The look on Lupin's face did not go unnoticed by anyone, "Right..." he turned to Black, "Where is he, Sirius?"
Sirius Black, who was still on the floor, pointed right at Ron, who was holding Scabbers.
Ron went wide-eyed.
"But then..." Lupin muttered, staring at Black so intently it seemed he was trying to read his mind, "Why... Why hasn't he shown himself before now? Unless-"
Lupin's eyes suddenly widened, as though he was seeing something beyond Black, something none of the rest could see, "- unless he was the one... unless you switched... without telling me?"
Very slowly, his sunken gaze never leaving Lupin's face, Black nodded.
"Professor Lupin! Are you going to explain or not!?" Harry asked loudly.
"Of course, Harry," Lupin then helped Black to his feet, before hugging him like a brother.
"Wait... the way you talked about my father... you were his friend like Sirius Black was, weren't you?" Harry asked him.
"Yes, I was friends with your father, and I was friends with two other people, both of whom are in this very room," Lupin said, looking at Black and then back to Ron, who still looked bewildered.
"Of course... it makes sense what I know about Werewolves..." Lucifer said, still restraining Harry.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked him, "We both read the same things, didn't we? We both found out that Lupin's a - a Werewolf, right?"
"It explains why Black is an Animagus, and Pettigrew, and assumedly Potter's father. It's not easy to find information, but Werewolves... without the Potion Snape has been giving to Lupin, only strong Animagi could keep a Werewolf in check, isn't that right, Professor?" Lucifer asked him.
"Exactly that, yes... Harry, you-"
"How did you know where to find us?" Harry interrupted him.
"The Map, I was looking at it on my desk, saw you five walking back up to the Castle, before I saw Sirius approaching, then you all disappeared underneath the Whomping Willow. Naturally, I followed," Lupin gave a wry smile.
"You know how to work it?" Harry asked, looking shocked.
"Of course I know how to work it, I helped write it. I am Moony, that was the nickname my three friends gave me back in school," Lupin said with a nostalgic smile.
"Padfoot, was Sirius here. Wormtail was Peter, I'll let you guess why," he gave a sneer in Ron's direction, but it was obvious to everyone, except Ron, that he was talking about the Rat, "And Prongs was your father, Harry."
"My dad... was an Animagus?" Harry was more intrigued than angry now, so Lucifer let go of him, but hovered near him, if he had to grab this boy again.
"He was a Stag, just like his Patronus," Lupin smiled softly at Harry.
"Really? So earlier... you said he switched," Harry pointed at Sirius, "what did you mean by that?"
"Yes... he was originally your Parents Secret Keeper, before he made a change, the change that nobody could've foreseen that cost them their lives," Lupin explained.
"Harry - had I known... I-" Black started.
"Save it," Harry said hatefully.
"What I want to know... is why?" Lucifer now asked Sirius.
"Why what?"
"Why you changed from being Secret Keeper to instead make it Pettigrew?"
"To be honest... I thought it was for the best... who would suspect timid, small, unsuspecting Peter as their Secret Keeper? Only he knew where they were, but he gave them up to Voldemort... because of my mistake, I may as well have killed them myself... I chased him down, intending to kill him for his betrayal. If I am to go back to Azkaban, I at least want it to be for the crime I was accused of committing!" Black suddenly lunged forward towards Ron.
Lupin and Lucifer both stopped him, former grabbing his arms from behind, while other stepping in front of him to push him back.
"Sirius, you'll never get Harry to trust you if you act like the thing he believes you to be!" Lupin yelled.
Sirius settled down and looked down at Lucifer, seeing a boy that had the look of a battle-hardened warrior.
He had to grow up so fast in three years, it kind of amazed Sirius that he was able to be rational about things.
"Fine, but I'm not waiting all night, Remus," Sirius said, stepping back to the far wall, but not taking his eyes off of the Rat in Ron's grasp.
"That Map, the Marauder's Map, how does it really work? I am not aware of the full details?" Lucifer asked Professor Lupin.
"It shows you within the grounds of Hogwarts, the location of every single individual, the direction they are walking, what floor they are on, and the most important thing is that it shows you their name. The Map never lies," Lupin explained.
