Fun Fact: I almost made Rose a witch when I very first started this story, but decided it wouldn't be as fun— you'll see what i mean later. :)


(Rose POV)

We shepherded all the kids out of the room and up the stairs, Ron trying to protest as we did. He couldn't believe we'd taken his rat from him and couldn't understand why we'd done it. Now, he was all up in arms about it and saying that he wanted to take his rat and go home, but we knew we couldn't let him.

Zander had had to take Sirius' wand, and put a magical barrier up, to keep him from getting at and murdering Wormtail. "Sirius, we need to set you free, not do something that will get all of us locked up."

I looked between them all, worrying but not quite sure what to do about the way I felt. I loved and trusted my husband and not having ever really been fully apart of the magical community, doing what I was already doing, was all I could do.

"God, I wanna kill him!" Sirius was pacing now, "HE KILLED JAMES AND LILY, HE MURDERED THEM." He looked at me. "He killed your sister." He was seething and I nodded in validation to him, not being everything as I was trying not to cry. This was all so much.

"Padfoot, let's turn him back, then we'll give him something so he's not conscious as we transport him. If you want him to pay, then request he's given the dementors kiss." Sirius was still pacing, steam practically shooting from his ears. After a few more moments though, he calmed enough to let out a breath, nod at Remus and say.

"You're right. Death is too good for him. He deserves to be kissed." I'd only heard about the dementors kiss, but from what I'd heard of it, it sounded absolutely horrible and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Though, whatever happens to this rat/man isn't really my call. Yes, what he did, hurt me, but I'd been healing over these years, trying to ground myself in knowing that my beloved sister was in a better place now.

They took down the barrier and Remus handed Sirius his wand. For a moment, I was almost certain that Sirius was going to kill Peter with the way he looked at him, but after a moment, he said. "Harry and Ron should be in here for this. They deserve to know."

"As long as he's not dying in front of them, I couldn't agree more." Remus said and with Zanders agreement, Xayla and I agreed as well and I was then tasked with going up to get them.

"No, only James and Ron." I said and though everyone else complained, I managed to get the two kids out of the room and downstairs.

When we arrived, Remus looked at both of them as he spoke. "The spell we're going to use on this rat, will turn him into his man form. If he is not a man, it will do nothing." He picked up a goblet and transfiguring it into a rat, he tested the spell on the rat and when nothing happened, he looked at Ron. "Is that okay?"

"If nothing happens, can I have him back?" Ron asked and at everyone's nod, he finally agreed and stood back to watch.

"James." Sirius looked at Harry. "You know why you're here." With that, he looked at. "Together?" he said quietly.

"I think so", said Remus, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One — two — THREE!"

Remus tossed him in the air and then, there was a flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly — Ron yelled — the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then — It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Ron themselves. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. I could see his eyes dart to the door and back again, but with all,five of us adults in the room, there'd be no escaping for him.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Remus pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see."

"S—Sirius... R—Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends... my old friends..."

Sirius' wand arm rose, but Xayla seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning look, as Remus continued to watch Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.

"You know, Peter, we've talked about you a lot over the years, Sirius and I. Lucky us that Zander here was absolutely sure of his innocence, or he very well could've rotted away in Azkaban—"

I looked at Ron, who suddenly looked dumbstruck, apparently just realizing that the man he'd greeted while coming into the room was not in fact someone named "Uncle Brendon", but was indeed Sirius Black. He, however, also seemed too fascinated by the fact that his rat was now a man to decide how he felt about this.

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and I wrinkled my nose as beads of sweat broke out all over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard," said Remus, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so —"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Sirius, and I wrinkled my brow further in noticing that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too... You've got to help me, Remus..."

Sirius' face was filled with more anger than I had ever thought possible, but with Xayla holding tight to him, he didn't move an inch as he stared at Peter, his muscles taught. "No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Remus.

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more, eyes taking in the nice living room with it's couches, fireplace and fine China cabinet. There were three doors, two leading outside and one leading upstairs, but with all five of us standing around him, there was no way he'd get free.

"Yes." Zander held up a little vial of clear liquid.

"How do you always have the right potion?" I smiled and he winked at me. "It was my favorite subject in school other than DADA, because it's not about how much magic you have as a person, but about following instructions or being creative. I love brewing potions." He turned back to Peter.

"You will drink this, or I will let Sirius shove it down your throat." He walked over to the coffee table and picked up a glass. At his movement, Peter tried to get up, transform and run, but one sharp kick from me and he was on the ground again, moaning and whining in pain.

"Don't even try." Sirius snarled as Zander returned with the glass of water he'd grabbed. Right in front of everyone, he put three drops of the clear liquid into the glass and held it out for Peter to take, but when he refused, my husband looked at Sirius.

"Okay, guess you get to feed him."

"Ooooh, yippy." Sirius growled and suddenly, Peter held out his hands.

"O-okay! I-I'll t-t-take it! Just keep that psychopath away from me!" Xayla rolled her eyes at this.

Nodding, Zander handed him the glass, saying as he did, "I'm watching you and if you don't drink the entire glass, we will force you to drink one. I have a whole vial of Veriteserum, so you better just drink it and make all our lives a lot easier."

Nodding quickly, Peter drank deeply from the glass, spilling some as he did, his hands trembling.

(Sirius POV)

When I walked outside the ministry of magic, a free man, everything felt… weird.

I'd spent so long with Rose, in her house, and with her family, that being outside made me jumpy, as if at any moment I would be called out and apprehended, and when I wasn't, I rejoiced. Laughing, I ran down a sidewalk, screaming my freedom and when I randomly passed another wizard on the street, I stopped, grabbed him and hugged him as tightly as I could, before turning and running again.

Though the rest of the day, I wanted to go out into the world and do all the things I'd missed out on over the years, Zander said I couldn't just yet. It was so soon, that people wouldn't know and might still try to hurt me and I also needed to arrange so many things, like my Gringotts accounts and such. I didn't want to do all of that stuff though, but with some coaxing, Zander and I worked on everything together with Remus, Rose and Xayla.

I couldn't believe it.

After ten years of being the most wanted man in the wizarding world.

I, Sirius Black…

Was free at last.