🥀ℙ𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕤: ℍ.ℙ🥀

𝕎𝕖𝕣𝕖𝕨𝕠𝕝𝕗: 𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕣𝕖𝕖

As Pettigrew emerges from the gap, he prattles
desperately.

"Turn me into a maggot. A dung beetle. A Flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors.", He whimpers.

"Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat.", As Ron draws back in disgust, a sleepwalking Snape bumps his head against a low limb. Hermione turns to Harry, who is still grasping onto Emily's hand, not letting her go.

"Don't worry. He's under the Somnambulist Charm. It's primarily used to transport the seriously deranged."

As Harry nods, Pettigrew's pleading eyes find Hermione.

"Sweet girl. Clever girl. Surely you won't let them...", Hermione tugs her robes from Pettigrew's sweaty grasp. He knows better than to mess with either Harry or Emily again.

Harry turns and sees Black shining radiantly under the bright bowl of the night sky. Staring in wonder at the castle. He momentarily let's go of Emily's hand.

"Don't go too far, Pretty Girl."

She is grateful for the darkness of the night around them at that moment, for her blush is completely concealed, or so she thought.

Hermione comes up next to her and nudges her shoulder with Emily's.

"Pretty Girl?", She smirks.

"Oh shut up, you.",

"Tell me everything later?"

"Duh."

"Beautiful, isn't it? I'll never forget the first time I walked through those doors. It'll be nice to do it again. Freely.", Sirius turns to Harry.

"That was a noble thing you did back there. He doesn't deserve it.", Harry studies Pettigrew briefly, then looks away, lost in thought.

"I don't reckon my father'd want his best friends to become killers for a worthless piece of vermin like Pettigrew. Besides: Dead, the truth dies with him. Alive... you're free.", Sirius studies Harry's profile, moved by this.

"I don't know if you know, Harry, but when you were born, James and Lily made me your guardian..."

"I know.", Harry tells him.

"And, well, I'll understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but, so you know, you could-"

"Come live with you?"

Soon as my name's cleared.", Harry looks at Hogwarts and grins. Sirius does the same.

Then, Hermione's voice rises on the air, quavering with fear.

"Harry..."

He turns, to see both Emily and Hermione staring at the full moon. Lupin is a rigid silhouette, his eyes shift, his fingers twitching. Harry runs to Emily's side and intertwines their fingers together again.

"Remus, old friend... did you take your potion tonight?"

Lupin, despite the twitching, shakes his head. Pettigrew's eyes dart, taking in the situation, then slowly shift, note the wand trembling in Lupin's lengthening fist.

"Run. All of you. Now.", Sirius grunts.

But none of them do, transfixed, watching as bristles pike through Lupin's skin. Black steps forward, and wraps his arms around his friend, presses his mouth to his ear.

"You know the man you truly are, Remus. This flesh is only flesh."

"This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here!", Sirius says, pounding on Remus's chest.
As Lupin's wand drops, Pettigrew leaps.