Chapter Fifty-One, Caught in the Crossfire

Previously on The Soulbond of a Peverell:

Once again the nightmares kept Izzy awake leaving her to suffer through her classes this year with a severe lack of sleep. Instead of heading down to the common room as it was a cold night, Izzy sat up in her bed with her dressing gown on browsing through the Marauders Map by wand light as she munched on some Chocolate Frogs. Once Fred and George found out who Moony, Padfoot and Prongs were they had gifted her the Map as it was rightfully hers as an Heirloom much like her Cloak was. However, it felt like her blood had suddenly turned to ice when she saw a name she hated more than anything and one she didn't want to see ever again, least of all in the school where she should be sleeping: Peter Pettigrew.

Knowing what she had to do. Izzy hurriedly got out of bed slipping on her slippers as she went. She needed to find either her Dad or Papa and she knew her Papa was on patrol tonight she just had to find him. Looking over the map she saw that Pettigrew was in the Arithmancy corridor with her Papa just a few corridors away from him. The only problem was to get to where her Papa was she'd have to go through the Arithmancy corridor and likely cross paths with Pettigrew so the safest option would be to wake her Dad up. Her mind made up she hurried towards her parents quarters, forgetting her Cloak in her tizzy, as she didn't want him to get away, and was consequently stopped by Snape.
"Potter!" Snape shouted, causing Izzy to jump out of her skin.
"I don't have time! I have to wake my Dad up, it's urgent!" Izzy snapped at the Potions Professor, making to tear off down the corridor only to be stopped once again.

"What did you say to me!" Snape snarled. "Your so-called parents may let you get away with everything Potter, but I most certainly will not! You've just bought yourself a week of detention. How extraordinarily like your real father you are, Potter. He too was exceedingly arrogant, strutting about the castle."
"They are all my Dads, for your information, that's what adoption is. And my Dad didn't strut. Now, if you don't mind I would appreciate it if you lowered your wand before you blind me. It's dangerous to shine Lumos in someone's eyes, you know. If you don't believe me check with Madam Pomfrey and Healer Zabini." Izzy replied sassily.

"Turn out your pockets! I said, 'turn out your pockets!'" Snape ordered. Seeing no alternative Izzy pulled the blank map from her pocket. "What's this?" Snape asked.
"Nothing. A spare bit of parchment." Izzy shrugged.
"Really? Open it." Snape scoffed. Tapping his wand to the parchment he drawled, "'Reveal your secrets!' Read it."
"'Messers Moony, Padfoot and Prongs... offer their compliments to Professor Snape and..." Izzy trailed off trying not to laugh but was secretly surprised that Pettigrew was no longer on there, but she assumed it was the magic the four of them used and as he betrayed them he could no longer be on the Map, but she would have to check with her Dad and Papa to make sure.

"Go on!" Snape ordered.
"'request that he keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.'"
"Why you insolent little -"
"Professor!" Remus interrupted his voice hard and firm, stopping whatever Snape had been about to utter to his daughter who already looked upset and terrified.
"Well, well Lupin. Out for a little walk in the moonlight, are we?" Snape jibed. Ignoring the dig Remus moved round Snape to face Izzy.
"Izzy, are you all right?" Remus asked her concerned, which only rose when she shook her head 'no.'
"That remains to be seen." Snape scoffed, snatching the map out of her lax hands. "I've just confiscated a rather curious artefact from Miss Potter. Take a look, Lupin, it's clearly filled with Dark Magic."

"I seriously doubt it, Severus. It looks like it's a parchment designed to insult anyone who tries to read it." Remus forced a laugh as he looked down at the Map, noticing that Pettigrew's name was no longer there either. "Did Fred and George get this for you from Zonko's?" Remus asked, getting a timid nod from Izzy. She felt all exposed out here while Pettigrew was wandering the castle in his Animagus form with no one none the wiser. "Nevertheless," Remus continued, holding the Map out of Snape's reach when he went to take it back. "I shall examine it to find any hidden qualities it may process. Izzy, come with me please. Professor goodnight." Remus bid leading his daughter the rest of the way to his quarters he shared with Sirius in silence.

