Yes I know this is one long chapter, but it is probably the chapter you all been waiting for. I wish that I could have put it all in one piece, but that would have been waaaay too long. I thank you all for the great reviews. I hope you like this chapter as well!

CHAPTER 25

The Godfather

Edward was shaken awake by a firm hand and a squawking owl. He let out a little yelp as the pressure was pressed right on top of his bandaged shoulder and swatted the person away. He drew the curtains of his bed and looked tiredly up at Harry and Ron who were staring back at him with a snowy white owl.

"What do you want," Edward mumbled still feeling the draught in his system. He leaned back in his bed ready to fall asleep again, but he was shaken awake again. "Would you quit it!" he whined feeling another wave of shock in his system.

"Professor, Hagrid's appeal is today!" Ron whispered to him. Harry shoved a letter in his face which would have explained the owl. "They're bringing an executioner!" Edward jolted out of bed though his leg wined at him, startling the boys. He nearly knocked them over as he ran about the dorm grabbing his things for the day.

"You two, go to your classes, don't think about doing anything stupid. I will go see what's going on," He commanded them. The boys looked a little down trodden that they couldn't be of any help, especially Ron who was probably upset that he had to go to class. Edward ran down to the bathroom and got dressed in privacy as well as took his potions that Poppy gave him and rushed out the door his arm halfway in his coat and his shoelaces flying. He ran all the way down to the Great Hall and basically sprinted over to where some of the teachers were sitting. Poppy started to scold him for straining himself so, but he brushed her off. Hagrid wasn't among them.

"Ah, he is awake," Remus said to him. Edward brushed him off. He remembered that the teachers helped him a few days ago, but thanking them wasn't really what was on his mind.

"Where's Hagrid?" Edward demanded trying to get his breath from his run. The nurse started to fuss over his but he fought her and tried to pry her off. Remus and Severus were sitting across from him and they didn't look too happy. "When is the appeal?" Edward barked at them.

"Edward, it is a closed hearing, you can't go," Remus sighed as he took a sip of tea. Severus glared daggers at him and started to play around with his oatmeal.

"What is wrong with you? We can't just stand here while he faces them alone! He would be crushed!" Edward raged. "Those ministry folk are relentless!"

"Edward did you-" Poppy started but Edward cut her off.

"Yes I took my medicine Poppy!" he scolded her. He jabbed a finger at the two professors across from him. "You two need to get some balls. I am going down to see him." Edward turned to leave but Poppy called out to him.

"You have morning Finals to give!"

"Then I am going down after my classes!" Edward yelled back over his shoulder. He stormed out of the hall. He ran up the stairs to his office and started to toss his papers about his desk. He scribbled a note down on a piece of paper and looked up at the polecat hat. It was of course empty. The rush of events from Monday raced back to him.

Edward felt a swarm of anger come over him for a second as he raced down and across the bridge to the owlery. It was a short walk and Edward sent one of the owls down to Hagrid's house with the pile of notes that he gathered for Hagrid's appeal. He wasn't going to let his friend stand against the ministry without any back up. Back in his office, Edward paced around his room completely ignoring his sore leg. He glanced at the empty hat on his desk. He really didn't want to be thinking about that, not with Buckbeak on trial. He took the hat and tore open his bottom drawer of his desk. He was about to stuff it in when he noticed the text book on the bottom. He pulled it out and replaced it with Scop's polecat hat. Edward flipped through the book until he got to the missing page of three hundred and ten.

Van was- he shut it again, but this time on his own accord. He kind of wished that he could have thrown the book out the window, but he still had a class to teach. Dumbledore was right about one thing. He should just ask him. Reading the book would only give him one more thing to punch his father in the face for. He already couldn't believe that he made one, a philosopher's stone. Right now he didn't want anything to do with anyone, but then his students walked in through the door. Edward just had to deal with it and stuffed the book back in the bottom of his drawer along with his other notes and research.

…

The third years passed their final most with flying colours that afternoon. Neville was a genius at it and aced both the written and physical exam. Hermione only missed one question. He could tell that the entire room however, was in a different air as surely the news about Hagrid's appeal leaked out around the students. Ron, in extreme case of pressure and tension, managed to spell his name wrong. Harry caught the materials that he was supposed to be transmuting on fire. Edward, though knowing full well about the circumstances had to settle them down with an Acceptable. Just as the bell rang for them to turn in their work an owl came crashing through the window. Glass shattered everywhere and some of the students scattered out of the room just to not be hit. Edward looked at all of his other opened windows and then at the owl who was walking around dazed on the stone floor.

"You aren't that smart are you?" he mumbled at the thing. He let the students place their tests on his desk while he swept up the shards of glass and fixed the window, which he made sure to open for the bird's flight out. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were making their way towards his desk as he scooped up the dizzy dumb bird and unhooked the letter from his foot. Edward knew it was from Hagrid, who else could it have been from? But the letter was completely illegible. The words which were once clearly written in ink were completely smeared over and stained with tears. He didn't have to read it to know that Buckbeak lost the case.

"Did you get any news on Hagrid yet?" Ron asked him as he set his work on the desk. Edward sighed and tossed the note down for the three of them to read, or attempt to. He massaged his face in his hands.

