HERMIONE SCREAMED, SIRIUS LEAPT TO HIS FEET, HARRY JUMPED AS THOUGH HE RECEIVED AN ELECTRIC SHOCK.
"I found this at the Whomping Willow," Snape bragged, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing at Remus' chest. "Very useful, Potter. I thank you..."
Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" He questioned, his dark eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet full along. And very lucky I did... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. Once glance at it told me everything I need to know. I saw you, Potter, and Black running along this passage and out of sight."
"Severus —" Remus began, but Snape overrode him.
"I've told the headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have brought back the most stuck up wizard in the House of Gryffindor."
James did not have the will to be respectful to Snape. He didn't know how Remus was doing it, and he was sure Sirius was bound to make a smart remark sooner than later.
"Severus, you've made a mistake," Remus explained. "You haven't heard everything — we can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry or Lena —"
"Three more for Azkaban tonight," Snape's eyes gleamed fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this... he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin... a tame werewolf..."
"You fool," Remus spat. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man inside Azkaban?"
BANG! Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Remus' mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor unable to move.
With a roar of rage, Sirius started towards Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between his eyes.
"Give me a reason," Snape whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