"Izzy?" Sirius asked, looking up from the book he had been reading as he waited for Remus to return but immediately became concerned at the state she was in and the fact she was out of bed at this time. "What's going on?"
"Pettigrew's in the castle!" Izzy blurted out, shaking like a leaf as the adrenaline left her rapidly, leaving her cold with anger and fear. "I had a nightmare and couldn't sleep so I was just in bed looking through the Map when I spotted him in the Arithmancy corridor probably in his Animagus form. I knew Papa was on patrol, so I was heading here to wake you up Dad and let you know when Snape stopped me. He wouldn't listen to me. Said only Daddy James was my real father so I snapped sassily at him and got detention when he made me pull out the Map.

It insulted him, when I noticed Pettigrew's name was no longer on there, shortly after Papa arrived." At that point Izzy was enveloped into a tight group hug from both her parents who reassured her that no matter what Snape said they were her parents.
"You did the right thing, sweetheart, coming here." Sirius reassured her, kissing her forehead as Remus made her a hot chocolate that he laced with a Calming Draught.
"We will deal with Snape and the detention but for tonight we want you to stay here with us where we know you're safe."
"Your Dad's right, cub." Remus added as he passed her the hot chocolate.

"We are incredibly proud of you; I want you to know that. I want you to stay here tonight with your Dad and drink your hot chocolate. I'm going to see Professor McGonagall and see if we can find this rat once and for all. I love you both."
"Love you too, Papa."
"Love you too, stay safe."
"Always. Just look after our cub."

"You know she's my first priority." Sirius insisted, hugging Izzy close to him.
"I do." Remus agreed, smiling at the pair of them and he honestly wouldn't have it any other way. As he looked down at the Map, making sure Pettigrew was nowhere close to the people he loved, he felt Sirius cast the strongest protection ward he knew and was most likely from the Black Grimoire. Satisfied Izzy would be protected he left his quarters once again; he knew this would be a long night, but he didn't care as he had a rat to hunt.

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Chapter Fifty-One, Caught in the Crossfire

"Do you want one of us to go with you, Ron?" Izzy asked anxiously, playing with the sleeve of her jumper as Ron gathered the blanket and picnic basket full of food for his date with Kellah over at their spot under the willow tree by the lake. "Somone should at least go with you to set up."
"She's right Ron." Neville added, concerned for his friend being alone. "With Pettigrew being in the school again, and not far from Gryffindor Tower while we were all sleeping, it's not safe to be alone right now. If Izzy hadn't been awake looking over the Map and hadn't let Sirius and Remus know, then no one would know."

"We won't stay for the date. Just until Kellah joins you, then we will go and see Hagrid." Izzy added, her eyes pleading for her best friend, her brother to agree with them. But she knew Ron was stubborn; it didn't stop the horrible feeling she had in her gut though.
"I'll be fine I promise." Ron reassured her, pulling her in for a comforting hug but that didn't stop the feeling, in fact, it increased. "We won't stay long out by ourselves and will join you at Hagrid's at around three or four. But I better go if I want to make it there and set up before Kell gets there. Look after each other. See you later." With that Ron left the kitchen hurrying towards the grounds in the direction of the lake.
"I have a bad feeling about this, Nev." Izzy muttered, clutching tightly to Neville's hand.

"So do I, Iz." Neville agreed, squeezing her hand.
"Dobby will keeps an eye on Miss Izzy's Weazy." Dobby announced, approaching his kind Mistress who was always kind to him and his old kind Master Draco.
"Thank you Dobby. If you're sure you don't mind?" Izzy asked, a mix of relief and nerves coursing through her.
"Of course Mistress. Dobby will keep out of sight unless I's need to." With that Dobby disappeared with a pop.
"Everything's going to be fine Izzy." Neville reassured her once more as they made their way back up to the Entrance Hall.

"I just can't shake this feeling, Nev. I..." Izzy trailed off into a scream as she's suddenly grabbed on the shoulder from behind.
Neville swung around with his wand pointing at their assailant, only to spot who had grabbed his sister.
"Professor Trelawney?" He questioned warily. The 'Divination' Professor very rarely journeyed down into the main part of the castle since anyone who wanted to take her class had to be tested to see if they had the gift of Foresight first which had significantly lessened the students taking her class as an elective to at least one or two per year.

"He will return tonight." Professor Trelawney said in a rough, hoarse throat that didn't sound like her own. In fact she sounded possessed which frightened Neville and Izzy more.
"S-sorry?" Izzy and Neville gasped, terrified.
"Tonight. He who betrayed his friends, whose heart rots with murder...shall break free. Innocent blood shall be spilt...and servant and master shall be reunited once more." Her words suddenly trailed off into a coughing and gasping fit, both teens stood terrified not sure what to make of what just happened, but they knew they had to tell Izzy's Dad and Papa.

