Pettigrew appeared to not know where to look. He couldn't meet anyone's gaze and it seemed what interested him most was the gaping hole in the wall, evidently considering making a run for it. But his leg was so damaged that he was wincing with every movement, putting to bed that slim hope he had. Black and Lupin were glaring daggers at him. Harry kept looking to his friends, wondering if they were having an easier time making sense of this, but their expressions told him they were just as shocked by the developments.

"R…Remus…Sirius…" Pettigrew gasped. His voice was more high pitched than any human had the right to have. Harry wondered if it was an effect of his long term changes or whether he'd always sounded like that. "My old friends…"

"How dare you talk to us as if nothing has changed," Black said coolly. Harry was sure that, if he had a wand, there would have been no stopping him from attacking the man on the floor. Even now, he looked like he could pounce at any moment.

"I'm sure you've heard the conversation we've been having," Lupin commented, remaining composed somehow. "I made sure to keep you close so you couldn't pretend to be ignorant."

"I heard, I heard," Pettigrew squeaked. "And you're falling for his lies! You all are! He's come to kill me! I've been waiting for this moment, fearing this moment, for twelve years. I knew that he wouldn't rest until he killed me, finishing the job after poor James and Lily."

Lupin was doing a good job of keeping Black under control with a hand on his shoulder. "So you knew that he'd escape Azkaban? Despite no one else ever having done that before."

"We don't know the capabilities of his dark magic. There's no other explanation. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must have taught him such horrid skills."

Black let out a laugh, but it was cold and shrill, the sound of someone who hadn't laughed for a very long time. "Getting lessons from Voldemort? That'd somehow be worse than these kids having to be taught by Snape."

"You…you shouldn't use that name…"

"Why? Are you scared to hear your master's name? I wouldn't be surprised. His former followers mustn't be very happy with you…after all, Voldemort went to the Potter's on your advice, and that's where he met his downfall. They must think you double-crossed him. Naturally, I heard talk of it in Azkaban but I was never going to point out that you wouldn't be clever enough to think of that ploy."

"I've never betrayed anyone! I've always been loyal."

"Why would an innocent man have to hide for twelve years as a rat?" Lupin asked.

"I had a right to be scared. Those followers, they would have seen me put their master's best man behind bars! They've killed plenty of other people for much less!"

"It's ludicrous how you can keep up this lie," Black snarled. "You know the game is up, and yet you still cling onto your pretence. Why would I sneak behind my friends' backs for someone as pitiful as Voldemort?"

"He was not pitiful. He was scarily powerful. He might have twisted your mind, bending you to his will, giving you some of that power. You gave into that temptation!"

"Give me your wand, Remus! So I can stop this man and his slanderous words at last!"

"Could I ask something, Mister Black?" Hermione spoke up nervously. She'd even raised her hand, which the boys would have found adorable if the situation hadn't been so tense. Black appeared dumbstruck at being referred to so politely. He nodded his head dumbly. "If he has been that rat, then he's been at Hogwarts for three years. He's been in the same dormitory as Harry for three years. If he really was a servant for…Voldemort, then why did he never seek to hurt Harry before this point?" She forced herself to say the name of the Dark Lord, not wanting to appear weak.

"Exactly! Exactly!" Pettigrew exclaimed, clambering over the floor to get closer to her. "Clever girl! Such a clever girl! I've never hurt a hair on Harry's head! Why would I?"

"I know exactly why," Black responded, watching as Matthew stood in front of Hermione to keep the bumbling man away from her. "It's because Peter Pettigrew never did anything for anyone unless there was something in it for himself. Voldemort's been gone for fifteen years. Why would he commit a murder right under the nose of the great Albus Dumbledore for a man who's either been wiped from the face of this Earth, or lost all of the powers that made him so imposing?"

"I…um…I have another question," Hermione said. Matthew snorted beside her and she resisted the urge to step on his foot. "How did you get out of Azkaban if it wasn't dark magic?"

"Listen to the girl!" Pettigrew wailed. "She makes an excellent point! It couldn't be done without the darkest of magic!"

"The honest answer is that I don't know." Black had taken a few moments to find the best response, though it didn't fill them with confidence. "Maybe it was because I knew I was innocent that I never went mad. The dementors couldn't suck that thought out from me because it wasn't necessarily a happy one, allowing me to cling onto it for all those years. That allowed me to maintain some of my powers, despite how weak I was." He scratched at his rough beard. "Did you know that dementors can't see? They sense people through their feelings. That allowed me to sneak past when they came to give me my meal. As soon as I saw that newspaper article, I knew I had to do something. I was the only one who knew about Peter's true allegiances. I was thin enough to fit through the bars…I was able to swim to the mainland using a strength that I didn't believe I had anymore…and came here. I've been living in the forest ever since."

