Sign it [Lupin's Daughter]

Chapter 27

It was worse than Maddy could have possibly imagined. She had glared at the moon more times than she could count, envisioning the pain and horror her father went through once a month. Not even that could have prepared her for what she was watching now.

She could barely hear Hermione gasping that he didn't take his potion, and barely able to hear Sirius telling them to run. She couldn't. She was incapable of tearing her eyes away from her father. Ron and Peter were still tied to him, unable to do anything.

Her father let out a terrible snarl. His head and body were lengthening, his shoulders painfully hunching. Hair was growing on his face and hand, which were curling into claws.

Maddy knew for longer than she could remember that her father was a werewolf. She had read books upon books on the subject ever since she was old enough to read. Somehow, despite all she knew, it didn't seem realistic until now. It sunk in like the Titanic, the howl being the smash into the iceberg. She couldn't help him, she wasn't even sure if he could recognise her. While she wasn't a lycanthrope, did she have enough wolf in her to stop him from attacking. She could've swore she remembered something about werewolves only responding to their own kind, then again, she couldn't howl if she even wanted to. Stuck in a standstill, she stood as if she was stuck in a pool of quicksand, her legs feeling as if they were led, and incapable of moving themselves.

She hadn't even noticed Sirius transform back into a dog, and go to her father. They were engaged in a fight, Sirius steering Remus clear of Peter and Ron. Maddy gulped down her saliva, her brain working ten times too slow for the situation she was in. Hermione's scream jolted her back to the harsh reality she was facing.

Peter, the rat that he was, had dove to steal Remus's wand, and with a bang, Ron was lying motionless on the grass. A second bang occurred soon after, sending Crookshanks flying through the air. Maddy ran towards the unconscious Ron, and tried to move him away from the scene.

"EXPELLIARMUS!" screamed Harry's voice from behind her, she looked up to see her father's wand soaring out of sight. "STAY WHERE YOU ARE!"

Maddy only comprehended what had happened when it was too late, Peter had transformed into a rat, and none of them were prepared enough to catch him. He scurried away. Maddy banged her hand on the grass in despair, standing up in an attempt to get him, but he was already too far for her to even try to catch him.

"SIRIUS, HE'S GONE, PETTIGREW TRANSFORMED!" Harry yelled.

Maddy looked up to Sirius, bleeding through large gashes across his muzzle and back. At Harry's words, he scrambled in an instant, Maddy could hear the sound of each step fading.

Maddy continued to tap Ron's arm as Hermione and Harry ran over to them, collapsing on the floor next to them.

"What did he do to him," whispered Hermione.

Maddy shrugged, while Harry whispered, "I don't know..."

He surveyed their surroundings, and Maddy followed suit. Her father and Sirius were nowhere in sight. Snape was still floating unconscious like a puppet.

"We'd better get them up to the castle and tell someone," suggested Harry. "Comeㅡ" He was interrupted by the sound of a dog. One in pain. "Siriusㅡ" said Harry breathless. He stood up and ran towards the sound.

Maddy stood up to follow when Hermione put her hand on Maddy's shoulder, "Let me go,"

But Sirius! Maddy argued.

"We'll find him. Stay with Ron and Snape." And with that, she bolted after Harry.

Maddy almost ignored her, and darted after the man who had only been in her life for the last hour. Something in her didn't though. She knew she would just be a nuisance. She didn't know any magic, and she didn't even have a wand. Wand! Harry made her father's wand launch into the forest!