"Yeah, he lost," he mumbled. Hermione gasped and the two boys looked completely down trodden. After a while of silence, Edward picked his coat off of the back of his chair and flung it on around his shoulders. "I am going down to see him."

"We are too," Hermione butted in. Edward looked at her for a moment.

"No you aren't. As I heard this was a closed meeting, me being there is enough for them to handle. The three of you shouldn't even be on the grounds any ways," Edward said to them. However, Hermione had different plans. She basically slammed her fist down on the corner of his desk and glared at him with the ferocity that he only saw in Ross when she was made at him.

"We are his friends too! We want to make sure he is okay. He shouldn't have to suffer that alone!" she scolded him. Edward was surprised at her sudden outburst and just stood there staring at her anger trying to comprehend it all.

"Sir, we can go under the invisibility cloak if you want us too," Ron added, but Harry jabbed him in the ribcage. Edward knew that Harry lost the cloak in his office when he intruded on Severus and Remus's interrogation. He found it underneath one of the desks. Harry mustn't have told Ron about losing it. He let out a sigh and reached into one of his bottom drawers. He pulled out the silky cloak and threw it at them. The cloth landed over Ron and he disappeared from his shoulders up.

"You left it Harry. Next time I find you snooping around again I won't give it back and will let Snape deal punishment to you," Edward scolded them. He started to walk slowly out the door with the three of them invisibly in tow behind him. "However, I want you three out of there before the executioner can do his thing. I don't think Hagrid will like it if you watched." Edward muttered beneath his breath. He heard a silent acknowledgement and continued down the castle and to the grounds of Hogwarts.

…

"Hagrid! Let us in!" Edward hollered out as he banged on the door of the small hut.

"Edward! Be gentle!" Hermione whispered behind him. He huffed and then bellowed one more time.

"Rubeus it's me, Edward! We want to talk!" There was a shuffle behind the door and a few crashes and the door finally opened. The first thing Edward saw was a bounding dog running his way. It tackled him to the ground and started to lick his face. The three Gryffindors ripped off their cloak in order to try and save him.

"Yer shouldn't have come!" Hagrid scolded them. His voice was jerked with tears and when Fang finally was torn off of him Edward could see that his beard was soaking wet from crying. Though the man was scolding them for coming, Hagrid finally admitted that he was glad that they were here over a cup of his unsweetened hot cocoa. Buckbeak was tied up in the pumpkin patch for the evening. Edward was glad that Hagrid had the sense not to hold the beheading in his house. That would have been messy. Right now the overly large man was attempting to pour them all some milk for their drinks but was having a rough time with his shaking hands. He managed to spill over half the bottle into Ron's cup. Edward made sure to keep his mug far away from the bumbling giant.

"I-I messed up at the appeal," Hagrid cried as he tried to pour Hermione's glass. Edward saw that it was obvious she was only letting him do it to be polite. "I-It wasn't my nerves, those ministry folk just don't want to listen. You lot helped me so much, but it wasn't enough." Edward patted him on the elbow since he couldn't reach his shoulder, and took a sip of his own cocoa.

"Hagrid, it wasn't your fault," Hermione said. "The Magical Creatures department would do anything to prove they aren't worthless."

"Them bastards can't see a good defense if it smacked them in the face," Edward grunted. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs for his language, but Hagrid didn't seem offended by it.

"I-I-I just don't want them to harm my Buckbeak!" Hagrid cried sending his tears into full motion on top of Edward. He managed to knock over the milk jug which aside from shattering to the ground, spilt all over the young alchemist. He shivered from the thought of being covered in the distasteful liquid, but didn't mention it as he tried to comfort the sobbing man. Hermione bent down and cleaned up the glass.

"Come on Hagrid," Harry said. "Buckbeak wouldn't want to see you in tears!" Hagrid let out one last sob and decided to take Harry up in a comfortable bone crushing hug. Edward used his moment of freedom to clap his hands and clean the milk off of him. Hermione rummaged through the cabinets and pulled out another milk jug. She started to pour some into Edward's unsuspecting glass when she suddenly let out a small yelp.

"Oh my God! Ron look! It's Scabbers!" she exclaimed as she pointed to Edward's cup.

"Hey!" Edward scolded her as he just realized that she was pouring milk into his cup, but then stopped to see a brown haired rat squirming around in his hot cocoa. He was definitely not going to be finishing that now. Edward plucked the small rodent out of his cup and tossed it over to the red head who was still in complete shock.

"H-he's alive?" Ron exclaimed as he started to dry the rodent off on his shirt. Edward expected that he owed Hermione an apology for suspecting her cat ate him, but none was spoken. All of a sudden Hagrid jolted up from the table.

"Rubeus, what is it?" Edward asked him, but followed the man's gaze out the window. Dumbledore, Cornelius Fudge, and a few other people were slowly making their way down the hill towards the hut.

"I thank you for your company, but you three shouldn't have come!" Hagrid said quickly gathering the third years together and herding them towards the back door. "I don't want yer to see this!" The three begged desperately for them to stay, but Edward gave them a quick shove towards the back door and tossed the invisibility cloak over them. There was a gentle knock on the front door.

