"November--" Harry was about to say something, but someone swung open the door and his head turned to look "Professor Lupin!"
Professor Lupin motioned Harry to step out of the way, which he did immediately obeyed. The professor kept his wand pointed at Sirius as Harry backed off.
"Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius?" He said "Finally the skin reflects the madness within."
"You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius said.
The sudden tension between the two stopped me in my trance as I was about to walk towards them. Then, a grin spread on both of their faces, Sirius took Professor Lupin's hand and they hugged like brothers. I let out a sigh, not realizing I had been holding my breath.
"Merlin's beard, you two scared the hell out of me." I said as they chuckled.
"No!" Hermione shouted, making us turn to her "I trusted you! I covered up for you! And all this time you've been his friend! And you too, Nov! I thought we were friends!" Then she turned back to Harry and Ron, pointing at Professor Lupin "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes."
We all stared at her eye-widened. Sirius gave out a bitterly amused noise as I shook my head at him, silently telling him to calm down.
"How long have you known?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Since Professor Snape set the essay." She said.
"You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione." He complimented her.
"Yes, you glow like the sun, you howl at the moon." Sirius said impatiently "Enough talk! He dies. Now. If you won't do it with me, Remus, I'll do it alone."
"Wait, Sirius..."
"I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Very well, kill him!" Professor Lupin gave Sirius his wand and he snatched it "But wait one more minute, Harry has the right to know why."
"I know why." Harry said "You betrayed my parents. You're the reason they're dead."
"No, Harry, he didn't." I said "That's not true."
"It wasn't him. Somebody did betray your parents, but it was somebody who until quite recently I believed to be dead." Professor Lupin said.
"Who is it?" Harry shouted.
"Peter Pettigrew." Sirius said "He's in this room, right now." Then he raised his voice "Come out, come out Peter! Come out, come out and play!"
Suddenly, I saw a black streak running up the stairs. It was Snape. He ran towards us, his wand in hand.
"Expelliarmus." He said and knocked the wand out of Sirius' hand.
They whipped around to stare at the Potions teacher pointing his wand at them, on his face displayed a smug smile.
"Ah, vengeance is sweet." Snape said "How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."
"Severus--" Professor Lupin was going to stop him, but he pointed his wand at him too.
"I told Dumbledore you're helping an old friend enter the castle and now, here's the proof." He said.
"Then did you tell Dumbledore I'm the student that has been helping them?" I stepped in between the Potions teacher, Sirius and Professor Lupin, defending them.
He didn't answer me, but I could see a tinge of disappointment and shock in his dark eyes. He disarmed me, sending my wand flying to the wall behind me.
"Brilliant, Snape." Sirius said "Once again you've put your keen and penetrating mind to the task and as usual come to the wrong conclusion. Now if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend to."
"Give me a reason, I beg you." Snape jabbed his wand at Sirius' throat.
"Severus, don't be a fool." Professor Lupin said.
"He can't help it. It's a habit by now." Sirius said.
"Sirius, be quiet!"
"Be quiet yourself, Remus!"
"Listen to you two, quarreling like an old married couple." Snape said.
"Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set?" Sirius said.
"I could do it, you know. But why deny the Dementors? They're so longing to see you." At the mention of Dementors in Snape's voice, Sirius couldn't help but tremble a little "Do I detect a flicker of fear? Ah, yes. The Dementor's kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure. It's said to be unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best."
"Severus, please." Professor Lupin said.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Harry slowly, quietly reaching for Hermione's wand in her pocket as she stood stiffly, her sleeve tugged by Ron. I didn't know what he wanted, but I knew he was up to something rather stupid and I had to cover up for him.
"After you." Snape said to Sirius and Professor Lupin, then he turned to the trio, motioning them to the door.
"No, you can't do this." I stepped in "You can't hand him to the Dementors. They'll kill him."
"Just because you're my Godchild doesn't mean you can do everything, November." He said "I expected more from you."
I hoped that bought Harry the time he wanted, cause I heard him walking towards from behind. He walked past me, I saw him pointing his wand at Sirius. And just in a second, he pointed it at Snape and shouted the incantation.
