harry pov

We walked through the dark hallway until we reached a ladder leading to a trap door. I climbed through, helping Florence and Hermione up after me.

"Alright, stay close." I said to them.

"We're in the shrieking shack, aren't we?" Hermione asked.

"Come on." I whispered.

I looked around at the room we were in. It looked like a house, a house that no one had lived in for a very long time.

"Guys look." Florence pointed to a set of stairs.

The three of us made our way up the stairs and through another darkened hallway until we reached a room. When we entered a familiar bright orange head of hair greeted us.

"Ron!" Florence and I yelled happily. I was relieved to see that he was okay.

"Ron! You're okay!" Hermione ran over and kneeled beside him.

"Where's the dog?" I asked, cutting Ron off as he was about to say something.

"It's a trap! He's the dog! He's an animagus!" Ron yelled, pointing frantically at something behind us.

Florence turned around first and gasped at what she saw.

I quickly turned around.

Standing, only eight feet away, was the man who betrayed my parents. The man who made me an orphan.

Sirius Black.

He was still wearing his Azkaban uniform, only it was now covered in holes, rips and dirt. His hair was greasy and grown out, and he looked like he hadn't slept in months.

"If you want to kill Harry or Florence, you'll have to kill us too!" Hermione shouted at him, pulling out her wand.

"No." He grumbled. "Only one will die tonight."

"Then it'll be you!" I yelled as I launched myself at him.

If one of us is going to die, I'm going to do everything possible to make sure it isn't Florence.

I wrapped my hand around his throat and we fell to the floor. I yanked out my wand and pressed it against his throat.

"Harry!" Florence yelled, while Hermione held her back.

Black laughed manically. "Are you going to kill me Harry?"

Suddenly another man burst through the door and yelled "Expelliarmus!" My wand flew out of my hand and across the room. The man, was Professor Lupin.

I climbed off Black and ran over to my friends. I watched as Lupin picked up my wand from the floor.

"Well well Sirius, looking rather ragged aren't we?" Lupin asked. "Finally the flesh reflects the madness within."

"Well you know all about the madness within, wouldn't you Remus?" Black replied, grinning.

Professor Lupin slowly lowered his wand, and did something that left us all speechless. He held out his hand for Black. He pulled him up and they embraced each other in a friendly hug.

"I found him! He's here!" Black said to Lupin.

"I know!"

"Let's kill him."

"No!" Hermione yelled.

"We trusted you! And all this time you've been his friend?!" Florence yelled, her eyes teared up.

"He's a werewolf!" Hermione cut in. "That's why he's been missing classes."

"How long have you known?" Lupin asked her.

"Since Professor Snape set the essay."

"Well Hermione, you really are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met." Lupin said, walking towards the girls. Ron stood in front of Hermione and I pulled Florence behind me.

"Enough talk Remus! Come on, let's kill him!" Black yelled, desperately.

I felt Florence's hand take my wrist as she pulled me back. My eyes were fixed on Black, and to my surprise, I noticed a quick look of shock cross his face.

"Wait." Lupin instructed.

"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!"

"Very well." Lupin handed Black my wand. "Kill him. But wait just one more minute. Harry has the right to know why."

"I know why!" I turned to Black. "You betrayed my parents. You're the reason their dead!" I yelled angrily.

"No, it wasn't him Harry. Somebody did betray your parents, but it was somebody who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead!" Lupin looked at Florence and I.

"Who was it then?!" I demanded.

"Peter Pettigrew! And he's in this room! Right now!" Black smiled evilly and looked around. "Come out, come out Peter! Come out and play!"

"Expelliarmus!" Snape yelled and he flung open the door. My wand flew out of Black's hand and onto the floor once again.

"Vengeance is sweet." Snape said, as he held up his wand and walked towards Black. "How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

"Severus-" Lupin started, but quickly stopped, as Snape's wand turned to him.

"I told Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into the castle, and now. Here's the proof."

"Brilliant Snape. Once again you put your keen and penetrating mind to the task, and as usual, have come to the wrong conclusion. Now if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend to."

Snape moved in closer and pushed his wand against Black's throat. "Give me a reason."

"Severus don't be a fool." Lupin warned.

"He can't help it, it's habit by now." Black cut in.

"Sirius be quiet!"

"Be quiet yourself Remus!"

"Oh listen to you two, quarrelling like a married couple." Snape mocked them.

"Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set!" Black yelled at him.

I placed my hands on Florence's waist and slowly pulled her wand from her pocket. I began to walk towards Snape who was still arguing with Black.

"Expelliarmus!" I yelled and Snape flew back, crashing into the old bed behind him.

"Harry! What did you do?!" Ron exclaimed.

"You attacked a teacher!" Hermione shrieked.

"Sh!" Florence said to them both.

I pointed my wand at Black. "Tell me about Peter Pettigrew."

