Harry went forward trying to help. "Harry, look out!" Hermione cried as a huge branch came pounding down towards him. Harry just managed to get out of the way in time.

Erin was hit in the stomach and knocked completely off her feet. She fell heavily on her back. She struggled to sit up and watched surprised as the other two dodged the branches. She got to her feet with great effort and watched trying to figure out what to do about the branches.

Hermione and Harry struggled to dodge the thumping and thwacking branches but eventually one managed to knock Harry off his feet, rather hard actually, his glasses fell a foot or two away and everything became a horrible blur. Hermione managed to jump the first whipping branch, but when she tried the second time it caught her. Instead of being thrown, she held on, screaming her lungs out as it whipped her violently through the air.

"Great." Erin moaned. Man, getting hit by the stupid Willow was worse than cramps. Ah well, she did what she was good at. She rushed forward through the branches and considered transforming for a moment to get below them but that probably wouldn't be a good idea. She was hit in the back and luckily for her it sent her strait into the hole.

Harry felt around for his glasses and found them just in time too. Hermione called out to him and as she flew past she grabbed him by the shirt. At the first chance she flung him towards the hole through which he tumbled down into the darkness, accidentally landing on someone with a grunt. A second later he heard Hermione's scream and she tumbled down as well, landing on him, sandwiching him between herself and Erin. He groaned.

"Sorry." Hermione said crawling off them embarrassed. She offered to help them both up. Harry smiled slightly at Erin in the dark and took the hand Hermione offered him, and then they both helped Erin off the ground. "You both okay?" He asked.

"You know, I wouldn't really mind you on me, Harry, but I would rather it be during different circumstances." Erin put her hands on the back on her waist and arched stretched out her back.

Harry would've answered, but Hermione beat him to it. "Now is not the time. We have to find Ron." She insisted, following the underground path up. It would eventually lead them all three into the Shrieking Shack of all places. They carefully made their way up the stairs in search of Ron.

Erin looked around as the emerged in the Shack. It was dusty and the only things disturbing the dust were fresh drag marks and paws. Upstairs they heard Ron's cry.

"Ron!" Hermione called, racing up the stairs, she was the first to run into an empty room, Harry and Erin following shortly after her. "Ron, are you okay?" Hermione asked worriedly not realizing they weren't alone.

Ron pointed frantically behind them. "Harry, it's a trap! He's the dog. He's an Animagus."

They turned to see a tall man with a tattered brown coat on and long unkempt hair. "Dad..." Erin whispered.

The three grouped together in front of Ron as the man stepped forward. Protectively huddling together. Hermione put herself in front of the others, staring defiantly at the man. "If you want to kill Harry you'll have to kill us first!" She warned him.

Sirius's gaze seemed fixed on something else, passed them. "Only one will die tonight." He claimed cryptically, moving towards Ron's general direction.

"Dad, no…" Erin begged.

"Then it will be you!" Harry shouted, producing his wand. Giving Sirius slight pause. Before Harry could do a thing the wand was knocked out of his hand by some unknown source of magic. It was then that they saw Professor Lupin enter the room with his wand at the ready.

Remus Lupin stepped forward, eyeing Sirius slowly, his wand still somewhat raised defensively. "Well, well..." He said. "Sirius. Looking rather ragged, aren't we? Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within." He said as he stepped into the room.

Sirius almost seemed to shrug at his comment, goading him back. "Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you Remus?" He asked, almost teasingly and then the pair did something Harry never expected. They embraced as old friends would, slapping each other on the back. He couldn't believe what he saw. And neither could Hermione.

"No! I trusted you!" Harry cried. "And all this... you've been his friend?" Hermione piped up then. "He's a werewolf Harry! That's why he's been missing classes!"

Erin saw Remus' eyes flick to her. "I didn't tell her, Remus. I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" Erin looked over at her friends apologetically and shrugged. Ron looked up at her in surprise.

"How long have you known?" Remus asked Hermione.

She was busy watching Remus. "Since Professor Snape set the essay." She replied, to which Remus had to smile at her quick thinking.

"Well, well, well, Hermione, you really are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met." He complimented, but Hermione was not so impressed.

If he hadn't snapped before he certainly was by now. The anticipation was getting to Sirius. "Enough talk, Remus! Come on let's kill him!" He begged, starting towards Ron.

Remus drew out a hand to stop him. "Wait."

Sirius practically writhed with anxiousness. "I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!" He cried sounding quite unhinged with the weight of all that time.

Erin gasped just staring at her father.

Lupin relented, the calmer of the two. "Very well. Kill him. But wait one more minute. Harry has the right to know why."

Harry didn't bother to wait any longer by staying quiet. "I know why." He shouted, staring at Sirius. "You betrayed my parents. You're the reason they're dead!"

Remus' expression fell, being something of the peacekeeper amongst this strange gathering. "No, Harry it wasn't him. Someone did betray your parents but it was somebody who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead."

Hermione looked lost, but curious and Harry, through his fury could only ask. "Who was it then?"

Sirius lost it! Would have absolutely no more of this waiting! "Peter Pettigrew! And he's here in this room! Right now!" He cried, an eerie sort of smile appearing on his face as he crept towards the children "Come out, come out, Peter! Come out, come out and play!"

Suddenly Snape burst into the room. "Expelliarmus." The wand in Remus' hand flew out of it. "Vengeance is sweet. How I hoped to be the one to catch you." Remus tried to intercede but Snape turned his wand to him momentarily.

"I told Dumbledore, you were helping an old friend into the castle. And now here's the proof."

