Chapter 27: The Animagus
Once I was sure Lupin had all the wands except mine, I turned and helped Sirius up, his hand gripping my forearms tight. "Are you alright?" I asked and he nodded, turning to Lupin as he asked where someone was. Sirius released me and pointed at Ron on the bed, which confused the three teenagers and myself. "But then…why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless…unless he was the one…unless you switched…without telling me?" I cocked my head to the side, unsure of what the two men were talking about. Remus lowered his wand and came over to where Sirius and I were standing.
Suddenly Hermione's voice filled the room with a shout. "I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" we glanced over and she continued as Remus tried to reason with her, I assumed about his being a werewolf. When she exposed him, he paused and his face fell. He explained that he wasn't helping Sirius and he didn't want Harry dead, but he truly was a werewolf. It was all quiet until Harry rounded on me. "You're no better. I trusted you! I've kept your secret! You're the worse person in the world! You're no better than-" I slammed my hand over his mouth, knowing I was probably going to leave a bruise.
"Harry! I swear I'll erase your memory! Don't say it!" I hissed at him, feeling rage build in my chest. Remus appeared at my side and pulled me off Harry, handing him his wand back and tossing Hermione hers. I held mine tight in my hand and squared my shoulders to Harry. "Let us explain. But I stand by my statement, if you attempt to say what you were going to, I will erase your memory. I am trusting you as I did last year." I lowered my wand, but kept it in my hand as Remus stepped forward to explain. He was telling the kids about the Map and that's how he found them here.
Sirius stepped forward and placed a hand on Remus's shoulder and mine. "One of us!" Ron shouted and Remus corrected him, "No Ron, two of you." he asked to see Ron's rat and when he asked why, Sirius explained. "An Animagus, by the name of Peter Pettigrew." a wave silence passed through the shack and a shock ran through me as they were really trying to say that Peter was alive…
Harry began to argue with Black about how he killed Peter and that he couldn't be telling the truth. Black lunged forward, toward Ron and the rat, trying to get at him. I grabbed his arm and Lupin took his other, wrenching him off the teen. 'Sirius, we have to explain it! Thy don't understand!" he spoke to his friend as he fought us, trying to get to the animal. Remus said that Harry deserves the truth and Sirius quit fighting us. Remus began to explain that the rat really was Peter when Hermione interrupted to explain about the Animagi Register system. Remus countered with informing her that there were three unregistered animagi at school when he was there.
He explained how they turned to keep him company when he turned and how they were in school. He explained how he fought with himself about telling Dumbledore about how Sirius was an animagus, but he was worried about losing Dumbledore trust and betraying him. Sirius was telling him to hurry up when Lupin said something about Sirius playing a trick on Snape because he was snooping around trying to figure out what the four of them were up to in school. "So that's why Snape doesn't like you? Because he thought you were in on the joke?" Harry asked and suddenly there was another person in the room. "That's right." Snape said, pulling off the invisibility cloak.
He began to speak to Lupin, stating how he found the map in his office, how he was just bringing his goblet of potion for him and knew he would be the one to catch the two in the act. Remus tried to reason with him, but Snape attacked, bounding Remus in ropes. Sirius surged forward, going after Snape, who begged him to give him a reason to do it. I moved over to Sirius and Snape's eyes found mine. "Ice…I'm not sure how you fit into this whole thing, but the more the merrier, the dementors have kisses for you all." Hermione tried to talk to Snape, but was quickly shouted to shut up.
I noticed Harry moving in front of the door to block him from moving us all to the castle, when I raised my wand to Snape. He sneered and asked what I was doing. "I want to know what happened 12 years ago Severus. I have to know what happened to my friends." "Everyone already knows. Lower you wand or I will make you." I felt rage building into my chest at his threat, my grip tightened. "Do not threaten me Severus. We will see who is the better dueler." he was focused on me and didn't see the teens raising their own wands to him and all three trying to disarm him at the same time.
Snape went flying as three spells hit him at once and I lowered my wand, turning to make sure Sirius was alright. He gave me a curt nod and went to untie Remus as I faced the kids. "You three shouldn't have done that. You should have left him to us." Lupin asked Ron again for Scabbers and he still said no, asking how he would know it was him out of the million of rats in the world. Sirius pulled out a photo of the Weasley family on their vacation and I could see the rat perched on Ron's shoulder in it. Sirius then explained that when he found James and Lily's dead bodies, he cornered Peter to confront him about betraying them all.
Then he said he must have cut off a finger before transforming into a rat and disappearing into the sewers. Ron tried to say that he must have just gotten into a fight with another rat, that he had been in the family for 12 years. "Yes, a long time for a common garden rat. Ever wondered why he lived so long?" he said they took care of him and I shook my head, no matter how well you take care of an animal, they rarely live that much longer than their normal life-span. When they tried explaining it again, Harry's anger got the better, he pointed his wand at Sirius, saying he said he killed his parents.
"Harry…I as good as killed them. I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me…I'm to blame, I know it…The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of the struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies…I realized what Peter must've done…what I'd done…" his voice broke and I came over, placing a hand on his shoulder, seeing the tears shining in his eyes.
Lupin finally got Ron to give him the rat and together, Sirius and Lupin shot a spell at it. Nothing happened at first, then suddenly as if hit with magic-grow, the rat transformed into a man. I couldn't believe that everything I thought to be true was false, I had always blamed Sirius for the Potter's death. For betraying us…when it was all this terrified man that was whimpering before us all. Peter instantly went to try to lie, saying that Sirius was back to finish the job, back to kill him.
I held Sirius's wand hand lowered as he attempted to raise it toward Peter as Lupin questioned him about what really happened. Sirius argued with him about my father and his followers not being happy with Peter and what they may do if they found out he has been alive this entire time. I felt my own anger building up quick as Peter continued to lie and try to get help from anyone, but no one believed him now. As Sirius explained how he really escaped prison, Peter shifted closer to me as I stepped toward an half boarded up window, if he turned, he may be able to slip out, but I wasn't going to let that happen.
When no one seemed to care about trying to save him, he rushed to me, gripping my dress tight in his clubby fingers, his tears flowing as he stared up at me. "Phoebe, you have to help me. You know I would never hurt our friends. Please, help me. Don't let them hurt me. I'm innocent." Sirius went to move over, but I held up a hand, bending down to his face and pressed my mouth against his ear. "Peter, what I'm about to tell you is to never to be spoken again…or I will slice your tongue out myself and make you choke on it. Do you understand. Nod." he nodded and I smiled, continuing.
"My name is Phoebe…Riddle. I am the daughter of Voldemort. And yet never would I have gave my friends to him because he is pure evil, truly. You should be more scared of me because I am here before you and not half-dead in hiding. I will end you if you attempt to run from your fate. I swear this on my own life. You ended theirs and we are going to end yours." His fingers quickly released me and I stood up, giving him a swift kick away from me and onto the floor with a thud and a whimper. "Remember what I said Peter. And dare to try my word."