Chapter 28

Saturday 20 Nov 1993

James felt satiated as he walked out of Ackley's to where the carriages waited to take students back to the castle. His lunch lasted longer than he expected, but the food was even better than last time. No alcohol this time, but that wasn't that big a deal. He was just shy of the last turn to the carriages when the same scent he'd been following that morning hit his nose. He broke into a run but stumbled over his feet when he saw what had happened.

Through the lightly falling snow, he saw Sirius Black, in dog form, wearing a collar and leash held by Katie Bell. She was arguing with Flora, Sara and Hestia beside a carriage and it was starting to attract attention. James walked up cautiously. 'Where in the wide world of sports did they find him, and why is he going along with them?'

"Katie, it was fun playing around with Princess, but we can't take him back to the castle." Flora said. James furrowed his brow. 'PRINCESS!?'

"We probably aren't supposed to take him back to the castle, but we won't know that we can't until we try. I don't have a pet so why can't I have a dog?" Katie replied. Black, or was it Princess, barked his agreement and leaned his head against Katie's leg.

"No one has a dog, Katie. It is cats, owls, or toads." Hestia said, siding with her sister.

"Or rats, since the Weasleys have one." Sara pointed out. Black let out a little growl.

"What's wrong Princess? Do you not like rats?" Katie asked. Black gave a wuff of affirmation. Katie patted his head and addressed her friends. "Isn't that proof you don't have to abide by the rules, I probably just need a professor to approve it."

"No one has dogs, Katie. No one. If it could be done someone would've done it. Professor McGonagall probably just keeps the rat around as something to torment when she's in cat form." Flora said.

"You could try Hagrid, he has a dog." James said upon reaching the group. He gave Black a hard searching look. Black backed away from him and laid down, trying to cover his head with his paws. "Where'd you find this mutt?" He asked.

"Princess isn't a mutt." Katie scolded as she kneeled down to give him reassuring scratches. "And I found him at the edge of town near where you were ear-" Katie cut herself off to avoid revealing their short stint stalking him.

"I know you were following me. Though I am surprised you found him there." James squatting down in front of Black. "I was looking for him myself but wasn't having any luck. Who knew he was so close by? I wonder why he showed himself to you and not to me."

"Why? To all of that." Flora asked. The rest nodded along.

"Well, he helped save my life last month by getting help when I was attacked by Dementors. I wanted to repay him with a steak or something and maybe ask a few questions, but I couldn't find him." James said. The girls looked between James and Princess, who was trying to move behind Katie. "Now, I finally can." The girls were about to ask what he meant by asking a few questions when the oddest sounds came out of James' mouth.

"[Hello Black.]" James barked, ignoring the gasps of surprise. "[This is your one chance. Did you betray my parents?]"

Black peeked out from behind his paws to look at James, his ears back and eyes wide. "[Harry? Harry right? You are little Harry. Prongs' son. You smell like him, but you don't.]"

"[Yes, I am.]" James replied cautiously. Black pushed up into a sitting position

"[No. Yes. It was my fault, but I didn't sell them out.]" Black said. James filed that answer away for further questions. Black blamed himself but wasn't the traitor? They came here because there was the smallest change Black wasn't the traitor. If he was, Black would've been turned in for the Kiss, but if he wasn't? James didn't know what they would do besides not turn him over. Of course, would Black actually admit he was a traitor? James couldn't tell from the scent if he was lying or not.

"[Did you try to save me from the Dementors and go get Abenforth when they didn't try to chase you?]" James asked. It had been his first interaction, and the first proof Black didn't mean him harm. It was why he had been looking for him today.

"[Yes. Yes. Yes.]" Black wuff repeatedly.

"[Okay, final question. Why did you run from us last full moon?]" James asked. Black whined and laid back down.

"[I ran from werewolves. Werewolves. You are Harry! Not Wolf!]" Black whined. James held out a hand in front of Black's nose and sniffed.

"[You smell like Remus.]" Black barked softly, understanding growing in his eyes.

"[You'll be talking to him soon. So you really didn't know it was us, even when I told you to stay.]" James asked. Black shook his head and stood up. James stood with him and kept a hand on Black's shoulder.

'I guess I will believe him for now.' James thought.

