Harry and James really did look alike. Even Argus, who'd only seen photos, could spot it at a glance. No wonder Snape recognized him so quickly.
Harry's defense of Sirius had been well-meant, but it pushed Snape over the edge. The Potions Master had originally planned just to drag Sirius off to Azkaban. Now, he was unleashing everything.
"Sectumsempra!"
Snape held nothing back, firing off his signature curse. Lupin yanked the stunned Sirius aside just in time. The spell gouged deep scars into the wall behind them.
Sirius broke out in a cold sweat. "Don't zone out! He's not the scared kid from school anymore!"
"Don't forget what we've been through these years—and what he's endured," Lupin snapped. "I won't be the one burying you!"
His words jolted Sirius back to reality. Deep down, they both knew it: Snape had grown far stronger. Even with Harry, the three of them might not escape him.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Stupefy!"
"Protego!"
They coordinated seamlessly, holding off Snape's barrage. Lupin and Sirius had years of teamwork from Hogwarts onward. Strangely, Harry synced with them like an old ally— a shared glance was all it took.
But Snape's experience dwarfed theirs: countless battles, near-deaths, and now raw fury. His magic overpowered them. They could only delay the inevitable.
Worse, it wasn't just his power. It was the Dark Arts he wielded without mercy. Seeing Harry as James fueled his rage; he'd gladly end them all. Sirius drew the brunt, with Lupin shielding Harry as best he could. They were ragged, desperate.
"Something's off—Snape's lost it," Argus muttered from his hiding spot. He'd figured Snape would just vent and hand Sirius to the Dementors. But he'd underestimated that hatred.
It made sense, though. Snape had nearly hit Lupin with the Killing Curse earlier. Sirius, the old Marauder ringleader, was a trigger all his own.
Argus sighed, wand at the ready. "Thought we'd sit this out. Guess we have to stop him after all."
Across the room, the trio faltered. Fortunately, Snape's frenzy ebbed slightly. He still flung dark spells, but eased off targeting Harry directly. With Lupin and Sirius guarding him, hitting the boy meant wasting curses on the protectors.
"Almost time to jump in," Argus thought. "They won't last much longer."
Then the Shrieking Shack betrayed them. Decades of decay gave way under the spells' force—the roof caved in with a thunderous crash. Beams plummeted toward Snape.
He deflected most with a wild swipe, but it opened a gap. Harry and Sirius struck: Harry's spell disarmed him, followed by Sirius's Incarcerous binding Snape's wand hand.
"Nice one, James!" Sirius blurted.
Harry froze, staring. Sirius winced. "Sorry—habit."
"Look out, Harry!" Sirius shoved him down.
Harry twisted around. Professor Lupin was gone. In his place loomed a snarling beast—wolf-like, but massive, upright, and feral.
"It's not a full moon—why's Remus transforming?" Sirius gasped.
"What? Professor Lupin's... a werewolf?"
Harry's mind reeled. Sweat slicked his palms as he recalled their private chats. How close had he come to danger?
In his final lucid moment, Lupin veered from Harry and Sirius, lunging at the distant Snape instead.
Even wandless, Snape could handle a werewolf. But he stood frozen, eyes distant, as it charged.
It was a night just like this. Years ago, Snape had trailed his hated rival here, seeking dirt. On the creaky second floor, the werewolf—Lupin—had ambushed him. A teenage Snape, wand skills unpolished, had faced certain death.
Then James Potter saved him. The man Snape despised most became his unwilling savior. It was a wound that never healed.
Argus clocked Snape's trance. Damn—trauma flashback, now?
No choice. "Expelliarmus!" A thick red Stupefy beam slammed into the werewolf mid-leap, hurling it back.
In human form, that hit would sideline Lupin for months. As a beast, his resistances surged. It shook off the daze and bounded up, roaring.
"Expecto Patronum!"
Argus's silvery unicorn Patronus burst forth, mist trailing as it galloped toward the creature. Werewolves feared the charm; this one bolted in terror, crashing through a wall and vanishing into the night with bounding leaps.
Snape snapped back, chest heaving with delayed terror. He shot Argus a conflicted glare—gratitude warring with pride. An apology from him? Unlikely. Pride like that ran deeper than grudges.
Harry, spotting Argus, exhaled in relief. There was even a flicker of "Knew you'd show."
Argus ignored it, glancing skyward. No full moon tonight. So why the sudden shift?
---
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