Olivia smiled at him and he looked at her with horror in his eyes. "Olivia, no." One by one, Olivia released her fingers from Harry's forearm. Sacrificing herself.

"Nooooo!!!" Harry and Hermione yelled, but Olivia closed her eyes and released her hands fully. She disappeared into the darkness. As her voice echoes deep into the earth.

Harry and Hermione rose and peered into the hole. The Whomping Willow swept first Hermione, then Harry, into the air and dropped them on their backsides. Ron yelled and avoided the tree limb.

As one, they rose.

Run back toward the gap in the tree. A branch swept down and Hermione ducked. Harry didn't and he was flung one way, his glasses the other. "Harry!" Ron yelled as he was flung.

Ron hopped over another branch and looked briefly pleased with himself only to find hisself swept high in the air by a second branch. He looked down and saw Harry searching the ground for his glasses.

"Harry!" Harry squinted up to see a pile-driving fist of a branch screaming straight down for his head. He rolled away just as the branch pulverized the ground.

Ron still clung on for dear life, and Harry rose, he was promptly knocked to the ground again. Ron went crashing through the high branches. 

Harry spied his glasses and grabbed them, he rosing to him feet. He went to fix his glasses as her heard a scream. 

"Ah!"

"Ah!" Hermione and Ron reached out and grabbed Harry's shirt. They rode the branch and hurtled toward the trunk of the tree and through the gap. They went straight into the darkness below. Harry hit the ground hard and Hermione fell on top of him.

"Thanks." Hermione breathed and Harry nodded.

"Don't mention it. Lumos." As the tip of Harry's wand glew it revealed a long, snaking
tunnel. He looked around and spotted Ron. He raced towards him as he tried to get up.

Ron gasped for breath. Pain pulsed from his chest. "Help me up." Ron demanded as Harry walked over. Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him up.

He nodded at him. "Where do you suppose this goes?" Hermione asked as Harry looked around.

"I have a hunch. I just hope I'm wrong..."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione made their way through the primitive passageway. Ducking the roots that dangled overhead. Then, abruptly, the tunnel ended.

Confused, Harry, Ron, and Hermione glanced about, then as one peer up. A small opening. Harry reached up and hoisted himself through.

Harry pulled Hermione up. Ron pulled hisself up with the help of Harry. Paper peeled from the walls. Stains suspiciously similar to dried blood blotted the floorboards. Shattered furniture laid strewn everywhere.

"We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?" Harry didn't answer as he stared at the dog prints in the dust on the floor. The ceiling creaked and they dashed to the stairs.

They came out and looked down. A wide, shiny stripe cut through the dust-laden floor as if something has been dragged to the end of the hallway. Where a light seeped from a door.

"Nox." His wand-light died. Slowly, they stepped to the door and exchanged a look. She nodded, wand ready, and Harry kicked the door aside. Olivia sat upon a sagging bed, clutching his bloody foot.

"Olivia! You're okay --" Harry rushed over to her. "The dog -- where's the --" Harry asked as they walked over to him.

"He's the dog. It's a trap, Harry. He's an Animagus..." Harry looked down and followed the paw prints on the floor to a pair of filthy human feet.

Harry looked up slowly at the man standing in the shadows. Filthy, matted hair hung to his shoulders. His skin was like a corpse.

Sirius Black. 

He studied Harry's face keenly. Harry drew his wand. 

"If you want to kill Harry and Olivia, you'll...you'll... have to kill us, too!" Hermione yelled as Olivia stood up.

Olivia hissed out as she let her bleeding foot down onto the dirt covered ground.

"No. Only one will die tonight." Sirius said calmly.

"Then it'll be you!" Harry yelled as he covered Olivia.

"Harry! No!" Just then, footsteps sounded. Black wheeled toward the door, edgy. 

Harry eyed Black his wand hand shaking violently.

As Black turned back he stopped and regarded Harry cautiously. "Going to kill me, Harry?"

"Yes." Harry raised his wand as the door crashed open to show Lupin.

Lupin expelled Harry's wand and Harry got off of Sirius. Harry walked back to Olivia and them.

"Professor Lupin!" Lupin ignored them as he eyed Black intensely.

"Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius? Finally the skin reflects the madness within." Lupin looked serious at Sirius.

"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" The two regarded each other, the moment taut with tension. Lupin stepped forward and embraced Black like a brother.

"No! I trusted you! I covered up for you. And all this time you've been his friend!" Hermione yelled and Olivia shook her head.

"He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!" Hermione and Olivia yelled together.  Harry and Ron stared, dumbfounded, at Lupin. Black howled, bitterly amused. 

Lupin eyed him before turning back. "How long have you known?" He asked the two girls and Olivia let out a laugh.

"Since Professor Snape set the essay." Hermione told him and he looked at Olivia.

"Your smell... it wasn't the same after my... change." She smiled at the man and yawned. Her Lynx like instincts mixed with her human ones.

"You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione." Olivia rolled her eyes. She had taught Hermione all she knew.

"Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon. Enough talk! He dies. Now. If you won't do it with me, Remus, I'll do it alone."

"Wait, Sirius --" Olivia started coughing and all three friends turned to her. Her foot pulsed as blood flowed with no stopping it.

"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban! Trust me, you wouldn't have lasted a week!" Lupin eyed Black before nodding.

"All right then. As you wish..." Lupin handed Sirius his wand.

"No!" Harry raised his wand when Lupin wheeled and with a flick of his own, disarmed him. Furious, Harry eyed Black murderously.

"You betrayed my parents! You sold them to Voldemort!" Olivia and Harry yelled together as Harry stood next to Olivia. She leaned on his shoulder to get of her bleeding foot.

"It's a lie! I never would've betrayed James and Lily!" Olivia almost lowered her wand at the look on his face. But then again he looked like a psycho at the moment.

"Harry! Olivia! You've got to listen --" Lupin tried to say something.

"Did he listen! When my mother was dying! Did he hear her screaming!" Olivia yelled tears collected in her eyes.

"No! I wasn't there! And I'll regret it the rest of my life!" Harry's eyed flashed to Black's, glittering with pain.

"Someone else betrayed your parents, Harry, Olivia. Someone in this room right now. Someone who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead." Sirius eyes light up at Olivia's name. He hadn't seen her in years and with her hair a fire red, she looked just like her mother.

"He's as good as dead." Sirius growled and Olivia nodded.

"The rat." She nodded and the men looked at her.

"What're you talking about? There's nobody here." Harry asked and looked around.

"Oh yes there is..." Black turned to Ron and crooned in a cruel sing song.

"Come out, come out, Peter come out, come out and play..." Ron drew back from Black's demented gaze.

"You're mad..." Harry's eyes shifted from Ron's face to his hands where Scabbers twisted violently.

As a curious expression befell Harry, Lupin and Black, as one, rose their wands.