He turned his attention to Harry, clasping his hands together. "Please believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before doing so."

Harry didn't know what possessed him to do it. Maybe it was the weight of all of the information he'd received. Maybe it was the sincere and pleading look in Black's eyes. Maybe it was the fact that neither of his friends had moved to stop the convict from coming closer, the best judges of character he knew. But Harry made the choice himself to nod his head. He didn't have the right words to say anything.

That was the final straw for Pettigrew, who was now curled up in a ball by Harry's feet. "No! Don't do this, Harry! Don't believe him! What would your parents think if they could see you siding with their betrayer?"

Sirius kicked out at him angrily. "Don't speak to him! And don't dare mention their names in front of him, after what you did!"

Pettigrew was looking for any allies he could find. "Remus…you can't possibly believe what he's saying. Harry is young, it's acceptable for him to be so confused and easily tricked. But you…you were always the cleverest. Surely you must see through his facade."

"There's only one mask that's dropping before me," the professor replied.

"But why wouldn't he have told you about the change in plan, hmm? Why wouldn't he tell you that he was no longer the secret-keeper?"

"I presume it was because they didn't feel like they could trust me with that information."

Black looked at him guiltily. "I'm sorry, Remus. That period of time was mental, where we truly didn't know anyone's allegiances. We couldn't risk it."

"I understand. And I forgive you. I just hope you can forgive me for believing you were the spy."

"I only hold a grudge against one person and that's not you, my friend."

Pettigrew turned to Matthew, clutching at straws now. "They're going to kill me, boy. You know that, don't you? But you wouldn't let that happen, right? I've seen what you can do. I know how powerful you are. You could stop them if you wanted to."

Matthew's nostrils flared. "What do you mean, what you've seen?"

"A rat can hide in places no one thinks to look. A rat can see treachery happening, just like it happened twelve years ago. Harry looks to you for guidance but would he be so willing after he learns about your betrayal?"

Harry was looking at Matthew nervously, whilst Hermione bit her lip. "What's he talking about?"

"He's trying to get in your head," Matthew told him. "He's trying to turn you against us, looking to keep us divided. Because that's how he wins, when people are fighting one another instead of focusing on the true culprit."

"You're deflecting. You're hiding the truth…again!"

"That's not important right now! Let's deal with one problem at a time!"

"Harry," Hermione quickly intervened. "Matthew being here right now is a sign that he wants to tell you the truth. He isn't hiding anything anymore…this just isn't the place to discuss it."

"Well, of course you'd defend him," Harry shot at her, his frustrations over the past few weeks billowing over. "You've been attached at the hip for months! Whilst I've been struggling with everything that's been going on, you've been going off on your own."

Hermione refused to look as offended as she felt, knowing that it wouldn't help ease the tension of the situation. "But we're here now, for you, as we always will be. We came here to protect you, we just didn't expect it to be against this man." She looked down at Pettigrew with pure disdain, wondering how he could so easily attempt to manipulate them. It was the clearest sign she needed to know his true self.

"Do you deny it any longer?" Black asked, bringing their attention back to Pettigrew and the matter at hand. He was of the mind that their petty friendship argument could wait until after he'd gotten his revenge. "Do you deny that you sold James and Lily to Voldemort?"

There was a moment's hesitation before Pettigrew hung his head. "What could you expect me to have done? The Dark Lord…you have no idea the powers he held. I was scared, Sirius. I was never brave like you, or James, or Remus. I never meant it to happen but he…he forced me to.."

"Don't lie." Black's voice was strangely serene, as if he knew there was no point for anger because the punishment would be sweet enough. "You were working for him for years, passing information to him, his perfect, little spy."

"He was taking over everywhere!" Pettigrew had tears in his eyes and it was difficult to tell if they were real. "What was to be gained by denying him?"

"By denying the darkest wizard of a generation? Innocent lives, Peter! That was always the cause! Saving innocent lives!"

"But he would have killed me!"

"Then you should have died! Because death was better than betraying those who loved you! You took that love and twisted it into something you could sell! But no more! At long last, you can receive the fate that's befitting of you."

"You're going to kill me." There was an acceptance now to his tone, a sense of defeat.

