𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬 ʳʲ ˡᵘᵖⁱⁿ

18

"What the heck are you doing here?" Athena asked Harry and Hermione, who stood in front of the Whomping Willow. Ron's scream soon answered that question, causing her to get even more confused and curious about what was going on. "Ron! He- he's-" "A dark, big wolf took him there." Hermione explained. "We tried getting inside, but-" "Let me." The professor casted a muted spell with her wand, making the tree stop. "It's not long, come." She stepped into the entrance, the two students behind her. "Where do you suppose this goes?" Hermione asked. "The Shrieking Shack." The older woman answered while she continued to step ahead. "Stay behind me and in my near."

The three climbed into a little, old, wooden house. "I always wanted to be here once." Hermione whispered, looking around fascinated. "Come on." The professor said, walking up the stairs, the wood creaking under their feet. The nearer they got to the door at the end of the stairs, the louder Ron's voice got. Harry ran in before the professor, heading to his friend. "Ron." Athena stepped inside not later while the two accompanied Ron. "The dog. Where is it?" "Harry, it'S a trap. He's the dog. He's an Animagus." The orange-haired boy pointed at the man who stood behind the door. Athena's eyes widened at him before she rushed to the children's side, protecting them. "If you want to kill Harry you have to kill us too." Hermione spoke, gripping onto the arm of her professor. She was scared. "No. Only one will die tonight." Sirius Black whispered. "Then it'll be you!" Harry ran towards the man, took him by his neck and pushed him on the ground. He... chuckled?... "Are you going to kill me, Harry?" The young boy pointed his wand at him, causing Athena to point hers at him too.

The doors opened and no one other than Remus Lupin stormed inside. "Expelliarmus!" Harry's wand flew out of his hand and the female professor raised hers at the other one with widened eyes. With a simple head movement he told Harry to get off the prisoner. 

Athena had no idea whose side she was on currently.

"Athena." Remus spoke, his wand pointing at her, hers pointing at him. "Take that wand of yours down-" "No." She replied sharp, causing him to widen his eyes too. "Not before you do." He slowly lowered his wand at Sirius, causing her to do the same, and walked nearer to Sirius, who still laid on the ground. "Well, well, Sirius. Looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within." "Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" He replied. The professor smiled slightly before he lowered his wand and helped him up with an even brighter smile. The two hugged tight. "I found him." Sirius sobbed into his shoulder. "I know." "It's him." "I understand." "Let's kill him!"

Athena knew the two were friends, but she never would have thought Remus would help Sirius.

"No!" Hermione suddenly screamed, causing them all to turn to her. "I trusted you! And all this time, you've been his friend." Athena could swear she was about to pass out of confusion and shock. Nothing seemed to be real anymore. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes." Remus let his arm fall down from the other man's shoulder, his look now mixed with shame of himself and anger. Athena's eyes widened, knowing the last time she saw him like this he found out her boggart was a wolf. Slowly he stepped forward. "How long have you known?" "Since Professor Snape set the essay. Professor Jackson confirmed it to me." At her name his eyes widened. "Well, well, well, Hermione. You are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met." "Enough talk, Remus!" Sirius suddenly started from behind, anger filling his voice. "Come on, let's kill him!" "Wait!" "I did my waiting!" The prisoner screamed now loud, the anger being clear. "Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!" Remus took multiple breaths before turning to the other four, the female professor now standing in front of the children. "Very well. Kill him." Sirius took his wand. "But wait one more minute. Harry has the right to know why. "I know why." The boy called in. "You betrayed my parents. You're the reason they're dead!" "No, Harry, it wasn't him. Somebody did betray your parents, but it was somebody who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead!" Remus now spoke again. "Who was it, then?" The first name that came into her mind was... "Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius finished her in-mind sentence. "And he's in this room! Right now! Come out, come out, Peter! Come out, come out and play!" 

"Expelliarmus!" Snape suddenly rushed in and disarmed Sirius. "Vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you." "Severus-" Remus tried to- but only ended up being pointed by Severus' wand at. "I told Dumbledore you were helping a friend into the castle. Here's the proof." "Brilliant, Snape. You've put your keen mind to the task and come to the wrong conclusion. Now, if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have business to attend to." Sirius stepped near the potions professor. "Give me a reason. I beg you." "Severus, don't be a fool." Lupin spoke in from behind. "He can't help it. It's habit." "Sirius, be quiet." "Be quiet yourself, Remus!" Sirius and Remus discussed like an old married couple. "You two, quarrelling like an old married couple." Athena's words. "Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set!" "I could do it, you know. But why deny the dementors? They're so longing to see you. Do I detect a flicker of fear?" Severus held his wand even tighter to the other man's neck. Athena tightened the grip around the wand in her hand, looking at Remus who she needed to talk to later on, the children that were innocent and at the potions professor that was about to kill an escaped prisoner.
She would probably regret what she was about to. "Oh, yes. A dementor's kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best." "Severus, please." Remus tried to convince him somehow, knowing he wouldn't be able to. "After you." He turned his head to the ginger-haired woman, who now held her wand up. Sirius' eyes widened and he tried to dodge, but Remus held him, knowing she wouldn't hurt the man. "Stupefy!"

The black-haired professor flew into the bed, the roof of it crashing down at the contact. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly, but somehow it felt good to shut him up for once. "I wanted to do that my whole life." Harry came to her side and held Hermione's wand at Sirius. "Tell me about Peter Pettigrew." "He was at school with us. We thought he was our friend!" Remus replied instead of him, groaning because he pointed his wand at him and the fact Harry still didn't get it. "No. Pettigrew's dead. You killed him!" He pointed his wand now to Sirius, but Lupin stepped in front of him, holding up one of his fingers. "No he didn't. I thought so too, until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map!" Athena noticed now how tired he looked. Something was tonight, but it couldn't get on her mind.

"Pettigrew's alive! And he's right there!" Sirius pointed his finger at Ron, who held his rat tighter in his arm. "Me?! He's mental!" "Not you! Your rat!" "Scabbers has been in my family for-" "Twelve years?" Black asked, stepping nearer to the young boy. "Curiously long life for a common garden rat! He's missing a toe, isn't he?" "So what?" "All they could find of Pettigrew was his-" "Finger! That dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead! And then he transformed into a rat!" "Show me." Harry now spoke. The Escapee took the rat out of Ron's hands and held it up, laying it on the piano. Remus pointed his wand at him, but he quickly ran away. The two tried to transform him back, finally doing it while he was about to jump through a hole in a wall.

The two old friends dragged him out of it, only to reveal a small man with bunny teeth. "Remus? Sirius. My old friends!" He tried to run away, but the two caught him and pushed the man back, pointing their wands at him. He approached  Harry, only to be chased by Sirius and Lupin. Harry ran into the doorway so he couldn't escape.

Athena felt useless, standing there and watching the whole scene.

After everyone decided on bringing Peter to the castle, she stayed still, not moving from her place. "Love." She broke out of her trance as soon Remus stepped into her field of vision, a comforting smile on his face. "Are you okay?" He was worried about what she would think. In fact, he had no idea what was going on in her mind. "Y-yeah. It's just- I know something is today and it won't come to my mind." "Well, I hope you find out." At this moment he was just happy she didn't even think about him and Sirius. She was completely okay with it. God, he was so in love with her. Everything about her. "Could you help me to carry Snape out?"

~~~

Remus pointed his wand at Pettigrew after dragging him away from the trio, making sure that he wouldn't escape. Athena looked around, she knew there was something. "Harry!" The two turned to the rest of the group, looking at the girl who pointed with her finger at the moon that came out from the clouds.

It was a full moon.