Disclaimer- I don't own it.

Sorry for the delay! I've just moved, and computer time is difficult to find. I was going to do a Dueling Club chapter but decided that it was a stupid idea...so you have this chapter instead, and trust me, I think it may make up for my delay! :)

Harry has found Riddle's diary and has seen the Hagrid memory; he has left the diary in his dorm room only to return to find it ransacked.

"Riddle's diary's gone," he said in an undertone to Ron.

"What?"

Harry stared at his messy room and realized stuff like this was what Professor Lupin was worried about, why he'd been keeping an eye on him. Deciding it didn't matter whether or not Lupin found out about the diary, he raced down the steps to the common room and out the portrait hole, heading for Lupin's office. He'd gotten halfway there when he nearly ran into Professor Lupin himself.

"Oh, hello, Harry," said Lupin, smiling.

"Professor Lupin," panted Harry. "My room- I need- it's been..."

"Calm down so I can understand you," said Lupin, bending down slightly to be closer to Harry's height. "What's wrong?"

"My room's been ransacked," he finally managed, and the alarm that registered on Lupin's face was enough to justify Harry seeking him out.

"Show me," was all he said before they practically ran back to Harry's dormitory, where the rest of the boys in Harry's dorm had assembled by now.

"See," said Harry, gesturing helplessly to his room.

Professor Lupin's eyes roved around the room, scanning it for who-knew-what. Evidently he saw something, because all the blood drained from his face and he suddenly seemed unable to move.

"Ron," he said quietly. "Is that your rat?"

Ron glanced over at his bed, where Scabbers was sleeping on his pillow. "Yeah, why?"

"Forgive me," said Lupin, his voice low and quiet. "For asking this of you, but may I see him for a moment?"

Ron looked at Harry, who shrugged, equally confused. Was this related to the ransacking of his room?

"Sure," said Ron, reaching for Scabbers.

"Wait," said Lupin suddenly, right before Ron's hand made contact with the rat. "Ron, please…keep a firm hold on him. Don't let him go."

"O-Okay," said Ron, looking around at the rest of the dorm. Now everyone, Dean, Neville, and Seamus included, appeared confused.

Scabbers woke up when Ron grabbed hold of him, and, even though he was normally such a lazy, placid animal, the moment his beady eyes caught sight of Professor Lupin, he began struggling in Ron's hand. Ron, bewildered, brought him closer to Lupin at his request.

"How did he lose his toe?" asked Lupin softly.

"We found him like that," said Ron. "Percy did, I mean."

"When?"

"When?" Ron repeated, confused.

"When did you find him?"

Professor Lupin hesitated before reaching out to Scabbers. The moment his finger was within reach, Scabbers bit him. Lupin barely seemed to notice, absentmindedly wiping the blood off on his robes.

"Percy found him…I think it was eleven years ago. He was hiding in the cookie jar."

Harry didn't think it was possible for Lupin's face to get any paler, but it did. "Dean, go get Professor McGonagall. Neville, go get Professor Dumbledore, please. If you don't know where his office is then ask a ghost or a teacher."

Dean and Neville scurried out of the room, leaving Ron, Seamus, and Harry standing around Lupin, who drew his wand and pointed it at the rat.

"Don't move," he said to Scabbers, wand so close that it was making the rat go cross-eyed as he struggled to get free of Ron's grip. Harry noticed that while Lupin's voice was shaking, his wand hand was quite steady.

"Why are we waiting for the other Professors?" asked Seamus. "I mean, what exactly are you planning to do?"

"I need witnesses," said Lupin. "The Ministry won't believe…I want to make sure you aren't in danger. In fact, that reminds me, Seamus. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Seamus's mouth dropped open. "But…"

"I understand you want to be in the thick of the action, but things may get dangerous…if I'm right."

"If you're not?" asked Harry.

Lupin smiled thinly. "Then I look like a lunatic in front of several of my students and two of my colleagues."

As Seamus reluctantly went back to the common room, Neville burst back into the room, face red and sweaty. Professor Dumbledore was on his heels. The twinkling spark in his eye was all but gone, and his voice was sharp when he said, "Remus, what's going on?"

Professor Lupin looked as though he had something large caught in his throat, and Harry realized he was on the verge of tears. Harry, embarrassed, looked away.

"Just watch, Professor. It would be too difficult to explain it all without proof."

The dormitory door opened again, and Professor McGonagall practically flew into the room, Dean at her heels.

"Mr. Thomas," she said, still breathless as she grasped some semblance of what was going on. "Thank you for bringing me. You and Mr. Longbottom may go now."

Disappointed, Dean and Neville drifted back down to the common room.

"I needed witnesses," repeated Lupin, starting to sound a little frantic. "If I'm right about this."

Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Quite understandable, Remus. Now, would you show us why we're here?"

Harry watched as Professor Lupin pointed his wand at Scabbers. Suddenly, the rat began to change. Ron dropped it in horror as they watched. It was like watching a sped-up version of a growing tree. A head was shooting upwards from the ground; limbs were sprouting; next moment, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

"Bollocks," said Ron, and everyone was so shocked that no one reprimanded him for his language.

"That's…" said Professor McGonagall, but before she could finish her sentence the man had darted for the bedroom door. Dumbledore stopped him with a flick of his wand, freezing him in place, his eyes dark and narrowed.

"Peter," said Lupin, his voice harsh and quite unlike Harry had ever heard it. "Peter Pettigrew."

"You're supposed to be dead," whispered McGonagall. "Dead and buried."

"Not quite buried, Minerva," said Dumbledore calmly. "Only a finger."

Harry, his gaze transfixed on the small, balding man cowering in front of him. "Who…who is he?"

"If my hunch is correct," said Dumbledore carefully. "And they usually are, he is the man responsible for your parents' death."

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