Disclaimer: Anything recognizable does not belong to me.
A/N: Hope you enjoy the chap, its longer than usual, and I borrowed heavily for it, but here it is. :D
As Remus sprinted across the grounds he felt like his heart was going to jump up into his mouth. His mind was racing, trying to come up with all the possibilities all the logical and perhaps not so logical reasons that this could be happening. How could he have just seen the name of a dead man, his dead friend on the map?
An idea began forming in Remus's mind then and it sent him reeling. Clearly everything was not as it appeared, but could it be even more complicated than it seemed? Sirius could have dragged Harry away, but he hadn't. He'd gone for Ron, who he had tried to attack before. And as mad as he may be, Remus highly doubted that he was mistaking one boy for the other. So did that mean he wasn't after Harry? Could he perhaps be after someone else, someone who he was supposed to have murdered twelve years previous? And why, unless he knew something that Remus didn't…
He had reached the willow now and knew that whatever happened next he would have his answer. Grabbing a stray branch he prodded the willow in the right spot, stilling its spastic actions. Then barely pausing to take a breath he slipped into the tree and into the place of his childhood nightmares.
The tunnel was just as dank and depressing as he remembered and as he entered the house itself, Remus grimly took in the damage that had been done to it. What he in his wolf form had done over the years. He should have known that Sirius would be here, it made perfect sense, especially if what he had been considering moments ago was true…but no, he would have his answer soon, better not to dwell too much on it at the moment.
Suddenly a shout reached his ears. It was a terrified, desperate female voice. Wand clutched tightly in his hand he rushed up the stairs. He knew where the call had come from, had he not spent many endless nights in that very room? Finding the door he was nearing closed, and not really wanting to take the time to see if it was locked, Remus pointed his wand at it sending it flying open in a shower of red sparks. Then he was hurtling into the room.
The first person he saw was Ron, lying on the floor, seemingly all right although he was clearly hurt. His eyes flicked to Hermione who was cowering next to the door and then to Harry who was standing over a ragged bleeding form on the floor, his wand pointed threateningly. Then his gaze settled on the man himself and he found that he felt a multitude of confusing emotions in those few seconds as he looked upon his best friend for the first time in twelve years. Was this haggard sunken faced looking man really the swarthy wizard from his youth? His logical self took over then and the first thing he did was disarm everyone, catching the wands deftly. It would not do for three thirteen year olds to become murderers. Then he moved into the room, his eyes still on Sirius, who himself was staring at Remus as if his eyes were deceiving him.
"Where is he Sirius?" he questioned, asking what to him was the most important issue at the moment. He did not recognize his own voice even as he asked the question.
Sirius stared at him expressionlessly and Remus thought he wasn't going to answer, but then very slowly, he raised a hand and pointed to where Ron rested.
Remus stared at him harder then, his suspicions beginning to arise once again. "But then…why hasn't he shown himself before now…unless" was he right? Part of him hoped he was, but at the same time if he was then that still meant they had been betrayed…
"Unless he was the one…unless you switched…without telling me?"
The slow nod and intense gaze that was his response was all he needed. Remus lowered his wand vaguely aware that Harry was speaking to him, and strode toward the other man, seized his hand to pull him to his feet, and then he was embracing him as if he was a long lost relation. And in a way he was just that. Sirius gripped the back of Remus's robes tightly as if he was trying to assure himself that this was really happening.
He was brought back to reality quickly though.
"I don't believe it!" Hermione was screaming.
Remus pulled away from Sirius to look at her. She was pointing at him, her eyes wild. "You-you-"
"Hermione-" he started calmly, but she cut him off.
"-you and him!"
"Hermione, calm down-"
She ignored him. "I didn't tell anyone!" she shrieked and his stomach sank slightly. He knew what was coming next. She really was a very clever girl after all.
"Hermione listen to me, please. I can explain-" but now it was Harry's turn to yell at him.
