263Chapter 16: The Shrieking Shack
Chapter 16
The Shrieking Shack
Harry stared at Professor Trelawney. "Sorry?" Harry said. Then quite suddenly, Professor Trelawney's head snapped towards Harry.
"I'm so sorry, dear boy," Professor Trelawney said dreamily, "the heat of the day, you know … I drifted off for a moment. …"
Harry sat there, staring at her.
"Is there anything wrong, my dear?"
"N-No, nothing," Harry lied. He quickly packed up, his mind buzzing with what Professor Trelawney said. The Dark Lord returning? How is that possible? It can't be! Harry felt a bit of dread as he quickly made his way back to Gryffindor Tower, he needed to tell Hermione and Ron before finding Draco. Fear and confusion led his feet as he ran towards the Tower, practically shouting the password at the Fat Lady when he reached the landing.
He found Ron and Hermione in the corner of the common room. "Professor Trelawney," he panted, "just told me—"
But he stopped abruptly at the sight of their faces.
"Buckbeak lost," Ron said weakly, "Hagrid's just sent this."
Hagrid's note was dry this time, no tears had splattered it, yet his hand seemed to have shaken so much as he wrote that it was hardly legible.
Lost appeal. They're going to execute at sunset. Nothing you can do. Don't come down. I don't want you to see it.
Hagrid
"We've got to go," Harry said, all thoughts of the Dark Lord fleeing his mind. "He can't just sit there on his own, waiting for the executioner!"
"Sunset, though," Ron said, who was staring out the window in a glazed sort of way. "We'd never be allowed…"
"We'll use the Invisibility Cloak," Hermione said. Harry and Ron agreed, the three running up to the boy's dormitory to get it. Harry hid it under his robes as they went down to dinner with everybody else. Harry looked up at the Slytherin Table and saw Draco, frowning at him. He didn't need to say anything, but Harry knew that Draco knew about the execution.
Harry excused himself and walked out of the Great Hall, he only had to wait five minutes for Draco to follow. They both just stared at each other, not knowing what to say or how to approach the subject. Knowing that death is just hours away is a fickle thing.
Then, finally, Draco opened his mouth and said, "My father wrote me a letter. …He seemed proud of it."
"Hagrid's distraught," Harry said. "Told us not to come."
"But you are … aren't you?" Draco asked. Harry looked up and nodded his head. "Wish I could come with you, but I don't think he would be happy seeing a Malfoy at the moment."
"Yeah…" Harry said. He looked up at Draco and frowned. He didn't cry, he couldn't cry, nor did he try to kiss his boyfriend, or even hug him. It felt as if any physical attraction right now would be too grand, too happy for their somber mood. But still he needed an anchor to the world, so he just reached out and held Draco's hand. "I'm a bit scared," he admitted to Draco. "Not about the execution… but about something else."
"What?" Draco asked. Harry looked at him and told him about what Professor Trelawney said to him only hours ago. "No way," Draco said in disbelief. "She had to be joking, right?"
"If she is, it's a bad one," Harry said. "But, You-Know-Who returning… that worries me."
"I know," Draco said. "But he's dead yeah? He died when he tried to kill you and your dad."
"When I was a baby…" Harry said. They looked at each other, then Draco said, "I'm coming with you."
"What?"
"I'm coming with you, to Hagrid's."
"No you're not," Harry said. "You're not getting in trouble for something so stupid as being out of the castle."
"So then you're not going," Draco declared.
"Excuse me?"
"You are not going," Draco said. "If it's too dangerous for me, it's too dangerous for you."
"We are not going to have this argument," Harry said, looking around to make sure no one was listening in. "You are not going. Ron, Hermione, and I have the Invisibility Cloak, and I am sure that four of us won't all fit under it. I'm sorry Draco, but I'm going. …Look, as soon as… as soon as we're done, I'll come looking for you, okay?"
"Entrance hall at eight," Draco said. "Don't you dare be late."
"I'll won't," Harry said, happy that Draco understood his decision. They shared a kiss then returned to dinner.
After dinner, Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaked off from the crowd leaving the Great Hall, and quickly slipped under the Invisibility Cloak. They made their way to Hagrid's and knocked, the sun was already sinking behind the Forbidden Forest. Hagrid was initially mad that they've came to visit him, but Harry suspected he was glad for their company. Buckbeak was outside the cabin, in the pumpkin patch, Hagrid thought that he should see the trees and smell the fresh air one last time.
Hagrid was tearful, and accidently smashed a milk jug as he explained that Dumbledore was coming down to be with him during the execution. Hermione offered to get a new one, and that was when she shrieked. "Ron! I—I don't believe it—it's Scabbers!"
