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

[ronsmyman]

A Duel of Dual Emotions

<<CRACK!!!>>

The bone broke and the young red-headed boy toppled into the tunnel, onto Sirius’ back. His tired frame sagged almost to the ground under the weight of the boy and the weight of the guilt that toppled upon him as heavily as the boy had. He had only meant to hurt one person tonight, and in order to get to that one person he was having to harm more people than he had planned on.

The thing that weighed most heavily on his heart, however, was the face of his godson. For the first time since James’ and Lily’s deaths, Sirius had gotten a close look at the product of their procreation. His resemblance to James had sent shivers down Sirius’ back. In his moment’s pause of contemplation he heard a bit of shuffling outside the tree. The Whomping Willow was trying to attack something. Sirius knew that if Harry had even an ounce of James’ valor, he would find the way into the shack and save his friend.

Sirius' goal flooded back into his mind and with renewed energy he rushed down the tunnel, the red-headed boy’s arm still held tightly in his teeth. He slipped through the opening and through the first room. As he arrived at the foot of the stairs, he heard the voices of Harry and the girl as they dropped into the tunnel. For a brief moment, pride for his godson surged through Sirius. The feeling was soon wiped away, however, by the urgency of his mission.

He dragged the poor shocked boy up the stairs, trying not to jostle the battered leg too much, finally reaching his destination, he deposited his prize on the floor next to a splintered bed frame occupied by a shredded mattress.

A slight movement rustled the boy’s pocket and hunger for revenge flooded Sirius’ mind, throwing out all thoughts of his pursuers. He backed up on all fours, transfiguring as he did so. Soon instead of his quiet paws, the rustle of his dirty rags were heard on the floor as he crawled backward, licking his lips hungrily. He didn’t notice the boy’s eyes widen in horror as the person he’d been taught to fear almost as much as the Dark Lord appeared before him. He didn’t notice that the footsteps and voices of Harry and the girl were getting closer and closer. All of his attention was focused on the small lump in the boy’s pocket. It was starting to move more and more, as if it sensed the gaze, and felt the hatred flowing from the Sirius' eyes.

It was only when the two pursuers burst into the room and his captive started talking in a loud frightened voice that Sirius was summoned back to the reality of the situation. These three children would have to be dealt with somehow. He stood up as the red-headed one was warning the others to run away, with a swift motion he shut the door, and pointed the boy’s wand at the trio, thankful that he had not been too distracted to take it from him. He quickly disarmed his young, unprepared opponents.

Still pointing the wand at them, Sirius approached the trio, concentrating his gaze on Harry. “I thought you’d come and help 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...”

The words came out hoarse and sinister, Sirius hadn’t spoken in ages, and what was meant as a sincere comment came out as a cruel taunt. He knew that Harry had seen it as such. His godson's face was clouded with hate; he was fighting to free himself from the grasp of his two friends, to physically attack Sirius.

Suddenly the red-head hoisted himself into a standing position, broken leg and all, and declared that Sirius would have to kill them too if he was going to kill Harry. The young boy stirred memories of Sirius’ own youth and the countless times that he had stood up for James in like fashion. He had never had to offer his life, but if the opportunity had arisen, he would have jumped at the chance. Then the memory of the dreadful truth came to him. He had been offered the chance, and he had turned it down, had given it to another, weaker being, who had sold the chance for a bit of power. His resolve cemented, he looked back into Harry’s eyes.

He quietly told the red-haired boy to lay down and save his leg, but the boy’s resolve seemed to be as firm as his own. As he tried to convince the trio that only one murder would take place that night, Harry’s rage erupted and torrents of accusations were spewed upon Sirius, adding to the guilt of his conscience, and throwing his emotions off guard. His godson hated him, for good reasons perhaps, but still the evident hatred had not hit him so hard until it had been articulated. Suddenly Harry lunged at Sirius who was unprepared for this physical attack. He was thrown to the ground and punched incessantly, until the Azkaban-born demon inside of him awoke and swelled momentarily to the surface. He grabbed Harry’s throat and squeezed, forgetting himself, forgetting his duty to the human being he was depriving of air.

Then in a split second the tables turned. Before he knew what had happened, Sirius’ air was knocked out of him, the red head was lying in subdued convulsions of pain, having thrown himself on Sirius’ wand arm, and Harry was standing in front of him, wand in hand. The power he held in this position made the young boy look a lot taller than he had a few moments earlier. He yelled at his friends to move, his wand pointed directly at Sirius’ heart, an organ which was thumping heavily with fear that he might die before accomplishing the one thing he desired above all.

He looked into the boy’s eyes and tried to explain, Harry would hear none of it. Harry's eyes continued to be trained on Sirius’, but the expected spell didn’t come. Moments crept by and still they remained in that position. Sirius could tell that Harry’s determination to kill him was melting little by little, he knew that the Potter blood flowing through his veins would not allow him to make himself as bad as his enemy. Quite suddenly, just as Sirius could see the last bits of Harry’s resolve dripping to the floor, the door burst open, and one of the people that Sirius had least expected to see rushed in.

Remus Lupin had always been an intelligent bloke. Top of the class, grades wise, and there was no one who could disarm someone by the book better than Remus, who always had stuck to the rules unwaveringly. This once-friend, whom he hadn’t seen since his incarceration in Azkaban, disarmed his opponents and turned to him with a renewed look of trust and friendship. Remus, who was probably James’ closest friend after Sirius, was standing up for the man that was thought to have killed him. Sirius gazed at the Lupin in shock.

Lupin then opened his mouth, and suddenly Sirius understood, Lupin knew. Thankfulness coursed throughout his body. Never in his entire life had he been so grateful for the Marauder’s Map, not even the time that it had allowed the four friends to avoid capture by an entire herd of professors as they strategically searched the school, looking for the four absent boys.

The three students wore disgusted looks on their faces as their gazes passed between the two grown men. Sirius was more aware than ever of the hatred Harry felt towards him, and he knew that with Lupin’s help he could change Harry’s opinion in favor of him, but he didn’t have the time. The lump in the red-headed boy’s pocket was beginning to wriggle more and more desperately. If they didn’t act soon it would surely free itself from the confines in which it was held and escape with Sirius’s innocence forever.

The thought that he would not be able to justify his unjust imprisonment threw aside all of Sirius’ godfatherly thoughts, and he positioned himself to lunge towards the redhead. Lupin, however, felt differently. Since he had not been unjustly incarcerated for the last 14 years, his emotions were not quite as deeply tied to the small wriggling piece of flesh before them. After Lupin handled the difficult task of calming the children down, Sirius allowed Lupin to tell them the true story, as he stared at the outline of the small creature which held his fate in limbo.

[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.