Disclaimer: Harry Potter is life, but it isn't mine.
Warning: Evil people/ dark themes
'Remus...'
He whispered in disbelief. 'Remus are you there?' He called again, this time a little louder.
He waited in the everlasting black hole of his mind.
'Sirius?' A familiar voice called out in response. Sirius sighed in relief.
'Moony, I found you...' He reached out for the lycanthrope and caught his hand, entwining it with his own in the darkness.
He leant into the touch when Remus used his free hand to stroke Sirius's cheek.
'I thought you were dead, or worse kissed.' The lycanthrope muttered remorsefully. 'I shouldn't have done what I did. I could've hurt you.' Sirius, much to the werewolf's surprise, chuckled softly.
'I'm sensing a theme.' He explained after sensing the worried look Remus was giving him. 'Use some variation, Remus. Been there, done that, got the Prison Uniform.' He joked, trying to lighten the situation. When Remus remained tense, Sirius sighed and rubbed circles around Remus's knuckles. He continued, 'Sorry, Moony... I'm just excited to talk to you again.'
Remus relaxed at that.
'Ditto, Pads.'
'So tell me, what was so important that lead to my Moony ignoring me for at least a year? I thought you were going to save me.' He asked, teasingly.
'It's been five months, Sirius.' Remus replied, concerned. Sirius's face paled and his smile faltered slightly -luckily for him, Remus could not see him.
'Really?... Seems much longer...'
Now that Sirius thought about it though, of course it had only been five months. He had counted five moons, but time ran so slowly in Azkaban that Sirius was starting to become confused more and more. He squeezed Remus's hand in a silent plea as if to say "Get me out of here, Moony".
'I'm trying, Padfoot.' Remus assured him, as if reading his mind. 'And as for leaving you? Well, I think the only reason I'm here now is because I've consumed a fair bit of alcohol...' Sirius eyed Remus at the latter and snorted.
'That's rude, you know, getting drunk without me.' Remus sniggered,
'Not really, if it's for a cause.' He reasoned.
'Oh? What cause would that be?' Sirius asked, intrigued.
'It's all part of my plan to get you out of here, Padfoot.' Remus replied mysteriously. The tone of his words implied that did not want to discuss the subject further, so Sirius dropped it.
He smiled sadly at the lycanthrope. 'Can't wait until you get me out of here Moony.' He sighed, 'I don't know how to thank you for what you're doing for me and Harry.' His stormy eyes sparkled. Remus, in response, kissed him on the nose affectionately. Whether he was aiming for Sirius nose or not, the animagus would never know, but he sniggered at the gesture anyway.
'You can thank me by staying alive...' Remus muttered.
Suddenly though, the werewolf started to spasm, as if someone was controlling him like a rag doll.
Remus's touch vanished, leaving Sirius alone once more; Remus's name on his lips. Sirius was not as worried as he used to be by these abrupt ending to his dreams, but he could not help but wonder what sort of danger lay ahead for the lycanthrope, and whether he would be okay...
However, with over ten years of knowing Remus, Sirius believed that the lycanthrope could survive anything...
'JOHN! JOHN, WAKE UP!' Rowle was shaking Remus roughly as the lycanthrope jolted awake.
'What, Rowle?!' Remus shouted, irritated that he had been awoken.
'We need to get out of here quick. Sharp said that he saw Ministry officials outside. We gotta go!' Rowle explained, he seemed to be experiencing a hangover by the looks of his countenance. His face was grey and saggy, with bags dark enough to match Remus' under his eyes. His beady eyes were glassy, but alert, aware of the danger around him.
'Where are the others, Rowle? We need to apparate before they cast the Anti-Apparation charm on the area.' Remus explained.
As soon as the words left Remus's lips, the door swung open, allowing the other two members of their party to join them. They made their way over to Remus and Rowle at a jog.
'Hurry up!' Remus yelled. 'Everyone take my hand.' He inwardly squirmed as their filthy hands touched his (even though he was wearing fingerless gloves to protect him), but did not complain explicitly.
Quickly, Remus thought of the first place that came into his mind and they disapparated.
...
The quartet landed with a loud thud on the forest floor. Remus had apparated them to a forest in the country, around eight miles west from where his father now lived after the death of Remus's mother, and ten miles from the Weasley's and Lovegood's. The location had been ideal for Remus during Transformations (only when the other Marauders were present though of course -can't have Moony running around on his own), as it was the only undisturbed place in the area.
The group got to their feet and looked around. Sharp was the first to comment.
'Where are we, John?'
'The out skirts of Devon.' Remus replied, 'No one will find us here.' He assured him.
