Chapter Fifty-Five – A Rat Among Lions

Harry wondered how long it would be before Mr. Malfoy grew tired of his meddling. Although Draco had once desired his friendship, his father seemed to take a dislike to The Boy Who Lived since the moment they first met. The animosity of the older wizard toward Harry could not be entirely explained by the loss of Dobby the house elf, and Harry always suspected something more sinister behind Mr. Malfoy and his schemes. There was his secret hoard of relics connected to the dark arts, his ownership of Tom Riddle's diary – never fully explained – and countless other hints connecting the Malfoys to black magic. It was a lot to consider, and Harry was trying to push these thoughts from his mind, choosing instead to enjoy the feeling of having done something kind for a friend.

"That was a very brave thing you did, helping Rubeus."

The headmaster's comment drew Harry out of his private reverie. He'd had very few opportunities to speak to the headmaster since entering Hogwarts. Now that he was being drawn into a conversation, Harry realized that the last time he'd spoken with Dumbledore had been the previous year, right after rescuing Millie from the Chamber of Secrets. The circumstances reminded him of Sirius, and immediately brought on a feeling of guilt. He sometimes felt like the headmaster could read his thoughts, and he didn't want to reveal any of his secrets.

"Thank you, sir. But I wasn't trying to be brave. I just didn't want them hurting Buckbeak for no reason."

Dumbledore smiled and said, "Perhaps I should be congratulating young Master Malfoy on his bravery, instead. It takes a great deal of courage to stand up to your father."

It took a moment for Harry to realize that "Master Malfoy" meant Draco. He looked away from Dumbledore's penetrating blue gaze and muttered, "If you must..."

He didn't want to disagree with the headmaster, but the idea of Draco being commended for his "bravery" in the Buckbeak controversy was deplorable.

To his surprise, Dumbledore responded to his grudging comment with a chuckle.

"I see the two of you are still rivals. I rather thought that sharing a dormitory would promote friendship... eventually."

"Friends?" Blaise interjected. He'd been listening to their conversation, and could no longer help butting in, "What would Harry need him for when he's got me?"

"Of course, my mistake," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement, "But as you and young Master Malfoy are not friends, may I ask how you convinced him to speak on Buckbeak's behalf?"

Harry hesitated to respond. Instinct told him not to admit that he'd bartered away his Firebolt. He sensed that Dumbledore would disapprove of the bribe, or worse, that any admission on his part would lead to further questions. He did not want to admit in front of Millie that they'd made an Unbreakable Vow over the deal. Instead, Harry countered the headmaster with a question of his own.

"Sorry, sir... But I was wondering... How is it you know so much about me and Malfoy?"

"Professor Snape, of course," Dumbledore replied mildly.

Harry's stomach did a flip, "Snape talks to you about me?"

The idea crossed his mind that Snape had appealed to the headmaster when Harry learned of his secret, but he dismissed the notion immediately. Snape had seemed so desperate when Harry forced the truth from him. It was extremely unlikely that he'd gossiped with Dumbledore about his childhood crush.

Dumbledore's expression remained neutral as he stated, "Oh, yes. Surely you are aware that the progress of your studies interests most of your teachers. For example, I have heard that Professor Lupin has devoted much of his time to your education."

He was obviously talking about the private lessons with the patronus charm, but Harry's defenses were already engaged. Whereas Snape wasn't likely to share his secret with Dumbledore, Lupin might have told the headmaster about the map, as well as Harry's connection to Sirius Black. This would be especially dangerous, given that Minister Fudge was still on school grounds, stopping for tea at Hagrid's cabin.

But Dumbledore surprised him yet again. His mention of Professor Lupin was merely a preamble to compliment Harry on his patronus during the Quidditch final.

"It was spectacular magic," Dumbledore said with a generous smile, "Few wizards can produce a full patronus like that, especially one so young... I was at the match, you know. But I never got a chance to congratulate you before."

Harry could do nothing but offer his thanks, and was again silent.

Dumbledore appeared to be running calculations in his head.

"Let me see... I think fifty points for the patronus is fair credit for your hard work. And an additional ten for your assistance with Buckbeak. Master Malfoy has earned at least five for his part in it. I could do no less. And five each for Mr. Zabini and Miss Bulstrode. You two have helped Mr. Potter in his efforts, I trust?"

"Oh, yes sir!" Blaise said eagerly, following the current of the headmaster's thoughts.

Dumbledore nodded, then let out an uncharacteristic sigh.

"Oh dear," he said, "It seems Slytherin will be taking the House Cup again this year. And I rather thought Gryffindor might get by with their points from the Quidditch Cup."

Harry, Blaise, and Millie were all grinning from ear to ear. The House Cup was not high on their list of priorities, but with the end of term upon them, it was nice to have caused an upset in the total points just before the feast. Harry looked forward to the expression on Draco's face when he learned that his prank during the Quidditch match helped Harry earn fifty points for their house.

It was at this moment, when their spirits were high, that Dumbledore seemed suddenly distracted by something further down the hall, but when Harry turned to see what had drawn the headmaster's attention, there was nothing unusual to be seen.

"By the way, Miss Bulstrode," Dumbledore said conversationally, though he'd directed no comments to Millie until that point, "Are you and Miss Granger good friends?"

"Granger?" Millie asked, wrinkling her nose at the suggestion, "No sir, she's more Harry's friend than mine."

"Ah, I thought so. Nevermind, though I must say that is a great pity. There's nothing in the world like friendship..." Dumbledore mused aloud, "Now if you three will excuse me, I must go and meet with Professor McGonagall. I trust you can find your way to the Great Hall without me?"

He had already led them most of the way, and it had been their assumption from the beginning that the headmaster intended to accompany them to the feast. Instead, Dumbledore barely waited for a response before he swept away from them, gone on his mysterious errand to discuss Hogwarts business with the Deputy Headmistress.

Millie, Blaise, and Harry lingered in the hall to exchange looks of bewilderment.

"What do you suppose that was about?" Harry asked.

"I can tell you," Blaise said with confidence, "This only confirms what I've believed all along. The teachers have been placing bets on which students ought to date. Clearly Dumbledore's put his galleons on Millie and Hermione hooking up."

His tone was serious, but he was clearly joking. Millie offered him the scandalized response he was looking for.

"Me and Granger!" she exclaimed, disgusted by the notion, "But I have standards!"

Blaise directed a concerned look at her and said, "Can you afford to have standards, Millie?"

The comment earned him a well-deserved punch in the gut.

Harry was the first to cross the threshold into the Great Hall, and was on the point of suggesting that Dumbledore may have been distracting them from something he'd noticed in the hall when he was interrupted by a sharp cry.

"Ow!" shouted a voice from the nearby Gryffindor table, loud enough to be heard over the general buzz of conversation in the Hall.

Harry turned and saw Ron Weasley, who held a rat in his hands.

"I found him in my trunk, of all places!" Ron was explaining to his usual group of friends. "He'd been living off an old bag of Bertie Bott's Beans from the look of it. I might've never found him if I hadn't been packing my school books away. But I swear I checked my trunk a thousand times and never found him – Ow!"

Ron was struggling to keep hold of his rat. Scabbers kept biting at his fingers, as if trying to get away. The pathetic creature looked thin and ragged. It let out frantic, shrill squeaks as it squirmed in its master's grasp.

"It sounds to me like someone deserves an apology!" Hermione Granger shouted down the table. She and Neville were seated not far from Weasley's crew, and she had also taken notice of his conversation, "You accused Crookshanks of eating him!"

Harry did not hear Ron's response. He was staring at the rat. He hated himself for not searching Ron's dorm when he had the chance. If he'd only looked over the map for Pettigrew's name the moment he had it in his possession, he might have seen him hiding in Gryffindor tower. But that chance was gone, and he couldn't confront Ron now. Not in the middle of the Great Hall.

Without a warning to either of his friends, Harry turned and sprinted back into the hallway. He did not glance toward the staff table. He did not realize that besides Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, there were two other staff members missing from the feast. His mind was turned toward the Chamber. He cared for nothing else.

Blaise and Millie were right behind him, as loyal as if they were Hufflepuffs. Harry had no idea if they too had seen the rat in Ron's hands, but they were with him no matter the circumstances. Their sudden entrance in the girls' lavatory frightened poor Moaning Myrtle as they passed by her stall, but there was no time to stay and chat with the ghost today. Harry opened the secret tunnel entrance and led the way down the pipe.

The three of them had used the passage so many times that the once slimy, filthy tunnel was now wiped clean. This was entirely thanks to Blaise's charms. He couldn't stand the grime on his robes. Far below the school, the path to the hidden Chamber was now so familiar to him, Harry might have done it blindfolded. The sound of his running footsteps echoed off the tunnel walls, announcing his approach long before he entered the Chamber.

"Harry?" called Sirius hesitantly. "Harry! Why have you come? Millie said that..."

"It's Pettigrew!" Harry gasped, breathless from his sprint.

Sirius did not need any further explanation. The urgency in Harry's voice told him all he needed to know.

"Where?" he asked, becoming calm in the face of Harry's panic.

"The Great Hall," said Harry, "But Sirius, everyone in the school is there. We can't capture him now. And Ron... The boy who had been caring for him has found him again. I don't see how we can..."

Sirius nodded to show that he understood the state of their difficulties, but still he said, "There must be some way to get at him. We just need to find a way to..."

"Expelliarmus!"

Harry's wand had still been in the pocket of his robes when it was ripped from him by the spell. He watched it fly across chamber while Blaise and Millie's wands were similarly dispatched. They turned, startled by the sudden intrusion of their sanctuary, and viewed the last pair of people Harry expected to see together.

Lupin, the folded Marauder's Map in one hand, stood by the side of Professor Snape. They had both drawn their wands, but it was Snape who had disarmed them all with a single spell.

Even without their wands, Harry and his friends jumped into defensive formation around Sirius. The professors would not be able to fire off another spell without hitting one of their students.

This would be no hindrance to Professor Snape. Harry had no doubt that the Potions Master would happily curse the children if it meant the capture of Sirius Black. Still, he warned them to back away. Lupin, on the other hand, seemed unaware of the trio's presence. His eyes were locked on Sirius.

"Give me a reason," he said.

It sounded like a challenge, but then Harry saw the way Lupin's hand trembled as he held his wand before him. He wasn't taunting Sirius, he was was pleading with him.

Harry was unwilling to turn his back on Snape, but he half-turned toward Sirius, risking a glance at his expression.

"Remus, please..." Sirius began. Like Professor Lupin, he seemed unaware of anyone else the the room.

"Shut your mouth!" Snape shouted. The sound of his voice echoing off the Chamber walls demanded attention, and Sirius at once turned away from his fellow Marauder to face him.

"Lupin, we don't have time to play games. We should hand him over to the Dementors immediately!"

Sirius' already pale face became ghastly white. His mouth fell open to protest, but Harry was faster. He spread his arms wide, as if to absorb any spell that might be fired at his godfather.

"Wait!" he said, knowing that after months of subterfuge and secrets it was time to own the truth, "You have to listen to us! Sirius is innocent!"

"Innocent?" Snape repeated, curling his lip, "Step aside, Potter. The man behind you is directly responsible for the murder of your parents. You're clearly under the influence of some curse. But all will be well. You'll regain control of yourself once we've captured Black."

"Look at the map!" Harry said, appealing to Lupin instead, "He's there, in the Great Hall with the others. Check the Gryffindor table!"