Xxx

Katie was surprised when James started barking. She had to wonder just what he thought he was doing. It wasn't like the dog would actually understand him. Then, Princess started barking back. As they conversed, it quickly became clear James wasn't just playing at it. He was actually talking to Princess.

"Is he… He is isn't he." She said softly.

"If you mean James Lupin is speaking like a canine to a canine then yes, I think he is." Flora said.

"Which raises the question of how? Have you ever heard of anything like this?" Sara asked.

"Only Parseltongue. What do you think they are talking about?" Hestia said.

"I don't know." Katie said taking a step away from James and Princess since they seemed to be ignoring her. They began theorizing amongst themselves until the barking stopped.

"Um, James you want to explain what just happened?" Katie said, tugging a bit on Princess leash until he moved to her side.

"I asked my questions. Princess answered." James said, trying to put off the coming conversation.

"I think she was asking about the fact you did it in Dog-ongue, Caninespeake, whatever you call it. That thing you were just doing." Sara said. The other voicing their agreement.

"She has a point, James. None of us have ever heard of someone talking to dogs for real." Katie said.

"Oh, I don't really know. It is something I have always been able to do. It's not like animal-languages are unheard of. There's that snake-speak, Paracel something or other. I've heard of people that can tweet with birds, and who knows what is out there in some of the less developed parts of the world that don't play nice with the ICW, or Non-maj governments for that matter." James said.

"Can Professor Lupin or Missus Lupin do it? Most of the time those kinds of abilities are part of a bloodline." Flora said.

"No, but someone has to be the first right? Maybe I'm just lucky? So, are you all ready to head back? I think I can talk my dad into taking care of Princess for you. That way it's a professor's pet which we know is okay and you don't have to convince Professor McGonagall to let you keep a dog of all things." James said. Princess gave Katie a pleading whine.

"Fine." Katie said before turning to Princess. "But you better remember you're mine, not the weird boy's. Got it?" Princess leaned in and rubbed his head against her leg. James gave him a dark look but said nothing.

XxX

Decision made, the girls, James, and Princess loaded into a carriage. It was a tight fit, but they made it work. Flora and Katie took one side with Princess between them and stuck James in between Sara and Hestia. The whole ride back was very awkward for James. Sara kept sneaking glances at him, glares at Hestia, and quickly looking outside the carriage any time James glanced her way. Hestia, on the other hand, was staring at him intently, but not speaking.

Across from them, Katie spent her time informing 'Princess', and consequently the rest of the carriage, of what his new life would be like.

They approached the Dementor guarded gates and a cold chill seeped in despite the silvery Patroni of the Auror stationed there. Black whimpered and curled up as best he could in the seat. James smelled the growing fear coming off everyone in the carriage and made no attempt to lie to himself about the cause when he shivered as they passed the Dementors themselves.

For the briefest instant, James thought he heard screaming, but then they were passed the gates and the aura quickly faded away. It was then he noticed his arms had been claimed. On either side of him Hestia and Sara where gripping his arms tightly. Looking across the carriage he saw Katie and Flora leaning tightly against Black.

'Why was it so much worse coming in than going out?' James wondered as the girls began to recover. Sara was first, blushing as she realized what she was doing. She released him and scooted as far to the side as possible, pushing him into Hestia.

"Sorry." She squeaked, looking away from him.

"It's fine." James grumbled, suggesting it really wasn't

"Dementors suck, why don't they affect you so badly." Sara muttered.

"True, and I must just be lucky. Here, this should help a bit, but if anyone has some chocolate I would recommend a nibble of that." James said casting his Patronus. It sprang into existence, still a shield. Rather than a shimmering oval of silver though it was a detailed scutum, the image of a growling badger taking center stage surrounded by Roman iconography. In truth, James wasn't sure why he didn't break down like most people. His best guess was it had something to do with being a werewolf, the curse in some way was shielding his mind from the effects of the demons.

The girls relaxed in the glow of the shield and Black perked up a bit.

"How is it you can get it to look like that, but can't get it corporeal?" Katie asked, taking a bite out of a struggling chocolate frog.

"When I figure that out, I might let you know. Maybe it has to do with the kind of shield I picture when I cast it. I think Roman so I get Roman." James replied with a shrug, before stopping her from passing the remains of the now limp frog to Black.

