Chapter Thirty Two – Revelations

"A werewolf," Elder Sinclair said. "Captured with Black?"

"Yes," Lady Aydin replied. "At least according Faye. I don't know how accurate a Slayer's senses are. But the others were certain she was correct."

They were in one the complexes conference rooms with Willow and Dawn.

A werewolf. The Elder was lost in thought. The Death Eaters would never accept such a thing. It was Black's house. Lupin perhaps? Could Black have turned him? The Elder thought back over the few times he had met Remus Lupin and decided the answer was no. Lupin would never turn against the Order or Albus. Could it be someone hiding the fact that he was a werewolf from the other Death Eaters. Unlikely. Tom would notice the disappearances around the time of the full moon. He also had other ways to make certain his followers were "pureblood" wizards. A werewolf would not be able to get past them.

Alastor was also in the house. This did not make sense.

"We were thinking that maybe this werewolf guy might be a plant from the Ministry of Magic," Dawn said.

The Elder snorted. "Fudge is a competent and occasionally even brilliant administrator but this level of subterfuge is beyond him."

"Maybe he's from one of the other Ministries?" Dawn said. "There is more than just England out there."

"Unlikely," the Elder replied. "I have my contacts among the Wizarding world. The other Ministries have not acknowledged even the possibility that Voldemort has returned. And even if they had, no one would use a werewolf as their spy. There are ways to detect such people."

"So what's your explanation?" Dawn asked.

"I do not have one?" the Elder replied. The maddening thing was, he didn't. Black was a betrayer and Death Eater. Albus even believed it to be true.

"Let us deal with the animagus," the Elder said. "Given his missing limb, it is logical to assume that he is the one who participated in the revival ritual for Voldemort. Have the creature moved to a secure room. I will force him back into his human form. I should be able to remove his wand fairly quickly but I would suggest caution."

"We have his wand," Willow said. "Ronni knocked it loose before forcing him to the ground. He transformed when she was holding him."

"He changed without his wand? That is almost unprecedented for an animagus," the Elder paused in thought. "There has been speculation that if an animagus spends too much time in their animal form the body becomes acclimated. They could force a transformation without a wand. But such a person would have to spend months if not years in their animal form. I can not think of anyone who would want to spend that long as a rat."

"Amy was a rat for three years," Dawn said. "She didn't take the experience real well."

"What?"

"Long story," Willow said. She shot Dawn a look, "one we prefer not to talk about."

"Sorry," Dawn said and changed her focus back to the Elder. "So you can change him back to human?"

"The spell is fairly straight forward," the Elder replied.

"Very well then," Lady Aydin said. "Proceed."

Pettigrew was still a rat. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't even that certain how he had changed. He remembered needing to get away and concentrating on a way to slip loose from the woman's grasp. Then he was running towards the door. He didn't have his wand and therefore could not change back.

Everything had been black until a man had dumped him into a cage in a strange room. Since then he had seen no one. He heard the door open and turned to see a different man come into the room. A second man came in behind him holding a strange looking device. Not a wand. Their clothing was strange. The first man placed a cover over his cage and once again his world became black.

Pettigrew was being carried. But he didn't know to where. The world became bright again and he found himself being dumped unto a tabletop. There were walls around the edges of the table, nowhere to run.

Pettigrew looked up to see a very old man staring down at him. Pettigrew recognized him. An Elder, Sinclair he remembered. He had lectured to his Defense classes. Why was he wearing muggle clothes?

The Elder pointed his wand at him. Pettigrew felt the change happening again. Soon he was human. He could now see the other people in the room. The two men who had brought him here were standing at the room's corners. They were both pointing the strange looking items at him. Just behind Sinclair were two women Pettigrew had never seen before. One was redheaded and the other brunette.

"He's got one of those 'Dark Mark' things," the redhead said.

"You know the white mask black outfit look went out after the second movie," the brunette said.

Sinclair smiled, "Let us see who this Death Eater is." He raised his wand again and Pettigrew felt the mask oon his head go flying off.

