Chapter Forty-Two: The Stag and the Doe
"Well, hello, Peter," Lupin said pleasantly. "Long time no see."
"S-Sirius…R-Remus…my old friends…" Pettigrew squeaked.
Daphne was still staring at him. She had seen him in the crystal ball. Was he really Voldemort's servant? The one who would bring about…everything else she'd seen?
"We want to have a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died."
"Remus…he's tried to kill me, Remus," Pettigrew said, looking fearfully at Sirius.
"So we've heard," Lupin said coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you would be so–"
"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Sirius.
He seemed to be missing his index finger. Daphne seemed to recall that the biggest part they'd found of him had been his finger. Had he cut it off himself?
She felt like she had to do something, anything at all, but she had no idea what. She could, of course, say she believed Sirius's side, that Pettigrew was guilty, and that they had to kill him, but would that be enough? Or would she have to reveal what she saw, after all? But there was also Trelawney's prediction. Maybe that would be enough to go on…
"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," Lupin said.
"Sorted things out?" Pettigrew squealed. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"
"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban? When no one has ever done it before?" Lupin asked.
"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"
Sirius laughed humorlessly. He sounded quite insane. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.
Pettigrew flinched as though Sirius had brandished a whip at him.
"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" Sirius said. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"
"Don't know what you mean, Sirius…" Pettigrew muttered. How could this coward be a Gryffindor?
"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," Sirius said. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter…They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them…I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them."
Sirius seemed to be taking a twisted pleasure from tormenting Pettigrew, but there was no time.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to act," Daphne said. "Trelawney, the Divination teacher, just made a prophecy that the Dark Lord's servant would return to him before midnight. If this coward is Voldemort's servant, then he needs to be stopped."
"I!" Pettigrew said shrilly and indignantly. "He is! If Voldemort's supporters are after me, it's because I put one of their best men in Azkaban! The spy, Sirius Black!"
"How dare you," Sirius growled, his face contorted in rage, and suddenly sounding very doglike. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter…I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us…me and Remus…and James…"
Pettigrew was sweating profusely, almost panting for breath. "Me, a spy…must be out of your mind…never…don't know how you can say such a–"
"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black said through gritted teeth, so venomously that Daphne felt a chill go down her spine. "I thought it was the perfect plan…a bluff…Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you…It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."
Pettigrew kept muttering under his breath, and again Daphne was getting anxious. She couldn't let whatever she'd seen become true. She turned to Harry.
"Harry, what do you think? You were the one who heard Trelawney. Who was she talking about? Sirius or Pettigrew? We don't have time to stand here debating; we have to make sure that that prophecy doesn't become true," she said.
"Don't be too hasty with such things, Daphne," Lupin said. "Prophecies are rarely straightforward. Trying to defy them might instead bring them about." He frowned. "But I do agree that we have no time."
"Remus…Remus…you don't believe this, do you? Wouldn't Sirius have told you if they had changed the plan?" Pettigrew asked.
Daphne could see he was getting desperate.
"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Lupin said. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he asked casually.
"Forgive me, Remus," Sirius said.
"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," Lupin said, rolling up his sleeves.
"And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
"Of course," Black said, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face.
He, too, began rolling up his sleeves, but then stopped. "I don't have a wand," he said.
Daphne held out hers. "Take mine," she said.
"Daphne, are you mad?" Hermione asked, shocked that she would hand her wand over so easily.
Daphne shook her head. "No. But this is the only way."
She glared at Pettigrew, and he was such a coward that the sight of her, a fourteen-year-old girl, caused him to flinch back.
"He betrayed Harry's parents. He's the reason he has to live with those horrible Muggles, the reason that an innocent man spent twelve years in the most horrifying prison imaginable, and the reason Voldemort will return, unless he's stopped here and now. I have seen what you are, Pettigrew," she said with a meaningful look at Harry, whose eyes widened.
Pettigrew seemed to realize he was in trouble, because he looked at Ron, terrified.
"Ron…haven't I been a good friend…a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you…you're on my side, aren't you?"
But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with utmost revulsion. "I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.
"Kind boy…kind master…you won't let them do it…I was your rat…I was a good pet…"
"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," Sirius said harshly.
Pettigrew turned toward Harry. "Harry…Harry…you look just like your father…just like him…"
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?!" Sirius roared. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM?! HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?!"
"Harry…Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed…James would have understood, Harry…he would have shown me mercy…"
Both Sirius and Lupin strode forward, grabbed Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.
"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," Sirius said. "Do you deny it?"
