PoA Re-Read: Chapters Nineteen and Twenty
Last segment: Sirius told his story to a (very) recently convinced Remus and a slightly less convinced Harry, Ron and Hermione. And then Snape turned up.
LJ is being weird, so you may get this in your feed twice.
Chapter Nineteen: The Servant of Lord Voldemort
Hermione screams at the sight of Snape; Harry and Sirius both jump. Snape gloats that he found the cloak at the base of the Willow. He found them because he was in Remus's office to give him Wolfsbane when he saw the map. Remus tries to get Snape to stop and let them explain, but Snape goes on about how he was right and Dumbledore was wrong, and goes on to say he saw Remus as a "tame werewolf."
Remus asks Snape if a "schoolboy grudge" is worth this; Snape immediately magically ties Remus up. Sirius makes towards him, and Snape holds up his wand, saying "give me a reason, and I swear I will."
I wonder if the Lily backstory was built at this point? If so, it adds another layer to Snape's rage. He considers Sirius - who he never liked - to be the man that killed her. I imagine if any of Lily's old friends had walked in and seen Sirius, it would've been hard to calm them down as well, because unlike Remus, they wouldn't have necessarily had any prior attachment to Sirius. Couple this with Snape having actually loved Lily, and the fact that Snape is not a rational person at this point, and they aren't going to get out of this easily.
The trio doesn't really know who to believe. After a minute, Hermione suggests they just listen to Sirius; Snape yells at her not to talk about what she doesn't understand. He keeps gloating to Sirius, finally telling him the Dementors would be happy to see him. The blood in Sirius's face drains, and he begs Snape to hear him out.
Harry notes that there is a "mad glint" in Snape's eyes. He tells the trio to follow him, and says he'll "drag the werewolf", and maybe the Dementors will even Kiss him as well. Harry quickly blocks the door, and tells Snape Remus had been helping him all year, so he can't have been on Sirius's side as he never hurt him. When Snape brushes him off, Harry yells that he's pathetic, wanting to punish them because they "made a fool of you at school!"
Snape yells at Harry that he's just like his father, and would have died just like him. Harry raises his wand and cries, "expelliarmus!" Ron and Hermione try to disarm him at the same time, and Snape falls to the floor unconscious.
Sirius tells them they should have left it to him; Hermione is horrified, and says they're going to be in "so much trouble." Meanwhile,Remus is struggling, so Sirius releases him. He thanks Harry, who says this doesn't mean he believes him.
Sirius asks Ron to hand over Scabbers; Ron says that even if Peter could turn into a rat, how would he know it was Scabbers? Sirius pulls out the photograph of the Weasleys from the Daily Prophet, and shows Remus. Remus realizes what Sirius did - that the "rat's" front toe was missing from his paw. He asks Sirius if Peter cut it off himself; Sirius says Peter shouted for everyone to hear that Sirius was the traitor, blew apart the street, cut off his finger, and there you have it.
Ron reasons that Scabbers probably just got into a fight with another rat, and Remus points out that it was for twelve years, that he's lived longer than a "normal" rat should but has gotten thin lately. Ron of course blames Crookshanks, calling him "that stupid cat"; Sirius explains that Crookshanks is actually smart and has been helping him all along, realizing Scabbers/Peter wasn't really a rat, communicating with Sirius, stealing the password from "a boy's" bedside table, the works. Harry realizes as absurd as it sounds, it actually makes sense.
Sirius goes on to say that Scabbers faked his own death again; this jolts Harry back into vengeance mode, as he claims that Peter faked his death because he knew Sirius would kill him, and he should've let Snape finish him off. Wow, talk about words he'll regret later.
Remus corrects him, saying that everything they thought is the other way around - Peter betrayed James and Lily and Sirius tracked Peter down. Harry interrupts him, yelling that Sirius said he killed his parents.
Sirius shakes his head, and says that he meant he as good as killed them, that he was the one who'd had the idea to switch Secret Keepers, that he checked on Peter's "safety" too late. Sirius's voice breaks, and he turns away.
Remus says it's time for Ron to give him Scabbers, and that the spell he's going to try won't hurt Peter if he's a real rat. Remus asks Sirius if he was ready, and Sirius already has Snape's wand in his hand.
At the count of three, they cast the spell. And then: "It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up."
