When the seven of them emerged onto the grounds, they began to walk across the lawn.  They had just passed Hagrid’s hut when the clouds above them swirled and moonlight shone down upon them.  Severus held out his arms to stop Harry and Niamh as Black pulled Hermione and Ron back.

Lupin had gone rigid, his limbs beginning to shake.  Severus cursed and growled, “Damn him.  He didn’t take the bloody potion and I set it right on his desk!  Dammit!”

“Cursing isn’t going to help us, Snape,” hissed Black, pushing Ron and Hermione back behind him as Lupin’s head and body began to lengthen, his fur sprouting on his face and hands as his shoulders hunched.

A fierce howl ripped through the air and the werewolf turned gleaming red eyes on the six of them.  Pettigrew hovered in the air, jerking every which way, eyes wide.  The werewolf turned towards him and Black cursed.

“Run!” he yelled before bounding forward, transforming into the black dog as he went.  The dog grabbed the werewolf about the neck and pulled it backwards.  They were locked in battle after that, teeth and claws ripping at each other.

“No!”

Niamh lunged at Pettigrew but all she grabbed where the ropes that had bound him.  Harry and Ron leapt over her after the vanishing rat but their heads rammed together, leaving Harry dazed and Ron unconscious.

There was another howl and they looked up to see the werewolf running into the forest.

“Black!” yelled Severus.  “Forget Lupin!  Pettigrew’s getting away!”

 Black was bleeding but at Severus’ yell he was up and off, bounding away into the forest.  As soon as he was gone Severus said, “You four wait here.  I’m going to go get the Headmaster.”

The four of them nodded and watched at he sprinted across the lawn, cloak flying out behind him.  Just as he had reached the steps leading up to the main doors, there was a yelp; a dog-like yelp –

“Sirius!” exclaimed Harry and started in the direction it had come from.

“Harry, no!  Snape said stay here!” hissed Hermione.

Harry threw off her hand and growled, “Sirius’ in trouble!  We have ter help him!”

“But Ron…”

Niamh said, “You stay here with Ron.  Let’s go, Harry!”

Harry nodded and he and Niamh sprinted into the forest, rushing over to where the sound of the yelping had been coming from.

Sirius was by the lakeshore; human now, his head in his hands as he fell to his knees.

“Nooo…  Please…nooo…”

Harry felt the icy chill begin in his spine and drew his wand.  Then the screaming began.  Dementors were surrounding the lake, coming towards them quickly.

“Ni!  Help me!”

Niamh drew her wand and cried, “Harry!”

“Think of something happy!” yelled Harry, focusing on the summer with his father.

“Expecto patronum!”

“Expecto patronum!  Expecto patronum!” yelled Niamh, brandishing her wand furiously.

The silver Darcorn exploded out of Harry’s wand, rearing and flailing its hooves.  It charged at the dementors, driving them back.  He suddenly felt Niamh slump against him and turned to catch her, the voices in his head rising to a higher pitch as he did so.  While his Patronus was chasing the dementors that had been coming up the other side of the lake, the other dementors were still coming.  They formed a circle around the three of them and Harry threw himself over Niamh and Black, trying to focus his thoughts beyond the screaming.  He couldn’t do it.  He collapsed, eyes closed.

A scabbed, cold hand grabbed his chin and forced his face upward and Harry felt cold on his face.  He opened his eyes and saw an eyeless face, the gray skin stretched tightly over the skull.  And then there was the gaping hole of a mouth, sucking in air.

The dementor leaned down and Harry heard Voldemort’s laughter in his head, louder than ever.  Then…

Silence.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Harry felt something tickling his face and brushed it away.  Hot air flew on his face and the creature towering above him snorted, nuzzling at his cheek with a velvety muzzle.

Pettigrew.  Ron.  The Willow.  Niamh.  Da.  Black.  Dementors.

Harry’s eyes snapped open and he saw the Darcorn, the real Darcorn, standing next to his head.  The dark eyes peered curiously down at him and the velvety muzzle nipped at his cheek.