"He was at school with us, we thought he was our friend." Lupin explained.

"No. Pettigrew's dead." I pointed my wand towards Black. "You killed him!"

"No he didn't!" Lupin cut in. "I thought so too, until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map!"

"The map was lying!" Florence exclaimed.

"The map never lies Florence! Pettigrew's alive and he's right there!" Black yelled, pointing at Ron.

"Me? He's mental!" Ron exclaimed in terror.

"Not you! Your rat!"

Ron gasped. "What?! Scabbers has been in the family for-"

"Twelve years? Curiously long life for a common garden rat! He's missing a toe isn't he?!" Black accused, walking towards Ron.

"So what?!" Ron questioned, pulling the rat to his chest.

"All they could find of Pettigrew was his finger....." I said.

"The coward cut off his own finger so everyone would think he was dead. Then transformed into a rat." Florence said in realisation.

"Very good." Sirius said.

"Show me." I demanded.

Black tried to grab the rat from Ron but he wouldn't give it up.

"Ron give it to him!" Hermione instructed.

"What are you trying to do to him!" Ron wailed once Black managed to snatch the Rat away from him.

Black threw the rat onto a table and pointed my wand at him.

"Leave him alone! Get off him!" Ron cried as Hermione held him back.

The rat ran around the room trying to dodge the spells that Black was casting. He almost made it through a hole until a spell caught him and he transformed back into a human. They dragged him into the middle of the room.

"Remus? Sirius? My old friends!" Pettigrew exclaimed shakily.

He went in for a hug but was pushed back. Pettigrew looked around for an escape but Florence and I caught his eye.

"Harry? Look at you! You look so much like your father. We were the best of friends." He said, walking towards us. "Florence! How lovely to see you!" He paused as he saw us holding hands. "I'm sure your father wouldn't be too happy to see you hanging around with Potter here!"

Why wouldn't her father be happy? Is it because he's a deatheater?

"How dare you speak to Harry or Florence?!" Sirius yelled as he pushed him back. "How dare you talk about James in front of him!"

Pettigrew whimpered and ran to hide behind an old piano in the room.

"You sold James and Lily out to Voldemort didn't you?!" Lupin yelled.

"I didn't meant to! The dark lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses!"

In that moment I could've sworn I saw Pettigrew briefly glance at Florence. Why? What did she have to do with any of this?

"Ask yourself Sirius, what would you have done?!"

"Died! I would have died rather than betray my friends!" Sirius yelled at him, anger filling his words.

Pettigrew cried out and crawled under a table in the middle of the room. His eyes locked on Florence and he ran over to her. "Dear girl! You won't let them kill me? You must try to understand! You're parents would!"

"Get away from her!" I yelled as I stood in front of her, blocking Pettigrew's path.

He crawled over to the door and Lupin blocked him. He turned back to me. "Harry! James wouldn't have wanted me killed! You dad would have spared me! He would've shown me mercy!" Pettigrew cried as Sirius pulled him back into the middle of the room.

"You should've realised Peter, that if Voldemort didn't kill you then we would!" Black pointed my wand at the coward.

"No!" I yelled.

"Harry, this man-" Lupin started.

"I know what he is. We'll take him to the castle."

"Oh bless you boy!" Pettigrew exclaimed.

"I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the dementors can have you."

----

"Sorry about the bite. I reckon that twinges a bit." Sirius apologised to Ron.

We were walking back through the tunnel and out of the shrieking shack.

"A bit? A bit? You almost tore my leg off!" Ron whined as he limped beside him.

"I was going for the rat. Normally, I have a very sweet disposition as a dog." Sirius explained. "In fact, more than once, James suggested that I make the change permanent. The tail I could live with, but the fleas, they're murder."

I sped up and walked next to Florence. "Hey, you okay?"

I know how hard it must've been seeing a relative for the first time, someone who you thought was so evil.

She laughed lightly. "I should be asking you that. You just found out the truth about your parents and got pretty bloodied up in the process."

"And you just found out that the only relative you have left isn't even a murderer!" I laughed.

"He isn't exactly my only relative left, but that doesn't matter." She said quickly and looked away.

I trusted her. If she doesn't want to tell me something now, I can wait. It can't be that bad.

We left the opening in the whomping willow and walked out into the black nights sky. We must've been down in there for a while.

Ron lay on the grass to rest his leg and Hermione sat next to him. I heard him complaining and exaggerating the pain to get Hermione's attention. Typical.

Sirius walked over to some bushes where there was a perfect view of the castle. Florence followed him first.

I listened in. I know I shouldn't have. But I did.

"Do they know?" Sirius asked her.

She shook her head. "No."

"Will they soon?"

"I can't. Not now."

My mind spiralled. What could they be talking about?

"You have time, Florence. Just be careful with how you use it."

I walked over and joined them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He asked us. "I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors."

