Together [HP]

"Harry, we've got to get help," cried Hermione, who was also bleeding and the Whomping Willow had cut her shoulder.

"No! That thing is big enough to eat him, we don't have time!"

"No one is helping, we can't deal with it anyway!"

Another branch came at them, twigs twisted together like fists.

"If the dog can get in, so can we," gasped Harry, running to and fro, trying to find a way between the viciously waving branches, but he was able to keep going without being beaten by them. An inch would not come near the base of that tree.

"Oh, help, help," whispered Hermione frantically, bouncing around unsteadily, "Excuse me..."

Crookshanks charged forward.It slinked among the branches like a snake, and then it rested its front paws on a knot in the trunk.

All of a sudden, it seemed as if the tree had turned into marble, and it didn't move anymore, and all the leaves were still.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered, uncertain.Now she held Harry's arm so hard it hurt. "How does it know?"

"It's friends with that dog," said Harry darkly. "I've seen them together. Come on, hold your wand."

"That's impossible," Hermione said softly, seemingly unwilling to approach the tree, "She, she shouldn't, she can't..."

Harry acted as if he hadn't heard them, and within seconds they were at the side of the tree trunk, but before they reached the opening Crookshanks slipped in with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. up.

Harry followed in.He rushed his head forward and crawled in, then slid down a dirt slope, until it turned into a very low tunnel.Crookshanks was a short distance ahead, its eyes gleaming in the light from Harry's wand.Seconds later, Hermione waddled up beside Harry.

"Where's Ron?" she asked terrified.

"Here," said Harry.He hunched over and followed Crookshanks forward.

"Where is the exit of this tunnel?" Hermione asked breathlessly behind Harry.

"Don't know. The passage is marked on the Marauder's Map, but Fred and George say it's never been traveled. The road disappears at the edge of the map, but it looks like it ends at Hogsmew Decun."

They went on as fast as they could, stooping almost no more; Crookshanks ahead of them, tail bobbing up and down, flickering in and out.The passage was endless, and felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes.All Harry could think of was Ron, and what the big dog would do to Ron.His breathing was short of breath and his chest hurt as he ran forward with his head down and stooped.Then, the tunnel began to rise; after a certain distance, the tunnel became curved and Crookshanks disappeared.But, through a small opening, Harry could see a faint ray of light.

Harry and Hermione stopped, took a breath, and moved sideways.Both raised their wands to shine their way, to see what lay ahead.

It was a house, a messy, dusty house.The wallpaper had come off the walls, the floor was stained all over, pieces of furniture were broken and looked like they had been broken, the windows were boarded up.

Harry glanced at Hermione, who looked tired, but nodded.

Harry forced his way out of the hole and looked around.There was no one in the room, but a door to the right was open, leading to a dark passage.Hermione grabbed Harry's arm again suddenly, her large eyes scanning the boarded-up windows. "Harry," she whispered, "I think we're in the Shrieking Shack." Harry looked around.His eyes fell on a nearby wooden chair, a large piece of wood had been torn from it, and a leg was missing.

"A ghost wouldn't do such a thing," he said slowly.

At this time, there was a creaking sound from above, and something was moving upstairs.Both looked up at the ceiling.Hermione gripped Harry's arm so tightly that Harry lost feeling in his fingers.He raised an eyebrow at her, and she nodded again, letting go of his arm.

They crept out into the hall as quietly as possible.Climb the stairs that are about to collapse.Everything was covered with a thick layer of dust, but the floor was not, and something had been dragged up the stairs, leaving a broad shiny mark on the floor.

They came to the dark landing.

"Knox." The two murmured together, and the light at the ends of the two wands disappeared.

One door is open.Sneaking past, they heard movement behind the door: a low moan, then a satisfied cat purr, deep and loud.They exchanged a final look and nodded.

Harry gripped his wand tightly and kicked open the door.

A sumptuous four-poster bed with dusty curtains all around, Crookshanks crouched on it, whining loudly with satisfaction at the sight of them.On the floor next to Crookshanks, Ron was clutching one of his legs, stretching out unnaturally.

Harry and Hermione rushed up to him.

"Ron, are you okay?"