Peter is very short with unkempt thin hair. He has the "shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time." His eyes are watery, and he's breathing heavily.
Remus greets Peter with a cheerful "well, hello... long time no see."
FFP: Remus's sarcasm is badass.
Peter tries to make it seem like he only faked his death because he knew Sirius would come after him, as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must have taught him "tricks." This makes Sirius laugh coolly: "Voldemort, teach me tricks?"
Peter flinches, and Sirius says it's no wonder Peter's afraid to hear the name, as even Voldemort's supporters hate him. They think he double crossed them as well. And of course, Sirius points out, not everyone went to Azkaban.
Peter keeps begging, and goes as far as to call Sirius a spy. This understandably offends Sirius, who goes on to say that Peter was always the one looking for "big friends" who'd take care of him, that it was the Marauders before.
Hermione timidly speaks up, and asks why Peter wouldn't have hurt Harry before. Sirius says it's because Peter never did anything unless he knew what was in it for him, and that he picked a wizarding family to take him in in case there was wind that Voldemort had returned, and it was safe to rejoin him.
Hermione asks how Sirius stayed sane in Azkaban and subsequently escaped; Sirius says he's not sure, but he knew he was innocent, which the Dementors couldn't take away from him, and when he became a dog his feelings were less complex, which both helped him and helped deterred Dementors, who figured he was just losing it like everyone else. Apparently Dementors can't see, and are only able to feel human emotions. Finally, when he saw the picture of Peter and that he was at Hogwarts with Harry, he knew he had to act. Harry suddenly recalls Sirius's reported mantra: "He's at Hogwarts."
So in other words, Sirius risked his life and more for Harry even before OoTP. Somehow this is more sad as an adult.
One night, Sirius was able to slip past the Dementors, and swam to the mainland, going north towards Hogwarts. He's been hiding in the forest ever since, except to watch Harry play Quidditch. He tells Harry he flies as well as James.
Harry looks back at Sirius, who continues: "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."
I'll just quote:
And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.
Peter falls to his knees as though "Harry's nod had been a death sentence." He tells Sirius it's him, his friend. Sirius kicks him out of the way. He turns to Remus, and asks why they wouldn't have told him that the plans were changed; Remus says it's because Sirius thought he was the spy. Sirius asks Remus to forgive him, and Remus responds, "Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," and asks SIrius to extend the same courtesy.
FFP: Aww, he called him Padfoot! Squee!
I do wish we knew, however, what made Sirius suspect Remus. Was it war-driven paranoia? Was Remus doing the platonic equivalent of what he does to Tonks, pushing them away? If it was the latter, I can understand Sirius misinterpreting it as something else. And did James and Lily suspect him, or just Sirius?
A bit less "aww"-inspiring is Sirius's suggestion that they kill him together; Remus thinks this sounds like a splendid idea. A professor committing homicide in front of three teenagers? I hope that's not on the exam next term.
Peter scurries over to Ron, who is revolted, saying "I let you sleep in my bed!" Peter calls Ron kind, and says he was a good pet. Sirius points out that if Peter was a "better rat than human, it's not much to boast about." Peter moves onto Hermione, asking her to help him because she's sweet and clever. Because Peter's really making smart choices here, he tells Harry he looks "just like your father." Sirius yells at him to never dare talk about James in front of Harry, but Peter's not done: "James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry.. he would have shown me mercy..."
For someone who doesn't want to be killed by Remus and Sirius, he's definitely ensuring they'll want to.
Remus and Sirius throw Peter back onto the floor together .Sirius, shaking, asks Peter if he denies selling Lily and James to Voldemort.
Peter bursts into tears, and says he was just scared, that he was "never brave like you," that Voldemort forced him to. I've seen some fans argues this as well, actually, but Sirius rebuffs it, saying Peter had been passing on information for a year before Lily and James died. Peter lets on to his possible true motivations by asking what there was to be gained; as Sirius points out, innocent lives. Peter goes back to the scary board, saying Voldemort would have killed him.
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
Remus and Sirius raise their wands, and Remus quietly says what Peter failed to realize was that if Voldemort wouldn't kill him, they would.
Hermione covers her face, and Harry yells "no!" He places himself in front of Peter and says they can't kill him, confusing everyone in the room. Harry goes on to explain that they'll take Peter to the Dementors, but they can't kill him.
