Greetings, Wizard and Witches from across the globe and welcome to the next chapter of The Potter And Kent Chronicles: Cruel Angel Thesis.

This chapter was suppose to be part of the previous one, but I thought it might have been too long. Anyways I hope your going to enjoy it as much as I had been writing it and now on to the review.

girani4: He's yes your welcome. And thank you.

Now it's story time.


"Expelliarmus!", Black croaked, pointing his wand at them.

Harry's, Claire's, Alex's, Neville's 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 Harry.

"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."

He then turned his gaze to Claire, who felt a boiling hate erupted in her chest, leaving no place for fear. "I always wondered what kind of person you would grow up into... Your just like your mother.", Black said, "Brave of you not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful... it will make everything much easier..."

"Don't you dare speak of my mother!", Claire shouted, without knowing what she was doing, she started forward, but there was a sudden movement on either side of her and two pairs of hands grabbed her and held her back.

"No, Claire!", Hermione gasped in a petrified whisper.

Ron, however, spoke to Black, "If you want to kill Harry, 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 painfully to Neville to stay upright.

"Yeah, you'll have to kill all six of us!", Alex added.

"There'll be only one murder here tonight.", Black said, and his grin widened.

"What's the matter? Gone soft in Azkaban?", Claire shouted, "You didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew!"

With a huge effort she broke free of Harry's and Alex's restraint and lunged forward.

She had forgotten about magic. She didn't care she was short, thing and thirteen, whereas Black was a tall, full-grown man. All Claire knew was that she wanted to hurt Black as badly as she could.

Perhaps it was the shock of Claire doing something so stupid, but Black didn't raise the wands in time. One of Claire's hands fastened over his wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; the knuckles of Claire's other hand collided with the side of Black's head and they fell, backward, into the wall.

There was a blinding flash as the wands in Black's hand sent a jet of sparks into the air that missed Claire's face by inches. Claire felt the shrunken arm under her fingers twisting madly, but she clung on, her other hand punching every part of Black it could find.

But Black's free hand had found Claire's throat, "No.", he hissed, "I've waited too long..."

Then she saw Alex's foot swing out of nowhere. Black let go of Claire with a grunt of pain; Harry had thrown himself on Black's wand hand and Claire heard a faint clatter.

Crookshanks had joined the fray; both sets of front claws had sunk themselves deep into Harry's arm when he reached for his wand. Harry threw him off, but Crookshanks now darted toward Harry's wand.

"Don't think so!", Alex said, and he aimed a kick at Crookshanks that made the cat leap aside, spitting but allowing Harry snatched up his wand.

"Get out of the way!", Harry shouted.

They scrambled aside, snatching up their wands. Black was sprawled at the bottom of the wall. His thin chest rose and fell rapidly as he watched Harry walking slowly nearer, his wand pointing straight at Black's heart.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" he whispered.

Harry stopped right above him, his wand 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.

"I would certainly like to.", Harry said, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady, "You killed my parents."

Black stared up at him out of those sunken eyes, "I don't deny it. I am to blame for their deaths.", he said very quietly, "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?", Claire repeated, a furious pounding in her ears, "You sold them to Voldemort! What's more to it!?"

"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..."

"I understand a lot better than you think.", Harry said, and his voice shook more than ever, "You never heard her, did you? My mum... trying to stop Voldemort killing me... and you did that... you did it..."

Before either of them could say another word, something ginger streaked past Harry; Crookshanks lept 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 looked up at him with those great yellow eyes. To his right, Hermione gave a dry sob.

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!"

The footsteps were thundering up the stairs. The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harry wheeled around as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his wand raised and ready.

His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, clouching on Alex, to Neville cowering at the door. To Harry and Claire, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.

"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted.

Their wands flew once more out of their hands. Lupin caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at Black, who still had Crookshanks lying Protectively across his chest.

Then Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice. "Where is he, Sirius?"

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.

"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.

"What's going on?...", Claire said.

Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor 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.

"Traitor!", Alex roared.

"Alex, listen to me, please.", Lupin said, "I can explain..."

"Why would I!?", Alex said, "You seemed like a good teacher, we trusted you and all the time you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong.", Lupin said, "I haven't been Sirius's friend for a long time, but I am now... Let me explain..."

"Why should I trust a werewolf?", Alex said. There was a ringing silence. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

An odd shiver passed over his face, "How long have you known?", he muttered.

