Word Count: 2,017.
Warnings: None.
"No!"
Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Potters nod had been his own death sentence. He shuffled forward on his knees, grovelling, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying.
"Sirius – it's me... it's Peter... your friend... you wouldn't..."
My father kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled. Black made his way closer to Moony, a snarl on his face.
"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," he muttered.
"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Lupin instead, writhing imploringly in front of him. "You don't believe this... Wouldn't Sirius have told you if they'd changed the plan?"
"Not if he thought I was a spy, Peter," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Wormtail's head.
"Forgive me, Remus," my father spoke, his eyes saddened. Moony looked at him with an equal expression.
"Not at all, Padfoot," Lupin replied, beginning the roll up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
"Of course," said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted around his gaunt face. I smiled slightly. He too, then began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?"
"Yes, I think so," Lupin spoke grimly.
"You wouldn't... you won't..." gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled around to Ron. Then Hermione. And finally he turned his head slowly towards Harry.
"Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..."
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" roared Black. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"
He then scurried over to me, dropping onto his knees and grasping onto the material of my legs. "Lyra?" he asked, looking up at me. "You'll – you'll help me, w-won't you?"
I pushed him back. "Get off me, you bastard." I spat.
Pettigrew's body fell to the floor as a fist connected with his face. "DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO MY DAUGHTER! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT HER! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO SPEAK TO HER! TO ASK FOR HER HELP!" he shouted, picking Peter up by the collar and bringing him to his feet.
"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," Black continued, pushing the small man into the ground. "Do you deny it?"
Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch; he looked like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor.
"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea... he has weapons you can't imagine... I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen... He Who Must Not Be Named forced me –"
"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Black. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"
"He – he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"
"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who have ever existed?" my father asked. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"
"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me Sirius!"
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Black. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!" Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.
"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly. "If Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye Peter."
"NO!" Harry yelled. He ran forwards, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands.
"Harry," I warned, stepping towards him.
"You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."
Black and Lupin both looked staggered. "Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents." Black snarled. "He's the reason my daughter had to grow up without me. Don't try to stop me from doing this."
"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors. He can go to Azkaban... just don't kill him."
"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You – thank you – it's more than I deserve – thank you –"
"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would want his best friends to become killers – just for you." He paused. "I don't think you killing him would be a good thing to do in front of your daughter either."
Both Remus and Sirius looked at Harry, and then over to me, where I stood, shaking slightly. They both dropped their wands.
"He can go to Azkaban." Harry repeated as Sirius and Moony made their way over to me quickly. They stood on either side of me, each with an arm around my shoulder.
I let out a sigh of relief as they did, leaning into Moony's shoulder. Pettigrew looked relieved, but the fear on his face hadn't vanished completely.
"Very well," Lupin spoke up. "Stand aside Harry."
"Wait." I exclaimed, moving myself away from my father and Moony, making my way towards the smaller man in front of me.
"Lyra," I heard Sirius speak, but Moony simply pulled him back.
I walked right up to him, letting our faces be only inches apart. Pettigrew looked at me sadly, a regretful expression in his eyes.
Turning angry, I launched my fist at his face with a cry, his head falling to the floor. I brought my leg out, kicking him in the stomach.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY –" I was suddenly pulled away from him, Moony bending down to the rat on the ground to bind him in a spell.
"Lyra," I heard my father speak comfortingly as I struggled against him.
"Lyra, calm down." There were tears in my eyes now as I stopped fighting him. He turned me around, holding my face in his hands.
"I'm here." He stated, nodding. "I'm not going anywhere again, okay?" I shook my head as tears began to fall down my cheeks.
Sirius brought me to his chest, engulfing me in a warm hug. He shushed me quietly as he stroked my hair. "Shh, it's okay. It's alright." He repeated.
I watched Remus drag the man to his feet, pushing him towards the door, out of the Shrieking Shack, past the Whomping Willow and out into the night.
ᵜᵜᵜᵜᵜ
It was pitch black by the time we exited through the Whomping Willow. The moon was hidden by clouds, but the glow from it was our only source of light as our file of people spread out across the tree. Ron was placed down against the trunk, wincing in pain as he did.
My father hadn't let go of me since we exited the tunnel, his arm clasped tightly around my shoulder. "You know I am capable of restraining myself." I told him.
