(A/N: Another chapter and more to come real soon!)
The men entering the Great Hall parted to revel Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. The Minister looked flustered and a little scared. The men with him were all wearing Auror robes and were busy pulling on a number of chains. The chains were attached to what at first glance appeared to be a wild beast but with more careful examination could be seen to be a man, fifthly, wearing rags and with wild unkempt black hair but still a man. Some of the older students recognised the man in chains. He was reputed to be Voldemort's second in charge, Sirius Black. They shrieked in shock at his presence here in the Great Hall at Hogwarts.
"Really Dumbledore, I don't see why it is so important to have this criminal brought here tonight." Fudge complained as he reached the staff table. The headmaster was as surprised at the Ministers words as anyone.
"I sent for him in your name, Headmaster." Harry Potter said loudly and continued in a voice with a tone that held a darkness far beyond his tender years. "Tonight I will avenge my parents death on the traitor that betrayed them and for that I needed Sirius Black here." The ringing statement got everyone's attention.
Unnoticed, another wizard entered the Great Hall just in time to hear Harry Potter speak these words. He was dressed in old patched robes and he was clearly startled by Harry's words of vengeance. He looked quite ill and was somewhat unsteady on his feet. He kept to the back in the shadow of the doors. He had received the letter from his best friend's son to come here tonight and although he was puzzled about how the boy knew about him, he acknowledged the debt of friendship the boy had called on and even feeling the after effects of the last full moon, nothing was going to stop him being here tonight. What he had not expected was to find the traitor here as well. The man that he had also considered his best friend. The one who had gone over to the dark side and had betrayed them all. Remus Lupin was always considered the mild mannered one of the group of friends known as the marauders but that did not mean he could not feel anger. Right at the moment he realised who the prisoner was, he felt an all-consuming rage in his heart and it was all he could do to stop himself transforming into the wolf. He knew he had to wait his chance. When the opportunity presented itself he would indeed transform and ripe out the throat of the traitor. If the Aurors killed him after that, so what! He would die satisfied that the traitor was dead.
Harry meanwhile held the attention of everyone in the hall and walking right up to the unkempt prisoner and stared him in the face. "I know everything! Tonight it ends!" he said to the man in a quiet but lethal voice.
Sirius Black eyes filled with tears, he shook his head and in a voice long unused he crocked "No!"
But Harry Potter raised his wand and spinning around he cried "Accio rat"
From the hands of Ron Weasley flew Scabbers. The rat landed in Harry Potter's outstretched hands. "I am sorry Ron but this has got to be done," Harry said to his friend. Ron was horrified. He didn't know what Harry was going to do but he guessed it was not going to be anything good to Scabbers the way Harry had the rat in a death grip.
"Harry, no!" Ron shouted but it was too late, Harry with tip of his wand held against the rats head said, "Well Peter aren't you going to join the party or do I have to convince you by more extreme means?" With that Harry's wand let fly a small spark that hit the rat.
The rat squealed and suddenly transformed into a short fat man wearing old wizard robes, as Harry dropped him to the stone floor. "No please, don't hurt me," he shouted.
"Oh my god! That's Peter Pettigrew!" the minister shouted. A number of others in the hall had also recognized the man that all thought was murdered by Black after his betrayal of the Potters.
"This is the one who was chosen to be my parents secret keeper. The one who betrayed them to Voldemort. The one who staged his own death to frame my godfather for his betrayal and the one who killed the innocent muggles in the process." Harry said looking down at the cowering man at his feet. Harry Potter had taken on an auror of shear power that stunned all in the hall. The air around the boy was charged with magical energy and it was not all of the light. Dark energies flowed strongly in and around the boy. Many in the hall were beginning to grow afraid of the boy-who-lived. But two present were not terrified of the boy, two who only had eyes for the cowering wizard on the floor. With a feral cry Sirius Black leapt forward taking by surprise the Aurors that held his chains. Transforming to his animagus form he slipped from his chains and leapt snarling at Peter Pettigrew. Remus Lupin was only slightly slower to react. He transformed and leapt over the surprised Aurors.
Peter Petrigue worst nightmare had turned true. The snarling forms of the grim and the werewolf confronted him. He saw his death in their eyes and squealed as he tried to scamper away. But he was held in place by some strange magic that emanated from the boy. What he didn't know was that the dog and the werewolf were also held back from him by the same magic.
