—— ϟ ——
After Griffyndor's win, Harry was in euphoric bliss. He had caught up with Noel on everything including Hagrid's trial and apologized profusely for the Hogsmeade weekend that he missed with her. She congratulated him on his win, making him stammer trying to find a response.
They hung out as usual and he wanted to tell her about the map but Professor Lupin had confiscated it when Malfoy snitched on him while being at Hogsmeade.
It was June which meant that final exams were approaching. Noel had been studying every evening but was still anxious until she finished her exam.
She did well in Potions and Astronomy. As well as in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. DADA was the most unusual exam she had. The professor had made an obstacle course where they had an encounter with every creature they learned about.
Noel was with Padfoot and Crookshanks when both animals suddenly leapt up. The dog barked a mad bark running towards something. Noel leapt up as well trying to see what upset him.
She saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione a little way further. The big dog was running right at them. Noel broke into a run calling for the dog to stop. "PADFOOT!" Harry! Watch out"
Noel caught up to them but it was too late. The dog had a grip on Ron and was dragging him down into the willow. Noel's eyes widened and realized where she was. Before she knew it she felt a sharp pain in his back making her fall forcefully.
She heard Harry groan and Hermione scream but she had to go into the willow. So, army crawling her way over, scraping her hands and knees, she dove in.
She pulled her wand out and muttered Lumos in the dark tunnel. She can hear Ron fighting off the dog. She ran as fast as she could. When she made it to the room she saw how distorted and old looking it was. There were papers everywhere and a very old worn out bed. Ron was laying in it bleeding from his leg.
She didn't see that her stray had turned into a person. She heard Harry and Hermione walk in, she turned around, face to face with Sirius Black.
She stared at him in shock.
"Ron — are you okay?" She could hear Harry from behind her.
"Where's the dog?"
"Not a dog," Ron moaned. His teeth were gritted with pain. "Harry, it's a trap —"
"What —"
"He's the dog... he's an Animagus."
Harry wheeled around and the man moved forward with a snap closing the door. Noel stood in front of him not moving a muscle.
A mass of filthy, matted hair hung to his elbows. If his eyes hadn't been shining out of the deep, dark sockets, he might have been a corpse. The waxy skin was stretched so tightly over the bones of his face, it looked like a skull. His yellow teeth were bared in a grin. It was Sirius Black.
Harry pulled Noel behind him. As Sirius rose Ron's wand to disarm them.
"I thought you'd come and help your friend," he said hoarsely. His voice sounded as though he had long since lost the habit of using it. "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..."
"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!" He said fiercely, though the effort of standing upright was draining him of still more color, and he swayed slightly as he spoke.
Something flickered in Black's shadowed eyes.
"Lie down," he said quietly to Ron. "You will damage that leg even more."
"Did you hear me?" Ron said weakly, though he was clinging painfully to Harry to stay upright. "You'll have to kill all four of us!"
"There'll be only one murder here tonight," said Black, and his grin widened. Noel stared at him not knowing what it was that wasn't clicking.
"Why's that?" Harry spat, trying to wrench himself free of Ron, and Hermione. "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?"
Noel watched numbly as Harry and Sirius fought each other.
"Going to kill me, Harry?" He whispered.
Harry stopped right above him, his wand still pointing at Black's chest, looking down at him. A livid bruise was rising around Black's left eye and his nose was bleeding.
"You killed my parents," said Harry, his voice shaking slightly, but his wand hand quite steady.
Black stared up at him out of those sunken eyes.
"I don't deny it," he said very quietly. "But if you knew the whole story."
"The whole story?" Harry repeated a furious pounding in his ears. "You sold them to Voldemort. That's all I need to know."
"You've got to listen to me," Black said, and there was a note of urgency in his voice now. "You'll regret it if you don't... You don't understand..."
"You didn't kill them," Noel said, breaking up their squabble.
Harry looked at her as if she had slapped him across the face. Ron and Hermione looked at her aghast. Noel began to pace as she grew anxious. "I've studied you all this year. Sirius Black, born 1959. First ever Gryffindor to the Black family. Later disowned circa 1975. Joined the Order of the Phoenix 1997-1981. Later sent to Azkaban for the murder of 12 muggles and the betrayal of Lily and James Potter."