Remus then proceeded to cast some protection charms around them to further prove his point. Halfway through though, suddenly, a familiar scent caught him, causing him to stop in his tracks. He grabbed a nearby tree trunk for support. The other three noticed his discomfort and looked at him oddly.
'What's wrong, John?' Sharp asked, placing his hands around Remus's tense shoulders in what seemed like concern, but was actually use as some sort of seductive technique.
Remus was feral at that point. The scent of a distinct rat filled his nose; it was distasteful and nauseating. It heightened senses prematurely, and caused Moony to surface -if only for a moment- but it was enough to let his guard down and make Remus snap when Sharp touched him -breaking the boundaries he had wordlessly put in place about no physical contact.
'Don't touch me.' His voice quivered, repressively. Sharp looked shocked, but did not let go, instead tightening his hold.
'What?'
'I said, DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME, YOU MONSTER!' He roared, pushing the Death Eater away from him and drawing his wand.
'What the hell?!' Sharp cried falling back into Macnair and Rowle, who both eyed Remus wearily, like when they first met. 'What the hell's wrong with you, Moony?!'
Remus fought for dominance, returning to normal, caging the wolf again. Realising what he had done, he quickly replaced his wand inside his robes. He straightened up, shaking himself.
'Nothing. I'm sorry, Viktor. I don't know what came over me.' He tried to reason, but Sharp was having none of it.
'That's bollocks and you know it.' He argued, raising his wand and pointing at at Remus's jugular. 'No one loses control like that, not even someone like you. The full was a week ago, you can not blame the wolf for this one. Now, before I kill you for lying to us, tell me what the fuck that was all about.'
It seemed that Sharp was not one to take rejection well, Remus figured.
'I sensed Wormtail.' He answered, immediately regretting it. His eyes went wide and he placed a hand over his mouth as the words slipped his lips.
Idiot! Bloody IDIOT!
'Who's Wormtail?' Sharp questioned. Macnair and Rowle, meanwhile, just stood behind the smaller man, waiting for orders, unsure of what to do at this stage.
'Pettigrew. I said Pettigrew.' Remus tried to cover up in vain.
'No, you didn't. You said Wormtail.' Remus's back was against the tree trunk now, stray branches digging into his back painfully. The lycanthrope decided to spill part of the truth in order to cover himself, however vague his words may be...
'No, no. You see, Wormtail is Pettigrew. It's what we used to call him in school.' Remus reasoned. Realising that what he was saying was not helping his case, he shut up, bashing his head against the tree he was leaning against and mentally cursing his idiocy.
IDIOT! YEARS OF PRACTICE AND YOU GO AND DO THAT!
'Who's we?'
Silence...
Sharp's wand dug into Remus's neck painfully, but the werewolf did not make a sound. Sharp studied him for a moment, as if trying to see through a disguise.
'Who are you?' Sharp finally asked, puzzled. Remus grit his teeth together from the pain of the wand in his neck, not answering the Death Eater. Spitefully, he spat into Sharp's face. 'You piece of shit!' The Death Eater cried, wiping the saliva from his face.
Then, his anger dissolved, and was replaced by a vindictive smirk that worried Remus greatly. Sharp leant in and sneered, 'Fine. If you're not going to tell me who you are, then I'll just have to fuck it out of you, you little turd.' He stated, threateningly. Remus felt his breath catch; his eyes went wide. He slowly shook his head in defiance.
'No.' He whispered.
'Tell me.' Sharp commanded. Remus shook his head before having his whole body smashed against the tree trunk forcefully.
He collapsed to the ground, feeling a little light-headed, but still fully concious. Sharp tied Remus down with a spell and then proceeded to climb on top of him. Macnair and Rowle looked too dumbfounded to do anything but watch as the situation escalated from bad to worse...
'Last chance.' Sharp offered as he stared into the werewolf's now terrified eyes. 'Tell me who you are.' Remus hissed like a violent cat before struggling against the binds. Sharp let out a bark of laughter and brought a hand down to Remus's cheek, turning his face to one side and stroking the scarred skin roughly. Remus turned his head back and bit into the Death Eater's palm in rebellion until he tasted blood.
Sharp merely smacked him in response, leaving a red hand print on the werewolf's face. Pulling out his wand once more, Sharp flicked his wand, causing a deep cut to form on the lycanthrope's face. He then pointed the wand at Remus's chest, performing the same spell. Remus squeezed his eyes shut as scarlet blood soaked through his shirt. Sharp then proceeded to try and undo Remus's trousers, smirk never faltering on his bastard face.
At that, the lycanthrope's eyes shot open, blazing emeralds as wide as orbs.
NO!