"You can't." Everyone looked at Harry as he stepped forward. "You can't kill him."

Black looked at him questioningly. "Harry…he's the reason why you've had to live without your parents for most of your life. He would have allowed you to die that night without a second thought, as long as it saved his skin. And you want us to…spare him?"

"Not spare him. We can take him back to the castle. The dementors can do what they want with him. He can go to Azkaban or they can even perform the Kiss on him. But I don't want you to kill him."

"The dementors will kill him regardless," Lupin added.

"Possibly, and I won't lose sleep over that if it does happen. But I don't want you to kill him. My dad wouldn't have wanted you to become killers over someone who wasn't really worth it."

"I suppose it is your decision." Black sounded rather miffed about his choice but it wasn't as if he could do much about it, since he didn't have a wand. "But if he makes any move to run away on the journey up to the castle, I won't be responsible for my actions."

"There's no need for that," Matthew said. "We don't have to walk. We can take the Tardis." He patted the blue box affectionately, and they just looked at him, confused. "You're probably wanting those answers now."

"Before you get to that, there's one last thing that's been bugging me." Hermione was quick to intervene, maybe because she was just as nervous as Matthew at the thought of Harry knowing about what they'd been doing. But something had been tapping away in the back corner of her mind. "Professor Lupin, Ginny Weasley told us that you cancelled their lesson today, saying that you had to leave. But you're here now…"

Lupin nodded his head. "That's right. I was planning on leaving, until I checked the map and saw what was happening. I scrapped those plans fairly quickly after that."

"But why were you leaving in the first place?"

"Because it's the full moon, obviously." His expression fell. Realisation seemed to dawn. "I was…getting away for safety…I was about to take my potion…when I saw Pettigrew's name…oh no…"

"You mean you haven't taken it?" Black was coming to the same conclusion.

"You all need to get away from me now."

The giant hole that the Tardis had created allowed for a fantastic view of the night sky. It had been a cloudy night so far, which was why he hadn't been affected. But Lupin began to stagger as one cloud shifted just enough. A beam of moonlight appeared and his body went rigid. He emitted such a terrible snarling noise that Harry was sure Pettigrew wet himself in fear. The professor's head and body was beginning to elongate, hair growing on his hands and face at an alarming rate. Crookshanks hissed and backed away, finding sanctuary in Hermione's arms. Not that it would provide much safety against the werewolf morphing before them.

"Quickly," Black barked. "Out of the house now."

"We'll never be able to outrun it," Matthew challenged him. "Everyone, in the Tardis. That includes Pettigrew, as much as I'd like to leave him out here."

"The what?" Harry asked.

"Questions later!" Matthew hurried over to the blue box, quickly opening the wooden doors. Hermione didn't have to be told twice, taking Crookshanks inside. But the others were proving to be more hesitant, even with the horrendous sight they were being subjected to.

"It's wood!" Pettigrew cried. "He'll break it down within seconds! You'll kill us all! He'll eat us all!"

"Even if he can't get in, you can't expect us all to fit inside," Harry pointed out.

Matthew was shoving him towards his ship. "Have some faith. Have I led you wrong before?" Once Harry was inside, the two men seemed to decide that their only option was to follow, which then allowed Matthew to gratefully enter after them. Just as the snarls coming from Lupin grew louder and more ferocious.

Harry stood by the first set of steps with his eyes wide. How…how did this all fit inside? The chamber felt like it stretched on forever, illuminating softly upon their arrival. Black, who had a tight grip on Pettigrew's shoulder, just nodded his head in realisation.

"Bigger on the inside…I should have known. It's a neat trick."

Matthew was busy locking the doors, before he rushed past them and began to skip up the steps to join Hermione by the console. "It's more than a neat trick, thank you. It's a very complex form of magic that would blow your mind if I got into the details." They were cautiously walking up the stairs and he waited for them to reach their level. He was nothing without an audience. "Welcome to the Tardis."

"What is this place?" Harry felt like he'd asked that question a fair few times now.

"Part of my secret. Honestly, once we don't have a fully grown werewolf to deal with, I'll definitely get into the details. But, for now, all you need to know is that it can carry us from one place to another in an instant. Perfect for escaping a creature that sees us as a tasty snack." As if on cue, a banging came from the doors and the Tardis let out a sound of complaint.

"Then are you going to get this thing moving?" Hermione asked, concern ringing in her tone.

