The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

What's True

What's True

Sirius was trembling within. He could smell his father on the ground, mingled with that of Veigler, and Greyback and a fourth man whose scent he did not recognize. They were greatly outnumbered - by powerful followers of the Dark Lord. The trees seemed darker at the realization that Orion Black was among them, lurking before Sirius. He recalled when he'd overheard Neremai talking to Veigler back in the start of term. The Hunter comes with his dog - Professor Zosma had called the constellation his father was named after The Hunter. They'd assumed it was Greyback that was the Hunter once they'd discovered his involvement with Veigler, and that Veigler was Greyback's omega... assumed that was what The Hunter and his Dog referred to, but now... now Sirius somehow knew deep inside of himself that The Hunter was his father and Greyback the dog.

Sirius was just about to change back to human so that he could tell Remus what he had figured out, so they could reevaluate their plans... but then --

There was a scream that shivered through the night and Sirius looked up, his ears raising and the hackles on the back of his neck standing up. He looked back at Remus, who'd come to a stop a couple steps behind him, looking around through the trees. "What was that?" Remus hissed, eyes wide.

Sirius breathed deeply.

He could smell blood in the air.

Remus asked, "Was it Professor Veigler? Sirius, we have to hurry... What do we do?"

A new scent suddenly caught the wind, drifting into Sirius's nose. He tensed. It was a smell like broom polish and musk and... a smell like the kitchens, like oregano... Peter and James. The panic that swelled up in Sirius was unlike any that had ever run through his veins before. He ran - bolting through the trees. "WAIT!" Remus shouted after him, but there was no slowing Sirius. He ran, recklessly at full tilt, breaking through brush that ripped and tore at his fur and skin. He leaped over fallen trees, moving through the dark, a shadow, chasing a scent he knew all too well...

"Aren't you just adorable?" Greyback said, "And soooo brave." He turned to Professor Veigler, who was cowering in the crook of the roots of a great big tree. "It looks like yours was a job well done after all."

James kept his wand as steady as he could with his trembling hand, tears stinging his eyes, threatening to fall. The lump rising up in his throat was thick and hard to breathe around but he knew he had to keep his wit about him. If for nothing else, for the mere fact that he had made a promise to Peter that nothing would hurt him - that he, James, would die before he let it. So he stood between his friend and the gnarly, sneering man before him.

Greyback grinned sinisterly, and he walked around the boys along the edge of the clearing, always half in shadow. James inched along, always keeping himself between Greyback and Peter, who laid in the snow, whimpering. James glared at Greyback, his lips curling up from the stench of the blood of the dead centaur. Greyback cackled and snapped, his teeth clicking loudly as he laughed.

Rudolphus stared on, grinning at the fear in James Potter's eyes.

Orion said, "That's the Potter boy, Greyback."

"I know who it is," Greyback hissed.

Rudolphus sang, "Charlus Potter will never let us lay a finger on his boy." He clapped his hands, dancing foot to foot, "The Resistance might as well be ours. He'll bow to the Dark Lord the moment he hears we have his son!"

Greyback grinned. "Daddy's gonna have to get the Dark Mark if he ever wants to see you again, and your little puppy dog ain't here to save you this time, Potter."