"What are you doing?"

"Giving Princess some chocolate since the Dementors affected him too." Katie said.

"Are you trying to kill him?"

"[Hey!]"

"NO!"

"Then don't give a dog chocolate. [And don't argue that, I don't know how transforming affects you, but I'm not going to risk it until you aren't my problem.]" James said, switching from Katie to Black.

"Still weird, but probably right, Katie." Hestia said. Katie frowned but nibbled at the rest of the chocolate frog.

It was about then James' power of observation struck. He noticed Hestia and Flora looked almost the exact same, even though their scents were pretty different, at least more so than the Weasley twins or even the Patil twins. 'Damn there are a lot of twins here, but if they are twins…'

"Are you two twins?" James asked Hestia, pointing between the two. "You look like it but you are in my potions class with third years right?"

Whatever she was going to say was cut off when the carriage rolled to a stop and the door flew open. Remus was there, his wand drawn and a hard look on his face. His eye rolled over the compartment before landing on the dog trying to hide behind Flora. He glared at the dog.

"Why is there a dog in this carriage?" Remus asked, his voice warbling towards a growl.

The girls were surprised by the anger in their normally mild mannered Defense Professor. James though could smell the anger, fear, and concern on his dad and was already prepared.

"Hey Dad, this is Princess! Katie found him in town today. He's the dog me and Susan saw on the way back to the castle in October, and also the one that brought Abe to save us. I know students aren't supposed to have dogs. Well, they," James pointed at Sara, Hestia, and Flora, "said students aren't supposed to have dogs, but I figured we could watch him 'til this summer then let Katie take him home." James said. 'Now please see what I am offering here and just take Black in.'

Remus looked between James, Black and Katie slowly processing what James told him. "Ah." He said lowering his wand and stepping back.

"I see. So you want us to watch... Princess was it? Princess here for Miss Bell." Remus said a grin starting to form at the edges of his lips. "Miss Bell, I think we can do that for you, but please come by my office tomorrow afternoon so we can discuss room and board for Princess, and just how he got such a name."

"Uh, sure Professor." Katie said, blinking as she tried to wrap her head around the sudden about-face.

"Excellent, well off you lot go. I'll go ahead and take Princess and my son off your hands." Remus said stepping away from the entrance.

The girls shared a confused look, but exited the carriage. Katie passed the leash off to Remus, letting him know it was a transfiguration. They continued to walk away and Remus turned to James and Black still in the carriage.

"James, you gave me a hell of a heart attack when you came back onto the school grounds with, Princess. Let alone with four others." Remus said softly, using Black's new name. Black perked up when Remus said that. Not his name, the part before that.

"Sorry 'bout that Dad, but I'm glad you were watching the map, makes this a lot quicker, so is there somewhere we can go and talk. I think Princess here has some important things to share." James said.

"[Yes, also Map? As in the Marauders Map? You have that? You found it? Have you seen him? Have you seen him!]" Black barked and growled getting in Remus' and James' faces. Remus gave him a calculating gaze and pushed him until his paws were in the carriage rather than on his shoulders.

"What makes you say that?" Remus asked, doing his best to ignore Black.

"I asked him before I proposed bringing him here."

"[You must have seen him!]"

"In town, around others? I thought you didn't want everyone to know about that." Remus said, before grabbing Black by the collar and forcing him to sit. "What is he saying?"

"Nothing we can't ask about once we get to a secure place inside. And I never said I didn't want people to know about talking to dogs, it just isn't something I expected to come up, so if people ask about it…" James trailed off with a shrug. Black finally quieted down as they left the carriage behind and headed into the castle.

"Fine, let's go to my office then." Remus said, taking the lead and leash. James nodded, falling in alongside Remus. The Defense office was perfect. No portraits, high enough you can't see it from the grounds, and, most importantly, no Morgan, Veronica or students that could get hurt if things went wrong.

They hurried through the castle, walking with purpose. The way was clear to the Defense office and James breathed a little sigh of relief once they were inside. Bookcases lined the walls, filled with leftover books, journals of past professors, and various preserved animals house-elves had brought out of a nebulous storage when Remus mentioned he would have liked some. In one corner, a grindylow lurked in a murky tank.

