June Full Moon
The June full moon of that year is ingrained into my memory. It was the night I discovered the truth and the night I got back my mate.
I'd taken the Marauder's map from Harry earlier that year. I won't talk about the map because I'm sure you've heard enough about it from your father and me, Samantha. That night I was perusing the map intrigued by something Harry had told me. He'd informed me that he'd seen Peter Pettigrew on the map which taking in what information I'd known at that point was impossible.
That night waiting the sunset I was in my quarters perusing the map intrigued by what Harry had told me. I saw Harry, Hermoine, and Ron heading towards Hagrid's house but when they started coming back towards the school I saw something that put doubt in all that I'd come to believe. With Harry and his friends the map said was Peter Pettigrew. Next I saw the name Sirius Black turn up on the map and drag Ron and Peter towards the Whomping Willow and its tunnel to the shrieking shack. That's when I raced off and out to the tunnel and onwards towards the shack, determined once and for all to discover the truth.
I remember making my way down the tunnel hearing angry voices arguing. Sirius was trying to kill Peter.
When I got there and saw the rat Ron was holding I realized at once the mystery of what had happened. Ron was not holding a rat at all but Peter in his Animagus form. That's when I realized the truth. Sirius had not been the secret-keeper, Peter had. They'd switched without telling me. So when Sirius had gone after Peter that fateful night it was Peter who had killed those muggles and then transformed to race away.
My mate was innocent.
After that I remember we had to convince Harry and his friends of the truth. At that point we also forced Peter to reveal himself. Unfortunately at one point we had an angry Snape to deal with.
The rest of the night is unfortunately a blur for me. In all of that night's craziness I'd never gotten my last crucial dose of wolfsbane and so when I started to transform the wolf's mind took over my own.
I learned alter that Peter had escaped and that Snape had captured Sirius not believing the truth. I also learned that Harry and Hermoine using a time-turner had saved Sirius from the Dementor's kiss. Unfortunately that meant he was on the run again.
The next morning I resigned my post. I couldn't take the chance of that happening again never mind that Snape let it slip to his Slytherins the nature of my condition.