"Where did that dog go?"

"Not a dog," Ron moaned.He gritted his teeth tightly because of the pain. "Harry, this is a trap."

"what"

"He's the dog. He's an Animagus."

Ron looked over Harry's shoulder.Harry turned quickly.With a snap, the figure in the shadows closed the door behind them.

A clump of dirty, tangled hair hung down to his elbows; he might have been a corpse if the eyes, hidden in deep, dark sockets, hadn't glowed; It looks like a skull.Grinning with his yellow teeth bared, it was Sirius Black.

"Expelliarmus!" he said hoarsely, pointing Ron's wand at them.Both Harry's and Hermione's wands flew high in the air, and were caught by Black.Then he took a step forward.He stared at Harry.

"I thought you'd come to help a friend," he said hoarsely.His voice sounded like he hadn't spoken in a long time. "Your dad would have done the same to me. You guys were brave enough not to go to the teacher. I'm grateful it makes things so much easier."

His taunts to his father echoed in Harry's ears, as if Black had just shouted them out loud.Hatred boiled in Harry's chest, so there was no place for fear to stay.For the first time in his life he wanted the wand back so badly, not to defend himself, but to attack, to kill.He rushed forward, not knowing what he was going to do, but there were sudden movements on both sides of him, and both hands grabbed him and dragged him back.

"No. Harry!" Hermione whispered to him in fear.Ron, however, spoke to Black.

"If you're going to kill Harry, you're going to kill us too!" he said furiously, even though the effort to get to his feet had made him even paler, and he shook a little as he spoke.Something flickered in Black's dark eyes.

"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron, "you're going to hurt that leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, even though he was holding Harry painfully now to get upright. "You must kill all three of us!"

"There's only going to be one murder here tonight," said Blake, his smile widening.

"Why?" Harry spat, struggling to get away from Ron and Hermione. "I didn't care last time. Is it to get Peter Pettigrew, so that I can kill so many Muggles without caring. What does it matter if I go crazy in Azkaban?"

"Harry!" Hermione sobbed, "Quiet!"

"He killed my Mum and Dad!" Harry yelled, pulling himself free from Ron and Hermione's restraints and rushing forward.He forgot about the magic, he forgot that he was short and thin, only thirteen, and that Blake was a tall adult.All Harry knew was that he wanted to hurt Black as much as possible, not how much he was hurt by it.

Perhaps out of shock at seeing Harry do such a foolish thing, Black didn't raise his wand in time.One of Harry's hands caught Black's wand-holding hand, forcing the end of the wand to change direction; the knuckles of Harry's other hand hit the side of Black's head, and the two fell backward, colliding with each other. the wall.

Hermione screamed; Ron screamed; the wand in Black's hand sent a spark into the air inches from Harry's face; Harry felt the shriveled arm writhe beneath his fingers wildly, but He held onto it, and with his other hand he slammed every part of Blake's body within his reach.But Black's free hand found Harry's throat.

"No," he whispered, "I've waited too long." Fingers clenched, Harry gasped, his glasses tilted to one side.

Then he saw Hermione's foot kick out of nowhere.Black snorted in pain and let Harry go.Ron threw himself on Black's wand-hand, and Harry heard a soft thump.He struggled to free himself from the entanglement of human bodies, saw his own wand rolling on the floor, and threw himself all over, but. "ah!"

Crookshanks joined the fray, sinking both front paws deep into Harry's arm.Harry flung it off, but Crookshanks now charged at Harry's wand

"No, you don't!" Harry yelled, and he kicked Crookshanks so that it jumped aside, gasping; Harry grabbed his wand and turned around.

"Get out of the way!" he yelled at Hermione and Ron.They don't need to be told a second time.Hermione, panting heavily, her lips bleeding, crawled aside.Grabbed her and Ron's wands.Ron crawled to the bed and collapsed on it, panting, his pale face now tinged with purple, his hands clutching the broken leg.Black sprawled against the wall, his thin chest heaving rapidly, watching Harry approach slowly, Harry's wand pointed directly at Black's heart.

"Are you going to kill me, Harry," he whispered.

