Well it looks like people are as busy as I am these days because I didn't get very many reviews last chapter. I was going to wait for more, but this chapter just had to be written in full as soon as I started a bit of it. Also this is a super long chapter, but I just didn't feel a natural break in between two of the book chapters so I just wrote right on through it. So anyway, I don't have much else to say other than I love this chapter and I hope to get a lot of reviews on it because . . . this is where the plot thickens! Enjoy!
Black Returns and Lupin "Betrays"
Harmony felt her heart break a little. Buckbeak hadn't deserved what he got. He hadn't deserved to be chained up and then killed, just like that, without a second thought. In a way she was watching a version of her life in Buckbeak's story. She had been "chained up" in the same place for her entire life and then been brought back. That was the only difference, she'd been saved Buckbeak hadn't.
The four of them stood transfixed with horror at the top of the slope. The very last rays of the setting sun were casting a bloody light over the long-shadowed grounds. Then, they heard a wild howling.
"Hagrid," Harry muttered. He made to turn back, but Ron, Hermione, and Harmony seized him.
"We can't," said Ron, who was paper-white. "He'll be in worse trouble if they know we've been to see him . . ."
Hermione's breathing was shallow and uneven.
"How—could—they?" she choked. "How could they?"
Harmony stayed silent with tears gently trickling down her face. She wanted to curl up and cry for hours, but she wouldn't, she would be strong.
"Come on," she said, keeping her voice even.
They set off back toward the castle, pulling the Invisibility Cloak over them as they went. The light was fading fast now. By the time they reached close to the castle, darkness was settling like a spell around them.
"Scabbers, keep still," Ron hissed, clamping his hand over his chest. The rat was wriggling madly. Ron came to a sudden halt, trying to force Scabbers deeper into his pocket. "What's the matter with you, you stupid rat? Stay still—OUCH! He bit me!"
"Ron, be quiet!" Hermione whispered urgently. "Fudge'll be up here in a minute—"
"He won't—stay—put"
Scabbers was plainly terrified. He was writhing with all his might, trying to break free of Ron's grip.
"What's the matter with him?"
But Harmony had just seen—slinking toward them, his body low to the ground, wide yellow eyes glinting eerily in the darkness—Crookshanks. Whether he could see them or was following the sound of Scabbers's squeaks, Harmony couldn't tell.
"Crookshanks!" Hermione moaned. "No, go away, Crookshanks! Go away!"
But the cat was getting nearer—
"Scabbers—NO!"
Too late—the rat had slipped between Ron's clutching fingers, hit the ground, and scampered away. In one bound, Crookshanks sprang after him, and before Harmony, Harry, or Hermione could stop him, Ron had thrown the Invisibility Cloak off himself and pelted away into the darkness.
"Ron!" Hermione moaned.
Harmony, Harry, and Hermione looked at each other, then followed at a sprint; it was impossible to run full out under the cloak; they pulled it off and it streamed behind them like a banner as they hurtled after Ron; they could hear his feet thundering along ahead and his shouts at Crookshanks.
"Get away from him—get away—Scabbers, come here—"
There was a loud thud.
"Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat—"
Harry, Hermione, and Harmony almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.
"Ron—come on—back under the cloak—" Harmony said. "Dumbledore and the Minster—they'll be coming back out in a minute—"
But before they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws . . . Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow—an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.
Harmony reached for her wand, but too late—the dog had made an enormous leap and one the front paws hit her in the stomach, and the other hit Harry in the chest; they keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; she felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth—
But the force of its leap had carried it too far; it sort of rolled over them. Dazed, feeling as though her lower ribs were broken, Harmony tried to stand up; she could hear it growling as it skidded around for a new attack.
Ron was on his feet. As the dog sprang back toward them he pushed Harry and Harmony aside; the dog's jaws fastened instead around Ron's outstretched arm. Harmony and Harry lunged forward, they seized a handful of the brute's hair, but it was dragging Ron away as easily as though he were a rag doll—
Then out of nowhere, something hit Harmony so hard across the face she was knocked off her feet again. She heard something fall beside her and assumed it was Harry. Harmony heard Hermione shriek with pain and fall too.
Harmony reached for her wand, blinking blood out of her eyes—
"Lumos!" she whispered.
The wandlight showed her the trunk of a thick tree; they had chased Scabbers into the shadow of the Whomping Willow and its branches were creaking as though in a high wind, whipping backward and forward to stop them going nearer.