"So when you saw five of us walking back from Hagrid's... it showed his name?" Lucifer asked, knowing most about at this point.
"Five?" Harry asked, still finding it all hard to believe.
"There were four of us!" Ron yelled.
"Are you both so seriously dimwitted? Did I not already explain, did Professor Lupin not explain? A creator of the Map would know how it works inside and out. If he saw five of us, there were five of us. Remember, we had Scabbers with us?!" Lucifer is now really getting irritated with these idiots.
"He probably also saw Crookshanks and Rowena approaching us," Ron tried to argue.
"I did not see any cat or bird approaching you five. I only saw Pettigrew suddenly run rather fast when Sirius approached, and then I saw Ron chasing after him. You all already know how that went down, I shan't explain it again," Lupin said.
"Harry, did you ever look over the Forbidden Forest?" Lucifer glanced at the boy in question.
"Once, but there were no-" Harry stopped himself, realizing that Lupin was one-hundred percent right.
"Not even the Centaurs showed up?" Lucifer asked for utmost time but Harry just shook his head.
"Then... Professor Lupin is right... Scabbers, or Peter Pettigrew, really did show up on the map," Hermione said, looking down at the rat.
Suddenly, a creaking noise was heard outside of the door. Lupin checked but saw nothing, "No one there."
"This place is haunted!" Ron said from the bed.
"No, it's not haunted... Back when I was attending school, there was no such thing as the Wolfsbane Potion that Professor Snape has been making for me all year. So near the Full Moon, I came here to what's now called the Shrieking Shack, and I would change and rampage in this building. Ever since I left school, there hasn't been a noise since, at least I don't believe so, but people still believe the 'Ghosts' to be here," Lupin said.
"Back then, my friends noticed my disappearance once a month, and like the both of you," he motioned to Lucifer and Hermione.
"They were able to figure it out. One night they followed me, and saw that I was a Werewolf. They then spent the better part of three years trying to become Animagi, but it worked in their Fifth Year."
"They were able to come close to me, as animals, and I didn't harm them. Even then, with a Stag and Big Dog, they could've kept me in check no problem. Professor Dumbledore had the Whomping Willow placed over the entrance to keep out any would be wandering souls, but my friends saw me go under the tree, and they followed. I made a promise to Dumbledore that I would stay under that tree, but after a while of my friends being Animagi, I broke that promise and that trust... the trust he had in me to allow me to attend Hogwarts."
"But we were having fun, and we were teenagers. Simply put, we were stupid, and I've regret it every day since then, because of the chance that something could've gone wrong, and an innocent bystander could've gotten hurt, or worse..." Lupin had a distant, sorrowful look in his eyes.
"Where is this story going?" Harry asked him.
"The back-story of our friendship: James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. It was important you knew how close of a bond we all shared, all the way up to that fateful night..." Lupin responded.
"Get to the main point, Remus," Sirius Black said.
"I'm getting there, but more things must be explained..."
"How idiotic you four were!" Hermione said, reinforcing what Professor Lupin said, "You could've killed someone!"
"I am aware... and in one such incident, someone almost did die... someone we used to have regular bickering's with."
"One evening, on the night of a full moon, Sirius told him to take a look underneath the Whomping Willow, because he had been suspicious about us, about what we were up to. Severus Snape was almost killed, had it not been for James saving him," Lupin said.
"So that's why he hates you so much, he thought you were in on the joke that almost killed him?" Lucifer now understood Snape's disgusted, and furious look at the start of the year.
"That's right," a voice said from the hallway.
The door was pushed open, but no one was there.
Harry quickly felt for the Cloak, but didn't even realize he'd dropped it until then.
Snape revealed himself to the group, his wand aimed at Lupin.
Lucifer glared at Snape with his two eyes. Him being there was ruining everything.
xxxxxx
"I found this near the base of the Whomping Willow... I thank you, Potter, very clever, and very useful," Snape said in a drawl.
His face showed suppressed triumph that he was trying to not show, but Lucifer saw right through him, "I bet you're wondering how I knew you were here? I've just been to your office, Lupin, you've forgotten to take your Potion tonight."
"And what did I see on your desk but a Map, showing you walking towards the Whomping Willow. I couldn't begin to comprehend why you were heading here, so I followed."