Remus snarled and growled, thrashing his tied limbs everywhere in a futile attempt to escape the evil man's clutches. This was not happening. He could not do this to him! When Sharp placed both of his hands on the werewolf's hips to steady him, Remus whined in terror and hopelessness. The realisation that he was not going to be able to gain the upper hand this time made him terrified.
How had it come to this?
He had no chance of escape; no saviour.
Suddenly, the Death Eater pulled his hands back from the skin of Remus's hips, scolded. He stared at his hands, which were now, in fact, fully burnt; a corroded pink gradually spreading up his arm as the flesh tore away.
'What the fuck have you done to me?!' He cried.
Remus gazed through him expressionless, acting indifferent to Sharp's pain. 'I'll fucking kill you.' He spoke angrily and brought both of his burnt hands down upon Remus's neck, strangling the werewolf, despite the fact he was causing more damage to his hands in doing so.
The lycanthrope gasped at the lack of air, but did not struggle against the grip. He could not fight him off anyway, but he did not need to. The moment Sharp's hands brushed the chain around Remus's neck, the burning became even more violent, until the smell of burning flesh filled the group's noses. Sharp screamed as he let go of Remus's neck and stared at his own hands and arms. The skin was gone, burnt and corroded off.
Remus looked into the face of Viktor Sharp, and he knew then that the man on top of him was going to die. His face had begun to burn as well, showing the bone of his right cheek and the left side of his jaw. The three could only watch in horror as the small Death Eater crumbled, burnt and melted in front of them, still straddling Remus's stomach.
Remus felt the invisible binds loosen, and ceased his chance. Pulling his wand from his robes, he sprang to his feet and disarmed the other two Death Eater's. They looked too shocked to do anything anyway.
'Expelliarmus! Petrificus Totalus!' He shot the latter spell at Macnair. 'Stupefy!' He yelled, hitting Rowle square in the chest. The two fell to the ground, like domino's, easily. Remus walked up to them, wand still raised in a shaking hand. When he recovered himself, he spoke -his voice was hard and controlled. 'I should kill you, you know, for all the innocent lives you've taken during your own miserable ones, but I won't... That would make me just as bad as you. So instead, I'm going to be merciful and just wipe your memories instead. You'll forget me. You'll forget everything that has happened here today, and you'll forget any trace of where Voldemort is.' He then spoke the incarnation, performing it twice on the two wizards.
'Obliviate.'
Remus spent an hour spreading Macnair and Rowle across opposite ends of the forest from each other. This was so that when they awoke, there would be no trace of what happened. He did not need to bury Sharp. There was nothing left of him anyway.
What concerned Remus the most about the entire situation was how Sharp had managed to meet that end just by touching him, and more importantly, could it have had something to do with Sirius's necklace?
But no time for brooding now, the werewolf had a rat to find. When he had separated himself from the scent of burning flesh, Remus gave the air around him another sniff. The scent was familiar; it was of sweat, fear and the distinguishable Pettigrew stench.
Finding his bearings, Remus began to sprint towards his destination. His pace quickened with adrenaline; his motivation was sky high. Nothing could stop him. The lycanthrope had Wormtail within his grasp. The closer Remus got though, the more mingled the scent became. He slowed down to a jogging pace in befuddlement, then his eyes widened in realisation as he was aware of the house he was approaching.
The Weasley's.
Remus continued to jog up to the doorstep, panting slightly (had he really just run ten miles?). Coming to a stop, he knocked hurriedly on the wooden door, hoping Wormtail had not done anything awful to them.
It was due to this belief that lead to his bewilderment when the door finally opened to find Molly Weasley smiling brightly up at him. She was in the process of drying a cooking bowl beneath her hands, and when she took in the lycanthrope's shabby appearance, her smile faltered, and she squinted up at him apprehensively.
'Who are you? What do you want?' Remus looked at her questioningly, then remembered that he had altered his appearance.
'It's Remus Lupin, Mrs Weasley.' He assured her, introducing himself.
'Remus Lupin?' She asked, unsure of herself. Remus nodded enthusiastically, still caught for breath.
'Yes, Molly.' She looked weary. 'I was a friend of Lily and James Potter, if you don't remember. I was also in the Order during the War.' He added. Boy, Remus hoped she had not read any of the Prophet articles about him.
'Oh yes, of course.' She realised, waving a dismissive hand.
Phew, Remus relaxed.
'Of course, I remember, you were the only sensible one of your lot -besides Lily, obviously.' She continued, 'I remember my brothers -Fabian and Gideon- used to talk about you a lot back when they were in school. They were only a few years ahead of you. They used love all the mischief the infamous "Marauders" caused. I also recall they used to compete with your lot for biggest Prank.' She smiled at him, not approving of the pranks, but affectionately as she reminisced -like a mother would.
