IN WHICH the story ends, yet again

Then, Hermione's voice rises on the air, quavering with fear.  "Harry..." 

Harry turns, sees Hermione staring at the full moon. His eyes shift. Lupin is a rigid silhouette, his fingers twitching. 

"Remus, old friend... did you take your potion tonight?" Sirius rushes to Remus's aid, pushing back Ron, Aubery, and Hermione. Harry stands a good 2 feet away. (A/N: Bitch ain't following no social distancing rules)

Lupin, twitching, shakes his head. Pettigrew's eyes dart, taking in the situation, then slowly shift, noting the wand trembling in Lupin's lengthing fist. 

"Run. All of you. Now." Sirius orders.

But none of them do, transfixed, watching as bristles poke through Remus's skin. Sirius steps forward wrapping his arms around his friend, and presses his mouth to his ear. 

"You know the man you truly are, Remus. This flesh is only flesh." Sirius pounds Remus's chest. "This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here! Through Rosie. Through Aubery. Through Harry. Through James and Lily."

"Through you too." Remus smiles, as his wand drops and Pettigrew leaps. 

"No!" Harry flashes his wand. "Expelliarmus!" 

Lupin's wand flies from Pettigrew's hand and he freezes. Then slowly turns. Face blank, eyes closed, he grins hideously and transforms. Stunned, Harry watches a rat dart into the night. A howl pierces the air and Harry wheels. 

"No!" Aubery shrieks.

With a shrug, Lupin tosses Black into the air, then turns. He is no longer human. He's a werewolf. Harry and Hermione begin to edge back, and Aubery and Ron go the other way.

"Professor...?" 

Moony's eyes blaze. Long teeth glitter. Then a horrifying growl erupts from its throat. Harry and Hermione spin, begin to flee... and run-flat into Snape. As they collapse in a great clumsy pile, Snape's eyes flutter open, the spell broken. Seeing Hermione on top of him, he sweeps her aside. "Out of the way!" And finds the werewolf preparing to pounce. 

Leaping to his feet, Snape draws his wand and steps forward, shielding Hermione, Harry, Ron, and Aubery. The werewolf howls and sprints forward, when a giant dog intercepts it in midair. They hit the ground in a fierce tangle of flashing teeth, a single horrible flailing beast.

Aubery jumps out, turning into the little white fox midair, and hangs onto Moony's neck like a aggressive mosquito, as the big black dog stops for a second to look at his goddaughter, then resumes in the fight. Aubery emits a low growl, before starting to tug on the werewolf's neck, in the opposite direction. Again and again, the dog pushes the werewolf back, but the werewolf is too strong.

"Sirius!" Harry yells.

The dog yelps, and roars in pain, and Moony flings it into the tall grass, Aubery flying up and down like a stuffed animal. Moony then flings Aubery off him.

"Aubery!" Hermione screams, as Aubery slids down the Whomping Willow, and falls limp. 

Moony then charges after Sirius, and Harry pushes past Snape, dashes into the night. Hermione makes to follow, but Snape holds her back. 

"Harry!" Hermione yells as Snape runs after them. Hermione picks up fox Aubery, cradling the small fox near her chest. 

Aubery slowly wakes, as Harry opens his curtain. Her head is bandaged and she flips over on her bed, groaning. Madam Pomfrey bustles over, giving Aubery some medicine, before muttering something about a concussion. 

Ron lies opposite, his leg bandaged. Hermione paces then stop. "Harry-" 

"I saw my dad," Harry speaks.

"What...?" Hermione questions.

"Reckon he's got a concussion as wellllll?" Aubery asks, and Ron grins ever so slightly, then grimaces. 

"He sent the Dementors away... I saw him. Across the lake..." Harry mutters.

Hermione exchanges a private glance with Ron and Aubery then turns back.  "Listen, Harry. They've captured Sirius. Any minute the Dementors are going to perform the Kiss." 

"The Kiss...?" Harry questions.

"It's what Dementors do to those they want to destroy. They clamp their jaws over the victim's mouth and... suck out his soul." Hermione answers.

"You mean, they're going to kill Sirius?" Harry questions.

"No. It's worse. Very worse. You go on living. But you have no memory. No sense of yourself. You're just a shell. An empty shell... Like M and M's, except there's no chocolate on the inside. It's sad. No chocolate. Very sad. Sad backward is das, and das not good." Aubery slurs, sitting up.

"Why don't you lay back down," Hermione replies. 

"'M fine. Madam Pomfrey said it'll be fine after a week. 'M perfectly fine." Aubery protests.

"Madam Pomfrey also said you need rest," Hermione replies. 

As Harry reacts, the door opens and Dumbledore enters. 

"Headmaster! You've got to stop them! They've got the wrong man!" Hermione rushes over to Dumbledore.

"It's true, sir. Sirius is innocent-" Harry answers.

"It's Scabbers who did it!" Ron answers.

"Yeah!" Aubery nods, waving her arms drunkenly. 

"Scabbers...?" Dumbledore questions.