"Oh, I'm so sorry my dear children. Did you say something?" Professor Trelawney asked, rubbing her throat.
"N-no...I...sorry...we..." Izzy stuttered, sharing a look with Neville the pair scarpered up the stairs leaving behind a confused teacher.

***

-Hogwarts' Staff Room –

Due to what had been brought to her attention in the middle of the night a few nights ago, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall had called an emergency staff meeting that was compulsory for ALL staff when neither she, Remus, Hagrid or Filius had caught Pettigrew; however, she could see that Sybill had failed to join them. She would deal with the woman later, but for now she didn't take her eyes off of Severus Snape who was starting to squirm – minute as it was – under her cold, anger-filled stare.

'Good.' She thought. 'He has let his childhood grudge get the best of him for too long. Now he is endangering my students and that couldn't stand. Even if he thought he was doing the right thing by giving Izzy a detention for being out of bed he shouldn't have treated her the way he had and he should have found out the reason why she was out of bed terrified.'

"What is the reason for this meeting, Minerva?" Snape drawled, annoyed.
"I'm glad you asked that, Severus." Minerva said in a clipped tone. "A few nights ago, when you caught Miss Potter-Black out of bed after hours terrified, did you not think to ask why? Why was she out of bed, and why was she so terrified? No. No, you didn't. Instead you tormented her yet again, claiming how James was her REAL father when you know full well that she is adopted by Sirius and Remus. And because of your actions you allowed Peter Pettigrew to get away."
"Wh-what?" Snape asked, eyes wide. He noticed out of the corner of his eyes how the rest of the staff were judging him with their eyes.

Either because of his continued treatment of not only Isadora Potter-Black but Neville Longbottom (who were his main targets), or because he let Pettigrew get away. But it was Potter's fault as she didn't tell him that Pettigrew was in the school.
"Before you state that Izzy didn't tell you," Remus added, as if knowing what would next come out of his mouth, which only made Snape scowl at the werewolf he still held a grudge against, along with his mutt of a husband. "You didn't ask her why she was shaking like a leaf, why she was so terrified that she needed to see Sirius and I in the middle of the night. No, instead I came round the corner to you tormenting her and then making comments about my...condition.

She had a nightmare, so she was sitting in bed looking over the Map James, Sirius and I made in school when she saw Pettigrew in the Arithmancy corridor a few corridors away from where I was patrolling. She rightly thought he was in his Animagus form of a grey, balding rat, and the only way to get to me would be to pass him so she headed for Sirius, who was in our quarters when you stopped her, Severus. The minute we asked her what was wrong she told us."
"She stayed with me while Remus headed for Minerva to search for the rat." Sirius added, glaring at Snape. "She was too terrified to fall back asleep no matter what I did or said, not only from her nightmares of Lily and James' murder – which she remembers in its entirety – but from Pettigrew once again being in the school."

"By the time that Remus told me, and we started to search with Filius, he had gotten away." Minerva finished, an unimpressed tightness to her lips, her eyes hard and cold like a shard of glass. "I have warned you about your behaviour Severus, a student should never fear a teacher to such a degree that they become their Boggart like you are Mr Longbottom's, for a start. But to ignore a student's obvious fear and then to torment them regarding their dead parent and their adoption, to take such blatant glee in it...

I'm sorry but I can no longer have you as a teacher here. I have informed Madam Bones and the Governors regarding what has happened, they may wish to speak to you and hold an inquiry, but they have informed me that you are on probation for the remainder of term, but you will not have a place here come September."

"The only reason you are not packing your bags is because the Governors, and Minerva and I agree, do not wish to disrupt the students upcoming exams." Augusta glared sharply at the dour man; she will never forgive him for scaring her beloved grandson to such an extent that his Boggart was of his Potions Professor. "For now we will need to come up with a better plan to protect the students." She continued after a moment where all Snape did was glare at everyone and everything. "He cannot be allowed to get away with running around the school, he has already tried to break into Gryffindor Tower once."