And there, at the base of the trunk, was the dog, dragging Ron backward into a large gap in the roots—Ron was fighting furiously, but his head and torso were slipping out of sight—
"Ron!" Harmony shouted hearing Harry's voice with her own. The twins tried to follow but a heavy branch whipped lethally through the air and they were forced backward again.
All they could see now was one of Ron's legs, which he had hooked around a root in an effort to stop the dog from pulling him father underground—but a horrible crack cut the air like a gunshot; Ron's leg had broken, and a moment later, his foot vanished from sight.
"We've got to go for help—" Hermione gasped; she was bleeding too; the Willow had cut her across the shoulder.
"No! That thing's big enough to eat him; we haven't got time—" Harry said.
"Harry—we're never going to get through without help—" Hermione replied.
Another branch whipped down at them, twigs clenched like knuckles.
"If that dog can get in, we can," Harmony said, darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but she couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree roots without being in range of the tree's blows.
"Oh, help, help," Hermione whispered frantically, dancing uncertainly on the spot, "please . . ."
Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and place his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.
Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. Not a leaf twitched or shock.
"Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. "How did he know—?"
"He's friends with that dog," said Harry grimly. "I've seen them together. Come on—and keep your wand out—"
They covered the distance to the trunk in seconds, but before they had reached the gap in the roots, Crookshanks had slid into it with a flick of his bottlebrush tail. Harmony went next; she crawled forward, headfirst, and slid down and earthy slope to the bottom of a very low tunnel. Crookshanks was a little way along, his eyes flashing in the light from Harmony's wand. Seconds later, Harry and Hermione were standing next to her.
"Where's Ron?" Hermione whispered in a terrified voice.
"This way," said Harry, setting off, bent-backed, after Crookshanks.
"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind Harmony.
"I don't know . . . It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it . . . It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade . . ." Harmony said.
They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double; ahead of them, Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as long as the one to Honeydukes . . . All Harmony could think about was Ron and what the enormous dog might be doing to him . . .
And then the tunnel began to rise; a moment later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Instead, Harmony could see a patch of dim light through a small opening in front of her brother.
Harry, her, and Hermione paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. All raised their wands to see what lay beyond.
It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.
Harry glanced at Hermione and her, they both nodded.
Harry pulled himself out of the hole, Harmony followed. The room was deserted, but the door to their right stood open, leading to a shadowy hallway. Hermione suddenly grabbed Harry's arm. Her wide eyes were traveling around the boarded windows.
"I think I know where we are." Harmony began, she knew Hermione had figured it out too. "I'm betting we're in the Shrieking Shack."
Harmony looked around even more. Her eyes fell on a wooden chair near them. Large chunks had been torn out of it; on of the legs had been ripped off entirely.
"Ghosts didn't do that," Harry said slowly.
At that moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. All of them looked up at the ceiling. Harmony felt a light shudder go down her back. Then she moved toward the hall.
Harry quickly cut in front of her then, quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust except the floor, where a wide shiny stripe had been made by something being dragged upstairs.
They reached the dark landing.
"Nox," they whispered together, and the lights at the end of their wands went out. Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod.
Wand held high before him, Harry kicked the door wide open. Harmony looked over Harry's shoulder to see inside.
On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at a strange angle, was Ron.
Harry, Harmony, and Hermione dashed across to him.
"Ron—are you okay?" Hermione asked.
"Where's the dog?" Harry said.
"Not a dog," Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Harry, Harmony, it's a trap—"
"What—" Harmony put it.
"He's the dog . . . he's an Animagus . . ."
Ron was staring over Harry and Harmony's shoulders. Both of them wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind them.
A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his shoulders. If eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretch so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.
"Expelliarmus!" he croaked, pointing Ron's wand at them.
Harry, Harmony, and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and Black caught them. Then he took a step closer. His eyes were fixed on the twins.
"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely. His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful . . . it will make everything much easier . . ."
The taunt about her father rang in Harmony's ears as though Black had bellowed it. A hate that she had kept bottled erupted in Harmony's chest, leaving no place for anything else. For the first time in her life, she had lost all control, she wanted her wand back, not to defend, but to kill. Without knowing what she was doing, she started forward with her brother by her side, but there was a sudden movement on either side of them and one pair of hand grabbed each of them and held them back . . . "No, Harry, Harmony!" Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper; Ron, however, spoke to Black.