"I trusted you," his voice shook and it pained Remus to see him so confused, hurt and angry. "All this time you've been his friend!"
"You're wrong." He had to try and salvage this situation before everyone completely lost their heads. "I haven't been Sirius's friend for twelve years, but I am now…let me explain…" he was once again interrupted by Hermione.
"No! Harry don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too- he's a werewolf!"
There was silence following this statement as they all stared at him. Not the worst way its ever been revealed, he mused briefly, glad suddenly for all the years of controlling his emotions.
"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he aid calmly. "Only one out of the three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don't want Harry dead," he shuddered at the idea, "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."
This admission caused a struggling Ron to jerk away from him and his offer of help to the obviously very much in pain child. Still keeping up his practiced mask of indifference, Remus turned back to Hermione and asked how long she had known of his condition. Her answer that she'd known since Snape had covered his class, did not surprise him.
"He'll be delighted," he found himself saying coolly. "He set that essay hoping someone would realize what my symptoms meant. Did you check the lunar chart and realize that I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realize that the Boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"
"Both," she affirmed quietly.
Remus laughed, almost bitterly. "You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."
"I'm not. If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you were!"
Remus almost felt like laughing again. Almost. "But they already know. At least the staff do."
"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf? Is he mad?" Ron demanded.
"Some of the staff thought so," he agreed. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy."
"And he was wrong!" Harry yelled. "You've been helping him all the time!" he pointed at Sirius who had moved to sit on the bed, his face in hidden by one shaking hand. The sight did nothing to improve Remus's mood. There wasn't time for all this back and forth. "I have not been helping Sirius. If you'll give me a chance I'll explain. Look," he threw their wands back to them and pocketed his own. This seemed to reassure them slightly.
"If you haven't been helping him," Harry demanded, "How did you know he was here?"
"The map. The Marauders map. I was in my office examining it."
When Harry asked him suspiciously if he knew how it worked, he waved an impatient hand. "Of course I know how to work it. I helped write it. I'm Moony- that was my friends nickname for me at school."
Harry began to speak again but Remus cut him off, explaining that he had been watching, knowing the trio would sneak out to see Hagrid, ignoring Harry's astonishment that he knew about the invisibility cloak. There would be time for questions of that nature later.
"I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrids hut. Twenty minutes later you left Hagrid and set off back towards the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else." He was pacing, as he was want to do when thinking. He ignored the protests that there had been no one else there and continued.
"I couldn't believe my eyes. I thought the map must be malfunctioning, how could he be with you…And then I saw another dot labeled Sirius Black…I saw him collide with you, I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping willow-"
"One of us," Ron protested.
"No, Ron," he asserted, "Two of you." He halted his pacing and looked at the boy. "Do you think I could have a look at your rat?" He asked, keeping his tone even.
"What? What's Scabbers got to do with it?"
"Everything. Could I see him please?"
Ron hesitated but gave in, extracting the desperately withering rat from his robes. Remus moved closer, gazing intently at the rodent. He felt his breath catch. There was no doubt…
"What? What's my rat got to do with anything?" he looked scared.
"That's not a rat," Sirius spoke for the first time since Remus had entered, his voice croaky and unrecognizable as his own, as if he had not used it in a long time.
"What d'you mean-of course he's a rat-"
"No, he's not," Remus spoke quietly, his emotions raging. "He's a wizard."
"An animagous. By the name of Peter Pettigrew." Sirius fairly hissed the name.
Silence greeted this announcement, but not for long. Soon all three teenagers were protesting that they were crazy and peter was dead.
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry, pointing at Sirius. "He killed him twelve years ago!"
Sirius's face twitched convulsively, as if he didn't know whether to laugh or not.
"I meant to," his teeth that had once been so white that James had joked they could have been used as a mirror, were now an alarming yellow. "But little Peter got the better of me…not this time, though!"
He launched himself forward and onto Ron, grasping for the rat. Remus quickly followed, though it was Sirius he grabbed onto, pulling him away from the pained Weasley.