"NO!" Harry Potter shouted at Sirius and Remus. "Vengeance for my parents is mine! Not yours." The dog and werewolf looked up at Harry and they were helped by those vivid eyes that burned with green fire. They felt themselves transforming back into their human forms and were soon standing side by side next to the still whimpering wizard on the floor.
Harry approached Sirius and taking the mans hands into his own and using a gentle voice told him "I don't want you to do anything that will land you back in that awful pace. I know you are innocent and I want you to be free." Sirius stood rigidly still as Harry's eyes held a kindness and joy that Sirius had never expected to see again in his tormented life. Remus stood next to him blinking as Harry's words sunk in. Sirius was innocent! Remus felt the shame at his years of hating his friend. He turned away but was suddenly restrained by the gentle touch of the boy's hand on his arm.
"Remus, don't go!" Harry said softly, "There is much to be set right tonight and I need both my godfathers here to do it." Remus turned back to look at the boy. No one knew that his parents had made both their friends the boy's godfather. Only Sirius could be officially listed, as the ministry did not accept werewolves for such things. Remus could only nod at the boy but his heart flushed with a joy he thought long dead.
Harry turned his attention back to the others in the Great Hall. The place was in chaos. The students had fled to the sidewalls of the Great Hall when the grim and the werewolf had leapt into their midst. The staff, lead by the headmaster, had drawn their wands and stood in front of the students ready to protect them with their lives if necessary. The Aurors, wands drawn and in formation, were poised to attack while the Minister was behind them muttering orders.
"This man is innocent of all charges," Harry announced to the hall indicating Sirius. "Peter Pettigrew is the one who belongs in Azkaban."
The sudden announcement stopped the Aurors in their tracks. The minister was confused. Sirius Black innocent? How could this be but here was the man he was supposed to have murdered, alive and living in hiding as a pet rat, exposed by the son of the Potters.
The minister turned to the headmaster for guidance. Dumbledore simply shrugged as he put his own wand away and told the minister, "It would seem the only explanation for what has been revelled here tonight." Dumbledore then announced to the Hall, "It would seem the danger has passed, please resume your seats. Prefects please get your houses back to their tables."
The students did as they were told but they made sure they did not go near the men who moments ago were terrifying animals.
The minister while still confused gestured to his men to take Pettigrew into custody. "But I am afraid until we sort this all out, Sirius Black…"
"Will be released into the custody of Remus Lupin!" Harry Potter interrupted.
The minister again glanced at the headmaster who merely nodded. "Very well he is released to the custody of Remus Lupin pending a full investigation into this affair."
Harry waved his hand and the chains that had bound Sirius Black sprung open. The Aurors still holding the other ends of those chains just gaped at the boy's abilities. Those chains were supposed to be impervious to all unlocking charms. Another flick of his hand and Harry Potter sent the chains flying towards Peter Pettigrew and instantly he was chained up as Sirius had been. He would not be getting away this time.
"Don't even think about trying to transform." Harry said in a cold voice directed at Peter Pettigrew. "I assure you, you would not like the results." Pettigrew quivered in fear, somehow knowing the boy was speaking the truth.
Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were too shocked to move as they still stood next to each other as Peter Pettigrew was dragged away by the Aurors.
"You are both innocent of all fault in my parents deaths. You two have much to catch up upon. Prongs would have wanted it this way. Don't waste this second chance moony, padfoot." Harry told the two men. They gaped at his use of their secret nicknames.
"Oh that reminds me Moony" Harry said and then he suddenly plunged his hand into Remus Lupins chest. Remus screamed in agony and people in the hall stared in horror at Harry Potter. But Harry pulled back his hand leaving a dazed Remus Lupin with an undamaged chest. But clutched in Harry Potter's hand was an almost spirit entity. It was a hideous beast of fang and claw but without real substance and in the light of the hall it withered away to nothingness. "That's better. No need for you to fear the full moon now." Harry said as Remus realised, for the first time in his life, he could not feel the beast inside him clawing to get out. Harry Potter had done the impossible and cured him of being a werewolf.
"Harry, how?" Remus began to ask.
"It was a simple thing Remus." Harry replied gently, "You deserve a life free from that terror. Go now and talk to Padfoot. He needs healing too and you are the one to do it."
"Harry?" Professor Dumbledore said attracting the attention of his most surprising student, "I trust that is the end of the excitement for the night?" The man's tone had a strong desire for a more peaceful evening and by the expressions on the faces of the others in the Great Hall, he was not alone in that desire.
"Well, there are still one or two small things, Headmaster." Harry said sweetly.