Truth Revealed
Note from the author: Sorry for the delay, it's been a busy week for myself and Mystic Dodo. As always, we welcome your reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter, which closes off year 3!
When Lily woke far too soon for her liking a few hours later, the sun shining through the blinds of the hospital wing, she saw Sirius sleeping in a chair next to her bed. His lanky body was curled up in an uncomfortably position, but what caught Lily's eyes was that Lupin was sleeping in the chair next to him. He looked relaxed, a small grin playing at his lips even in the grips of sleep. This made her smile; it had to mean that he had been cleared.
She sat in her bed, staring between the two men for a few minutes, before the doors of the Wing opened and Dumbledore entered.
"Good morning, Miss Potter," he greeted softly as he approached, "though, perhaps it would be fair to say that it is nearly the afternoon, now."
"Hello, headmaster," she replied before looking to the two men again "Does this mean…?"
"The truth has been revealed, and thanks to the hairs provided by you and Miss Granger during the scuffle when Mr. Pettigrew escaped, we were able to prove that the true traitor is alive. Remus Lupin was given a full pardon with apologies from the ministry," Dumbledore explained with his trademark twinkle in his eyes.
"That's amazing!" Lily beamed at the three before a frown began to play at her brows. "Professor, Hermione and I, and Buckbeak… he's…"
"In the Shrieking Shack, yes. Miss Granger awoke an hour ago and told me. I've had Sirius check on him and feed him already. For the moment, he'll remain in the Shrieking Shack, and once the heat has cooled, we'll return him to the forest under Hagrid's care," Dumbledore finished. He conjured another chair and sat at the foot of Lily's bed. "Now, I would like to hear your account of what happened."
"Yes, sir," Lily agreed, before explaining the events of the night prior.
"And then you thought you saw your mother," Dumbledore stated, when Lily hesitated at the part where the Dementors attacked.
Lily nodded. "Yes sir, but then when Hermione and I were standing and watching… well, us… I saw my reflection in a patch of ice the Dementor's created, and that's when I realised…"
"Before you started your transition, everyone said you looked like your father, save for your eyes which were your mothers. Now, I look at you, and I see so much of your mother in you. I know she would be exceptionally proud of you, especially for the courage you displayed last night, and the strength of your Patronus," Dumbledore said, smiling. "The ones we love never leave us, Lily, and in you and your Patronus, your mother lived again last night."
"That… thank you Professor, that means a lot," Lily said, surprised at how easily she felt tears building up. "I wish I could have known her."
"It is cruel that all of us spent so much time with James and Lily, and you, so little. But she is always with you, in your heart, and I feel confident in knowing that she would love you as you are. She would have been the first to go shopping with you for anything to help you move forward," Dumbledore got up from his chair, moving closer to her side.
"Remember Lily, we are what we do. Our actions and choices define us, and since you began here, all your choices have shown how much of your parents live within you. Last night, although he escaped, you showed mercy to Peter Pettigrew, and ensured he wasn't killed. One day, that act of mercy will help you I believe. Such an act imprints on anyone, and Peter will remember that." Dumbledore told her.
"Not that it counts for much. He still got away, after everything he did," Lily said bitterly.
"Lily, it counted for a lot," someone said from the other side of her. Lily turned and saw that her uncle was finally awake. He was smiling at her, and beside him was an embarrassed, pleased looking Lupin.
"Thanks to yours and Hermione's courage, I'm now a free man," Lupin said. "And I've been told a few med witches might want to speak to me about how I can retain my mind as a wolf."
"Lily, how would you feel…" Sirius started, but Lily cut him off.
"Of course, I'm happy with him living with us," Lily said, grinning. "I want you to be happy, Uncle Sirius. You deserve it."
"I have a confession though, Lily," Lupin admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "I am sorry that I scared you all, but it was I who sent you the Firebolt. I used your name but told them to take the money from my vault. I had seen your flying skills, and you fly even better than your father did. I wanted the broom to be thirteen years of birthday presents."
"It's one of the best gifts I've ever received… Uncle Remus."
Remus let out a choked noise.
"Sorry, I just… I always imagined hearing you call me that," Lupin admitted with a wobbly grin. His scarred face, which had been so tired and drawn the night before, had already begun to glow a healthy pink in the hours he had been free.
Lily recalled reading about werewolves and the aftereffects of their transformations.