"Get going!" he hissed at them. "Everything will be fine!" Just as the front door creaked open, Edward saw the back door close quietly by some invisible force. He let out a relieved breathe and went back to Hagrid near the center of the room. Dumbledore looked a little surprised as well as a Cornelius to see him there at the hut.

"What are you doing here?" Cornelius asked a little shocked.

"I was just comforting my friend in his time of need," Edward said nonchalantly and patted Hagrid on the elbow. "That isn't illegal in the wizarding world is it?" Cornelius looked a little taken aback and Dumbledore gave him a stern glare, though his eyes said differently.

"Well, if that's all Rubeus, I will be off," Edward said and grabbed his coat from the chair. "You are going to be alright aren't you?" Hagrid gave a stiff unsure nod. Edward walked over to where Fudge was standing and held out his hand. The man took it a little confused.

"It is nice to meet you again, and I will be sure to see you on better terms when I come to take my teaching assessment next fall," Edward said with a sly grin. After delaying the execution a little longer, in which Edward hoped that the trio had made their way back up to the castle did he wave goodbye to the lot of them and left the hut. It was only a few moments later that Edward heard the swish and thud of the axe hitting wood. He let out a really depressed sigh and made his way up the hill towards the castle.

It wasn't far along his walk when he noticed a blur out of the corner of his eye. He could see the branches of the Whomping Willow go crazy over something just beyond the hill. Edward exited the path and marched over the hill to see what was disturbing his sparring partner. Just as he got to the peak of the mound did he see Harry and Hermione dodging the tree's wrath a little unsuccessfully. He let out a low groan and made his way down to the perimeter of the willow's boundary. After watching the two run around for a moment he jumped in and chased after them. He tackled Hermione to the ground just as a branch was about to collide with her head and dragged her out of range of the branches. He jumped back in and did the same to Harry just as the willow made a swing for his back. Once they were both out Edward heard the tree give and angry shutter.

"Yeah, just hold your leaves on!" Edward scolded it. Harry and Hermione had several scratches on them and their clothes were covered in grass stains. He pulled a twig out of Granger's hair and tossed it back at the tree. There were many things wrong with finding the two of them going about on the Whomping Willow like that, but the only thing that came to mind was that why weren't there three of them? "Where's Weasley?" Edward demanded. Several tears started to stream down Hermione's face as she attempted to stand up.

"It took him! I-It took Ron! And it d-dragged him underneath the tree!" she mumbled. Harry wasn't looking too strong himself. He just sort of sat on the ground a bit dazed.

"Who took him?" Edward asked her, but she couldn't answer. He looked to harry for help.

"It was a big black dog, Profes- Edward," he replied. "Scabbers jumped out of his pocket and we went after him, but then a dog attacked Ron." Edward's eyes widened at the mentioning of the animal. What was Black up to? He muttered a few curses under his breath and stood up to examine the tree. He remembered the twins said something about a passage leading out from the willow on the Marauder's Map that was possibly where Ron was taken. In fact, he knew that was where Ron was taken, he just didn't know where the entrance exactly was. He looked down at the two of them.

"When I say so, you two run to the tunnel where the kid was taken," he commanded them. They gave him a shallow nod and with that Edward leapt into the swing torment of leaves. He ran toward the trunk, jumping and dodging the whipping branches. The Willow, still pissed about being attacked by the two teenagers attempted to knock Edward's head off with one swing. He did a forward tumble and hit the knot at the base of the tree with deadly accuracy. The branches froze immediately just like he remembered from his earlier practice. However, he remembered that the stunning effect didn't last very long. "GO!" he commanded them. Hermione and Harry took off running towards the left end of the tree where a giant mass of roots accumulated to keep the tree planted. Edward started to head in that direction as well, carefully watching the tree. The two of them slid into a gap between the roots and disappeared. Edward was about to jump in after them, but saw Crookshanks lazily making its way over to them. The tree slowly started to twitch again. He cursed to himself, and against the cries of his students, raced back after the stupid cat. He snatched it up with his automail arm and half tossed it into the passage way. Just as he was about to go in after it, the willow started to swing again extremely unhappy that he froze it. A branch whipped around and knocked Edward to the ground, swiping his legs out from underneath him. He let out a yelp as the branches collided with his hurt leg but scurried up. Just as another branch was making its way towards him, he hurled himself into the passage way.

Edward tumbled down the tiny root twined tunnel and nearly landed on the cat who clawed at him menacingly. "Stupid cat," he mumbled to himself. He was sure that the tree reopened his wound a little bit at the pain it was causing him by tearing off the newly grown skin over it that the potion helped produce, but he tried to ignore it. They needed to find Ron and he needed to tell Black a thing or two about parenting.

The passage way was long, really long. The three of them walked down it for what seemed like forever until they got anywhere. Hermione and Harry had to bend over a bit to fit in the short narrow tunnel, but Edward's head only lightly brushed the rocky surface. He silently damned his height as the three of them came upon the exit of the passageway. They lifted the trap door on the top and found themselves in a completely run down house. The two wizards lit their wands which spread a dull light around the place. There was dust everywhere which coated everything from the floors to the table tops and portraits. It was so thick, Edward thought that he could scoop it all up and make a mountain out of it. There were several scratches and claw marks on the walls and furniture and some chairs seemed to look like they were smashed to bits by rampaging rhinos. This place definitely sent shivers down Edward's spine.

