Harry Potter and The Daughter of Sirius Black. [CedricxOc and DracoxOc]

Sirius Black.

Third Person's Point of View.

Harry and Hermione climbed the creaking stairs of the shack, their hearts pounding. They followed the faint cries of Ron, their only lifeline in the chaos. Harry's mind raced with worry for Arista. He had seen her jump in after Ron and the Grim, but now, silence from her was deafening. When they reached the top, Harry spotted Ron at the end of a trail of dirt marks. He rushed forward. "Ron, where's the dog?"

Ron, wide-eyed and trembling, pointed toward the door they had just entered. "It's a trap. He's the dog. He's an Animagus, like Arista!" Harry and Hermione turned to face Sirius Black. Hermione, filled with dread, stepped in front of Harry. "If you want to kill Harry, you're going to have to kill us too." Then, Arista emerged from the shadows of another room, unharmed. Relief washed over her friends. "Don't be so melodramatic, Hermione. He wasn't going for Ron."

But confusion clouded Harry's eyes. "Arista...? You're... you're with him?!" "Harry, there was never any sides to choose. You were just blind to the truth about why Dad escaped prison." The weight of her words hung in the air. Harry struggled to comprehend. "Besides..." Sirius interrupted. "Only one will die tonight." In an instant, Harry broke free from Hermione's grasp, fury propelling him toward Sirius. 

But Arista shifted midair, growling protectively, blocking his path. "Are you going to kill me, Harry?" Sirius taunted, a smirk on his face. Just then, Lupin burst onto the scene, disarming Harry before he could react. Arista changed back, relief flooding her features as she rushed to her uncle, wrapping her arms around him. "Looking rather ragged, aren't we?" Lupin remarked, eyeing Sirius. "Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within."

Sirius chuckled. "Well, you'd know all about madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Their moment of camaraderie broke as Lupin's expression turned serious. "We found him." "I know," Lupin replied, his voice steady. Sirius's excitement was palpable. "He's here!" "I understand." "Let's kill him!" "No! I trusted you!" Hermione's voice pierced the tension. Harry felt the ground shift beneath him. 

"All this time, you've been his friend? He's a werewolf! That's why you and Arista have been missing classes!" Hermione's anger boiled over as she turned to Harry and Ron. "Remus, how long have you known?" The revelation struck like lightning. The atmosphere thickened. Tension crackled. Harry's mind raced. Were they really in a fight against something darker? Something that could tear them apart?

Each friend felt the weight of their choices. They were caught in a web of secrets and lies, and the truth was more dangerous than any spell. The stakes were high. Trust hung by a thread. And in that moment, each realized they had to choose. Would they stand together or let fear drive them apart? "Since Professor Snape set the essay," she admitted, her voice wavering slightly. "Well, well, well, Hermione. You really are one of the brightest witches I've ever met."

Arista felt the tension rising in her father. Just as she sensed his irritation bubbling over, she snapped, "Enough talk, Uncle! Come on, let's kill him!" Remus turned to the two Blacks, concern etched on his face. "Wait!" Sirius, his patience fraying, shook his head vehemently. "I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban! I missed her growing up! That won't happen again!" Remus sighed heavily, the weight of their past pressing down. 

He turned back to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "Very well. Kill him. But wait one more minute. Harry has a right to know why." He handed Sirius his wand, a gesture heavy with meaning. "I know why. You betrayed my parents. You brainwashed Arista into helping you, when her mother also died the night my parents died. You're the reason they're dead!" Arista shook her head, stepping forward to challenge Harry's words. 

"No, it wasn't him. Somebody killed our parents." Her Uncle continued, "Somebody who, until recently, I believed to be dead!" "Who was it then?" Harry shouted, his voice trembling with anger. "Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius shouted back, his tone fierce. "And he's in this room! Right now! Come out, come out, Peter! Come out, come out and play!" "Expelliarmus!" Severus shouted, suddenly appearing in the doorway, disarming Sirius with a flick of his wrist.