The Marauders Year Five Part 2 #Wattys2017

I Surrender

I Surrender

A shadow moved across the grounds, cast long by the brightness of the full moon. Severus Snape moved like a whisper, his cloaks pulled tightly around himself to guard against the cold air, his breath hanging like a ghost before his mouth. He moved swiftly down the path toward the Whomping Willow, excitement pumping in his veins, wand clutched in his fist. He had memorized a load of new spells, perfect for stopping any attacks that may come from the Marauders should they detect him spying on them. He was breathless with anticipation. Was he right about the werewolf? Were they really practicing Dark Magic? Whatever it was they were doing, they were about to be caught at it and they were about to be expelled and never had a happier thought crossed Severus Snape's mind than the idea of James Potter and Sirius Black gone from the school for good.

It would be a relief to never have to look at Sirius Black and feel the chill of the thought that if it wasn't for him, Eileen Prince would still be alive.

Lily Evans would be his partner in Potions again - seeing as it was her partner and his partner that would be expelled - and he would have his chance to make her see once and for all that they were made for each other, have his chance to prove to her that if he only had her, truly had her, he could be the greatest, most powerful wizard to ever live. She would give him the strength he needed to be great. She would.

This night, this night out on the grounds of Hogwarts, would change everything.

He grabbed a rock from the ground, just as he'd seen in Sirius Black's mind, and he inched closer to the Whomping Willow. He'd never been very good at athletics, ever - alway more interested in chemistry and books than in throwing balls and scoring goals, and so when he threw it, he didn't come near to hitting the knot. But he used his wand and with a few flicks he'd slammed the rock against the knot using his magical ability, rather than his athletic ability, and he felt quite clever for it.

Hungrily, he ducked beneath the hanging branches of the willow, running for the mouth of the tunnel, and sliding into the dark.

Outside in the yard before the Shack, it was absolute chaos, possibly even more so than was going on in the tunnel itself. The erumpent was loose, having blasted her way through the front door of the Shrieking Shack and the entire Resistance was trying to assist Newt Scamander in trying to regain control on the beast, who was blowing up half the forest. She jammed her horn into tree after tree, making them burst with great, echoing blasts, the trees tipping and smashing to the ground. Twice, Gideon Prewett had had to duck out of the way before being crushed beneath a falling trunk.

"Please!" cried Newt, waving ot the beast, "You must calm down! You - You must! It's - it isn't safe for you to be doing this! OH!"

"NEWT!" Tina shouted.

He had ducked just before she speared him with her horn, "Really! That - that's not very nice of you!"

"I think she's past playing nicely, Mr. Scamander!" yelled Fabian, "We may need to stun her!"

Newt shook his head, "Do NOT stun her! I'll get her! Just -- whoa!" she'd swept her horn at him again, caught one of the logs she'd knocked down, and exploded that with a great burst of heat directly behind Newt. "Merlin's beard," he cried. "Accio case!" and he held out his hand for the case as it came spinning through the air toward him. He held it up, "Alright, enough - enough exploding things, madam!! C'mon, in you hop!"

Tina was staring at the open door of the Shack... and over all the shouting, over all the noise of the exploding and the groans and trumpeting sounds of the erumpent, she heard it.