Part Thirty-Five
James- (looks at the chapter title) Uh-oh.
Others- What!
James- We're definitely not going to like this chapter. It's called The Servant of Lord Voldemort.
Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry jumped as though he'd received a huge electric shock.
"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the Cloak aside,
James- Just because you found it doesn't mean you can use it!
careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you ..."
Sirius- (snarls) You're not welcome.
Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph.
All- Evil git!
"You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he said, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your Potion tonight, so I took a goblet full along. And very lucky I did ... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."
James- Tell me it's not the full moon.
"Severus -" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him.
"I've told the Headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof.
Remus- Proof? What proof? I don't see any proof.
Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout -"
Remus- Who says I was?
"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything - I can explain - Sirius is not here to kill Harry -"
All- Nope!
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming frantically.
Lily- What! You can't send Remus there, too!
James- And you won't be sending Sirius, either.
"I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this ... he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin ... a tame werewolf ..."
All- Hey!
"You fool," said Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"
Sirius- Yeah, listen for once in your life.
BANG! Thin, snake-like cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists and ankles;
Lily- Let him go this instant.
he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black started towards Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Black's eyes.
James- (snarls) Back off!
"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
Sirius- Since when has Snape needed a reason!
Black stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred.
Remus- Good point.
Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or who to believe.
James- Why would he believe Snape? Snape's got a grudge.
He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold of the struggling Scabbers.
Lily- He will be sooo hurt if Scabbers is truly Peter.
Others- (nod)
Hermione, however, too an uncertain step towards Snape, and said in a very breathless voice, "Professor Snape - it - it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?"
Remus- Good point, Hermione, get them to see reason.
"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat.
James- Since when!
"You, Potter and Weasley are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."
Sirius- Why! Because she's speaking the truth!
"But if - if there was a mistake -"
"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointing at Black's face. Hermione fell silent.
Lily- She understands a lot more than you do, Snape!
"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you ..."
Sirius- (bitterly) He would.
"The joke's on you again, Severus," snarled Black.
All- Joke!
"As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle -" he jerked his head at Ron, "- I'll come quietly ..."
James- See, Snape! Even Sirius knows when to see sense.
"Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black ... pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay ..."
Sirius- (disbelievingly) But you haven't let me explain anything!
What little color there was in Black's face left it.
Lily- Well, what do you expect!
"You - you've got to hear me out," he croaked. "The rat - look at the rat -"
James- Yeah, listen already!
But there was a mad glint in Snape's eye that Harry had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason.
Sirius- Figures.
"Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf.
James- (snarls) He has a name.
Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him, too -"
All- What!
Before he knew what he was doing, Harry had crossed the room in three strides, and blocked the door.
James- Good, Harry, make them talk it out.
"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already,"
snarled Snape. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin -"
Sirius- We'd have explained everything by now and been on the way back to Hogwarts to prove my innocence.
"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," said Harry. "I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the Dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"
Remus- That's right, Harry, use reason.
"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape.
All- Hey!
"Get out of the way, Potter."
"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yelled.
James- Harry, this isn't helping. Send Hermione to go get Dumbledore.
"JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN -"
Lily- (slowly) I guess I can't really blame him.
Marauders- What!
Lily- Think about it. Sirius may have had twelve years to dwell on Peter, but Snape has had more than that to build up his resentment to you.
Others- I guess.
"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like son, Potter!
James- Thank you, Snape, I'm flattered.
I have just saved your neck, you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you!
Lily- I'm sure that if Sirius was wanting to kill Harry, and you saved him, Snape, he would be grateful.
You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black -
James- I'm not.
now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"
James/Lily- Don't lay a hand on our son!
Harry made up his mind in a split second. before Snape could take even one step towards him, he had raised his wand.
Lily- Harry, what are you doing?
"Expelliarmus!" he yelled - except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. he had been knocked out.
James- Cool, so that's what happens when someone is hit by the same curse thrown at exactly the same time by several people.
Lily- James...
Harry looked around. Both Ron and Hermione had tried to disarm Snape at exactly the same moment. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks.
Sirius- Who will take care of it until it is needed.
"You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me ..."
Lily- What? No thank-you?
Harry avoided Black's eyes. he wasn't sure, even now, that he'd done the right thing.
Lily- You did, Harry, I'm proud of you.
Others- So are we.
"We attacked a teacher ... we attacked a teacher ..." Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble -"
Remus- Not if Dumbledore knows the circumstances which surrounded it.
Lupin was struggling against his bonds. Black bent down quickly and untied him. Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them.
James- Stupid git!
"Thank you, Harry" he said.
"I'm still not saying I believe you," Harry retorted.
Remus- All we ask is that you listen, Harry.
"Then it's time we offered you some proof," said Black. "You, boy - give me Peter. Now."
Lily- Sirius...
Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.
All-...
"Come off it," he said weakly. "are you trying to say you broke out of Azkaban just to get your hands on Scabbers? I mean ..." he looked up at Harry and Hermione for support. "OK, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat - there are millions of rats - how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"
Remus- That is a good question, Sirius.
"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, turning to Black and frowning slightly. "How did you find out where he was?"
Remus- Wait a minute. (takes the book from James and marks the page, then flips back to the chapter where they found out what Sirius supposedly did) I knew it.
Others- What!
Remus- Remember what the Fudge said about visiting Sirius and that Sirius asked for his paper?
Sirius- Yeah.
Remus- I wonder if that paper is the one that had the article about Ron's family in it.
Others- Oh.
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.
Remus- I knew it.
"How did you get this?" Lupin asked Black, thunderstruck.
"Fudge," said Black. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. 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 that the boy would be going back to Hogwarts ... to where Harry was ..."
All- Dear God...
Lily- You are here to protect Harry, Sirius.
"My God," said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw ..."
Remus- The finger.
"What about it?" said Ron defiantly.
"He's got a toe missing," said Black.
"Of course," Lupin breathed, "so simple ... so brilliant ... He cut it off himself?"
James- (snarls) I never realized that Peter would have the courage to do that!
"Just before he transformed," said Black. "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 -
Remus- No wonder no one saw what really happened. Peter killed anyone who would have been close enough to see.
James- Why that little...
and sped down the sewer with the other rats ..."
James- That coward!
"Did you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."
Lily- Yeah, he said that before...
"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! he's been in my family for ages, right -"
"Twelve years, in fact," said Lupin. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"
"We - we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.
"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again ..."
James- I... I... Dear God...
"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding towards Crookshanks who was still purring on the bed.
Harmony- (hisses)
But that wasn't right, Harry thought suddenly ... Scabbers had been looking ill before he met Crookshanks ... ever since Ron's return from Egypt ... since the time when Black had escaped ...
Remus- It all fits... Except why...
"This cat isn't mad," said Black hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. he recognized Peter for what he was straight 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 ..."
Harmony- (purrs)
"What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.
"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't ... so he stole the password into Gryffindor Tower for me ... As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table ..."
Lily- From Neville's, poor kid.
Harry's brain seemed to be sagging under the weight of what he was hearing. It was absurd ... and yet ...
James- It... makes... sense...
"But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it ... this cat - Crookshanks, did you call him? - told me Peter had left blood on his sheets ... I suppose he bit himself ... well, faking his own death had worked once ..."
James- But... I...
These words jolted Harry to his senses.
"And why did he fake his death?" he said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"
Lily- Wait, Harry...
"No," said Lupin. "Harry -"
"And now you've come to finish him off!"
Sirius- Of course I have.
"Yes, I have," said Black, with an evil look at Scabbers.
"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.
Sirius- (looks hurt)
"Harry!" said Lupin hurriedly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down - but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father - Sirius tracked Peter down -"
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP, HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"
Sirius- So I did. But why?
He was pointing at Black, who shook his head slowly; the sunken eyes were suddenly over-bright.
Remus- Sirius, you didn't...
"Harry ... I as good as killed them," He croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last minute, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me ... I'm to blame, I know it ...
the night they dies, 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 to your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies - I realized what Peter must have done. What I'd done."
Remus- Oh, God, Sirius... No wonder you were so impatient...
James- (softly) Sirius, it wasn't your fault...
Sirius- Yes it was... if I hadn't convinced you...
His voice broke. He turned away.
"Enough of this," said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."
Lily- Yeah, Ron, give him that traitorous... filthy... no-good... (add as many expletives as you want that I can't print)
"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Lupin tensely.
James- (bitterly) I can't believe you are still defending that...
"Force him to show himself," said Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."
Sirius- Hurt him all you want, Remus, we don't care...
Ron hesitated, then at long last held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.
James- You should be afraid...
"Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.
Black had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed. He approached Lupin and the struggling rat, and his wet eyes suddenly seemed to be burning in his face.
All- We're ready!
"Together?" he said quietly.
"I think so," said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One - two - THREE!"
All- (hold their breath)
A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in mid-air, his small black form twisting madly - Ron yelled - 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 upwards from the ground; limbs were sprouting; next moment, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wriggling his hands. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed, the hair on his back standing up.
James- (snarls) Peter, I...
He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. 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 had 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, his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.
Sirius- You're not leaving, Peter, that's a promise.
"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."
All- (snort)
"S-Sirius ... R-Remus ..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted towards the door. "My friends ... my old friends ..."
James- (bitterly) You dare to call them your friends!
Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning look, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.
Sirius- How could you do it?
Remus- (shrugs) Practice, I guess.
"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 -"
Lily- Doubt it.
"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you ... He tried to kill me, Remus ..."
James- You would have deserved it.
"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coolly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so -"
"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew shrieked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me, too ... you've got to help me, Remus ..."
Remus- Not a chance!
Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.
"No one's going to try and kill until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.
Lily- You tell him, Remus.
"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again, the only door. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"
Sirius- Are you even listening to what you are saying, Peter! That made no sense whatsoever.
"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"
James- Good point, Remus.
"He's got Dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!"
James- (scoffs) Dream of! Peter, what are you saying?
Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He Who Must Not Be Named taught him a few tricks!"
All- (snort in disbelief)
Black started to laugh, a horrible, mirthless laugh that filled the whole room.
"Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.
James- He hates his family, Peter, for what they believe in. Why would he join Voldemort?
Peter flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him.
"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"
James- (sarcastically) Oh, I'm sure they are thrilled with him.
"Don't know - what you mean, Sirius -" muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face shining with sweat now.
"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said Black. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter ... they all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them ... I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them.
Remus- That sounds like more than one of the Death Eaters knew that Sirius was innocent.
Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information ... and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways ... If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter -"
All- (nasty grins)
"Don't know ... what you're talking about ..." said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. he wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "You don't believe this - this madness, Remus -"
Remus- It's not madness, Peter, and what else am I supposed to believe!
"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Lupin evenly.
All- (shudder)
"Innocent but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban - the spy, Sirius Black!"
All- Uh-oh.
Black's face contorted.
"How dare you," he growled, 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'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us ... me and Remus ... and James ..."
James- And look where it got us. Me and Lily betrayed and dead while our son is sent to people who despise him. Sirius sent to Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, and Remus to spend an eternity alone.
Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath.
"Me, a spy ... must be out of your mind ... never ... don't know how you could say such a -"
Remus- It's very obvious, Peter.
"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backwards. "I thought it would be the perfect plan ... a bluff ... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talent less thing like you ...
Remus- Dear God, Sirius, so that was why you suggested Peter...
it must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."
James/Lily- (bitterly) No doubt.
Pettigrew was muttering distractedly; Harry caught words like "far-fetched" and "lunacy", but he couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen color of Pettigrew's face, and the way his eyes continued to dart towards the windows and door.
James- In other words he knows he's caught and is searching for a way out.
"Professor Lupin?" said Hermione timidly. "Can - can I say something?"
"Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously.
"Well - Scabbers - I mean, this - this man - he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You Know Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"
All- Good point.
"There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Hermione with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"
Remus- A good many reasons, I'm sure and none of them have to do with the fact that you are innocent.
"I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for twelve 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 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? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him ..."
All- Good God!
Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.
Sirius- (sarcastically) Now, there's a first.
"Er - Mr. Black - Sirius?" said Hermione timidly.
Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though being spoken to politely was something he'd long forgotten.
Sirius- I no doubt have. There's no one that would speak to you politely in Azkaban.
"If you don't mind me asking, how - how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"
Lily- She asks all the right questions.
"Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! precisely what I -"
All- Shut-up, Peter!
But Lupin silenced him with a look.
All- Good.
Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he was annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer.
"I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that i new I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me ... but it kept me sane and knowing who I am ... helped me keep my powers ... so when it all became ... too much ... I could transform in my cell ... become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know ..." He swallowed.
"They feel their way towards people by sensing their emotions ... they could tell that my feelings were less - less human, less complex when I was a dog ... but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand ...
Lily- Oh, Sirius...
"But then I saw Peter in that picture ... I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry ... perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again ..."
James- I...
Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized.
... ready to strike the moment he could be sure of allies ... 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. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive ..."
Remus- Of course. The answer was sooo simple.
Harry remembered what Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Weasley. "The guards say he's been talking in his sleep ... always the same words ... 'He's at Hogwarts'."
All- (shudder, thinking about the harm that could have befallen Harry if Sirius had not seen that paper)
"It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it ... it wasn't a happy feeling ... it was an obsession
... but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened the 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 was thin, very thin ... thin enough to slip through the bars ... I swam as a dog back to the mainland ... I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog ... I've been living in the Forest ever since ...
Lily- (sincerely) Thanks, Sirius.
except when I come to watch the Quidditch, of course ... you fly as well as your father did, Harry ..."
All- (smile)
He looked at Harry, who did not look away.
"Believe me," croaked Black. "Believe me. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."
And at long last, Harry believed him.
All- (cheer)
Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.
Sirius- Thank you, Harry, that means so much to me.
James- I just can't believe that Peter...
"No!"
Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's nod had been his own death sentence. he shuffled forward on his knees, grovelling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.
James- What an interesting mental image.
"Sirius - it's me ... it's Peter ... your friend ... you wouldn't ..."
Sirius- Oh, yes I would!
Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.
"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," said Black.
Remus- Yeah, Peter, hands off!
"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?"
Remus- Dear God, Sirius, I just realized why you didn't tell me...
"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head.
Sirius- I am soooo sorry, Remus.
Remus- No doubt part of the pain you felt in Azkaban was knowing that you mistrusted the wrong person.
"Forgive me, Remus," said Black.
Remus- There is nothing to forgive. You have punished yourself far more than anyone else ever could.
"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
Sirius- Why would you need my forgiveness?
"Of course," said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves.
Lily- What are you going to do?
"Shall we kill him together?"
"Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.
James- I don't know about this, guys. After all, if he dies, how could you prove Sirius's innocence?
"You wouldn't ... you won't ..." gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron.
Remus- You've lost it, Peter.
"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?"
Lily- (disgustedly) I can't believe he turned to Ron for sanctuary. Hasn't he hurt Ron enough?
But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.
"I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.
Lily- Poor Ron.
"Kind boy ... kind master ..." Pettigrew crawled towards Ron, "you won't let them do it ... I was your rat ... I was a good pet ..."
Sirius- Wow, he makes a better rat than a friend. That's comforting.
"If you made a better rat than human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Black harshly. Ron, going still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forwards and seized the hem of Hermione's robes.
Remus- Peter is soo pathetic.
"Sweet girl ... clever girl ... you - you won't let them ... help me ..."
Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.
Lily- Get away from her!
Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly towards Harry.
James- Now he's gone too far.
"Harry ... Harry ... you look just like your father ... just like him ..."
James- That must have been a shock right, Peter?
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"
Sirius- You don't even deserve to mention his name.
"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling towards him, hands outstretched, "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed ...
James would have understood, Harry ... he would have shown me mercy ..."
James- Understood what! I'm confused! Like Sirius said, there is no explanation for betrayal.