"I have know for a while now.", Alex said, "I might not act like it, but I am pretty smart. I am also good at reading people. The first hint I got was when the boggart changed into a moon. It was when I was copying Claire's Astronomy homework that I noticed you were always ill around the full moon."

Lupin forced a laugh, "You certainly have taken after your mother.", he said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.

Black suddenly crossed to the four-poster bed and sank onto it, his face hidden in one shaking hand. Crookshanks leap up beside him and stepped onto his lap, purring. Ron edged away from both of them, dragging his leg.

"I might be a werewolf but I have not been helping Sirius.", Lupin said, "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain."

He separated Harry's, Claire's, Alex's, Ron's, Neville's and Hermione's wands and threw each back to its owner.

"There.", Lupin said, sticking his own wand back into his belt, "You're armed, we're not. Now will you listen?"

"If you haven't been helping him.", Harry said, with a furious glance at Black, "How did you know he was here?"

"The Marauder's Map.", Lupin said, "I saw it on Charles desk when I came to visit him, and I couldn't resit to look."

"You know how it works?", Claire said suspiciously.

"Of course I know how to work it.", Lupin said, waving his hand impatiently, "I helped write it. I'm Moony, that was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"Because of the werewolf thing?", Alex said, "That's pretty dumb."

"It's not that bad.", Lupin mumbled, he had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet, "I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. But when you six left Hagrid, you were accompanied by somebody else."

"Say what now.", Harry said.

"I couldn't believe my eyes.", Lupin said, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption, "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you? 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."

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?", Ron said, "What's Scabbers got to do with it? What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"Everything!", Sirius Black croaked suddenly, "But that's not a rat! He's a wizard! An Animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew!"

It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what the other five was thinking.

"You're both mental."

"Ridiculous!", Neville said faintly.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!", Harry said, "He killed him twelve years ago!", he pointed at 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 forwards 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!", Black snarled, trying to throw Lupin off, "I have done my waiting! Twelve years! In Azkaban!"

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.

"Think of Claire! Your daughter! She has a right to know!", Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black, "You owe her and Harry the truth."

Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, ad 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..."

"How can Pettigrew be alive. There were witnesses who saw him die.", Claire said, "A whole street full of them..."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!", Black said savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter.", Lupin said, 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, Claire."

Then Neville spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly. "But Professor Lupin... Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..."

"Why can't it be true?", Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Neville had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with grindylows.

"Because... because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall.", Neville said, "And I looked them up when Alex helped me with 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 there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."

When Lupin started to laugh, "But the Ministry never knew that here used to be seven unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts.", he said, "One still does."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus.", Black said, who was still watching Scabbers every desperate move.

"All right... but you'll need to help me, Sirius.", Lupin said, "I only know how it began... It all started with my becoming a werewolf, bone of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitter... and if I hadn't been so foolhardy..."

He looked sober and tired. "I as a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The Wolfsbane Potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. Before it's discovery, 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. The reason the Whomping Willow was planted was to guard the tunnel that leads to this house."

"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. My transformations in those days were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf."

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, seven great friends. Now, my 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. Of course, one of them did."

"And when the truth came out among our little club, 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."

"I don't know how long it would have taken if it hadn't been for him, but within a year, he thought us how to do it. They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals. They sneaked out of the castle every month. 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.", Black snarled, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.

"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. On his advice, we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames."

"And who was tis mysterious adviser?", Claire asked.

But it was then that the door burst open, striding into the room was Professor Snape, wand held out in front of him, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest.

Snape was slightly breathless, "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?", he said, his eyes glittering, "I've just been to your office, Remus. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet full along. I didn't find you in your office so I went to Charles, figuring you where there. And very lucky I did... Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus...", Lupin began, "It's not what you think... You haven't heard everything... I can explain, Sirius is not here to kill Harry..."

But Snape overrode him, "Where is he?", he said, looking at Black.

One glance at Ron, it seems Snape understood. "Weasley. Give me that rat.", Snape said.

"What? I don't under...", Ron began.

"You could write entire volumes of things you don't understand!", Snape bellowed, "Give me that stupid rat! That traitor needs to die for what he has done!" A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was pointed at Black's face.

There was a mad glint in Snape's eyes that they had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason. "It seems you children still have doubts!? Then it's time we offered you some proof!"

