Leon and Toro are the Black twins. Though they go by their mother's maiden name Howell. Because of their father Sirius Black. They're mother was a muggle and died during birth. Leaving them to be raised by Sirius. He loves them both dearly and raised them for two years. Until he was sent to Azkaban. With no parents, Leon and Toro were sent to live with their closest living relatives. The Lupins, as Hope Lupin (nee Howell) is their aunt once removed. You see their mother was Grace Howell, Remus Lupin's cousin. Who fell for the Black charm and got pregnant at seventeen. She was disowned by her parents, but her aunt and uncle took her in.

Anyway, Leon and Toro started at Hogwarts a year before Harry. They were sorted into different houses. Leon in gryffindor and Toro in Ravenclaw. But that didn't stop them from being best friends. They are the brightest in their year and love challenger each other. In fact in their third year, they had a contest to see who'd become an animagus first. Toro beat Leon by a couple of hours as Leon had detention with McGonagall.

But now they are in their fourth year and their father has escaped Azkaban. Leon and Toro will stop it nothing to find out their father's story. Even with their cousin/god father Remus Lupin trying to get them to drop the matter. It was Toro who first spotted their father in his animagus form entering the school grounds. But every time he and Leon tried to follow or find their father. He seem to disappear into thin air. It was very frustrating.

They both got a firebolt each on Christmas, which they knew had to be from their father. Leon heard that Harry Potter had gotten one too. Only it was confiscated to be checked for jinxes. Toro did some digging and discovered Harry is their father's godson. Which makes Harry their honorary little brother. Though they dared not mention their relationship to Sirius Black after Leon heard about how much Harry hated him. Thinking he was the reason his parents were dead.

However, that all changes the night of Buckbeak's and Sirius' escape from the school. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. This story starts when Leon and Toro head for the Shrieking Shack. Toro had seen their father disappear dragging something towards the whomping willow. He alerted Leon and they meet up in the entrance hall. They saw Remus leave and disillusioned themselves. Before following silently.

Toro's POV

"Scout ahead" Leon whispers. I nod and transform into a black eagle owl. I fly out of the tunnel silently. I followed our cousin/professor Remus into the shrieking shack and up to the second floor. I saw him embrace our father like a long lost brother. I saw Harry and his friends as well. I fly back to Leon. "Well?" he ask as I land turning human.

"Dad's here, along with Harry and his friends. Ron looks hurt and is holding his rat, who looks terrified" I state.

"I thought the rat had died, that's what I heard in the common room" Leon tells me.

"Guess not, lets disillusion again and eavesdrop" I suggest. He nods his head and we do so. I lead the way up the landing. We arrive to hear Remus tell Harry and the others that the rat is an animagus by the name Peter Pettigrew. Looks like we're finally going to find out the truth about that night.

We wait outside the door, listening in. "Peter Pettigrew is dead, he killed him twelve years ago" Harry snaps. No doubt pointing at our father.

"I meant to, but little Peter got the better of me. . . not this time, though!" father states. We hear Ron yell in pain. Dad must of landed on his injury.

"Sirius, NO!" Remus yelled. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that -- they need to understand -- we've got to explain" he tells him.

"We can explain afterwards!" dad snarls. Must of spent to much time as a dog.

"Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand, and Harry -- you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!" Remus tells him firmly. He owes us the truth as well.

"Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for" dad tells him. So he goes into the story about how he became a werewolf and how he was able to come to Hogwarts. About his three best friends and how they became animagi to help him on a full moon. How Peter Pettigrew turned into a rat. I hear Leon yawn and nudged him.

Remus then mentioned professor Snape. "What's Snape got to do with it?" father asks him harshly.

"He's teaching here as well" Remus tells him. "Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons. . . you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me" he explains. He explained how Sirius had told Snape how to get past the whomping willow and how James had saved Snape from being mauled by Remus as a werewolf. How Dumbledore swore Snape to secrecy.

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you, because he thought you were in on the joke?" Harry asks slowly.

"That's right" a cold voice sneers. I recognize that voice, it was Professor Snape's. I draw my wand as he was distracted with his gloating at catching Sirius Black. Leon and I enter the room wands at the ready. I silently disarm Snape and Leon stuns him. Sending him flying into a wall.

"Whoops" he says as we make ourselves visible. "Hi all" he says.

"Hello father" I say looking at Sirius Black.

"Leon, Toro" he says in shock.

"We'd love to catch up, but we want to hear the rest of your story" Leon tells him. As I release Remus. And the other three look between my twin & I and Sirius Black.

"I'm sure the others do to" I state. "So continue Remus, we haven't got all night" I tell him as Leon leans against the wall.

"Your his sons?" Harry asks shocked.

"No, that can't be. You're last names are Howell" Hermione states.

"We took our mother's name when we started school" Leon tells them with a shrug.

"Our last name is Howell-Black" I add. "Now please, continue on with the story" I tell Remus.

"Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat, there are millions of rats, how's he supposed to know which one he is after if he was locked up in Azkaban?" Ron asks. So it was dad's turn to tell his story about why he escaped Azkaban. And is so sure that Ron's rat Scabbers is Peter Pettigrew.

A/N

Picture above of Leon and Toro on the cover along with their animagus forms.