Disclaimer: I take NO CREDIT for this story. It is the product of the GENIUS that is JK ROWLING. Even though she didn't write it, I did. It's still hers. Umm …Thank you. Now, on with the story!

Ratted Out

While Hagrid was delivering baby Harry to his Aunt and Uncle's in Surrey, Sirius Black was not far from Godric's Hollow. He'd stayed close to the ruins of James and Lily's house for most of the day, just watching as muggle neighbours came in to investigate. He had watched as the police took the bodies away and roped off the area. He had watched as they combed the wreckage for clues that didn't exist. He had watched, in the shade of a nearby tree, disguised in the form of a big black dog. He had watched, holding a silent vigil for a friend who, if it hadn't been for him, would still be alive.

As purple twilight began to fall on the surrounding hills, Sirius finally turned away from what remained of the Potters' house and headed out into the fields and surrounding farmland. Soon, he broke into a run. He ran blindly, neither knowing nor caring about the direction he was taking, just as long as it would take him away from the site of the disaster that he had created. As a dog he ran, until night had well and truly closed in around him, and pale stars winked out from the black canopy of the sky.

On the side of a hill he finally collapsed, unable to run any further. He raised his shaggy head and let out a long, wounded howl. The howl transformed into ragged sobs as Sirius changed back into a man.

How long he sat on that hill, he wasn't sure. When his tears ran dry, he started shivering violently. All he could think about was James. The memory of every time he'd ever let James down flashed before his mind's eye. How could James have trusted him like this when he so obviously wasn't capable of being trustworthy? How could Lily have let him? How could this have happened?

It was midnight, just as Dumbledore placed Harry gently on the doorstep of number four, Privet Drive, before Sirius thought about Peter at all.

He suddenly sat straight up and his trembling ceased. He had been cold from sitting in the night air for so long but now his blood ran hot with anger. Peter was the spy.

That meant that Sirius still had one more thing left to do.

'Oh, come on Pete. It's just a little dueling practice.' Sirius grinned, twirling his wand around his long fingers. 'I'll go easy on you, I promise.'

'Hmph,' Peter muttered. 'Last time you said that, I ended up in the hospital wing for a week,' he reminded his friend. James and Remus both laughed at the memory.

'You left yourself wide open for attack!' Sirius claimed, grinning more broadly still. 'Come on, I'll even let you have a free shot at me. You can't ask for more than that, can you?'

'Oh just give in, Peter,' Remus yawned.

'Yeah, he's not going to give up until you do,' James pointed out. 'You might as well get it over with.'

'Why don't one of you two duel him, then? He only wants to take me on because he knows I can't duel for peanuts! It's an unfair contest!'

James and Remus exchanged a look.

'We'll pass if it's all the same to you, Wormtail,' James said carefully. 'Besides, you could use the practice.'

Peter glared at him.

'He has a point, Wormtail,' Sirius shrugged. 'Come on, just a little duel. It'll be fun.'

'Fine!' Peter finally snapped, drawing his wand. 'Since I clearly have no say in the matter …'

'That's the spirit, Wormtail,' Sirius grinned, ignoring Peter's continued muttering. 'Right, let's do it properly, shall we? Get into position over there, that's it; and then we bow …'

They bowed to each other across the room. James and Remus watched with mild interest.

'Great. Now, you take first shot, ok?'

Peter raised his wand and opened his mouth to utter his curse. He was quite annoyed with Sirius for pushing him into this – if he had any choice about it, he'd show that git just who needed the dueling practice.

What wouldn't Peter give for just one moment with Sirius at his mercy?

'Impedi-'

'Expelliarmus!' Sirius cried.

Crap, thought Peter, quickly throwing himself out of the way.

'No fair, Sirius!' he complained, hastily trying to block the curses that Sirius was still sending his way. He barely dodged a few, and they crashed harmlessly into the wall behind his head.

Sirius laughed. 'You think a Death Eater's going to give you time to fight back? Come on, get on your feet!'

Peter jumped to his feet but had to dive to one side again to avoid a jet of red light. Sirius was still laughing.

'Come on, Wormtail! Fight back, will you?'

'Expelliarmus!' Peter managed to yell, as he ducked and aimed in Sirius's general direction. Sirius blocked the curse easily.

'Ha! You can do better than that, Petey!'

'Give him a break, Sirius,' James sighed. 'Moony and I are trying to study.'

'I am doing this,' Sirius said, still throwing jets of different-colored light in Peter's direction, 'for his own good, Prongs. It's education, is what it is.'

'Looks like torture to me,' Remus said worriedly. Sirius frowned at him, and Peter was finally able to catch his opponent off guard.

'Impedimentia!'

Sirius was thrown backwards into the stone wall. Blood trickled from his left nostril. Peter rushed over.

'Padfoot, are you all right?'

Sirius groaned, but didn't move. James and Remus hovered worriedly over their fallen friend.

'Sirius! Are you ok? Should we get you to the hospital wing?'

Peter was leaning over his friend. He felt sickened with himself – but also kind of proud that he had managed to out-duel Sirius … now there was something that didn't happen everyday …

Sirius was groping for his wand, which was lying just beyond his reach. Peter scooped it up and put it in Sirius's hand.

It was at his neck before he had time to think.

'Not quick enough, Wormtail,' Sirius said with his usual bark-like laugh.

James and Remus laughed in appreciation of the joke. Peter scowled.

'That's not fair. I thought you were hurt.'

Sirius grinned manically.

'That'll be the last time you underestimate me, Wormtail.'

At dawn the next morning, Sirius was in Diagon Alley. But it seemed that he was already too late. Peter was nowhere to be seen. Sirius walked up and down the street several times until he finally concluded that the search was useless. Peter would be running by now. He would know that Sirius was after him.

