A/N: This chapter has been beta read by SuperMKatR, who keeps doing an excellent work on this story.

Chapter 18 – Badly Told Tale

"Dark Wizard exterminates friend and twelve Muggles at the centre of London"

Melissa Harris, special reporter

The centre of London last Saturday was like a stage of a horror film. A wizard and twelve Muggles were brutally murdered by one single spell cast by a dark wizard now known as Sirius Black. Sirius Black (pureblood), 21 years old, comes from a long line of dark arts' supporters and has many close relatives suspects of being members of the inner circle of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Among them, we can cite Regulus Black, Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy, the last one is supposedly associated by her marriage with Lucius Malfoy.

Black was already being searched by Aurors, suspected of being part of the attack to the Potter family. Reports say Black and James Potter were close friends for more than ten years. A fortuitous encounter with Peter Pettigrew, also a friend of the Potter family, culminated in a great tragedy. Muggles who witnessed the encounter gave their reports to the DMLE team before having their memories obliviated. According to records, Pettigrew came to Black to confront him about their friends' deaths. "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?" was what Pettigrew shouted to Black during the confrontation.

Witnesses said they didn't know where the explosion came from that had the two wizards as its epicentre. The magical explosion caused a crater in the street, exposing the gas and sewer systems. In the place where Pettigrew once stood, there remained only his bloody clothes and a single identifiable body fragment: a finger. Twelve Muggles died as a consequence of the explosion and another eighteen were injured. Black was captured on site and didn't resist. The team responsible for his capture wrote on its reports that Black was laughing hysterically and was rejoicing Pettigrew's death. The head of DMLE, Bartemius Crouch, ordered the immediate dispatch of Black to Azkaban.

Harry read the article multiple times with great scrutiny, trying to discern all possible details that didn't fit. He looked in later articles to find news to follow the case, about the investigations and Black's trial. However, there wasn't an investigation or a trial. The DMLE's head immediately sent Sirius Black to Azkaban without revising the case. Sirius' surname weighed in his public condemnation. Besides that, Pettigrew's accusations were more than enough to sentence him.

What Harry didn't understand was why Dumbledore refused to exercise any political pressure to execute a trial. It didn't make sense. If his dad and mum were members of the Order of the Phoenix, then Sirius was probably a member as well. Besides, he was Harry's guardian. Why would no one try to clarify the story?

Right, Harry needed some clarification. He needed to talk to someone about it.

'Excuse me for a moment, Neville! I'll be right back!' Harry quickly stood and excused himself.

He ran towards the farthest niche between the huge library shelves. At that hour, the library was empty. Nevertheless, Harry cast the strongest Muffliato he could around the niche. He couldn't risk being overheard.

Harry grabbed the Marauder's Map. 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' He quickly looked everywhere on the map, starting from the seventh floor as usual. There was no sign of Pettigrew. From his cloak pocket, Harry took his mirror. 'Ginny!'

'Hi!' Ginny answered on the first call. 'I was already expecting you to show soon… Did you find anything?'

'Yes. I really think there's a chance Pettigrew's alive. I got an article from the Prophet from the day everything happened.'

'What did it say?' She perked up in anticipation.

'It seems that Black followed Pettigrew into a busy Muggle street near Diagon Alley and some survivors testified before the Ministry cleaned it all up. The witnesses heard Pettigrew shouting "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you?". Then, there was an explosion that destroyed part of the street and killed all those Muggles. Black was caught laughing at the scene, he didn't struggle or try to resist arrest. Pettigrew's body was never found, only his clothes and a finger were.'

'He overtly accused Black for betraying your parents, a lie of course.' Ginny sighed.

'Yes, but that's not the only inconsistency in this story, don't you see? It was said that a finger was the biggest fragment of Pettigrew's body that was found, that Black blew him up in little pieces, opening a crater in the ground…'

'Oh! His clothes should have been reduced to ashes.' Ginny concluded. 'I wonder how no one noticed that before.'

'I don't know. But from what I saw in those newspapers, it was a chaotic time. To top it off, Black was sentenced without a trial.'

'What!? Oh, for the love of Morgana's pants, how could they send someone to the dementors without a trial?'

'What are dementors?' Harry asked.

'Creatures that guard Azkaban. They drain all the happiness from a person until they become weak and crazy… Sometimes they can even suck out a person's soul.'

Harry paled at that description. 'It can't be… What if Sirius is innocent… Did you know that Dumbledore was already the Chief Warlock at the time?'

'Yes, but he's the chief since before we were born.'

'Why did he not ensure Sirius had a fair trial?'

'Maybe he also believed Sirius was guilty.' Ginny mused. 'But Harry, I still have a question. How did Pettigrew flee the crime scene? A Disillusionment Charm has to be very strong for a person to be totally invisible. And his clothes? How did he undress so quickly or… I don't know.'

'Ginny, the Marauders were Animagus.'

