Book: Courage
Chapter 38
Word Count: 7661
It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Layla was thinking.
"You're both mental."
"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Sirius, whose face twitched convulsively.
"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me... not this time, though!"
And Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Sirius lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Sirius' weight fell on his broken leg.
"Dad! Stop him!" Layla cried out in horror. Remus launched forward and dragged Sirius away from Ron again.
"Wait," said Remus. "You can't do it just like that — they need to understand — we've got to explain—"
"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Sirius, trying to throw Remus off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.
"They've — got — a — right — to — know — everything!" Remus panted, still trying to restrain Sirius. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! Layla is my daughter, the little girl that you were third to hold once she was born, and Harry — you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"
Sirius stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, ad bleeding hands. Layla frowned slightly. Sirius was the first person to hold her after her parents?
"All right, then," Sirius said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for."
"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."
He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Remus raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.
"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."
"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to put the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting to hard; Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him and pushed him back down to the bed. Layla turned to Remus.
"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die, dad," she said. "A whole street full of them..."
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Sirius savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Remus, 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, Lay."
"But Professor Lupin," Hermione spoke quietly. "Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..."
"Why can't it be true?" Remus 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 been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."
"Correct," said Remus with a gently laugh. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."
"I you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," said Sirius, 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 Remus, "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 five of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.
"No one there..."
"This place is haunted!" said Ron.
"It's not," said Layla, causing everyone to turn to her. "Um, the Shrieking Shack was never haunted. The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by my dad. I'd sometimes come and visit him the next morning after the full moon to help him through the recovery. That's why I'm not scared of this place. Once a month, I came here, all for my dad."
Remus walked closer to Layla and smiled down at his daughter, placing his hand on her shoulder, and turned to the others.
"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. I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. Layla, honey, would you like to continue? You know this part."
"Sure," said Layla, then turned towards her friends. "The potion that Professor Snape has been making for my dad is a very recent discovery. My dad was kind enough to tell me straight away so I could remind him to take it every month. As long as my dad takes it in the week before the full moon, he keeps his mind when he transforms, which means that I am able to be with my dad when he's in his wolf form. Something I used to never be able to do. Once, when I was six, I stumbled upon my dad in wolf form and he wasn't in his right mind, so he attacked me." Layla lifted up her shirt to reveal the deep scar across her rib cage.
"That is something I have regretted ever since, and it just made my late wife more eager to find a possible cure or antidote for me after what I did to how daughter, but she passed before we found the potion," Remus continued. "Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. You can tell by Layla's scar. I hate even looking at it, knowing what I'd done to my little girl. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school. The Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts, because of me. This house, the tunnel that leads to it — they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous. My transformations in those days were — were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor. Even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it. But apart from my transformations, I had my friends, three great friends. Sirius Black... Peter Pettigrew... and, of course, your father, Harry — James Potter. Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her... I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth. And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."
"My dad too?" said Harry, astounded.
"Yes, indeed," said Remus. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."
"But how did that help you?" said Hermione, sounding puzzled.
"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," said Remus. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed... Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."
"Hurry up, Remus," snarled Sirius, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.
"I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there... well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did. And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs."
"That was still really dangerous!" Hermione exclaimed. "Running around in the dark with a werewolf! What if you'd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?"
"A thought that still haunts me," said Remus heavily. "And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless — carried away with our own cleverness. I sometimes felt guilty about betraying Dumbledore's trust, of course... he had admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others' safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to forget my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our next month's adventure. And I haven't changed. All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should tell Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didn't do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that I'd betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that I'd led others along with me... and Dumbledore's trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dark arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with it... so, in a way, Snape's been right about me all along."
"Snape?" said Sirius harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers for the first time in minutes and looking up at Remus. "What's Snape got to do with it?"