Remus sealed the door behind them, releasing Black's leash as he did. James leaned against the desk while Black sat in the center of the room, scratching behind his ears with one paw.

"Huh, you never use to be able to do that." Remus remarked as he turned around.

"[A decade spending most of your time as a dog gives you plenty of practice.]" Black replied. Remus gave James a questioning look.

"He has been spending most of his time as a dog for the past decade, or so he say." James translated.

Remus nodded and approached Black. He knelt down running a hand along the collar. "Hmm no latch, guess I am just going to have to reverse it." He said, a wave of his wand later and the leash and collar changed back into a red scarf. He passed it to James. "Just put that on my desk, I'll give it back to her tomorrow. Now then, Sirius I think it is time you explained everything. James is vouching for you right now, but this will be your one chance." Remus said stepping back, but keeping his wand handy.

Black stopped scratching. Then there was a man in tattered dirty prison clothes standing before them. One moment he was a dog, the next a man.

'Damn, that looks so much easier than mine.' James thought as Black shook himself off. This was James' first look at him in the light. The clothes were ragged and hung off his frame. His arms where thin, dirty, and shook a bit as he swayed on his feet. His eyes and cheeks were shrunken, giving him a haunted appearance under his wild mess of hair.

Black shook off the change. "I didn't betray the Potters, but my decision cost them their lives. I was never the Secret Keeper, but it was my fault they died. I told them to trust the rat, but now I can set it right. The rat is here Mooney, the rat is in the castle. He's the one that sold them out. Then he had the gall to blame me when I caught him. The rat blew up the street and ran away into the sewers. He went into hiding, disappeared from the world, but I've found him Moony. Wormtail is here in this very castle. I have to find Peter, you understand right? I have to." Black said, turning between James and Remus.

James wasn't sure what to think, if what Black was saying was true then Peter, the man he was supposed to have killed was actually the traitor who led to his birth parents death. James hadn't expected that, but Black certainly believed it.

James glanced at Remus. He smelt and saw the gamut of emotions running through him before they settled close to rage.

"First things first, release me from my vow." Remus said.

"That's right, that's right. We never released you because you were with the packs. We thought you were the spy." Black gave a strangled cry. "We were so wrong. I'm sorry for ever doubting you. I should never have doubted you. Maybe then they'd have survived. My fault all my fault." Black muttered, collapsing to his knees.

"The vow Sirius. Release me from the vow." Remus ordered. James saw Remus' eyes turning amber and debated drawing his wand, just in case.

"I release you from your vow." Black said. There was a flash of light from both their right hands.

"Good, now keep talking." Remus said through clenched teeth. "You claimed to be the Secret Keeper before they died. Until recently, I never questioned it. It wasn't until McGonagall came to recruit me to hunt you down I even thought how odd it was you announced your position so carelessly."

Black chuckled darkly. "It was my plan, my wonderful terrible failure of a plan, Moony. Everyone would expect me to be the Secret Keeper if they went into hiding, who better to trust than the man as close as a brother. I could be the target and I said let them come."

"At the same time, actually being the Secret Keeper would be beyond foolish. I may be a fool, but even I am not that stupid. They made Peter the Secret Keeper instead. He was unassuming, almost never on the frontlines, and could easily escape by turning into a rat. He could have hid out the whole war that way. If only we had known." Black sobbed, hanging his head tears pooling in the edges of his eyes.

Remus and James shared a quick silent conversation. Black seemed to be telling the truth. The whole impetus for their journey to Britain had proven true. The question before them was: did they aid Black in his quest, try to get him a trial, or get him to leave the country?

"Sirius," Remus started. He began to reach out, but stopped her Black locked eyes with him. "Sirius, why did you escape, how, and why did you come to Hogwarts?"

"I told you, Peter is here Moony! He's in this castle, posing as a pet. I saw him though. I recognized him when Fudge stopped by my cell as he does every year. Ministerial duty and what not. I had to keep track of that day, couldn't let them see Padfoot. Fudge had the Prophet with him and I saw Peter there, posing in a picture with Arthur and his family. I asked for the article and Fudge gave it to me. Peter's the Weasley pet Moony; he goes by Scabber now. A rat missing a finger Moony. The same finger they say proves I killed him." Black ranted. His eyes were wide open, locked on Remus. When he finally stopped talking he had a crazed desperate look in them.

