.⊹⁀➷ CHAPTER SEVEN !
↳ ❛godfather❜

A COUPLE OF minutes later the four friends made their way through Hogsmead. "Those weasels! Never told me about any Marauder's Map!", Ron exclaimed betrayed while he shot Harry a curious look.

"He won't keep it. He'll turn it over to Professor McGonagall. Aren't you?", Hermione questioned the boy immediately.

Her left eyebrow was raised strictly as she held a firm eye contact with Harry.

"Sure. Along the way with his invisibility Cloak", Ron murmured sarcastically while he rolled with his eyes.

The group remained silent as they all turned towards the pub, Annabeth though she could remember it being call 'the three broomsticks'.

"Oh, look who it is. Madam Rosmerta!", Hermione smirked to herself before her gaze wandered off towards the other's. "Ron fancies her."

Ron's eyes widened in shock and he immediately stared to argue, "That's not true!"

Suddenly they saw no other than the Minister of Magic himself climbing out of the carriage that had stopped infront of the pub, followed by Professor McGonagall.

They were chatting very emotional before Annabeth overheard the name Sirius Black and Hogsmead.

The Minister took a step closer to Madam Rosmerta and whispered something into her ear.

The blond woman looked at him in pure shock, "The Potter's?" The Minister's eyes widened and he motioned for her to be quiet before the group rushed inside.

Annabeth and Harry exchanged a look before they both quickly climbed under the invisibility cloak.

The two followed after the Minister and the Professor, making their way upstairs.

They carefully opened the door and stepped inside, immediately being greeted by the voice of Madam Rosmerta, who closed the door behind them.

"Tell me what this is all about", the blond woman demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Professor McGonagall didn't waste time. "Years ago, when the Potter's parents realized they were marked for death- Remember? They hid. Few knew where they were. One who did was Sirius Black. And he told You-Know-Who."

The Minister now joined the conversation, "Not only did Black lead him to the Potter's that night- he also killed Peter Pettigrew!"

Annabelth felt how Harry tensed up besides her, his hands formed into fists.

Madam Rosmerta seemed shocked, "Peter Pettigrew?"

"That little lump of a boy. Always trailing after Black", McGonagall discribed him for the woman.

Now the woman nodded confidently, "I remember. Never let James and Sirius out of his sight. What happened?"

"Peter tried to warn the Potters and might have, had he not run into an old friend, Sirius Black." McGonagall explained to Rosmerta in a low voice.

The Ministerade poured himself a drink, "Black was vicious. He didn't kill Pettigrew. He destroyed him! A finger. That's all that was left. A finger. Nothing else."

The brunette girl shudder under the cloak, goosebumps errupting over her whole body.

"Sirius Black may not have put his hands to the Potters but he's the reason they're dead", McGonagall exclaimed before the Minister went on. "And now he wants to finish things!"

"I don't believe it!"

"That's not the worst of it", the Minister stated as he made his way through the room. "What could be worse?"

Professor McGonagall sat down on the couch, looking up to the blond woman. "Sirius Black was and remains to this day, Harry and Annabeth Potters godfather!"

Harry suddenly froze, his eyes were wide and Annabeth just stared into the distance. Her eyes were watering up while Harry suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her after him out of the room.

Annabeth was panting heavily while she tried to keep up with her brother. Her thoughts were racing through her head. She couldn't quiet comprehend what she had just listened to.

Sirius Black, her godfather.

The brunette finally snapped out of it, realizing that she was standing in the middle of the woods.

She was not under the cloak anymore, the snowflakes dancing around her. Her breath was visible in the cold winter air and the hot tears were streaming down her face.

Harry sat on a stone not so far away from her, crying quietly. His footprints were still visible in the snow.

The only thing the brunette could hear was Harry's sobbing. Suddenly Hermione and Ron joined her.

The brunette girl carefully placed a hand on her friends shoulder and the girl gave her a appreciative look.

Hermione then slowly proceeded to pull the cloak down from Harry's sobbing body.

The boy remained silent while he looked at her, tears streaming down his face. "Harry, what happened?"

"He was their friend- and he betrayed them!", Harry shouted loudly, the tears rolling down his cheeks. "He was their friend! I hope he finds me! Because when he does, I'm gonna be ready! When he does, I'm gonna kill him!"

Annabeth watched how her brother got up onto his feet and stormed back towards the castle.

A couple of days had passed by and Harry and Annabeth stood now in Professor Lupins office. "Are you sure? This is very advanced magic, well beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level", the professor stated as he looked down on them questioningly

"I'm sure", the boy stated before he gazed towards his sister. Annabeth nodded her head, "Me too. If we don't learn this, Dumbledore won't let us play in the next Quidditch game."

"Well, everything's prepared. The spell I'm going to teach you is called the Patronus Charm. Did you ever hear of it? No? Well- A Patronus is a positive force. For the wizard who conjures one it works like a shield, with the Dementor feedizon it father than him."

The Professor stopped in his trail, facing them. "But in order for it to work, you need to think of a memory. Not just any memory, a very happy memory, a very powerful memory. Can you do this?"

Annabeth nodded while she hummed in response. "Very well."

The professor raised his arm, "Close your eyes. Concentrate." Annabeth closed her eyes, focusing all her energy on finding a happy memory.

"Explore your past."

The girl rushed through her memory, her meeting Hagrid, who was telling her she was a witch. Her entering Hogwarts for the first time. Or her first Quidditch Game.

"Do you have a memory?" The two nodded in union, not opening their eyes.

"Allow it to fill you up. Lose yourself within it. Then speak the incantation, Expecto Patronum."

The siblings both spoke in synchrony, "Expecto Patronum."

'"Very Good."

The professor stepped besides the large trunk and gave them one last look. "Shall we? Wand at the ready."

Annabeth and Harry immediately pulled out their wands, concentrating on the trunk.

The locks snapped open and Professor Lupin nodded at them before he opened the trunk.

The Bogart in form of a Dementor quickly rose into the air, staring at the two Potters.

Annabeth was the first one to try, she pointed her wand at the Dementor, her mind going back to the day were she rode a broom for the first time.

The girl focused on that memory and spoke the charm, "Expecto Patronum!" The candles besides them went out.

Annabeth tried to fight this empty feeling that spread through her and her voice began to shake. "Expecto- Expecto-! Expec-"

The brunnette's vision started to blur before it went completely dark.

When Annabeth opened her eyes again, she realized that she had fainted. Harry and Professor Lupin sat besides her, helping Annabeth to sit up. "Here you go. Come on, sit up. Deep breaths", the Professor assured the girl.

"It's all right. I didn't expect you to do it the first time. That would've been remarkable!", the man told her before he grabbed into his pocket, revealing a piece of chocolate to them.

"Here eat this. You'll feel better."

Annabeth took the piece from his hands while she stared at the trunk. Harry followed her gaze, "That's one nasty Dementor."

"Oh, no, no, no. That's a bogart, Harry. A bogart", the Professor told him while he turned the candles back on.
"The real thing would've been worse. Much, much worse."

The Professor then turned towards Annabeth, a curious look on his face. "As a matter of interest, what were you thinking? Which memory did you choose?"

Annabeth looked down into the floor while she carefully stood up, "The first time I rode a broom."

Professor Lupin gave her a surprised look, "That's not good enough. Not nearly good enough, Annabeth."

"I think I need a short break, Sir", the brunette told him, with an exhausted face expression.

Lupin nodded at her, and after that Harry tried, to Annabeth's relief her brother didn't succeeded the first time either, but the second time, he managed to get the Bogart back into the trunk.

"Well, done Harry! Now, Annabeth do you want to try again?", the man raised an eyebrow at her.

The brunette nodded at him while she took her place infront of the trunk. Watching how the Dementor rose into the air, she remembered how her parents put her to sleep, talking to her. She could hear her mother's voice speaking about love.

"You are so loved, Annie."

"Expecto Patronum!", the brunette exclaimed and a large white stream of light shot out of her wand, pushing the Bogart back into the trunk.

"Well done, Annabeth!", the Professor exclaimed while he closed the trunk, looking at the twins with a smile.

"I think we had enough for today, Sir", Harry told the man while they sat down onto the stone stairs.

"Yes. Eats this, it helps. It really helps", the Professor told them while he handed the two a pice of chocolate.
"And just so you two know, I think you'd have given your father a run for his money. And that- is saying something."

"I was thinking of him- and Mum. Seeing their faces. They were talking to me. Just talking. That's the memory I chose. I don't even know if it's real. But it's the best I have."

"BEAUTIFUL DAY", Hermione exclaimed while they entered the courtyard. "Gorgeous! Unless you've been ripped to pieces!", Ron exclaimed spiteful while he shot Hermione a dark glare.

"Ripped to pieces?!", Harry repeated Ron's words in shock. "What are you talking about?"

Hermione seemed very annoyed by Ron's behavior while she walked infront of the group, "Ronald has lost his rat."

Ron's eyes widened in betrayal, "I haven't lost anything! Your cat killed him!" Hermione shook her head to herself, "Rubbish!"

"Harry! You've seen the way the bloodthirsty beats of hers is always lurking about. And Scabbers is gone!", Ron now treid to evolve Harry into the fight.