He was about to approach Ron, but Lupin and Black stepped between attempting to calm the almost foaming Professor.

Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest, "Come off it.", he said weakly, "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean, sure there are millions of rats. How's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"That's a fair point.", Lupin said, as Snape seemed to regain a bit of comporuse.

Black put one of his claw-like hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others.

It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.

"How did you get this?" Snape asked Black, thunderstruck.

"Fudge. When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper.". Black said, "And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder... I knew him at once... how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts... to where Harry and Claire would be..."

"My God.", Lupin said softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again, "His front paw..."

"What about it?", Ron said defiantly.

"He's got a toe missing.", Claire mumbled, "...All they found was a finger..."

"Simple but brilliant...", Snape said, "He cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed.", Black said, "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself, and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something!", Ron said, "He's been in my family for ages, right..."

"Ron, most normal rat's don't live that for twelve years.", Alex said, "No matter how good care you take of them."

Black reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "This cat recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me... Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me."

"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't... so he made sure to pass along all the passwords into Gryffindor Tower to me. But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it.", Black croaked, "This cat, Crookshanks, did you call him? Told me Peter had left blood on the sheets... I supposed he bit himself... Well, faking his own death had worked once."

"Are you saying that it was Pettigew who betrayed Harry's parents, and Black tracked him down?", Alex asked.

"Are we suppose to believe that!? He was their secret-keeper!", Claire yelled, she was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over bright.

"Claire... I as good as killed them.", he croaked, "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me. I'm to blame, I know it. The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your Harry's house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies... I realized what Peter must've done... what I'd done..."

His voice broke. He turned away.

"Enough of this.", Snape said, "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Weasley, give me that rat."

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Lupin tensely.

"Force him to show himself.", Snape said, "We will only hurt him if he isn't a real rat."

Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Snape took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.

"Remus, Sirius. Are you ready?", Snape said. Black had already retrieved his wand from the bed.

He approached Snape with Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.

"Together?" he said quietly, "The three of us?"

"I think so...", Lupin said.

"On the count of three.", Snape said, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other.

A flash of blue-white light erupted from their wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly. The rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then it was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree.

A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Claire. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes.

He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Claire saw her eyes dart to the door and back again.

"Well, hello, Peter.", Lupin said pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him, "Long time, no see."

"S-Sirius...S-Severus... R-Remus...", even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door, "My friends... my old friends..."

Snape and Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized them around the wrist, gave them a warning look, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual, "We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed."

"Remus.", Pettigrew gasped, and the beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "You don't believe him, do you?... He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard.", Lupin said, more coldly, "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so..."

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, using his middle finger, because his index was missing, "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too..."

"Don't lie.", Snape warned him, "You won't die until you know exactly what it is you have done."

Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of! The Cruel Angel was always fond of him and Elizabeth.", Pettigrew shouted shrilly, "How else did he get out of there? And that's on top what He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him!"

"Don't you dear speak her name!", Black roared, Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him, "You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years. You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters."

Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now.

"But your in luck, the most dangerous one, those held in Compound Fifteen have been slaughtered by Sephylon.", Snape said, watching Pettigrew flinch, "Not to thrilled to hear our old mentor's name?"

"Don't know... what you're talking about...", Pettigrew said again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve, "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban, the spy, Sirius Black!"

Black's face contorted. "How dare you," he growled, sounding suddenly like the bear-sized dog he had been, "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter... I regret that I didn't took Sephylon's words to heart when he warned me to not put too much trust in you. Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it."

Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. "I thought it was the perfect plan... a bluff... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you... It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; his ashen color of his face and the way his eyes continued to dart toward the windows and door.

"Professor Lupin?", Hermione said timidly, "Can... can I say something?"

"Certainly, Hermione.", Lupin said courteously.

"Well this man he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years.", Hermione said, "If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"

"There!", Pettigrew said shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand, "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"

"I'll tell you why!", Snape said, "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter?"

Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.

"Er... Uncle Sirius... Mr. Black?", Alex said.

Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Alex as though he had never seen anything quite like him.

"If you don't mind me asking, but how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?", Alex asked.

"Thank you!", Pettigrew gasped, nodding frantically at him, "Exactly! Precisely what I..."

But Lupin silenced him with a look.

