The Prisoner of Azkaban: Raised by Moony and Padfoot.

Chapter 40: Harry

Harry
May 27, 1994

As the group headed up the stairs, Remus and Sirius's words became more clear.

"I've got him, I've got Peter. Now let's do what we should have done 12 years ago and kill him!" Sirius's voice said, more hysterical than Harry had ever heard him before.

"Patience, Sirius. We need to make sure this is really him before we do anything drastic. We need to be sure." Remus explained.

"What was the spell, Moony?" Sirius asked, as he and Remus came into view, with Sirius holding a rat by its tail, up in the air.

"Why are you trying to kill my rat?" Ron exclaimed.

Remus and Sirius whirled around and were shocked to see the children standing behind them.

"And why did you say you have Peter? All I see is the two of you." Millie asked.

"What's going on here?" Harry asked.

"We can't keep hiding this from them." Sirius said to Remus with a thoughtful look.

Remus took a deep breath and started to explain.

"This rat is Peter Pettigrew. At least we are pretty sure it is. He's an Animagus too. He became one at the same time that Sirius and James did, in order to help me. This is how he's been hiding for the past several months. Dumbledore is the only one who knows, because if the ministry found out about him, they would have known about Sirius too. And then Sirius would have been thrown in Azkaban for being an illegal Animagus."

"What are you guys talking about? Why would they have to become illegal Animagi for you, Professor Lupin?" Ron asked.

"Because he's a werewolf." Hermione muttered softly.

"How long have you know?" Remus asked her.

"Since the full moon after Snape set the essay." Hermione answered.

"I'm sorry, your a what?!?" Neville exclaimed.

"I am inflicted with Lycanthropy. I believe you are all familiar with the subject?" Remus answered calmly.

"How could you guys never tell us?" Ron asked, turning to Harry and Millie.

"We were sworn to secrecy. This could ruin Uncle Remus's life if it got out." Harry explained.

"Please, please, please don't tell anyone. It doesn't change anything about the good person he is!" Millie pleaded.

"Plus he's safer now that ever before. Since he's been teaching, he's had access to Wolfsbane Potion, so he's completely harmless!" Harry added.

Hermione, Ron, and Neville stared at Harry and Millie for a moment, before agreeing. They all knew there was a bigger subject at hand.

A loud creek came from the floor boards downstairs.

"This is the Shrieking Shack! Bloody building is haunted!" Ron exclaimed.

"No, no this building was never haunted. It was always me. This building and these tunnels were built as a safe place for me to transform while I was a student. The Whomping Willow was planted over the entrance so that no one would follow me while I'm dangerous. You guys have seen how beat up I am after a transformation. But it was ten times worse before James, Sirius, and Peter turned into Animagi. Blocked away from all humans to bite, with that being the wolf's only urge, I bit and scratched myself, creating most of the scars that I'm covered in." Remus explained, with shame in his voice.

"I'm sorry to change the subject but, why are you guys so sure Scabbers is Peter?" Ron asked.

"There's only one was to find out." Sirius said. "There's a spell we can perform to force him to change back. If he really is just a rat than it won't hurt him a bit."

Ron gave a slight nod.

"On three." Remus said.

"One... two... three!" Sirius counted. Remus and Sirius pointed their wands directly at the rat and a blue flash of light went directly at the rat as Sirius let him go.

Right before their eyes, the rat transformed in to a man... who's appearance perfectly matched that of Pettigrew's mug shot in the papers.

Remus and Sirius kept their wands pointed directly at Pettigrew.

"Immobulus!" Sirius cast on him, trapping Pettigrew in place.

"You're going to pay for what you've done Pettigrew!" Sirius roared.

"I've already paid. For 12 years, in Azkaban. And you're the one who deserves to pay Sirius! If it weren't for you, I would have never been a problem at all." Peter taunted.

"What's he talking about?" Millie asked.

"Peter blames me because to a certain extent, I am to blame. When Lily and James went into hiding, they originally asked me to be their secret keeper. But Remus and I had been assigned to an incredibly deadly, long term mission, which I didn't know if we would live through. So I suggested Peter, since he had mostly been working in intelligence and going on larger group missions where he was less likely to die. That way the secret wouldn't get out to the spy if one of us died. And I let everyone continue to think I was the secret keeper, so that Voldemort would come after me, rather than Peter and the secret would be safe. But I was wrong. I trusted you Peter, and so did James and Lily, and you betrayed us all. And I regret trusting you every day of my life since Oct 31, 1981." Sirius explained.

"You burdened me with the secret. If you would have just kept it yourself it wouldn't have been compromised. You know what he did to Dorcas Meadows, and I didn't want that happening to me!" Peter spat back.

"Can we kill him now?" Sirius asked.

"No, wait think about this! If you kill him, you guys will be thrown into Azkaban for his murder, and then what will happen to you?" Hermione spoke up.

"Yeah. You guys would only suffer more. And what would happen to us?" Millie said, gesturing to herself and Harry.

"My parents didn't die for their best friends to become murderers. Pettigrew is the only murderer here." Harry muttered full of anger.

"Their right, you know?" Remus said, looking at Sirius.

"We are trying to protect you! If Peter keeps running free, it's only a matter of time before Voldemort returns." Sirius argued.

"It's already only a matter of time," Pettigrew let slip to himself.

"Then take him to the dementors, and they can have their way with him!" Harry pleaded.

Remus shot Sirius a look, and Sirius finally relented.

"Fine. Let's take him to the dementors." Sirius agreed.