6 - REVELATIONS IN THE SHRIEKING SHACK, Stories about the night in the Shack. Options

[evlpez]

Submit your stories about Sirius meeting with Remus, Peter, Snape and the kids in the Shack here.

[evlpez]

Moments of Truth


Sirius Black was barely aware that he now held three wands and was pointing all of them at the Godson he'd failed. Wormtail was about to pay for what he'd done, and even the tiny, flickering spark of recognition Sirius had felt at seeing Harry's loyalty to Ron wouldn't distract him from his duty.

"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he began. When did he last use his voice? It sounded and felt foreign to utter anything but a scream or growl. "Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher. I'm grateful… it will make everything easier."

He will pay. That's all that's important now, he thought. A sinister blood thirst took him again as Sirius envisioned his revenge and how soon everything would be put right again.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us, too!" The Weasley boy stood up in a foolish moment of defiance, and Sirius had a fleeting thought that he'd been misunderstood. It doesn't matter. In a moment it will be done and then I can explain.

"Lie down. You will damage that leg even more," he said.

"Did you hear me? You'll have to kill all three of us!" Ron said weakly.

No! You don't understand! It's Peter… only Peter… "There'll be only one murder here tonight," Sirius replied. The demon came and Sirius grinned. He'd had years, 'dead' and forgotten in Azkaban to enjoy the killing of Peter over and over in his mind, and now the word 'murder' was as lovely and right to him as the words 'faith' and 'love'. They were all the same to him.

"Why's that?" Harry struggled against his friends' restraint. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those muggles to get at Pettigrew …"

Those muggles. I'd forgotten about them. Yes, he'll pay for that too in Hell. Look at the boy - he's so like you right now. He'll understand afterwards… you'll hold him and tell him it's all right now, that it will be as it should be. No… it should be James holding him… and Wormtail…

"HE KILLED MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry yelled suddenly and launched himself at Sirius. Instantly Sirius was looking into his eyes, his hand around the boy's throat and his face stinging from the blows Harry had given him. Where's our little boy, now? I can't let this man keep me from this…

"No," he hissed. "I've waited too long - " NO - NO - NO - NO…

He felt a sharp blow to his leg and fell, releasing Harry. Azkaban crept into his heart and defeat and despair began to take him as he lay on the floor. A hiss from the cat brought him back and he felt Harry's wand tip on his chest. He looked up.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" Sirius felt the blood trickle from his nose. Blood… not the last we'll see tonight…

"You killed my parents." Harry croaked. He was right. Sirius felt the truth of those words as firmly as he felt that wand over his heart. My failure… James...

"I don't deny it, but if you knew the whole story - "

"The whole story?" Harry's eyes flashed at him.

"You've got to listen to me." Sirius realised he was losing time now. He had to make Harry understand before Peter escaped justice again. "You'll regret it if you don't … you don't understand…."

"I understand a lot better than you think. You never heard her, did you? My mum… trying to stop Voldemort killing me… and you did that… you did it…" You did it… you did it… you'll keep paying for it and you'll rot in Hell for letting him get away with it… Crookshanks jumped onto his chest.

"Get off." Sirius told him. The cat wouldn't budge, but sat protectively on him, digging his claws into his flesh.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed. "WE'RE UP HERE - SIRIUS BLACK - QUICK - "

NO! NOW! I HAVE TO DO IT NOW! The cat still wouldn't move, despite Sirius' frantic thrashing to get up. He heard feet on the steps and in his mind he saw his friends running up the stairs in their youth. When he looked in the doorway however, the friend faded and there stood a shell of a man, pale and alert.

"Expelliarmus!" Remus shouted, and Harry's wand flew out of his hand. "Where is he, Sirius?"

Sirius was lost. Remus wouldn't let Harry kill him, but then he wouldn't let Sirius kill Peter, either. The voice of reason, Remus would never give Sirius his day; would never let James and Lily have the justice they deserved. Defeated and broken, Sirius pointed to the bulge in Ron's shirt pocket.

"But then - why hasn't he shown himself before now?" Sirius could see behind Moony's eyes, knowing that searching look as though he had seen it every day of the last twelve years. He had seen it every day, in every imagination of Remus learning that he'd failed them. He'd failed them all.

"Unless -" Remus saw it. Sirius knew he saw it, and he stared blankly, waiting for it to sink in. "-unless he was the one… unless you switched… without telling me?"

Sirius nodded. Remus came and put his arms around him then, and nothing else existed for a moment. My friend. My brother. Don't let go of me, I'll die again! Don't let me die again.

Remus let go and Sirius went numb. Voices rose around him and he sat down again, unaware of any of the words. He fought against the emotions struggling at his chest. He wanted Peter, he wanted Harry, and his bones were cold again where a moment before there was warmth for the first time in… He struggled to hold onto it while the desire to finish what he started fought with the memory of being held, driving it out.

"… He's a werewolf!" the girl shouted at them.

Silence. Wait. What's happening? Don't they see?

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," Remus said calmly. Sirius could see the restraint deep in his eyes, the sorrow masked by the face of a professor. "Only one out of three, I'm afraid. I have not been helping Sirius get into the castle and I certainly don’t want Harry dead… but I won't deny that I am a werewolf." Sirius shuddered with him, remembering how difficult it was in their childhood for Remus to ever say those words out loud.

Flashes of Sirius' memory returned… full moons in this very room, Moony desperate to escape his thirst; Prongs, ever watchful as his gaze followed Moony pacing the room; Wormtail, sleeping in a ball of fur under the bed. He remembered finding out - Remus' humiliation, and learning to transform so they could be with him.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" Remus' calm request snapped Sirius to attention. Yes. Let's see the rat. Give him a chance to confess to Harry before I end it. Sirius' eyes followed Ron's movements. Time slowed to a crawl as Ron reached into his pocket and held forth a scrambling Wormtail. Ron held his tail and Sirius desperately looked to the rodent's eyes, searching to recognise the man inside this disgusting, changed creature.

"That's not a rat," he croaked. It's him. The lowest life on Earth - filth, scum, dirt, dust.

"What d'you mean - of course he's a rat - "

"No, he's not," said Remus, almost whispering. "He's a wizard."

"An animagus," Sirius began, aware he'd be saying the filthy name aloud for the first time in many years, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

This post has been edited by evlpez: May 14 2004, 01:12 PM