Snape and Lily's daughter

The story of the werewolf

"You're both mental." Ron said.

"Ridiculous!" Hermione said faintly.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Harry said. "He killed him twelve years ago!" he pointed at Black.

"I meant to," he growled. "but little Peter got the better of me... not this time, though!"

Black move forward to grab Scabbers. Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, dragging Black away from Ron. "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 Lupin off.

"They've — got — a — right — to — know — everything!" Lupin 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 and Grace — you owe them the truth, Sirius!"

Black stopped struggling, though his eyes were still fixed on Scabbers.

"All right, then," Black said. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for..."

"You're nutters, both of you," Ron said shakily. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.

"You're going to hear me out, Ron," Lupin said quietly. ""Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket.

"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," Grace spoke. "A whole street full of them..."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Black said savagely.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," Lupin said, nodding. "I believed it myself — until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's map never lies... Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Grace."

"But Professor Lupin... Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..." Hermione said.

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly.

"Because... because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework — the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things... and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list."

Lupin started to laugh.

"Right again, Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that here used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," Black said. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"All right... but you'll need to help me, Sirius," Lupin said. "I only know how it began..."

But then Lupin stopped talking. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All six of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.

"No one there..."

"This place is haunted!" Ron said.

"It's not," Lupin said. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted... The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."

He thought for a moment then said, "That's where all of this starts — with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitter... and if I hadn't been so foolhardy... I as a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week, preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform... I'm able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again."

"Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school..." he sighed and looked straight to Harry.

"I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house" Lupin looked around the room. "the tunnel that leads to it — they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous."

"It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black... Peter Pettigrew... and, of course, your father, Harry — James Potter."

"My three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her... I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth... And they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable, but the best times of my life. They became Animagi."

"My dad too?" Harry asked.

"Yes, indeed," Lupin said. "It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will."

"But how did that help you?" Grace asked curiously.

"They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals," Lupin said. "A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed... Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them."

"Hurry up, Remus," Black snarled.

"Well, soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs."