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.

[Athena=Valor]

Truth Revealed

I sat amongst the darkness of the trees of the Forbidden Forest and watch as the gamekeeper's back door opened. Four people emerged; three children and the gamekeeper, Hagrid. The children seemed to be debating something with Hagrid, but he just kept on telling them to leave before "they" got there. They must have given in because the girl covered herself and the others with a invisibility cloak, that she had carried out with her.

Seeing that cloak has made my heart ache with the memories of my time at Hogwarts with James, Remus and even Peter. Of a time when the Marauders would put on James' invisibility cloak and spend night after night exploring the castle. A time when during the full moon we would transform and spend the night exploring Hogsmeade. What simple times they were. We didn't have a care in the world, except maybe wondering who would go to the dance with us, or who we should play our next prank on.

I wonder if it is James' old cloak?

D***!....Why did he have to betray them!? Why!?

I heard the back door to the cabin open again. I didn't care, there was little chance that they could see me. Turning to leave I caught site of a familiar figure coming out. Dumbledore. I briefly wondered why he was out on the grounds at this hour and with those men.

I don't have time for this...,I thought.

Ignoring them once again, I turned around to face a ginger haired cat. I explained that I wanted him to help me get the rat from the red haired boy.

Though neither of us could see the children, we could plainly hear the rat's squeals.

He stood up, shook himself off, then headed toward the noise.

Still keeping myself well hidden by shadows, I began to sneak forward as well. I hadn't gotten far when I heard what sounded like an ax being thrown, then hitting something solid. A few seconds latter I heard someone give a wild howl as if in distress.

If I didn't have such a pressing matter to attend to, I would have been tempted to go see what was going on.

I watched as the ginger haired cat crept slowly closer to his prey.

Suddenly someone yelled "No!"; then I saw him - or rather, saw the grass moving as he ran towards the Forbidden Forest. With one bound, the cat was after him.

Out of nowhere, the red haired boy appeared, running towards his pet rat. A few seconds later I watched as Harry and the girl appeared, running full out after the red haired boy, the invisibility cloak streaming behind them.

The red head kept on shouting at the cat to get away from his rat. There was a loud thud, then he exclaimed, "Gotcha! Get off, you stinking cat -- ."

I sat in the shadows and watched as Harry and the girl almost fell over thier friend. He was still sprawled on the ground, but it appeared that he had managed to get his rat into the pocket in his shirt, because he had both of his hands covering it.

No! I can't let him escape me....not this time!

I bounded towards them, not caring who would see me. I had served twelve long years of living h*** to commit the murder I had been imprisoned for...I wasn't going to wait another minute!

As I ran toward them I saw Harry reach for his wand, but I took an enormous leap...my front paws hit Harry in the chest, knocking him over. Growling, I skidded around for another attack. Springing toward them again, I pushed Harry aside, and clamped my jaws around the red haired boy's arm. I then began to drag him towards the Whomping Willow. I felt, what had to be Harry, grab a fist full of my hair, but I refused to stop. I just dragged the both of them towards the tree.

Just as suddenly has he had garbed me, he let go. A shriek of pain followed.

The tree..... Half of me wanted to go back and see if they where ok. The other half just wanted to get back to the Shack and finally take care of him. The latter won out.

I had the boy almost into the tunnel that was under the Whomping Willow when dragging him became allot harder. I gave an enormous tug and heard a horrible crack, as if something had broken.

Not stopping to figure out what the noise had been, I continued to drag him through the tunnel and into the Shrieking Shack. I only stopped long enough to get a better grip on him, then I continued to drag him into a shadowy hallway, up a flit of stair and finally into one of the bedrooms. Letting go of him only once I had dragged him to the side of the four-poster bed.

I shook myself slightly before I transformed back into my human form. The boy gave a gasp of shock as I closed the bedroom door, leaving only a small crack.

Turning back around, I reached forward and took his wand.

Only a minute or two latter, the ginger cat came running into the room. He jumped on the bed and immediately started purring.

Seconds later I heard muffled foot steps outside of the bedroom. I quickly stepped next to the door frame so that when the door opened I would be behind it. The foot steps stopped. Then, without warning, the door burst open and in dashed Harry and the girl.

They exchanged a few words of concern with their friend, then the red haired boy tried to explain, through gritted teeth, that it was a trap and that I wasn't a dog....I was an Animagus. Harry wheeled around.

I quickly closed the door with a snap. Harry and I looked at each other....

