A/N So we're getting close to the end now, just a couple more chapters to go I think. If there's enough demand however, you never know you might manage to squeeze a sequel out of me... Enjoy :)
Remus smiled as the familiar sights and sounds of Diagon Alley washed over him. It was background noise to his senses now but that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy it briefly.
He wandered down the Alley towards Flourish and Blotts, he had forgotten to purchase himself the NEWT textbook he'd set and that really wouldn't look good if the professor didn't have one! He should have known not to come in the last week of the holidays, everywhere was packed with students. Picking his way through the throng he heard the tinkling above the door and glanced a mop of redheads, one brown haired girl and a very striking raven haired boy.
"Harry!" he breathed.
Remus picked up the book he needed quickly and headed over to pay for it, hoping that he would get a chance to meet Harry before his little group left the shop. As luck would have it Harry was in behind him in the queue.
"Hello Harry, my name is Remus Lupin" Remus introduced himself.
"Good morning Mr Lupin" Harry replied politely.
"How are you enjoying the Alley?"
"I'm very sorry sir, but do I know you?" Harry wasn't in the mood for small talk with strangers. He wanted to buy his things and go back to the farm as soon as possible, hence why he hadn't waited for the Weasley brood to sort themselves out.
"You probably don't remember me, but I was one of your Dad's best friends."
So this was the fourth marauder!
"I've been told me a bit about you. It's good to finally meet you!"
Remus was spared having to reply because of a free checkout. When done, he turned to Harry with a grave face.
"I'll wait for you outside, alright?"
"Sure" Harry said before moving to pay for his own things. He spotted the gang in the queue now, Ron at the front. Hopefully they wouldn't take too long.
"Do you know about Sirius Black Harry?" Remus asked when Harry rejoined him.
"That he's broken out of Azkaban to kill me, yeah I've been told."
A faint breeze blew across them at that moment, ruffling Harry's hair as it passed down the Alley. Remus, stood downwind of Harry, picked up on several new and distinctive scents. His werewolf senses were more attune than an ordinary human's in order to find prey, or hunters, or water. He could smell his pack, a smell he thought he never would again but always would remember. At a stretch James could be masked as Harry, if Harry spent a lot of time outdoors, but there would have to be the other two there to make the connection. That meant that Sirius had to be either near or have been near Harry recently. Remus suppressed a shudder at such a close call. But the smell of Peter? Peter had been dead for twelve years, so where on earth had that one come from?
"Do you know why Sirius wants to kill you?" Remus asked.
"It's got something to do with Voldemort and my parents' deaths. I don't really care why to be honest, if he is, he is." Harry shrugged and paused for a moment whilst he tried to formulate his next question. "I don't really understand the whole criminal system thing though. If Azkaban is so bad, surely there must be tests to stop good people going there?"
"What do you mean Harry? You have to be guilty to go to Azkaban, you have to be tried before the Wizengamot, just like in muggle courts."
"McGonagall told me about Sirius and so I went to look up what happened. There were no references to a trial anywhere! You would have thought it would be front page news." Alright that was a slight lie, he had been told it by Sirius, but Harry thought it would work for now.
"That's where you got to Harry!" Molly Weasley exclaimed, bustling over. "You had me worried when you left the shop!"
"Good morning Mrs Weasley" Lupin interrupted her before she could continue any further.
"I'm so sorry Professor Lupin. I didn't see you!"
"Professor?" Harry asked in shock. "What do you teach?"
"I'm Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts professor this year" Remus replied.
"Hey Ron!" Harry yelled as he saw him and Hermione exit the bookstore. "Come over here, a friend of my dad is teaching DADA this year!"
"DADA?" Remus asked with a raised eyebrow.
Harry shrugged and quirked an eyebrow. "It's quicker to say."
"Professor Lupin, this is Ron Weasley. Ron, Professor Lupin."
As they shook hands the smell of Peter assaulted Remus's senses once again, so strong this time he nearly gagged. He coughed slightly and then turned back to the group.
"We're not in a classroom setting here, so call me Remus. You all done shopping?"
"Ron and I need to restock our potion supplies, but that's our last."
"Yeah and Scabbers' rat tonic. Just in case your idea doesn't work, you know" he said to Harry.
"Well rather than us all traipsing down there how about I take these two and we can meet up for lunch in an hour?"
"Would you Remus? That would be brilliant! Thankyou so much!" Molly replied.
"Can I come with you and Ron too, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Sure. Remus?"
"No problem by me, Harry."
"Have fun!" Molly called out as they left.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Remus was desperately trying to work out a plan to see why Peter's scent was so obvious about Ron. The only reason he could come up with was utterly absurd: Peter was alive. But yet Sirius had blown up half the street including Peter that night. It made no sense.
"Plonk him up on the table" he heard someone say. Remus turned at the new voice, his head still plotting and planning. A second later his head had whipped around again, solely focused on the rat now squirming viciously trying to get free of Ron's hand. With a yelp Ron let go of his rat as blood came streaming from his finger. Quick as a flash Remus had his wand out and the rat stunned just as it leapt off the table.
"Is this your rat?" Remus asked Ron.
"Yes sir. What have you done to him?" Ron was sucking his finger hard, trying to get the bleeding to stop.
"Just stunned him that's all. He'll be fine. How long have you had him?"
"Got him when Percy got an owl for becoming a prefect."
"And how long did Percy have him?"
"Dunno, about ten years maybe? He just turned up in our garden one day and Percy caught him according to Mum."
"And he's been feeling off since summer?" Well he would be, Remus thought. That was when Sirius's breakout was announced. Peter alive meant Sirius wasn't a murderer.