Ron gaped at her.
"What are you talking about?"
Hermione carried the milk jug over to the table and turned it upside down. With a frantic squeak, and much scrambling to get back inside, Scabbers the rat came sliding out onto the table.
"Scabbers!" Ron said blankly. "Scabbers, what are you doing here?"
He grabbed the struggling rat and held him up to the light. Scabbers looked dreadful. He was thinner than ever, large tufts of hair had fallen out leaving wide bald patches, and he writhed in Ron's hands as though desperate to free himself.
"It's okay Scabbers!" Ron said. "No cars! There's nothing here to hurt you!"
Hagrid suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the window. His normally ruddy face had gone the color of parchment. "They're comin'… Yeh gotta go," he said, every inch of him trembling. "Go now…"
Ron stuffed Scabbers into his pocket and Hermione picked up the cloak. They followed Hagrid to the door to the back garden. Harry felt strangely unreal, and even more so when he saw Buckbeak a few yards away, tethered to a tree behind Hagrid's pumpkin patch. They had no choice. Hermione threw the cloak over Harry and Ron, they heard voices at the front of the cabin. Hagrid told them to leave again, more forcefully, and slowly, in a kind of horrified trance, the three set off silently around Hagrid's house.
"Please, let's hurry," Hermione whispered. "I can't stand it, I can't bear it. …" They started up the sloping lawn toward the castle. The sun was sinking fast now; the sky had turned to a clear, purple-tinged grey, but to the west there was a ruby-red glow.
Ron stopped dead.
"Oh, please Ron," Hermione began.
"It's Scabbers—he won't—stay put—"
Ron was bent over, trying to keep Scabbers in his pocket, but the rat was going berserk; squeaking madly, twisting and flailing , trying to sink his teeth into Ron's hand. Ron continued to struggle as they heard background noises, then, as if cutting into their very souls, the unmistakable swish and thud of an axe filled the air.
Hermione swayed on the spot.
"They did it!" she whispered to Harry. "I d—don't believe it—they did it!"
But they didn't have any time to mourn as Ron continued to struggle with Scabbers, the rat trying desperate, frantically to escape Ron's pocket. In his struggles, the Invisibility cloak somehow was pulled off of them, lying on the ground as Ron continued to fight with Scabbers. With one final bite, Ron dropped the rat and yelled its name. Ron started to chase after Scabbers, Harry and Hermione running after their friend, Hermione taking time to collect the Invisibility Cloak.
"Scabbers, come here—" Ron yelled as he ran. Harry saw a dart of orange, and saw Crookshanks running towards them. "No!" Ron yelled. "Stay away—you ruddy cat!" He bent for a grab just as Crookshanks pounced. "Gotcha!" Get off you stinking cat—"
Harry and Hermione almost fell over Ron; they skidded to a stop right in front of him. He was sprawled on the ground, but Scabbers was back in his pocket; he had both hands held tight over the quivering lump.
"Ron—come on—back under the cloak—" Hermione panted. "Dumbledore—the Minister—they'll be coming back in a minute—"
But become they could cover themselves again, before they could even catch their breath, they heard the soft pounding of gigantic paws. …Something was bounding toward them, quiet as a shadow—an enormous, pale-eyed, jet-black dog.
Harry reached for his wand, but too late—the dog had made an enormous leap and the front paws hit him on the chest; he keeled over backward in a whirl of hair; he felt its hot breath, saw inch-long teeth—
The dog, however, ignored Harry as he dropped his wand, and chased after Ron. The dog's jaws locked onto Ron's leg, pulling the wizard to the ground, and dragging him like a rag doll. Then, out of nowhere, something hit Harry so hard across the face he was knocked off his feet again. He heard Hermione shriek with pain and fall too.
They had chased Scabbers all the way towards the Whomping Willow. Harry saw the dog drag Ron backward into a large gap in the roots—Ron was fighting furiously, but it was no use.
"RON!" They both yelled.
Then, somewhere far off, Harry heard someone calling his name. He spun around to see Draco Malfoy running towards them. "Go away!" Harry yelled. It's too dangerous, he thought.
"Harry! What's going on?" Draco yelled as he ran up to the Whomping Willow. "What happened—why are you—"
"Shut it Malfoy, something's got Ron!" Hermione gasped. She was bleeding from where she was hit as she frantically looked for a way to go after her friend. "Harry—we've got to go for help—" she said.