Peter thanks Harry, hugging his knees, and Harry spits at him to get off him. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad wolud've wanted his best friends to become killers - just for you."
There's a long pause in which Sirius and Remus look at each other before lowering their wands. Sirius says Peter's the only one with any right to decide, but that he did something unthinkable; Harry repeats that he can go to Azkaban.
Remus asks Harry to stand aside, and says he's just going to tie him up. Sirius adds that they will kill Peter if he transforms, and Harry thinks that's fair.
Remus hurries over to Ron, and conjurs bandages and a splint. Hermione asks what they should do with Snape, and Remus says they'll float him back as it's best he doesn't wake up until they're back at the castle. Remus and Ron (who volunteers savagely) chain themselves to Peter, "just in case."
FFP: I like to pretend the book ends here.
Me: Me too, but it doesn't.
FFP: Shit.
Chapter Twenty: The Dementor's Kiss
On their way back, Sirius asks Harry if he knows what turning Peter in means. Harry states the obvious: "You're free."
Sirius says that's true, but that in case Harry didn't know, he's his Godfather. Harry say he knows, and Sirius goes on to say that means he's Harry's appointed guardian. Harry doesn't dare believe what Sirius might be getting at, but he is.
“What - live with you?” he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. “Leave the Dursleys?”
“Of course, I thought you wouldn’t want to,” said Sirius quickly. “I understand, I just thought I’d -”
“Are you insane?” said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius’s. “Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"
Sirius turned right around to look at him; Snape’s head was scraping the ceiling but Sirius didn’t seem to care. “You want to?” he said. “You mean it?”
“Yeah, I mean it!” said Harry.
Sirius’s gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry’s parents’ wedding.
When they retreat from the Willow, Harry's mind is still "buzzing." He can't believe he's going to get to live with his parents' best friend, and smiles at the thought of telling the Dursleys he's going to live with a convict.
If only...
A cloud shifts; they are shadows on the ground. Their party is bathed in the moonlight. In other words, the Full Moon has just risen. (Very slowly. Behind a cloud. For dramatic and scenic effect.)
Everyone stops, and Hermione realizes that the now shaking Remus didn't take his potion. Sirius tells Harry to run, but he can't because he has to unchain Ron from Remus. He goes forward, but Sirius throws him back, telling him to run.
Remus snarls, and his head lengthens. His shoulders hunch and he starts growing hair. Within a minute, he's a werewolf.
FFP: Oh, Remus... this isn't you... remember who you are... REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!
Sirius transforms and pulls Remus away from Ron and Peter. They rip their claws at each other. Harry is too shocked to realize that Peter had dived for Remus's wand; Ron falls, and with a burst of light is motionless on the ground. Before Harry can stop him, Peter transforms.
Meanwhile, Remus has galloped into the forest. Harry tells Sirius that Peter's escaped. He pounds away across the grounds, and Harry and Hermione dash over to Ron. Hermione asks what Peter did to Ron; his eyes are only half closed, and he doesn't seem to recognize them.
Harry's about to go back to the castle when he hears a dog in pain; he hesitates, then runs with Hermione towards the lake, not realizing what the cold must mean.
Sirius has turned back into a man; his hands are over his head, and he's moaning, "no, please..."
At least 100 Dementors are gliding towards them. Harry tells Hermione to try thinking of something happy; he forces himself to think only of Sirius, and keeps saying "Expecto Patronum!"
Hermione collapses next to Harry; Harry realizes he's completely alone, and his knees hit the grass. He keeps trying to think of Sirius as the Dementors approach, and as one of the Dementors reaches out a slimy hand, Harry tells them Sirius is innocent.
The Dementor doesn't care; it raises both of its hands, and lowers its hood.
Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth . . . a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
White fog blinds Harry. He finds Sirius's arm, but the Dementor takes his head instead, because it wants him to be rid of first. He realizes his mother's screams will be the last thing he ever hears.
For the umpteenth time: How the gosh darn heck GOLLY is this a kid's book?!
But then, the screaming stops, and the Dementors are leaving. The air is warm again. Harry raises his head, and sees an animal galloping across the lake. It's as bright as a unicorn... Harry sees someone pat it, someone who looks familiar, "but it couldn't be..."
Unable to think anymore, Harry faints.
Next up: They're screwed. If only they could turn back time...
LJ is being weird, so you may get this in your feed twice.