"Sirius, NO!" he yelled trying to hold onto him. "Wait! You can't do it just like that-they need to understand-we've got to explain- "
Sirius would not hear reason though. "We can explain afterwards!" he yelled furious, still trying to shake him off.
Typical Black, the thought flashed through his mind briefly as he struggled to hold him back. "They've -got -a -right -to -know –everything!" he panted. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts that even I don't understand!" Sirius still struggled though, so Remus used the only weapon he knew would work on his friend, bringing up Harry and his right to know the truth. Instantly he stopped struggling, although he continued to glare fixedly with hate at the rat in Ron's hands.
"All right then, tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for…"
Remus had to agree with Ron's ascertain that they were both nuts after that statement. Although he too was prepared to kill Peter, once this was all done, once it was all explained…
Remus pointed his wand at the rat and said calmly, "Your going to hear me out, Ron. Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."
There were more protests and then Harry turned to Remus.
"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die, a whole street full of them…"
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Sirius said savagely.
Ignoring him, Remus replied, "Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter. I believed it myself –until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauders Map never lies…Peters alive. Ron's holding him Harry."
He watched in bemused frustration as the Harry exchanged a look with Ron that clearly said he agreed with the other boy's assessment that they were crazy.
Hermione spoke then, drawing his attention to her, protesting, logically, that Peter couldn't be an animagus because wouldn't the ministry have known? She'd looked it up, she said, for her homework. This girl really was the cleverest witch he'd ever met, he mused, even as he laughed.
"Right again Hermione! But the ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."
"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," Sirius's gaze was still locked on the struggling form in Ron's hands. "I've waited Twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."
"All right…but you'll need to help me Sirius, I only know how it began…" a loud creak behind him made him break off. He stared at the door, which seemed to have opened of its own accord, a puzzled look on his face. Quickly, Remus strode toward it and looked out onto the landing, even more puzzled when there was nothing there.
"It's not," he replied to Ron's declaration that the shack was haunted, as he continued to look at the door, trying to figure out why his subconscious was telling him that the door opening was important. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted…the screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me." He paused then, collecting his thoughts, a realization hitting him. With a surprisingly steady hand he pushed back his now graying fringe.
"That's where all this starts- with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten…and if I hadn't been so foolhardy…"
He explained then about when he was bitten as a boy, how he now took the recently perfected Wolfsbane, how when he's been at school there had been no such potion so he'd become a wolf completely every month. How the willow and house, the place of his misery, had been planted and built for his use every month, how for the first time in his life he was happy, had friends…how they'd finally worked out what he was and instead of disserting him had vowed to find a way to help him.
"It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky the were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong-one reason the ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into different animals at will."
He went on then to explain what animals they changed into, how they used to roam the grounds and how because of the guilt of betraying Dumbledore's trust he'd never told him or anyone that Sirius was an animagus and could have been using that to get into the grounds.
"So in a way, Snape's been right about me all along," he said with self-disgust.
This, finally, caused Sirius to abandon his vigil and look at his old friend. "Snape? What's Snape got to do with it?"
"He's here, Sirius," Remus felt exhausted, emotionally and physically. "He's teaching here as well."
He continued his story then, telling the three teens about how Snape had been campaigning against him to Dumbledore all year, most likely all due to the prank Sirius had pulled on him.
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you?" Harry asked, "Because he thought you were in on the joke?"
Before Remus could answer a cool voice that he would know anywhere beat him to it.
"That's right." Snape appeared behind Remus then, pulling off the invisibility cloak, his wand pointed threateningly at him.
Hermione screamed and Sirius jumped to his feet, clearly preparing to go to his friend's aid.
"I found this at the base of the whomping willow," he threw the cloak aside but was careful to keep his wand on Remus. "Very useful Potter, I thank you…" his expression spoke of triumph and Remus supposed that he did see it that way, finally getting his revenge on his two hated school mates. "I've just been to your office Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet full along. And very lucky I did…lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know."