"No! That thing's big enough to eat him, we don't have time!" Harry said, panting. "If that dog can get in, then so can we!" He started darting here and there, trying to find a way through the vicious, swishing branches, but he couldn't get an inch nearer to the tree roots without being in range of the tree's blows.
"What exactly is going on?" Draco demanded.
"An enormous dog came out of nowhere and got Ron," Hermione said quickly, as if that was all she wanted to talk to Draco. Crookshanks darted forward. He slithered between the battering branches like a snake and placed his front paws upon a knot on the trunk.
Abruptly, as though the tree had been turned to marble, it stopped moving. "Crookshanks!" Hermione whispered uncertainly. "How did he know—?"
"Come on—and keep your wand out—" Harry said to Hermione. He looked at Draco and said, "Go get help."
"Screw that Potter, I'm coming with you," Draco said. And to show that there was no point of arguing, Draco pulled his wand out and marched ahead of Hermione and Harry, into the gap under the tree. Reluctantly, Harry followed and soon it was the three students, being led by Crookshanks as the cat expertly walked down the tunnel.
"Where does this tunnel come out?" Hermione asked breathlessly from behind Harry.
"I don't know. …It's marked on the Marauder's Map but Fred and George said no one's ever gotten into it. …It goes off the edge of the map, but it looked like it was heading for Hogsmeade. …"
"Where ever it goes, let just get there quickly before that thing eats Weasley," Draco whispered back.
They moved as fast as they could, bent almost double, ahead of them, Crookshanks's tail bobbed in and out of view. On and on went the passage; it felt at least as ong as the one to Honeydukes. …All Harry could think of was Ron and what the enormous dog might be doing to him. …He was drawing breath in sharp, painful gasps, running at a crouch.
And then the tunnel began to rise; moments later it twisted, and Crookshanks had gone. Instead, Harry could see a patch of dim light through a small opening.
He, Hermione, and Draco paused, gasping for breath, edging forward. Their wands raised to see what lay beyond.
It was a room, a very disordered, dusty room. Paper was peeling from the walls; there were stains all over the floor; every piece of furniture was broken as though somebody had smashed it. The windows were all boarded up.
"Where are we?" Harry asked as they pulled themselves out of the hole.
"Harry… I think we're in the Shrieking Shack," Hermione whispered.
At the moment, there was a creak overhead. Something had moved upstairs. The three looked at the ceiling. Quietly as they could, they crept out into the hall and up the crumbling staircase. Harry took the head as they reached the dark landing.
Only one door was open. As they crept toward it, they heard movement from behind it; a low moan, and then a deep, loud purring. They exchanged a last look, a last nod.
Wands held tightly before him, Harry kicked the door wide open.
On a magnificent four-poster bed with dusty hangings lay Crookshanks, purring loudly at the sight of them. On the floor beside him, clutching his leg, which stuck out at an odd angle, was Ron.
Harry and Hermione dashed across to him, Draco walking cautiously into the room.
"Ron—are you okay?"
"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. …"
Ron was staring over Harry's shoulder. Harry wheeled around. With a snap, the man in the shadows closed the door behind him. A mass of matted hair hung to his shoulders. Eyes shining dark as he stared at them. "Expelliarmus!" the man said with Ron's wand.
Harry's, Draco's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and the man caught them. "This will make things a bit easier," the man grunted. "I thought you'd come and help your friend. Brave of you, not running for a teacher. … Your father would have done the same."
Infuriated at the mention of his father, Harry felt a boiling anger erupt inside him. Whoever this man was, Harry wanted his wand back, not to stun, but to hurt. To hurt so bad that even his father could feel it wherever that man is.
Without knowing what he was doing, Harry started forward, but ther was a sudden movement on either side of him and three pairs of hands grabbed him and held him back. "Don't even think about it Harry," Draco hissed. "Harry, Stop," Hermione said.
Ron, however, spoke to the man. "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!"
Kill? Why would anyone want to kill Harry? The thought terrified him for a moment, thinking that there was someone out there who wanted him dead, and he didn't know the reason why.
"Lie down," the man 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 thre—four of us!"
"There'll be only one murder here tonight," the man said, and his grin widened.
"Why's that?" Harry spat. "Who are you?"
"I've waited so long…" the man continued. He took a step towards them, but stopped suddenly.
Muffled footsteps were echoing up through the floor—someone was moving downstairs.
"WE'RE UP HERE!" Hermione screamed suddenly. "WE'RE UP HERE—QUICK!"
The man made a startled movement, Harry broke free from the hands holding him and leapt towards the man, trying to get his wand. The footsteps were thundering up the stairs when Harry landed on the man, his fists smashing into the man's stomach as he grabbed for the wands.
