"Expelliarmus!"
At the crucial moment, a disarming spell from Argus shot in from a distance. It struck without mercy, hurling Lupin far away.
Sirius broke out in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. Thank Merlin it was Remus who'd taken the hit—if it'd been him, he'd be reuniting with James in the next life!
"Sirius, you and Harry go on ahead. I'll keep an eye on Professor Lupin," Argus said.
"Right, but be careful..." Sirius leaped to his feet, then added hastily, "Don't hurt Remus!"
With that, he grabbed Harry's arm, threw the Invisibility Cloak over them both, and bolted toward the castle. They sprinted all the way to the Black Lake's edge, collapsing onto a rocky outcrop, gasping for breath.
"Sirius, is the place you're talking about inside Hogwarts?" Harry asked quietly, settling beside him.
"Spot on—deep in the castle, tucked away where no one'll find it unless I want them to."
"But how do I track you down if I need to?"
"You'll know when you see it. It'll show up just when you need it most."
Sirius's cryptic words only fueled Harry's curiosity.
...
Meanwhile, Snape trailed the mysterious figure through the shadows. A distant wolf howl cut the air, drawing him onward. Emerging from the treeline, he found Lupin taking a brutal beating from Argus.
"Sectumsempra!"
Snape ignored them both, firing into the woods behind. Trees groaned and splintered, but nothing emerged.
"Bombarda!"
Convinced the intruder lurked there—and that his precise strike had missed—Snape switched to a wider blast. Wood cracked and shattered, branches crashing down in heaps. Still, no sign of the foe.
Snape sneered. "Clever rat, skulking in the underbrush. Fine, stay hidden if you like."
Flames erupted from his wand, swelling into a massive fiery serpent that surged into the forest.
"Finite Incantatem!"
A spectral blue glow flared from the trees, snuffing out the blaze before it could spread. A cloaked figure in black robes materialized.
"Child's play," Snape spat in disgust, unleashing a barrage of spells.
The stranger parried effortlessly. Snape hadn't risen to be the trusted lieutenant of both Voldemort and Dumbledore without unmatched skill and cunning. He pressed the attack with a stream of hexes, weaving in heavier curses when openings appeared.
"Expelliarmus!"
"Sectumsempra!"
Snape took the disarming hit deliberately, curling like a shrimp as his wand flew free. But it bought him the shot he needed. The cloaked man dodged just in time—though his robe tore, revealing a face Snape knew all too well.
"I knew it was you," Snape growled, snatching up his wand. Mockery twisted his features. "After Harry? Or Sirius?"
"Harry's in danger."
Snape's lip curled in a cold snort. He had no patience for talk of the boy. But before he could retort, a rustle from Argus's direction made him whirl.
His expression hardened as he faced the stranger. "We need to leave—now. That fight's wrapping up. They'll be here any second. If they spot you, I can't promise you'll walk away."
The figure nodded sharply and vanished into the shadows.
Argus, having stunned Lupin with a well-placed hex, finally caught his breath. Dealing with the werewolf hadn't been hard, but he'd pulled his punches—no sense leaving Remus too battered for classes. Still, it had taken some effort.
"Professor, did you spot that intruder? Who was it?" Argus asked, dragging the limp Lupin over with stiff, mechanical movements. His eyes scanned the scorch marks and debris littering the ground.
"He slipped away. Cloaked—I couldn't make him out." Snape lied smoothly, without a flicker.
Argus wasn't surprised. Whoever dared stir trouble at Hogwarts had to know the grounds intimately, confident they wouldn't get lost or cornered. In a school this size, suspects were few. And if you ruled out Snape...
"Who could it be?" Argus muttered, mind racing through possibilities.
Snape cut him off. "Less guessing, more moving. Let's check on our 'savior' and the werewolf prof. The mess they've made today is no joke—especially that blasted black dog. I need answers."
Without waiting, Snape strode off in the direction Harry and Sirius had fled. Argus frowned—something about the Potions Master felt off tonight, though he couldn't pin it down. Shaking his head, he followed, Lupin's body slung over his shoulder.
...
By the Black Lake, Harry sensed the shift first. The water's gentle ripples were freezing over, ice creeping toward them with unnatural speed. The air turned biting, his breath fogging in thick clouds.
"Sirius!"
Sirius reacted on instinct, glancing skyward. A swarm of Dementors drifted down from the clouds, their tattered forms radiating chill and despair as they homed in on him.
"Bloody hell—they've found us again!" Sirius swore, transforming into his shaggy black dog form in a fluid ripple of Animagus magic.
The Dementors halted, unable to differentiate the beast from a true animal. But Harry's scent—tainted by Sirius's proximity—drew them like moths to flame. They veered toward the boy instead.
Sirius froze mid-pant, as stunned as Harry. Is this the godfather Dad left me? Protecting him, or the other way around? When trouble brews, Sirius drags the Dementors right to my doorstep—like I'm some expert with the Patronus Charm!
The horde closed in. Harry yanked out his wand, mind scrambling for the memory Lupin had drilled into him: happiest times, focus on the light. "Expecto Patronum!" he shouted.
A feeble wisp of silver mist bloomed from his tip—gone in seconds, overwhelmed by the Dementors' onslaught.
---
Enjoying the story? You can read 3-5 chapters ahead right now on Patreon!
New chapters drop there much earlier than Web Novel.
Join P@treon & Read Ahead → https://[email protected]/c/Ren_Saga
Thank you for your support! ❤️