"Where are we?" Harry asked. Hermione looked around a bit and pondered.

"Well, by the direction we were walking in and the state of this place, I would have to say the shrieking shack," she answered him. Edward shivered as a cool draft dragged itself down his skin. As he shook he looked down and saw that the dust was recently disturbed. He walked forward a bit and studied it. It looked as if something was dragged up the stairs.

"Come on you two," he whispered. He marched himself and the two of them up the stairs. Crookshanks took the lead and disappeared through a door that hung ghastly by its hinges. Hermione and Harry suddenly put their wand lights out which startle him a bit. They shuffled forward ahead of him. Edward stumbled through the darkness and was suddenly interrupted by a loud crack as Harry kicked the door open. The two wizards rushed into the lit room and Edward carelessly limped after them.

"You don't have to be so brash!" scolded Edward as he followed them into the room. Ron was sitting on the torn up dirty bed and seemed to be pointing at something over Edward's shoulder. There was another slam as the door behind them was kicked shut. Edward and the two others whipped around to see Sirius Black standing behind them in the shadows.

"He's an animagus!" Ron yelped accusingly. Edward looked at the man rather annoyed.

"You don't have to be so dramatic either!" Edward pointed out to him as well. Black looked a little taken aback. He completely brushed the man off and limped over to go check out Ron's injuries. The boy's leg was completely bent at the wrong angle and obviously broken. "Seriously," Edward growled, "You really had to do a job on him. You completely broken his leg!"

"Wait! Why do you sound so buddy with him?" Ron shouted. Edward rolled his eyes and clapped his hands.

"Let's just say we are acquaintances," he mumbled. Edward drew a long splint from the floor boards just as he heard the wizards behind him shout at each other. Spells flew out and he heard a clatter of wands. Black must have disarmed them. Ron started to fight Edward's grip on him pitifully.

"If you want to kill Harry you are going to have to kill me first!" he shouted. Hermione turned on Edward and kicked him in the hurt leg. He let out a muffle moan and glared at her.

"How could you set Harry up like this?" she accused him. She was about to kick him again, but he caught her foot. Edward turned around and yelled at all of the wizards some more.

"Oi! Stop firing shit at each other and explain everything! None of you are going to die here! Now get off me will you?" he shouted at them and pushed Hermione's foot away. He turned back to Ron and set up the splint against his cries of pain. He took off his red coat and used it to make the gauze. That was when he heard Black and Harry start to argue with each other.

"There will only be one murder here tonight!" Black said.

"Stop scaring the hell out of everybody!" Edward yelled at him as he was busy tying Ron's leg up. The furious red head was trying to kick him away which made it difficult to properly tend to his leg. All of a sudden he heard a scuffling and whipped around to see Harry and Black wrestle each other to the ground. Hermione screamed and Ron took that opportunity to kick Edward in the back of the head. "Hey!" he yelled at the kid. Edward saw Crookshanks and Hermione jump in the dog pile and he let out a giant swing of curses. Ron's good foot managed to find his shoulder wound and kick him a few good times there. He was sent back to the floor landing next to Harry's wand. The cat bounded towards it and Harry aimed a kick at the animal. The cat jumped aside and out of the way of the flying foot which nailed Edward in the stomach knocking all of the air out of him. Completely ignoring the fact that he kicked him, Harry snatched up the wand and pointed it at Sirius. The man was completely bruised up from the fight being outnumbered by the two teenagers. Edward thought that it was a bit pitiful, but he wasn't really focused on the outcome right now.

"Going to kill me?" Sirius teased him.

"What is with you guys and being so dramatic? Just explain everything! I am very intrigued myself," Edward shouted at the bloodied man as he tried to stand up. Harry however didn't put down his wand. Crookshanks scurried over to where Sirius was crumbled up on the floor and laid across the man's chest as if to protect him.

"Wow, even Hermione's cat's a traitor," he heard Ron mumble.

"Shut up Ron!" Edward scolded him. As he turned to face the red head he was met with a wand pointed only inches from his face. Hermione was staring back at him as if he was the one who murdered the king. He froze in his place. "Come on guys!"

"I don't need him to explain anything!" Harry said shakily. "I already know. He betrayed my mum and dad and gave them over to Voldemort! He was their friend and he betrayed them! And then he went along and murdered Peter as well!" Edward was about to say something but the room froze as the faint sound of footsteps could be heard from the lower floor.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione hollered at the unknown being. Edward took that moment to grab her outstretched wand arm and flip her over disarming her. Her wand clattered to the floor. Harry a bit shocked turn around to throw a spell at him but his wand suddenly flew out of his hand. Edward looked at the doorway where Lupin was standing pointing his wand at them and glancing around the room.

"Remus, explain!" Edward commanded him but he seemed to ignore him and rushed over to Sirius's side.

"Where is he Sirius?" he asked him. The brutally beat man weakly pointed his hand past Edward and to Ron, who was completely lost. Lupin started to walk over towards the bed where Ron was laying. The red head whimpered and tried to squirm away from him but it proved quite difficult with his broken leg. Harry kicked Edward in the leg which made him fall to the floor and let go of Hermione who she rushed forward and blocked Lupin's path to Ron.