"If you want to kill them, you'll have to kill us too!" he said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.
Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.
"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."
"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging to painfully to Harry to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all four of us!"
"They'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened.
"Why's that?" Harmony spat, trying to pull herself free of Hermione's death grip on her. "Why only one? Who will it be, me or Harry? Why not both? Why not all of us? Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew . . . What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"
"Harmony!" Hermione whimpered. "Be quiet!"
"HE KILLED OUR MUM AND DAD!" Both Harry and Harmony roared, and with a huge effort they broke free of Hermione and Ron's restraints and lunged forward—
Harmony had forgotten she was a witch—she had forgotten that she was a pixy sized thirteen year old, and her brother was not much bigger than her, whereas Black was a tall, full-grown man—all she knew was that she wanted to hurt Black as badly as she could and she didn't care how much she got hurt in return—
Perhaps it was the shock of Harry and Harmony doing something so stupid, but Black didn't raise the wands in time—one of Harry's hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of Harry's other hand collided with one side of Black's face while Harmony's collided with the other, and her other hand found it's way into Black's stomach. They all fell, backward, into the wall—
Hermione was screaming; Ron was yelling; there was a blinding flash as the wands in Black's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed both the twins faces by inches; Harmony kept hitting wherever she could. Black sudden dropped the wands.
Both of his hands found Harry or Harmony's throat—
"No," he hissed, "I've waited too long—"
The fingers tightened, Harmony and Harry choked.
Then Harmony saw Hermione's foot swing out of nowhere. Black let go of them with a grunt of pain and quickly grabbed the wands again; Ron threw himself on Black's wand hand and Harmony heard the faint clatter of wands hitting the ground again—
She fought free of the tangle of bodies with her brother and saw her own wand rolling across the floor; she threw herself toward it but—
"Argh!" Crookshanks had joined the fray; one set of front claws had buried themselves deep into Harmony's shoulder blade and the other set was in Harry's; Harry and Harmony threw the cat off, but Crookshanks now darted toward Harry and Harmony's wands—
"NO YOU DON'T!" Harry roared, and he aimed a kick at Crookshanks that made the cat leap aside, spitting; Harry and Harmony snatched up their wands and turned—
"Get out of the way!" Harmony shouted at Ron and Hermione.
They didn't need telling twice. Hermione, gasping for breath, her lip bleeding, scrambled aside, snatching up her and Ron's wands. Ron crawled to the four-poster and collapsed onto it, panting, his white face now tinged with green, both hands clutching his broken leg.
Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His think chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched the twins walking slowly nearer, their wands pointing straight at Black's heart.
"Going to kill me?" he whispered.
Harry and Harmony stopped right above him, their wands still pointing at Black's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding.
"You killed our parents," said Harmony, her voice shaking slightly, but her wand hand quite steady.
Black stared up at them out of those sunken eyes.
"I don't deny it," he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."
"The whole story?" Harry repeated. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all we need to know."
You've got to listen to me," Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't . . . You don't understand . . ."
"We understand a lot better than you think," said Harmony, feeling tears begin to leak involuntarily out of her eyes. "You never heard her, did you? You never saw her die. You never saw the green light hit her chest and the scream issue from her dying mouth. Our mum . . . trying to stop Voldemort killing us . . . and you did that . . . you did it . . ."
Before any of them could say another word, something ginger streaked past Harry and Harmony; Crookshanks leapt onto Black's chest and settled himself there, right over Black's heart. Black blinked and looked down at the cat.
"Get off," he murmured, trying to push Crookshanks off him.
But Crookshanks sank his claws into Black's robes and wouldn't shift. He turned his ugly, squashed face to Harry and Harmony and looked up at them with those great yellow eyes. To their right, Hermione gave a dry sob.
Harmony stared down at Black and Crookshanks, her grip tightening on the wand. So what if they had to kill the cat too? It was in league with Black . . . If it was prepared to die, trying to protect Black, that wasn't Harry's or her business . . . If Black wanted to save it, that only proved he cared more for Crookshanks than for their parents . . .
Harmony and Harry raised their wands. Now was the moment to do it. Now was the moment to avenge their mother and father. They were going to kill Black. They had to kill Black. This was their chance . . .
The seconds lengthened. And still Harry and Harmony stood there, wands poised, Black staring up at them, Crookshanks on his chest. Ron's ragged breathing came from near the bed; Hermione was quite silent.