Harry reached up and stroked the soft fur on the Darcorn’s forehead, letting his fingers brush over the hard ebony of its crooked horn.  The creature nickered and butted its head against his shoulder.  He took the message as ‘Get up’ and did so.  When he did, he saw the silver Darcorn standing to his left, its eyes as black as the real Darcorn’s.  As he watched, the Patronus evaporated into nothing.

Suddenly he noticed that on the ground around him were long black cloaks.  Nudging one with his foot, he saw each of them had a hole in them.  Turning to the Darcorn, he said, “Ye saved me again, didn’t ye?”

The Darcorn nickered, shoving its head against his chest.  Harry laughed and stroked the glossy black coat.

“Of course ye did.”

He looked at Black and Niamh then up at the castle.  More lights were on than he remembered and he could hear voices on the other side of the trees.  The Darcorn nipped at his ear and he knelt beside Black, trying to remember the spell for waking a person.

“Enervate.”

Black stirred, moaned, and opened his eyes, blinking.  Harry shook his and said, “Ye have ter hurry or they’ll catch ye.”  He settled back on his heels as Black sat up.  The Darcorn settled its head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm about its neck, leaning into its warmth.  When Black turned and saw the creature, he jumped.

“That’s…  That’s…”

“A Darcorn,” said Harry.  He looked at the towering creature and asked, “Can ye take him ter safety?  Off the grounds?”

The Darcorn nickered and pushed its velvety muzzle against his cheek.  Harry smiled and rose to his feet.

“He’ll take ye.  But hurry.  They’re coming.”

“Harry,” began Black.

“Go.”

“I…”  Black’s shoulder slumped and he said, “I’ll owl you.  Soon.”

Harry nodded and said, “I’d like tha’.  Talking ter someone who knew Mum would be nice.  James, too.”

Black nodded and grabbed the Darcorn’s mane, hauling himself up onto its back.  The big creature shifted on its hooves, head tossing, but at Harry’s touch it stilled.  Black stared down at the boy in wonder.  He certainly had a gift with this creature, which was said to be a Dark Creature yet seemed gentle enough.  Though from the sight of the dementor robes that did not hold a dementor inside them, it had the ability to be very dangerous.

Harry looked up at Black and said, “Keep an eye out fer a raven.  Ye’ll know him when he comes.”

“A raven?”

“Trust me.”  Harry turned to the Darcorn and said, “Keep him safe.”

The Darcorn tossed its head in a nod then half-reared, Black clinging to its mane.  A moment later they were gone, blending into the dark night.  Harry looked after them for a second or two then bent down next to Niamh.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Severus plowed through the line of trees separating him from the lake and saw Harry sitting on the edge of it, Niamh lying on the ground beside him with her head in his lap and empty dementor robes all around him.  He walked towards his son and knelt down beside him, eyes darting around.

“Where’s Black?”

“Gone,” replied Harry, one hand idly twirling a lock of Niamh’s hair.  “Said he’d owl.”

Severus frowned.  He didn’t like the idea of Black owling his son but the idea of Pettigrew still being loose – speechless but loose – was even more unsettling.

“I suppose I can deal with that…”

“Ye’ll have to.”

“Will I?  And here I thought I was the father in this relationship.”

Harry laughed and Severus smiled, patting his son’s shoulder.

“What do you say we get back up to the castle?” he asked.  “Albus is dying for the whole story.”

“Alright.  What about Ni?”

“I’ll carry her.”

“We could jus’ levitate her.”

“But then we have the problem of the counter charm and all that rot and simple carrying is much more simple.”

Harry held up his hands in defense and said, “Alright.  Alright.  Ye win.”

Severus smirked and said, “I always do.”

“Yeh, right.”

Severus ruffled the hair of the boy beside him then picked up the unconscious girl, lifting her up with ease.  Harry followed him as they set off across the lawn, their strides matching inch for inch.