Daughter of Mine | Harry Potter

XV.

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked. 

"Force him to show himself. If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Ron hesitated before holding Scabbers out to Lupin. Scabbers began to squeak erratically. 

Sirius approached with Snape's wand in his hand. After a glance, the two men both pointed at the rat. A flash of blue and white light appeared and suddenly the rat began shifting and stretching into a man in midair. 

He was a plump man, with skin hanging loosely on parts of his body. His eyes were beady and watery. there was a large bald patch visible in his unkempt hair.

"Why, hello, Peter," said Lupin. "Long time, no see." 

"S - Sirius ... R - Remus ... My friends ... my old friends ..." his voice squeaked. 

Black raised his wand at the man, but Lupin shook his head. 

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there -"

"Remus, you don't believe him, do you ...? He tired to kill me, Remus ..." 

"So we've heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so -" 

"He's come to try and kill me again! He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too... . You've got to help me, Remus... ." 

Black's face darkened as he stared at Peter. 

"Oh, shut up or I'll kill you!" Lalia shouted. 

Black stifled a laugh at the girl's words when he saw Remus's reprimanding face. She shrugged at him, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. 

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," said Lupin. 

"Sorted things out?" squealed Pettigrew. "I knew he's come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"Aye Dios mío," muttered Lalia, running her face with her hand.

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban? When nobody had ever done it before?" Lupin asked, incredulously. 

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of! How else did he get out of there? I suppose He- Who- Must- Not- Be- Named taught him a few tricks!" 

Black laughed a horrible laugh that filled the room with the anger he was feeling. 

"Voldemort, teach me tricks?"

Peter flinched at the name. 

"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?" 

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius -" muttered Pettigrew, who appeared to be hyperventilating. 

"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years. You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter. ... They all think you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them. ... I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them. Voldemort went to the Potters' on your information ... and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban, did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways. ... If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter -"