Don't Forget

A misty, drizzle came down causing a fog to form around the mountains. The weather was appropriate for the current mood. Inside Hagrid's hut, even Fang seemed to know something was happening. Hagrid was so nervous he dropped the milk jug. Hermione quickly offered to clean up the mess.

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

"Dumbledore's done enough," Hagrid said. "He's coming down ter be with me when...when it happens... Great man, Dumbledore. Great man..."

"We'll stay with you too, Hagrid," Hermione said.

"Yeah," Andi nodded.

"Yer to do no such thing. Yeh go back ter the castle, like I told yeh. If Fudge an' Dumbledore catch yeh down here, yeh'll be in trouble, specially you, Harry." Hagrid turned to Ron, "I've got somethin' fer yeh."

"Don't let it be a Flobberworm," Ron muttered.

Harry elbowed him.

Inside a container was Scabbers, squeaking loudly.

"Scabbers!" Ron said gleefully. He picked up the rat and held him tight, "You're alive!"

"Hagrid!" came the voice of Estelle from the other side of the door along with a knock.

"Erm, come in," Hagrid said.

"Oh! Hagrid, I just--" she paused. "What are you four doing here? You'd better get back to the castle before--"

"They're comin'," Hagrid said.

In the distance, coming from the mouth of the castle was Dumbledore, followed by Fudge and the Executioner.

"We were just leaving, Mum," Andi said.

"Go quick, an' don' listen," Hagrid said.

"It'll be alright, Hagrid," Harry said. Ron pulled him by the coat sleeve out the back door.

"I just can't stand it," Hermione whimpered as they ducked around the back.

After watching closely from the edge of the pumpkin patch as the three men entered the hut, Andi, Harry, Ron and Hermione sprinted across the lawn, towards the castle. The sun was setting, castle bright orange through the bottom of the grey clouds.

Ron stopped. "Scabbers, you idiot."

"Come on, Ron!" Andi exclaimed.

"Scabbers, stay put! It's me, Ron."

A door opened at Hagrid's Hut.

"They're getting ready to do it..." Hermione cried.

"I can't hold him!"

The rat was squealing loudly, but not loudly enough for them to miss the swish and thud of the axe.

"I can't believe..." Hermione whispered, tears streaming down her face.

Harry sighed and put his hand on her shoulder, "Poor Hagrid..."

Andi felt chills that had nothing to do with the weather. Her breathing was uneven, "Ron if you..d-don't shut that rat up..."

"OUCH! He bit me!" Ron exclaimed, dropping the squealing rat. Ron went to chase the rat across the darkening grounds.

"Ron, come back!" Hermione yelled. She went after him, Harry and Andi following close behind. Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, was after Scabbers as well. Darkness fell abruptly.

"Gotcha!" Ron exclaimed, driving for the rat. "Get off you stinkin' cat!"

"RON!" Harry yelled, "Move, that's the Whomp--"

"LOOK OUT, BEHIND YOU!" Ron screamed, "IT'S THE GRIM!"

Harry whipped around first, followed in seconds by Hermione and Andi. They faced a giant, black, pale-eyed dog. The same one Andi had seen in the forest, the same one she'd seen 'watching' Quidditch. It looked much more vicious now. It leaped toward them, knocking Harry over. It ran past Harry and to Ron, where it latched onto his leg. Ron was yelling, still clutching onto Scabbers, as the dog dragged him closer the the Whomping Willow.

"Lumos," Harry muttered, rushing towards Ron. At the base of the Whomping Willow's trunk, Ron was being dragged inside a hole.

"We have to go get help!" Hermione exclaimed.

"That dog is big enough to eat him!" Andi yelled.

"We can't go in there!"

"If that dog can, we can," Harry said.

Crookshanks darted out of the darkness to the tree. Near the hole Ron had been drug into, Crookshanks stepped on a knot. It stopped the Willow.

"How...?" Hermione whispered.

"He's friends with the dog," Harry grimaced. "Get behind me."

Andi and Hermione followed Harry deeper and deeper into the tunnel. Ron's yells echoed through the darkness. Andi was scared, tempted to turn back and get her mother who was likely still just at Hagrid's, but was afraid something might happen to Ron. Surely the four of them could fight off a dog? But it felt like something more than that was awaiting them. She couldn't brush off the feeling.

"What are we going to do..." Andi muttered absentmindedly.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked.

"I've got a bad feeling," Harry muttered.

At the end of the tunnel, there was wooden floorboard. Harry climbed up onto it. He pulled Hermione up, then Andi. Ron's yells echoed down stairs beside them.

"This is the Shrieking Shack!" Hermione hissed.

Andi kept a tight grip on her wand as they rushed up the stairs. Ron was inside a room with the door opened. Quickly, they rushed into the room, but the dog wasn't there.

"The dog! Where's the dog?" Harry asked.

"IT'S A TRAP!" Ron yelled, trying to get to his feet, "HE'S THE DOG! HE'S AN ANIMAGUS!"

Behind them, the door shut. Andi jumped and grabbed Harry's arm. There, standing at the door, stood Sirius Black, with his long, matted hair and sunken face. He stepped forward.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us to!" Hermione exclaimed.

"No, only one will die tonight," Sirius said, in a horse, dry voice that hadn't been used much.

"And it'll be you!" Harry yelled, leaped forward, ripping his arm from Andi's grip. Despite the yells of protest from the other three, Harry tackled Sirius Black to the floor.

The door opened again.

"Expelliarmus!" Remus exclaimed.

"Harry!" Estelle exclaimed behind him.

"Mum?" Andi said, relieved.

Harry stood up.

"Well, well, Sirius, looking rather ragged aren't we?" Remus said, wand pointed down at Sirius, who was still on the floor. "Finally the flesh reflects the madness within."

Andi felt like dancing, like smiling. Her mother and Moony had come to save the day.

"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius said.

Smiling, Remus lowered his wand and extended his hand.

"NO!" Andi yelled. There were tears in Andi's eyes. Why was her mother just standing there?

"I trusted you!" Hermione exclaimed, "and all this time, you've been his friend! He's a werewolf, that's why he's been missing classes!"

"How long have you know?" Remus asked, moving a step closer to them glancing at Andi.

"I didn't tell her!" Andi exclaimed.

"Of course you didn't," Estelle said.

"Professor Snape's essay!" Hermione said.

"Well, Hermione, you really are the brightest witch of your age," Remus smiled grimly.

"Estelle..." Sirius said.

She smiled at him and threw her arms around him. "I missed you."

"Yes, I missed you too. After this is taken care of, we'll have all the time in the world..."

Andi's mind was racing. Over a year ago, when she asked her mother about her father she said he was in Azkaban for something he didn't do. Sirius Black knew her mother, they went to school together. It couldn't be--

"OH MY GOD!" Andi exclaimed, suddenly. She was standing in the room with her father for the first time and it made her want to throw up. Her mother was obviously wrong, and Remus was even in on it. What was going on? She was horrified.

"Andi, are you alright?" Harry asked.

It was at the same moment that Sirius had bothered to connect the dots. Of course, Estelle had addressed her as Andromeda moments ago. His heart sank, ached to think that his daughter was disgusted to be in the same room with him. Estelle hadn't bothered to explain anything after all...

Estelle stood on the spot unsure of what to say, what to do.

An unsettling silence filled the room for a moment before Andi spoke. "You--All of you--When was someone going to tell me! I can't--I can't..."

"Andi, what you've got to understand is, Sirius is not what you think he is," Remus said, in a very calm voice.

"You're all traitors!" Andi exclaimed, drawing her wand and clutching Harry's loose sleeve again. Tears were steaming down her face. "Don't come near me!"

"If you will all just listen for a moment, I'm sure we can sort everything out," Remus said. "We'll even drop our weapons."

Remus put his wand on the floor and stepped back. Estelle and Sirius did so as well, except more reluctantly.

"If you haven't been helping him, then how did you know we were up here?" Harry questioned.

"The map," Remus said.

"You knew how it worked?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Remus aid, seeming to be the only one in the room stable enough to do any explaining. "I helped write it. I'm Moony-- it was my nickname in school."

Andi let out a small sob.

"Wrote it..?"

"The important thing is, I was looking at it tonight," Remus said. "I noticed someone else accompanying you back from Hagrid's."

"No one else was with us!" Andi yelled through tears.

"I'm afraid there was," Remus said. "Peter Pettigrew."

"What?" Harry questioned.

"He's an animagus," Remus said. "Ron's rat."

Estelle covered her face with her hands, "I can't believe it. For years...for so long, right under my nose and I didn't realize-- How can I be that daft?"

"Let me see the rat," Sirius said, looking much more dangerous now.

"You're all mental!" Ron exclaimed, pulling Scabbers from his pocket. Crookshanks hissed.

"Pettigrew's dead!" Harry said, "You killed him!"

"I meant to," Sirius growled. He stepped forward.

"Sirius, wait," Remus said. "They have the right to know! He was this boy's pet--"

"I did my waiting!" Sirius cried, "Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!"

"Sirius, please," Estelle whispered. She took his hand.

He turned and looked at her. "Fine," he said. "Tell them, but hurry. I'd like to commit the murder I've been imprisoned for."

"A whole street full of people saw Pettigrew die!" Harry said.

"They saw wrong," Sirius said, quietly.

"I believed it myself until I saw the map," Remus said. "Peter's alive. Ron's holding him."

"Professor Lupin." Hermione spoke up, voice trembling, "Scabbers can't be Pettigrew....and you know it..."

"Why not, Hermione?" Remus asked, as if they were back in the classroom.

"When we studied Animagus in Transfiguration, I looked up the list of registered Animagus and Peter Pettigrew wasn't on the list."

"Ah, but it wouldn't be," Remus chuckled, despite the situation. "There were four unregistered Animagus running around this school. Three of them are in this room."

"It's true," Estelle said.

"Another crime to add to Black's list!" Andi exclaimed tearfully, "So what?"

"Andi, please," Estelle said stepping forward.

"Don't!" she pointed her wand at her mother.

Estelle sighed, "I know you're mad at me."

"I have every right to be," Andi snapped.

"But you've got to listen to us," Estelle said.

"Listen to Remus you mean," Andi said. "You can't even explain anything! You didn't even tell me you were an Animagus!"

"It's not something I go around bragging about considering I did it illegally," Estelle said. "Andi, listen! I knew you'd act like this. I couldn't find the right time to tell you."

"Well, this sure as hell wasn't the right time!" Andi exclaimed. "I don't know who I hate more."

Estelle exhaled. Sirius looked at the ground. What had he done to deserve this?

A floorboard creek and the door began to open.

"This place is haunted!" Ron yelled, breaking the silence.

"No, it isn't," Remus said. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted. The howls and screams heard by the villagers were made by me." He sighed, "That's where this all begins-- with me becoming a werewolf. None of this would have happened if I hadn't been bitten...if I hadn't been so foolish."

He pushed his greying hair out of his eyes.

"I was six years old when I was bitten." he said. " I became a full fledged monster. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Dumbledore was sympathetic though. He let me come, but there were certain precautions that had to be taken. The Whomping Willow was planted so that I could attend. This house," he looked around miserably. Andi felt a surge of sympathy. Maybe he had nothing to do with it after all... "--it was for my use. Once a month, I was brought here to transform. The tree was placed at the mouth of the tunnel to ensure that no students could get down it.

"In those days, my transformations were...terrible. It hurt very badly to transform and since I was away from humans to bite, I hurt myself. The villagers thought my screams were a particularly violent spirit. Dumbledore encouraged the rumors.

"Apart from being...what I am, I was happier than ever before at Hogwarts. For the first time, I had friends. Four wonderful friends. Sirius Black..."

Sirius cracked a half-smile.

"Estelle Grant..."

Estelle was on the verge of tears.

"Peter Pettigrew..."

The rat squeaked more loudly than ever, struggling to get free.

"And of course--your father, Harry--James Potter."

Harry looked down at the floorboards.

"My four very close, very great friends, couldn't fail to notice I was disappearing once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. Sirius just wouldn't leave it. I was terrified," Remus grimaced, "that my only friends would desert me when they found out. But of course, they got the truth out.

"And they didn't abandon me at all! Instead, they did something that would not only make my transformations bearable, but possibly the best times in my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Remus said.

"Professor Lupin... how did that help you?" Hermione asked.

"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they did so as animals," Remus said. "They snuck off under Jame's Invisibility Cloak. With them, I became less dangerous. High possibilities opened up and we started leaving the shack to roam the grounds. I highly doubt any student ever found out more about Hogwarts than we did." (Andi couldn't help but think of Fred and George.) "That's how we came to write the map. We signed with our nicknames; Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. Estelle refused to sign, thinking we could've gotten into some kind of trouble."

"And we did," Estelle added.

"But that was still very dangerous," Hermione said. "What if someone had gotten bitten?"

"A thought that still haunts me every day," Remus said. "We were young, careless, and caught up in out own cleverness... I felt guilty sometimes, betraying Dumbledore's trust. I lead four students to become Animagus illegally."

"Remus, you can't blame yourself for what we decided to do," Estelle said.

"I've yet to change," he went on, ignoring her. "This year, I've been wondering whether or not Dumbledore should know Sirius is an Animagus. I never told. Why? I've been too cowardly. It meant admitting I'd betrayed his trust. In a way, Snape's been right all along..."

"Snape?" Sirius questioned, "What's he got to do with this?"

"He's a teacher here as well," Remus said.

"Well, isn't this year a big bloody school reunion then?" Sirius muttered.

"Professor Snape went to school with us too," Estelle said. "He fought unfairly hard against Remus getting the Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

"He's been telling Dumbledore all year we're not to be trusted," Remus said. "He has his reasons, you see, Sirius played a trick on him which could have killed him-- a trick that involved me..."

"Well, it served him right," Sirius said. "Sneaking around trying to find out what we were up to. Trying to get us expelled."

"Severus was interested in where I went each month," Remus continued. "We didn't like each other much. He hated James. Jealous, I think... Anyway, he saw me crossing the grounds. Sirius thought it would be...amusing to tell Snape how to get to me..."

"I hardly thought he'd be thick enough to try," Sirius added, hastily.

"James saved the day. He pulled Snape away just as he faced me. Snape saw me, saw what I was...but swore to Dumbledore he wouldn't tell."

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you--or you," Harry said towards Remus and Estelle. "He thought you were all in on it."

"That's right," sneered a cold voice. Snape appeared from around the edge of the doorway, pointing his wand at Remus.

Hermione screamed. Andi jumped, latching back onto Harry's arm.

"And I suppose you're all wondering how I knew you were here?" Snape gloated, "Well, thanks to Professor Lupin, a certain map was laying out for my viewing, right where I usually left your potion, which you failed to take tonight."

"Severus," Remus began, "please, l--"

"I knew you were helping an old friend into the castle," Snape said. "Both of you." He turned his wand on Estelle. "Especially you."

"If you would only listen--"

Snape cut off Estelle as well. "I don't need to listen to you. All wandless, like fools."

"I knew we shouldn't have laid those down," Estelle muttered. The three adults were now standing close together.

Andi couldn't believe what was happening. She was torn as of now, because somehow it made sense that Scabbers was this man. She trusted her mother's judgement and knew she couldn't be wrong about Sirius, could she? She trusted Moony with all her heart too. Snape wasn't helping the situation, he was in fact, making her very angry. These were people she cared about.

"Three for Azkaban tonight!" Snape said, victoriously.

"You fool," Remus said, "letting a school boy grudge put an innocent man in Azkaban."

There was a bang, then a thud as chords erupted from the end of Snape's wand and bound Remus. Andi screamed and Sirius started towards Snape.

Snape pointed his wand directly as Sirius' heart. "Give me a reason," he hissed. "Give me a reason and I swear I'll do it."

"Don't!" Andi yelled, tears in her eyes, "Professor, please--"

"How very touching," Snape said in a mocking voice. Estelle took a step forward. "Estelle, don't give me a reason to harm you."

Estelle glared at Snape with every ounce of loathing she could muster.

"Professor Snape, it...wouldn't hurt to hear what they have to say, would it?" Hermione said quietly.

"Miss Granger, you are already facing expulsion from this school," Snape said. "You, Potter, Weasley, and Grant are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life hold your tongue."