She recited what she had learned as she continued to pace nervously. "You didn't get a trial, they never even checked your wand." She said looking at Sirius who nodded his head. Noel groaned frustratedly, "What's missing?" She asked him, ignoring the other three in the room.
Before Black could answer there came a new sound. Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor — someone was moving downstairs.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE — SIRIUS BLACK — QUICK!"
The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harry wheeled around as Professor Lupin came hurtling into the room, his face bloodless, his wand raised and ready. His eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, cowering next to the door, to Harry, standing there with his wand covering Black, to Noel who was pacing anxiously watching Sirius, and then to Black himself, crumpled and bleeding at Harry's feet.
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted. Harry stood there, feeling suddenly empty. He hadn't done it. His nerve had failed him. Black was going to be handed back to the Dementors.
Then Lupin spoke, in a very tense voice. "Where is he, Sirius?"
Harry looked quickly at Lupin. He didn't understand what Lupin meant. Who was Lupin talking about? He turned to look at Black again. Black's face was quite expression-less. For a few seconds, he didn't move at all. Then, very slowly, he raised his empty hand and pointed straight at Ron. Mystified, Harry glanced around at Ron, who looked bewildered.
"But then..." Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "Unless" — Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, "— unless he was the one... unless you switched... without telling me?"
Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.
Lupin was lowering his wand, gazing fixed at Black. The Professor walked to Black's side, seized his hand, pulled him to his feet so that Crookshanks fell to the floor, and embraced Black.
"I trusted you," Harry shouted at Lupin, his voice wavering, out of control, "and all the time you've been his friend! And you!" He turned to Noel, "What did you know everything this whole time and didn't tell me! I thought you were my friend!" He yelled, making Noel flinch at his tone.
"Hey! She doesn't know anything! Don't you go yelling at her just because you're angry." Remus told Harry.
"NO!" 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. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale. Noel moved to stand behind him feeling extremely overwhelmed and anxious.
"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." An odd shiver passed over his face. "But I won't deny that I am a werewolf."
Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped, "Get away from me, werewolf!"
Noel turned to glare at Ron.
"I have not been helping Sirius," said Lupin. "If you'll give me a chance, I'll explain. Look —"
"If you haven't been helping him," he said, with a furious glance at Black, "how did you know he was here?"
"The map," said Lupin. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it —"
"You know how to work it?" Harry said suspiciously.
He had started to pace up and down, looking at them. Little patches of dust rose at his feet. He looked just as Noel had when she was pacing moments ago.
"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 Lupin. "Could I see him, please?"
"What?" Ron said again, holding Scabbers close to him, looking scared. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"
"That's not a rat," croaked Sirius Black suddenly.
"What d'you mean — of course he's a rat —"
"No, he's not," said Lupin quietly. "He's a wizard."
"An Animagus," said Black, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."
Noel groaned behind Remus, "Rowina, I'm going to be sick." Sirius patted her back sympathetically.
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.
"God Harry can you please just shut up and listen? This will go so much faster if you stop interrupting." Noel groaned out, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.
Harry turned to Lupin, "There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he said. "A whole street full of them..."
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.
"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."
"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.
"Oh Merlin! Because he's not in the Animagus registration! Sirius isn't in there either. So what? They're illegal animagi, doesn't mean it's not possible." Noel said her patience wearing thin.
"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," said Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."
As Remus began the story and told them all about his early days at Hogwarts the students listened rapidly and intentionally to the story. Harry still didn't know where Lupin was going with this but he didn't interrupt.
He told them about the Marauders Map; Lupin was Moony, Sirius was Padfoot, James was Prongs and Peter was Wormtail.
"Hey! That's what I named my stray." Noel interrupted briefly,
"You know I was very impressed when you chose the exact same name," Sirius said. Both of them having a side conversation.
Remus looked at Noel confused, "I have been feeding and taking care of a stray all year, which is apparently Sirius' animagus," she shrugged.
"Were you the one that kept letting him in the castle?" Harry asked her harshly.
"No Harry, I met the dog which I didn't let enter the castle. I made him a home in one of the caves near the forest." Noel defended, irritated.
"We're going to talk more about that when we get home." Remus said, still very confused.
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he thought you were in on the joke?"
"Ah, that would make sense why he looks like he wants to kill me everytime I walk into his classroom," said Noel tilting her head slightly.
"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.
Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.
Hermione screamed. Black leapt to his feet. Harry felt as though he'd received a huge electric shock. Noel stood directly behind her dad. Sirius moved to stand next to her.