"I guess you'll be at home with Dobby during the school term," she thought aloud. "He's a great elf and will take good care of you. No offence but you look terrible."
Remus laughed. "None taken. But listen, if you don't want me there –"
"- don't even finish that sentence," Lily interrupted. "I want you to be in my life, and I'm certain Uncle Sirius does too."
"Damn right," he affirmed. "We have 12 years of mischief to make up for, Moony!"
Remus opened his mouth to reply when the doors of the hospital wing opened, and in walked Cornelius Fudge.
"Ah, Miss Potter. I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"
"Better knowing that an innocent man is free from prison," Lily answered coolly. She did not miss the uneasy look the Minister gave to the sitting werewolf.
Fudge had the audacity to look sheepish. "A terrible mistake, confounded by the tragedy of that awful night. Mr Lupin, you have my deepest apologies."
"There is no need to apologise again, Minister," Lupin told him. "As I stated when the evidence of Peter's survival was presented, you had every reason to believe I was guilty."
"Stop being so bloody noble, Remus," Sirius said, glaring hard at the Minister. "What you went through for the past 12 years is nothing short of torture. Hell, having the Dementors around the school for the last few months has been torturous, too. Stress levels are at their highest, grades have fallen, and the number of students who have begged me for some sort of way to deal with the emotional fallout of those creatures…"
"The Dementors have already been removed from Hogwarts," Dumbledore told the group. He was popping some Bertie Bot Beans into his mouth. "In hindsight, it was quite unwise to assign guard duty to the very creatures that was able to be fooled by the criminal in the first place. Not one of my greatest ideas…"
"Geez, you think?" Sirius deadpanned. "Lily was nearly Kissed, for crying out loud."
"Uncle Sirius-"
"Dementors was more than an unwise move, it was downright stupid." The man got to his feet, cracking his neck in agitation. "Nobody said anything because, well, Lily's safety is paramount but for Merlin's sake, Dumbledore. So many of the students have been suffering from nightmares, panic attacks, a rise in depressive symptoms… and as the DADA professor, do you know how helpless I've felt, when they've pleaded for help, and I couldn't do anything other than give them chocolate?"
"All of this has happened because Dementors were guarding me?" Lily summarised, shivering. "So… this is my fault?"
"What?! No, Lily! That isn't what I was trying to say," Sirius slung an arm around her shoulder. "I just… Fuck. It's been hard for me too. It's all worth it to keep you safe, don't ever doubt that. And don't blame yourself, ever! Dementors were just, a ridiculous idea."
"Sirius is entirely right," Dumbledore admitted. "Both Madam Pomfrey and Professor Snape have been inundated all year with Calming Droughts, from students and Professors alike. I made a mistake. And not fighting for a trial for Mr Lupin is another one."
"With all due respect, Albus, Sirius, we need to move on," Lupin interrupted calmy. "As you have said, Lily's safety is our upmost priority and now Pettigrew has escaped, we need to plan on what we are to do in case he tries to attack her on Voldemort's behalf."
"He almost wet himself at the end of a wand," Lily said, leaning into Sirius's warmth. "He doesn't seem dangerous. And besides, he spent more than a decade pretending to be a rat; if he had any magic left it would be pathetically weak."
"I would not rule out Peter being dangerous, Miss Potter. After all, he did fool everyone for so long. He would have information and insights that may be useful for Voldemort after spending so long in close vicinity," Dumbledore pointed out. "Cornelius, would you join me? I think we should discuss what happened and how to handle the fallout."
When the two left the wing, Lily let out a sigh.
"If it isn't one thing, it's another."
Sirius laughed, ruffling Lily's hair. "Hey, you're 13 and have no right to say that yet."
"I'd say I had more right than most," Lily corrected, pushing his hand away with a huff. "But I think Dumbledore is right, thinking about it; the, er… benefactors who gave me the map, they would have noticed if the name Peter Pettigrew was hanging around their brother. And I only noticed as the name appeared and disappeared a few times… If he could fool the map then he's gotta be smarter than what he appears, right?"
"He helped us create it, so it makes sense that he would know how to hide his name," Remus remarked.
"Yeah, about that, the nicknames you have on the map, why use those nicknames?" Lily frowned, asking the question that had been on her mind.
Sirius jumped up from Lily's side and went to Remus, with a wide smile on his face. "When we were at Hogwarts, when your father, Peter and I learnt Remus was a Werewolf, we studied and became illegal Animagi, since we could stay with him when he transformed. We managed it in our fifth year," Sirius explained.
