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(Karan took that pic above)
"Ewww he's ugly," Blaise said and Theo smacked his head.
"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 held Ron's wand 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 Percy, 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 Aishi 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."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, eyes taking in the boarded windows and, again' the only door. "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 Percy, her 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!"
Both Blacks started to laugh, a dark laughter that filled the whole room. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?" Sirius said. "Shame I don't recall him teaching me either....." Regulus said " But you were is so loyal servant"
Pettigrew flinched as though both Blacks 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. His whole face was shining with sweat now." oh do tell us brother what do you mean?" Regulus said with a teasing smirk "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 --"
"Oh them...the ones out are more and less taken care of and are loyal to the Olympian family by debt... turns out they all most forced cause of spells and compulsion from his real master. Dumbledore am I right, rat?" Percy said which made Peter sweat more.
"Don't know... what you're talking about...," said Pettigrew again, more shrilly than ever. He wiped his face on his sleeve and looked up at Lupin. "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 Lupin evenly. "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!" Black's face contorted.
"HAHAHAH A SPY FOR VOLDEMORT?" Regulus laughed " I was his death eater before I got these spells on me.... Sirius ran before he was marked to be a death eater."
" I, a spy for Voldemort?" Sirius said "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 and Karan...."
Pettigrew wiped his face again; he 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, "Black hissed, so venomously that Pettigrew took a step backwards. "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 was muttering distractedly; Harry caught words like "far-fetched" and "lunacy," but he couldn't help paying more attention to the ashen colour of Pettigrew's face and the way his eyes continued to dart toward the windows and door.
"Professor Lupin?" said Hermione timidly. "Can -- can I say something?" "Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin courteously. "Well -- Scabbers -- I mean, this -- this man -- he's been sleeping in the castle for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"
"There!" said Pettigrew shrilly, pointing at Ron with his maimed hand. "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 fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under That old coot'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...." Pettigrew opened his mouth and closed it several times. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.
"Er -- Mr. Black -- Sirius?" said Theo. Black jumped at being addressed like this and stared at Theo as though he had never seen anything quite like him.
"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 Percy silenced him with a look. Black was frowning slightly at Theo, but not as though he were annoyed with him. 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. "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...." Pettigrew was shaking his head, mouthing noiselessly, but staring all the while at Black as though hypnotized.
"... 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 honours...."So you see, I had to do something. I was the only one who knew Peter
was still alive...."
Aishi remembered what Mr. Weasley had told Mrs. Wealsey. "The guards say he's been talking in his sleep... always the same words... 'He's at Hogwarts.'" "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 are 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 well when Aishi found me and took care of my dog self. I learned everything when she chatted with me every time.... even who was the true murderer of my dear friend Hunter...that was when I realized Peter was working not just Voldemort but that manipulative old coot"
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."
"I know....I know Uncle Padfoot" Harry said " He is the real traitor " he looked at Peter in anger and disgust.
"No!" Pettigrew had fallen to his knees as though Harry's word had been his 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 --" Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled. "There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," said Black.
"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.
"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?" "Of course," said Black, and the ghost of a grin flitted across his gaunt face.
"Perc y...percy please i..." Peter tried to go to percy but froze and shivered seeing her cold dark glare. her eye glowing bright green and even the house shook a bit. "Oh shit level 6" Harry said
"Don't even try" Regulus said with a scary aura.
Sirius began rolling up his sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?" "Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly. "You wouldn't... you won't...," gasped Pettigrew. And he scrambled
around 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? " But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion. "I let you sleep in my bed!" he said. " Back off him weirdo!!" Blaise said pulling Ron away from Pettigrew as he lifted him in his arms.
"Kind boy... kind master..." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron "You won't let
them do it... I was your rat... I was a good pet...." " BACK CREEP BACK!!" Blaise said holding Ron away.
"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about,
Peter," said Black harshly. Ron, going 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...." Theo immediately punched him as Hermione pulled her robes out of Pettigrew's clutching hands and backed away against the wall, looking horrified.
" BACK OFF!" Theo said as both he, Draco and Sanjiv pointed their wands at him.
Pettigrew knelt, trembling uncontrollably, and turned his head slowly toward Aishi who gasped noticing him."Aishi... Aishi... you look just like your father... just like him...." He tried to grab her but Harry punched him hard so that his nose broke and a tooth.
" DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH HER!!" Harry growled, " I WILL KILL YOU IF YOU TRY ANYTHING!!"
"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling toward him, hands outstretched. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would have shown me mercy..."
"Oh mercy? I tossed that the minute you killed me Peter" A voice said and they all turned around to see four ghosts as Peter paled.
It was James, Lily, Karan and Priya. " Like I said I tossed it...I am ready to chop you up to feed to the beasts in the Forbidden Forest" James said
"G-g-ghosts!!!!" Peter said moving away.
