The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

52. Reuniting

Everyone tensed. Then, before any of them could do anything, the door was pushed open, revealing a large sparrowhawk. Harry frowned. He instantly recognized it as the very same one he had seen come to his window for years. Sirius had instantly frozen. Then, with a speed which shocked them all, the sparrowhawk disappeared, instantly being replaced with a woman. She was beautiful with dark hair and bright, hawk-like eyes. There was a shocked silence.

Sirius gasped, tears coming to his eyes. Amara let out a shaky laugh, smiling wide as she rushed into her husband's arms. Sirius buried his head in her hair, breathing in the scent of the woman he had dreamed and thought about every day for the past twelve years.

There was a long silence as they heard the muffled sobs of both. Pulling away from him slightly, Amara cupped Sirius' cheeks, brushing his tangled hair from his face and wiping away his tears as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"I can't believe it," he whispered, holding onto her wrists loosely as he brought her palm to his lips.

Harry and Hermione exchanged cautious looks. They were now trapped in a room with not one but two wanted persons with no visible way out.

"Amara," Eliana cried, jumping up to embrace her as Sirius finally let her go.

The two women held each other tightly, tears springing to both their eyes. Pulling away from her with a fond smile, Amara embraced Remus.

Turning back to her husband, Amara cupped his cheek as she said, "I've been looking for you for so long."

"I'm here, I'm here," he whispered, wiping away her tears before gently pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Enough!" Harry shouted, looking between the five of them with wide, confused eyes. "Explain everything. Now!"

Amara gasped, her eyes widening as she looked at him.

"Harry," she whispered.

Ignoring her, Harry snapped, "If you haven't been helping him, how did you know he was here?"

"The map," Remus explained. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it-"

"You know how to work it?" Harry said in surprise.

"Of course I know how to work it," Lupin said quickly. "I helped write it. I'm Moony - that was my friend's nickname for me in school."

"You wrote-" Harry began.

"The important thing is," Remus interrupted. "I was watching it carefully this evening because I had an idea that you, Ron, Hermione, and possibly Althea might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

Lupin began to pace, dividing the room in half with Harry, Ron, and Hermione on one side and Amara, Sirius, Eliana, and Althea on the other.

"You might have had your father's cloak, Harry," Remus resumed.

"How d'you know about the cloak?" Harry asked.

"The number of times I saw James disappear under it...The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" Harry retorted. "No we weren't!"

"I couldn't believe my eyes," Lupin resumed patiently. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" Harry shouted.

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labelled Sirius Black. I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow-"

"One of us!" Ron shouted angrily.

"No, Ron," Lupin corrected. "Two of you." He stopped his pacing, turning to face Ron. "Do you think I could have a look at that rat?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Amara, Eliana, and Althea gasped.

Understanding flashed across Althea's face as she whispered, "Oh my god."

Sirius looked over at her. Althea met his gaze, her eyes wide.

"But then," she whispered.

Sirius nodded.

"I'm so sorry, Sirius," Althea said softly. "I'm sorry I ever..." She broke off, startled into silence by the anger and betrayal on her friends' faces.

"B-But what's Scabbers got to do with anything?" Ron asked indignantly.

"Everything," Lupin said. "Could I see him, please?"

The rat instantly began scampering in Ron's hands, desperate to get away.

"What's my rat got to do with anything?" Ron demanded again.

"That is not a rat," Sirius said suddenly, his voice sharp enough to cut glass.

"What d'you mean?" Ron asked weakly. "Of course he's a rat-"

"No, he's not, Ron," Althea said gently.

"He's a wizard," Remus explained.

"An Animagus," Amara elaborated. "By the name of Peter Pettigrew."

"You're all mental!" Ron shouted.

"Ridiculous!" Hermione added.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Harry shouted at Amara. "Your husband killed him!"

"I meant to," Sirius growled. "But little Peter got the better of me...not this time though."

"Siri!" Amara cried quickly, jumping forward as Sirius lunged for the rat.

Catching him by the shoulders, she pulled him back, forcing herself between him and Peter as Remus shouted, "Sirius, no!"

"Sirius," Eliana said quickly. "If you don't explain, they won't understand. They need to understand! You owe Harry an explanation!"

"We can explain afterwards!" Sirius retorted.

"Sirius," Amara said in a ringing voice. "We owe our godson the truth!"

Sirius stopped fighting, meeting her eyes. Something in his expression softened, allowing Harry to see something of the smiling man from the photo album of his parents Hagrid had given him.

"All right, then," he said finally. "Tell him what happened. You know it all, Ami, but make it quick. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."

"You aren't killing anyone today, Sirius," Amara said with a gentle surety that seemed to calm him more than anything else had.

Even so, he gave her a doubtful look as he sunk down to sit against the wall. Amara faced Harry.

"You're all nutters," Ron accused. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

"No, you're not," Amara said cooly.

"You're going to hear us out, Ron," Lupin said firmly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER! HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron shouted.

"Ron, please listen!" Althea begged.

"How dare you!" Hermione shouted angrily. "You've pretended all these years to be our friend only to-"

"ENOUGH!" Eliana shouted. "You will not speak to my daughter that way, especially not until you know the truth!"

"Fine," Harry snapped. "We promise we'll listen."