Pettigrew burst into tears, and Daphne was filled with utter revulsion.
"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord…you have no idea…he has weapons you can't imagine…I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen…He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me–"
"DON'T LIE! YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!" Sirius shouted.
"He- He was taking over everywhere! Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?" Pettigrew asked.
"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" Sirius asked, the fury in his face matched by what Daphne was feeling at that moment. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"
"You don't understand!" Pettigrew whined. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" Sirius roared.
He'd barely stopped shouting when Daphne began. "You spineless worm! You complete coward! 'He would have killed me'… SO WHAT?! I faced Voldemort last year, you know, trying to defend Harry, to rescue Ron's sister. I didn't want to die, any more than you do, but I was ready to do it regardless, BECAUSE I WOULD RATHER DIE MYSELF THAN LET SOMEONE HURT MY FRIENDS! Congratulations, you're less brave than a twelve-year-old Slytherin girl, you useless, worthless bastard!"
Both Sirius and Lupin gave her surprised looks. Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked weary, but supportive at least.
Lupin and Sirius, now holding Daphne's wand, stood shoulder to shoulder. "You should have realized," Lupin said quietly. "If Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."
They raised their wands, and all Daphne could feel was a grim satisfaction.
"NO!" Harry yelled.
He ran forward, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands.
"You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."
Lupin, Sirius, and Daphne were staggered.
"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents. This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family," Sirius said.
With every word he said, Daphne was beginning to like him more. He was saying exactly what she was thinking, at any rate.
"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors…He can go to Azkaban…but don't kill him."
"Harry!" Pettigrew gasped, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You…thank you– it's more than I deserve– thank you–"
"Get off me!" Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because…I don't reckon my Dad would've wanted them to become killers just for you."
Daphne clenched her fists. As far as she was concerned, the only way to keep her vision and Trelawney's prophecy from coming true was to kill Pettigrew here and now.
Sirius and Lupin looked at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.
"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," Sirius said. "But think…think what he did…"
"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does."
"Are you really sure, Harry?" Daphne asked. "The– the prophecy…"
She wanted to mention her vision, but at the same time, she didn't want to say anything about it around the others.
Harry nodded. "Even then."
He smiled sadly. "I know you would have killed him too. You even gave Sirius your wand for it. But just like my father wouldn't want his friends to be killers…I don't want my friend to be a killer. Not for this. Not like this."
Daphne nodded slowly. Sirius silently gave her back her wand, giving her a faint smile as he did so.
"Very well," Lupin said. "Stand aside, Harry."
Harry hesitated.
"I'm going to tie him up. That's all, I swear."
Harry stepped out of the way.
Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and the next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.
"But if you transform, Peter," Sirius growled. "We will kill you. You agree, Harry?"
Harry nodded slowly so Pettigrew could see.
"Two of us should be chained to this," Sirius said, prodding Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."
"Take my wand," Lupin said to Sirius. "I won't be needing it tonight, anyway. I'll go outside first. While the Wolfsbane lasts, I'll run into the Forest. I'll find my way back to the castle in the morning."
"I'll take the other side," Ron said. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult.
"You'll have to go in front, then," Sirius said. "I want to keep an eye on Peter at all times."
He raised Lupin's wand and conjured heavy manacles from thin air, chaining Pettigrew's right arm to Sirius's left, and Pettigrew's left to Ron's right.
"I will see you all tomorrow," Lupin said. "Good luck."
With that, he left the room.
"We'll give him five minutes," Sirius said.
He looked at Harry. "You know what this means? Turning Pettigrew in?"
"You're free," Harry said.
"Yes…But I'm also…I don't know if anyone ever told you…I'm your godfather."
"Yeah, I knew that," Harry said.
"Well…your parents appointed me your guardian," Sirius said stiffly. "If anything happened to them…I'll understand, of course, if you want to stay with your aunt and uncle…but…well…think about it. Once my name's cleared…if you wanted a…a different home…"
"What– Live with you? Leave the Dursleys?" Harry said incredulously.
"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," Sirius said quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd–"
"Are you insane?" Harry croaked, sounding almost like Sirius did. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"
Sirius seemed stunned. "You want to?" he said. "You mean it?"
"Yeah, I mean it!" Harry said.
Sirius smiled, and Daphne could see that this smile was completely genuine. It made a huge difference to his gaunt, sunken face. "I think we should get moving," Sirius said, still smiling at Harry, who smiled back at him.
