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Aurora Areli
HERMIONE SCREAMED. BLACK LEAPT to his feet. Harry jumped about a foot in the air, and I gasped, gripping my wand tightly.
"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape said, throwing the Cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Uncle Remus' chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you . . ."
Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your Potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did . . . lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."
"Severus —" Uncle Remus began, but Snape overrode him.
"I've told the Headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout —"
"Severus, you're making a mistake," Uncle Remus said urgently. "You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry —"
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," Snape said, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this . . . he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin . . . a tame werewolf . . ."
"You fool," Uncle Remus said softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"
BANG!
Thin, snake-like cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Uncle Remus' mouth, wrists and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move.
"Hey, let him go!" I shouted, moving forwards to go aid Uncle Remus, but Harry and Hermione pulled me back. Black, however, got farther than I did, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.
"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
Black stopped dead. It was impossible to say which face showed more hatred.
I didn't know what to do. Harry shifted towards me as I stood there, paralysed. I glanced at him, taking in the confliction on his face, then to Ron and Hermione. Ron looked equally as confused as he fought to keep hold of a struggling Scabbers.
Hermione then took an uncertain step forward and said, in a very breathless voice, "Professor Snape — it — it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?"
"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Potter, Weasley and Miss Areli are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."