The door of the room burst open in a shower of red sparks and Harry wheeled around as Professor Lupin-Black and his father came hurdling into the room, wands at the ready. "Dad!" he yelled out. Lupin-Black's eyes flickered over Ron, lying on the floor, over Hermione, cowering near Ron, Draco, not knowing what to do, to Harry, still struggling to grab his wand.
"Expelliarmus!" Lupin-Black shouted. The wands in both the man's and Harry's hands flew out of their grasps and into Lupin's waiting hand. James ran forward to Harry, and jerked him off of the man.
"Are you okay?" he breathed.
"Y-Yeah—but Dad," Harry said, relieved that his father was here, forgetting their last encounter.
His dad made sure that his son was okay, before turning to the man. "Where is he Sirius?" he asked in a tense voice.
"D-Dad?" Harry asked, confused. "Sirius? Sirius Black!?"
He didn't know what his dad meant. Sirius Black? Professor Lupin-Black's husband? Why is he here? And why is he trying to kill them?
Black's face was quite expressionless. 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…" Professor Lupin-Black said, staring at his husband so intently it was as if he was trying to read his mind, "…why hasn't he shown himself before now?"
"What is going on?" Draco demanded, looking between the three adults. He was still stuck to his place, unable to move no matter how hard he wanted to go to his boyfriend. The three adults turned their attention to him.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!" Hermione screamed.
The adults turned to her. She had raised herself off the floor and was pointing at Lupin, wide-eyed. "You—you—"
"Hermione—"
"—you and him!"
"Hermione, calm down—"
"I didn't tell anyone!" Hermione shrieked. "I've been covering up for you—"
"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Lupin-Black shouted. "I can explain—"
Harry could feel himself shaking, not with fear, but with a fresh wave of fury.
"I trusted you!" he shouted at Lupin.
"Harry! That's enough!" His father yelled at him. "Listen to us."
"Harry, please—"
"Don't trust him Harry!" Hermione said. "He's a werewolf!"
There was a ringing silence. Draco instinctively moved towards Harry and James, bending down to hold Harry. Everyone's eyes were now on Lupin-Black, who looked remarkably calm, though rather pale.
"Yes," he said. "I am a werewolf, I will not deny that."
Ron made a valiant effort to get up again but fell back with a whimper of pain. Lupin-Black made toward him, looking concerned, but Ron gasped.
"Get away from me, werewolf!"
Lupin-Black stopped dead. Then, with an obvious effort, he turned to Hermione and said, "How long have you known?"
"Ages," Hermione said, "Since Professor Snape's essay…"
"He'll be delighted," Lupin-Black said coolly. "He assigned that essay hoping someone would realize why my symptoms meant."
"Remus," James spoke up. "Sirius says he's here. Let's get this over with."
"What are you doing?" Harry demanded, shoving away from his dad and standing up with the help of Draco. James frowned, but stood up as well.
"Look, we can explain later, but right now we just need him," James said, pointing towards Ron.
"M-Me? But I haven't done anything!"
"Not you Ron," James said. "Your rat. Scabbers." He looked at Lupin-Black and said, "You sure he brought him?"
"Yes," Lupin-Black said. "The map showed Sirius dragging the two of them here."
"But Black only pulled Weasley!" Draco argued.
"No, he pulled two," Lupin-Black said. "The map never lies."
"How do you know how the map works?" Harry demanded.
"Of course, he knew," James said. "We made it. He was Moody, Sirius there was Padfoot, and I was Prongs."
Harry stared at his father in disbelief. James pointed at Ron again, and said, "And there is Wormtail. Back from the dead."
"Though, not for long," Sirius added.
Ron stared at the adults, petrified with fear and confusion.
"Do you think I can have a look at the rat?" Lupin-Black said evenly.
"What?" Ron said. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"
"Everything," James said. "Give Remus the rat, Ron."
Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping.
Lupin-Black moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.
"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," Sirius Black said suddenly. "He's an Animagus, but the name of Peter Pettigrew."
It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Harry was thinking.
"You're all mental."
"Ridiculous," Hermione said faintly.
"You told me Pettigrew's dead," Harry said to his father. "Twelve years ago after…"
"I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true Harry," James said.
"Enough of this! Let's just get it over with!" Sirius said as he lunged at Scabbers. Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.
"Sirius, NO!" Lupin-Black yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that—they need to understand—we've got to explain—"
"We can explain afterwards!" Black snarled, trying to throw his husband off.