Hermione suddenly spun around to them, walking backwards, "Well, maybe you should take better care of your pets!"

"Your cat killed him!"

"Did not!"

"Did!"

"Didn't!"

Annabeth let out a quiet sighed, while listening to her friends banter. In the matter of a couple minutes, the four had reached the woods.

And after hearing some more of Hermione's and Ron's banter, they'd reached the lake. Hagrid was standing in the flat water, throwing stones over the water surface.

"How did it go, Hagrid? The hearing!?", Annabeth exclaimed while they looked at his back.

"Well, first off, the committee members took turns talking about why we were there. And than I got up and did my piece. Said how Buckbeak was a good hippogriff, always cleaned his feathers. And then Lucius Malfoy got up. Well, you can imagine. He said Buckbeak was a deadly and dangerous creature who would kill you as soon as look at you."

"And then?", Hermione questioned him, worry visible on her face. "And then for the worst, did old Lucius", Hagrid told them, not turning to face the four students.

Ron seemed shocked, "They're not sacking you!"

"No, I'm not sacked", Hagrid inhaled deeply before he spoke up once more. "Buckbeak's been sentenced to death!" The man began sobbing quietly, which made Annabeth get out of her shoes as fast as she could.

The brunette then pulled her pants up to her knees and quickly went into the water, hugging Hagrid for a long moment.

"I'm sorry."

There was nothing much the four could do for Hagrid, no one could change the scentence of the ministry.

Annabeth felt sad while she laid in her bed, her eyes fixed on the window. The moonlight fell into the room, spending the only light at the moment.

Annabeth furrowed her eyebrows as she saw someone moving outside her door. The brunette felt her heart speed up while she quickly grabbed her wand from her night stand.

Slowly approached the door she held up her wand, only to jump in surprise, when no other than Harry stuck his head into the room.

"Annabeth?"

"Are you mad?" She immediately questioned him in anger. "Wandering around the common room at night when you know that Sirius Black could be waiting for you!", Annabeth hissed at her brother, who quickly pulled her out into the hallway.

Harry just looked at her and held the Map out for her to take a look at, "I saw someone on the map, look!"

The brunnette frowned at her brother before she let her eyes travel over the pap.

She suddenly frowned even deeper, her eyes fixing on a little flag that was near the Charms classroom, labeled, "Peter Pettigrew"

Annabeth could immediately hear McGonagalls and the Ministers voices echoing through her head.

"Little lump of a boy! Always trailing after Sirius Black."

"Black was vicious! He didn't kill Pettigrew, he destroyed him!"

The brunette met Harrys gaze, the frown still plastered on her face, "How- how is this possible?"

Harry remained silent, but then he pulled out his wand, "We have to find out."

Annabeth had a bad feeling about this, wandering through the corridors at night, with a murderer on the lose. Sirius Black made it once inside the casel, he could do it again.

The brunette exhaled deeply before she pulled her wand out as well, whispering, "Lumos."

Harry was right besides her when the two made their way through the Castel. They were nearly there, their wands at the ready.

"Put that light out!", one of the painting spat at them annoyed. "Sorry."

Harry had the map still in his hands, his wand spending him light to read it.

Annabeth grew more and more nervous, when she saw how the name tag of Pettigrew came towards them. It was very weird, normally, they should see him by now, but there was nothing but darkness infront of them.

They both started to hectically point their wand in every direction. Annabeth stared to pant heavily while her pulse got faster and faster. Her heart felt like it would jump out of her chest ever second now. "Harry, I don't like this."

The foot print had now reached then and the twins turned towards the prints when they passed them.

Suddenly Harry let out a scream, spotting himself in the mirror, which let Annabeth flinch in fear.

The boy besides her inhales deeply before he looked back at the map.

Annabeth continued to wave her wand around, trying to get a glimps at Pettigrew, if he had ever even been there in the first place.

The footprint were now around the corner and the two were alone again.
"Watch it there boy! We're trying to sleep here!", one of the painting shot Harry a glare.

Harry's gaze wander towards the map once more and he quickly turned out his wand, "Quick, Annabeth. Snape is around the corner!"

He pointed at the map, "Mischief managed!" The girl quickly spun around and swung her wand, "Nox!"

But after a moment of darkness, a light went on and Snaps appeared infront of them. Holding them at Wand point, he eyed them curiously, "Potters! What are you doing wandering the corridors at night?"

"I was sleepwalking", Harry immediately stated and Annabeth nodded. "Yes, I heard him from my dormitory and wanted to wake him up from his daze."