And then came a new sound—
Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor—someone was moving downstairs.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE—SIRIUS BLACK—QUICK!"
Black made a startled movement that almost dislodged Crookshanks; Harmony gripped her wand convulsively—she knew she should do it now, while she and Harry had the chance—but the footsteps were thundering up the stairs and Harmony and Harry still hadn't done it.
The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harmony and Harry wheeled around as Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione cowering next to the door, to Harry and Harmony, standing there with their wands covering Black, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at the twins' feet.
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.
Harry and Harmony's wands flew once more out of their hands; so did the two Hermione was holding. Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at Black, who still had Crookshanks lying protectively across his chest.
Harmony stood there, feeling suddenly empty. She hadn't done it. Her nerve had failed her. Black was going to be handed back to the dementors.
Then Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice.
"Where is he, Sirius?"
Harmony looked up quickly at Lupin. She didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was her godfather talking about? She turned to look at Black again.
Black's face was quite expressionless. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Harmony glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered.
"But then . . . ," Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, " . . . why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless"—Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, "—unless he was the one . . . unless you switched . . . without telling me?"
Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.
"Uncle Remus," Harmony said. "what's going on—?"
But she never finished the question, because what she saw made something burn inside her and provoke deeper things. Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixedly at Black. Harmony's godfather walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black like a brother.
Harmony felt as though the bottom had dropped out of her stomach and her heart felt as though it had fallen to the floor and shattered into a thousand pieces.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" The words were out of Harmony's mouth before she could stop them.
Lupin let go of Black and turned to her. Harmony felt the fury coursing through her like fire. Her heart was beating wildly, her eyes were welling with tears.
"You—you—"
"Harmony—" Lupin began.
"—you and him!"
"Harmony, calm down—"
"I didn't tell anyone! Not even Harry!" Harmony shrieked, tears cascading down her cheeks. "I've been covering up for you—"
"Harmony, listen to me, please!" Lupin shouted. "I can explain—"
"I trusted you," she shouted at her godfather. "and all the time you've been his friend!"
"You're wrong," said Lupin. "I haven't been Sirius's friend, but I am now—Let me explain . . ."
"NO!" Harmony screamed, the next words came in a flood without Harmony giving it a single thought. "You must've helped Black get into the castle, you probably want us dead too, don't you? I didn't tell anyone what you were—I didn't tell anyone you were a werewolf!"
There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably clam, though rather pale.
"Not at all up to your usual standard, Harmony," he said. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and Harmony how could you think I wanted you dead? I took you away from the Tower after Sirius showed up there. I've been working to protect you since I saw you on the train. . . well that being left alone . . ." Lupin said seeing Harmony's unbelieving face. An odd shiver passed over Lupin's face. "I won't deny that I am a werewolf."
Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped,
"Get away from me, werewolf!"
Lupin stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Harmony and said, "How long have you known?"
"I had a suspicion at the boggart, but it all came together when Snape sent the essay."
"He'll be delighted," said Lupin coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant . . . Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon?"
"No, I just knew with the essay and the boggart. I didn't need it." Harmony said.
Lupin forced a laugh.
"You're one of the cleverest witches of your age, Harmony. Just like your mother."
"I'm not," Harmony whispered. "I should've told everyone what you were when I found out!"
"But they already know," said Lupin. "At least, the staff do."
"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"
"Some of the staff thought so," said Lupin. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy—"
Harmony couldn't talk, she felt too betrayed, luckily Harry took over for her.
"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!" He was pointing at Black who suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leapt up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.
"I have not been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look—"
He separated Harry's, Harmony's, Ron's, and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner; Harmony caught her's, stunned.
"There," said Lupin, sticking his own wand back into his belt. "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"
Harmony didn't know what to think. Was it a trick? She felt as if her whole world had turned upside down in one night.
"If you haven't been helping him," Harry said, with a furious glance at Black, "how did you know he was here?"
"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it—"
"You know how to work it?" Harmony asked suspiciously.
"Of course I know how to work it," said Lupin, waving his hand impatiently. "I helped write it. I'm Moony—that was my friends' nickname for me at school."
"You wrote—?" Harry began.
"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea you, my little goddaughter, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"
He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet.
"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry, Harmony—"
"How d'you know about the cloak?" Harry asked.
"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it . . . ," said Lupin, waving an impatient hand again. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."
"What?" said Harmony. "No, we weren't!"