He laughed. "I know, but I don't feel like letting you go ever again."
I shrugged him off softly, turning to watch Harry who was stood facing away from us. I noticed Sirius looking towards him.
"Go talk to him." I suggested.
"But –"
"You can answer all of my questions later. I know Potter. If he doesn't get his answers now, he might implode." I explained.
Sirius shook his head, placing a hand onto my shoulder. "Just like your mother. Patient as a river."
"I have my tipping point." He turned away, standing beside the raven-haired boy.
I turned to Ron, who was sitting beside Hermione, his hand wrapped firmly around his leg. I approached.
"If you keep doing that, you're going to damage it even further." I stated, their heads whipping up towards me. they gave each other a nervous look before Ron removed his hand from his limb. I hunkered in front of it.
It wasn't deep. The bite. But it had hit a vein, meaning that there was a lot of blood. "Madam Pomfrey will be able to heal it up without a scar, but if we want you to stay awake until then." Ron gasped, turning pale.
"That was a bad idea. I'm just going to use a tourniquet. It'll help slow the bleed." I ripped a piece of cloth from my clothes, placing it under Ron's legs and beginning to tie it just above the edge of the bite.
"How do you know what you're doing?" Hermione asked nervously, her hand holding his arm firmly.
"I've had to patch myself up a few times. I know the basics." I answered.
"Has he hurt you often?" Hermione continued.
"The wolf has. I have a few scars from him, but Lupin hasn't, no." I lopped the fabric under itself, threading it through.
"What about the one on your face?" Ron asked, hissing.
"I don't know." I shook my head. Pausing for a moment, I touched the raised line on my cheek. "I've always had it." Hermione nodded.
I took a breath. "This is going to hurt." Looking back to Ron, I pulled tightly on the knot I had made, the fabric tightening around his skin. Ron yelped.
"Sorry," I apologized, scrunching my face together.
"Thank you," Hermione voiced for Ron. I nodded.
"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly. I turned to look at him, rising from my position. His wand was still pointed at Pettigrew's chest.
I watched Lupin, noticing the anger in his eyes. Sweat dripped down his forehead and I watched as he twitched.
"Moony?" I asked. He turned his head slightly and I say his eyes glow an orange colour.
"Shit," I cursed as a cloud above us shifted. I looked up to the sky, watching the full moon drift across the sky.
"Father!" I shouted, Sirius turning to look at me. "It's a full moon!" I shouted. His gaze moved to the glowing asteroid in the air and then to Lupin who had gone rigid.
I rose, rushing over to him as his limbs began to shake.
"Oh my –" Hermione gasped.
"Run," Sirius whispered. "Run! Now!"
But no one ran. Harry leapt forward but Sirius caught him around the chest, throwing him back.
"Leave it to me – RUN!" Sirius then turned to me as I watched Lupin. "Lyra, get out of here!"
"I've been dealing with Wolfie for a lot longer than you have. If anyone should leave, it's you!"
Sirius laughed. "Stubborn little –"
There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. He was transforming.
As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, my father fell to the ground, transforming into his Animagus. I followed, feeling my body fold in on itself as I grew smaller. When I turned to Sirius again, I found a dog looking at me with beady eyes. It was almost like looking in a mirror.
"You're a fucking Animagus?!" I heard Harry shout. "What the Hell?"
"Four unregistered Animagi in one century. It has never been recorded before." Hermione gasped.
"Makes sense." Ron muttered. "She's always been good at Transfiguration."
The werewolf roared, snapping its head towards the two of us. It thrashed it's hands out to either side, but I jumped, its claws just missing me.
Wolfie dropped onto his front paws, screaming at me.
"Wait!" I spoke. Barked. The werewolf stopped, its face moving in front of me. Its head tilted, watching me.
"Lyra." I heard my father's voice in my head. I didn't reply.
Moving forward, I rest my head against the wolf's. It didn't move. Watching Wolfie's eyes I saw them soften, the bright yellow leaving them. He was taking back control.
"What in Merlin's name is going on here!?" a voice roared, the wolf in front of me jumping back. Its eyes returned to yellow.
I only had a moment to fear before its claws swiped at me, throwing my body backwards.
"LYRA!" Someone screamed as I shifted back to human, my back hitting the trunk of the tree and I fell unconscious beneath its branches.