Lupin stared at Harry, clearly at a loss. Slowly, he lifted his hand and opened the map, unfolding its creases to reveal the Great Hall. He touched his wand to the surface, and seemed to be muttering something under his breath. As his eyes scanned the parchment for an explanation to Harry's desperate plea, Snape continued to brandish his wand.

"Step aside, Potter!" he demanded, "I will not ask you again!"

"Don't you want to catch Lily's murderer?" Harry countered.

Mentioning his mother's name unsettled the Potions Master. He faltered, but only for a moment. When he raised his wand again, he seemed to be aiming at Harry rather than Sirius.

"Your mother's murderer is standing right behind you," he insisted.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked, "There was never any trial. What if there was someone else? Wouldn't you want to know? Wouldn't you want to make sure the right man got the punishment he deserves?"

"Potter, I don't know what you're talking about..."

Lupin suddenly gripped Snape by his outstretched arm.

"Severus... Look..."

He handed him the map. Snape, though unwilling to take his eyes off Sirius for even a second, was nevertheless compelled to follow Lupin's directive. His eyes glanced down to the spot indicated, and an instant later he was looking at Harry again, suspicion coloring his features.

"What is this? How is it possible?"

"The map shows everyone in the school. Where they are, what they are doing..." Harry explained, looking to Lupin for confirmation.

The professor nodded, though Snape remained unconvinced.

"That's impossible," he said, "It must be another lie."

"The map never lies," Lupin replied. He turned his face back toward Sirius, and Harry could clearly see the mixture of anger and sadness that threatened to overwhelm him.

"You switched..." he said quietly, the hurt in his voice palpable, "You switched, and you didn't tell me?"

Sirius had passed distraught long ago, and was now transported into a state of the utmost torment. His voice broke as he tried to explain, "I thought I was protecting them! I thought the Death Eaters would come after me, not Peter! So I... I convinced James and... And he agreed. We should have told you, Remus. I'm sorry... I'm so, so very sorry!"

Lupin shook his head and turned his face away. Snape continued to inspect the map, as if all answers to his questions would reveal themselves on its surface. He seemed torn between his desire to bring Black to justice, and a profound need to solve the mystery that had presented itself to him.

Harry didn't need to see the map for himself to know what the professors were puzzling over. Sirius had been telling the truth. Peter Pettigrew, a man who should have been dead twelve years ago, had been found within the walls of Hogwarts.

They must have guessed right about Scabbers. Ron Weasley's rat had been Pettigrew all along. If they hurried, they might not be too late to capture the traitor, and prove Sirius's innocence not just to Snape, but to the rest of the wizarding community.

Harry was busy weighing his options on how best to proceed with the Potions Master. He'd invoked his mother's name perhaps too early, and it would not have the same impact on Snape now. Fortunately, Lupin acted for him. Turning back to them, his expression now carefully composed, he gently pulled the map from Snape's hand.

"I think you'll agree that this has to be investigated."

Snape's eyes darted toward Sirius, his expression more alive with hatred now than Harry had ever seen it. Lupin also caught the direction of his gaze, and with an impatient snap of his fingers, out of character with his usual gentle nature, he secured Snape's attention once more.

"This is not the time to settle old grudges, Severus!" he said, "We have to see if this is true."

Reluctantly, Snape agreed. He flicked his wand, and thick black ropes uncoiled in midair, wrapping themselves tightly around Sirius's wrists. Sirius gave a cry of surprise and staggered slightly. While Harry shouted in protest, Lupin merely rolled his eyes and looked at Snape.

"Was that really necessary?"

"We're going to see what this is all about, aren't we?" Snape asked, "You can't expect me to leave him..." He gestured rudely toward Sirius, "...Where I can't keep an eye on him? For all I know, this is all an elaborate scheme to reunite with your old friend. I won't give him another chance to escape."

And so it was decided. They would all be returning to the Great Hall, prepared to confront Peter Pettigrew at last.