"Sirius, even if what you say is true-"

"It is! It is! You have the map right. He'll be on there I'm sure of it. Please Moony, you have to believe me. Please?" Black pleaded, then turned to James. "You believe me don't you Harry? You believe me right?"

James flinched at the intensity of Black's gaze. He pushed himself away from Remus' desk, standing straight. Black continued to beg James to believe him, slowly curling in on himself.

"Dad, he doesn't smell like he is lying. Have you seen Pettigrew on that map? For that matter did you have any luck copying it." James asked not taking his eyes off Black.

"No, on all accounts. Which is a problem." Remus said slowly. Black turned to face Remus, begging on his knees.

"Please believe me Moony. He is here! The rat is here!" Black mumbled, tears falling freely from his eyes. "Please. If you don't believe me then let me go. I won't hurt anyone but the rat I promise, just let me go. I'll get him then I'll disappear."

Remus grimaced as he watched Black fall apart. Thinking quickly Remus stunned him. Black's eyes went wide in surprise before the spell hit him and he slumped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. James looked at him confused.

"What was that for?" James asked.

"He was getting to be a bit much, and he might be right. James if Peter was the traitor and alive all this time…" Remus dropped into his chair and spread the map out, covering his desk, as he tried to think of what to say. "I, I don't know what to think. I haven't seen him on the map. To be fair, I haven't been looking at most of it, just the edges in case Black came back."

"Hence why you were so quick to greet us." James said.

"Did you just use 'Hence' in a sentence?" Remus asked, a wisp smile coming to his lips.

"So, I take it we are going to look for him now?" James asked, ignoring the question and looking at the blank map instead.

"Indeed." Remus said, placing his wand on the center of the map. He was about to say something when he stopped and pulled his wand back.

"Actually, I think you should do it this time. Place you wand on the map." Remus said. James whipped his wand out and placed it on the map.

"Okay now what?"

"Tell it that you solemnly swear you are up to no good." Remus told him.

"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." James said. His eyes went wide as ink started to fill the parchment. "Wow."

"Messrs Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and Wormtail. Now that the damn vow is gone I can finally tell you the full story." Remus said read from the title..

"Hey Dad, if you all were under that vow right? How was Black able to call Peter a rat?" James asked recalling the way Black kept calling Peter a rat.

"That is a good question for when he wakes up. It almost sounded like they, James, Sirius, and Peter lifted the vow during the war, but left it on me. I'll be asking more about that when he wakes up." Remus said, frowning.

XxX

As Remus and James walked to the Defense office to begin their conversation with Black, the girls split up and went their separate ways. Flora and Hestia headed towards the dungeons whispering to each other once they put some distance between themselves and the Gryffindor pair. Katie and Sara bid them goodbye and started for the Gryffindor Tower.

"Well that was weird." Sara said after they had walked in silence before stopping near a window and just looking out at the grounds. Katie went on for a few more steps before backtracking and joining Sara.

"Which part?"

"All of it?" Sara said shaking her head. "But mostly running into James, pretty much everything about him I guess. Flora was right you know. I do kinda have a crush on him."

"So you said. I don't really see why though." Katie asked, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

"Is it so hard to believe? He joins us this year and makes a massive mark in our class. He's capable, skilled, different, and most of all male." Sara said, her voice dropping a few octaves.

"I'll give you that he is a nice break from blokes like Terrence and Cormac. I'm not sure I agree about making a massive mark though."

"Then we spend all our time around him lately, he is a bit polite, and, as I am sure you've noticed, puberty is hitting him like a freight train."

Katie saddled up next to Sara and gave her a little hip bump. "Okay, so you have a crush on him. You asked him out and he turned you down. That might make running into him awkward, uncomfortable, or exciting but weird?"

"He was looking for something, but just gave up and walked away. Okay whatever, but then you find the same dog he was apparently looking for? A dog he can apparently talk to? You can't tell me that isn't a little weird." Sara challenged Katie.

Katie pressed her lips together as she thought it over. "I'll give you that it is an unlikely coincidence."

