A/N: Hey everyone! My cousins from Canada are here—yay! We're going to Six Flags Amusement Park this Friday and I'm sooo excited! Yippy for fast rides! Anyways, here's the next chapter for ya, I hope you like it.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Chapter 11

Finding Scabbers

The next five months were uneventful for Sirius. He spent most of his time lying low, for he knew that after his run-in with Ron, security at the castle would have increased ten-fold, and he didn't want to risk his freedom again.

 Sirius found himself thinking less about Peter and more about Belle as the months wore on. Sometimes, without his realizing it, he would start planning out what he would say the next time he saw her… what she would answer, and what he would say back. He wanted to see her again almost as much as he wanted to suffocate Peter until he squirmed. He decided that the first chance he got, he would go back to see her.

He also wanted to see Harry. Sure, he had seen Harry, but he wanted to talk to him and tell him everything. He also decided that he wanted Harry to move in with him… of course, if Harry wanted to. It was a leap of faith just to ask him, but Sirius was willing to take the chance of being shot down just for the chance of raising his best friends' son.

When June came around, Sirius knew that if he didn't find Peter soon, he was going to miss his chance—again. Every night, even though Crookshanks had advised against it, Sirius came to Hogwarts to look around. He didn't go inside the castle—he left that to the cat—but waited outside for Crookshanks to report to him every so often.

He was starting to get worried that he would run out of time, as he watched from the edge of the forest as the students went through exam week at Hogwarts. But one evening, Sirius heard something that sparked his interest, and he knew he had to follow.

As he was stalking around in the woods behind Hagrid, the gamekeeper's, hut, Sirius heard some anxious whispers that caught his attention. Coming closer for a better view, he heard Harry, Ron and Hermione's voices along with Hagrid's in his house. It was odd; he hadn't thought he'd seen the three kids walking to Hagrid's house.

Suddenly, Sirius heard terrified squeaks coming from inside the hut, and Sirius smiled to himself. Found you, Peter.

"Scabbers! Scabbers, what are you doing here?" Sirius heard Ron call, accompanied by more frantic squeaks.

Moments later, the backdoor opened and Hagrid was ushering nobody outside into his pumpkin patch, where a large sized hippogriff was sitting, looking uncomfortable.

"Hagrid, we can't—"

"We'll tell them what really happened—"

"They can't kill him—"

So the hippogriff was going to be killed? Sirius was confused, but he had to follow the invisible people—they had Peter, or Scabbers, or whoever.

Sirius realized with horror that the Minister of Magic was now just inside Hagrid's cabin with Dumbledore and Macnair and another old man Sirius had never seen before. He could hear their muffled voices reading off some official sounding document.

But suddenly, to Sirius's confusion, someone jumped out from behind the huge pumpkins and walked cautiously towards the hippogriff, careful not to break eye contact with the creature. The boy was too far away for Sirius to see who it was, but Sirius watched from the shadows of the forest with interest all the same. The boy muttered to the hippogriff, tugging on its rope anxiously.

"Well, let's get this over with. Hagrid, perhaps it would be better if you stay inside…" Said the old man gently from inside the cabin. Sirius was snapped back to the reality that the Minister was coming outside right now. However much Sirius wanted to watch what this crazy person was attempting, he knew he had to get out of here before the Minister saw him.

"No, I—I wan' ter be with him… I don wan' him ter be alone—"

The boy successfully pulled the hippogriff back around the pumpkins, and from there, Sirius assumed, into the trees.

Sirius really didn't want hear the Minister's reaction when he found out that this hippogriff had escaped, nor did he want to lose Peter, like it seemed he already had. Therefore, Sirius bounded away from Hagrid's cabin, where he heard the thunk of an axe into the ground.

Still sheltered by the trees, Sirius was trying to think fast of a way to get into the castle. He had to get Peter tonight, or Ron would take him home, and Sirius would have lost his chance for a whole year.