Moony? The 'Sensible' one? Who was the one who charmed the Slytherin toilets to backfire after putting laxatives in their dinner? The Padfoot and Prongs side of Remus's brain thought to point out.
'Oh, but Remus, dear, are you alright? You have an awful gash on your cheek.' Subconsciously, the lycanthrope raised his hand touch his face, then shook his head.
'Oh no, Mrs Weasley. I'm quite alright, nothing to worry about.' Remus tried to reassure her with a smile. He then quickly changed the subject as to the reason why he came here.
'Although, Mrs Weasley, I was just wondering if I could come in. There is something of great importance that I wish to discuss with you and your husband.' He requested. Molly seemed taken aback a little bit, but did not argue.
'Of course, Remus. Come in.' She stood aside and allowed him to follow her through to the living room.
Her house, to Remus, was beautiful. It was more than a house, it was a true home. It gave out the impression that it belonged to a close family. Like the one Remus used to have before Peter took it all away from him. Molly gestured to a chair by the fire, which he took gladly, sighing in pleasure as his muscles relaxed. Mrs Weasley left the room for a moment before returning a moment later with Arthur Weasley.
'Mr Lupin.' Arthur greeted holding out his hand for a handshake. Changing his mind halfway, he quickly took his hand back, looking at the dishevelled fatigued werewolf. 'You're lucky you came today. This is my first day off in weeks.' He added, taking a seat on the burgundy sofa opposite Remus awkwardly.
'Would you like anything to drink, Remus?' Molly asked in concern.
'Some water please if that's all right, Mrs Weasley.' Remus answered, voice becoming gritty and dehydrated.
'Of course, dear.' And with that, she exited the room once more, returning a few minutes later with a glass and jug full of water. Remus took the glass from her, muttering his thanks, before draining it in one. Molly strategically placed the jug on the table next to Remus, figuring he'd need it soon, and took the seat next to her husband.
'So, what seems to be the problem, Remus?' Arthur asked worriedly as Remus's water balance stabilized. Remus thought about how he was going to word the question without sounding like a lunatic.
This proved rather difficult...
'Well, to start off, how many visitor's have you had since Halloween last year?' He began. The couple looked at him peculiarly before Molly answered,
'Just you, Dumbledore, Xenophilius Lovegood, Arthur's co-workers at the Ministry, and Dedalus Diggle. ' Molly counted. Remus nodded, so Peter had not exposed himself. Wise decision on his part.
'What about any animals?' He asked curiously. 'Any strange animals paid you a visit...' They frowned at him, making Remus feel very uncomfortable and just plain silly. He cut the formalities and asked the question, 'Perhaps a rat?'
That seemed to be the magic word to capture the two red heads' attention. They looked up quickly, like curious meerkat's.
'Y-Yes. As a matter of fact, yes we have.' Molly stuttered. 'Why do you ask?' Remus ignored the question.
'Is the rat here now?' She nodded, wearily. 'Could I see him, please?' He requested, politely.
'Why?' Arthur questioned defensively. 'What has my son's rat got to do with anything?'
'All in good time, Mr Weasley, but really now, please, it is essential that I see him.'
Arthur hesitated, but nodded after Molly placed a hand on his arm in approval. He then got up with as much dignity as he could muster, and walked out to find the rodent.
'Have you had him long, Mrs Weasley?' Remus asked to get rid of the awkward silence that had filled the room. Molly, who had been twiddling her fingers in anticipation, looked up at the question.
'Oh! No... Not that long... My sons, Fred and George, found him hiding at the back of our garden around November last year. They thought it would be... er... amusing to give the hideous thing to my older son -Percy- with the intention of scaring him. Of course Percy wasn't scared of the rat, a little disgusted by it at first, but who wasn't?' Remus snorted at that, causing her to look at him inquiringly.
'Sorry about that, Mrs Weasley. I think I might be coming down with a cough.' He quickly covered up.
'Oh dear, are you all right?' She asked, concerned.
'Oh yes, I'm fine. Don't mind me, carry on with your story, it's quite interesting I assure you.' He said sincerely.
Molly nodded.
'Well... where was I? Oh yes... Well, you see, Percy grew quite attached to the rat quickly. He bawled his eyes out when Arthur and I suggested that we drown the dirty animal. Naturally, we had to keep him, although we did have to bath him extensively to get rid of the filth and smell.'
When she finished, Remus nodded as silence resumed. This was low of Peter to seek sanctuary in a wizarding family, Remus thought in repulsion. To take advantage of their good nature by hiding in his animagus form was shameful, but admittedly, Remus had to admit that it was quite cunning. Hiding like this would make Wormtail virtually undetectable.
Until today...