"They've—got—a—right—to—know—everything!" Lupin-Black panted, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! And Harry—we owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"
Black stopped struggling, though his eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.
"All right then," Black said without taking his eyes off the rat. "James tell them," he said. "But make it quick! If I am to be committed for murder, I actually want to do it!"
James sighed and looked at Harry, speaking mainly to him, but his voice was loud enough so everyone could hear. "You know, of course, about my days at Hogwarts."
"Yeah," Harry said. "You told me you and mum used to hang out a lot with three other guys."
James nodded. "Yeah, it was me, your mum, these two, and one other. But before it was me and your mum, it was just the four of us. Me, Remus, Sirius, …and Pettigrew. The four of us made that map, and used it to explore the castle."
"That doesn't explain how the rat can be Pettigrew," Draco interrupted, staring at his boyfriend's father with distrust.
James shook his head and said, "I'm getting to that. This whole place, the Whomping Willow, the tunnel, and the shack was built because of Remus. Before Dumbledore was Headmaster, there was no way a werewolf would have come to Hogwarts. But since the old man was way more sympathetic then the previous headmasters, Remus was allowed and every full moon he was smuggled here so he can transform. Sirius and I found out around our second year that this was happening."
"I was terrified that they would desert me the moment they found out what I was," Lupin-Black said. "But, of course, they worked out the truth, no matter what excuse I've made up, 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."
"You too?" Harry asked, looking at his dad.
James nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked.
James shrugged, "You didn't ask," he said simply. "Besides, it's been years since I transformed. It would probably take a lot from me if I do it now."
"So what?" Draco said in disbelief, "We're supposed to accept that you three just happened to learn to become Animagi?"
"Well it took us three years," James said. "It was hard, really hard, Pettigrew needed all the help he could get from us. But finally in our fifth year, we were able to turn into animals at will."
"But how did that help you?" Hermione said, sounding puzzled.
"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," Lupin-Black answered. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the caslte 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," Black snarled, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger on his face.
"Harry," James said suddenly. "What do you remember, of that night? You remember what I told you?"
Harry nodded with a frown. "But wait," Hermione interrupted. "It's illegal for you to become an Animagus and not register it with the Ministry."
"Yes, it is Hermione," Lupin nodded. "They became illegal Animagi in order to help me during those nights."
James nodded and looked at Harry, ignoring Hermione's look of shock. "Harry?" he repeated.
"You and mum went to Godric's Hollow to hide me away," Harry began. "Dumbledore told you two that You-Know-Who was after us, and that hiding would be best. He helped you two find the house, and suggested a Secret-Keeper. You and Mum thought of using Sirius, but didn't because it would be too obvious, but instead you chose Pettigrew."
James nodded solemnly. "A decision that I regret," he sighed. "It was Sirius's idea to have Peter Pettigrew as our Secret-Keeper. We thought that the Dark Lord wouldn't go after him. But we were wrong. Pettigrew betrayed us to You-Know-Who, and because of him your mother is dead."
Harry looked at his father, not truly knowing if he should believe him or not. "But, Pettigrew died, you said so yourself. You looked for him, but couldn't find him, and he was then left as dead."
"Yes, we all thought he died," James said. "But we were wrong."
"How could you be wrong?" Draco asked.
"Easy, the map," Lupin-Black said. "After Harry told me that he saw Pettigrew's name on the map, I couldn't believe it. But when I saw it again tonight, I've contacted James immediately and we chased after you."
"Just give us the rat!" Sirius said, "It'll be easier to show you then tell you!"
"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked Lupin-Black tensely.
"Force him to show himself," Lupin-Black said. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."
Ron hesitated. Then at long last, he held out Scabbers and Lupin-Black took him. Scabbers bagan to squeak without stopping, twisting and turning, his tiny black eyes bulging in his head.
"Ready boys?" Lupin-Black asked Sirius and James. They both approached Lupin-Black and the struggling rat, and his eyes seemed to be burning in his face.
"Together," James said.
A flash of blue-white light erupted from the three wands; for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, his small gray form twisting madly—Ron yelled—the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then—
It was like watching a speeded up film of a growing tree. 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. Crookshanks was spitting and snarling on the bed; the hair on his back was standing up.
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. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who had lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabber'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. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.
"Well, hello, Peter," Lupin-Black said pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time no see."
"S—Sirius… R-Remus…J-James… My friends …my old friends …"
Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin-Black seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning look, then tunred again to Pettigrew, his voice light and casual.
"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed—"
"Remus," Pettigrew gasped, and Harry could see beads of seat breaking out over his pasty face, "you can't believe them—I was never their Secret Keeper—S-Sirius was—"
"Lair!" Both Sirius and James roared.
