It's Time: Past, Present, Future

Chapter 23

June 6

Lucy was just exiting the forest and was ascending the large hill, having just come from visiting the Narnian settlement, when she noticed the Hamadryad, known as the Whomping Willow, swinging its branches in a frenzy. Lucy speedily approached the Willow only to see two students fall into a hole at the base of the tree.

When the Narnian Queen neared the raging tree, its branches immediately stopped.

"May I?" The young Queen's voice kindly requested. The Willow's branches titled a bit, as if to nod. The friendly girl rested her hand on the bark of the Hamadryad, before plunging into the dark hole.

Lucy followed the path carved into the stone until she found herself in a run down, wooden house. It creaked, or rather, it shrieked. Oh, so that's where she was. Voices led her up the stairs to find...Professor Lupin hugging a filthy Sirius Black.

"Let's kill him." The Azkaban escapee said.

"No!" Lucy and Hermione's voices rang at the same time. Lucy slowly brought herself in front of the Golden Trio. She held her wand, but the dagger that could change into a sword, gifted to her by her father was hidden away in her boot, just in case.

"I trusted you! And all this time, you've been his friend." Hermione accused Lupin. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!" The two boys looked surprised, but Lucy had already known, her father had told her.

"How long have you known?" The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher inquired.

"Since Professor Snape set the essay." Hermione informed him.

"Well well, Hermione, you really are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met." Lupin complemented.

"Enough talk Remus, come on, let's kill him." Sirius impatiently grumbled.

"Wait." Lupin ordered.

"I did my waiting! 12 years of it, in Azkaban!" Sirius burst.

The two accomplices turned their gazes to Lucy and the trio.

"Alright kill him," Lupin handed Sirius a wand, "but wait one more minute. Harry has the right to know why."

"I know why," Harry's voice wavered, "you betrayed my parents. You're the reason they're dead."

"No Harry," Remus Lupin contradicted. "It wasn't him. Somebody did betray your parents, but it wasn't him. It was somebody who until quite recently, I believed to be dead."

"Who was it then?" Harry demanded.

"Peter Pettigrew." Sirius looked smug.  "He's in this room, right now. Come out, come out, Peter. Come out, come out and play!" He sounded mental, as Ron would put it, as he steadily drew closer.

Just as Lucy was about to cast a spell Severus appeared and cast "Expelliarmus!"

"Oh, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you." Severus expressed.

"Severus" Remus Lupin began, only to immediately stop himself when Severus switched the aim of his wand to point to the DADA Professor.

"I told Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into castle and now, here's the proof." The potion master proclaimed.

"Brilliant Snape. Once again you put your keen and penetrating mind to a task and as usual, come to the wrong conclusion. Now, if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

The former Azkaban prisoner made the mistake of nearing Severus during his mocking, allowing Severus the opportunity to press his wand into the other's throat. "Give me a reason. I beg you."

"Severus, don't be a fool." Lupin requested.

"He can't help it. It's habit by now." Sirius insulted.

"Sirius be quiet." Lupin tired.

"Be quite yourself Remus!" Sirius yelled.

"Look at you two, quarreling like an old married couple." Lucy almost laughed at what Severus just said, despite the current situation.

"Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set." Sirius taunted.

"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? A dementor's kiss, one can only imagine what it must be like to endure. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness but I'll do my best." Severus dangerously threatened.

"Severus please." Lupin pleaded.

"After you." Severus gestured for the students to exit only for Harry to blast him into the old, dusty four poster bed.

"Hey!" Lucy cried out.

"Harry? What did you just do?" Ron called out.

"You attacked a teacher!" Hermione exclaimed.

Lucy rushed over to Severus, but still listened to what was occurring.

(I'm tired out repeating dialogue, especially when I don't have much, if anything, to input or change, plus my hands hurt so I'm going to stop here and you can just watch the video. :)    )
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Once everything was settled everyone except Lucy, and the unconscious Severus Snape, started to exit the room.

"Come along Lucy. He'll be fine." Lupin directed. Lucy sighed, but followed after them. Outside the full moon illuminated the castle grounds through the clouds. The Whomping Willow twitched, but when Lucy emerged from the hole it halted its movement.

Hermione and Harry set Ron near the base of the Hamadryad while Sirius revealed in the outside and the sight of Hogwarts from a short distance from the Trio.

Lucy approached Sirius and evaluated him. "You've changed, at least from when we were inside the Shrieking Shack and you were acting...strange to say the least. Now you're acting sane though, which is good.

"It doesn't seem like you've changed much from when you were a Hogwarts student, at least, not in regards to D-Severus Snape. You still hold as much as a grudge for him as he does for you. You hate Severus just as much as back then."

Sirius chuckled at that. "We were always bitter enemies."

"Not always. Once upon a long time gone, you could have been friends, and perhaps you can. If not, you can stop holding a grudge. Grudges are not healthy to keep." Lucy stated.

"I'll stop hating him when he stops hating me." Sirius declared, in a 'that's just the way life is' tone.

"If everyone had this approach in life, nothing would ever happen. Nothing could be accomplished or changed, and I'm sure he won't hate you nearly as much when he learns that you're innocent of the crimes you've been charged of. Eventually, in time, he might learn to forgive you, just as you could stop hating him." With that Lucy headed back to Golden Trio.

"Harry." Lucy spoke as they crossed paths, him going to his godfather, (Lucy's father had been a bit jealous of that fact) and Lucy, making her way toward the tree. The both paused. "Don't hurt my dad again." Lucy had dangerous glint in her eyes.