Arthur returned to the room, carrying a squirming rat beneath his hands, fighting to keep his grip. Cautiously, he handed him out to Remus.
'Forgive Scabbers, He's not usually like this.' Arthur informed the lycanthrope. Remus smirked at the rat and took him from the red headed man, holding him up at eye level.
'It's quite all right, Mr Weasley. I'm sure he's just excited to see his old school friend, that's all.' Remus assured, grinning. Arthur's mouth did a shining impression of a goldfish while Mrs Weasley looked puzzled.
'Whatever can you mean, Remus?' She cried in bewilderment. Remus shook his head.
'Mr and Mrs Weasley, I must inform you now that this rat -Scabbers, you called him- is not a rat. He is a wizard.' He informed them calmly as Wormtail squeaked in his hands. 'If you don't mind, Mrs Weasley, would you be so kind as to send a Patronus to Albus Dumbledore. I imagine he'll want to see this...' He added.
Not wanting to cause argue with the man, Molly quickly dashed from the room, casting a silvery bear from her wand. Arthur held onto the mantelpiece in the living room as he gazed at Remus in worry as the man began to talk to Scabbers as if the rodent could understand him.
'Why hello, Peter. Fancy seeing you here.' Remus was saying, expression like that of a wolf who had caught it's prey. 'You've done some very bad things, haven't you...' Wormtail stopped struggling and listened, quivering like a frightened mouse as Remus spoke his next words forcefully.
'But I've found you now, Peter... and you're going to pay for what you did to us...'
Minutes went by, and the anticipation in the room had risen to an all time high. Mr and Mrs Weasley could only watch hopelessly as Remus continued to mutter to Scabbers in a deranged manner.
Finally, there was a loud CRACK outside, and Molly quickly ran out to find Albus Dumbledore gliding towards her -always the tranquil one, she thought.
'Good Morning, Mrs Weasley.' He greeted warmly, as if he were just dropping in for a pleasant chat. 'Would you be ever so kind and lead me to where Remus is.' He asked politely, although a note of urgency was heard in his voice. Molly nodded and lead him to the living room hastily.
The Headmaster walked up to where the lycanthrope was sat, and keeled down, gazing at the rat in Remus's hands thoughtfully. He studied the rodent, regarding the mass of unwashed fur and the portly belly. 'Are you sure it's him, Remus?' He pressed seriously.
While Molly and Arthur continued to look befuddled, Remus's eyes never left Peter.
'Positive, Albus.' He used his roughened thumb to lift Wormtail's paw to show the Professor.
The ring finger was missing.
'All they could find was a finger...' Dumbledore muttered, astonished. 'How did you find him?' He marvelled.
'Smelt him, but there's time for details later. We should inform the Ministry before something... unfortunate should happen to Peter.' Remus replied, looking at the rat, hungrily. Dumbledore looked a little affronted by this, but agreed all the same. He turned to Arthur.
'Mr Weasley, it is essential we gather some Aurors' quickly, preferably Alastor Moody. Would that be possible?'
'I can make it possible, Sir.' He replied determined, before dashing off.
'Pardon me, Headmaster.' Molly asked after her husband departed.
'Yes Molly?'
'I'm afraid I am slightly confused. What is the meaning of all of this?' She asked, puzzled.
'Of course! forgive me, Mrs Weasley. This does seem just a little unorthodox, doesn't it?' He stood and gestured her to a seat on the sofa. When they were both sat down, the Headmaster continued, 'Now, this may be a lot for you to take in at the moment. Where are your children?' Dumbledore asked.
'Why? Are they safe?' She cried, panicking. Tears were beginning to brim in her eyes. Dumbledore tried to calm her.
'Everything is fine, Molly. As long as Scabbers is still within our line of sight then everything will be all right.' She relaxed slightly at that. 'Now, Molly, where are your children?' He asked again.
'Well, Bill's at Hogwarts, obviously...' She sniffed in a repulsive way, causing Remus to momentarily cringe, squeezing Wormtail even harder in his hands (albeit that might have been intentional). 'Charlie, Fred and George are at my Aunt Muriel's for the week,' She continued, indifferent to the disgusted facial expression Remus was making for several different reasons, 'and Percy is upstairs with Ronny and Ginny.'
'Okay. That's fine, Molly. I was just checking. Nothing to be worried about.' Dumbledore assured her, patting her hand soothingly.
'Of course... Just being a little silly.' She gave out a watery, half-hearted chuckle.
'Now, for me to explain, this rat -Scabbers- I'm afraid to say, isn't a rat.' Dumbledore began, 'He is a Wizard, by the name of Peter Pettigrew.' Molly cocked her head to the side in bemusement -a very uncharacteristic gesture for the red head.