"Pettigrew?!?" the Elder was stunned.

"Isn't that the guy Black killed?" Dawn said.

"Yes," the Elder replied. Pettigrew was alive. He bore a Dark Mark. He was missing a hand.

"You betrayed the Potters," the Elder said. He waved his wand a Pettigrew found himself flying backwards and then pinned to the wall. "Answer me."

"I had no choice," Pettigrew said. "The Dark Lord forced me. His power, you have no idea how powerful he is."

"I am quite familiar with the scope of Voldemort's power," the Elder said. He needed answers. Now. "How did you survive?"

"I killed the muggles, cut off my finger, turned into a rat," Pettigrew was babbling. The Elder was advancing on him.

"And Black?" the Elder said. How did he not know?

"I was the Secret Keeper," Pettigrew said. "The Dark Lord forced me. He will kill all of you."

The Elder stopped. A quick wave of his wand and Pettigrew lapsed into unconsciousness. Pettigrew was alive. He betrayed the Potters. Black was not the Secret Keeper. Alastor was in the house. The werewolf had to be Lupin.

"Albus," the Elder whispered. "Damn me for a fool!"

The Elder whipped around. "Keep this one secured. I must see Black now."

"What's going on?" Dawn asked. "If this guy betrayed the Potters. That means Black's innocent."

"And I am a fool," the Elder replied. He swept out of the room. Lady Aydin was standing in the hall. She had just come out of the adjoining room where she had been watching over the monitor.

"Elder," Lady Aydin said. "What didn't you tell us?"

"There is little time," the Elder said. "I must see Black. Now."

"Why?" Lady Aydin asked. She stared directly into the Elder's eyes. He saw the steel in them. Lying was not an option. And there had already been too many of those.

"I must confirm Pettigrew's story," the Elder said. He nodded at Agent Grayden who had followed Lady Aydin out of the room. "You can monitor when a Fidelius is active?"

"Not reliably," Agent Grayden answered. "But yes."

"Come," the Elder said. "I need you to monitor Black."

"Elder," Lady Aydin said. "You still have not answered my question."

"Lady Aydin," the Elder said. "I need to see Black in order to confirm my suspicions. I have made a grave error."

She nodded. "Agent Grayden, accompany the Elder to Black's cell."

Black was still sitting in the chair. He wasn't certain how long he had been there. Well over an hour he thought. Cromwell had not come to see him again. The door opened. His eyes went wide. He recognized the first man to enter the room.

"Sinclair?" Black said in barely a whisper.

"You remember me," the Elder said. "Sirius Black, you are a member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Black just stared. He remembered Sinclair from school. He and Dumbledore had been friends. He had also captured several Death Eaters during the war.

"What are you doing here?" Black said. "I thought I was being held by muggles."

"You are being held by muggles," the Elder replied. "Grayden was the Fidelius active?"

"It's always active," Grayden replied. "That's what makes it so hard to read. There might have been a flare up when you mentioned that Phoenix thing. But he might have been thinking about some other secret related to Fidelius at the same time."

Black was having a hard time following the conversation. The man could sense a Fidelius charm? Not possible. He wasn't even carrying a wand. Why would the Elder be working with muggles?

"What's going on?" Black demanded. "Elder I swear I didn't betray James and Lily."

"Pettigrew was the betrayer," the Elder said. "My friends captured him last night the same time they captured you."

"You have that bastard!" Black strained against his restraints. Pettigrew was here. He would kill him with his bear hands.

Sinclair watched him for a few moments. "Albus Dumbledore is the head of your Order. Other members include Arthur and Molly Weasley, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagal, Kingsley Shacklebolt, most likely that young Auror I've seen him spend time with, Tonks I believe. And Albus has been using Snape as a spy in the Death Eaters."

Why was the Elder telling the Order's secrets in front of a muggle? How did he know the Orders secrets?

"Grayden?" the Elder asked.