"Expelliarmus!"
The white light hit Snape square in the chest and sent him flying backwards, crashing into the old wooden bed on the other side of the room, making the bed collapse.
"Harry, what did you just do?" Ron exclaimed.
"You attacked a teacher!" Hermione couldn't believe her eyes either.
"Tell me about Peter Pettigrew." Harry said to Sirius and Professor Lupin.
"He was at school with us, we thought he was our friend." Professor Lupin said.
"No, Peter Pettigrew is dead." Harry said, pointing his wand at Sirius "You killed him."
"No he didn't. I thought so too until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map."
"The map was lying, then." Harry said stubbornly.
"The map never lies!" Sirius exclaimed "Pettigrew's alive. And he's right there."
He pointed and everyone looked. Ron's face paled as he thought the man was pointing at him, declaring him as Peter Pettigrew.
"Me?" He exclaimed "That's mental--"
"Not you." Sirius said impatiently "Your rat!"
"Scabbers?" Ron said, holding his rat tighter as it squeaked "He's been in my family for--"
"Twelve years!" Sirius said "Curiously long life for a common garden rat! He's missing a toe, isn't he?"
"So what?" Ron asked.
"All they could find of Pettigrew was his--" Harry said.
"Finger!" Sirius exclaimed "The dirty coward cut it off so that everyone would think he was dead! Then he transformed into a rat!"
"Show me." Harry said and Sirius strode towards Ron "Give it to him, Ron."
"No! What are you trying to do to him?" Ron said, trying to pulled Scabbers back from Sirius' hands "Scabbers! Leave him alone!"
Sirius grabbed Scabbers, Professor and him both pointed their wands at the rat. Sirius put it onto the piano, and it started running as the two tried to hex it with their wands. It ran across the piano, the spell hit right besides it, making an irritating noise. Then it ran off onto the floor and sped towards the hole in the wall ahead. It was about to get away when Sirius' hex hit it, it grew larger and larger, then became a grown man, stuck in the hole. Professor Lupin and Sirius pulled him back and pointed their wands at him.
"Remus? Sirius? My old friends!" Pettigrew said and tempted to make a run from them, but he was stopped and pushed back.
He looked around, trying to find a way out when he saw Harry and I. Immediately, he went towards us.
"Harry! Look at you! You look so much like your father, like James. We were the best of friends." He said quickly "And you! Oh November Ri--"
"How dare you speak to Harry and November?" Sirius said "How dare you talk about James in front of Harry?"
The two adults chased and cornered Pettigrew behind the piano.
"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you?" Professor Lupin questioned him.
"I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord! You have no idea the weapons he possesses." He said with his fake, panicking voice "Ask yourself, Sirius. What would you have done? What would you have done?"
"I would've died!" Sirius shouted, lunged at Pettigrew "I would've died rather than betray my friends."
Pettigrew ran for the door only to be blocked by Harry. He grabbed his shoulders, his eyes begging for mercy though he didn't deserve that.
"Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed." He pleaded "Your father, he would've spared me, he would've shown me mercy!" Then he turned to me "November! You know me. We were--"
Professor Lupin and Sirius pulled him backwards, threw him and he backed up against the piano. The two men pointed their wands at Pettigrew, their eyes shown great anger as he attempted to talk to Harry again. To all of us, after all he had done, he didn't deserve the right to even look at Harry. And what did he mean by "you know me"? I had never known him.
"You should've realized, Peter, that if the Dark didn't kill you, then we would." Sirius said, looking over to Professor Lupin on his right "Together!"
"No!" Harry shouted.
Professor Lupin and Sirius turned back to look at him in utter disbelief.
"Harry, this man..."
"I know what he is." He said "But we'll take him up to the castle."
"He's right, you know." I walked up from behind Harry "A scumbag like him doesn't deserve be killed and land you a place in Azkaban. As much as I hate him, I'd rather watch him live than seeing you two suffer in that prison."
"Bless you, boy!" Pettigrew went towards Harry "Bless you."
"Get off me!" Harry shrugged him off before he could touch him again "I said we'd take you up to the castle. Then, the Dementors can have you."