'That's impossible, Sir.' She contradicted. 'He's dead, Sirius Black killed him!'
'See, that's where you have been hoodwinked, just like everyone else.' Dumbledore spoke omnisciently. 'You see, Molly, Remus and I have been doing some investigating since Halloween, and we found that Sirius Black did not in fact commit the crimes he was imprisoned for. He was framed.' Dumbledore said, carefully.
'Then, if it wasn't Black, who killed all those people?' Mrs Weasley asked in interest.
'The answer to that, Mrs Weasley, is in Remus's hands.' He answered, pointing towards Scabbers. 'It seems that as well as being a murderer and a Death Eater, Peter Pettigrew was also an unregistered animagus, His form being a rat.' He gazed at the said rat in (loathing? Was that possible for Albus Dumbledore?). 'How fitting the form is, I must say.' Remus smirked at that.
'Couldn't agree more, Sir.' The lycanthrope remarked, eyes still fixed on Wormtail. 'You see, Mrs Weasley, Peter Pettigrew is the reason James and Lily Potter are dead; he is the reason that a one year old Harry Potter no longer has his loving parents and proper family to care for him. Peter Pettigrew is the reason a good man is rotting way in Azkaban, being punished for crimes he would sooner die than execute.'
His shining emeralds left Wormtail briefly to look at Dumbledore urgently. 'Albus, now that we have explained, I would much rather get Pettigrew to show himself properly- ahhh bugger!' He broke off and made a noise almost like a hiss, returning his gaze to the rat, which had just sunk its teeth into his now bloody thumb in the few short moments Remus had let his watch falter. The bite hurt, but not enough to make his grip loosen.
He leaned in to whisper so only Peter could hear, 'You filthy little piece of vermin, you're lucky I haven't ripped out your throat yet.'
The rat squeaked in fear.
'As you wish, Remus.' Dumbledore agreed, not hearing Remus's previous words, taking out his wand, aiming the tip at "Scabbers". Remus held Wormtail at arms length, like one would a crying baby (unless you were Molly Weasley that is). Dumbledore shot the spell, hitting the rat squarely in the chest. The lycanthrope dropped Wormtail on the floor, watching him spasm; transforming.
'Nice shot, Sir.' Remus noted, admirably.
'Thank you, Remus.'
Molly gave a little squeak as the small limbs of Wormtail began to morph into human arms and legs. The furry torso expanded and shed into a portly one. The head was the last to change, completing the transformation, and then Peter Pettigrew was in the rats place, cowering on the floor in the fetal position. He looked up, sniffing like a mouse would some cheese. This eyes were not too different to that of the rat's: watery, small and beady, his nose was pointed and his ears were also, making his countenance much more comparable to his animagus form than what would have been classed as normal.
'Hello, Peter.' Remus greeted acidly. Peter's eyes settled on his old childhood friend, growing wide in fear.
'R-R-Remus?' He feigned surprise, 'Is that you, my old friend?' He sat up on his knee's and crawled towards the werewolf, reaching his stubby arms out to latch onto his trousers.
'Get away from me.' Remus backed away, all but kicking Pettigrew away from him. He was repelled by the vermin. 'There's enough dirt on my robes without you touching them, Peter.' He stated, hot-headedly. Pettigrew whimpered.
'Surely... Surely you don't believe that it was me, Remus. You don't think that they would've actually used little, old me for Secret Keeper, do you?' The animagus tried reasoning in vain.
'Oh, I don't think that at all, Peter... I know they used you. I've seen Sirius, he has more proof than you.' Remus informed him, his words coming out in a worryingly pleasant manner.
Peter mumbled something incoherent.
'I'm sorry, what was that, Peter?' Dumbledore questioned, now standing from the sofa next to Molly.
'I said that Remus would believe anything Black would say, Mr Dumbledore, Sir.' He replied, gaining a little confidence.
'I have every right to believe that what Sirius has told me is true, Wormtail, our relationship be damned. Why would you be hiding if you were only scared of Sirius? Why would you fake your own death? Sirius is in Azkaban. He can't get you from there.' His voice was hard again, occasionally cracking with uncontainable anger.
He calmed himself. Then added, 'Who else could be after you if you're innocent, Peter?' He questioned as if talking to a child.
'N-No one, Remus, I'm innocent! B-b-but S-Sirius could still escape and come after me!' Peter quickly reasoned. It was a flimsy excuse at best. 'Sirius could escape from Azkaban and come after me. He could do it, you know. He never was one for rules, and no one knows what the Dark Lord could've taught his most faithful servant.'
Remus's hand was gripped so tightly on his wand that his knuckles were turning white. He pointed it at Peter between the eyes, inches from his face.
