Blood Ties
Part 33
Rating, summary and such are same as before.
Note 1: Thanks for everyone's wonderful reviews. And sorry about the super late update, so there will be 2 (32-33) updates in a roll! Forgive me?
Note 2: Thanks Joahn for beta-reading the story!
"On three. One... two... three!"
"Holy crap." Xander blinked, his words representing the same thought that was running through the others as they took in the sight in front of them.
A flash of blue and white light erupted from their wands and hit the rat, and immediately, the rat transformed into a man. The man looked about the same age as Black and Lupin but much shorter, with a pointed nose, small eyes and grubby skin that looked more like rat's fur. Harry could not help but felt like even in human form, this man who called himself Peter Pettigrew, was more of a rat than a human.
Lupin and Black released the spell, and Pettigrew immediately dropped onto the floor. He looked up, his eyes darting among Lupin, Black and the doorway behind them. "Remus... S-sirius... my old friends..." He rushed forward, trying to get past in between them but the two adults immediately seized his wrists and threw him back.
Pettigrew fell onto the ground, his eyes darting around again, and this time settled on Harry. "Harry!" He pushed himself up again and stumbled forward towards the younger man. "Look at you! You look just like your father, like James! We were the best of friends, he and I-"
"How dare you talk to Harry!" Black growled, his wand, shaking with anger, pointed at Pettigrew. "How dare you speak of James in front of him!"
Pettigrew tried to run away, but Remus blocked his way. "You sold out James and Lily, didn't you?!"
"I didn't mean to!" Pettigrew cried. "The Dark Lord... you have no idea the weapons he possesses..." He turned towards Sirius. "Ask yourself what you would have done! What would you have done!"
"I would have died! I would have died than betray my friends!"
Pettigrew tried to make a break for the second time. Lupin and Black ran after them, but not as quickly as Willow as she threw up her hands, causing the door to swing closed by itself. The ex-rat ran right onto the door, his face smashed against the wooden surface and broke his nose.
Pettigrew looked up, confused and in pain, when Willow stepped forward and stood next to Harry. "You are not going anywhere."
The ex-rat blinked, looked as if he had just noticed the redhead. "Mistress... mercy..." He was about to move closer when Harry positioned himself right in front of her and pushed Pettigrew back away from them. "I've been loyal... please... mercy..."
Lupin moved closer with his wand pointing at him. "You should have realized, Peter. If Voldemort didn't kill you, I would!"
Black also took a step closer to the ex-rat. "Together!"
Harry glanced at his girlfriend, then his friend, before turning back towards Black and Lupin, his mind made up. "No."
"Harry, this man-"
"I know what he is." Harry told Lupin. "We'll take him to the castle."
Pettigrew looked a bit relieved. "Bless you boy. Bless you-"
"I said, we'll take you to the castle." Harry took a couple steps forward. "After that, the Dementors are going to have you."
"No..."
"Sorry about the bite." Black told Ron as he helped the redhead Gryffindor down the tunnel with Hermione. Harry and Willow were walking hand to hand in front of them, whispering to each other, while Lupin guarding Pettigrew further at the front. Buffy, half holding Xander, followed them at the back. "I reckon that twinges a bit."
"A bit?" Ron raised an eyebrow. "You almost tore my leg off!"
"Hey, I was aiming for the rat." Black explained. "Normally, I have a very sweet disposition as a dog." Harry and Willow turned towards the escaped prisoner as one and raised eyebrows at him. "What?" He pouted, which somehow made him looked younger than he was. "I am. In fact, more than once, James suggested that I make the change permanent. The tail I can live with, but the fleas... they're murder."
"Are you sure?" Buffy asked from behind as she looked at Black's messy hair wryly. "You hair doesn't exactly scream 'flea-free' to me." Black pouted harder, causing the others to giggle.
"The door was you, wasn't it? His nose." Harry whispered to Willow as they made their way back to the castle with the gang. Willow nodded. "I'm glad."
"Me too." Willow whispered back. "Harry?"
"Um?"
"Do you..."
"What?"
Willow shook her head. "Nothing." She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small black bag that's about the same size as a tea bag before stuffing it into Harry's hand. "For you."
"It's..."
"Protection charm. The strongest one I can make with the ingredients I can get my hands on. It should give you a bit of protection against Dementors." Willow whispered, feeling her cheek burning. "I want you to be safe."
"Thanks." Harry smiled and put it into his pocket. "But hopefully I don't need it anymore."
Willow nodded, feeling the hole at the back of her head getting bigger and bigger. She did not need to look to know that it was Black who was staring at her, and her heart getting heavier and heavier as she thought of the reason the escaped prisoner was staring.