Both Black and Lupin strode forwards, seized Pettigrew's shoulders and threw him backwards onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.
All- (nasty grins)
"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, who was shaking too. "Do you deny it?"
Lily- He'd better not, we have all the evidence right here.
Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch: he looked like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor.
All- (look disgusted)
"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord ... you have no idea ... he has weapons you can't imagine ... I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen ... He Who Must Not Be Named forced me -"
Remus- Oh, please, is that the best he can come up with!
"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"
James- Dear God...
"He - he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"
All- What!
Lily- I can't believe he asked that question.
"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Black, with terrible fury in his face. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"
Sirius- Yeah, Peter, innocent lives. We protected you and the one time we needed you, you turned your back on us.
"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"
All- So!
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
Marauders- In a heartbeat!
Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.
"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly. "If Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."
James- I don't like the idea of you two killing him. I mean, I know he's evil and deserves it, but I can't face the fact of you being charged with murder for it.
Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.
"NO!" Harry yelled. he ran forwards, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."
Lily- Good, Harry, talk some sense into them.
Black and Lupin both looked staggered.
"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Black snarled.
James- I know, but I just don't want you to become vigilantes for me.
"This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die, too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."
Sirius- And he feels no remorse, he's only sorry he got caught.
"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors. he can go to Azkaban ... just don't kill him."
Lily- I think that is a very good idea, Harry.
"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and his flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You - thank you - it's more than I deserve - thank you -"
Sirius- Keep away from him, IT!
"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers - just for you."
Lily- Wow, he doesn't just look like you, he thinks like you.
James- (beams)
No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Black and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.
All- (sigh with relief)
"You're the only one who has the right to decide, Harry," said Black. "But think ... think what he did ..."
"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does ..."
James- IT deserves more than that. IT deserves the KISS. Harry was right.
The KISS is the perfect punishment for some crimes.
Pettigrew was still wheezing behind him.
"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry."
Harry hesitated.
"I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."
James- Yeah, Harry, Remus won't do anything more because you have gotten through to them.
Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.
Lily- I like the picture that conjures up.
Others- (grin nastily)
"But if you transform, Peter," growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew, too, "we will kill you. You agree, Harry?"
All- Sounds good to me!
Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor, and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him.
"Right," said Lupin, suddenly business-like. "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."
Lily- Good idea!
He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages sun 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.
Remus- You don't know how many times I used that spell to make it back to the Infirmary from the Whomping Willow.
"That's better," he said. "Thanks."
"What about Professor Snape?" said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.
Sirius- Leave him there, he'll come around.
"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," said Lupin, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "You were just a little - over-enthusiastic. Still out cold. Er - perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the castle. We can take him like this ..."
Lily- That's very sensible.
He muttered, "Mobilicorpus." As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, head still lolling unpleasantly, like a grotesque puppet.
All- Bad mental image.
He hung a few inches above the ground, his limp feet dangling. Lupin picked up the Invisibility Cloak and tucked it safely into his pocket.
James- Maybe someone else should have taken the Cloak.
"And two of us should be chained to this," said Black, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure.
James- I would do it.
Others- So would we.
"I'll do it," said Lupin.
"And me," said Ron savagely, limping forwards.
Lily- Oh, Ron...
Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Ron's left.
Ron's face was set. he seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult.
Remus- (sarcastically) Gee, where would you get that idea from!
Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottle-brush tail held jauntily high.
Harmony- (purrs)
Sirius- Thanks, Harmony, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here.
Harmony- Your friends would never let you down, except for that git.
James- How long do you think that IT has been working for Voldemort and what drove him to it?
Lily- Um, James, well...
James- What!
Lily- (in a very small voice) I think Peter may already be working for Voldemort.
Sirius- (looks at her) Why would you say that?
Lily- Well, you remember I told you that I had a dream that told me where to find you?
Others- Yeah.
Lily- Well, I didn't tell you everything about the dream. I saw a rat outside your house just after the three of you left, and I could have sworn it had a sneer on its face when it looked after you.