Crookshanks | 𝘚𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 45

Hermione screamed. Sirius leapt to his feet and Crookshanks hissed in shock as they all stared back at Snape's cold figure.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Remus's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..."

Jenna sank lower and crawled behind the bed. She didn't know how long Snape had been standing there or whether he had seen and recognized her or not. But she was sure that if he had, he would send her straight off to Azkaban tonight.

"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," Snape sneered. "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 —" Remus began, but Snape overrode him.

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof." He then turned to glance at Sirius, a smirk spreading across his face. "Vengeance is very sweet. How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

"The joke's on you again, Severus," Sirius snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle" — he jerked his head at Ron — "I'll come quietly..."

"Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black... pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay..."

Jenna stared up at him in horror. She was ready to pounce, waiting for the right moment when Snape would've turned his back on her, so she could turn into human and attack him.

"Come on, all of you," said Snape sharply. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for him too —"

Any moment now... Jenna thought to herself. She wasn't going to let him take Remus and Sirius. She was going to turn.

But just then, Jenna jumped when Harry suddenly pointed his wand at Snape, yelling, "Expelliarmus!"

There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out, his wand soaring in a high arc and landing down the bed next to Crookshanks.

"You attacked a teacher..." Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble —"

"Thank you, Harry," Remus said breathlessly.

"I'm still not saying I believe you," Harry told him.

"Then it's time we offered you some proof," said Remus softly. "You, boy — give me Peter, please. Now."

"Scabbers is just an ordinary rat!" Ron tried to reason.

"No, it's not!" Sirius snapped, growing impatient. "He's missing a toe, isn't he?"

"So what?"

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Remus. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

"Just before he transformed," said Sirius. "When I cornered him,
he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself — and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something!" Ron tried desperately to reason. "He's been in my family for ages —"

"Twelve years, in fact," said Remus, nodding. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We — we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Remus. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again..."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was now purring on the bed.

"This cat isn't mad!" Sirius snapped hoarsely. He then reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head.

But as if sensing Hermione, Harry, and Ron's curious eyes on him, he cleared his throat, trying to quickly come up with something to say.

"She's the most intelligent of her kind I've ever met. She recognized Peter for what he was right away. I managed to communicate to her what I was after, and she's been helping me..."

"What do you mean?" Hermione questioned.

"She tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't... so she stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me... As I understand it, she took them from a boy's bedside table... But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it..."

      Crookshanks leaned her head in his hand, closing her yellow eyes.

      "This cat — Crookshanks, did you call her? — she told me Peter had left blood on the sheets... I supposed he bit himself... Well, faking his own death had worked once..."

      "THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "YOU WERE THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! YOU KILLED THEM!"

      "Harry... I as good as killed them," Sirius whispered, looking down. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me... I'm to blame, I know it." His voice broke. He turned away.

      Jenna glanced up at him, clearly seeing the guilt and sorrow in his tearful eyes. Even after all these years, Sirius still hadn't forgiven himself.

     "Enough of this," said Remus, and there was a steely note in his voice. With that, Remus forced Scabbers out of Ron's hands, walking away.

      "Ready, Sirius?" said Remus.

     Sirius had already retrieved Snape's wand from the the floor. He approached Remus and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.

     "Together?" Sirius said quietly.

     "I think so," said Remus, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One — two — THREE!"