Book 3: The Prisoner of Azkaban - A Hermione x Male Reader Story

Lupin

"Well, if this..." she regarded Pettigrew a moment, "poor excuse of a man was working for Voldemort... why not just kill Harry some time in the past three years?"

"There!" Yelled Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Hermione with his maimed hand. (Y/N) stepped in between them, causing Pettigrew to once again falter a moment before he looked back at Lupin, "Thank you! You see, Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"

"I'll tell you why," said Black. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for twelve years, they say he's half-dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all his power, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case your old protector regained strength, and it was safe to rejoin him..."

Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.

"Mr. Black?" Hermione addressed him. He looked at her, almost startled, and stared at her, as though being spoken to politely was something of a foreign concept to him. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get out of Azkaban? I'm not saying I don't believe you, but I can't wrap my head around it."

"Thank you!" Gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I–" But he stopped talking when Lupin looked at him to shut up.

"I'll tell you why I think it," (Y/N) said, "it's because he's an Animagus. Animals, most of them at least, can't have the kind of complex emotions humans do, so the Dementors don't have as bad of an effect on animals, am I right?"

"Mostly," Sirius said, looking at (Y/N), "but even to transform into an animal requires a strength most don't have even a week in their stay at Azkaban. I think the only reason I still had that strength was because I knew I was innocent. But seeing the paper," he turned his attention back to Pettigrew, "seeing Peter on the front page... I realized he was going to be perfectly poised to act if word ever got out to him that Voldemort was working to come back... that's what gave me the strength to get out of Azkaban. I had made a promise to Lily and James after they made me your Godfather," he looked at Harry, his eyes misting a bit, "I made a promise that if for whatever reason I had to, I'd take care of you like you were my own son... obviously... being thrown in Azkaban forced me to break that promise..."

Harry was looking at him and was having a hard time to try and not get emotional.

"Believe me," Black croaked, "believe me, I never betrayed James or Lily... I would have gladly died for them before I betrayed them..."

Harry began to smile, seeming to finally believe Sirius Black.

"No!" Pettigrew yelled, having fallen to his knees as though the smile on his face had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, groveling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying, "Sirius - it's me... it's Peter... your friend... you wouldn't..."

Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled, "There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," he spat at Pettigrew.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him, "You don't believe this... wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Lupin said with a wry look, "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?"

"Forgive me, Remus," Black said regretfully.