"It'll be nice to do it again as a free man I bet." I said.

He smiled at the thought. "You know, I've wanted to meet you two for the longest time." He paused then turned to face Florence.

"I was so scared you were going to try and make me like my parents." Florence admitted, looking at the ground.

Sirius nodded. "I don't blame you, after all the rumours spreading, I would've thought the same. Just know, I'd never make you like them. Never. Hell, I'll protect you from them with all I have. You can trust me."

Florence smiled at him and he smiled back, I was so glad she was happy.

"You know Harry, that was a noble thing you did back there." He said, now turning to me. "He doesn't deserve it."

"I didn't think my dad would've wanted his two best friends to become killers. Besides, dead, the real truth dies with him. Alive, you're free."

"Turn me into a flobberworm! Anything but the dementors!" Pettigrew begged Lupin from behind us.

"Shut it!" Ron snapped at him.

"I don't know if you know Harry, but Lily and James made me your godfather."

"I know." I said.

"I can understand if you, Florence, would want to stay with the Malfoy's and Harry, you, with the Dursley's, but if you two ever wanted a different home..."

"What? Come and live with you?" I asked excitedly. I saw Florence's eyes widen and her face light up.

"It's just. a thought. I can understand if you two don't want to-"

Florence and I looked at each other. "I would love to." She said immediately.

"Me too."

He smiled at us and was about to say something before Hermione yelled out. "Harry! Florence!" As she pointed to the sky.

The moon was rising.

"Remus, my old friend. Have you taken your potion tonight?" Sirius asked worriedly.

Professor Lupin began to shriek in pain as his pupils dilated and his teeth began to grow.

Sirius leaped over to him and held him down. "You know the man you truly are Remus!" He yelled.

Florence and I ran over to Hermione and helped Ron off the ground. Pettigrew saw the perfect chance to escape, and he did. He shrunk back into his rat form and scurried off.

"No!" Florence yelled as she dived after him. She almost got him but he slipped away out of her reach.

Professor Lupin now had long claws and fur all over him. The four of us all huddled together and slowly backed away.

"Run! Run!" Sirius yelled.

He was fully transformed into a werewolf now. He threw Sirius to the ground and began howling to the moon.

"Come on." Harry urged.

"Wait! Wait!" Hermione slowly walked up to him.

"Hermione!" Ron whispered frantically. "Bad idea! Bad idea!"

"Professor?"

He looked down to her.

"Professor Lupin?"

The werewolf howled at the moon and Hermione quickly backed away towards us. It slowly crawled  towards us.

"Nice doggy! Nice doggy!" Ron whispered.

Suddenly Snape appeared from the whomping willow. "There you are Potter!"

"Behind you!" Florence yelled.

Snape turned around quickly and shielded us from the werewolf.

It swiped its sharp claws and knocked all of us onto the ground. Florence and I fell right in front of the him. The werewolf raised his arm and was going to attack me.

"No!" Florence screamed at she bent over me and the beast slashed her back. She screamed in pain as the three big gashes on her back began to gush with blood. She passed out almost immediately.

"NO!" I yelled. "FLORENCE! NO!"

The beast was about to strike again. I hugged Florence tightly, protecting her, until a huge black dog appeared out of nowhere. It jumped out of the bushes and knocked the werewolf down.

Sirius.

I carried Florence in my arms and ran over to Snape. I saw her white shirt turn red with the waterfall of blood coming from her wounds.

"Hospital wing now Potter!" Snape yelled. "She won't last an hour with those cuts! Go!"

I hesitated as I saw Lupin and Sirius in his animagus fighting each other. I watched them run over to the woods and Hermione ran up next to me.

"We got her, go!" She said as she and Ron took Florence from me.

I took one last look at Florence and sprinted after where the two dogs had just ran off to.

"Get back here Potter!" I heard Snape yell in the distance.

As I caught up, I saw Sirius loosing the fight. I threw a rock at the werewolf and it came towards me. Until it's attention turned to a howl coming from the distance. It didn't sound like a wolf, it sounded........... familiar for some reason.

It ran off towards the howling sound and I ran towards Sirius. He had turned back into his human form and was hurt badly.

"Sirius! No!" I leaned down next to him.

I felt a familiar feeling of coldness and depression sweep over me. And the pond in front of me began turning into ice.

Dementors.

They were everywhere.

I yanked out my wand. "Expecto Patronum!"

I thought of my parents. I thought of my friends. I thought of moving in with Sirius.

A small shield burst out of my wand, but it didn't last for long. I cried out as I felt the dementors sucking out my soul one by one.

I weakly watched as the same happens to Sirius. I watched his soul leave his body and I began to feel faint. I fell to the ground and looked up for one last time.

I saw a powerful patronus appear.

A stag.

It's my dad.

That was the last thing I saw, and then everything went black.