"Severus" Remus began, but snape interrupted him railing on about how he'd warned Dumbledore about him over and over again.
Remus tried reasoning with him again, but the other man would not here it, so wrapped up in his malicious glee was he.
"I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this…he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin…a tame werewolf…"
Remus was beyond annoyed now. Anger simmered, increased by the proximity of the moon. "You fool," he said softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"
Snape shot at him then, wrapping him tightly in conjured ropes, covering his mouth. Unable to keep his balance Remus fell and was only able to watch as Sirius, enraged, started towards Snape who levered his wand threateningly at his old enemy.
Hermione seemed to be the only one capable of speech then, and the girl protested breathlessly that maybe they should hear Remus and Sirius out. When she wouldn't back down Snape yelled at her, looking deranged.
"Don't talk about what you don't understand!" a few sparks flew out of his wand at Sirius then. "Vengeance is very sweet," he breathed at him. "How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you…" Remus got the impression that Snape was not just talking about the prank pulled on him, but also about Sirius's seemed betrayal of the Potters, specifically Lily. Snape could give a hippogriffs bottom, about what happened to James.
"The Jokes on you again, Severus," Sirius snarled, "As long as the boy brings his rat up to the castle I'll come quietly."
Snape smirked, still looking deranged and silkily informed the other man that a trip to the castle was not necessary, the Dementors would come to them. He then directed them all to leave the room. He snapped his fingers and the roped binding Remus flew to his hands. " I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him too…"
Fear clutched at Remus then, icy and piercing. If Snape did take them out to the Dementors there was no doubt what would happen to both he and Sirius. His only thought then was of Dora…she would be devastated and she didn't even know the truth yet…
He registered then that Harry was blocking the door, arguing that Remus could have killed him a hundred times by now if he wanted to, with the amount of time they spent together. Snape would not be deterred though.
"I will not be spoken to like that! Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black-now get out of my way, or I'll make you, GET OUT OF THE WAY, POTTER!"
A blast came from three directions then and Snape was blown back against the wall, which he slid down, unconscious and bleeding.
"You shouldn't have done that," Sirius admonished Harry, "You should have left him to me…" Harry wouldn't look at him.
As Hermione freaked out about what they'd just done, Remus struggled against his bonds. Sirius bent and untied him, allowing him to straighten.
"Thank you Harry," Remus didn't think he'd ever meant the words more in his life.
"I'm still not saying I believe you."
"Then it's time we offered you some proof. You boy," he directed at Ron, "give me Peter. Now."
Ron only clutched the rat tightly. "Come off it. Are you trying to say you broke out of Azkaban just to get your hands on Scabbers? I mean… Pettigrew could turn into a Rat-there are millions of rats-how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"
Remus turned to look at Sirius. "You know, Sirius, that's a fair question. How did you find out where he was?"
Sirius put a hand inside his tattered robes, extracting a crumpled and much worn piece of paper. He smoothed out the creases and showed it to them all.
"How did you get this?" Remus asked, surprised at what he was seeing.
"Fudge, when he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter on the front page…I knew him at once…how many times had I seen him transform?"
It was making sickening sense to him as he looked at the picture Sirius held up and the Rat. "My God, his front paw…" It was brilliant; he couldn't help voicing, even as Ron Weasley continued to protest. It was so brilliant, and something you wouldn't expect Peter to be capable of, but wasn't that just it? Hadn't he always been underestimated, belittled?
Sirius was now explaining everything that had happened, twelve years ago and now as far as his actions of the past months were concerned. The explanations seemed to be going well, so far in they were not being met with too much resistance, until Sirius came to the part of Peter, as Scabbers, faking his death again. This seemed to rouse Harry to his senses.
"And why did he fake his death?" he asked furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"
Oh Harry, he couldn't help thinking as the boy cut him off to yell at Sirius, so righteous in your anger and yet you still don't really understand.