Sirius promised himself that he would not rest until Peter lay dead at his feet.

He was on the point of re-entering the Leaky Cauldron to go and see if he could find the traitor in muggle London. He would search every back alley in every city in the world if he had to. There was no where that Peter could go that Sirius wouldn't find him. He was smarter, he was faster, and he was stronger.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from behind.

'You!'

Sirius turned sharply, surprised to see Frank Longbottom storming along the street towards him. The normally good-natured young man looked menacing. Sirius frowned for a second, and then his eyes opened wide. He understood.

'Frank, listen … you – you don't understand …'

'I understand better than you think,' Frank growled, reaching for his wand. 'I'd hoped that I'd be the one to catch up with you. You can't honestly have believed that you'd get away with this! Everyone knows that James trusted you above everyone else! And this is how you repay him? I suppose we should have expected it, though – isn't that right, Black?'

Sirius was shocked and hurt to hear these words coming from Frank, but he didn't hesitate in pulling out his own wand. He was too quick for the young auror.

'Petrificus Totalus!' he shouted. Frank fell face first onto the cobblestones, his entire body rigid. Sirius stared at him regretfully for a second, thanking his lucky stars that the street was deserted.

'I'm sorry, Frank, but I know nothing I could say would convince you of my innocence. But I'll bring you the evidence sooner or later, don't you worry.'

And then he went back through the archway into the Leaky Cauldron, leaving Frank lying paralyzed in the middle of the street. He couldn't help but wonder if it was a bad omen.

Someone pushed past him to get out to the courtyard as he went into the pub – by the time he reached the door he was running. Frank had been discovered; someone called him back; but he kept going, out into the foggy London morning.

He ran along alleys and back streets, desperate to throw off anyone who might be following him. He ducked into a handy underground station and came out of the exit on the other side of the street. He finally stopped in the middle of Trafalgar Square and turned around, disturbing a few pigeons as he moved. There was no one around who looked like they would have any business following him. In fact, apart from a few homeless muggles on park benches and a few stressed-out looking muggles wearing crisp suits and carrying briefcases, there was no one here at all. It was just too early.

Sirius took a deep breath. He should have been exhausted – he hadn't slept or eaten for two nights now. But there was a new fuel in his veins, a fire that wouldn't go out until his self-appointed task was completed.

He couldn't use magic anymore; that much was clear. Everyone obviously believed that he had been the one who had betrayed Lily and James. His mind shuddered away from the thought. The ministry had ways of locating him if he used magic. He would have to kill Peter with his bare hands.

So much the better.

He moved to the side of the square, shoving his hands into the pockets of his robes and walking much faster than he would ordinarily have done. He was beginning to feel conspicuous in this shabby wizard's robes. Some of the passing muggles in suits were sending him strange looks. He ducked into an alleyway at random, one where there were no muggles about.

It looked as though luck would favor him at least one more time.

He never understood how he knew it was Peter. It was just a fleeting movement at the other end of the alley, but somehow it was enough for Sirius to recognize his former friend.

'Pettigrew!' he called. 'I know you're there!'

There was a terrified whimper and Peter appeared, running from the alley. Sirius chased after him. But even as he broke into a full sprint when he reached the busy main road on the other side of the alley, he lost sight of his quarry. He couldn't afford this. If Peter was able to transform into a rat, he could disappear forever.

Sirius stopped. People jostled past him on their way to work and tourists goggled amazedly at his strange clothes. He took no notice. Calling on some canine instinct that he had not entirely lost during his last change, he sniffed at the surrounding air.

Amazingly, he caught the scent of rat.

Not having time to contemplate the power he had just discovered, Sirius set off on his new path. More muggles gawped at him as he ran, his robes flapping behind him. He followed his nose down another alley, down several side-streets and out into a small square. There were quite a few muggles here, too; and they all stopped to stare at him just like the others.

The trail of Peter's scent stopped here. He turned around on the spot, sniffing the air, trying to pick it up again. People in the square began to shake their heads and mutter amongst themselves – they thought he was mad.

Too late, he picked up the smell he was searching for.

'How could you?' came an anguished yell from behind him. He revolved slowly on the spot to find Peter striding toward him determinedly, tears running down his cheeks.

'How could you?' he repeated, loudly and clearly so that the audience of muggles could hear him. 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?'

In his shock, Sirius hadn't moved. Peter was now very close, and Sirius was the only one who could see his face. It was contorted in pain. Confused, Sirius glanced down and saw the steely glint of a dagger as it passed through the joint of Peter's right index finger. The digit fell to the ground in a flow of blood.

Sirius realized what Peter was going to do with a sudden rush of understanding and whipped out his wand. He held it to Peter's throat and grinned maniacally.

'Not quick enough, Wormtail,' he growled.

'On the contrary, Padfoot,' Peter gasped in reply.

The explosion rattled the windows in the nearby shops and threw Sirius backwards several yards. The muggles were screaming. The smoke cleared as Sirius struggled to his feet. He caught a glimpse of the bald tail of a rat as it disappeared into the gutter.

For several moments, Sirius's mind was blank. He could hear the muggle woman screaming and sirens as police cars approached, but he was strangely numb. He couldn't move. He couldn't think.

Of all the people to be his downfall, Sirius would never have picked Peter Pettigrew. And as the hopelessness and the absurdity of the entire situation dawned upon him, he began to laugh. And as his exhaustion and his grief finally caught up with him, he laughed harder.

Soon, he couldn't stop.

He was still laughing when the ministry representatives came to take him away.

THE END