Dawn Rivera

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

It takes a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voices what I'm thinking.

"You're both mental."

"Ridiculous!" says Hermione faintly.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead," says Danny. "He killed him twelve years ago!"

He and Harry point at Black, whose face twitches convulsively.

"I meant to," he growls, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!"

And Crookshanks and Lizzie are thrown to the floor as Black lunges at Scabbers; Ron yells with pain as Black's weight falls on his broken leg.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yells, 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!" snarls Black, trying to throw Lupin off, one hand still clawing the air as it tries to reach Scabbers, who is squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tries to escape.

"They've - got - a - right - to - know - everything!" Lupin pants, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! And Harry - you owe Harry the truth, Sirius! Not to mention Dathaniel and Dawn!"

Black stops struggling, though his hollow eyes are still fixed on Scabbers, who is clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched and bleeding hands.

"All right then," Black says, without taking his eyes off the rat. "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," says Ron shakily, looking round at Harry, Danny, Hermione and me for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

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

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

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yells, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers is fighting too hard; Ron sways and overbalances, and Harry and Danny catch him and push him back down to the bed. Then, ignoring Black, Harry and Danny turn to Lupin.

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

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" says Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," says Lupin, 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, Harry, Dathaniel."

Harry and Dathaniel look down at Ron, and as their eyes meet I know they agree, silently: Black and Lupin are both out of their minds. Their story makes no sense whatsoever. How could Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew? Azkaban must have unhinged Black after all - but why is Lupin playing along with him?

Then I speak, in a trembling, would-be-calm sort of voice, trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly.

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

"Why can't it be true?" says Lupin calmly, as though we are in class, and I simply spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows.

"Because...because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And me and Dawn looked them up when we did our homework - the Ministry keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register, and there have only been seven Animagi in this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list -" says Hermione.