A/N: Thank you again for all the great reviews! I really appreciate them!
Kairan1979: Scabbers didn't run in the previous chapter because Ron left him in his room before going to Harry's and seeing the dog for the first time. So Scabbers wouldn't have seen Padfoot. I'm sorry about the vagueness with that.
Danneyland: lol, Sirius showing displeasure with his name, opposed to just thinking about it, does seem very in character. Thanks for pointing that out!
Hermione gleamed triumphantly as she set a wicker basket on the floor in Harry's room.
"Er, what's this?" Harry asked.
"This is how we'll get Procyon into Hogwarts," she answered.
"In Crookshanks' basket?"
"I've expanded it," she said. "They'll have all the room they need."
Harry raised his eyebrows.
"You know how well Crookshanks and Procyon get along."
This, aside from being true, really put Ron out. He became convinced that Hermoine's cat and Harry's dog were working together to eat his rat—who had been there first—when Ron had to save Scabbers from the pair the night before. He had even, on Mr. Weasley's suggestion, gotten a cage for Scabbers so that the rat couldn't get out and the cat and the dog couldn't get in. Scabbers had been clearly distressed by this, which upset Ron and caused him to lock himself in his room and sulk, much to the annoyance of Percy, with whom he was sharing the room.
They couldn't even tell him it was because it was in a cat's nature to chase rats, because, as Ron was quick to point out, it's also in a cat's nature to run from dogs, not befriend them.
Personally, Harry thought Procyon was still a little lonely—as Hermione claimed Crookshanks must have also been, being in that pet shop for so long—so he was happy to have an animal he could be friends with. (Hedwig would ruffle her feathers and fly off whenever Procyon came near her. Harry figured she was jealous that he had another pet, no matter how much attention and praise he gave her.) Not to mention, Scabbers probably looked more like a chew toy than anything else to Procyon.
"That's not what I meant," Harry said, looking again at the magically expanded basket.
"Oh, well, it's not like anyone can tell who did the magic," Hermione said guiltily.
Harry grinned. "Come here, Procyon," Harry said to the dog lying on his bed. Although Harry knew it must be his imagination, he could swear that ever since they named him, Procyon would roll his eyes when Harry called him, even if he always obediently—albeit slowly—responded to his new name.
Harry held the basket lid open. "What do you think?"
Procyon jumped in the basket and woofed. Harry could hear his tail wagging. Though the basket appeared cat-sized, there was enough room for three Procyon-sized dogs in it.
Harry laughed. "Brilliant, Hermione."
Sirius was glad when the basket was finally latched shut. He didn't know how much longer he could keep up his 'Happy Puppy' act for Harry. He had seen—actually seen—Pettigrew, in rat form, for the first time the night before, and he and Hermione's incredibly intelligent cat had made a mad dash for the rat all around the dining area. Sirius hadn't stopped to think about what the reactions of everyone watching would be, nor what his own hasty actions might cost him. Sirius and Crookshanks hadn't been able to catch Pettigrew before Ron did, but at least the rat was now being kept in a cage he couldn't escape from, at least not without transforming.
Pettigrew's inability to get away was the only reason Sirius had calmed down enough to think about just how he was going to apprehend the traitor in this situation. He had forgotten how protective people—especially kids—could be over their pets, and Sirius was pretty sure that he'd had an easier time breaking out of Azkaban than he was going to have getting ahold of this rat now.
The train seemed like a good option, now that Sirius knew he'd be going to Hogwarts, since it would be impossible for Pettigrew to get off while it was moving, even if Ron let him out of the cage. Harry would probably want to keep, he shuddered, Procyon in the basket so none of the other students saw him, but he could force his way out when Hermione let Crookshanks loose.
Finally, they were on the Hogwarts Express. Pettigrew, confined to his cage, wouldn't get away again. Sirius had him. He just needed the basket to open.
"Who d'you reckon he is?" Sirius heard Ron ask, then close the compartment door.
"Professor R. J. Lupin," Hermione answered.