"He's here, Sirius," said Remus heavily. "He's teaching here as well." He looked up at Harry, Ron, and Hermione. "I have already mentioned this part to Layla, and if she hasn't told you, then that was her decision. But Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons... and this part, not even my daughter knows. You see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me—"
"It served him right," Sirius sneered. "Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to... hoping he could get us expelled."
"Severus was very interested in where I went every month," Remus told. "We were in the same year, you know, and we — er — didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's talent on the Quidditch field... anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be — er — amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it — if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf — but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life... Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was."
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," Layla realised. "That's why he's been trying to expose you all year! Because he thought you were in on the joke?"
"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Remus.
Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing, directly at Remus.
"No!" yelled Layla, gripping her dad's hand tightly. Sirius also leapt to his feet.
"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," said Snape, throwing the cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Remus' chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you." Snape was slightly breathless, but his face was full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here? I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."
"Severus—" Remus began, trying to pull Layla protectively behind him, but Layla wouldn't budge, staying by her father's side and glaring at her Potions professor.
"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. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout—"
"Severus, you're making a mistake," said Remus urgently. "You haven't heard everything — I can explain—"
"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—"
"You fool," said Remus softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"
BANG! 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.
"No! Stop!" Layla cried out, rushing to help her dad, but she was unable to untie the cords. She looked up, but surprisingly, she wasn't looking at Snape, she had turned her pleading gaze to Sirius. "Please, if you really are an innocent man, help my dad! Your friend!"
So, with a roar of rage, Sirius started toward Snape, but Snape pointed his wand straight between Sirius' eyes.
"Give me a reason," he whispered. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
Sirius stopped dead. It would have been impossible to say which face showed more hatred.
"Professor Snape," said Hermione breathlessly. "It wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, would it?"
"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat. "You, Potter, Lupin Junior, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."
"But if — if there was a mistake—"
"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly quite deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
A few sparks shot out of the end of his wand, which was still pointed at Sirius' face. Hermione fell silent.
"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathed at Sirius. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you."
"The joke's on you again, Severus," Sirius snarled. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle" — he jerked his head at Ron — "I'll come quietly."
"Up to the castle?" said Snape silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. 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 Sirius' face left it.
"You — you've got to hear me out," he croaked. "The rat — look at the rat—"
But there was a mad glint in Snape's eyes that Layla had never seen before. He seemed beyond reason.
"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—"
"NO!" Layla screamed out, jumping to her feet. "If you hurt my dad, or an innocent man, I swear I'll kill you, Snivellus."
Sirius couldn't help the proud grin that appeared on his face at Layla's nickname for Snape. The same nickname that he and his friend group used to call him.
"Hold your tongue, girl, you're in enough trouble already," snarled Snape. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin—"
"Save me?!" scoffed Layla in disbelief. "Ever since I was eight, it has been just me and my dad, alone, and I'm still standing here, alive! But if you hand my dad over to the dementors, I can't promise that you'll still be alive."
"Keep your mouth shut, Miss Lupin," Snape snapped at Layla. "Step aside—"
"YOURE PATHETIC!" Layla yelled. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL, YOU WON'T EVEN LISTEN—"
"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snape shrieked, looking madder than ever. "Like father, like daughter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You're too blind to see that having this man as a father puts you in constant danger. Now get out of the way, or I will make you. GET OUT OF THE WAY, GIRL!"
Layla made up her mind in a split second. Before Snape could take even one step toward her, she had raised her wand.
"Expelliarmus!" she yelled. 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. Snape's wand soared in a high arc and landed on the bed next to Crookshanks.
"You shouldn't have done that," said Sirius, looking at Layla. "You should have left him to me."
Layla avoided Sirius' eyes. She wasn't sure, even now, that she'd done the right thing.
"You attacked a teacher... you attacked a teacher..." Hermione whimpered, staring at the lifeless Snape with frightened eyes. "Oh, Layla, you're going to be in so much trouble—"
Remus was struggling against his bonds. Layla turned back to her father and pulled out her wand, casting a quick spell so that Remus' bonds fell away. Remus straightened up, rubbing his arms where the ropes had cut into them.