But then, out of nowhere, Ron appeared and started running after something in the grass. Sirius knew in an instant Ron was chasing after Peter. From a few feet away, Crookshanks ran out of the trees, hurtling himself at Ron and the rat.

"Get away from him—get away—Scabbers, come here—" Ron shouted, but Crookshanks leapt on Ron, just as Ron lunged at Peter. "Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat—"

Harry and Hermione were running at full sprint after Ron and they slid to a stop right next to him. Harry was holding something shiny and silvery and Hermione was urging Ron to get under it, and Sirius pieced together that this must be James's invisibility cloak. But Sirius couldn't wait a second longer—if they went under that cloak, Sirius probably wouldn't be able to find them again. It was now or never.

He raced out of the trees, heading straight for the lump in Ron's pocket. But Harry jumped in the way, with his wand out. Look out!  Sirius landed messily right on Harry's chest, knocking him to the ground and leaving him winded. Sirius jumped around instantly, before they could curse him, and grabbed Ron by the arm.

Harry lunged at Sirius, pulling on his fur, fighting for his friend. But Sirius just kept yanking a struggling Ron towards the Whomping Willow. He had to get out of plain sight if he wanted to transform and kill Peter. Sirius easily dodged the whipping branches and Ron kept trying to claw the grass, trying to hold Sirius back.

Sirius pulled Ron down the tunnel, but Ron refused to go down without a fight. He hooked his leg on a root. Sirius gave a vicious tug, and there was a grisly crack and Sirius was afraid that he had broken Ron's leg.

But he couldn't stop—not now; he was too close. He continued to drag Ron, who was now whimpering, but still trying to grab onto anything he could.

"Harry! Hermione! Help!" He shouted.

"Please don't." Sirius said, quickly transforming at the trapdoor of the Shrieking Shack. "Do you still have the rat?"

"You're… you're Sirius Black!" Ron cried.

"We have a genius on our hands!" Sirius said sarcastically, taking Ron's wand from him. But shaking his head when he saw Ron struggling to his feet, he added, "Come on, you should get off that leg…"

"Get away… don't…" Ron murmured. Sirius made to carry Ron, but he wouldn't let him. So, Sirius dragged a struggling Ron laboriously up the stairs, and into a deserted bedroom. Sirius heard someone downstairs and he knew it was Harry. Sirius moved into the shadows. Ron crawled towards the bed, intending to get as far away from Black-the-murderer as possible.

Through the door came Crookshanks, who leapt right over Ron and onto the grimy bed, where he sat purring.

"I knew you were bad from the start…" Ron muttered to the cat, clutching his leg.

"You don't know anything." Sirius answered softly.

"Ron—are you okay?" Hermione and Harry came dashing over to Ron, with Hermione in the lead.

"Where's the dog?" Harry asked.

"Not a dog." Ron groaned. "Harry, it's a trap—" Harry looked confused. "He's the dog… he's an Animagus…"

Harry turned suddenly, for Ron was staring at Sirius. Instantly, Sirius slammed the door with a creak.

"Expelliarmus!" Sirius said, his voice cracking with sudden nerves. Harry and Hermione's wands came flying to him and he caught them with one hand. He was staring at Harry, longing to just tell him everything, but no words could come to mind. "I thought you'd come and help your friend. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher." Sirius chuckled slightly, thinking of Peter and how he was still quivering in Ron's pocket. "I'm grateful… it will make everything much easier…"

Harry was staring at him with fire in his eyes. It hurt Sirius to have him staring at him like that, but Harry didn't know any better…Without warning, Harry started for Sirius, his eyes glinting with hate.

"No, Harry!"

Ron was back on his feet, as he and Hermione grabbed Harry's arms and held him back. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!"

Kill Harry… Sirius felt like he had been hit with a ton of bricks. He would never…

Sirius was brought back to earth when he saw the color of Ron's face. He looked sick to his stomach. "Lie down," He said making to help Ron onto the bed. "You'll damage that leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" Ron cried. The only thing that was keeping him standing was Harry's shoulder. "You'll have to kill all three of us!"