"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep this wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..."
"Severus —" Lupin began, but Snape overrode him.
"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof."
"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry —"
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this... He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin... a tame werewolf —"
"Are you insane!" Noel interrupted him.
Snape gave her an ugly sneer, "Maybe your offspring will join you as well Lupin."
Thin, snakelike cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twisted themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists, and ankles; he overbalanced and fell to the floor, unable to move. Noel screamed and tried to untie him. "Dad, how do I remove these!?" she called out frantically, the ropes were getting tighter, making his hands red.
"Noel try to calm down—-" Hermione tried but didn't move from her spot
"Calm down!" Noel screeched, afronted.
Harry stood there, paralyzed, not knowing what to do or whom to believe.
He glanced around at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked just as confused as he did, still fighting to keep hold on the struggling Scabbers.
"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."
"The joke's on you again, Severus," Black snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle" — he jerked his head at Ron — "I'll come quietly..."
"All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black... pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay... I —"
What little color there was in Black's face left it.
"Come on, all of you," he said. He clicked his fingers, and the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew to his hands. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the Dementors will have a kiss for him too — "
Noel tried her best not to bite his ankles. She was sitting next to her dad, who was trying his best to calm her down, knowing she might spiral from all the anxiety.
"Expelliarmus!" he yelled — except that his wasn't the only voice that shouted. There was a blast that made the door rattle on its hinges; Snape was lifted off his feet and slammed into the wall, then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood oozing from under his hair. He had been knocked out.
"You shouldn't have done that," said Black, looking at Harry. "You should have left him to me..."
"He deserved it, stupid git." Noel muttered finally being able to untie the ropes.
"We attacked a teacher... We attacked a teacher..." Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble —"
Lupin straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them. "Are you bleeding?" Noel asked him anxiously. Remus shook his head showing her, which she gave a relieved sigh.
"It's time we offered you some proof," said Lupin. "You, boy — give me Peter, please. Now."
"Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat — there are millions of rats — how's he supposed to know which one he is after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"
"He's got a toe missing," said Black.
"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple... so brilliant... he cut it off himself?"
"Just before he transformed," said Black
"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."
"And why did he fake his death?" Harry said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"
"Harry," said Lupin hurriedly, "don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down — but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed your mother and father — Sirius tracked Peter down —"
"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Harry yelled. "HE WAS THEIR SECRET-KEEPER! HE SAID SO BEFORE YOU TURNED UP. HE SAID HE KILLED THEM!"
"Harry! Just listen!" Noel yelled this time.
"Harry... I as good as killed them," he croaked. "I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me... I'm to blame, I know it."
"Enough of this," said Lupin, and there was a steely note in his voice Harry had never heard before. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."
Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head. "Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin.
"Together?" he said quietly. "I think so", said Lupin, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One — two — THREE!"
Then suddenly there he was. He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top.
"Oh that's disgusting!" Noel made a face at the ugly man.
Pettigrew wiped his face again; he was almost panting for breath.
"Well, hello, Peter," said Lupin pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him.
"Long time, no see." "S—Sirius... R—Remus..." Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friends... my old friends..." Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning took, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.
"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed —"
"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus..."
"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so —"
"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, pointing at Black, and Harry saw that he used his middle finger, because his index was missing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too... You've got to help me, Remus..." Black's face looked more skull-like than ever as he stared at Pettigrew with his fathomless eyes.
"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backward. "I thought it was the perfect plan... a bluff... Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentless thing like you... It must have been the finest moment of your miserable life, telling Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."
Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.
"Er — Mr. Black — Sirius?" said Hermione.
Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Hermione as though he had never seen anything quite like her.
"If you don't mind me asking, how — how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"
"Thank you!" gasped Pettigrew, nodding frantically at her. "Exactly! Precisely what I —" But Lupin silenced him with a look. Black was frowning slightly at Hermione, but not as though he were annoyed with her. He seemed to be pondering his answer.
"I don't know how I did it," he said slowly. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the Dementors couldn't suck it out of me... but it kept me sane and knowing who I am... helped me keep my powers... so when it all became... too much... I could transform in my cell... become a dog. Dementors can't see, you know..." He swallowed
"But then I saw Peter in that picture... I realized he was at Hogwarts with Harry... perfectly positioned to act, if one hint reached his ears that the Dark Side was gathering strength again..."