"Thank you, honey," he said, turning to his daughter. "I think we should get back to where we left off. You, boy — give me Peter, please. Now."
Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.
"Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat — there are millions of rats — how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"
"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Remus, turning to Sirius and frowning slightly. "How did you find out where he was?"
Sirius put one of his hands inside his robes and took out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held out to show the others.
It was the photograph of Ron and his family that had appeared in the Daily Prophet the previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.
"How did you get this?" Remus asked Sirius, thunderstruck.
"Fudge," said Sirius. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page on this boy's shoulder... I knew him at once... how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts... to where Harry was..."
"My God," said Remus softly, staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw..."
"What about it?" said Ron defiantly.
"He's got a toe missing," said Sirius.
"Of course," Remus breathed. "So simple... so brilliant... he cut it off himself?"
"Just before he transformed," said Sirius. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself — and sped down into the sewer with the other rats."
"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Remus. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."
"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right—"
"Twelve years, in fact," said Remus. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"
"We — we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron.
"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Remus. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again."
"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron, nodding toward Crookshanks, who was still purring on the bed.
"This cat isn't mad," said Sirius hoarsely. He reached out a bony hand and stroked Crookshanks's fluffy head. "He's the most intelligent of his kind I've ever met. He recognized Peter for what he was right away. And when he met me, he knew I was no dog. It was a while before he trusted me. Finally, I managed to communicate to him what I was after, and he's been helping me."
"What do you mean?" breathed Hermione.
"He tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't... so he stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me. As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table. But Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it." croaked Sirius. "This cat — Crookshanks, did you call him? — told me Peter had left blood on the sheets. I supposed he bit himself. Well, faking his own death had worked once."
"And why did he fake his death?" Harry said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"
"No," said Remus, "Harry—"
"And now you've come to finish him off!"
"Yes, I have," said Sirius, with an evil look at Scabbers.
"Then I should've let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.
"Harry!" Layla said hurriedly. "Have you been listening to their story? I-I think — I think Sirius is innocent."
"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?" said Remus. "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!"
He was pointing at Sirius, who shook his head slowly.
"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. The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies... I realized what Peter must've done... what I'd done."
"Enough of this," said Remus. "There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."
"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Remus tensely.
"Force him to show himself," said Remus. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."
Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Remus took him. Scabbers began to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.
"Ready, Sirius?" said Remus.
Sirius retrieved Snape's wand from the bed, approaching Remus and the struggling rat.
"Together?" he said quietly.
"I think so," said Remus, holding Scabbers tightly in one hand and his wand in the other. "On the count of three. One — two — THREE!"
A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly. The rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then—
A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.
He was a very short man. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow.
"Well, hello, Peter," said Remus 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. "My friends... my old friends..."
Sirius' wand arm rose, but Remus 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, "you don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus."
"So we've heard," said Remus, 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 Sirius. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too. You've got to help me, Remus."
"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin.
"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew, looking wildly about him once more. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"
"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Remus, his brow furrowed. "When nobody has ever done it before?"
"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"
Sirius started to laugh.
"Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.
Pettigrew flinched as though Sirius had brandished a whip at him.
"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Sirius. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"
"Don't know what you mean, Sirius—" muttered Pettigrew, his breathing faster than ever.
"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said Sirius. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter. They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them. I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information... and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter—"
"Don't know... what you're talking about..." said Pettigrew again. "You don't believe this — this madness, Remus—"
"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," said Remus.
"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Pettigrew. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban — the spy, Sirius Black!"
Sirius' face contorted.
"How dare you," he growled. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter — I'll never understand why I didn't see you were the spy from the start. You always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us... me and Remus... and James..."
Pettigrew was almost panting for breath.
"Me, a spy... must be out of your mind... never... don't know how you can say such a—"
"Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it," Sirius hissed. "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."