"And now you've come to finish him off!"
The look Sirius gave the rat could only be termed as evil. "Yes I have."
"Then I should have let Snape take you!"
Remus could see the situation was deteriorating rapidly. "Harry, don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down-but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father –Sirius tracked Peter down-"
Harry would not hear of it though, he was so angry and seemed only capable of yelling at them. His outburst was met by the haunted and over bright gaze of his godfather.
"Harry…I as good as killed them. I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as secret-keeper instead of me…I'm to blame, I know it…the night they died, I'd arranged to check on, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out to your parent's house straight away. And when I saw their house destroyed and their bodies-I realized what peer must have done. What I'd done." His voice broke and he turned away.
Remus felt an acute pain at seeing his friend, even if he hadn't wanted to think of him as one for twelve years, so broken and over come with painful emotion. Part of him felt anger as well, that this may have all been prevented if…well he would not dwell on that. Not now.
"Enough of this," his tone was hard, steely. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."
Ron hesitated but Remus assured him that he was only going to force him to show himself and if he were just a rat it wouldn't hurt him. Finally he handed him to Remus, who then turned to Sirius.
"Ready Sirius?"
Sirius palmed Snape's wand and approached the other marauder. "Together?" His dark eyes burned brightly.
"I think so. On the count of three. One-two-THREE!" A flash of blue light erupted from both wands then, suspending the wriggling rodent in air for a moment before he fell to the floor and in another flash of light the rat began changing. It was a sickening process to watch, but watch Remus did. And then standing where Scabbers had been, looking as much altered as Sirius, was Peter Pettigrew. He was cringing and wringing his hands, and the familiarity of it, the fact that it was so Peter like and would have once been looked on with affectionate exasperation was not lost on Remus.
Ever able to mask his feelings, Remus said pleasantly, "Well hello Peter. Long time, no see."
Peter's eyes kept darting to the door. "S-Sirius…R-Remus …My friends…my old friends…"
Sirius made as if to raise his wand at this, but all it took was Remus grabbing his wrist and sending him a sharp warning look to stop him.
He turned back to Peter and spoke, his in casual tones. "We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed —"
"Remus," Peter gasped, interrupting him. There were beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you…? He tried to kill me, Remus…"
"So we've heard," said Remus, coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so —"
But Peter did not want to listen, clearly, or so it seemed to him, overcome with fear. "He's come to try and kill me again! He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too… You've got to help me, Remus…"
His plea did not have the same effect on the other man as it once would have, as he was clearly hoping. Once that tone and that fear would have caused Remus distress for his friend.
"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out." Remus didn't think he had ever felt so cold, was sure he had never before sounded so unfeeling.
Peter began looking around wildly again, protesting then, saying he knew Sirius would break out and come after him.
"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban? When nobody has ever done it before?"
"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Peter shouted shrilly in answer. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"
Sirius laughed then, harshly and mirthlessly. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.
Peter flinched.
"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" Sirius sounded almost gleeful. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"
"Don't know what you mean, Sirius —"
"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years. You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter… They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them… I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information… and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter —"
"Don't know… what you're talking about…"his voice came out more shrill than it had ever been before. Whipping away sweat he looked to Remus pleadingly." You don't believe this — this madness, Remus —"
"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," he said evenly.
"Innocent but scared!" Peter squalled desperately. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban — the spy, Sirius Black!"
Sirius's face contorted at this and his tone when eh spoke was terrible. "How dare you," he growled. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter — I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us… me and Remus… and James…"
Peter protested weakly, but Sirius was in his stride. "Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it, I thought it was the perfect plan… a bluff… Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you… It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."
Peter began muttering to himself about it being lunacy. The whole time his eyes were darting to the door and boarded up windows.
"Professor Lupin?" asked Hermione timidly. "Can — can I say something?"