"Severus-" Lupin started, but Snape cut him off.
"I've told the Headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old friend into the Castle, Lupin, and here is the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout," Snape snarled evilly at him.
"Severus, you're making a mistake," Lupin said urgently, "You haven't heard everything, I can explain, Sirius is not here to kill Harry-"
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," Snape said, his eyes gleaming frantically, "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this... he was quite convinced that you were, you know, Lupin... a tame Werewolf."
"You fool," Lupin said softly, "is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back in Azkaban!?"
Thin, snake-like cords suddenly shot out of Snape's wand and wrapped around Lupin's body and mouth.
He became over-balanced and fell over.
With a roar of rage, Black started towards Snape, but he turned and aimed his wand right at the man, pressed into his throat.
"Give me a reason," Snape said softly, but his words were covered with venom, "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."
Black stopped dead in his tracks, his face showing pure loathing and hatred for the man in front of him.
Hermione suddenly stepped forward carefully, "Professor Snape?" She said in a breathless voice, "it - it wouldn't hurt to - to listen to what they have to say, w-would it?"
"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school!" Snape spat at her, "You, Potter, Weasley, and Morningstar are out of bounds, in the company of an escaped murderer, and a Werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."
"But - but what if-" she started again, but whimpered under the voice Snape used.
"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouted, looking suddenly deranged.
Hermione looked down at her feet and tears began to fall from her eyes.
Lucifer looked at her in shock, his rage growing by the second. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"
Snape turned back to Black, "Vengeance is very swee-" he suddenly found it hard to breathe in or talk at all.
He dropped his wand and turned around to see Lucifer with glowing red eyes.
He was unable to talk, but Severus Snape now knew the truth.
"Lucifer," Hermione began, tears flowing freely from her eyes, "L-Lucifer p-please... please stop," she walked over to him and gently placed a hand on his right upper arm.
He looked at her, but she didn't feel threatened, she knew he'd never harm her.
He looked back to Snape, who was still gasping for breath and turning an unhealthy shade of purple.
He thrust his left arm and hand forward, and Snape flew back into the wall, falling unconscious.
"You shouldn't have done that..." Black said, looking at Snape, then to Lucifer.
"He deserved it," Who said with no remorse noticeable in his voice.
Hermione found it hard to feel sorry for Snape, even if he was a teacher.
Black bent down and unshackled Lupin, who promptly stood up, "While as your teacher, I do not condone your action just now, but as a Marauder, I thank you for your help, Lucifer."
Boy nodded to his Professor.
Black looked over to Harry, "Harry, do you believe me? Do you believe what Remus has said to be true?"
"I still haven't seen any proof that that rat is Pettigrew," Harry said, pointing towards Scabbers.
"Then it's time we gave you that proof," Black said, "You, boy - give me Peter. Now."
Ron clutched Scabbers close to his chest, "Come off it," he said weakly, "are you trying to say you broke out of Azkaban just to get your hands on Scabbers ? I mean..."
He looked up at Harry for support, knowing that Hermione probably wouldn't be on his side, and he knew Lucifer definitely wasn't
"OK, 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..." Lupin said, frowning as he turned to Black, "How did you find out where he was?"
Black put one of his claw-like 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 a Photograph of Ron and his family that Lucifer hadn't seen before.
The photograph was on the front page of the Daily Prophet which had to be of this previous summer, and there, on Ron's shoulder, was Scabbers.
He looked closely as Lupin spoke, "How did you get this?" Professor asked thunderstruck.
The one thing Lucifer noticed about the Rat, he only noticed after hearing earlier in the year from the conversation Fudge had with the three teachers and Rosmerta.
All they found of Pettigrew was a finger, and seeing Scabbers without one of his toes on his front paw, that told him right there that that Rat was Pettigrew.
"Fudge," Black said, "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..." Lupin spoke softly, staring at the picture of Scabbers in the paper and back again, "His front paw..."
"Is missing a toe... all they found of Pettigrew-" Lucifer started.
"Was a finger..." Hermione finished, realizing it as well.
"So simple... so brilliant ... he cut it off himself?" Lupin asked.
"Just before he transformed," Black said, eyeing the rat, "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..."