Pettigrew flinched and looked at James. "J-James, surely you don't mean this! H-He did it! Yes, Sirius did! His family is full of dark wizards. … Surely you can s-see that—that he was a spy for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!"
"Me a spy for Voldemort!?" Sirius yelled.
Pettigrew flinched as though Black had brandished a whip at him.
"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" Black said. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"
"Don't know what you mean, Sirius—" Pettigrew muttered, his breathing faster than ever. His whole face was shining with sweat now.
"So you're the rat," Draco said looking at Pettigrew. "My father mentioned he remembered Death Eaters muttering something about a rat when he was under the Imperius Curse."
Sirius snickered coldly at the thought of Malfoy under the Imperius Curse. Pettigrew looked at Draco and ran up to him. "Y-You must be a Malfoy," he said, clutching Draco's robes. "Your father is an evil man; h-he lied about that! Just as he lies about everything!"
"Don't touch me, you filthy thing!" Draco said, forcing Pettigrew off of his body as he shot the man a sharp, cold look that even sent a shiver up Harry's spine.
"We've heard enough," Sirius said. He looked towards his husband, "Shall we kill him together Remus?"
"Yes, I think so," Lupin-Black said grimly. They looked over to James, who was just staring gravely at Pettigrew. "James?"
"Do it," James said.
"No!"
Pettigrew had fallen to his knees at James's 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…"
Black kicked out and Pettigrew recoiled.
"M robes are filthy enough without you touching them," he said.
Pettigrew 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?"
But Ron was staring at Pettigrew with the utmost revulsion.
"I let you sleep in my bed!" he said.
"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," Black said 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. …"
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 towards Draco. "Young Malfoy. … Kind boy… you wouldn't—"
Draco took a step back and spat on the ground in front of Pettigrew. Pettigrew turned towards Harry, who was unconsciously holding Draco's hand, and said, "Harry… Harry…you look just like your father … just like him… but you have your mother's eyes…"
"DON'T YOU DARE TALK TO MY SON! HOW DARE YOU EVEN THINK OF FACING HIM!" James roared. "HOW ARE YOU MENTION HIS MOTHER IN FRONT OF HIM!"
"Harry," Pettigrew whispered, shuffling toward him, hands out-stretched. "Harry, Lily wouldn't have wanted me killed. …Lily would have understood Harry, she would have shown me mercy. …"
James and Sirius strode forward, seized Pettigrew's shoulders, and threw him backward onto the floor. "Don't talk to my son," James snarled at him. Pettigrew sat there, twitching with terror, staring up at them.
"You sold us out to Voldemort," James said "Admit it!"
"James… Sirius, what could I have done? THe Dark Lord …you have no idea…he has weapons you can't imagine. …I was scared, Sirius—James! I was never brave like you two and Remus. I never meant it to happen. …He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me—"
"DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME!" James bellowed.
"YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!" Sirius roared.
"He—he was taking over everywhere!" Pettigrew gasped. "Wh—what was there to be gained by refusing him? James, he would have killed me!"
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" James yelled. "DIED RATHER THEN BETRAY ME! BETRAY MY WIFE! DIED FOR YOUR FRIENDS AS WE WOULD HAVE DIED FOR YOU!"
James looked back towards Harry and said, "Harry turn around. I don't want you to see this."
"Dad—"
"Harry do this! Please!" James said. Harry saw that his father was shaking, his arm trembling as he aimed his wand at Pettigrew.
"You can't kill him!" Harry said.
"Harry, listen, this piece of garbage is the reason you grew up without a mother," James said. "He killed my best friend!"
"But you just can't kill him Dad!" Harry said. "We'll—We'll take him to the castle. We'll hand him over to the dementors. …He can go to Azkaban … but don't kill him."
"Harry!" Pettigrew gasped and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You—thank you—it's more than I deserve—thank you—"
"Get off me,"
"Don't touch him!" Draco and Harry said at the same time, throwing Pettigrew's hands off Harry in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you," Harry said. "I just don't want my dad to become a murderer. And I'm sure Professor Lupin-Black's son wants the same."
No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. James looked at his two friends, and they each lowered their wand. "Okay," James said. "You're right Harry."
He took a step closer to Pettigrew, "If you can move out of the way, Harry?"
Harry hesitated.
"I'm just going to tie him up," his dad said. "We don't want him running away from us."
Harry nodded and stepped to the side with Draco. Thin cords shot from James's wand and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.
