Ron Weasley is devastated when Snape decides to make Maddie Jordan, troublemaker and potions failure, his permanent partner.
But Maddie is a strong believer that she could make friends with anyone - she just has to stick around them long enough.
A...
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chapter sixteen | the shrieking shack
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THE DOOR KICKED OPEN WITH A LOUD CRASH, Harry and Hermione both presenting themselves behind it. Upon the sight of a very rough looking Ron, they both dashed forward in a panic.
"Ron - are you okay?"
"Where's the dog?"
"Not a dog," Ron said, gritting his teeth in pain. "Harry it's a trap-"
"What-?"
"He's the dog," Maddie said, her voice shaking and her eyes fixated on the man still lurking in the shadows.
"He's an Animagus,"
Harry wheeled around. With a snap, Sirius Black closed the door behind them.
"Expelliarmus!" he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at the pair.
Harry's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Black caught them. He then took a step closer, his eyes fixed on Harry.
"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely.
Maddie's breathing was brisk and unsteady.
"Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful...it will make everything much easier...."
Harry started forward at the taunt of his father, but Hermione immediately grabbed him to prevent him from edging the slightest bit closer.
"No, Harry!" she said through a petrified whisper.
Ron, however, turned to Black and started to stand up, despite his broken leg, and began speaking to him yet again.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely. The effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke. Maddie stared with a pained expression.
Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.
"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."
"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all three-"
"-Four," Maddie corrected, edging towards Ron's side.
Harry glanced at her sideways with a look of what seemed to be a mixture of surprise and gratitude - they were hardly close friends, of course, but Maddie meant what she said.
"-of us!"
"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened.
