Chapter 4
"You're so cute," I whispered in Hermione's ear as we made our way down to Hagrid's to try to comfort him. Hermione's face went red.
"Guys, come on!" Harry called.
"Should I even be here? It's my Parents and Brother's fault that Buckbeak's gonna die," I asked Harry in a whisper. "If only they'd had a full Wizengamot proceeding, then I could've used my votes in Hagrid's favour and--"
"Cassie, don't," Ron interrupted me.
"Yeah, it's not your fault," Hermione said.
"If I hadn't been there, Draco wouldn't've written to Mom and Dad about it and--"
"He still would've," Harry interrupted. "You wouldn't've been there to save him, he would've gotten hurt and then wrote to them about his own injury."
"You're right," I sighed. "But I still feel bad. Buckbeak didn't do anything wrong. Draco was warned."
"Is he still trying to do everything he can to make it up to you?" Hermione asked with a slight chuckle.
"Yeah. He even wrote to them, begging them not to go through with it." I zoned out as we got to Hagrid's until Harry made a noise of pain. What'd I miss? Everyone freaks out and we quickly leave out the back, trying not to get caught by Dumbledore, Fudge or Macnair. We hid behind a pile of pumpkins and the others tried to focus on what was being said in Hagrid's Hut through the quiet words drifting out of the open window. I looked around, bored, and heard a twig snap. I looked in the direction of the noise and saw myself for a brief moment. Damn, what am I doing out here in the future?
"What?" Harry asked as he looked at Hermione. Ron and Hermione were looking in the trees where I'd seen myself and Harry looked over there too.
"I thought I just saw-" She cut herself off as I gently elbowed her in the stomach. She looked at me and I shook my head. "Never mind."
"Let's go!" Ron said. Harry briefly looked into the trees again but stopped when I grabbed his arm and I let go. We quickly left up the hill. When did Ron get Scabbers? After standing there for a few tense moments, we saw Fudge, Macnair, Dumbledore and Hagrid come out. We stared at them and then saw Macnair slowly raise his axe. I grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her close. He swung the axe down and we heard it cut into something. Buckbeak... We should've done something.
"Oh, no!" Hermione whispered through tears as she quickly turned around, threw her arms around my neck and buried her face in my shoulder.
"Ah!" Ron gasped as Scabbers fell onto the ground and started running. "He bit me! Scabbers." Ron ran after Scabbers.
"Ron. Ron!" Harry and Hemione called. The three of us ran after Ron and Scabbers, calling Ron's name.
"Scabbers, come back," Ron yelled.
"Ron, wait!" Harry yelled. Ron dived and caught Scabbers so Harry, Hermione and I stopped running after Ron.
"Oh, shit! Guys, that's the Whomping Willow!" I exclaimed.
"Ron, run!" Harry yelled.
"Harry, Hermione, Cassie, run!" Ron yelled as he shakily pointed behind us so we turned around and saw a shaggy black Dog that was growling at us. "It's the Grim!" The Dog barked as it ran at us. It jumped over us and ran towards Ron. The Dog's thoughts were screaming about getting 'the traitor'. Wait... Is it... Cousin Siri? But that means the Rat is...
"Ron! Drop Scabbers! He's after Scabbers!" I yelled but Ron refused as Dog Siri bit his leg and pulled him under the tree as Harry, Hermione and I ran after them with the three of them screaming at each other. I quickly pulled Harry and Hermione away as the tree started thrashing its branches around, trying to hit us. "Back up for a minute. That tree could kill us. We have to get into that tunnel. I can use my Air Magic to keep us safe but we have to go quickly and at the same time, got it?" The other two nodded. "Three, two, one, go!" We ran towards the tunnel and I quickly used my Air Magic to create a wind barrier around us to push the branches away. It won't work for long but we don't need it to. Harry went through first, Hermione quickly followed and I let down the barrier as I slid in too. I'm so glad I've been practising my Elemental Magic since that Quidditch Match even more than I was before or I'd already be Magically exhausted. Hermione apologised to Harry as she landed on him and I used my Air Magic to slow down a little when I got to the bottom so I ended up just standing up instead of falling on the Harry/Hermione pile on the floor. I smirked at them as they stood up and Hermione stuck her tongue out at me. "There's a lot I'd like you to do with your tongue, Hermione, but sticking it out at me isn't one of them." Her face went a bright red. I walked over to her and whispered in her ear. "Any time you want to be my first kiss, let me know, but make sure it happens soon or Daphne or Pansy might beat you to it." Hermione growled a little and quickly started following Harry, who'd already started down the tunnel. I chuckled at her jealousy and followed after them.
"Where'd you suppose this goes?" Hermione asked. I remembered the Marauder's Map, Lupin's Werewolf status (that I'd figured out ages ago) and the rumours of the Shrieking Shack and sighed.
"I think it leads to the Shrieking Shack but I hope I'm wrong," I responded. We followed the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack and made our way up the broken ruined stairs to a room that had a wide-open door. We heard Ron moaning in pain and we quickly ran over to him.
"Ron!" Harry yelled.