Once stepping out from the opening via the Whomping Willow, Black and Hermione helped Ron to a huge rock nearby, before the escaped prisoner took a couple steps forward, staring at the castle not far ahead.
Willow watched Black quietly, before letting go of Harry's hand. Harry looked at her, a bit confused, when she nodded at Black. "Go." She whispered.
Harry nodded, and went to join Black. Willow turned, and helped Buffy setting Xander next to Ron. The redhead Slytherin and the blond Gryffindor smiled at each other when Hermione tried to consult Ron. "So..." Buffy moved away a bit with Willow quickly followed, leaving Xander with Ron and Hermione. "How are you?"
Buffy shrugged at Willow's question at she looked far ahead. "Take care of them, will you? After I'm gone. I mean, Hermione's okay, but you're the one with the big mojo."
"Oh. But..." Willow frowned. "Have I ever mentioned I'm not good under pressure?"
Buffy turned and faced the redhead, her hands held up and surrender. "No pressure. But you're the strongest person here. You know that, right?"
Willow frowned harder. "Well... no."
Buffy grinned. "Hey, don't get a jelly belly on me now."
"No, no jelly belly. May be M & M's," Buffy's grin immediately disappeared and replaced by confused expression. "O-or..." The redhead tailed off when she noticed the necklace on Buffy's chest. "This..." Under the moonlight, she narrowed her eyes at the gem. "I know this..."
"HARRY!"
Harry walked up towards Black quietly, joining his Godfather as they watched the castle not far away. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" Black asked softly. "I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again as a free man." He then turned towards Harry. "That was a noble thing you did there." He nodded at Pettigrew, who was begging Lupin to spare him, not to hand him over to the Dementors.
Harry shook his head. "I didn't think my dad would have wanted his best friends to become killers. Besides, if he dies, the truth dies with him." He smiled at Black. "Alive, you're free."
Black smiled. "I don't know if you know, Harry... but when you were born, James and Lily made me your godfather." He looked away, and Harry could see the faint blush on his dirty cheeks.
"I know."
"I can understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle... but if you... if you ever wanted a different home..."
"What? Come and live with you?"
"It's just a thought." Black answered. "I can understand if you don't want to-"
"HARRY!"
Everyone turned towards Hermione, who pointed at the night sky - at the rising full moon.
Harry spun towards Lupin, who was now staring at it, his body shaking as moonlight washed over him. Black rushed towards the professor, holding his arms as his face rapidly changing into something non-human... something wolf-y. "Remus! My old friend! Have you taken your potion tonight?" Black shouted desperately as the arms he was holding getting larger and larger under his hands. "You know the man you truly are, Remus! This heart is where you truly live!" He put his hand over Lupin's chest. "HERE! This flesh is only flesh!"
Harry was about to go to help Black when he saw movement at the corner of his eyes. Pettigrew had picked up the wand that was dropped by Lupin, and immediately, Harry pointed his own wand at him. "Expelliarmus!"
Pettigrew's wand fell back to the ground, but the other man didn't seem to be concerned. He smiled, waved a little at Harry, and before anyone knew it, were he had been standing was now replaced by a rat, and it quickly ran away, disappeared into the dark.
Harry was about to go follow the rat when Black shouted. He turned back, and found Black was trying to hold back the now werewolf Professor Lupin. "RUN! RUN-" The werewolf swung his powerful hand, easily flicking Black away into the bush nearby.
"SIRIUS!" Harry went to help Black, but Buffy came up from behind and pulled him back as the werewolf took a step towards him.
The children stared at the werewolf as he stared back at them. Hermione took a deep breath and stepped forward. "Professor?" She asked softly. "Professor Lupin?"
"There you are!" Out of no where, Professor Snape appeared and grabbed Harry's arm roughly. "You-"
The werewolf growled, causing Snape to turn around, and found himself face to face at the six foot tall werewolf. He fell back, bringing Ron and Xander back onto the ground with him. Buffy quickly pulled Hermione, who was standing too close to the werewolf, backwards. Willow stepped up and held up her palm, quickly forming a ball of fire in front of her.
Seeing Willow's intention, Harry reached for his girlfriend and pulled her back. "NO!" Willow spun towards him, and he flinched as he could see Willow's eyes were now totally black, with nothing white left behind. "Don't hurt him!"
The werewolf howled, once again dominating their attentions. He was now staring at Harry and Willow, his teeth bared. But even if he had started moving towards the gang again a black dog coming from nowhere jumped towards the werewolf, biting it and pulling it away from the others.
It was Sirius Black.