The Professor didn't buy it even a little bit, he eyes Harry closely, "How extraordinary like your father you are, Potter. He, too, was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle."

Harris gaze immediately darkened, "My dad didn't strut. And nor do I. If you don't mind. I would appreciate it if you could lower your wand."

Snape's face seemed bored while he slowly lowered his wand on chest level. "Turn out your pockets", he commanded in a low and unimpressed tone.

"Both of you. Turn out your pockets", Snape states once more when none of them made any movements.

Annabeth pulled the insides of her pockets out, showing that she had nothing in them, meanwhile Harry, pulled out the map.

Snape took a step forward, eyeing the map Harry held in his hands, "What's this?"

"Spare bit of parchment", Harry simply told him, while shrugging.

"Really? Open it", Snap told him and Harry slowly opened it for him. Snape then pointed his wand at the parchment, "Reveal your secrets."

Annabeth and Harry could watch how the Map revealed a couple of words to them.

"Read it", Snap demanded while he stared at them with raised eyebrows.

Annabeth gave him a unsure look, "I don't think we should, Professor." The man gave her a dark look, "Read it."

Harry shrugged and then read to him aloud, "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Patfood and Prongs- offer their compliments to Professor Snape and-" Harry stopped in the middle of the scentece.

"Go on!"

Harry looked up at the Professor, finishing the scentece, "- And request that he keeps his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."

Snape's face scrunched up into a expression of hatred, "Oh, you insolent little-!"

Out of nowhere Professor Lupin suddenly appeared behind Professor Snape in the dark corridor. "Professor!"

Snape immediately spun around to Lupin, his wand still spending the only light that lit the corridor. "Well, well, Lupin. Out for a little walk in the moonlight, are we?"

Annabeth frowned at the choice of words from the potions Professor. Lupin just ignored Snape's comment, "Harry, Annabeth, are you all right?"

"That remains to be seen", Snape states while he snatched the map out of Harry's hand. "I have now just confiscated a rather curious artifact. Take a look, Lupin. Supposed to be your area of expertise."

Lupin took the Marauders map from Snape's hand and eyed it closely. "Clearly, it's full of dark magic", Snape stated while he watched Lupin.

Lupin frowned at the potions Professor and shook his head, "I seriously doubt it, Severus. It look as thought it's a parchment designed to insult anyone who tries to read it. I suspect it's a Zonko product."

Snape wanted to grab the map from Lupin but the Professor for Defense against the dark arts pulled into away, "Nevertheless, I shall investigate any hidden qualities it may possess. It is, after all, as you say, my area of expertise."

Lupin then looked back at the twins, "Harry, Annabeth, would you come with me, please?" His gaze wandered back to Snape, "Professor, good night."

The two carefully afe their way past Snape, avoiding eye contact with The Professior before they followed Lupin to the Defense against the Dark arts class room.

"Come in." The Professor entered the room before them, "I haven't the faintest idea how this map came to be in your possession, but quiet frankly, I am astounded that neither one of you handed it in."

Lupin tuned to face them both, a look of disappointment on his face, "Did it ever occur to you that this in the hands of Sirius Black is a Map to you?"

Annabeth slowly shook her head, looking down onto the ground. "No, Sir."

"No."

The man approached the two slowly, "Your father never set much store by the rules either. But he and your mother gave their lives to save yours. Gambling their sacrifice by wandering the castle unprotected with a killer on the lose seems to me a poor way to repay them!"

His voice had gotta louder while he stared at them, the map still in his hands.

"Now, I will not cover up for you two again. Do you hear me?", he warned the two students with raised eyebrows. They both nodded at him, "Yes, sir."

"I want you to return to your dormitories and stay there", Lupin told them and Harry nodded his head before they both made their way towards the door.

"And don't take any detours. If you do, I shall know", the Professor held the map up into the air, giving them a warning look.

The man then turned and made his way up to his dormitory, but Annabeth remained standing by the door. "Professor?"

Lupin glanced back at her before he turned to face the girl, "Yes?"

"Just so you know, I don't think the map always works", the brunnette paused as she narrowed her eyes, thinking back to the rather confusing events in the corridor.

She exchanged a unsure look with Harry, but continued anyway. "Earlier, it showed someone in the castle. Someone I know to be dead."

"Oh, really? And who might that be?", the Professor question her curiously. Annabeth didn't hesitated to answer him, a unwell feeling spreading in her stomach, "Peter Pettigrew."

Professor Lupin had a disbelieving look plastered all over his face. He shook his head slightly, "That's not possible."

The brunnette girl shrugged with her shoulders, "That's just what I saw." She then turned to Harry before she gave Lupin one last look, "Goodnight, Professor."