"I CAN"T BELIVE IT! YOU?AND… HIM?... EDWARD?" Hermione screamed at the Defense teacher. Edward held his hands up in surrender to her accusation. He had only half an idea what was going on. Remus tried to calm her down but she wouldn't take it. "I kept your secret for you! I trusted you!" Edward blanched a bit, terrified that the girl had half a sense to go back to the castle and scream out his sins to the world. She was however, not just glaring at him, but also at Lupin.

"Hermione, now, calm down a second," Remus tried to assure her but she cocked her fist in his direction prepared to strike at any moment.

"He's a werewolf!" she shouted. There was a moment of sudden silence. Lupin gave Edward a look but he shook his head. He did not tell Hermione he was a werewolf, he just told her he wasn't one himself. Lupin nodded his head and admitted to the three of them that her accusation was correct. Ron looked absolutely disgusted at the fact while the other two were equally as shocked.

"However, I haven't been helping Sirius into the castle," Remus said to them.

"I haven't either!" Edward perked up, but Harry jabbed his newly retrieved wand in the back of his head. He glared at him.

"Then how do you know Black Edward?" Harry sneered. Edward tried to stand up, but Harry jabbed his wand in his face.

"I met him on my way back from the train station after the trial! He helped me out with a small problem I had. I don't know all of the details, but I know he isn't guilty. Just give him a chance too-"

"No!" Hermione shouted at him now. "Edward how could you do this to us? Harry don't trust him you remember what he told us about his automail!" Edward's eyes widened and all of a sudden a huge burst of anger filled his body. He stood up from the ground completely pushing Harry aside and jabbed a finger at Hermione.

"You shouldn't judge people by their past mistakes! I told you that already! So what if he's a werewolf? So what if I mistakenly challenged God? I can't fix it now, but you three should stop blabbering on about things that you don't understand and just listen for once!" Edward scolded her. He stormed over to Remus and glared at him. "You tell us, and you tell us everything!" Remus took in a deep sigh and glanced at the three teenager's faces.

"Very well, let's start with the Rat," Remus stated. Ron, who had been protectively holding onto his pet, squirmed a few inches away from where Black was sitting and looking at him rather hungrily. "I looked at the map earlier today and saw you lot running around the grounds with a name that shouldn't have been there, Peter Pettigrew."

"But he's dead," Ron said to him. Edward shot him a glare to tell him to keep quiet. Remus chuckled a bit.

"That is what everyone thought and boy did Peter have everyone fooled with that act of his, but the Marauder's map never lies."

"How do you know about the-" Harry started.

"I am Moony," Remus stated and he pointed at Black. "That is Padfoot. Harry, your father was Prongs, and Peter was Wormtail. He is an animagus that takes the form of a rat."

"He is a rat if you ask me," Black muttered. Remus rolled his eyes and Harry stepped forward still keeping his wand trained on him.

"There were witnesses who saw Peter get killed!"

"Who thought they saw him get killed! He never actually died!" Remus said looking down nervously at the wand.

"But he will now!" Black growled as he took a few steps towards Ron. Edward rushed forward and pulled the man away from Weasley and pushed him down in a broken chair nearby.

"Stop scaring everybody! You sure don't seem like you want to be innocent if you keep talking about murdering the thing!" Edward scolded him. Black was about to retaliate, but suddenly the floorboards of the house creaked right outside of the door. Everyone's heads shot up to look in the direction, but there was nothing there.

"It's the ghouls! They're going to get us!" Ron whined. Edward rolled his eyes at him and walked over to the door. He opened it carefully but there was still no one there. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"This place isn't haunted!" Remus announced. "That was me! A while before they invented Wolfsbane I was a full-fledged werewolf. I couldn't control myself. Dumbledore helped me out by building the shack and planting the tree in order to make a safe place for me to transform. It was because of him that this is here at all. He even encouraged the rumours of the shack being haunted to keep people away when I was dangerous!"

"Someone would have figured it out," Edward noted as he still searched the hallways for the invisible source.

"A few of them did, like my friends, Peter, James, Sirius, and Severus even began to suspect it in the later years," Remus noted. "Once my friends found out about it, they tried to find ways to help me. They became animagus so that they could stay with me during my transformations and keep me company. Werewolves are only dangerous in the presence of humans. James and Sirius were larger animals to keep me in check."

"What was-" Harry started.

"I am guessing a deer," Edward said raising his hand to put in his vote. The others just looked at him. "Well, he said he was prongs.." he muttered and returned to his position in the doorway.

"Yes, he was a deer," the werewolf verified Edward's guess. "All this time I wanted to tell everyone about Sirius being a dog, but I couldn't bring myself to doing it. Dumbledore trusted me throughout my time at the school to keep my secret as well as the other students safe, but I dragged them in along with me. I was even convinced myself that Sirius was a murderer when I got appointed the job here at school, but the map proved me wrong. Severus, however still doesn't trust me. He tried hard to keep me from getting the job. I am afraid that beside from being prior friends to Sirius, he still had a grudge from a prank that involved me."

"Really? He hates you?" Edward asked taking a few steps back into the conversation. "All year you seemed really close buds with him."

