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"Peter Pettigrew?" Lina asked, her nose scrunched up "your old friend?"
"Yes, Lina," Remus said.
"You're both mental" Ron scoffed.
"Ridiculous!" Hermione said faintly.
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Harry said "he killed him twelve years ago," he said pointing at Sirius.
"I meant to" Sirius growled, "but little Peter got the better of me...not this time, though!" Crookshanks was thrown from Sirius's lap as he lunged for Scabbers, Ron yelled with pain as Sirius fell on his broken leg.
"Sirius. NO!" Remus yelled jumping forwards and dragging Sirius away "WAIT! You can't do it just like that - they need to understand - we've got to explain-"
"We can explain afterwards!" Sirius snarled trying to get Remus off of him, one hand was trying to reach for Scabbers who was squealing like made, scratching at Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.
"They've - got - a - right - to - know - everything! Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand! You owe Harry the truth! Sirius, Evangelina is here, do you really want to do this in front of her without explaining why?"
Sirius stopped struggling though he didn't take his eyes off of Scabbers, who was still struggling in Ron's bleeding hands. "All right then," he said "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," Ron said looking around for help "I've had enough of this. I'm off" he tried to get up on his good leg but Remus raised his wand and pointed it at Scabbers.
"You're going to hear me out Ron," Remus said, "just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."
"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled trying to stuff Scabbers back into his pocket but the rat was fighting too hard, Ron swayed and overbalanced, Harry caught him and pushed him back down on the bed.
Harry turned to Remus "there were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die. A whole street full of them."
"They didn't see what they thought they saw," Sirius said still watching the struggling Scabbers,
"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," Remus said "I believed it myself until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauders Map never lies...Peter's alive, Ron's holding him."
"But Professor Lupin" Hermione said with a slight tremble "Scabbers can't be Pettigrew, it just can't be true, you know it can't."
"Why can't it be true?" Remus asked calmly.
"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 keeps tabs on the witches and wizards who can become animals, there's a register showing what animal they become, and their marking and things... and I went and looked up Professor McGonagall up o the register, and there have only been seven Animagi this century and Pettigrew's name wasn't on this list."