"Wait, but dad?" said Layla. "If Peter Pettigrew has been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now if he's working for You-Know-Who?"
"There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Layla with his maimed hand. "Thank you! You see, Remus? Listen to your child! I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?"
"I wasn't defending you," Layla snapped at Pettigrew, making him shrink away from her.
"You never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you," Sirius said to Pettigrew. "Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen 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 of 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."
"Er — Sirius?" Layla spoke again. Layla turned to his best friend's daughter. "But 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—"
"I've had about enough of you," said Layla, glaring at Pettigrew. "I may be suspicious about all of this right now, but Sirius is sounding far more innocent than you are, you little rat."
Pettigrew immediately stopped talking. Sirius smirked at Layla's words proudly before 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. "They feel their way toward people by feeding off their emotions. They could tell that my feelings were less — less human, less complex when I was a dog... but they thought, of course, that I was losing my mind like everyone else in there, so it didn't trouble them. But I was weak, very weak, and I had no hope of driving them away from me without a wand. 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... ready to strike at the moment he could be sure of allies... and to deliver the last Potter to them. If he gave them Harry, who'd dare say he'd betrayed Lord Voldemort? He'd be welcomed back with honors. So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter was still alive. It was as if someone had lit a fire In my head, and the dementors couldn't destroy it. It wasn't a happy feeling... it was an obsession... but it gave me strength, it cleared my mind. So, one night when they opened my door to bring food, I slipped past them as a dog. It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused. I was thin, very thin... thin enough to slip through the bars.... I swam as a dog back to the mainland.... I journeyed north and slipped into the Hogwarts grounds as a dog. I've been living in the forest ever since, except when I came to watch the Quidditch, of course. You fly as well as your father did, Harry, and Layla? When you were on that broom, I swear I saw your mother in the air. You are just like her. Your mother's appearance, your father's personality. Lucky you. But believe me, I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."
Layla and Harry exchanged looks. In that moment, they both knew that Sirius was innocent, nodding their heads.
"No!"
Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Layla's and Harry's nods 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—"
Sirius kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.
"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," said Sirius.
"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked, turning to Remus instead. "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 Remus. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?"
"Forgive me, Remus," said Sirius.
"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Remus. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
"Of course," said Sirius. "Shall we kill him together?"
"Yes, I think so," said Remus grimly.
"You wouldn't... you won't..." gasped Pettigrew. He scrambled to Ron. "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?"
"I let you sleep in my bed!" Ron said, repulsed.
"Kind boy... kind master..." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron "You won't let them do it. I was your rat. I was a good pet."
"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," said Sirius harshly. Pettigrew 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.
Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Harry and Layla, considering which one to head towards. At last, Pettigrew headed towards Layla.
"Layla... Layla... you look just like your mother... just like her. Your mother was always kind to me, I wish your father shared her views—"
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO MY DAUGHTER?" roared Remus. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HER?"
"Layla," whispered Pettigrew. "Layla, don't let your father do this to me. Your mum wouldn't have wanted this. She would have protected me. She would have shown me mercy. Don't you want to be like your mother, Layla?"
Both Sirius and Remus strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. Pettigrew was twitching with terror.
"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Sirius. "Do you deny it?"
Pettigrew burst into tears.
"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. "What was there to be gained by refusing him?"
"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Sirius. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"
"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Sirius. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
"You should have realized," said Remus quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."
"NO!" Harry yelled. He ran forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him. You can't."
"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Sirius snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."
"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... but 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. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because — I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers — just for you."
Sirius and Remus lowered their wands.
"Think," said Sirius, turning to Harry. "Think what he did."
"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does."
"Very well," said Remus. "Stand aside, Harry. I'm going to tie him up. That's all, I swear."
Layla noticed Harry's hesitation and stepped forward, grabbing Harry's wrist and softly tugging him back.
Thin cords shot from Remus' wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.
"But if you transform, Peter," growled Sirius, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you."