"Remus here is Moony, because he's a Werewolf. Pettigrew is Wormtail because he was able to transform into a rat. Your Dad was Prongs, as he could transform into a stag and I am Padfoot. You've never seen Padfoot, though, have you?" Sirius looked around the empty hospital wing and, with a wink, began to transform.
Within seconds, a large black dog stood before her. He licked Lily's hand before changing back into a human again.
"That's absolutely amazing!" Lily cried out.
"Wotizz?" a voice mumbled from the mound of blankets a few beds down from Lily. It shuffled, and Hermione's sleepy face appeared. "How… how long was I asleep?"
"Not nearly long enough," Sirius told her with another wink to Lily. "You missed a lot, Miss Granger."
Hermione sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes before focusing on the two men around Lily's bed. "Remus Lupin! Does that mean….?"
"Our plan worked," Lily told her with a pleased grin.
"Fantastic! And Buckbeak…?"
"Safe in the shack for now," Sirius said. "Which reminds me… Remus, we should adjust the map so that Peter won't be able to mask his name from it again. That way, he'll be seen if he dares to come onto the school grounds."
"Easy enough to do," Remus nodded. "Then Lily can keep it. I know James would have been very disappointed if his daughter never found any of the secret exits out of the castle."
"Definitely," Sirius agreed. He stared between Lily and Remus for a moment. "I'll help you get used to being free again, Remus. Lily, I only agreed to teach to keep you safe. Now that there is no more Prisoner of Azkaban after you, I don't think I'll be back next year as a teacher. I need to focus on Remus, on making sure he's okay, and on helping find Peter as best I can," Sirius said. "I'll be able to do more out there searching, and I know you'll be safe here with Dumbledore."
"You're a natural though, Uncle Sirius. Do you really have to leave?"
He nodded. "It's for the best. You understand, don't you?"
"I… guess so, yeah."
"Hey, you live with me too, kiddo. It's not like we will never see each other again," Sirius pointed out. "And Remus will be around for a long time too. Won't you, Moony?"
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else," Lupin promised. "And I just have to say that I think you chose the perfect name, Lily. Your mother would be so proud of you, as would James."
Lily blushed at the compliment.
"Don't forget your homework for the next Defence lesson," Sirius pointed out. "Saving the day doesn't exclude you from it, Missus!"
"She did more than save the day, Padfoot," Remus said. "She saved lives! I think a little leeway should be awarded."
Sirius stared at Lupin in horror. "Are you sure you weren't damaged while in Azkaban?"
Remus gave a wolfish grin, as Lily burst into laughter.
Sneaking through the dark woods, Peter Pettigrew held up the wand he had taken from a Ministry witch he had met in a local pub. Bertha Jorkins clumsily walked beside him, her face blank and robotic in the weak light pulsating from her stolen wand. His Imperius Curse was weak, but it would be enough to make her do what he needed.
"Where are we going?" Bertha asked, her voice distant.
"Not much further," Peter replied. His voice was colder, and darker, than it had been before. He knew he had to be strong somehow, especially if he was going to survive his next encounter.
As the air grew thicker, and the trees loomed taller, Peter gripped the wand tighter to try and control his shaking. More than once he had to redo the Curse on Bertha, and he was sweating with exertion and fear.
"Not much further," he muttered to himself.
A sudden rustling sound rushed through the otherwise still trees, and Peter broke out in goosebumps. "Are you here, my Lord? It is I, Wormtail," Peter called out into the darkness. "I come bearing a Ministry official, to beg for your forgiveness."
A shriek erupted from Bertha's mouth as she began to contort, falling to her knees in a clear expression of agony. A cold voice echoed through the night.
"You betrayed me," the voice snarled.
"N… ne… never!" Peter replied, his nerve fading. "I… I was always… loyal, and I… I had to find you…"
"You came because you are afraid. Do not lie, for I always know," the cold voice stated. "But you did come, and you will be able to help me. First, we must restore me to a body, as weak as it will be."
"I… I brought Bertha Jorkins for you to take," Peter stammered, seeing what looked like a wisp of smoke fly around him.
"She is not worthy to hold me, and neither are you. But if you obey me, then you shall be rewarded," the voice spoke.
"I will do anything you ask, my Lord," Peter swore. "Now and always".
As the smoke began to wrap around Peter's legs, the sound of cold laughter began to grow louder and louder.
