chart and realise that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realise that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"

"Both," Hermione said quietly.

Lupin forced a laugh.

"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."

"I'm not," Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf," Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy --"

"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Johnny yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!" He was pointing at his father, who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.

"I have not been helping Jakob," said Lupin. "Same with Evelyn and Sirius. If you'll give us a chance, I'll explain. Look --"

He separated Johnny's, Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner; Johnny caught his, stunned.

"There," said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"

Johnny didn't know what to think. Was it a trick?

"If none of you haven't been helping him," Johnny said, with a furious glance at Jakob, "how did you know he was here?"

"He had came to my house," Sirius said, standing next to Lupin. "Brewed his own truth potion and he spilt everything."

"And Remus and I had your map," said Evelyn. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it --"

"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.

"Of course I know how to work it," said Evelyn, waving her hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Mrs. Talons -- that was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"You wrote --?"

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Harry, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his Hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

She had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet.

"You might have been wearing my brothers old cloak --"

"How d'you know about the cloak?" Harry asked.

"This kids thick in the head," Jakob muttered. "Exactly like James."

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it..." said Evelyn, waving an impatient hand again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"

"I couldn't believe my eyes when Evelyn showed me," said Lupin, pacing. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" said Harry.

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black... I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow --"

"One of us!" Ron said angrily.

"No, Ron," said Evelyn. "Two of you."

She had stopped her pacing, her eyes moving over Ron.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" Evelyn said evenly.

"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," said Lupin. "Could we see him, please?"

Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and made a soft hissing noise.

Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.

"What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"That's not a rat," croaked Jakob suddenly.

"What d'you mean -- of course he's a rat --"

"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," said Evelyn, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."