Sara snorted and nodded. "True. I wonder what Princess thinks of his name though. Are you going to ask James to find out his actual name or just keep calling him Princess?" Sara asked as she turned away from the window and started walking off once again. Katie fell in behind her and thought about the question.

"I guess it will depend on if he is a good boy or not." Katie finally said. The pair giggled and continued on to the Gryffindor Common room.

XxX

"He's not here." James said, groaning as he stretched with his arms over his head. His back was aching from hours spent leaning over the map, carefully looking over every bit of it for a Peter Pettigrew. Remus joined James in stretching a moment later.

"I think you're right." He said. Remus cast a time charm as he finished his stretch. "And it is almost dinner time. You're planning to eat with the family tonight?"

"Of course. So, what do we do with him now?" James asked, looking at the unconscious body of Sirius Black. He was still out on the floor. "Shouldn't he have woken up by now?"

Remus looked over at Black. He frowned as he thought it over. "What do you think James." He asked after a few minutes of silence. James thought it over.

"His scent the entire time he was talking held none of the usually markers of lying. He was telling the truth, as best I can tell, yet when we checked we couldn't find the name that he is certain is there." James said trying to organize his thoughts and get input. "So does that mean he is lying somehow, the map is wrong, or something else?"

"It may be possible for him to believe Peter Pettigrew is here and was the traitor. That might be the truth in Sirius Black land. Remember, he spent over a decade around Dementors. It is possible he is insane." Remus said then waited for James to think it over.

"What about the map being wrong?"

"Unlikely, but the map can only show the parts of Hogwarts we mapped out. If, like he says, Peter is alive and living in Hogwarts as a rat it is possible he is somewhere not on the map. If he is the traitor, he is aware Black is free, and suspects Black is going to try to kill him, he may be hiding in unmapped parts of the school he found over the years, like the plumbing, because Peter knows Blacks won't find him there." Remus postulated.

"What about fleeing Hogwarts or turning back into a human and running away?"

"Maybe, but risky. He is a rat right now and has been living as a pet. It is possible he is either somehow stuck as a rat or choosing to remain as a rat instead of building a new life. Knowing Peter the former seems more likely. If that is the case, running away is incredibly risky. Snakes, owl, cats, traps, or any number of other threats could kill him. There is no reason to leave the castle unless Black gets in again and gets close." Remus said.

Silence returned as James thought it over. Everything Remus said made sense; it would fit with Black's story, and explained why Peter didn't appear on the map. What to do though? Why was Remus leaving it up to him anyway?

"What do you think? It will ultimately be up to you and your mom as the leaders of our pack." Remus said.

'Oh, okay that makes sense.' James thought. The ball was in his court, because he had challenged Remus for that position and won. This decision would affect his family, his pack. If they chose to believe Black they would have to remain here to find Peter or convince him to leave and somehow prevent his arrest and return to Magical Britain. There was of course the option to turn him in, claim the reward and never return after they left for Christmas. That was an option, but it didn't sit right with James. Black played a hand in saving his life, and had done nothing directly to harm him.

"I think that we believe him for now. We spend the next few weeks with him here in the castle keeping an eye out for Peter Pettigrew on the map. He stays as a dog, and we keep up the ruse that Katie adopted him if she actually wants him. We keep the map open and running, Black can watch it during at night and while you teach, I can watch it on weekends, and you can give it the occasional glance between classes and while working in your office so Black can break to sleep and eat." James said laying out his decision.

"And if we do see Peter's name?" Remus asked

"We track it and see where it goes. If it disappears we keep track of where that happened and if we see it appear we do likewise. If we figure out where he goes and when he goes there, we can set a trap, catch him, and interrogate him then."

"Okay. Sounds like a plan then James. Make any further decisions when it is time to leave for Christmas?" Remus asked.

"Yeah. Let's wake him up and tell him what is going to happen?" James asked pointing at Sirius.

"You know, I think I have just the thing for this." Remus said a mischievous smirk working its way onto his face.


AN: Black is in the Castle, but will he and the Lupins find Peter before Christmas or will he remain well hidden?

Chapter 21-27 have been slightly updated after a friend reviewed them. Expect similar to happen to the early chapters in the future.

That is all

-Pentel Out

Updated 6 Jan 2019