"That was only when we were trying to figure you out Edward. I couldn't just leave you alone when that Boggart was loose, and neither could he. We also were on the same terms when it came to that matter with the homunculi, which you yourself still need to explain." Remus noted glancing back to where he was standing. At the word Homunculus, the trio looked at him with high alert. He knew that they were already on their own lead with the word because Harry had snuck into his office the other day. Edward grumpily crossed his arms over each other and defiantly looked at them.

"Ask Dumbledore about it," Edward muttered towards Remus.

"So, the reason Snape doesn't like you, is because you pulled a prank on him?" Harry asked.

"It wasn't just any prank, it was a mightily foolish one," Remus said.

"He deserved it," Black mumbled defiantly. The werewolf shot him a look.

"Sirius was the one who thought it would be funny to tell Severus exactly how to get into the house through the willow. At the time of course I was transformed, but Severus didn't know better. James luckily pulled him out in time, but he already saw me. He found out I was a-"

"A werewolf?" a detached voice came from behind Edward. He spun around to see Snape whip off the invisibility cloak. A loud bang sounded throughout the house and cords shot out of his wand and wrapped themselves around Edward's feet, wrists, and mouth. He was flung back against the opposite wall with the force of the spell. Hermione let out a shocked scream and attempted to run over to him, but Severus shouted out to stop them.

"If you help him Granger, you will be helping a rogue alchemist," Severus said. "After the events with the Homunculus, I had all right to assume that you weren't as innocent as everyone thought you were. Something's going on in your country and you obviously aren't on the right side of it, Mr. Alchemist. Seeing you here all friendly with these folk is all the proof I need. You might only be a child but you don't fool me. The Homunculus want you bad and my guess is that you are a fugitive of some sort against the government. Your lies might have fooled everyone else, but I saw through them easily." Severus glanced staunchinly at Black then back to Edward. "You probably helped him into the castle a few times as well ever since Halloween." Edward glared at the man silently. He tried to move his hands, but the cords were tied and his hands were back to back so his palms couldn't touch. Hermione looked down at him a little shocked.

"Edward is this true?" she asked softly. He looked up at her and wanted to say no, but the rope bound his mouth tight. Severus rolled his eyes at the girl's innocence and moved on to the rest of the group.

"This seems to be my lucky day," Severus sneered as he took two steps father into the room. He pointed his wand at Remus this time. "I will be able to turn in three to Azkaban tonight. Albus surely won't be too happy to see that not just one, but two of his newest teachers helped the escaped criminal roam freely around the school. By the way Potter, I suggest you keep track of your precious cloak. I found it at the base of the Willow tree. It is very useful indeed."

"Severus, you got everything wrong! You're willing to put three innocent people in Azkaban, not to mention Edward's only a child!" Remus argued. Edward fought against his ropes at the word child, but they still wouldn't budge.

"Shut up!" Severus shouted at him. "You forgot to take your potion this evening. Dumbledore might have been convinced that you were a tamed werewolf, but I can see that you are nothing more than a beast in a man's body!" Remus took a cautious step forward but that just triggered the potion's master's anger. Another bang was sent out from his wand and Remus was flown across the room bound by the snakelike cords. Black growled in fury and started towards the man, but Snape pointed his wand at him threateningly. "Don't take another step unless you want to wind up like your scheming friends there," Snape hissed. Black froze in his place and glared at the man with pure hatred. The three young Gryffindors didn't know what to do, nor who to believe. They stood and glanced around at their teachers completely in utter shock.

"I-It wouldn't hurt…. T-to hear them out," Hermione mumbled as she inched towards where Edward was bound on the floor. Severus whipped his wand at her as she saw what she was doing.

"Get away from him you foolish girl. Don't think you three are completely free yourselves. I expect you lot to be facing suspension for being out of bounds at this hour. I would rather see you expelled, but we'll leave that for the committee to decide." Edward glanced at Hermione and Harry who were sharing completely mixed emotions of both fear and hate as they stared at the black haired professor. He looked down at his leg where there was a large accumulation of dust and blood on his pants. He knew that it definitely wasn't good for his leg to be open any longer than it should. This place was covered in dirt, it coated the floors like chalk.

"Severus listen, it is all a misunderstanding! It's Peter! Look at the rat it's him!" Black begged him. The man however was beyond reason.

"Silence! I don't expect to be bribed by your cursed tongue. Once you get to the grounds I expect the dementors to be waiting for you there. They might decide to give you a kiss as well. Maybe if we are lucky they will do in with the werewolf and the tiny midget," Severus taunted. Another shot rang out of his wand and the ends of the cords that bound both Edward and Lupin sprang into his hands. He tossed one to Harry. "I will drag the midget, you take the werewolf. Granger, grab Weasley."

However Severus planned to do this, it didn't turn out how he wanted it to. Harry dropped the robes to Lupin and sprang for his wand. He sent a disarming spell at the potion's master. At the same time two other spells and the wooden floor boards in the shape of a fist chased the man down as well. Severus was hit and flung out the door colliding with the banister. He struggled a bit dazed to get up, but the wooden hand pinned him against the wall and knocked him out. Severus was completely useless now. Hermione started to panic.