They began to walk. Crookshanks led the way, followed by Ron, Pettigrew, and Sirius. Then went Harry, Hermione, and finally Daphne.
Slowly and silently, they walked through the tunnel, eventually emerging into the Hogwarts grounds from underneath the Whomping Willow, which didn't move at all — Crookshanks had clearly pressed the knot again to freeze it.
The grounds bathed in moonlight. Lupin was nowhere to be seen, and Daphne hoped that, wherever he was, he'd be far from the castle by the time the Wolfsbane ran out and he became savage.
They began to walk over the lawn back to the castle…and then, out of nowhere, Daphne began to feel a familiar cold. She looked up, startled, and then she saw them.
From every direction, Dementors were gliding toward them.
"No! Not now!" Sirius shouted.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry shouted.
Faint, silver mist came out of his wand, but nothing more.
"Expecto Patronum!" he yelled again.
The cold became more severe as the Dementors approached. Already, Daphne was beginning to remember the times she almost died. She felt like she'd been dunked in ice water. Her arms and legs were beginning to go numb, and she saw that the others were beginning to feel the effects as well.
She looked behind her. More Dementors were gliding in.
"Expecto Patronum!" Harry shouted, but whatever he was trying to do clearly wasn't working.
Daphne raised her wand. She almost dropped it from her numb fingers.
"Expecto Patronum!" she yelled, despite having no idea how the charm was supposed to work.
Nothing happened.
Sirius collapsed, putting his hands to his head.
"No…" he muttered softly.
Daphne's own legs gave way as well. It was all she could do to stay focused, to try whatever charm Harry was trying and failing to cast — and then, suddenly, Pettigrew transformed and bolted.
"No!" Daphne yelled, but she could barely make a sound.
She was going to die here. The others were sagging. Harry was still attempting to conjure something, but the Dementors didn't care and kept coming closer. They hadn't moved to stop Pettigrew at all.
Daphne heard Riddle's high, clear laugh again, just like in the Chamber of Secrets. She felt the fear, the anger, the sadness, she'd felt then. She felt the fear of the vision she'd seen.
She looked at Harry, saw him struggling and tried with all her might to lift her arm…but why bother? It was too late.
A Dementor moved toward her, stretching out its rotting hands. She tried to raise an arm, but it wouldn't move…
The Dementor grabbed its hood and pulled it back. If Daphne had been capable of screaming, she would have. Where there should have been eyes, there was only thin, gray, scabbed skin, stretched blankly over empty sockets. But there was a mouth…a gaping shapeless hole, sucking the air with the sound of a death rattle.
Every last bit of strength Daphne had left failed her. She fell over, lying limply in the grass. She would die. Harry would die. Hermione, Ron, and Sirius would die. There was no hope anymore. Why would she even bother to feel sad?
Clammy, rotten hands grabbed her around her neck and pulled her up. She did nothing, could do nothing. Didn't want to do anything anymore…
A bright, silver light seemed to wake her up, and the Dementor dropped her.
She felt a tiny bit of her strength returning, and she pushed herself up to see — something moved between the Dementors, dispersing them…
Harry raised his wand once more, and, keeping his eyes focused on the silver being, shouted, "Expecto Patronum!"
Something huge and silver burst from his wand. Its light was even brighter than that of the other apparition. It was nearly white.
It charged the Dementors, lowering its head and striking them with what seemed to be antlers. The two silver beings circled around the five of them, driving the Dementors away, and it was working…the air was warming up again, and the Dementors retreated.
The two silvery creatures stood opposite each other, face to face. The one Harry had conjured was a stag. The other seemed to be a doe.
The doe backed away, then dispersed into silver sparkles.
The stag slowly walked over to Harry and lowered its great head. Harry smiled faintly and reached out to it.
"Prongs…" he muttered.
Then he sank to the ground and the stag, too, burst into silver sparkles.
Daphne wanted to get up and make her way over to him, but her body gave out. She didn't even feel anything when she hit the ground.
Originally, I wanted to have Snape interrupt the meeting in the Shack, like he does in canon, but not get knocked out this time. Then I realized that no matter how I tried to spin that, it would cause him to give away his secret. So, I relegated him to just getting the Big Damn Heroes moment here…or did I? Regardless, it might piss people off. The next chapter will have some more explanation, both in the actual text and the notes.
Harry's Patronus, at any rate, was fueled by seeing Snape's, though of course he doesn't know who cast it. Does that make sense? Well, in canon, he managed his first full Patronus solely by knowing he'd already done it, so I'm going to say this method isn't all that much worse.