"Ron," Hermione exclaimed. "You're okay."
"The Dog. Where is it?" Harry asked.
"Harry. It's a trap. He's--"
"Where's Sirius?" I asked in a whisper, cutting Ron off.
"What?" Harry asked.
"I heard the Dog's thoughts outside. He's an Animagus. It's Sirius." We turned around when Ron pointed behind us. We saw Dog paw prints leading to Sirius who was standing behind the broken open door. The door shut and Sirius was fully revealed. Hermione moved to stand in front of Harry.
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too," she said.
"No. Hermione move. He's not after Harry," I said as I eyed Sirius. He looked over at me and his eyes went wide.
"Narcissa?" He asked.
"I'm her Daughter. Cassiopeia Malfoy. It's nice to finally meet you, Cousin Siri. I made sure the DMLE knows you never got a trial. The 'Kiss-on-sight' order has been rescinded. I know you're innocent and I know who you're here for. The Map told me."
"The Map never lies."
"So you do know about the Map. I thought it was weird Lupin knew what it was when he saw I had it. The look on his face when I told him I saw Pettigrew on it was--"
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin yelled after barging in and aiming at Harry. Harry's wand flew somewhere in the room. "Well, well, Sirius. Looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within." I went to stop Lupin but his thoughts told me he was here to help Sirius so I didn't.
"Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" He lowered his wand and helped Sirius up. Sirius quickly hugged Lupin and Hermione looked confused and pissed... And maybe a little hurt. "I found him." Sirius was on the verge of tears and you could definitely hear it. I feel bad for him. Locked in prison with Dementors around all the time for 12 years for something you didn't do.
"I know," Lupin responded.
"It's him."
"I understand."
"Let's kill him."
"No!" Hermione yelled. "I trusted you! And all this time, you've been his friend He's a Werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes."
"Hermione! That wasn't your secret to tell!" I quickly moved away from Hermione and over to Sirius and Lupin. "Leave Cousin Siri and his Boyfriend alone."
"Boyfriend!?" Harry, Ron and Lupin exclaimed.
"Oh, come on! Your thoughts about each other aren't subtle," I said with an eye roll and a wince. I didn't need to know that much about Cousin Siri's sex life when he was at Hogwarts. Damn, those two are kinky... Is it classed as Beastiality if- Never mind. That's not what I should be focused on. And people wonder why I was flirting with McGonagall and others when I was 11. With the things I hear in people's heads, I matured on that topic a while ago. I definitely at least know more about it than the 7th Years at this point. "Besides, your Auras are both a crimson red. A perfect match."
"How long have you two known?" Lupin asked me and Hermione about his Werefolf status.
"Since Professor Snape set the essay," Hermione said.
"Same," I responded. "Uncle Sev definitely set that essay for all the school years simply hoping that someone would figure it out and tell everyone. Why does he hate you that much? What did you do to him?" I saw everything in his head. "Harry. Your Father and his friends were assholes to Uncle Sev and that's why he hates you. You look like him so all he sees when he looks at you is your Dad."
"My Dad wasn't--"
"He levitated him upside down and pulled his trousers off just because he was reading nearby. He was a bully and Cousin Siri and Lupin were too. To the point Uncle Sev owed your Father a Life Debt like you owe me because he saved his life when Sirius almost got him killed by Lupin."
"How'd you know that?" Lupin asked.
"I'm a Natural Legilimens," I said. "Just like my Mother. Hermione, Sirius isn't here to kill Harry. He's here to kill Peter Pettigrew."
"Well, well, Cassiopeia, I guess we've finally figured out which of you two is really the Brightest Witch of her Age," Lupin said.
"Enough talk, Remus! Come on, let's kill him!" Cousin Siri complained.
"Wait!"
"I did my waiting! 12 years of it! In Azkaban!" His voice quavered. I walked over and gave him a hug.
"It's okay, Cousin Siri. I can't imagine what you went through with the Dementors but Harry has a right to know and Ron's lived with him for years... We should tell them first. Peter Pettigrew," I said after I turned towards Harry. "He's the one who betrayed your Parents. Do you remember what I told you on the train? Pettigrew confronted Sirius, yelled for everyone to hear about Sirius betraying your Family and then was blown up but he was a coward and Sirius is a Blood Traitor who loved Muggles and Mudbloods alike. He wouldn't've done that. Pettigrew, however, would've done anything to escape Azkaban because of his cowardice. He faked his death. Yelled for everyone to hear so Sirius wouldn't be able to tell anyone the truth as they'd believe he was trying to cover for himself, cut his finger off, blew the street up to make it seem like he was dead and then turned into his illegal Animagus form... Of a Rat. Sirius is after Scabbers because he's Peter Pettigrew. He's missing a toe, isn't he? He's been in your Family long enough that he was Percy's Rat first. 12 years, right? His thoughts and the Maruader's Map gave him away."
"The what Map?" Harry asked.
"Later, Harry. Sirius must've switched the Secret Keeper to Pettigrew at the last minute. With Pettigrew already being a spy for The Dark Lord and believing Sirius to be the target as James' best friend..."