Chapter Nineteen: The Servant of Lord Voldemort
Hermione screams at the sight of Snape; Harry and Sirius both jump. Snape gloats that he found the cloak at the base of the Willow. He found them because he was in Remus's office to give him Wolfsbane when he saw the map. Remus tries to get Snape to stop and let them explain, but Snape goes on about how he was right and Dumbledore was wrong, and goes on to say he saw Remus as a "tame werewolf."
Remus asks Snape if a "schoolboy grudge" is worth this; Snape immediately magically ties Remus up. Sirius makes towards him, and Snape holds up his wand, saying "give me a reason, and I swear I will."
I wonder if the Lily backstory was built at this point? If so, it adds another layer to Snape's rage. He considers Sirius - who he never liked - to be the man that killed her. I imagine if any of Lily's old friends had walked in and seen Sirius, it would've been hard to calm them down as well, because unlike Remus, they wouldn't have necessarily had any prior attachment to Sirius. Couple this with Snape having actually loved Lily, and the fact that Snape is not a rational person at this point, and they aren't going to get out of this easily.
The trio doesn't really know who to believe. After a minute, Hermione suggests they just listen to Sirius; Snape yells at her not to talk about what she doesn't understand. He keeps gloating to Sirius, finally telling him the Dementors would be happy to see him. The blood in Sirius's face drains, and he begs Snape to hear him out.
Harry notes that there is a "mad glint" in Snape's eyes. He tells the trio to follow him, and says he'll "drag the werewolf", and maybe the Dementors will even Kiss him as well. Harry quickly blocks the door, and tells Snape Remus had been helping him all year, so he can't have been on Sirius's side as he never hurt him. When Snape brushes him off, Harry yells that he's pathetic, wanting to punish them because they "made a fool of you at school!"
Snape yells at Harry that he's just like his father, and would have died just like him. Harry raises his wand and cries, "expelliarmus!" Ron and Hermione try to disarm him at the same time, and Snape falls to the floor unconscious.
Sirius tells them they should have left it to him; Hermione is horrified, and says they're going to be in "so much trouble." Meanwhile,Remus is struggling, so Sirius releases him. He thanks Harry, who says this doesn't mean he believes him.
Sirius asks Ron to hand over Scabbers; Ron says that even if Peter could turn into a rat, how would he know it was Scabbers? Sirius pulls out the photograph of the Weasleys from the Daily Prophet, and shows Remus. Remus realizes what Sirius did - that the "rat's" front toe was missing from his paw. He asks Sirius if Peter cut it off himself; Sirius says Peter shouted for everyone to hear that Sirius was the traitor, blew apart the street, cut off his finger, and there you have it.
Ron reasons that Scabbers probably just got into a fight with another rat, and Remus points out that it was for twelve years, that he's lived longer than a "normal" rat should but has gotten thin lately. Ron of course blames Crookshanks, calling him "that stupid cat"; Sirius explains that Crookshanks is actually smart and has been helping him all along, realizing Scabbers/Peter wasn't really a rat, communicating with Sirius, stealing the password from "a boy's" bedside table, the works. Harry realizes as absurd as it sounds, it actually makes sense.
Sirius goes on to say that Scabbers faked his own death again; this jolts Harry back into vengeance mode, as he claims that Peter faked his death because he knew Sirius would kill him, and he should've let Snape finish him off. Wow, talk about words he'll regret later.
Remus corrects him, saying that everything they thought is the other way around - Peter betrayed James and Lily and Sirius tracked Peter down. Harry interrupts him, yelling that Sirius said he killed his parents.
Sirius shakes his head, and says that he meant he as good as killed them, that he was the one who'd had the idea to switch Secret Keepers, that he checked on Peter's "safety" too late. Sirius's voice breaks, and he turns away.
Remus says it's time for Ron to give him Scabbers, and that the spell he's going to try won't hurt Peter if he's a real rat. Remus asks Sirius if he was ready, and Sirius already has Snape's wand in his hand.
At the count of three, they cast the spell. And then: "It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up."
Peter is very short with unkempt thin hair. He has the "shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time." His eyes are watery, and he's breathing heavily.
Remus greets Peter with a cheerful "well, hello... long time no see."
FFP: Remus's sarcasm is badass.