"So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive..."
He looked at Harry, who did not look away.
"Believe me," croaked Black. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them." And at long last, Harry believed him. Throat too tight to speak, he nodded.
"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," said Lupin. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he said casually over Pettigrew's head. Noel slightly frowned, wondering what happened during the war to make alliances change and trust to be broken.
"Forgive me, Remus," said Black. "Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, who was now rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
"Shall we kill him together?"
"Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.
"Ron... haven't I been a good friend... a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you... you're on my side, aren't you?" But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion. "I let you sleep in my bed!" he said
"Eww."
Ron, still paler with pain, wrenched his broken leg out of Pettigrew's reach. Pettigrew turned on his knees, staggered forward, and seized the hem of Hermione's robes. "Sweet girl... clever girl... you — you won't let them... Help me..." Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.
He staggered towards Noel, clutching at her robes, he was opening his mouth when Remus yanked Noel back, putting her behind him, blocking Pettigrew from her vision. "Don't you touch my daughter." he gritted, kicking Pettigrew back.
Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry. "Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..."
Both Black and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them. "You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, who was shaking too. "Do you deny it?"
Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor. "Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done?"
"I WOULD HAVE DIED! I WOULD HAVE DIED BEFORE BETRAYING MY FRIENDS!"
Just as they were raising their wands, Noel very begrudgingly stopped them, "You can't kill him," she said quietly. Both men turned to her, looking as if she had grown 2 heads.
"This man killed Lily and James!" Black said, as it it's the only justification.
Noel nodded, "Yes I know, but if he dies you can't be free Sirius. You need him alive and Harry needs you to be free." she told him quietly, "We will all help you take him to the castle, but you can not kill him."
Everyone stared at her, Peter was wailing. "Thank you, Thank you!"
Noel moved forward, crouching in front of him, "I'm not doing this for you. Dying is easy, but living is hell. I will make sure you are put in Azkaban." She told him, looking at him dead in the eye.
Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged. "But if you transform, Peter," growled Black, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you."
They all moved to leave the shack. Noel and Remus tied themselves up to Peter while Crookshanks led the way out of the tunnel. Sirius was helping Harry carry Ron while Hermione was in the back.
"So are you going to tell me about your stray dog?" Remus asked Noel. Noel smiled and told him everything. "I saw the dog during Halloween. He was in the castle and really skinny. I had occasionally given him food but didn't start officially taking care of him until the day of the Ravenclaw match against Gryffindor. I took him to my dorm, gave him a bath, and fed him. Then I found a cave for him in the forest. Added a watering bowl charmed it to stay warm and fed him 3 times a week."
Sirius, who was listening, let out a laugh, "It was very kind of you Noel." He turned to Remus, "The day she washed Padfoot she noticed his paws and named me the exact same name. I was surprised she didn't know about the nicknames until today." Sending Noel a smile and continuing his conversation with Harry
They were so close, incredibly close to the castle when sudden rusting was heard from the willow. Everyone looked back and Snape was gasping as he climbed out of the hole. He looked absolutely livid, he was seething a trickle of blood could be seen falling down his forehead.
Before anyone could react or put up a shielding charm he was marching toward them with vigor.
"Sirius go! Go now before he hits you with something!" Harry urged his godfather who was looking at Harry like he had grown two heads.
"I can't leave you!" Sirius said, aghast.
"Oh great, he's sending a patronus," Hermione said from Ron's other side where she was holding him up.
In between all the commotion, Pettigrew had decided to let himself escape and turned into his animagus form. Noel and Remus pulled their wands out to stunt him but it was pitch black out now, they could barely see anything.
"Harry! He escaped." Noel informed him. Harry whipped around pulling out his wand as well. In their search for Pettigrew Snape had advanced on them, now pulling Sirius by the robes.
Sirius, who has been fragile for a while and had little to no strength, tried to fight him off but there was use.
"You don't understand the joy I will feel knowing I dragged you into justice just like the dog you are." Snape sneered in his ear.
A chill spread where they were and Noel looked up horrified. Hundreds of dementors were flying toward the direction where Snape was pulling Sirius.
Sirius must've noticed as well because with the last bit of strength he had he transformed into Padfoot and ran towards the forest as fast as he could, but not before looking at Harry.
Harry looked at him sadly, but mouthed a silent 'go.' He had faith that he would see his godfather again.