'Don't. You. Dare. Talk. About. Sirius. Like. That.' He spat out angrily. His abhorrence towards Peter was growing to be stronger than that of the three Death Eater's he had travelled with for the past three months, and he had heard them talk of things like Muggle hunting and Mudblood executions! 'Sirius is a good man who would rather die than betray his family, don't you even suggest that he supported Voldemort.'
Peter flinched at the name.
'What's wrong Peter? Afraid to hear your Master's name?' He asked in mock concern. Peter shook his head hopelessly. 'You betrayed James and Lily. You were their Secret Keeper, not Sirius. You told Voldemort where they were. You killed those 12 Muggles. You framed Sirius for your crimes, didn't you?'
Silence.
'DIDN'T YOU?!' He repeated, shouting as he towered over a blubbering Wormtail.
'I-I d-didn't mean to, Remus... I didn't mean to tell the Dark Lord... He would have killed me!' Remus's eye was twitching in anger.
'Then you should have died!' Remus almost cried. Then his voice lowered, 'You should have died...' he whispered, monotonously. 'as we would have done... For you.'
He looked away then, betrayal in his eyes. He could not look at the man before him. The man who so willingly handed the ones he supposedly loved over to the darkest wizard of all time; the man who framed an innocent man for his crimes, forcing him to serve a lifetime of torture.
The man who felt no remorse for his crimes and would probably do it again in a heart beat...
CRACK.
There was the sound of a loud metal clanging over the floorboards and some low mumbling before Mad-eye Moody entered the room. His eyes travelled from Molly, to Dumbledore, to Remus, and then finally to Peter. When his eyes befell onto the latter, his usually cantankerous demeanour quickly changed into one of surprise and bewilderment as he whipped his wand out faster than one could say Quidditch.
'What the devil is going on here, Dumbledore?!' His rough voice rattled through the room. Dumbledore looked unperturbed by the volume of Moody's voice and gestured towards Peter with a frail hand.
'Well, you see Alastor, it seems that Remus Lupin has managed to successfully find out that Peter Pettigrew isn't in fact dead after all. He is right here in front of you, and what I think will interest you the most is the fact that he has just admitted to having betrayed James and Lily Potter to Lord Voldemort.' Dumbledore explained calmly, as if he were discussing knitting patterns.
Moody, least to say, was a little miffed.
'But that can't be right, Dumbledore.' Moody contradicted, echoing Molly's previous words. 'Pettigrew's dead. Black killed him-'
'He was framed.' Remus spoke solemnly, head still bowed, though his wand was still pointing at Wormtail's head. 'And as you can clearly see, Peter is right in front of you. You can not ignore the truth if it is staring at you in the face.'
Remus then lifted his head to practice his wand, muttering, 'Incarcerous.' Thick ropes shot from his wand and wrapped themselves around Wormtail, causing the plump man to collapse upon the ground with a painful thud. Remus did not bat an eyelid.
The lycanthrope then turned from Peter and walked towards Dumbledore and Mad-eye coolly. 'Pettigrew is a Death Eater, responsible for all the crimes Sirius Black is imprisoned for. I should think you'll want to inform some of the Ministry officials, maybe Barty Crouch as I am under the impression that he plays a main part in the persecutions of Death Eaters -he was present at my trial anyway- I should think he'll want to see this.' He pointed at the vermin wriggling helplessly on the floor before addressing Mad-eye fully, 'It may not be my place to give you orders, Sir-'
'I should bloody well hope not.' Moody interrupted.
'-But if Sirius Black isn't out of Azkaban by tonight at least,' Remus continued as if Mad-eye had not spoken, 'then let it be known that a certain lycanthrope will start to make things very difficult for the Ministry until they do release him.' He finished. Then, to everyone's utmost horror, Remus Lupin smiled pleasantly at the Auror, giving out an aura of a true Marauder.
Then he turned to Dumbledore who was smiling back at Remus with victory.
'Shall you be needing me anytime soon, Albus?' Remus asked.
'Not yet, but your presence will be needed soon enough, Remus. You are, after all, at the very heart of this whole situation, along with Mr Black and Mr Pettigrew.' Dumbledore replied, smile never faltering. 'But for now, you are to return to Hogwarts and get yourself sorted; you are to meet me in my office in one hour, after I have sorted out everything I can at the Ministry.'
The Headmaster pulled out an old pen pot from his robes and handed it to Remus. It was a portkey, the lycanthrope realised. Nodding to Dumbledore, Moody, and to the two Weasley's who had their arms around each other in shock and comfort, he closed his eyes as he was transported to Hogwarts...
I did it! I caught him! Sirius is finally free!
Remus was ecstatic; exuberant.
