DISCLAIMER: My sister wants to be a lawyer and it frightens me. Please
don't threaten me with lawyers. I own nothing of import here (except maybe
an idea or two)
AN: I WILL keep updating, never fear.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Remus stomped down the hallway being careful to bump the rat he was holding on anything sticking out into the corridor.
When they reached an empty classroom, Remus threw open the door and shot inside.
When Harry, Ron and Dumbledore had entered the room Remus had finished looking over it for any eavesdroppers and putting a silencing charm on the door.
"I've found him, Professor," Remus said, anger discernable in his calm voice.
Professor Dumbledore smiled curiously.
"I've found the Rat," Remus said.
"That's my rat!" Ron said suddenly, finding his voice.
"No," said Remus, "It's Peter."
Albus Dumbledore, a slightly more curious and a little confused look in his eyes, asked, "Remus, is there something you forgot to mention to me?"
Remus looked at the rat as if it had asked him the question, "Yes," Remus said coldly, "He's an animagus."
The headmaster's eyes now held an appraising look, "I see. And James? Sirius?"
"They were animagus too," said Remus, "James was a stag, Sirius a dog." Remus paused, "And Peter. . . THIS RAT!"
Harry thought Dumbledore's eyes were as big as they would ever get on such an old and obviously important man.
Remus was shaking the rat again.
"Well, Remus, I assume you know the spell?" Dumbledore asked.
Remus nodded.
Harry and Ron were confused. . . still.
((AN: hehehe, Harry and Ron are young and easily confused. I think that is funny, hehehe))
"On three?" Remus asked.
Dumbledore nodded.
"One. . ." said Remus.
"Two. . ." Dumbledore said in a strangely calm voice.
"Three!" bellowed Remus.
In less than a minute, Harry and Ron saw a short, balding man with a pointed face standing directly beneath Remus' hand. The man was ringing his hands and wheezing.
"H- hello, R-Remus. D-Dumbledore." said the man, "S-so nice to s-see you."
"Why hello, Mr. Pettigrew," said the headmaster, pleasantly.
"You kn-know this is the s-strangest thing. . . you w-wouldn't believe it, b-but Sirius tried to place the b-blame on me," Pettigrew said, trembling.
"He did?" asked Remus coolly.
"Yes, but I'm innocent! Sirius B-Black did them all and wanted to b-blame me! I'm innocent!"
"Why, then, did you decide to spend ten years as a rat?" Remus asked grimly.
"I-I was afraid. Afraid the B-Betrayer would c-come after me. Would hurt me!"
"He's in Azkaban, Peter," Remus said, coldly, "He was sent to Azkaban for the murders of a street full of muggles and you. He couldn't have come after you or hurt you."
"B-but what if he was l-let out?"
Remus made a dry sound that may have been mistaken for a laugh.
"He was sentenced to lifetime in Azkaban. He wouldn't have been let out," he replied.
"Then there was you, Remus. He would have persuaded you a-and had you hate me. Try to kill me. I was afraid you would kill me, Remus," his voice was so pitiful, Remus almost felt his heart loosen a little for the man. But then, ten years as a rat would be slightly less awful than ten years in Azkaban Prison.
Remus sighed and looked at Dumbledore. The headmaster was still smiling, but Remus could see that his eyes were frowning.
When he spoke, Dumbledore's voice was smooth and calm, "Mister Pettigrew, I regret to inform you that we shall have to escort you the Ministry of Magic as soon as possible to get this problem cleared up."
Peter Pettigrew trembled, "A-alright, P-Professor D-Dumbledore. I'll go, but don't let them hurt me. P-please."
"Don't worry, Peter. We will figure this out," Albus Dumbledore assured him, although there was a slightly dismayed sound in his voice.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sirius yawned.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Life in Azkaban was much the same as usual.
Drip.
Drip.
Sirius dipped his hand into the water and shivered at the cool feeling against his bare skin. Cupping his hand, he lifted the small amount of water up to his face and splashed it against him.
Rejoicing in the change from the ordinary, Sirius ran his hands through his matted hair and grinned manically.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Laying down on the ground, Sirius wondered what Remus was doing, and whether he had found any sign of the Rat yet. It was almost time for the full moon (each of the Marauders had a calendar of sorts engrained in their minds from their school days) and Sirius couldn't help thinking, once again, that poor Remus- Moony- would have to suffer it by himself.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Suddenly restless, Sirius sat up and closed his eyes. He forced his mind into the form of a great black dog. With a small popping sound, Padfoot sat where Sirius Black had been moments before.
