Chapter 22: The Truth Unveiled

After I was done my little scream I looked at Black. Then at Lupin, who was having Crystal's wand pointing at him. Then back to Black

"You're Sirius Black." I said with what little voice I had left.

Black smirked. "I think I would be." he said.

Lupin turned to Crystal, who was glancing at Black with her wand pointed at Lupin "Crystal, listen. Sirius is…"

"I know." Crystal said, lowering her wand and walking up to Sirius "I know."

She hugged Black, causing me to gasp.

"CRYSTAL HOW CAN YOU HUG THE MAN THAT SOLD OUT MY PARENTS TO VOLDEMORT!" I shouted, gulping down some tears.

"What are you talking about, Harls?" Crystal asked as she hugged Black…and Black hugged her right back.

"What are you talking about, Han?" Ivy asked as she hugged Black…and Black hugged her right back.

"Crystal, how can you hug that man?" Harry asked.

I turned to him, suddenly realizing he was there too "Oh, Harry!" I shouted, running up to hug him "I don't know how she could. She's been acting so odd this whole term! I'm so confused! And we're gonna die!"

"Only one's dying today." Black said, glaring out into the shadows.

I gulped. One of us was gonna die!

"Sirius, tell them! They have a right to know!" Lupin insisted.

Black sighed and turned to me and Harry. I shrieked and got in front of Harry, I'll be damned if he so much as touches my little brother.

"You betrayed our parents!" Harry and I said together.

Ivy looked me in the eyes "No, Harley, Harry, you don't understand. Sirius didn't do it. It was-"

"Peter Pettigrew." Black snarled, looking around the room for something.

I blinked. "That's impossible. Peter Pettigrew's dead." I said, glancing at Ron and Hermione for help.

"He isn't dead." Lupin said turning to me now "He's an Animagus. He can change into a rat. And that rat is Ron's now…Scabbers is Pettigrew. Scabbers is the one that turned in your parents."

I bit my lip. "How is that-?"

At that moment, Crystal's wand flew out of her hand and into a pale white one.

Snape's.

"Get…with…the…others." Snape ordered Crystal, twirling her wand in his fingers.

Crystal gulped and ran next to Harry, Ron, Hermione and I.

Snape chuckled and threw something to Harry's feet.

His Cloak.

"Very useful, Potter. I thank you." Snape said, pointing his own wand to Lupin's chest.

Lupin frantically tried to explain to Snape, but he ignored him

"Two more for Azkaban tonight." Snape said, his black eyes gleaming in glory. "What Dumbledore would say when he finds out, Lupin."

Lupin pleaded with Snape not to let a grudge send an innocent man back to Azkaban, but Snape wasn't having it. Snape bound him in ropes and growled when Black tried to come to Lupin's defence.

"I'll do it if you give me a reason, Black…I will!" Snape shouted, pointing his wand back at Lupin once more.

Hermione tried to convince Snape to let Lupin and Black speak, but Snape just ignored her after calling her a stupid girl, setting me over the edge. Screw the fact that he was my potions teacher. I had to let the bastard have it!

"Don't call Hermione stupid!" I shouted, my eyes darkening in fury.

Snape ignored me. One advantage to having a biased teacher. They don't listen to any insults you throw at them.

"I hoped I would be the one to catch you, Black." Snape sneered, taking the ropes binding Lupin. "Up to the castle, all of you. Maybe the Dementors will have a kiss for Lupin as well as Black."

Harry moved from beside me and blocked the doorway.

"Stand aside, Potter. You should be grateful for me helping you."

"I think we should hear them out." Harry growled, glaring Snape in the eyes "If Lupin was working with Black, he would have finished me off by now, with all the time me and Harley have spent alone with him in Anti-Dementor lessons!"

Snape went ape shit, telling Harry to shut up and to not talk about his stupid father that way. That neither him nor I would ever understand.

I snarled and pulled out my wand and pointing it at Snape.

"Expelliarmous!" I shouted, my voice joined by Harry, Ron, Hermione and Black.

The power of the multiple jinxes sent Snape straight into a bed, which collapsed on top of him.

Hermione was in hysterics, as was I. I had just attacked a teacher.

"We attacked a teacher…we attacked a teacher…we are in so much trouble!" Mione and I said together.

Harry and Ron glared at Mione and I as Harry untied Lupin, then ordered him to explain himself.

Lupin and Crystal explained everything about Sirius that wasn't clear to Harry, Ron, Hermione or me. First, he explained that Sirius was an innocent man…not only that, but Crystal was his second cousin once removed!

The one who killed all those Muggles around when Mum and Dad died wasn't Black, either. It was Peter Pettigrew. Lupin explained that he was an Animagus (someone that could change into an animal at will, like She-Cat.). Pettigrew's Animagus form was a rat…Ron's rat, Scabbers.

Pettigrew was living with the Weasleys since he got away from the street all those Muggles were killed on.

And one other thing that Black told Harry and I…he was our godfather.

I suddenly remembered where I kept hearing his name from...

"Uncle...Padfoot…?"

"It's me, Harley"

I launched myself at him and hugged him with all my might, crying all the way.

"I-I missed you so much, why did you leave" I said crying into his shoulder

"I never wanted to leave you or Harry, I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Sirius said, carding his fingers through my hair

After I pulled away, Sirius looked at me

"You look a lot like Lily." Uncle Padfoot said, smiling at me suddenly "Except the eyes, you don't have your parents eyes. It's a rare colour…unique."

smiled back "Thanks, Sirius." I said to him.

There was a sudden scramble of movement around Ron as Scabbers was transforming.

When I looked at Scabbers next, he was gone, instead changed into a small, mousy faced man who was looking intently at Harry, then at me.

"Harry, Harley…" the man, who I was guessing was Pettigrew said "you look so much like your parents…except your eyes, Harley…you don't have your parents-"

"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO THEM!" Sirius shouted, glaring lividly at Pettigrew "HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO THEM ABOUT JAMES AND LILY WHEN YOU BROUGHT ABOUT THEIR DEATHS!"

Sirius took my wand out of my hand and advanced on Pettigrew when Harry stood in between the two men.

"Leave him to the Dementors, Sirius." Harry said, looking at Sirius calmly. "Don't kill him."