Black was frowning slightly at Alex, but not as though he were annoyed with him. "The only reason I never lost my mind is because of the wards Sephylon put around my prison. The dementor's couldn't suck my thoughts out of me. He couldn't break me out, but once I saw Peter in that picture when I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry and my daughter..."

Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized.

"...Ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies... and to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors... So you see, I had to do something."

"So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog... It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused... I swam as a dog back to the mainland... Where as he promised, was my wand waiting for me. I went to visit the Kent Summer home, knowing Margaret lived there, to see how my daughter had grown up, before I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course."

He looked at Harry, who did not look away. "Believe me," croaked Black. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."

"I...", Harry said, turning to glance at Claire, who gave him a nod, letting him know they were on the same page, "We believe you."

"No!", Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though that statement had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying, "Sirius... it's me... it's Peter... your friend..."

Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled, "There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them.", Black said.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter.", Lupin said.

"I assume that's why you didn't tell us, Sirius?", Snape asked.

"Forgive me, Remus.", Black said, "You too Sev, I didn't tell you as a spy for our side, you where too close to Voldemort himself."

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend.", Lupin said, who was now rolling up his sleeves.

"It was only sensible.", Snape said, "A bit surprising for you though."

The ghost of a grin flitted across Black's gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"

"I think that would be best.", Snape said.

"You wouldn't... you won't...", Pettigrew gasped, and he scrambled around to Ron, "Ron... haven't I been a good friend... a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you... you're on my side, aren't you."

But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion, "I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.

"Kind boy... kind master...", Pettigrew crawled toward Ron, "You won't let them do it... I was your rat... I was a good pet..." Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach.

"That's not much of a boast.", Alex noted, "If you made a better rat than a person."

Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes. "Sweet girl... clever girl... you won't let them..."

"Get the bloody hell away from her!", Alex shouted, making Pettigrew flinch as if he was hit.

For some reason, this made Black laugh wolfish, "Yeah, your really Margaret's boy.", he said.

Pettigrew was looking at Neville, begging him for help. Neville pulled his robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified. Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry and Claire.

"Harry... Claire..."

"How dare you speak to Harry!?", Black roared, "How dare you face Claire!?"

"Harry.", Pettigrew whispered, shuffling toward them, hands outstretched, "Neither James, Lily nor Elizabeth would have wanted me killed... They would have understood."

Snape and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at Black when he joined them.

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort.", Black said, who was shaking too, "Do you deny it?"

Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor. "What could I have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea... he has powers you can't imagine... I was scared, I never meant it to happen... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me... He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"Then you should have died.", Snape said, "Better to die than betray those who called you brother as we would have done for you."

Black, Snape and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.

"You should consider yourself lucky.", Lupin said quietly, "What we will do will be quick, unlike what he would have done. Good-bye, Peter."

Hermione buried her face in Alex shoulder.

"Wait!", Claire yelled, "You can't kill him."

Black, Snape and Lupin both looked staggered.

"Claire, this piece of vermin is the reason Harry has no parents.", Black snarled, "This cringing bit of filth would have seen him die too, without turning a hair."

"We'll take him up to the castle.", Harry panted, "We'll hand him over to the dementor's... He can go to Azkaban... but don't kill him."

"Harry! Claire!", Pettigrew gasped, "Thank you, it's more than I deserve!"

"We are not doing tis for you.", Claire said with disgust.

"We don't want them to become killers.", Harry added.

No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Black, Snape and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.

"He can go to Azkaban.", Claire said, "If anyone deserves that place, he does..."

Pettigrew was still wheezing when Snape raised his wand. Thin cords shot from the tip, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged. Followed by a loud bang, knocking Pettigrew's light's out.

"Right.", Lupin said, suddenly businesslike, "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint.

Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.

"That's better.", he said. "Thanks."

"Two of us should be chained to this.", Black said, nudging Pettigrew with his toe, "Just to make sure."

"I'll do it.", Lupin said.

"Wait.", Snape said, raising his hand, "Remember why I came to your office in the first place?"

Lupin's eyes widen, realizing what soon would be rising.


What a twist, hope you enjoyed it.

Many thanks to everyone who read, review, favorite or follows this story, you beautiful bastards.

For now I wish you all a fantastic day, don't forget to leave a review if you liked my work and I hope to see you ladies and gents, next time for the last chapter of Year 3.

Mischief Managed.