"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Lupin, still pacing, and ignoring Harmony's interruption. I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"
"No one was with us!" said Harry.
"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black . . . I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow—"
"One of us!" Ron said angrily.
"No, Ron," said Lupin. "Two of you."
He had stopped his pacing, his eyes moving over Ron.
"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.
"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"
"Everything," said Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"
Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's leg and make a soft hissing noise.
Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.
"What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"
"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly.
"What d'you mean—of course he's a rat—"
"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."
"An Animagus," said Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."
It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Harmony was thinking.
"You're both mental."
"Ridiculous!" said Hermione.
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed to Black, whose face twitched convulsively.
"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me . . . not this time, though!"
And Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Black lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.
"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled launching himself forward and dragging Black away from Ron again, "WAIT! You can't do it just like that—they need to understand—we've got to explain—"
"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.
"They've—got—a—right—to—know—everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! And Harry and Harmony—you owe them the truth, Sirius!"
Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.
"All right, then," Black said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for . . ."
You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry, Hermione, and Harmony for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."
He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.
"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."
"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Ron swayed and overbalance, and Harry caught him and pushed him back down to the bed. Harry then, ignoring Black, turned to Lupin.
"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he said. "A whole street full of them . . ."
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "I believed it myself—until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies . . . Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."
Harmony's mind began racing. She didn't know what was right, but . . . there was no way a Ron's rat could be Pettigrew.
"Scabbers can't be Pettigrew . . . it can't be true, you know it can't . . ." Harmony said to her godfather, trying to make him see sense.
"Why can't it be true, Harmony?" Lupin said calmly, as though they were back in the Abode just chatting about a fantasy book or something.
"Because . . . because wouldn't people know if Pettigrew was an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework—the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things . . . and just for fun I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have only been seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew wasn't one of them."
Lupin started to laugh.
"You do too much, Harmony, but right again nonetheless!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."
"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."
"All right . . . but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin, "I only know how it began . . ."
Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All six of them started at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.
"No one there . . ."
"This place is haunted!" said Ron.
"It's not," said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted . . . The screams and howl the villagers used to hear were made by me."
He pushed his graying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment, then said, "That's where all of this starts—with by becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten . . . and if I hadn't have been so foolhardy . . ."
He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Harmony said, "Shh!" She was watching her godfather very intently.
"I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape had been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. AS long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform . . . I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again.
"Before the Wolfsbane Potions was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me.
"But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school . . ." Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry and Harmony. "I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house"—Lupin looked miserably around the room, —"the tunnel that leads to it—they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."
Harmony couldn't see where this story was going, but she was listening raptly all the same. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers's frightened squeaking.
"My transformations in those days were—were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor . . . Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it . . .
"But apart from my transformations. I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black . . . Peter Pettigrew . . . and, of course Harmony and Harry's father—James Potter."
"Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her . . . I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Harmony, worked out the truth . . .
"And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."
"Our dad too?" said Harry, astounded.
"Yes, indeed," said Lupin. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong—one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."
"But how did that help you?" said Hermione, sounding puzzled.
"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," said Lupin. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed . . . Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them.
"Hurry up, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.
"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there . . . well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found our more about the Hogwarts ground and Hogsmeade than we did . . . And that's how we cam to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs."
"What sort of animal—?" Harmony began, but Hermione cut her off.
"That was still really dangerous! Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the other the slip, and bitten somebody?"
"A thought that still haunts me," said Lupin heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless—carried away with out own cleverness."
"I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course . . . he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan out next month's adventure. And I haven't changed . . ."
Lupin's face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. "All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. Not even the safety of my goddaughter could bring me to bravery. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd lead others along with me . . . and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using the dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it . . . so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."
"Snape?" said Black harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers for the first time in minutes and looking up at Lupin. "What's Snape got to do with it?"
"He's here, Sirius," said Lupin heavily. "He's teaching here as well." He looked up at Harmony, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
"Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He had been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He had his reasons . . . you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me—"
Black made a derisive noise.
"It served him right," he sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to . . . hoping he could get us expelled . . ."
"Severus was very interested in where I went every month." Lupin told Harry, Ron, Harmony, and Hermione. "We were in the same year, you know, and we—er—didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field . . . anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be—er—amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it—if he'd gone as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf—but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life . . . Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew that I was . . ."
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harmony slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"
"That's right," sneered a cold voice form the wall behind Lupin.
Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.
