Snape and Lily's daughter

Innocent man

Lupin tied Pettigrew up with cords he had conjured.

"Right," Lupin said. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

Lupin hurried over to Ron, bent down and tapped Ron's leg with his wand and muttered, "Ferula."

Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Then Lupin helped him to his feet.

"That's better," Ron said. "Thanks."

"What about my father?" Grace asked.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," Lupin said, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "You were just a little — overenthusiastic. Still out cold. We can take him like this..."

He muttered, "Mobilicorpus." Snape's body was pulled into a standing position.

"And two of us should be chained to this," Black said, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it," Lupin said.

"And me," Ron said, limping forward.

Pettigrew's left arm was chained to Lupin's right arm, and his right arm was chained to Ron's left.

Crookshanks went down the stairs before anyone did. Then Lupin, Pettigrew, and Ron. After them it was Snape, his body floating, Sirius holding the wand that was controlling Snape. And by last Harry, Hermione, and Grace, who was between them while they helped her walk.

"You know what this means?" Sirius asked. "Turning Pettigrew in?"

"You're free," Harry said.

"Yes..." Black said. "But I'm also — I don't know if anyone ever told you — I'm your godfather."

"Yeah, I knew that," Harry said.

"Well... your parents appointed me your guardian, if anything happened to them..."

Harry waited. He was thinking about what Black was trying to say.

"I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle," Black said. "But... well... think about it. Once my name's cleared... if you wanted a... a different home..."

"What — live with you?" Harry asked. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," Black said quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd —"

"Are you insane?" Harry said. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"

Sirius turned to look at Harry.

"You want to? You mean it?"

"Yeah, I mean it!"

Black gave the first true smile since they met him.

They did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks, Lupin, Pettugrew, and Ron darted up first, then Black let Snape's body pass, and then he stood back so Hermione, Harry, and Grace could pass.

"One wrong move, Peter," Lupin said, pointing his wand at Pettigrew.

They were all on the grounds of Hogwarts when they suddenly stopped walking. Lupin froze.

"Oh, my —" Grace gasped. "He didn't take his potion tonight!"

"Run," Black whispered. "Run. Now."

Lupin was starting to transform. Sirius had transformed, he stood protectively in front of Harry, Grace, Hermione, and Pettigrew.

Everyone was paying attention on the animagus and the werewolf that they hadn't noticed Pettigrew picking up Lupin's wand that was on the ground, and then he changed into a rat.