Daughter of Mine | Harry Potter

XIV.

"You're both mental." Ron was the voice that broke the silence.

"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, who's face twitched convulsively. Lalia stepped out of Harry's arms, slightly toward her dad who was still near Ron.

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

Black lunged at Scabbers, landing on Ron's leg making him shout in pain and Lalia scream as she rushed away from the man.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, pulling Black of Ron, "WAIT! You can't do it just like that - they need to understand - we've got to explain -"

"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw himself at Scabbers again, but Remus stopped him.

"They've - got - a - right - to - know - everything!" Lupin panted. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand. Lalia has been without you for years because of him! And Harry - you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"

These words got him to stop struggling.

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

Lalia choked out an awful sob at the idea of someone in the room being murder. She glanced at the two men, one she trusted completely the other not at all.

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

He tried to stand again, but Lupin raised his wand at Scabbers.

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

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!"

Harry took a calmer approach.

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

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

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin. "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."

"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?"Lupin asked as if they were in class.

"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 registry 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 names wasn't on the list -"

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

"Little Bean...," Lalia said to herself, but loud enough so everyone could hear. She looked up into Black's eyes and this time she didn't look away. "You've been calling me little Padfoot all along."

Lupin nodded at her, offering her a smile in an attempt to communicate that it would all be okay.

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