Peter tries to make it seem like he only faked his death because he knew Sirius would come after him, as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must have taught him "tricks." This makes Sirius laugh coolly: "Voldemort, teach me tricks?"
Peter flinches, and Sirius says it's no wonder Peter's afraid to hear the name, as even Voldemort's supporters hate him. They think he double crossed them as well. And of course, Sirius points out, not everyone went to Azkaban.
Peter keeps begging, and goes as far as to call Sirius a spy. This understandably offends Sirius, who goes on to say that Peter was always the one looking for "big friends" who'd take care of him, that it was the Marauders before.
Hermione timidly speaks up, and asks why Peter wouldn't have hurt Harry before. Sirius says it's because Peter never did anything unless he knew what was in it for him, and that he picked a wizarding family to take him in in case there was wind that Voldemort had returned, and it was safe to rejoin him.
Hermione asks how Sirius stayed sane in Azkaban and subsequently escaped; Sirius says he's not sure, but he knew he was innocent, which the Dementors couldn't take away from him, and when he became a dog his feelings were less complex, which both helped him and helped deterred Dementors, who figured he was just losing it like everyone else. Apparently Dementors can't see, and are only able to feel human emotions. Finally, when he saw the picture of Peter and that he was at Hogwarts with Harry, he knew he had to act. Harry suddenly recalls Sirius's reported mantra: "He's at Hogwarts."
So in other words, Sirius risked his life and more for Harry even before OoTP. Somehow this is more sad as an adult.
One night, Sirius was able to slip past the Dementors, and swam to the mainland, going north towards Hogwarts. He's been hiding in the forest ever since, except to watch Harry play Quidditch. He tells Harry he flies as well as James.
Harry looks back at Sirius, who continues: "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."
I'll just quote:
And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.
Peter falls to his knees as though "Harry's nod had been a death sentence." He tells Sirius it's him, his friend. Sirius kicks him out of the way. He turns to Remus, and asks why they wouldn't have told him that the plans were changed; Remus says it's because Sirius thought he was the spy. Sirius asks Remus to forgive him, and Remus responds, "Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," and asks SIrius to extend the same courtesy.
FFP: Aww, he called him Padfoot! Squee!
I do wish we knew, however, what made Sirius suspect Remus. Was it war-driven paranoia? Was Remus doing the platonic equivalent of what he does to Tonks, pushing them away? If it was the latter, I can understand Sirius misinterpreting it as something else. And did James and Lily suspect him, or just Sirius?
A bit less "aww"-inspiring is Sirius's suggestion that they kill him together; Remus thinks this sounds like a splendid idea. A professor committing homicide in front of three teenagers? I hope that's not on the exam next term.
Peter scurries over to Ron, who is revolted, saying "I let you sleep in my bed!" Peter calls Ron kind, and says he was a good pet. Sirius points out that if Peter was a "better rat than human, it's not much to boast about." Peter moves onto Hermione, asking her to help him because she's sweet and clever. Because Peter's really making smart choices here, he tells Harry he looks "just like your father." Sirius yells at him to never dare talk about James in front of Harry, but Peter's not done: "James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry.. he would have shown me mercy..."
For someone who doesn't want to be killed by Remus and Sirius, he's definitely ensuring they'll want to.
Remus and Sirius throw Peter back onto the floor together .Sirius, shaking, asks Peter if he denies selling Lily and James to Voldemort.
Peter bursts into tears, and says he was just scared, that he was "never brave like you," that Voldemort forced him to. I've seen some fans argues this as well, actually, but Sirius rebuffs it, saying Peter had been passing on information for a year before Lily and James died. Peter lets on to his possible true motivations by asking what there was to be gained; as Sirius points out, innocent lives. Peter goes back to the scary board, saying Voldemort would have killed him.
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
Remus and Sirius raise their wands, and Remus quietly says what Peter failed to realize was that if Voldemort wouldn't kill him, they would.
Hermione covers her face, and Harry yells "no!" He places himself in front of Peter and says they can't kill him, confusing everyone in the room. Harry goes on to explain that they'll take Peter to the Dementors, but they can't kill him.
Peter thanks Harry, hugging his knees, and Harry spits at him to get off him. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad wolud've wanted his best friends to become killers - just for you."
There's a long pause in which Sirius and Remus look at each other before lowering their wands. Sirius says Peter's the only one with any right to decide, but that he did something unthinkable; Harry repeats that he can go to Azkaban.