Sirius practically chuckled at this turn of events. "Brilliant, Snape. Once again, you put your keen and penetrating mind to the task and come to the wrong conclusion. Now, if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have unfinished business to attend to." He explained, all the more ready to proceed.

Snape turned his wand on Sirius again. "Give me a reason, I beg you."

All this time Erin's anger was mounting at the sight of Snape. Her hand clutched her wand.

Remus could not stay quiet. "Severus, don't be a fool!"

Sirius was again filled with mad delight. "He can't help it. It's habit."

Remus almost sighed, looking to his old friend. "Sirius, be quiet." He urged.

Sirius would have none of this. "Be quiet yourself, Remus."

Snape sighed. "God, you two, quarreling like an old married couple."

"Oh! Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set?" Sirius said goadingly, ready to wave Snape off.

"I could do it, you know. But why deny the Dementor's? They're so longing to see you. Do I detect a flicker of fear? Oh, yes. A Dementor's Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best."

The wand and the person that came between him and Sirius surprised Snape. "Snape, if you say one more word I will kill you myself." Erin said.

"Don't be a fool, girl!" Snape snapped.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry called, Snape instantly thrown to the back wall, churning up dust and debris in his wake. Harry stood, brandishing Hermione's wand.

"Harry, Erin have you gone mad?" Ron asked from the couch staring at them both like they were crazy.

"You attacked a teacher." Hermione said, mouth agape.

Harry didn't care, even the hint of threat and he had just reacted on emotion alone. Turning to Remus he demanded. "Tell me about Peter Pettigrew."

"He was at school with us. We thought he was our friend." Remus began to explain before Harry stopped him.

"No, Pettigrew's dead. You killed him!" He said, turning on Sirius.

Remus continued, cutting in gently, but sternly. "No, he didn't. I thought so too until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map!"

Harry couldn't believe that. "The map was lying then!"

Sirius shook his head wildly. "The map never lies! Pettigrew's alive! And he's right there!" He cried, pointing a bony finger at Ron!

"Me?" Ron cried trying to hold onto the scrambling rat. "He's mental."

Sirius shook his head. "Not you! Your rat!" He cried, pointing at Scabbers.

Ron looked surprised. "Scabbers? But he's been in my family for-"

"Twelve years?" Sirius cut in. "Curious long life for a common garden rat! He's missing a toe, isn't he?" He asked as he stalked towards the boy.

"So what?" Ron asked panicking.

It dawned on Harry just then. "All they could find of Pettigrew was his-"

Sirius finished for him. Now they were finally getting it. "Finger! The dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead! And then he transformed into a rat!" Sirius growled, glaring at Peter.

"Show me!" Harry demanded.

"What are you trying to do to him?" Ron wailed. "Scabbers! Leave him alone! Get off him! What are you doing?"

Sirius dove for Peter but missed as the rat scurried away, he almost would have escaped if it wasn't for some quick wand work and just as "Scabbers" was fleeing for his life through a whole in the wall he began to change back into well...something resembling a man.

Erin looked wide-eyed at the thing in front of her as her father and Remus pulled the man out of the door. He was short and bald and looked distinctly like a rat. "Remus? Sirius. My old friends!" He tried to get away. He was promptly grabbed and pushed back into the room by both men.

Peter looked wildly around and his eyes landed on Harry. "Harry! Look at you. You look so much like your father, like James. We were the best of friends-"

Harry backed away a bit, staring down at Peter in disgust. His attention was torn away as Sirius sneered at him angrily. "How dare you speak to Harry? How dare you talk about James in front of him?" He cried.

Remus glared at Peter too. "You sold James and Lily to Voldemort didn't you?" He excused.

"I didn't mean to." He whined then his eyes fell on Erin. "Erin...you are so beautiful just like your mother. You have her eyes...you know. She would have-"

Sirius eyes widened even more; he put himself between Peter and his daughter. "How dare you Pettigrew? Do not so much as look at her or you're as good as dead where you stand." He growled.

Remus put a hand on Sirius's arm to keep him at bay. "Peter, stop avoiding the question. You'll not use the children as your scapegoat."

Peter shuddered. "Xenia would have spared me! She would have! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself, Sirius! What would you have done? What would you have done?"

"I would have died!" Sirius yelled. "Rather than betray the only people I've ever loved!"

Pettigrew darted under the table and ran into both Erin and Harry in the doorway. "Harry, Erin...James and Xenia wouldn't have wanted me killed! Your dad would have spared me! He would have shown me mercy! Your mum was the kindest witch I ever knew!"

"Then why did you betray her to Voldemort?" Erin cried out. "How could you sell my mum and Harry's parents to him?"

Peter cowered. "Xenia, wasn't supposed to die...I loved her...she was just so beautiful. Sirius didn't deserve her."

Sirius immediately lunged at Peter, actually sounding more like the black dog he ran around as rather than the man he resembled now. Remus barely kept him from strangling Peter as he cowered away from them. "Shut up, you! As if you could have EVER deserved her! You were never so worthy as to ever walk in her shadow! No one was! But I much more than you, you filth! You should have realized if Voldemort didn't kill you then we would." Sirius replied, closing in on him.

Remus was close behind him now. "Together!"

"No!" Harry shouted.

Remus looked in confusion at Harry. "Harry, this man-"

Harry cut him off. "I know what he is. But we'll take him to the castle."

Peter kneeled down in front of Harry. "Bless you, boy! Bless you!

Harry backed away from him, once more disgusted. "Get off! I said we'd take you to the castle." Harry said. "After that, the Dementors can have you."