"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages-"
"Twelve Years, Weasely... is too long for a Rat to live..." Lucifer challenged him, dared to argue now.
"We - we've been taking good care of him!" Ron said in frustration.
"Really? No animal in recorded history has lived three to four times its lifespan because it was well taken care of...."
"He's not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" Lupin asked, "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 and vulture he calls a bird!" Ron pointed towards Lucifer.
"Ron..." Harry spoke up, "Scabbers looked like that before we went into Magical Menagerie... and Chloe hadn't seen your rat until after the school year started..."
"These animals are not mad," Black said hoarsely, "This cat is the most intelligent of his kind, and that owl... Something is clearly very different about her.... No offense again, but she just smells like death."
"Yes, I know...."
"They both recognized Peter for what he was straight away. And when they met me, they both could tell I was no dog. It was a while before they trusted me. Finally, I managed to communicate to them what I was after, and they've been helping me..."
"What do you mean?" Breathed Hermione as she asked Black.
"They both tried to bring Peter to me, but couldn't... so your cat stole the passwords into Gryffindor Tower for me... As I understand it, he took them from a boy's bedside table..." Black said slowly.
"But... Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it... this cat - Crookshanks, right? - told me Peter had left blood on the sheets... and your bird was in the room at the time, locked in her cage, she confirmed that he bit himself and bled all over the sheets... faking his own death worked once, after all..."
"I think it's time we showed them that this really is Peter Pettigrew, wouldn't you say, Sirius?" Lupin asked his old friend.
"I believe so, Remus," Black said to him.
"Ron, give me that rat," Lupin said, walking up to Ron.
"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked tensely.
"Force him to show himself. If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him," Lupin said and extended his hand. Ron extended his as well, but Scabbers got free and ran for it.
"No!" Sirius yelled, but before anyone could do anything, or for Scabbers to get very far, the Rat froze in the air.
Hermione looked at Lucifer, who had a hand and arm outstretched, his eyes glowing red, but he didn't seem angry.
"Lucifer you-" she stopped involuntarily, "You're not angry? Why are your eyes red?"
"You still don't know everything about me, Hermione...." Lucifer said, giving her a wry smile.
"Wait, I just remembered people saying you're a descendant of Merlin, right?" Black asked suddenly.
"It's true, Sirius. Dumbledore told me as much when I signed on as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Lupin explained to him.
"Does he know?" Black motioned to Snape's unconscious form.
"... he does..." Lupin said, almost regretfully.
"That's just great... but it does explain why what happened to him earlier happened, but you were angry then, and now... you're not... you're just gifted with wandless magic..." Black seemed rather intrigued, "In all my life, I never thought I'd get to actually meet a descendant of Merlin," he gave Lucifer a half-smile.
"Ready, Sirius?" Lupin asked him.
Black picked up Snape's wand and walked over to stand beside Lupin, "Together?" He asked quietly.
"I think so," Lupin smirked and they both aimed their wands at the floating rat, "On the count of three. One - two - THREE!"
A flash of blue-white light erupted from both wands; for a moment, nothing happened to Scabbers.
Suddenly, another blinding flash of light filled the room as he fell to the floor.
It was like watching a movie of a tree growing at ten times the speed.
A head was shooting upwards from the ground; limbs were sprouting; next moment, 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 standing up.
Rowena was hooting from her perch, her wings outstretched in an act of intimidation.
He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry or Hermione.
His thin, colorless hair was unkempt in the most unattractive way imaginable, 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 Scabbers' fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose, his very small, watery eyes.
He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow.
"Well, hello, Peter," Lupin said 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.
His eyes darted towards the door, but he had to know there was no escape with Lucifer around, "My friends... my old friends..."
Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him around the wrist, gave him a warning look, then turned again to Pettigrew, his voice was 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 finger points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed-"
"Remus," Pettigrew gasped, beads of sweat had begun to break out over his pasty face, "you don't believe him, do you? He tried to kill me, Remus..."
"So we've heard," Lupin said, but his voice was cold that time, "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so-"
"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew shrieked suddenly, pointing madly at Black.
He was using his middle finger, because his index finger 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 skull-like 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 first," Lupin said, which caused the color in Pettigrew's face, what little there was left, to drain from his features.
xxxxx
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