How long had I waited to see him...I realized, with a start, that the boy had to be thirteen now. In my minds eye he was still the small baby I had held in my arms...messy hair, mischievous, bright green eyes and all. How I had dreamed then that I would be in his life forever...Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought that he and I would have been separated for twelve years. Even with the war going on, I couldn't have imagined a more happier time then that. The years of mischief at Hogwarts paled in comparison to it. How could have one dark night changed five peoples lives forever? One betrayal...two deaths...and my world fall appart. Sometimes I still wonder what would have happened it I had managed to convince Hagrid to let me take Harry...Would I have left Harry with Remus, then gone after Peter? (Of course I would have explained thing to Remus first.) Or would I have left him for another day after I proved my innocence?

I lifted the red haired boy's wand and cried - or rather, crocked --

"Expelliarmus!"

Immediately Harry's and the girl's wands shot into my hand.

"I thought you'd come for your friend. 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 much easier...", I said hoarsely, my eyes fixed on Harry.

I watched as something flickered in his eyes...If it had been Lily, I would have guess that she was seriously ticked off.

Harry started toward me, but his friends grabbed him and held him back.

"No, Harry!", gasped the girl, in a petrified whisper; the red haired boy, however, spoke to me...

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!", he said fiercely, thought the effort of standing upright was draining him of even more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.

With that small statement, the red head forcibly reminded me of myself.

If James and I had been in this same situation, I would have said the same thing.

"Lie down," I said quietly to him. "You will damage that leg even more."

"Did you hear me?" he said weakly. (It looked like he was clinging painfully to Harry's arm to stay upright.) "You'll have to kill all three of us!"

"There'll be only one murder here tonight," I said, my grin widening.

"Why that?" Harry spat, trying to wrench himself free of his friends. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those muggles to get at Pettigrew...What's the matter, gone soft in Azkaban?"

"Harry!" the girl whimpered. "Be quiet!"

"HE KILL MY MUM AND DAD!" Harry roared, and with a huge effort he broke free from his friends and lunged forward --

I was startled...I had barley raised the wands, when Harry's had fastened over my wasted wrist, forcing the wand tips away; his other had collided with the side of my face, forcing us backward and into the wall.

Everything was utter chaos; the girl was screaming; the red haired boy was yelling; there was a blinding flash as the wands in my hand sent a jet of sparks into the air, missing Harry's face by inches.

I began to twist my wrist madly, but Harry clung on, his other hand punching every part of me it could find.

Finally managing to get my free hand around Harry's throat, I hissed, "No -- I've waited to long --", my fingers tightening. Harry choked, glasses askew, then out of nowhere I felt someone kick me, hard. I let go of Harry with a grunt of pain; someone else threw themselves on my wand hand, a faint clatter followed.

Next thing I knew there was one less body on me. There was a thud, as if someone had thrown themselves on or at something, then a cry of pain. Another small thud followed, then Harry roared, "NO YOU DON'T!", which was followed by spitting (probable the cat). Then --

"Get out of the way!" Harry shouted.

They apparently didn't need telling twice, because they immediately scrambled off me.

Still sprawled at the bottom of the wall, my thin chest rising and falling rapidly, I watched as Harry walked slowly nearer, his wand pointed straight at my heart.

"Going to kill me, Harry?" I whispered.

He stopped right above me, his wand still pointing at my chest --

"You killed my parents, " he said, voice shaking slightly.

I stared at him..."I don't deny it," I said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story..."

"The whole story?" Harry repeated. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."

"You've got to listen to me," I said, a note of urgency in my voice. "You'll regret it if you don't...You don't understand..."

"I understand allot better than you think," said Harry, his voice shaking more than ever. "You never heard her, did you? My mum...trying to stop Voldemort killing me...and you did that...you did it..."

Suddenly, something ginger streaked past Harry; the cat had leapt onto my chest and laid there, right over my heart. I blinked in surprise and looked down at him.

"Get off," I murmured, trying to push him off.

He sank his claws into my robe and refused to budge. He turned his ugly, squashed face at Harry and looked up at him with those great yellow eyes. To my right, the girl gave a dry sob.

Seconds dragged by, as we looked at each other. Harry seemed to be struggling with himself. Whether or not he should...kill...me....

He raised his wand......

The seconds lengthened. Harry still stood there frozen, wand poised, myself staring up at him, and the cat still on my chest. Someone's ragged breathing came from near the bed.

Then came a new sound --

Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor -- someone was moving downstairs.

"WE'RE UP HERE!" the girl screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE -- SIRIUS BLACK -- QUICK!"

