The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix - Part Two

LXVI: 23 June, 1994

Severus Snape's hand shook with excitement as he kept his wand trained directly to Remus Lupin's body. Slowly, Remus turned around, his arms were still raised up, and he faced Severus, who shoved his wand deep against Remus Lupin's chest with one hand, and held up the shivering fabric of the invisibility cloak.

"I found this by the base of the Whomping Willow," Severus said, throwing the cloak aside. He jabbed Remus with the tip of his wand again harshly. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you."

Sirius leaped to his feet.

Severus was breathless, staring between Remus and Sirius with a look of ecstatic excitement. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" He grinned wickedly at Sirius, then looked to Remus again. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight."

Remus's face paled.

"That's right..." Severus nodded. "I was taking your goblet to the you - and lucky I did... Lucky for me, I mean. Lying on the floor by your cozy little scene by the fire, I found a certain Map! One glance at it told me all that I needed to know! I saw you running down this passageway and out of sight... a secret little rendezvous, perhaps?" He looked at Sirius.

"Severus --" Remus started, but Severus stabbed him again with the wand so hard that Remus stumbled a step backwards.

Sirius moved to catch him, but Severus hissed, "Not... a step... further... Black." 

Sirius stopped dead in his tracks, glaring at Severus Snape with a fury unmatched by any other that any of the students had seen before. Even more hatred shone on Sirius's face now as he looked at Snape than he'd had looking at the rat moments before.

"I've told the Headmaster time... and time again... that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin... and here... is... the... proof." He was staring at Sirius, even though he was talking to Remus. "Not even I imagined that you'd have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout --"

"You don't have very good imagination then, you git," Sirius snapped.

"My imagination is just fine," Severus smiled, "I can imagine the dementors sucking that arrogant attitude right out of you... you'll be vastly improved once they've finished with you..."

"Severus, you're making a mistake," Remus murmured, his voice urgent and low, words spoken through grit teeth. "You haven't heard everything - I can explain, see - Sirius isn't here to kill Harry --"

Severus interrupted him, as though Remus's words meant nothing. "TWO MORE FOR AZKABAN TONIGHT!" His eyes were gleaming. Still keeping Remus at wandpoint, but staring at Sirius, Snape added, "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this..." he glanced at Remus and laughed darkly, "He was quite convinced that you were harmless, you know, Lupin... you know... a tame werewolf... as if there can be such a thing as a tamed monster."

"Shut your slimy mouth," Sirius hissed.

"And you - the guards of Azkaban will be quite pleased to have their quarry back!" Severus looked at Sirius. "They'll be delighted to see you again, I am sure."

"You fool," Remus said. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

"Back inside?" Severus's mouth twisted in a horrid smile. "Who said anything about him going back inside?"

Suddenly, the wand he was pressing to Remus's chest burst with bright golden, snakelike cords that wrapped around Remus's body, knotting themselves tightly around him, squeezing his arms to his sides so tightly that Remus could feel the blood throbbing in his arms, the circulation cutting off. The cords wrapped up and around his chest, around his neck and mouth, and down over his wrists, legs and ankles... He over balanced and fell to the floor, unable to move.