When he arrived at Hogwarts he rushed to the bathrooms to take a quick shower. He shed his clothing and stepped into one of the stalls for his first shower in over two weeks. The cool water that rushed against his skin filled Remus with content and relaxed him immensely. He sighed as he found a calmness within him that had been lost since Halloween.
Sirius is free.
Remus scrubbed his chest, feeling an odd tingling sensation. Perplexed, Remus looked down, gasping. Carved into his chest, pink and still bleeding lightly was the word,
MONSTER.
Unable to look at himself anymore, he switched off the tap, which expelled a high pitched squeak which was cringe worthy, but Remus did not pay it any mind. His peaceful mood had dissipated, replaced by a solemn one. He regarded his clothes, shrewn all over the bathroom tiles, dirt ridden and dishevelled. He did not particularly fancy putting them on again like that, so he bent down to retrieve his wand from the inside of his robe and cast cleansing charm to make the material bearable, at least, to wear until the House elves could clean them for him.
Afterwards, he quickly strode up towards the Headmaster's office; a range of emotions charging through him. Anger; accomplishment; hope. The list was endless. Remus did not have to wait long in the dome shaped room for Dumbledore to appear, robe billowing behind him as he made his entrance through the fire place. Remus rose from where he had seated himself to meet the old Professor as he himself made his way towards the werewolf, an genuine smile upon his countenance.
'What has happened, Albus?' Remus questioned, his tone curious as opposed to worrisome, for Dumbledore would not be smiling like he was if something bad had happened.
'Well, Remus, it gives me great pleasure to inform you that after the arrest of Mr Pettigrew, I have been able to make an inquiry as to the terms of Sirius's imprisonment; the trial is Monday – two days from now- Sirius, of course, has been made aware of this.'
His smile brightened as Remus matched it with a wide toothy grin which strained the usually stoic muscles of his face.
'That is wonderful, Sir!' Remus remarked joyously.
'Indeed. Although, you will be required to be at the trial also, Remus.' Dumbledore continued, his tone gradually becoming more serious. 'I have made a... er... slight compromise, and -despite the current werewolf prejudices and stereotypes- the Ministry is willing to allow you to give evidence against Peter to prove Sirius's innocence.' He paused then, making Remus look at him suspiciously.
'What's the compromise, Albus?'
Dumbledore sighed.
'They are allowing you to give evidence, provided that you are restrained during the trial. They argued that with regard to you recent endeavours and the general discrimination you receive from them, you are classed as unpredictable and need to be contained as a safety precaution. Forgive me, Remus, there was nothing I could do.'
Remus nodded stiffly.
'That's fair enough, I guess.' He replied monotonously. 'That's fine. Now, is there anything else I should know, Sir?'
'Yes, until the trial, Mr Pettigrew will be held at the Ministry; Sirius had also been brought over from Azkaban and is to be held at the Ministry also... And No -before you ask, Remus- you can not see him.' He added as Remus opened his mouth to ask the very question. Changing tactics, Remus spoke instead,
'Have the Ministry officials been made aware of the nature of Wormtai-Peter?' Remus asked, brow furrowed.
'I have informed them of Mr Pettigrew's animagus form, yes.' Dumbledore replied sincerely.
'And Sirius, Albus? What of his animagus form? Surely they can not scrutinize him for it. Sirius has paid his dues in Azkaban, he does not deserve to be persecuted further.' Remus stated defensively, his expression turning from curiosity to worry. Dumbledore contemplated the answer.
'You make a good point, Remus. I shall bring this up at the trial, I assure you.' Dumbledore replied.
He gazed intently at the lycanthrope before continuing in an almost sombre voice, 'We must also talk of you mission at some point also, Remus. Forgive me when I say that when I first saw you at the Weasley's, the taste of marred flesh and blood on your scent was quite prominent, suggesting that there was more to your discovery of Peter Pettigrew than what meets the eye...'
He smiled sadly as Remus bowed his head. 'But for now, you must rest. You have had, no doubt, a rather eventful, albeit exhausting day. No one can deny that you are looking a little tired, Remus. You are welcome to use your room from your previous visit -located in the Hospital wing; I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will not mind.'
Remus nodded and made to depart the office, inwardly rejoicing that he did not have to recall the details of his mission yet, when Dumbledore called back, 'Remus.'
The lycanthrope turned back and gazed at the Headmaster.
'Yes, Sir?'
'It's good to see you back.' His eye twitched into almost a wink.
'It's good to be back , Sir.' Remus nodded in response before closing the golden door behind him.
A/N: Exams are over *tomorrow* and then I will finally be freeee! Anyway, wow long wait, long chapter, sorry. A few more chapters should finish this story up. I hope the story is still interesting to you all. I'll update soon. :)