I started; the footsteps were thundering up the stairs now.

The door burst open in a shower of red sparks and in hurtled....Remus....his face bloodless, wand raised and ready. He looked at the other children before his eyes flickered toward Harry and finally, myself.

"Expelliarmus!" Remus shouted.

The children's wands flew out of thier hands. Remus caught them all deftly, then moved into the room, staring at me, the cat still lying protectively across my chest.

Then Remus spoke, in a very tense voice.

"Where is he, Sirius?"

He doesn't know? I thought. He's been at Hogwarts all this time and he hasn't figured it out?....Unless he's thought all of this time that Peter was the innocent one. My brain seemed to shut down at this point. All these years he hasn't believed in my innocence......but, why does he believe that Peter is indeed still alive? Why......?

Smacking myself mentally, I , very slowly, raised my hand and pointed straight at the red haired boy.

"But then...," Remus muttered, staring at me so intently it seemed he was trying to read my mind. "...why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless" --Remus' eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond me, something none of the rest of us could see, "-- unless he was the one...unless you switched...without telling me?"

Very slowly, my gaze never leaving Remus' face, I nodded.

Remus lowered his wand, gazing fixedly at me. He walked to my side, seized my hand, pulled me to my feet so that the cat fell to the floor, and embraced me like a brother.

For the first time in twelve years, I felt hope. The hope that finally after so long justice was going to be served, and that the only best friend that I had left was, once again, my friend. He believed me...The first person in twelve long years of h*** to believe my innocence --

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" the girl screamed.

Remus let go of me and turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was now pointing at Remus, wild-eyed. "You -- you -- "

"Hermione --"

"--You and him!"

"Hermione, calm down --"

"I didn't tell anyone!" she shrieked. "I've been covering up for you --"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Remus shouted. "I can explain --"

"I trusted you," Harry shouted suddenly at Remus, his voice wavering out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong," said Remus. "I haven't been Sirius' friend, but I am now -- Let me explain..."

"NO!" the girl called Hermione screamed. "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 a ringing silence. My eyes darted to Remus, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.

"Not at all up to your usual standard, Hermione," he said. "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..." A shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."

The red haired boy made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Remus made toward him, looking concerned, but the boy gasped, "Get away from me, werewolf!"

Remus stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"

"Ages," she whispered. "Since I did Professor Snape's essay..."

"He'll be delighted," said Remus coolly. "He assigned 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," Hermione said quietly.

Remus forced a laugh.

"You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."

"I'm not," Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already know," said Remus. "At least, the staff do."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Some of the staff thought so," said Remus. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I was trustworthy --"

"AND HE WAS WRONG!" Harry yelled. "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING HIM ALL THE TIME!" He was pointing at me. I crossed to the four-poster bed, suddenly, and sank onto it, hiding my face in my hands. The cat leapt up beside me and stepped onto my lap, purring.

"I have not been helping Sirius, " said Remus. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look --"

"There, " said Remus. "You're armed, where're not. Now will you listen?"

"If you haven't been helping him," Harry said. "How did you know he was here?"

"The map," said Remus. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it --"

"You know how to work it?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Of course I know how to work it," said Remus. "I helped write it. I'm Moony -- that was my friend's nickname for me at school."

"You wrote --?"

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, and Hermione might try and sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

Someone, probably Remus, started to pace up and down.

"You might have been wearing your father's old cloak, Harry --"

"How d'you know about the cloak?"

"The number of times I saw James...."

James.......How I wish you where here......

"...disappearing under it...." said Remus. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

"What?" said Harry. "No, we weren't!"

"I couldn't believe my eyes," said Remus, still pacing, and ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" said Harry.

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast towards you, labeled Sirius Black....I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow --"

"One of us!" the boy name Ron said angrily.

"No, Ron," said Remus. "Two of you."

Remus stopped his pacing.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" he said evenly.

"What?" said Ron. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," said Remus. "Could I see him, please?"

I heard a rustling of clothes as, apparently, Ron got "Scabbers" out of his front pocket. The cat stood up on my legs and made a soft hissing noise.

A few seconds of intense silence followed....

"What?" Ron said again. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

I couldn't keep my silence anymore...I wanted to get this done and over with...

"That's not a rat," I croaked suddenly.

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

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

"An Animagus," I said glaring at the rat, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

"AND HE'S THE ONE THAT KILLED JAMES AND LILY!!" I screamed, or more accurately, hissed.