April 4th, 1994
The first feast after the easter holiday was going quite well. Seamus and Dean were raving about what their families had done over the holiday, but Harry didn’t mind. He was mainly glad that he, Ron, and Hermione had all made up. Even Neville seemed to be enjoying himself. Lavender and Pavarti were still mad at Hermione for disrespecting Professor Trelawney, but Hermione didn’t care so nor did Harry.
Ron had just started talking about how they should use the map to sneak into Zonkos and how he swears Fred and George must have bought the entire store, when all of the sudden the doors to the great hall crash open. Harry was first reminded of the halloween feast two years ago when Professor Quirrell, who had really been Voldemort, ran through the great hall to warn the castle about an escaped Troll. This was not that.
A plump man with old torn clothes was being guided into the hall. He was balding and he had very narrow buck teeth. He was whimpering, crying almost and if his hands weren’t being pulled tightly behind his back, Harry would assume the man would be shaking. This man wasn’t everyone focus though. The man behind him, was. He had tattered prison clothes, waxy skin, long hair and was covered in dirt. He looked like a dead man walking. His name was Sirius Black. The entire hall was stunned silent, the only sounds were the whimpers from the man in Sirius Black’s grip.
Ron inched forward as if he was trying to hide Harry. Sirius Black was going after Harry, but Harry would never let him hurt Ron or anyone else. Besides, Dumbledore was right there, Black would be foolish to try anything right across Dumbledore.
Speaking of the professors, Harry looked to the table to see if any of them were going to stop this. Most of them were just as stunned as the students. Professor Lupin looked like he was seconds away from passing out, even Snape looked more enraged than usual. Black was looking around at the tables. Harry caught his eye for a second, but the murderer looked away instantly. His head flicked to the Slytherin table, it stayed there for a second for his focused moved to the man in front of him.
“TELL THEM! Tell them all Peter! Let’s all sit around and listen to the great story of Peter Pettigrew!” Black roared. The articles were right, he seemed absolutely mad.
“Please! Please! You mustn’t believe him!” The man (Peter Pettigrew? He is supposed to be dead) cried. He looked from professor to professor, but none of them did anything. Dumbledore didn’t even look like he was going to move at all.
“Fine! Let’s do this the fun way! I was hoping you would be smart about this, but it seems you’re still thicker than dirt!” Black pulled out a small vile, then kicked Peter down to his knees. He shoved the vial into Peter’s mouth.
“Veritaserum.” Hermione whispered.
“What?” Harry turned away from the scene and towards his friend across the table.
“The label on the vial says veritaserum. Truth serum.” Hermione explained. Truth serum. Harry turned back to the two men in the center of the great hall.
“Now, tell them Peter. Tell them how you are still alive.” Black seemed unnervingly calm. Ron inched closer to Harry.
“I- I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry! I… I was the spy. Sirius never became their secret keeper, it was me. I sold Lily and James to you know who.. then when Sirius came to confront me, I framed him and cut off my finger. I transformed into a rat because I am an illegal animagus. I spent the last twelve years as a pet to the Weasley family. Please Remus! Please you have to believe that I never wanted to betray them!”
Dumbledore cut him off with ropes shooting out of his wand and tying up Peter Pettigrew. Peter. The man who gave his parents away to Voldemort. Harry jumped forward, but hands caught him. Ron and Fred were holding him back.
Snape and Flitwick rushed forward to get Peter. Hagrid went too. Students were all moving and screaming. Professors Sprout and Hooch were directing students out of the Great hall. Percy was shouting at the Gryffindor table to do so too and go back up to the dorm. Peter was still crying out for help, Harry was still fighting the Ron and Fred to let him go. McGonagall was with Lupin. Dumbledore was contacting someone, probably the Minister. And in all chaos of the students leaving and the teachers getting Peter, no one saw Sirius Black leave.
****
Harry, Ron, and Hermione did not go back to their dormitories. They went to the girls bathroom on the second floor. All three of them were sitting on the floor, not saying a word. No one knew what to say. Harry couldn’t believe it. Sirius Black, his godfather, did not kill his parents. Peter Pettigrew did then he faked his death and blamed Sirius. Black was innocent. Black could’ve raised Harry, instead of the Dursley’s, but Pettigrew made it impossible. He gave Harry’s parents to Voldemort then framed his only other guardian.
Harry didn’t want to talk about that part.
I spent the last twelve years as a pet to the Weasley family
“That man.. Pettigrew, he’s scabbers.” Harry said. He kept his eyes on the floor, following around the tiles.
“What?” Ron seemed to have been too focused Pettigrews confession. It took him a second for him to remember the last part. “Oh… Oh! Ugh! That’s.. that’s disgusting! I let him sleep in my bed!” Ron moaned. Under different circumstances, Harry would have thought this to be extremely funny.
“How did scabbers- erm, Peter become your pet anyways?” Hermione asked.
“Percy found him. He was his pet first, until Percy got his owl. I can’t believe he’s been a man this entire time.” Ron made his usual disgusted face at the thought. Harry had to agree. He doesn’t know what he would do if he suddenly found out Headwig was a grown woman. And a murderer at that. “And did you see the way he kept addressing Professor Lupin? What was that about?” Ron continued.
“They were friends.” Harry looked up to his friends. “Lupin, Black, Pettigrew, and… and my dad.”
“Oh Harry..” Hermione came over to hug him. So did Ron. And while he hated being pitied, he let them hugged him.
They sat there for a while. Not even Moaning Myrtle bothered them.