LITTLE MISS MUDBLOOD | draco malfoy

44 ; clover

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin, nodding. "I believed it myself – until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies . . . Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry."

Harry looked at Ron, who made eye contact with him. They nodded, and Y/N watched, confused. What did they just agree on?

Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly.

"But Professor Lupin . . . Scabbers can't be Pettigrew . . . it just can't be true, you know it can't . . ."

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with grindylows.

"Because . . . because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework – the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things . . . and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have only been seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list –"

Lupin started to laugh.

"Right again, Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"All right . . . but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin, "I only know how it began . . ."

Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All six of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing. Y/N squinted, watching to see if there was anyone with a Disillusionment Charm on.

"No one there . . ."

"This place is haunted!" said Ron.

"It's not," said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted. . . . The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."

He pushed his graying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment, then said, "That's where all of this starts – with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten . . . and if I hadn't been so foolhardy. . . ."

He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione, sensibly, said, "Shh!" She was watching Lupin very intently.

Lupin explained to them how he was bitten as a small boy, and how Professor Snape had been making him the Wolfsbane Potion to help him keep his mind when he transformed. He told them how, when Professor Dumbledore became headmaster, he was sympathetic towards Lupin, and allowed him to come to Hogwarts. Lupin told them how the Whomping Willow was planted because of him, and that the Shrieking Shack was built for when he transformed monthly.

Y/N listened intently. Even though she didn't know where this story was going, it was nonetheless capturing. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers's loud, frightened squeaks.

He told them how he bit and scratched himself instead of humans, and how the villagers heard the noises and thought they were hearing violent spirits. He said that Dumbledore encouraged the rumors, which led to nobody visiting the Shack, and nobody discovering his secret.

"But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black . . . Peter Pettigrew . . . and, of course, your father, Harry – James Potter."