Youngblood {Year 3, Book 1}

= Chapter 13 =

"Its the Grim!" Ron screamed in terror. 

"RUN!"

Everyone began to run, blurring past Aspen as they practically made their way out of the clearing, only to be stopped by Ron's screams as the large, black dog dragged him under the uprising roots of the Whomping Willow.

"Help!" Ron shouted again, stopping the already terrified group in their tracks.

"We've got to help him!" Dove shouted.

"Over my dead body! I'm not sacrificing my life for that weasel." Aspen shouted back, sighing as the three Gryffindors gave her a mad glance.

"What can we do?" Lillian said, speaking for Aspen.

"We've got to get to Ron!" Hermione said, watching the Whomping Willow thrash about.

Aspen ran towards the Whomping Willow, immediately getting thrown back by the thrashing tree. She groaned as she hit the ground painfully.

"Ow." She commented as Lillian helped her up.

The Willow thrashed for minutes, although it seemed like hours. The Gryffindors had made some stupid decisions to attempt to get past the Whomping Willow as the Slytherins watched, sighing in disbelief.

"Is Ron alright?" Aspen heard behind her, swinging around to find Mya.

"We don't know, he's been down underneath the Willow for about five minutes already.

"Oh no!" Eleana said, jogging behind the Ravenclaw. "That's horrible."

"Enough of this." Aspen said, gritting her teeth together angrily.

The sprinted forward, dodging the Willow's attacks - right, left, jump, duck - until she was safe, tucked in the small hole underneath the roots that Ron had been dragged through.

"Look out!" She heard as Hermione, Dove, and Harry came toppling down on her, followed by an excited Mya, who had managed to freeze the Willow - an adding factor of having a smart Ravenclaw who pays attention in Charms - to allow Eleana and Lillian to jog through.

"Ow." Aspen said sarcastically, climbing out from underneath the dog pile of Gryffindors, brushing the dirt from her clothes.

The rest of the group stood up, surveying their surroundings - a large cave tucked underneath the roots of the Whomping Willow.

"Well?" Lillian said, looking at Harry.

"You wanted to lead - so lead." Aspen sighed, not liking this position of not being in charge.

Harry nodded at her, then took out his wand.

"Lumos." He commanded as the tip of his land light up, creating a light source to guide the group down the dark tunnel.

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The tunnel was dark, but, thankfully not long. The dirty, underground tunnel twisted into... The Shrieking Shack!?

"Why here?!" Aspen sighed, looking around as the group crawled through the small trapdoor wedged in the floor of the shack.

"N-No please." Ron stammered somewhere in the shack.

"Ron!" Mya gasped, sprinting quietly towards the voice.

Aspen and Lillian didn't even give each other any annoyed glances before running off after the Gryffindors.

"I-It's him!" Ron stammered. "He's Sirius Black."

Ron pointed to the black, shaggy dog snarling in the dim-lighted corner - but he wasn't the only dog in the room.

"Where's Dove?" Harry asked, looking around for his girl.

'Grrrrrrf!' A low rumbling came from the doorway, staring at the The Grim was a beautiful red wolf with hazel eyes and sharp, pearly canines.

"Dove?" Aspen asked, looking at the small wolf.

The wolf looked up at her, wagging her tail slightly and barked silently, then turned back to The Grim, preparing for a fight.

"He's Sirius Black." Ron breathed heavily as Mya attempted to comfort him.

The shaggy black wolf morphed back into a human - Sirius Black.

"You don't say, Sherlock." Aspen sighed, taking out her wand as everyone did.

"Expelliarmus!" Lillian flicked her wand, watching as Sirius' went flying out of his hand.

"What do you want with Ron?" Harry asked angrily, stepping forward and placing his warm hand on the red wolf's head.

"No, not Ron." Sirius said, but pointed at... Scabbers.