'Pettigrew too? What was his form?'

'A rat.'

Suddenly, Ginny grew more alert. 'What kind of a rat?'

'A big and grey one, like a rat from a garden. I only read about him once in the Marauders' Manual. I don't think he was that great, because he's almost never mentioned.'

Ginny gasped. 'Oh, Merlin! Harry, I think I know where Pettigrew has been all these years.'

'Where?'

'Here, we call him Scabbers.'

'You can't be serious!'

'But I am. Ron complained the whole summer, because Scabbers is an old and useless rat. It has been in the family for ten years now. First, it belonged to Bill, then to Percy and now to Ron. If I'm not mistaken, no one bought it. I think Bill found Scabbers and wanted to keep it… It is missing a finger in the forepaw.'

'It can't be… Damn!' Harry swore. 'Scabbers was missing since I left the hospital wing. This is crazy, but it would explain why Pettigrew's in Hogwarts. I have to find him.'

'It is the only way you'll find the truth.'

'I guess so…' Harry agreed, absently scratching his scar. 'I've to go back. I left Neville alone so I could talk to you.'

'Ok.'

'Talk to you later?'

'Yes. At the same time?'

'Same time.'

'See you.'

Harry returned his mirror to his pocket grudgingly. It was always hard saying goodbye to Ginny. If he could, he would spend the whole day talking to her. He suspended the spell and walked back to the table where he had left Neville. The boy was still in the same place, analysing the newspapers that were on the table. When Harry approached, Neville tensed in his seat like he was expecting him to say something derogatory. Harry wasn't good at handling the confused feelings of people, so he acted like he would like to be treated in the same situation. In other words, he pretended that nothing had happened and sat down.

'Hey, Neville, thanks for helping me. I think I found what I was looking for.'

'I didn't do anything.'

Harry shrugged. 'It's the thought that counts. You gave me company.'

'You don't have to do that, ok?' Neville prickly attacked, yet faltering. 'Pity me… You don't need to do it.'

'If this is about the newspaper, I don't pity you. At least, no more than what I pity myself.'

Neville lowered his eyes for a moment. 'We aren't equal, Harry.'

'That's true.' Harry agreed. 'Your parents are alive and you have your grandmother. So you are luckier than me.'

Neville seemed surprised for that conclusion. Harry sighed.

'Neville, you don't have to tell me anything that you don't want. I won't ask or make comments. If you're looking for someone to toss salt on your wounds, that someone is probably still on the third floor trying to gather courage to enter in the forbidden corridor.'

Neville just stared at Harry intrigued, then chuckled nervously.

'Listen, are you hungry? I heard that the Hogwarts kitchen is always open to those who can find the way.'

After the library incident, Harry passed more time with Neville that day and ended up discovering that he was a good company when he got past his timidity and inferiority complex. Neville's temper was tranquil and nice.

'I didn't think it was fair what Ron said to you in the other day. 'Neville later commented, when both boys were enjoying a delicious piece of chocolate cake in the kitchen. 'I don't think you try to be the best at everything. I just suppose Ron is jealous of you, because you're more popular than him.'

'I'm not popular, Neville.'

Neville snorted. 'Yes, you are, Harry. You just don't realise it. Everybody is always talking about how good you're at Quidditch, or how talented you are, just as your parents… Teachers always praise you in classes. That's without counting the whole "the boy-who-lived" stigma…'

'Neville… I didn't ask for any of those things…'

'I know that and so does Ron, he's just too proud.'

'He's a prat, who doesn't give value to what he has. I would exchange all my fame and money to have my family back… I'm only doing as best as I can be and make my parents proud.'

'I get what you're saying. I would do the same, but I'm not as smart or brave as you… I'll never let my parents proud.'

'What the bloody hell are you saying? Your parents will always be proud of you!'

'No, they won't. My parents were famous Aurors and talented… just look at me…'

'I don't see anything wrong with you, Neville. Your only problem is that you don't defend yourself when people try to make you feel bad.'

'It's easy for you to talk. Just look at what you did to Malfoy… That was wandless magic!'

'That was nothing. You can do those kinds of things if you believe in yourself and try to learn.'

'I doubt it…' Neville sadly commented.

'Hmm, how about this,' Harry tried to cheer up his friend. 'Let's start studying together, we can practice some spells, too. If you give it a chance, I bet you'll discover you can do a lot of things.'

'I doubt it…' Neville retorted.

'We shall see about that!' Harry grinned confidently.

A/N: Hello! I'm so sorry it took me more time than usual to update. I had quite a busy week: classes, group projects, a wedding… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one is entitled Norwegian Ridgeback Dragon.

scrappy8: Thank you! Slowly, Harry will learn more about Sirius.

me: Thank you!

Guest: Thank you so much! I hope I won't disappoint you.

Anonymous: I'm sorry it took me so long. I know that feeling and I hate it. Again, I'm sorry. I hope you like the chapter.