Strangely anxious and with nothing else to do, the great black dog that was Sirius Black paced.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
The dog was agitated. Strangely he didn't dwell on hunger (he hadn't eaten for about a week) or boredom- only the disquieted feeling he had.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
The dog stopped and turned toward the small puddle that was continually growing in the corner of his cell.
Cocking his head for a moment, the dog approached the bit of water.
He growled.
There was something moving in the depths of the puddle.
Leaning closer and, with another popping sound turning again into the man, moving his hair out of his way with a hand, he could make out the figures.
From a view above a dark corridor, Sirius saw a person he knew he would know anywhere.
Remus was standing in the dark hallway next to two boys who looked remarkably alike. 'In fact,' Sirius thought, 'I'm quite sure they're twins.'
Less than three drips later, Remus had taken a piece of parchment from them and, leaving them staring at him from behind, walked away. He stopped only once to say something to the twins but what it was, Sirius couldn't tell: the water didn't give sound.
'Am I going crazy?' Sirius wondered, 'I didn't think I would start seeing crazy things like this before I died. . . or maybe,' he thought, disgusted, 'maybe mother was right and the Blacks do have some talent in the scrying field.'
The convict frowned, thinking of his mother, but then turned his attention back to the puddle.
Sirius watched as the figure of Remus Lupin walked into the library and situated himself on a small table far away from anyone else.
3243 drips later another figure approached the table in the library. For a while the other figure stared at Remus as if waiting for a response of any kind, but he was sadly mistaken. Not long after, the second figure disappeared out of the library.
626 more drips later, Remus moved. He pulled out his wand and made to touch the parchment with his wand, but stopped before he did.
After another couple drips, Remus stood up and swept from the library and down numerous halls before reaching another pair of figures.
Sirius, having been balanced precariously on the balls of his feet, went toppling over in shock.
When he righted himself he saw Remus conversing with a boy who looked similar to the twins (perhaps a bit less stocky- a bit more gangly) and another who- Sirius had no doubt whatsoever- was James Potter's son. Harry Potter.
The convict smiled briefly, but then, realizing his mistake, stopped and cleared his mind.
'I'm innocent. It was Peter. I'm innocent.'
The dementors were coming.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Seems as good a place as any to end it. I dunno how long it'll take for me to update again.
Reviews always help speed the process 'cause then I know what I'm doin wrong, and sometimes they give me ideas.
Now I'm not hinting anything, but. . .
AN: I WILL keep updating, never fear.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Remus stomped down the hallway being careful to bump the rat he was holding on anything sticking out into the corridor.
When they reached an empty classroom, Remus threw open the door and shot inside.
When Harry, Ron and Dumbledore had entered the room Remus had finished looking over it for any eavesdroppers and putting a silencing charm on the door.
"I've found him, Professor," Remus said, anger discernable in his calm voice.
Professor Dumbledore smiled curiously.
"I've found the Rat," Remus said.
"That's my rat!" Ron said suddenly, finding his voice.
"No," said Remus, "It's Peter."
Albus Dumbledore, a slightly more curious and a little confused look in his eyes, asked, "Remus, is there something you forgot to mention to me?"
Remus looked at the rat as if it had asked him the question, "Yes," Remus said coldly, "He's an animagus."
The headmaster's eyes now held an appraising look, "I see. And James? Sirius?"
"They were animagus too," said Remus, "James was a stag, Sirius a dog." Remus paused, "And Peter. . . THIS RAT!"
Harry thought Dumbledore's eyes were as big as they would ever get on such an old and obviously important man.
Remus was shaking the rat again.
"Well, Remus, I assume you know the spell?" Dumbledore asked.
Remus nodded.
Harry and Ron were confused. . . still.
((AN: hehehe, Harry and Ron are young and easily confused. I think that is funny, hehehe))
"On three?" Remus asked.
Dumbledore nodded.
"One. . ." said Remus.
"Two. . ." Dumbledore said in a strangely calm voice.
"Three!" bellowed Remus.
In less than a minute, Harry and Ron saw a short, balding man with a pointed face standing directly beneath Remus' hand. The man was ringing his hands and wheezing.
"H- hello, R-Remus. D-Dumbledore." said the man, "S-so nice to s-see you."
"Why hello, Mr. Pettigrew," said the headmaster, pleasantly.
"You kn-know this is the s-strangest thing. . . you w-wouldn't believe it, b-but Sirius tried to place the b-blame on me," Pettigrew said, trembling.
"He did?" asked Remus coolly.
"Yes, but I'm innocent! Sirius B-Black did them all and wanted to b-blame me! I'm innocent!"
"Why, then, did you decide to spend ten years as a rat?" Remus asked grimly.