"Yeah, since we went to Egypt sir. He's been shaking and shivering all day today. I'm really worried for him."
"Well I might be able to help him Ron. I just need to cast one spell to see if I'm right, okay?"
A broad beam of blue light hit the stunned rat and covered him in a glowing sphere. Remus swiftly followed it by another and there, on the floor lay not a rat but a man.
"Well well Peter, how nice of you to drop by" Remus said, sarcasm dripping from his words. The little wizard blinked once and then sprinted for the door, only to be hit by two spells: another stunner from Remus and a body bind from Harry.
Remus turned to Harry in shock, one eye and his wand still trained on Peter. "Where did you learn that? And why did you cast it?"
"Hermione in first year. I'll tell you more later." He stepped around the immobile rat-turned-man and yelled out the door. "PADFOOT!"
Remus jumped again. So many shocks in one day! How did Harry have that name? And why did it sound like he was calling him? Suddenly Harry was knocked over by a very large black dog, who growled instantly on seeing the body on the floor.
"Gentlemen!" The shopkeeper had finally snapped out of his shock enough to talk. "What is going on?!"
"Case of miscarried justice" Remus replied, still staring at the Grim like thing.
"Well could it please be happening elsewhere? Probably the auror office would be your best bet."
"Sirius?" Harry asked softly.
"Yes Pup?" Sirius transformed and answered a heartbeat later.
"That's Sirius Black!" The shopkeeper screamed.
"And that's Peter Pettigrew" Sirius calmly replied before turning back to Harry.
"I want to go home" Harry almost whispered.
"I know pup. Soon we can. Come here." He pulled the boy into a tight hug.
"M-m-my rat? Scabbers is a-a-a man? A dead man?" Ron stuttered.
"Sirius, you stay here with Harry and Wormtail. I'm going to find Mrs Weasley, we're late for our meeting in the Leaky Cauldron anyway."
"Hello to you too Moony" Sirius replied sardonically.
"He's not staying anywhere except in a prison cell. I've called aurors they will be here soon."
"Oh good" Sirius replied. "Saves us the trouble of going to them."
Remus rolled his eyes and apparated out. A second later a dozen red cloaked aurors came streaming through the door, wands drawn. Harry stepped closer to Sirius, leaving a shocked Hermione to try and calm a nearly hysterical Ron.
"Get away from him Black" one of them snarled.
"No" Sirius replied shortly. He put an arm around his godson's shoulder.
"You are insane Black!" I said get away from him. Now!" A burst of light shot from his wand and... rebounded... off a protective sphere.
"Have you seen the man on the floor? Does he look familiar?"
Remus chose that moment to apparate back in with the Weasley matriach.
"Madam! This is a crime scene!" An auror stated indignantly.
"And those are three scared thirteen year old children!" Molly retorted. "Come on dears, lets get you home."
"I'm afraid we need them to stay here ma'am. They were witnesses."
"You will get your statements from them" Remus said "but do they look in any state right now? You may come by the Burrow later on."
"Now sir, you cannot make demands like that" the first auror bristled.
"Oh I can't can't I?" He walked over to Ron and Hermione and apparated out.
"Harry dear, won't you come too?" Molly asked. In response Harry snuggled closer to Sirius.
"I think that means he wants to stay here Molly" Sirius said.
"I couldn't give hippogriff dung about what you think Black, you've obviously confunded him."
"You're scaring him Molly, stop it. Go and take care of your own. We'll be fine here. Besides what am I going to do with 12 auror wands trained on me?"
By now a crowd had gathered outside the door. What could bring twelve aurors into Diagon Alley with their wands drawn?
"It's all right Harry, it's all right. It'll be over soon" Sirius soothed to the shaking boy. "That dome was fantastic, Lily would have been proud."
Harry smiled. "Thanks Padfoot" he said.
Another crack of apparition signalled Remus's return. "Molly, your kids really need you now. They're badly shaken up. Please."
"If one hair on Harry's head is hurt, I'm holding you responsible Remus."
"Fair enough." She apparated out. "Now we've got quite the following outside, shall I tell them what's going on?" Remus was ignoring the aurors.
"Well it seems only fair I suppose, since no-one else will" Sirius replied.
"Sirius?" Harry asked softly. "Can I?"
"You want to tell everyone pup?"
"Well I want you next to me. It'll be like telling McGonagall over again and this time we have proof."
"Hu hum" an auror coughed loudly.
"Yes?" Remus enquired sharply.
"Noone will be explaining anything until we know the truth" the auror said imperiously.
"Ok then, here's the truth." Harry uncurled his arm from around Sirius's waist, squared his shoulders and looked the auror straight in the face. "My parents were killed by Voldemort because somebody betrayed their location to him. That someone was Peter Pettigrew. Sirius did not kill him, he is lying at your feet. I don't know much but I do know that you can't have a murder without a dead victim. If you're wrong there, then you can be wrong again. Besides Sirius has been living with me for the past week, with no other magical being around. If he wanted me dead, I'd be dead. As you can see, I'm not. So there."
A cacophony broke out in the street as Harry finished. None of them had realised how quiet it had gone as they crowd tried to catch Harry's words.
"Nicely done pup." He gave Harry a quick hug before continuing. "There's really only one way to solve this. Give me a god damn trial and make sure there's veritaserum used in it. Now will somebody get Director Bones?" All of the aurors stood there unmoving. "Oh for goodness sakes I'll do it myself!" He brought out his wand and a dog patronus shot through the window. "What?! Ollivanders is still the best wand shop!"