Matthew gave her a look. The sort of look she'd learnt not to like because it usually preceded him coming up with an awful plan. "I could do that. But you heard Lupin…he didn't take the wolfsbane potion, which means he won't have any control now he's transformed. If we leave him to it, he'll have the entire grounds to himself, unchecked. Imagine the poor sod that chose to have an evening stroll tonight."

"Then what are you planning?" Another look, one she really didn't like. "No. You can't be serious! We just got away from it."

A few beeps came from the console and he patted it soothingly. "I really wish I didn't have to do this, dear."

That took Hermione aback. "Did you just call me dear?" She'd never put him down as someone for pet names.

"I'm talking to the Tardis!" came his immediate rebuttal as if it were obvious. "She knows what I'm going to do."

"I'd like to know that too," Harry said, standing between them. It was like they were having half of their conversation without using words and it was frustrating him greatly.

"See that staircase second from the left? Go up there and follow the corridor you'll find yourself on. Keep running until you see the bins, turn right and get yourself in any of the rooms you see. It doesn't matter which." The pounding outside was growing louder. The Tardis began to emit a low tone of warning. Hermione stared at him for a few moments before resolutely nodding his head, picking up her cat once more and heading to where he'd directed her.

"Can someone explain to me what's going on?"

Despite the situation, there was still a look of excitement in Matthew's eyes. "I'm going to open the doors."

Pettigrew sobbed loudly. "I'm going to die!"

"You've gone insane!" Harry shouted at him. The constant dull alarm ringing out and the panic coursing through his body was forcing him to raise his voice. "First, you suddenly have this thing that you've never told me about and now you want to let a fully grown werewolf inside!"

"Harry, if you haven't cottoned onto the fact that I'm a bit mad, then you really haven't been paying attention." Matthew flicked a few switches, making the alarm stop. "Mister Black…don't take your eyes off him." He gestured to Pettigrew's crying form. "He won't be able to get out of here even if he tries to run away from you, but it'll be a right pain to find him. Follow where Hermione went, it should be safe down there."

Black nodded his head, completely blown away by the boy. Harry wasn't as impressed. "And what are you going to do?"

"Think on my feet." He rolled his eyes at Harry's look of alarm. "What? I'm very good at doing that! Now, get going! I'll give you enough time to hide away before I let it in, but I can't afford to leave it so long that he gets bored of us and runs away somewhere else." There was a heavy thud from the doors, as if to signify that wasn't going to happen for a while. Matthew's smile was a little less certain but Harry reluctantly followed Black and Pettigrew up the staircase, still finding time to marvel at the construction around him.

That left Matthew on his own. He brought a screen towards him, giving him a view of what was happening outside. Lupin, now completely in his werewolf form, was standing on his haunches, banging relentlessly against the wooden doors. It was probably annoying the creature a great deal that he hadn't yet managed to break through what seemed like an ordinary obstacle. That frustration was probably going to make it even more a threat and Matthew was beginning to doubt this plan. Why did he have to do the right thing? He should have let it loose on the grounds. What sort of person would be out at this time? Frankly, they might have deserved it. No, he couldn't convince himself to do that.

He looked at the cylindrical column in front of him, its soft blue glow a reassurance. "You're really not going to like this, old girl." He closed his eyes, taking a breath, counting down the seconds. "Then again, it's a lot more exciting than being parked forever in that dusty, old classroom so you can't complain, hey?" Another chirp in response. "Don't use that language with me." He'd abandoned his wand by this point. If he was going to attempt to take on a creature like this, he was going to need his powers unchecked. Even that probably wasn't going to be enough. "Have you opened the room I pointed out? Good. Let's see if I can get there in time." There was no going back now. He flicked a switch almost nonchalantly. It might have looked cool if there had been any people around to see it.

With a low hum, both doors opened. Matthew slowly backed up the nearest staircase, the one furthest from the set the others had used. The lights dimmed in response to the threat, which wasn't easing the tension of the situation. He saw the claws first, gripping both doors as the head appeared. It was strange that it was somehow recognisable as Lupin, although it was grotesquely different. It sniffed the new, strange air curiously, a deep growl making its throat rumble. Matthew took a few more steps, keeping the distance between them large enough. The werewolf approached the first steps, momentarily going out of view. Matthew didn't like the quiet. He clicked his fingers, the doors slammed shut, and the snarls grew more rabid. At least it wasn't going anywhere now. Most people would have seen that as a bad thing.