Sirius choked. No… It had to be a coincidence. Moony couldn't be the only R. J. Lupin in the world… And wouldn't Harry have recognized Remus? Sirius sincerely hoped so, despite all the evidence against it.
Someone was fidgeting with the basket.
"Don't let them out! I'm letting Scabbers get some fresh air."
The rat squeaked.
"Ouch! Stay in there then! He bit me! Do you believe that?"
The basket opened, and Crookshanks immediately jumped out.
Sirius warily poked his head out. When he spotted the seemingly asleep wizard in question, he fell back into the basket in a very un-dog-like way. What the hell was Moony doing on the Hogwarts Express? There was no way he could grab Pettigrew now, not with Remus sitting right there. ...Sitting mere feet from a squeaking Pettigrew! Sirius wondered when Moony got so dense. It was something he'd have to hex out of his old friend.
If he doesn't kill me first.
Sirius had seen a couple of stags since he had broken out of prison, but he had looked away from them faster than if they had been basilisk eyes, they were such a painful reminder of James. Sirius guessed that Remus would feel the same, and so looking at a rat would be equally painful for him.
Sirius dared another look at Moony, ready to duck back into the basket at a moment's notice. At Hogwarts, Remus always snored lightly in his sleep, but this 'sleeping' Remus was silent. He was glad that Harry had the sense not to say anything about sneaking a dog aboard the train, since that would definitely cause Moony to stir.
The Remus Lupin that Sirius remembered had been young with bright eyes, sandy-brown hair, and a few scars. The Remus Lupin that Sirius saw now was older with tired eyes, had flecks of grey in his hair, and had more scars. He looked, as Ron put it, like "one good hex would finish him off."
Sirius felt a pang of guilt. Remus had lost just as much as he did, although Moony was in no way responsible for it.
The train stopped. Sirius, who had been periodically peeking into the compartment to check that Pettigrew was still in his cage, was quick to hide again as—if memory served him—it was too early for them to be at Hogwarts. He heard the confusion, heard Remus' voice—scratchier than he remembered—trying to settle that confusion, and felt a cold that brought him straight back to Azkaban.
He had so many good memories just from being with his godson for the past couple of weeks that the dementors would have a feast if he turned back into a man, and the sudden onset of their powers was rapidly depleting his own.
Sirius felt himself slipping, and fought to remain as Padfoot. He saw James' body in the ruins at Godric's Hollow and heard himself crying out in the background. He saw Lily upstairs in front of her son's crib. He watched Hagrid take Harry without having a chance to hold his precious godson one last time. Harry…
"Harry. Harry!"
Someone was calling his godson. Sirius sat up in a hurry. What had felt like an eternity must have only been a few seconds, since he was still Padfoot. He scrambled to the basket lid. He heard Harry's voice asking what had happened and relaxed. The way Remus had been calling, the dementor might have—No. He wouldn't even think that.
When Sirius heard Remus leave the compartment, he stuck his head out of the basket, gave Harry a quick lick to remind him that his dog was still there for him, and dashed back inside.
For the first time since watching the traitor disappear into the sewers twelve years ago, Sirius honestly didn't care about catching and killing Pettigrew. First, his actions had orphaned his godson, and now they had caused Harry to be exposed to dementors. Along with his twelve-year absence, Sirius was certain godfathers didn't come any worse than him.
Granted, Pettigrew's close proximity to Harry made him a very real threat that only Sirius was aware of, but Sirius swore to himself that, even if it meant losing a chance to get Pettigrew, he would not do anything else to endanger his godson. Maybe if he turned himself in to Dumbledore, his old Headmaster could help. Then again, even if Dumbledore did hear him out and locate Pettigrew, he would probably give the rat one of those second chances he was so fond of, and that would do nothing to help anyone. Or maybe that was just bitterness at being branded a traitor and left to rot by a man he had loyally followed into battle. Either way, going to Dumbledore was out until he could be certain that Pettigrew would no longer pose a threat to Harry as a result.
Hearing his godson's name called like that after a dementor had been close enough to grab the boy had at least scared his priorities straight. From now on, Harry came first, not Peter Pettigrew.