Both Sirius and Lupin strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backwards onto the floor. He sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.
" No way... James... Karan... lily.... priya." Sirius said with tears in his eyes " How..."
"Long story short...Regulus summoned us...we wanted a round with the man who betrayed us all..." Karan said cracking his fingers. " He too was the reason my family was attacked. He was part of the charge....always the hidden man like a cowardly rat"
Peter shivered more as he went more pale. " He....he was... " Aishi said as she slowly cried.
Karan gently pats his daughter's head making her gasp as she felt his hand. " Appa?" She said softly " You have been brave, gudiya. Let appa and amma take it from here"
"Appa..." She said smiling. Karan grabs the axe from his wife and both he and James turn to Peter. " So should I chop the hands or feet first?"
"Let's chop his toes and Fingers off!!" James said dangerously excited. " CALM DOWN YOU TWO!!" Dev said shocked
Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized,
balding baby, cowering on the floor.
"PLEASE, 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 and Karan. I never meant it to happen...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me...I had to obey Dumbledore to be a perfect puppet to the dark--"
"DON'T LIE!" bellowed Regulus. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE PRIYA, KARAN, LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY! I WAS THERE BEFORE I SO-CALLED DIED...YOU WERE A DOUBLE SPY WILLING TO THAT COOT DUMBLEDORE THE REAL DARK LORD"
"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 with the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Sirius, with a terrible fury in his face. "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 as James and Karan stood by their sides.
"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly, "if Voldemort didn't
kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."
Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned as Sanjiv held her close.
"WAIT!" Aishi yelled. She ran forward, placing himself in front of Pettigrew, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," she said breathlessly. "You can't."
The marauders both looked staggered and shocked. " Gudiya... what are you doing"
" Appa, if you all kill him now...then how else we can prove Mama Sirius's innocence!" Aishi said "The one reason why Mama Siruis was arrested was because Peter died....so when we prove he was alive this whole time we can prove his innocence"
" she is right" Percy said " I hate to admit but Peter is the biggest proof of Sirius innocence "
"She got your way of reasoning as well," Priya said to Karan " Indeed," he said
"Aishi!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around her knees. "You -- thank you -- it's more than I deserve -- thank you --"
Harry kicked him hard on the face as he lifted Aishi away "Get off her," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off her in disgust. "'She not doing this for you."
No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest trying to breathe cause of his broken nose. The marauders were looking at each other and Karan nodded. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.
"You're the only people who have the right to decide, Harry...Aishi," said James."But think... think what he did...."
"He can go to Azkaban," aishi repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does....and even the dementor kiss. But Mama Siruis deserve true justice. "
" Spoken like a Gupta," Priya said. " We should tie him up " Lily said
Pettigrew was still wheezing behind them."Very well," said Krishna. "Stand aside, Harry. I'm going to tie him up,"
Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Krishna's wand this
time, and the next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.
"But if you transform, Peter," growled Percy, her wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you. You agree, sweetie?"
Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and smirked dangerously nodded so that Pettigrew could see him. " I prefer to do it myself "
"That's my boy!" Lily said
Dev hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and
muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to
a splint. Both Regulus and Blaise helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.
"That's better," he said. "Thanks." "Also don't worry about the cloak " Percy said holding it up "I got it..." she tucked it safely into her pocket.
"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 Lupin. "And me," said Sanjiv.
Regulus conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin's right, right arm to Sanjiv's left.
Ron's face was set. He seemed to have taken Scabbers's true identity as a personal insult. Crookshanks leapt lightly off the bed and led the way out of the room, his bottlebrush tail held jauntily high.
Harry had never been part of a stranger group. Crookshanks led the way down the stairs; Lupin, Pettigrew, and Sanjiv went next, looking like entrants in a six-legged race. Next came Dev, Regulus, Severus, and Krishna who held percy hand as they went down then Blaise and Theo holding Ron together Sirius walked next to Draco, then Hermoine, followed by the ghosts and Harry and Aishi brought up the rear.
Getting back into the tunnel was difficult. Lupin, Pettigrew, and Sanjiv
had to turn sideways to manage it; Lupin still had Pettigrew covered
with his wand. Harry could see them edging awkwardly along the tunnel in single file. Crookshanks was still in the lead.
Aishi kept looking at her ghostly parents. Harry noticed it and gently moved Aishi ahead so she could speak to her parents.
Karan saw this and nodded at Harry who went and held his parents' hands.
Aishi was silent and nervous as she walked between her parents. She had so many things to say and so many things to ask...but she was unsure how to start.
Karan smiled dearly at his daughter and gently patted her head. " Calm down gudiya...I can see it in your face you want to say many things but are not sure when to start"
"Huh?" She said surprised that made the ghost chuckle. " We too want to say many things to you, Aishi..." Priya said as she held her daughter's hand. " yet we all wanted to say we are proud of you."