Sirius's face broke into a smile. "There will only be one murder here tonight."

"Why's that?" Harry said angrily. He was struggling against Ron and Hermione again. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those Muggles to get at Pettigrew… what's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Harry! Be quiet!" Hermione moaned.

"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs. Before Sirius knew what happened, Harry was attacking him, one hand holding down Sirius's hand with the three wands and his other was balled up in a fist, punching Sirius ferociously. Sirius's back hit the wall, and he undecidedly shot sparks towards Harry—but not at him… never at him. Harry, however, wasn't going to give up, so, with no other choice, Sirius reached for Harry's throat.

"No… I've waited too long—" Sirius tightened his grip for a short instant, before Hermione came out of nowhere and kicked Sirius as hard as she could, while Ron leaped for the wands. Sirius lost grip of the wands and they clattered to the floor. Harry went after his own wand. But Crookshanks, knowing the whole story, jumped on it too.

"NO YOU DON'T!" Harry screamed at the cat, which moved, spitting at him. Sirius didn't move from the wall. "Get out of the way!" Harry said to Ron and Hermione, and they quickly moved back to the bed. Harry approached Sirius slowly, one livid step at a time. Sirius watched him, chest heaving. Harry lowered his wand to point right at Sirius's heart.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" Sirius asked him softly.

Every part of Sirius was aching, but not as much as it stung to see the hatred in Harry's face.

"You killed my parents."

Sirius was silent for a moment, as those four words sunk in. "I don't deny it," He barely whispered. "But if you knew the whole story."

"The whole story?" Harry repeated. He was infuriated again. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."

"You've got to listen to me. You'll regret it if you don't… You don't understand…" Sirius had to tell him—right now, before Harry killed him. He didn't doubt for a moment that Harry wouldn't do it.

"I understand a lot better than you think," Harry's voice was trembling terribly, but his anger was more than obvious. "You never heard her, did you? My mum… trying to stop Voldemort killing me… and you did that… you did it…"

Sirius felt on the verge of tears, suddenly. Harry heard Lily… and it was his fault… Harry, you're right, you're so right… I did it…

Before Sirius could answer, or Harry could say anything else, Crookshanks flew by and stood on Sirius's chest, crouched low over Sirius's heart.

"Get off…" Sirius tried to push the stupid and impetuous cat off of him. He could handle this.

But Crookshanks wouldn't budge. Everything was as silent as the grave. Sirius could almost hear the thoughts whipping around in Harry's head… Kill him… he killed your parents… he's a jerk, don't trust him… he's a murderer… a murderer…

But downstairs, Sirius heard someone moving. He prayed it wasn't the Ministry. Please be Dumbledore… Harry will listen to Dumbledore…

"WE'RE UP HERE! WE'RE UP HERE—SIRIUS BLACK—QUICK!" Hermione screamed.

Red sparks caused the door to fly open on Sirius's left. It was Remus Lupin. Sirius's first thought was, Why is he here? But he could honestly care less… he was here.

 Remus's eyes flew around the room, taking in the whole scene. Remus instantly shouted a disarming spell, and he caught all the wands with less grace than Sirius had. Sirius glanced at Harry, who was looking rather empty and then at Remus.

"Where is he, Sirius?" Remus asked him. Sirius's eyes brightened. Remus knew Peter was alive. Sirius slowly pointed to Ron's pocket. Harry and Hermione looked at Ron, who appeared terrified.

Remus was staring at Sirius. "But then… why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless—" Remus understood. He knew. Sirius was saved. "Unless he was the one… unless you switched… without telling me?"

Sirius nodded.

"Professor, what's going on—?" But Harry cut himself off, as Remus put out his hand and pulled Sirius to his feet. Sirius hugged Remus tightly; it felt so good to have his friend on his side again.