Remus asks Harry to stand aside, and says he's just going to tie him up. Sirius adds that they will kill Peter if he transforms, and Harry thinks that's fair.
Remus hurries over to Ron, and conjurs bandages and a splint. Hermione asks what they should do with Snape, and Remus says they'll float him back as it's best he doesn't wake up until they're back at the castle. Remus and Ron (who volunteers savagely) chain themselves to Peter, "just in case."
FFP: I like to pretend the book ends here.
Me: Me too, but it doesn't.
FFP: Shit.
Chapter Twenty: The Dementor's Kiss
On their way back, Sirius asks Harry if he knows what turning Peter in means. Harry states the obvious: "You're free."
Sirius says that's true, but that in case Harry didn't know, he's his Godfather. Harry say he knows, and Sirius goes on to say that means he's Harry's appointed guardian. Harry doesn't dare believe what Sirius might be getting at, but he is.
“What - live with you?” he said, accidentally cracking his head on a bit of rock protruding from the ceiling. “Leave the Dursleys?”
“Of course, I thought you wouldn’t want to,” said Sirius quickly. “I understand, I just thought I’d -”
“Are you insane?” said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Sirius’s. “Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"
Sirius turned right around to look at him; Snape’s head was scraping the ceiling but Sirius didn’t seem to care. “You want to?” he said. “You mean it?”
“Yeah, I mean it!” said Harry.
Sirius’s gaunt face broke into the first true smile Harry had seen upon it. The difference it made was startling, as though a person ten years younger were shining through the starved mask; for a moment, he was recognizable as the man who had laughed at Harry’s parents’ wedding.
When they retreat from the Willow, Harry's mind is still "buzzing." He can't believe he's going to get to live with his parents' best friend, and smiles at the thought of telling the Dursleys he's going to live with a convict.
If only...
A cloud shifts; they are shadows on the ground. Their party is bathed in the moonlight. In other words, the Full Moon has just risen. (Very slowly. Behind a cloud. For dramatic and scenic effect.)
Everyone stops, and Hermione realizes that the now shaking Remus didn't take his potion. Sirius tells Harry to run, but he can't because he has to unchain Ron from Remus. He goes forward, but Sirius throws him back, telling him to run.
Remus snarls, and his head lengthens. His shoulders hunch and he starts growing hair. Within a minute, he's a werewolf.
FFP: Oh, Remus... this isn't you... remember who you are... REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!
Sirius transforms and pulls Remus away from Ron and Peter. They rip their claws at each other. Harry is too shocked to realize that Peter had dived for Remus's wand; Ron falls, and with a burst of light is motionless on the ground. Before Harry can stop him, Peter transforms.
Meanwhile, Remus has galloped into the forest. Harry tells Sirius that Peter's escaped. He pounds away across the grounds, and Harry and Hermione dash over to Ron. Hermione asks what Peter did to Ron; his eyes are only half closed, and he doesn't seem to recognize them.
Harry's about to go back to the castle when he hears a dog in pain; he hesitates, then runs with Hermione towards the lake, not realizing what the cold must mean.
Sirius has turned back into a man; his hands are over his head, and he's moaning, "no, please..."
At least 100 Dementors are gliding towards them. Harry tells Hermione to try thinking of something happy; he forces himself to think only of Sirius, and keeps saying "Expecto Patronum!"
Hermione collapses next to Harry; Harry realizes he's completely alone, and his knees hit the grass. He keeps trying to think of Sirius as the Dementors approach, and as one of the Dementors reaches out a slimy hand, Harry tells them Sirius is innocent.
The Dementor doesn't care; it raises both of its hands, and lowers its hood.
Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth . . . a gaping, shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
White fog blinds Harry. He finds Sirius's arm, but the Dementor takes his head instead, because it wants him to be rid of first. He realizes his mother's screams will be the last thing he ever hears.
For the umpteenth time: How the gosh darn heck GOLLY is this a kid's book?!
But then, the screaming stops, and the Dementors are leaving. The air is warm again. Harry raises his head, and sees an animal galloping across the lake. It's as bright as a unicorn... Harry sees someone pat it, someone who looks familiar, "but it couldn't be..."
Unable to think anymore, Harry faints.
Next up: They're screwed. If only they could turn back time...