"But if you transform, Peter," Black growled, his own wand pointed at Pettigrew too, "we will kill you. You agree Harry?"
Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him.
"Right," Lupin-Black said suddenly businesslike. "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."
"Let Harry try," James said. "The boy still mends me up from dangerous Auror missions."
"You were just bleeding, not broken," Harry muttered. "I only know the muggle ways."
"Then, let's just strap him up," Lupin-Black repeated. He 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. Lupin-Black helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.
"That's better," he said. "Thanks."
"Two of us should be chained to this," Black said, nudging Pettigrew with his toe. "Just to make sure."
"I'll do it," Lupin-Black said.
"And me," Ron said savagely, limping forward.
Black conjured heavy manacles from thin air; soon Pettigrew was upright again, left arm chained to Lupin-Black's right, right arm to Ron'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, Mal—Draco, wait," James said as the others left the room. "We need to talk."
Harry stopped and looked at his father. James stood awkwardly at the door, blocking the way out. "Yeah dad?" Harry asked.
"I um… I want to apologize," James said. "For Eater break. What I said… it's unforgivable. I'm sorry for saying such a thing to my own son. Thing is… those words weren't mine. They were your grandparents' words. They used to say that to me when I was living with them, especially… after they caught me snogging a boy. They called me a disgrace and I… I shouldn't have called you that. I'm so sorry Harry. If there's anything that I could do for you to forgive me, I'll do it."
Harry didn't say anything. He was just staring at the floor near his father's feet as he listened to him. The room filled with a tense silence as Harry thought of what to say. "It hurt me dad," he said. "A lot. … but I think I can forgive you."
"Thank you Harry," James smiled. "Now," he said his voice more pleasant like as he looked between Harry and Draco. "I wish we could have met in different terms, and I've learned this from Harry, but we should probably get this over with. "Hello Draco Malfoy, I am Harry's father, James."
"Hello Mr. Potter," Draco said, politely shaking James's hand. He flinched a little when he felt James squeeze his hand a bit too roughly at he looked at the two of them. "Some rules," he said. "I know you are too young for this, way too young for any of this. But all I want to see is hand holding. Light pecks on the cheeks are okay, but Harry if I hear or see you and Mr. Malfoy doing anything more serious, then there will be consequences. Do you understand me, Draco Malfoy?"
"Yes Sir," Draco said. Harry noticed that Draco was looking a bit paler than usual as he stared up at James Potter, Auror. James gave a serious, threatening grin and let go of Draco's hand. "Good. Now, Harry, I need to ask you, have you two told each other you love each other?"
"N-No dad!" Harry blushed, confused where this serious change of mood came from.
"Good. Thirteen is too young to say those words," James said. "Maybe when you are both sixteen."
"And when did you say you loved mum?" Harry challenged.
"When we were both nineteen and dating for two years," James countered. "Now Draco, you are welcomed to our home anytime. Just give me two days warning."
"Y-Yes sir," Draco said. James nodded, patted Draco's back and pulled Harry in an affectionate hug. "I'm glad that you're not hurt, Harry. Now let's go join the others."
The boys agreed and made their way out of the Shrieking Shack, quickly catching up with the rest of the group as they walked through the tunnel, led by Crookshanks. James and Sirius talked of missed times, both men keeping a watchful eye on Pettigrew as they walked. "You know, you and Harry should visit us during the summer," Sirius said. "I'm sure Orion would love to meet Harry."
"I don't know," James said. "Molly and I were talking of letting Harry stay at the Burrow for most of the summer. Kingsley's having me go to ruddy Albania for something."
"He's sending you where?" Harry asked.
"Albania," James said, looking back at his son. "Strange too, last time I was sent out country was years ago. I guess they found something important there. I'll be leaving a month after Hogwarts end."
"Then, visit us during that month," Sirius said. "Come on Prongsly, we have so much to catch up about!"
"Alright," James shrugged. "I'll see if I can let Harry outside for one day." He chuckled.
They didn't talk again until they've left the tunnel. Crookshanks first, he had evidently pressed his paw to the knot on the trunk, because Lupin-Black, Pettigrew, and Ron clambered upward without any sound of savaging branches.
Black exited next, followed by Hermione, James waiting for Harry and Draco to leave before climbing after them.
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. Harry's mind was buzzing as he and Draco held hands. His talk with his father seemed to have lifted an unknown weight from both of their shoulders as the two Potters walked.
A cloud shifted. There were suddenly dim shadows on the ground. Their party was bathed in moonlight. Black and James froze. James threw out one arm to make Harry, Draco, and Hermione stop.