Harry was standing in front of him, wand still pointed at his chest, looking down at him.A livid black bruise was forming around Black's left eye, and his nose was bleeding.

"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice trembling slightly, but his wand hand was steady.

Black stared at Harry with his sunken eyes.

"I don't deny that," he said quietly, "but if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story," Harry repeated, with a loud thud in his ears. "You betrayed them to Voldemort, and that's all I need to know!"

"You gotta listen to me," said Black, now with an urgent note in his voice, "if you don't, don't understand, you'll regret it."

"I know a lot more than you think," said Harry, his voice trembling even more. "You never heard her cry, was it my mother, trying to keep Voldemort from killing me. And you did that One thing, you did it!"

Before either of them could say anything else, something ginger-colored flew past Harry; Crookshanks jumped onto Black's chest and crouched there, right in the middle of his heart.Blake blinked and looked down at the cat.

"Go away," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks away.

But Crookshanks dug his claws deep into Black's robes and wouldn't budge.It turned its ugly face toward Harry, looking at him with those big yellow eyes.

To his left, Hermione let out a sob. "Listen to him," pleaded Hermione, "Harry, please, please don't hurt Crookshanks."

"What are you talking about!" Ron said furiously. "That cat is with him! They're trying to kill Harry."

"Please trust Crookshanks just once, Harry." Hermione cried softly, "Just once."

"Hermione, how can you trust a stupid cat!" Harry yelled.

"Because I trust Jacqueline," said Hermione, her eyes very firm. "She wants me to trust Crookshanks."

Harry glared at Black and Crookshanks, gripping his wand even tighter.So what if he killed the cat too. The cat was with Blake.

If it was trying to protect Black and risking death, it had nothing to do with him, Harry.If Black was going to save it, it would only show that he cared more about Crookshanks than Harry's parents.

Harry raised his wand.Now is a great time.Now is the time to avenge his mom and dad.He's going to kill Blake.He has to kill Black.This is his chance.

It was a long few seconds, Harry still stood motionless, wand raised; Black glared upward at him, Crookshanks crouched on his chest.Ron's harsh breathing came from near the bed; Hermione clutched the blue pendant around her neck nervously.

Then there were new sounds, muffled footsteps echoing on the floor, someone walking downstairs.

"We're here!" cried Hermione suddenly. "We're here, and Sirius Black. Quick!"

Crookshanks nearly fell off with a startled movement from Black; Harry clutched his wand convulsively, Fuck now! A voice in his head said.But thunderous footsteps came up, and Harry still didn't move.

The door of the room was thrown open in a shower of sparks, and Harry turned quickly, when Professor Luhu burst into the room, his face pale, his wand raised, ready for any moment.His eyes flickered over Ron and Hermione lying on the floor, then over the door trembling, over Harry, who was still standing there pointing at Black with his wand, and then over to Black Body, with Black now at Harry's feet, crumbled and bleeding.

"Expelliarmus!" Lupine yelled.

Harry's wand flew out of his grasp again, as did the two Hermione was holding.Lupine nimbly grasped the three wands, and walked into the room, glaring at Black, who was still crouched on his chest protecting him.

Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty.He didn't get that done.He was too nervous to make it.Black is going to be handed over to the Dementors.

Then Lupine spoke, in a strange, repressed voice: "Where is he, Sirius?"

Harry looked quickly at Lupine.He didn't understand what Lupine meant.Who was Lupine talking about? He turned to look at Black again.

Blake had no expression on his face.After a few seconds, he didn't move.Then, very slowly, he raised his free hand and pointed it at Ron.Puzzled, Harry also looked at Ron, who looked bewildered.

"But..." Lupine murmured, watching Black intently, as if reading his mind, "why didn't he reveal the truth before unless," Lupine's eyes widened suddenly.Seems to be looking at something other than Black, and nobody else sees it, "unless he's the one...unless you've changed without telling me"

Keeping his gaze on Lupine's face, Black nodded slowly.

"Professor Lupine," Harry interrupted loudly, "what's the matter?"

But he never finished asking the question, because what he saw made his throat choke.Lupine put down his wand, walked over to Black, grabbed his hand, and pulled him up, so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and Lupine hugged Black like two brothers.