"I-I was afraid. Afraid the B-Betrayer would c-come after me. Would hurt me!"
"He's in Azkaban, Peter," Remus said, coldly, "He was sent to Azkaban for the murders of a street full of muggles and you. He couldn't have come after you or hurt you."
"B-but what if he was l-let out?"
Remus made a dry sound that may have been mistaken for a laugh.
"He was sentenced to lifetime in Azkaban. He wouldn't have been let out," he replied.
"Then there was you, Remus. He would have persuaded you a-and had you hate me. Try to kill me. I was afraid you would kill me, Remus," his voice was so pitiful, Remus almost felt his heart loosen a little for the man. But then, ten years as a rat would be slightly less awful than ten years in Azkaban Prison.
Remus sighed and looked at Dumbledore. The headmaster was still smiling, but Remus could see that his eyes were frowning.
When he spoke, Dumbledore's voice was smooth and calm, "Mister Pettigrew, I regret to inform you that we shall have to escort you the Ministry of Magic as soon as possible to get this problem cleared up."
Peter Pettigrew trembled, "A-alright, P-Professor D-Dumbledore. I'll go, but don't let them hurt me. P-please."
"Don't worry, Peter. We will figure this out," Albus Dumbledore assured him, although there was a slightly dismayed sound in his voice.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sirius yawned.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Life in Azkaban was much the same as usual.
Drip.
Drip.
Sirius dipped his hand into the water and shivered at the cool feeling against his bare skin. Cupping his hand, he lifted the small amount of water up to his face and splashed it against him.
Rejoicing in the change from the ordinary, Sirius ran his hands through his matted hair and grinned manically.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Laying down on the ground, Sirius wondered what Remus was doing, and whether he had found any sign of the Rat yet. It was almost time for the full moon (each of the Marauders had a calendar of sorts engrained in their minds from their school days) and Sirius couldn't help thinking, once again, that poor Remus- Moony- would have to suffer it by himself.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Suddenly restless, Sirius sat up and closed his eyes. He forced his mind into the form of a great black dog. With a small popping sound, Padfoot sat where Sirius Black had been moments before.
Strangely anxious and with nothing else to do, the great black dog that was Sirius Black paced.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
The dog was agitated. Strangely he didn't dwell on hunger (he hadn't eaten for about a week) or boredom- only the disquieted feeling he had.
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
Step, step, step.
Turn.
The dog stopped and turned toward the small puddle that was continually growing in the corner of his cell.
Cocking his head for a moment, the dog approached the bit of water.
He growled.
There was something moving in the depths of the puddle.
Leaning closer and, with another popping sound turning again into the man, moving his hair out of his way with a hand, he could make out the figures.
From a view above a dark corridor, Sirius saw a person he knew he would know anywhere.
Remus was standing in the dark hallway next to two boys who looked remarkably alike. 'In fact,' Sirius thought, 'I'm quite sure they're twins.'
Less than three drips later, Remus had taken a piece of parchment from them and, leaving them staring at him from behind, walked away. He stopped only once to say something to the twins but what it was, Sirius couldn't tell: the water didn't give sound.
'Am I going crazy?' Sirius wondered, 'I didn't think I would start seeing crazy things like this before I died. . . or maybe,' he thought, disgusted, 'maybe mother was right and the Blacks do have some talent in the scrying field.'
The convict frowned, thinking of his mother, but then turned his attention back to the puddle.
Sirius watched as the figure of Remus Lupin walked into the library and situated himself on a small table far away from anyone else.
3243 drips later another figure approached the table in the library. For a while the other figure stared at Remus as if waiting for a response of any kind, but he was sadly mistaken. Not long after, the second figure disappeared out of the library.
626 more drips later, Remus moved. He pulled out his wand and made to touch the parchment with his wand, but stopped before he did.
After another couple drips, Remus stood up and swept from the library and down numerous halls before reaching another pair of figures.
Sirius, having been balanced precariously on the balls of his feet, went toppling over in shock.
When he righted himself he saw Remus conversing with a boy who looked similar to the twins (perhaps a bit less stocky- a bit more gangly) and another who- Sirius had no doubt whatsoever- was James Potter's son. Harry Potter.
The convict smiled briefly, but then, realizing his mistake, stopped and cleared his mind.
'I'm innocent. It was Peter. I'm innocent.'
The dementors were coming.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Seems as good a place as any to end it. I dunno how long it'll take for me to update again.
Reviews always help speed the process 'cause then I know what I'm doin wrong, and sometimes they give me ideas.
Now I'm not hinting anything, but. . .