Harry could see Lupin-Black's silhouette. He had gone rigid. Then his limbs began to shake.
"Did you take the potion?" Black cried out. "Remus, did you take the potion?"
"Run," James whispered. "Run. Now."
But Harry couldn't run. Ron was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin-Black. He leapt forward, but his father caught him around the chest and threw him back.
"Leave it to us—Run!"
There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin-Black'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.
As the werewolf reared, snapping its long jaws, James disappeared from Harry's side. He had transformed, as did Sirius. An enormous bearlike dog bounded forward, as well as a tall red stag. As the werewolf wrenched itself free of the manacle binding it, the dog seized it about the neck and pulled it backward, away from Ron and Pettigrew. The stag pushed into them as well, forcing the two further away as the two were locked, jaw to jaw, claws ripping at each other—
Harry stood, transfixed by the sight, too intent upon the battle to notice anything else. It was Hermione's screams that alerted him—
Pettigrew had dived for Lupin-Black's dropped wand. Ron, unsteady on his bandaged leg, fell. There was a bang, a burst of light—and Ron lay mothionless on the ground. Another bang—Crookshanks flew into the air and back to the earth in a heap.
"Expelliarmus!" Two voices yelled, Harry and Draco's wands pointed at Pettigrew. Lupin-Black's wand flew high into the air and out of sight. "Don't move!" Draco yelled.
Too late. Pettigrew transformed. The last Harry saw of the rat, his tail whipped through the manacle and he went scurrying into the grass.
There was a howl, a high piercing sound, and a rumbling growl; Harry turned to see the werewolf taking flight; it was galloping into the forest—
"Dad!" Harry yelled.
His father was bleeding, as well as Sirius. There was blood coating the stag's fur, as well as gushing from the black fur of the enormous dog. Both stumbled to their feet, but fell again as they walked away from the group.
Harry ran after them as Draco and Hermione ran towards Ron. Harry saw his father and Black tumble down to the lake shore. "Dad!" he yelled again, chasing after them. He pelted towards the lakeshore and saw his father and Sirius laying down, human again. His father could barely stand, and Harry could hear them moaning in pain and despair.
"Noo… not Harry… Please not Harry…" James moaned in fear as he struggled to get on all fours.
And then Harry saw them. Dementors, at least two hundred of them, gliding in a black mass around the lake toward them. He spun around, the familiar, icy cold penetrating his insides, fog staring to obscure his vision; more were appearing out of the darkness on every side; they were encircling them.
"Think of something happy," he muttered to himself raising his wand, blinking furiously as he try and clear his vision, shaking his head to get rid of the fain screaming that had started inside it.
He forced himself to think of himself with his father, and Draco under the same roof. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum!"
His father gave a shutter and started crying out for Harry again, his skin turning paler than death.
They're all going to live. They're going to live, and we are going to visit them this summer.
"Expecto Patronum! Hermione! Draco! Help me! Expecto Patronum!"
He looked around, but nobody came.
The dementors were closing in, barely ten feet from them. James was screaming now, yelling about Harry's and Lily's dead bodies. "I'M SORRY! I COULDN'T HAVE DONE ANYTHING! I'M SORRY!"
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry yelled, trying to blot the screaming from his ears. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
A thin wisp of silver escaped his wand and hovered like mist before him.
"Expecto—expecto—"
Harry felt his knees hit the cold grass. Fog was clouding his eyes. With a huge effort, he fought to remember any happy thought he could think of. "Expecto patronum!" he gasped.
"Harry! Harry please wake up!" a voice called from beyond the darkness. Light filtered through Harry's vision. He was no longer at the lakeside. He was no longer outside of Hogwarts. He was still wearing his tattered, dirty clothing, but he was laying in a bed. "Harry! Oh thank God!" the same voice said before a weight put on him.
Harry looked down and saw the blurry form of Draco holding onto him. "D-Draco? What happened?" Harry asked. "Where are we?"
Draco looked up and frowned. He helped Harry get his glasses on, and he looked around. They were in the hospital wing. "Harry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
"Hang on, where's Dad? Sirius? Professor Lupin-Black?" Harry asked as he looked around. He could only see him and Draco, the curtains were drawn around them.
"I'm so sorry Harry," Draco said, Harry looked and saw tears welling in his eyes. "It… it was an accident. Dumbledore is very pissed at the Minister."
"Draco? Draco what happened?" Harry asked, fear swelling inside him as he looked at his boyfriend's sad, scared face. "Draco? Where is my dad?"
"He's… they've been…I'm sorry Harry, but your dad and Black received the Dementor's Kiss."