"You...you are...." She said "Yes we are gudiya....from the moment you entered our world. Like a little beacon of light in the dark times. " Karan said "Even if time resets I want you as my daughter again"
That filled her eyes with tears as she cried. She cried more as her parents hugged her, it felt cold but it was a warm feeling.
Harry smiled seeing the merha family having a wonderful reunion. James messed with Harry's hair making him grumble. " Dad knock it off!" He said as Lily chuckled.
They all did not speak again until they had reached the end of the tunnel. Crookshanks darted up first; he had pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk because Lupin, Pettigrew, and Sanjiv clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches.
Soon, all of them were out. The grounds were very dark now; the only light came from the distant
windows of the castle. Without a word, they set off. Pettigrew was still
wheezing and occasionally whimpering.
"One wrong move, Peter," said Lupin threateningly ahead. His wand was
still pointed sideways at Pettigrew's chest. Silently they tramped through the grounds, the castle lights growing slowly larger as they were near the forest
" you know I feel as if I am forgetting something " Aishi said "it's like in the tip of my tongue."
And then - A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight.
" Oh look it's a full Moon" Aishi said before realising " OH SHIVA ITS A FULL MOON!!"
" He didn't take his potions today," Severus said
" Sanjiv!! Move!!" Percy chopped the ropes off Peter and Sanjiv with her sword when the party realised it.
"Remus!" Sirius held him as the rest of the adults moved the kids behind them. " Remus control...Control buddy... it's siruis. EVERYONE RUN...I GOT HIM"
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. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away.
Aishi looked worried as Lupin was transforming. Then she remembered something and out of her pocket, she took a tiny bottle which she unshrank and ran directly at Lupin.
" AISHI NO!!!" Harry called her as Severus held him back. Aishi jumped on lupin's back and popped the bottle open forcing him to drink the potion before she was forcefully thrown off.
She rolled on the ground before hitting her head on a rock as Lupin finished transforming. Harry ran to her and held her up. Karan, Priya and Krishna too went to her
But it was strange. Lupin despite in his full werewolf form did not attack. He was slowly looking at his hands.
" Moony?" James asked, " Are you okay?"
" i...I think so" Wolf! Remus said
" Wait.... you're talking!" Percy said shocked " How are you talking ?"
" yay....my potion worked...." Aishi said as she was helped onto her feet. " Your potion?" Lupin said "Wha..."
"I have been working on a new and improved version of Wolfsbane....and it worked! Yay!" She said stumbling.
" you...found a way and improve wolfsbane...." James said " Karan your daughter is a genius "
"Yeah and knows how to give her dead dad a heart attack...." Karan turned and saw something dangerous. " Dementors!"
" what? But they are supposed to be far from the school " Hermione said as several dementors came to the group. " I have one guess who is letting them," Percy said, " Kids head back to the school now."
" Mom let me help....I can do a Patronus..." Harry said " Me too," Aishi said " He is trying to make sure I am gone the most.....I must show I am not that easy to take down"
" Fine...but if it's too much go back at once." Percy said, " ALL TOGETHER NOW!!" " EXPECTO PATRONUM "
From percy wand, a pegagus and a peacock flew out. Krishna wand a peacock flew out as well. Severus wand out came a doe and Regulus wand an Owl. Sirius has a dog Patronus, Dev has an eagle.
Both Harry and Aishi out came a wolf Patronus which howled as they all charged the swarming dementors
With the might of several animals Patronus chased the dementors away and when the danger was gone the animals returned to their wizards or witches.
" wait why are Harry and Mine Patronus the same?" Aishi said as the two wolves stood in front of them. Harry's wolf was bigger than Aishi's wolf who nuzzled it.
" Patronus are a part of a person but at times they can match their soulmates." Dev said " Both you and Harry have the same Patronus cause your soulmates and share values. Harry values loyalty as you value trust and Family even beyond blood. Wolves symbolise all those values."
Aishi and Harry looked at each other before looking away blushing. " Even Percy and Krishna have the same Patronus yet she has two," James said before getting hit with a shoe percy threw. " SHUT UP!"
" One question, why didn't Peter run away?" Blaise said pointing to a scared Peter standing still " I would have but....someone put a snake around my neck" Peter said as everyone saw the familiar snake.
" TOPAZ! Good boy!" Harry said " That is my pet basilisk"
"Why do you have a basilisk?" Peter said in a panic voice as Krishna placed a bandage charm around Aishi's head as she was bleeding.
" it was a gift from my girlfriend bitch....good boy topaz remain there and bite him if he tries anything," Harry said as carried Aishi in his arms. "Let's go"