"Do you believe he will try to break into Gryffindor Tower again?" Pomona Sprout asked alarmed, a hand over her mouth as she stared at colleagues Andromeda Tonks – the Head of Gryffindor House – Sirius, Remus, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, and Deputy Headmistress Augusta Longbottom.
"It is something we cannot ignore, no matter how terrible the thought may be." Andromeda said finally, a hard edge to her silver eyes. She would not allow that traitor to get his hands on her niece. She shared a look with her little sister and younger cousin. All three Blacks nodded, the same thought surging through their minds. If they had to remind the rat exactly who they were then they would. Andromeda and Narcissa may have taken on a different last name when they married but they, like Sirius, were still Blacks. And Blacks protected their family.

***

At the lake while Izzy and Neville were being traumatised by Sybill Trelawney, Ron was setting up under the willow tree at the edge of the lake humming to himself to distract himself from his nerves regarding both the date and Pettigrew being spotted twice within the castle. Despite his words to his best friends, Ron was terrified, he just hadn't wanted to add to Izzy's fear that he could see clouding her emerald-green eyes. Even though, now that he was here at the lake by himself he realised that being alone was the stupidest thing he could have done and was also the reason why he had seen both Izzy's and Neville's fear increase. But if he knew his best friends, then he knew that Dobby was also here with him, so he didn't feel as exposed and alone.

"Why hello Ron." A sweet sickening but dangerous and squeaky voice said from behind him causing his back to suddenly go ridged and his hair to all stand on edge.
'Scratch that.' Ron thought as he spun on his heel pointing his wand at the disgusting man who had pretended to be a rat that Percy had found and who had cost his sister her parents and was the reason why she was dumped on the Dursley's doorstep, and why she was abused for a decade. That thought caused anger to boil within Ron like a volcano that he couldn't stop from erupting.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Ron snarled, his ears and face red as he faced down the Death Eater. "You're disgusting!!! HOW CAN YOU BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS!!" He shouted at the man who dodged his curse.

"You'll find that out for yourself." Pettigrew snarled at Ron, pulling out a wand. Where he got it from Ron didn't know and dreaded to think.
"NEVER!!!" Ron roared, sounding like a lion which was symbolic as at the beginning of the year he had taken a sweet that made him roar like one and won him the game he was playing with Izzy, Nev, Seamus and Dean. That symbolism wasn't lost on him, but he was preoccupied with apprehending this traitor at the moment. He faintly heard a pop as Dobby materialised behind the trunk of the willow tree to his right with a hard glare directed at Pettigrew. "I WILL NEVER BETRAY MY FRIENDS!! I AM NOTHING LIKE YOU!! YOU ARE A COWARD!!!"

Was it smart to mouth off to a man who had escaped Azkaban, betrayed his so-called best friends to Voldemort, was tormenting Izzy and most likely wanted her for nefarious means and was a Death Eater? No. No it wasn't smart, not at all. Did Ron care? No. Not at this particular moment in time.
"You may not betray Izzy Potter, but you will help me get her." Pettigrew said in a dark tone, glaring at Ron.
"I will never help you!! Did you not listen the first time?!" Ron snarled.
"Oh, you will help me. You're the bait." Pettigrew smirked at Ron as the redhead's eyes widened in alarm.
"You will not hurt or take Mistress Izzy's Weazy!!!" Dobby shouted, running at Pettigrew with a battle cry.

Pettigrew looked startled for a moment to find out that Ron wasn't as alone as he thought but then he laughed when he saw the House-elf running at him with a battle cry.
"No Dobby! Go back to Izzy!!" Ron protested.
"Dobby will not. Dobby promised Mistress Izzy to protect her Weazy!!" Dobby shouted, throwing Pettigrew away from Ron much like he had thrown his previous Master Lucius Malfoy away from Izzy the year before when he went to throw the Killing Curse at her.
"That's it!" Pettigrew growled as he stumbled to his feet, wiping the blood from his forehead, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "I can work with this." He muttered to himself.

"I can use you to pass on the message that her Weazy is bait and if she wants to see Ronald Weasley alive then she will come to the Shrieking Shack by sundown tonight or he dies. She can use the passage under the Whomping Willow to get in." The last thing Dobby remembered was being thrown backwards and crumpling painfully to the floor; he tried to get up, but his body would not cooperate. The last thing he heard before he blacked out was Ron's fearful shout of his name, and Dobby knew no more.

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Author's note: DO NOT ask me to update in any way shape or form. There are other ways of telling me what you thought of this. Anyone who does will get one warning before they are blocked.

Before anyone says anything there will be no execution for Buckbeak as Draco listened to Hagrid as he didn't want to lose his friendship with Izzy that was just building.