"Oh my god, we attacked a teacher! I can't believe it!" she cried. Edward rolled his eyes at her complete colossal breakdown. Black ran over to help untie Lupin who was struggling against his bonds.

"You shouldn't have done that Harry," Black said as he pulled off Remus's ropes. "You should have left him to us. I would have handled it."

"Like you were doing beforehand," Edward heard Ron mumbled. He started to struggle against his own binds and after Remus was fully untied, did they eventually come over to help him. Remus bent over and untied the ropes around his mouth. The instant the ropes were free however, everyone regretted it.

"WHO ARE YOU ALL CALLING A SHORT MIDGET! YOU WIZARDS ALL HAVE WEIRD ASS GROWTH SERUMS NO WONDER YOUR GIANT FREAKS!" Edward burst out his anger towards the unconscious Severus. He lashed about in his bindings hoping to teach the man a lesson, but that just put more strain on his leg and he fell over on his side in pain.

"Be careful Edward your leg is hurt. Take it easy," Hermione said noticing the gradually growing blood stain on his pants.

"I've had worst," Edward mumbled almost inaudible but Sirius's dog like senses caught it and he rolled his eyes.

"Worst?" Black questioned him.

"I lost my arm you idiot! It can't get worse than that!" Edward raged still very pissed off about being tied up and taunted in front of everybody. Remus started to untie his hands. The cord was so thick that Edward felt it cutting into his flesh wrist. The man had a little trouble loosening it at all.

"So Edward how did you do the transmutation?" Remus asked him as his progress in breaking the ropes was pitiful.

"The dirt is so thick in here I was able to draw a circle in the dust on the floor," he mumbled. "Now get me out of these things." He tried to twist his wrists, but they still couldn't budge. Remus decided to take out his wand and cut the ropes but froze for a second. Edward glanced back at him to see a contemplating expression written across his face. Remus faltered a bit, but eventually put his unused wand back in his robes and took a few steps back from him. "Remus, what are you doing?" he asked him, his voice a little shaky. He was still bound helplessly on the floor.

"One thing Severus is right about is that we have no clue what is going on in that country of yours," he said. Edward could feel all eyes blazing at him.

"Come on! I told you already Dumbledore knows everything!" Edward scolded him. "You can go back and ask him yourself if you want! Severus didn't know what he was talking about!" He looked around at all of the faces. They looked rather suspicious, except for Sirius who was completely confused. Remus looked down on him.

"How are we supposed to know that the Homunculus aren't after you for some other reason? One came directly into the school yesterday and I had to clean everything up. I expect an explanation," Remus demanded.

"Edward what is going on?" Harry asked him. The Gryffindors were all glancing around at each other nervously. Edward scowled angrily at everyone for a moment, but then let out a huge sigh. He sank back on the floor twisting a bit in his ropes.

"Please don't make me explain it in front of them," Edward said shouldering in the direction of Ron and Hermione. "This isn't anything to be taken lightly. Just please, go back to Dumbledore and ask him what is going on. He forced me to tell him in the hospital ward on Wednesday. He will give you the god awful truth on everything." Remus looked at him a little unseated about everything, but slowly nodded. He still didn't seem to fully trust him though. The three Gryffindors however were still rallied up and very distressed about not knowing what was going on.

"Would someone please tell us what is going on!" Ron begged them. "Why are you a wanted criminal," he said pointing to Edward, "Why aren't you one," he jabbed a finger at Black, "And what has this all got to do with Scabbers?" Lupin reached out a hand for the rat that Weasley was holding. Ron withdrew protectively of his pet. Remus glanced at Black who nodded his head after the unspoken conversation. He turned to Harry.

"Harry, I did not betray your parents. It was Pettigrew," Sirius stated. "They set me up as their secret keeper and I never told a soul, but I was scared. I convinced them that Peter was better for the job and we had him switched. That night he betrayed your parents and then tried to frame me for it. He screamed out to the entire world that was at fault and then torn up the entire square. He must have turned into a rat and escaped before everyone turned around and he cut off his own finger as evidence. Harry I still blame myself for making the switch in the first place but believe me I would never betray them." Edward, who was forgotten bound on the floor, looked between Harry and Sirius to see what was going to happen next. This was getting very interesting.

"I want to believe you, but I need proof," Harry told him. Sirius nodded and then walked over to the bed where Ron was still trying to protect his rat. He held out his hand for it but the boy still refused.

"Give me Peter," the two teachers commanded him.

"He's not Peter, he's Scabbers!" Ron retorted clenching even tighter to his squirming and struggling Rat. "He's just scared from that cat chasing him around all day! He probably got his toe bitten off by it or getting in a fight or something!"

"That cat was the one who helped me find Peter. He told me exactly where he was," Sirius said pointing to Crookshanks on the floor. "Peter is not just scared of the cat, he is scared of me."

"You… talk…. To ….. cats…." Edward stated flatly absolutely not believing what he was hearing. Sirius gave him an awkward glance but still kept his attention on the rat.

"Please give me Peter," Sirius beckoned.

"SCABBERS!" Ron shouted at him.

"Ron it will just be a harmless spell, if it really isn't him, it won't hurt," Remus reassured him, but the kid still struggled to pick a side.