"It's definitely flaring up when you mention this Order and the names," Grayden replied. "But that isn't confirmation that is protected information. It just might be related to protected information."

"It is confirmation enough," the Elder replied. His face softened. "I am sorry Sirius. Until today I did not know Pettigrew was still alive. Albus never told me and I never bothered to learn."

"Where are Moody and Remus?" Black asked.

The Elder paused. So Lupin was the other person in the house. Fool indeed. "Alastor was injured when he was captured. He will be fine."

"Where's Remus?" Black said through clenched teeth.

Sirius Black was a man of strong passions. He would not take the news well. And he had no reason too. He would most likely respond with violence. Justifiable and controllable. Particularly since he lacked his wand.

"I am sorry Sirius," the Elder said. "Remus Lupin was killed during the raid. My friend's device for stunning did not work and Remus had already disabled one them."

"You murdering bastards!!!!" Sirius tried to pull free from the chair. They killed Remus. The reasons didn't matter. They killed Remus. He would get even.

"It was not their intent," the Elder spoke calmly. "The plan was take everyone in the house alive."

"Murders!!" Black screamed. "Let me out!! I'll kill you!!!"

"I am sorry Sirius," the Elder said. "Stupefy," a red beam shot out from his wand and stunned Black into unconsciousness. Albus never told him. He hadn't told him about the boy either. This had to be resolved now. He turned and left the room.

He was met by Lady Aydin flanking her were two SAS soldiers. Chisholm and Cranston. Behind them were Willow Rosenberg and Dawn Summers along with two of the women that had arrived with them.

"Elder," Lady Aydin said. "What is this Order of the Phoenix?"

"It is Albus' group," he replied.

"So this Dumbledore guy has been running his own fifth column in the Wizarding world the whole time," Dawn said.

"I do not understand the reference," the Elder replied. "But if your meaning is that Albus is running his own group to challenge Voldemort than the answer is yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lady Aydin asked.

"I know most the members of the Order," the Elder said. "I would have made certain to steer any of your attacks away from them."

"That's not an answer," Lady Aydin replied. He saw the steel in her eyes again.

"There is no time to explain," the Elder said. "Albus is no fool. By now he has determined that Tom had nothing to do with the attack on Black's house. He will have learned of the disappearance of five Death Eaters. He will come to the only conclusion he can; that the attack came from outside the Wizarding world."

"Elder I have shown you a great deal of trust," Lady Aydin said. "I know you do not share everything with me, as I do not share everything with you. But this. I can think of no good excuse for withholding information about potential allies."

Albus would not be an ally the Elder thought. Protecting the 'balance' was too precious to him. Except, he had the boy. Something had changed.

"Sophia," the Elder spoke quietly. "Please, I have made a grave mistake and a good man has died as a result. You must allow me the chance to fix this. I must go now."

Lady Aydin stared at the Elder. She studied him. She had known him for nearly fifteen years. Which given his age probably meant she did not know him very well at all. Uncle Micah had trusted him and told her to do the same.

"Let him go," she said.

"Just a second," Willow said. "Are you telling us we may have hit the good guys? I want answers now."

"Young lady," the Elder said. "You will have your answers. But not now. I must deal with Albus."

Willow's eye's narrowed. Lady Aydin felt a brush of power.

"Willow," Lady Aydin said. "Let him go."

"But..."

"He will return," Lady Aydin said. "And he will make a full accounting of himself." She turned her attention back to the Elder. "I will hold you to that Edgar. I want the full story. No editing."

"You have my word Sophia," the Elder replied. "I will tell you everything when I return."

"Very well," Sophia said. "Major Chisholm, escort the Elder off the base."

"Yes Ma'am," came the reply.

"Sirius will be difficult when awakes," the Elder said. "Remove his restraints and make certain he is kept comfortable."

With that the Elder allowed himself to be escorted off the base by the two SAS officers. He had to walk a short distance outside the fence before he was outside the cover of the protective wards. Then he disappeared with a loud pop.