"Right," said Remus. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing." He hurried over to Ron, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "Ferula."
Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Remus helped him to his feet.
"What about Professor Snape?" said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.
"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," said Remus, bending over Snape and checking his pulse. "Perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safety back in the castle. We can take him like this." He muttered, "Mobilicorpus."
As though invisible strings were tied to Snape's wrists, neck, and knees, he was pulled into a standing position, hanging a few inches above the ground, his head still lolling unpleasantly. Layla picked up the Invisibility Cloak and handed it to Harry.
"And two of us should be chained to this," said Sirius, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."
"I'll do it," said Remus.
"And me," said Layla immediately.
Sirius conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Remus' right, right arm to Layla's left.
Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.
Remus, Layla, and Pettigrew went next. Next came Professor Snape, drifting creepily along, held up by his own wand, which was being pointed at him by Sirius. Harry and Hermione brought up the rear, helping support a limping Ron.
Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Remus, Layla, and Pettigrew had to turn sideways to manage it. Crookshanks was still in the lead.
As soon as they got out, Harry went over to assist with Pettigrew, Hermione stayed with the injured Ron while also keeping an eye on the still-unconscious Snape, and Layla took the opportunity to walk over to Sirius.
"Hey," she muttered. "How are you doing?"
"Much better," said Sirius with a soft smile. "You know what this means? Turning Pettigrew in?"
"You're free," said Layla.
"Yes," said Black. "But I'm also your father's best friend and Harry's godfather, so I hope to be seeing a lot more of both of you."
"Sirius?" said Layla gently. "If the four of you were, like, in a tight-knit friend group, and you're Harry's godfather, then... do you know who my godparents are?"
"I do," said Sirius, his smile widening. "James and Lily Potter are your godparents. Your mother was absolute best friends with Lily. You and Hermione over there remind me a lot of Eliana and Lily. Truth be told, Eliana and I dated for a few months before she got with your dad, but he hates when I bring it up."
"I won't say a word," Layla chuckled. Sirius smiled down at her, and Layla returned the smile. "Well, I hope me and my dad can visit you once you're settled in hiding."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," said Sirius. "You'll be the first visitors I have round over the summer."
And then Layla did something that took Sirius completely by surprised. She hugged him. Sirius hesitated but eventually hugged the young girl back.
"I'm sorry for doubting you," said Layla, pulling away from the hug. "You're a good man, Sirius. I wish I saw that sooner."
But before Sirius could reply, they heard a shout of surprise. Both Layla and Sirius whipped around to see Remus stood there. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.
"No! Dad!" Layla rushed over. She turned to the others. "He didn't take his potion tonight! Run! Now! I can handle him!"
"Not on your own, you can't," said Sirius. "Layla, your dad will hate himself if he accidentally hurts you. Leave it to me. Take the others and run!"
"I'm not leaving!" said Layla stubbornly. "He's my dad! I'm not going to leave him!"
There was a terrible snarling noise. Remus' 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. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away.
As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, Sirius disappeared from Layla's side. He had transformed. The enormous, bearlike dog bounded forward. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it to Pettigrew, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. They were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other.
Hermione screamed. Pettigrew had dived for Lupin's dropped wand. There was a bang, a burst of light — and Ron lay motionless on the ground. Another bang — Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.
"Expelliarmus." Layla yelled, pointing her own wand at Pettigrew; Remus' wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Stay where you are, you little rat!"
Too late. Pettigrew had transformed. Layla heard a scurrying through the grass.
There was a howl and a rumbling growl; Layla turned to see the werewolf advancing towards her.
"Dad," Layla whispered nervously. "Dad, it's me. Remember who you are! You can do it, dad, listen to your heart."
But her words fell upon blind, hairy ears. The werewolf snarled at her and raised its claws, bringing them down on the girl.
And Layla drifted into darkness as the werewolf's claws sunk deep into her shoulder.
"Dad..." was all Layla was able to whisper before she fell unconscious.