"Give it to the cat whisperer," Edward growled from the floor. "The sooner we finish whatever is going on here, the sooner we can all leave." Ron let up a little and Remus took the opportunity to wrench the animal out of his hands. The poor thing was squirming and squealing and thrashing about as the defense teacher held it up by its tail for everyone to see. Both Remus and Sirius pointed their wands at the thing and a beam of light poured out of each. The rat froze in midair for a second as it started to transform. A head sprouted out of the Rat's body, then an arm, then a leg, and soon a full man was standing right before them where the rat was once held. Edward looked up a little disgustedly at the new occupant of the room. He was short sickly thin and had balding patches all over his head of grossly matted uncoloured hair. If he would have been in his proper healthy condition, Edward still would have thought of him as the most putrid looking man on the face of the earth. He felt that Peter deserved that position a hundred times more than Gluttony did on a bad day. Shivers were sent down his spine at the mere thought of it. Ron, Hermione, and Harry were completely speechless but by the looks on their faces it was obvious that they were thinking the same thing that he was. Peter's eyes kept darting about the room every few moments landing on the doorway.

"Peter," Remus's voice boomed. The creepy man flinched at the sound and turned around to look at his long lost friend. "Explain everything!"

"Remus! Please don't believe him! He wants to kill me," the man's voice shriveled and shaken. "P-Please! He must be under the Dark Lord's control! He tells lies! It was him, him, not me. I would never h-hurt Lily and James!" Black snarled at the man and took a threatening step forward, but Remus blocked him with an arm. Peter flinched a bit at the sudden brashness.

"I want to know why you would spend so many years as a rat if you were completely innocent," Remus said.

"I-It was because he wants to kill me! I hid so he couldn't come back and take revenge!" Peter begged him. Remus shook his head pitifully at the man. The rat's eyes still darted towards the door.

"He was in Azkaban you fool. Admit it Peter, your pleas aren't fooling anyone," Remus retorted. Even Harry shook his head in disgust. Peter looked around the room desperately as he sniveled and cried.

"I didn't mean to! It was the dark lord's control, the imperiatus curse! He forced me too! Please believe me!" he sank down on his knees and started to beg anyone who would listen for help. His hopes for affection however were futile. Everyone glared down at him in pure disgust as if his appearance wasn't enough. The man eventually crawled over to where Edward was tied up on the floor and started to claw at his clothes.

"Please sir," he whined. Crawling so close he could basically kiss him, Peter grabbed a hold of Edward's shirt. "Surely a young innocent muggle can believe my words to be true! So innocent so kind-"

"Get off me you vole!" Edward scolded the man and swung his bound legs up into the man's stomach. He toppled over to Harry's feet.

"Harry! Please! You believe me! Lily and James were my friends! I would have never-" Sirius ran over and grabbed Peter by the shirt collar and wrenched him off of Harry. He flung the squeamish man to the floor.

"That's it Remus all the proof we need. Let's kill him and get it over with. I want to commit the murder he framed me for!" Sirius whipped his wand out and jabbed it at Peter's nose. "This is exactly what you wanted Peter." Just as he was about to cast a spell, everyone in the room shouted at him.

"WAIT!" They all said together. Black paused and turned to look at everyone's panicked faces.

"Don't kill him!" Harry begged Sirius. Peter looked like the boy had the hands of god. "Please don't kill him." Sirius looked rather flustered and annoyed.

"Harry, he is the reason you have no parents, think of what he did. He deserves to-"

"No. No one deserves to die. As one person told me earlier in the school year, vengeance only leads to vengeance." Edward felt a little twinge go through him as the boy remembered the scolding he gave him after the trip to Hogsmede. "Sirius, I don't want you to be a murderer."

"Think about it," Ron said finally over his initial shock that his life time pet was actually a scrawny ugly old man, "He is living proof that you are innocent."

"Thank you all! You are all so kind and sweet children-" Peter started.

"We could just send him back to Azkaban instead," Edward commented with an evil smirk cutting off Peter's joyous celebration. The man blanched out at his statement and Remus and Black glared at his partake. Black lowered his wand and stepped away from the smelly rat. He patted Harry on the shoulders. Remus stepped forward and pointed his wand at Peter instead.

"Don't worry, I will only tie him up, nothing more," Remus assured them as the teenagers faces watched him skeptically.

"Make sure the ropes are nice and tight. I don't want him transforming out of them," Black added. Just as Remus was going to cast the spell, Peter bolted. He sprang towards the door and out of the caster's way. He almost made it out of the room until a mountain of floor boards came up and tackled him to the ground. The man was pinned there his squirming body jammed between the wall and the now rising floor. Hermione looked at Edward.

"What?" he said innocently. He held his tied hands over another dust transmutation circle. He wished that it would have worked on his own bindings but the circle was too fragile to attempt to move about. As Remus tied up Peter, Edward struggled around in his own ropes. Black and Harry hugged each other both relieved to be together and free while Hermione helped Ron up off the bed with his broken foot. They all looked about ready to leave, even Severus was somehow floating behind Black in a suspended unconsciousness.

"Hey!" Edward called out to them. Remus and Black turned to look at him lying on the floor. "Can someone please untie me now?"