"My rat, sir. Only he's not really a rat. Well, he was a rat. You see, he used to be my brother Percy's- Ron rambles

"The point is... we know the truth. Please, sir, you must believe us." Hermione begs

"I do, Miss Granger. But I'm sorry to say the word of four thirteen-year-old wizards will convince few others. A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to listen." As Dumbledore turns to the window, a shooting star plummets silently through the sky.  "Ah... a shooting star. If everyone was to make a wish, now would be the time. But time, I'm afraid, is precisely our problem." 

On cue, the midnight bell begins to chime. "Mysterious thing, time. Powerful. And, when meddled with...dangerous. Sirius Black is in the topmost cell of the Dark Tower. You know the laws, Miss Granger. You must not be seen. And you would, I feel, do well to return before this last chime. If not...well, the consequences are really too ghastly to discuss. Three turns should do it, I think. If you succeed, more than one innocent life may be spared tonight."

Dumbledore hands Harry and Hermione each a stick of chocolate, then starts to go and stops. "By the way, when in doubt, I find retracing my steps to be a wise place to begin... Good luck." He smiles and exits. Harry glances curiously at the chocolate. 

"What in bloody hell was all that about?" Ron asks.

"He's a magician!" Aubery giggles. "No one knows."

"I pity people when you're drunk," Ron replies.

"'M not drunk!" Aubery answers.

Hermione doesn't reply, instead looping the pendant's long chain around Harry's neck as well as her own. "Sorry, Ron. But seeing as you can't walk, and Aubery is, a little you know..."

As Ron and Harry exchange a curious glance, the BELL continues to chime. 3 turns, and they disappear.

Suddenly they reappear, walking through the door. 

"How'd you two get over there? I was just talking to you... over there. Ron glances to the other side of the room and frowns. 

"Magic!" Aubery replies. Hermione glances mischievously to Harry. 

"What d'you think, Harry? Too much for him, everything that's happened tonight?" Hermione questions.

"Afraid so. Always been a bit of the nervous type, Ron has." Harry nods. Ron stares at them, confounded. Slowly, they grin. 

The Whomping Willow sways in a light breeze. The Black Lake shimmers, clouds drifting in its glassy mirror. 

Harry and Aubery, fully back to normal walk softly toward an open door, Lupin's office and peers in. Remus stands over a battered suitcase, filling it with the last of his books. Without turning, he speaks. 

"Hello, Harry, Aubery." Harry jumps. 

Remus turns smiles through haggard eyes. "Saw you coming." The Marauder's Map lies open on an otherwise bare desk. 

Harry nods, looks back to Remus. Unable to disguise his shock at Remus's appearance. "I've looked worse, believe me." 

Aubery eyes the open desk drawers, the bare bookshelves. "You've been sacked." 

"Resigned, actually." Remus clarifies. 

"Resigned! But why!" Harry gasps.

"It seems that someone has let slip the nature of my condition," Remus replies. 

"Snape," Aubery mutters.

"Whoever. It was bound to get out. This time tomorrow, the owls will start arriving. Parents will not want a, someone like me, teaching their children." Remus answers.

"But Dumbledore-" Aubery protests. 

"Has already risked enough on my behalf. Besides, people like me, well... let's just say I'm used to this by now. But before I go, tell me about your Patronus Harry." Remus questions.

"Well. At first, I thought it was a horse, or perhaps a unicorn, but I think it was-" Harry answers. 

"A stag," Remus replies. Harry nods.

"Your father used to transform into one. That's how he was able to keep me company when I became...sick. He was a great friend James." Remus smiles wanly, lifting his suitcase. Then stops. "There are stories about him and your mother, you know. Some are even true. But I think it's safe to say, in the end, you'll know them best by getting to know yourself."

Remus then, with a wicked twinkle, raises his wand. "Mischief managed. See you back home Little Fox."

Harry and Aubery watch the Map go blank and then looks back. Remus is gone. 

(I really doe be choosing unflattering images eh)

chocoqueen29's oneshot of Harry and Ron, Ron comforting Harry after he finds out Sirius is his godfather.

Early Christmas morning was especially a treat, as the boy's Gryffindor boy's dormitories were dead silent, as Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter slept in their beds, snoozing away. The two, however, were soon roused by Neville Longbottom's alarm clock, which the boy had forgotten.

"Turn it off!" Ron groans, throwing a pillow at the alarm clock, hitting the water jug, and spilling its contents on the floor. 

Harry got up silently, and turned the contraption off, and then fell back on his bed, picking up the water jug, and setting it on the table in the process. 

"You good mate?" Ron questions, getting out of bed. "It's Christmas!"

"I'm fine." Harry answers. "You go on ahead." 

"Come on Harry. Look at your pile." Ron begs, hovering over him.

"You go, I'll catch up." Harry answers.

"Is it about Black again?" Ron asks, sitting at the foot of Harry's bed.

"I guess," Harry replies.

"Come on, stop moping about, what happens, happens." Ron sighs.

"Yeah, but he was their best man, and he betrayed them." Harry protests.

"Yeah, but people make stupid decisions, and well, as I said, what's done is done. Come on, it's Christmas. Reckon you can find something in there to hurt Black." Ron says, throwing off the covers of Harry's bed. 

"Alright." Harry grins, stepping out, and sitting down by their presents. "You're a great friend you know?"

"Of course I know. I'm your best friend mate." Ron picks up a maroon sweater. "Another maroon sweater!"

(Very short, I know, but still)