the_debt_of_time

under the cloak. Not only that, but he had heard Fudge and Dumbledore inside Hagrid's hut
only moments earlier. He would never be able to get Wormtail without being spotted; he
was just too big.
Go, he told the kneazle and let out a shaky breath when the cat sprang into action
and darted across the grass.
"What's the matter with him?"
"No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"
"Scabbers... NO!"
Padfoot's paws were shaking on the ground, eager to lunge forward and bite and
claw. Shaking because he had to be patient and wait for the cat—wait for some sign that
things would finally turn in his favour. His eyes narrowed across the grass as he saw the
cat bounding toward him chasing something small, both being followed by the red-haired
boy, a screaming girl, and Harry.
No, I'm not letting him go again, Sirius swore to himself and began stalking toward his
prey, ignoring the fact that the rat was now being scooped into the hands of the young
redhead.
He briefly caught sight of Harry attempting to raise his wand at him, but Padfoot
growled and jumped, knocking his godson to the ground and out of the way just in case
Peter attempted to shift back into human form and use Harry as a hostage. The situation
was unlikely, of course, considering Peter was a coward, but Sirius was not allowing another
Potter to be anywhere near the traitorous rat.
He locked his gaze on the rodent squirming inside the boy's pocket, and Padfoot
lunged forward, jaws open. The boy moved to defend himself by raising his arm. Already
in motion, Padfoot did not stop when he bit down on the boy's forearm, dragging him and
the rat to the ground. There was no time to waste, so he gripped tight with his teeth and
moved backward swiftly, dragging the boy and the rat beneath the Whomping Willow,
which had been briefly calmed by the kneazle, who pressed its paw into the notch of the
trunk.
"Ron!"
He could hear Harry shouting over the screams of the boy in his grip. A part of
Sirius felt deep remorse when he heard a loud cracking noise followed by a shrill cry as his