Matthew expected it to climb the set of stairs it came across but no such sound could be heard. Instead, it seemed to go underneath the raised platform, using that route as a different option. That wasn't the plan. He needed to locate the monster quickly. He produced a golden globe, gently floating above his palm, and fired it harmlessly into the air. The werewolf jumped and snapped at it savagely, the light disappearing upon contact. It clambered against the railing, its weight and heavy claws making the metal sag slightly. It turned its head towards the source of the beacon, locking its cold eyes with Matthew's, baring its teeth.

"Professor Lupin," Matthew tried. "You don't want to do this. I'm not even that tasty! I'm all skin and bone, nothing of any nutritional value!" His words had little effect. The creature unsteadily manoeuvred itself closer, unused to the odd layout and surroundings it now found itself in. Matthew just needed it to follow him, that was all. It sniffed again, hungrily. And then a howl was let out, without the werewolf opening its mouth. Matthew turned his head, eyes going wide as he saw Harry at the base of the steps, cupping his mouth as he made the noise. The werewolf looked between the two of them.

"What are you doing here?" Matthew hissed angrily.

"I wasn't going to leave you to do this on your own," Harry replied as if it were obvious.

"What about Black? I thought he would have wanted to protect you. I don't care if he's actually innocent, I'll put him back in Azkaban for letting you do this."

"He's watching over Pettigrew and Hermione. I told him you'd appreciate knowing that she's safe at least."

"I'd also appreciate you being safe too, Harry! You're both equally my friends!" Matthew ran a tired hand over his face, brandishing the other towards the slowly approaching creature. "I can't even ask you to go back, because this thing will probably follow you! I had a well thought out plan, you know?"

"Which was?"

"To see how fast I can run."

"Then I'll test that out too."

"You're being rather annoying right now, Harry."

"I get that from you."

They both grinned before the werewolf growled once more. "Okay then, since you're here. On my signal, you're going to run over to me and we're going to run like hell. No looking back, you hear me? This isn't going to be pleasant."

Harry was already edging closer to him, making their ferocious opponent snarl. "What's the signal?"

The lights of the console room, having dimmed to the point of near darkness, raised themselves in an instant. The ensuing charge of brightness made the werewolf howl in agony, hiding behind some of the railings to cover itself from the light. Harry took that as his cue, charging over to Matthew, who grabbed his hand and started to run up to the steps to the nearest corridor. Just before entering, he spun around and, with his free hand, let off a few red sparks, cutting through the dazzling light that was beginning to settle.

Harry looked at him as if he'd grown a second hand, not for the first time that day. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure it follows!"

They ran again, heading through a metallic hallway. The silver walls were patterned with golden swirls etched into the steel, running like veins or roots. Harry wanted to marvel at how gorgeous it was but a roar coming from behind them kept him moving. They turned corners sharply, Harry getting tugged in every direction, and, every time they went a different route, Matthew would produce more sparks to keep a track of their location. Harry was only just noticing that his wand wasn't in sight, giving him more questions to ask once this was over. If they got through it, which, with how the heavy footsteps banging in the near distance, wasn't a certainty.

They rounded one last corner, the new corridor looking different as one door lay open. Matthew puffed through the exertion but smiled nonetheless. But the werewolf was closer than ever, so close that it now had eyes on them. They could practically hear its spittle landing on the floor as it chased its prey. Its claws were leaving scratches along the walls and the sound was piercing.

"Behind the door!" Matthew ordered, shoving Harry behind the impromptu shield. He stood there for a beat longer and Harry thought him insane once again. The werewolf bounded towards them, closer and closer still, until it was practically above his friend. But Matthew dived out of the way at the last moment, just as more bright lights appeared from the ceiling. The werewolf cowered, seeking the only sanctuary it could find: the room that lay beyond the open door. It was a struggle for it to fit through the door frame but it squeezed through, allowing the boys to shove the door closed. It locked with a satisfying click. They had their backs to the surface, their chests heaving. And they began to laugh.

They shared a satisfied high-five as Matthew let out a congratulatory whoop. "Oh, thank god for that. I didn't think my legs could go on for much longer."

"What's in there?" Harry asked, still worried about the creature.

"Soft play area. Lupin won't be able to hurt anyone or himself whilst he's in there, and then he can pop back out once the worst of it has finished."

That certainly wasn't the answer Harry had been expecting. "You have a…soft play area in here?"

"Believe it or not, I was a young kid once. Do you know how brilliant a slide into a ball pit is? Once we've cleaned it of werewolf gunk, I'll let you have a go."

"What is going on, Matthew?"

His friend's smile dropped. "Ah…yes. Can't dodge that anymore."