"But, if there was a mistake--"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL," Snape shouted, "DON'T SPEAK OF WHAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND!"

Andi had seen Snape sneer, grit his teeth, and look miserable, but never had she seen him look so derranged.

"You have to listen!" Estelle yelled.

"I don't have to do anything. Venegence is sweet," Snape whispered. "How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

"If that boy brings that rat up to the castle, I'll come quietly," Sirius said, looking defeated.

"Up to the castle?" Snape's lip almost curled. "Oh, there will be no need for that. The Dementors are outside, waiting. Do I detect a flicker of fear? Yes. They say the Dementors kiss is unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best."

Sirius had drained of what color he had left.

Andi felt tears in her eyes again.

"Severus, please listen!" Estelle cried.

"Come on, all of you," Snape said.

Harry had moved to the doorway.

Andi had her wand in her hand.

"Get out of my way, Potter," Snape snarled. "You're in enough trouble. If I hadn't been here to save your life--"

"I've been alone with Professor Grant outside of school," Harry said. "Tons of times, actually. You think she would allow something to happen to me--or most especailly, her daughter? And Professor Lupin could've killed me about a hundred times. I've been alone with him loads of times this year. If he wanted to kill me, don't you think he would've?"

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," Snape said. "Get out of my way."

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled, "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU IN SCHOOL YOU WON'T LISTEN--"

"SILENCE!" Snape breathed. "I will NOT be spoken to that way! Like father like son, Potter! I just saved your neck. You should be thanking me! You would have been well-served had Black killed you! You'd have died like your father, to arrogant to see you made a mistake in trusting Black!"

"Expelliarmus!" Andi yelled, with everything she had. Snape fell against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

"Andi!" Estelle exclaimed.

"You shouldn't have done that," Sirius said, "You should have left him to me."

Andi swallowed hard. Those were the first words her father had ever spoken directly to her. She was unable to speak, wondering if she'd done the right thing afterall.

Estelle leaned down to unbound Remus.

"Thank you, Andi," Remus said, "and Harry."

"I'm still not saying I believe you," Harry said, pointing his own wand.

"It's high time you got proof," Sirius said, angry again. "Give me that rat!"

"Come on!" Ron cried, clutching the rat. "Are we really going to believe them? Sure-- Pettigrew could turn into a rat-- but of all the rats, why this one?"

"That's a fair question, Sirius," Remus said.

Sirius eyed the rat. "Cornelius Fudge came in to inspect something or on business. He had a copy of the Daily Prophet. I asked him if I could have it. I'd lost track of time, of everything... Inside the paper was a picture of the Weasley family. I saw the rat on his shoulder," Sirius looked back at Andi and Harry. "I knew then. I'd run with that rat for years... It was obvious why he'd chosen to stay with the Weasleys--he wanted to stay connected to a wizard family, to see when it was safe to come out of hiding, if it would ever be."

"But," Ron said, "Scabbers has been in my family for--"

"Twelve years?" Sirus said. "Curiously long life for a rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?"

Harry spoke up. "All they could find of Pettigrew was his--"

"Finger!" Sirius said. "The dirt coward cut it off so that everyone would think he was dead. He blew up the street, not me. Then he transformed into a rat..."

"Give him the rat, Ron," Andi said.

"Oh, come on," Ron whimpered. "He-he's not Peter!"

"Give it to him, Ron," Harry said.

Reluctantly, Ron handed the struggling rat over to Sirius.

Estelle picked up her wand and pointed it at the squeaking rat, as did Remus. There was a flash of light, then Scabbers was a man. He was small, hunched-over and still very rat-like.

Ron gasped. Hermione looked appauled. Harry furrowed his eyebrows. Andi held onto Harry's arm again. It was true, Sirus Black was not the murderer. Why on Earth would someone hide out as a rat if they were innocent, she thought? Sirius Black, her father, was innocent. He wasn't bad... In fact, he was very brave to make it through Azkaban, very smart to get out and to find this man who had framed him.

"Remus--S-Sirius, and Estelle," Peter said. "My-my old friends."

"Don't you move," Estelle snarled.