"Certainly, Hermione,"
"Well — Scabbers — I mean, this — this man — he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"
"There!" said Peter shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"
"I'll tell you why," answered Sirius instead. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years; they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him…"
Peter seemed incapable of speech after that.
Hermione questioned Sirius then, who seemed taken aback at being addressed so politely.
"If you don't mind me asking, how — how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"
"Thank you!" gasped Peter, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I —"
Remus shot him a look that had never failed to receive silence.
"I don't know how I did it," Sirius said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me… but it kept me sane and knowing who I am… helped me keep my powers… so when it all became… too much… I could transform in my cell… become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know…they feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions… They could tell that my feelings were less — less human, less complex when I was a dog… but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand…
"But then I saw Peter in that picture… I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry… perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again…ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies… and to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors…so you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive… It was as if someone had lit a fire in my head, and the Dementors couldn't destroy it… It wasn't a happy feeling… it was an obsession… but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog… It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused… I was thin; very thin… thin enough to slip through the bars… I swam as a dog back to the mainland… I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry…"He looked at Harry, who did not look away. "Believe me, believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."
Remus watched the two with almost baited breath. He knew that a lot was riding on this one moment, and when Harry finally nodded in acceptance, he felt a palpable relief even as Peter wailed and dropped to his knees begging, beseeching Sirius who kicked him away in disgust. Peter turned to Remus then saying that wouldn't he have known if the plan had been changed, would not Sirius have told him?
"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," he replied,ignoring the look in the other mans eyes. Peter had been there the night it was implied that Remus was a traitor, but perhaps in his state he didn't remember. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually to Sirius.
"Forgive me, Remus," his friend asked and again, Remus knew that something hung upon this moment. He didn't have to consider his answer.
"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," he said, rolling up his sleeves, "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
"Of course," the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face. He, too, began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"
"Yes, I think so," he replied grimly. If he was surprised at himself, at his willingness to commit murder, he could not find the feeling. He supposed that would come later.
"You wouldn't… you won't…" gasped Peter and he scrambled around to Ron, begging him and when that didn't work he turned to Hermione and when she flinched away from him, he turned to Harry.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY? HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"
Peter ignored the outburst"Harry, Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed… James would have understood, Harry… he would have shown me mercy…"
Remus and Sirius strode forward then and, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.
"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," Sirius was shaking too. "Do you deny it?"
Peter burst into tears "Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord… you have no idea… he has weapons you can't imagine… I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen… He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me —"
"DON'T LIE! YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"
"He — he was taking over everywhere! Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"
"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed? Only innocent lives, Peter!"
"You don't understand!" he whined, "He would have killed me, Sirius!"
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
"You should have realized," said Remus quietly, his wand raised with Sirius's, his being oddly calm "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."
But then, as they were about to commit the act itself, Harry lurched forward, placing himself in front of their once friend, saying that his father would not have wanted this, would not have wished for his two best friends to become murders. Finally he convinced them to take Peter to the Dementors. As Remus tied Peter up and helped Ron to his feet, as he was chained to he and Ron and as they made there way out through the tunnel and his extra keen hearing picked up Harry and Sirius's conversation behind him, he found that he had never been more proud of anyone in his life. He was ashamed of himself now for allowing the darkness he struggled with daily to creep into his judgment, but he was so proud of the boy for being able to take the higher road as it were. He would be a better man than he ever could be, he knew, just as he knew Lily and James would have been proud.
Soon they were on the grounds and making their way toward the castle. The lights were becoming brighter, closer, when suddenly the clouds parted above, bathing them all in iridescent moonlight. Remus stopped then, abruptly, barley conscious of those running into him from behind, barley hearing Sirius warning Harry and Hermione to stay back. The familiar tingling, burning began in his ridged shaking limbs and he had one moment's last thought of his own to curse his own stupidity and forgetfulness and to hope that Ron who he was tied to would not get hurt, before the change became full and the wolf came out to play.