Chapter 20
Remus turned, arms clamped tightly around the box.
Harry was still behind him, but he had been joined, quite suddenly, by Ron and Hermione. The cloak, Remus thought, of course, he’d tripped over something he couldn’t see…
‘That’s my rat!’ Ron said again, ‘That’s Scabbers! We thought Crookshanks had eaten him. Where did you find him?’
‘Oh,’ said Remus, ‘No, no Ron, I don’t think this is the same rat. This - this one is for a lesson.’ He stepped back slightly away from them. He hoped his panic wasn’t evident on his face.
‘No,’ said Ron, approaching. Remus took another step back. ‘That’s him, look at his markings, look at his foot. What’s wrong with him? Is he dead? What do you need a dead rat for?’
Just at that moment, the rat in the box stirred.
‘I don’t think he’s dead, Ron,’ Hermione said, looking from Remus to the box, her eyes full of suspicion. ‘He’s moving.’
Remus looked down at the box. Wormtail was, indeed, waking up. His front paws twitching.
‘Look,’ said Remus, ‘You all really need to get back to the tower. I won’t ask what you were doing wandering around under the cloak if you go now.’ He turned back towards his room and walked away from them down the corridor, he could hear them behind him, Ron muttering something furiously under his breath, Harry saying something in a reassuring tone. He reached his classroom, placed the box on the side, dropped the stack of parchment and turned and locked the door, leaning forward to rest his head against the cool wood.
He needed to calm down. He could feel himself losing control. The plan was very simple: catch Peter, go to Dumbledore, save Sirius. Do it all before Sirius did something stupid. He looked back at the box, and watched Wormtail’s back leg twitch.
Out of the corner of his eye, a movement. His stomach dropped and turned sharply, pulling his wand from his robes.
‘Fucking hell,’ he hissed. ‘What are you doing here?’
A large black dog emerged from the shadows beneath his desk, eyes fixed on the box.
‘You got him.’ said Sirius, suddenly himself again.
‘Yes I did, because I am trying to follow the plan! What the fuck Sirius? Could I not have made it any clearer how dangerous this is? If someone sees you, they might kill you on sight!’
‘I couldn't wait.’ said Sirius, simply. ‘I’ve waited long enough.’
Remus looked at him. The wild look from earlier was back, his eyes were blazing, fixed on the rat. He took a step towards them and the rat stirred again.
‘You drugged him?’ Sirius asked, curiosity clear in his voice, ‘how long before he wakes.’
‘I don't know, not long by the looks of things. That's why I need to think. I need to get to Dumbledore. Or I need Dumbledore here…’ he paused and looked nervously up at Sirius. ‘We need him alive, remember, to prove you're innocent.’
‘They can tell quite easily how recently someone has died,’ Sirius said, darkly.
Remus wanted to scream. This was so unbelievably stressful. Sirius took another step forward.
‘Sirius,’ he said, trying to keep his voice steady. He moved towards him slowly, trying to get into his eyeline. ‘Hey, hey,’ he said softly, as he approached, ‘hey, Pads, look at me.’
Sirius' eyes flicked to Remus for a moment and then back to the box.
‘Pads, come on, look at me, please.’ Remus put his arms out, either side of Sirius, framing his body, but not touching him. Sirius' eyes came to rest on his.
‘Please,’ Remus said again, begging now. ‘Please trust me. Remember you have something to lose.’
Sirius stopped then, very abruptly and took a step back. Remus let out a long exhale.
‘Ok, this is what we're going to do.’ Remus said, trying hard to sound in control. ‘You're going to go in my room and stay there. There's food, if you can eat it?’ he added, hoping it might at least occupy Sirius briefly. ‘I will get Dumbledore here, somehow, and we can get this all sorted.’
He walked over to his desk and opened the door behind it. ‘In here,’ he said, gesturing through the doorway. ‘Help yourself to whatever. Do not leave his room.’
‘Don’t lock me in,’ Sirius said suddenly, in a small voice. He had passed Remus in the doorway and was standing by his bed, looking shrunken in his oversized jumper. ‘I swear I won't wander, just please, no locked doors.’
Remus hesitated, but something in the expression on Sirius’ face…
‘Ok,’ he agreed. ‘I won't lock it, but I am taking the rat with me.’
Sirius nodded, sitting down gingerly on the edge of the bed. Remus watched him for only a moment before he closed the door. Wormtail had rolled over in the box now, his tail twitching lazily. Remus picked it up and put it carefully into his bag - he wasn't up for any more questions from students in corridors - and opened the door.
Severus was standing there, his hand raised to knock. Behind him, looking sheepishly at their shoes, stood Harry, Ron and Hermione.
‘Professor Lupin,’ Severus said. ‘These three students, who I have caught out of bed after hours, have claimed that they were on their way to see you? With permission?’
Remus felt a bubble of hysterical laughter rise up through his chest. What was happening? He didn’t know if he could hold this together any longer. He turned it into a cough just in time. ‘Erm,’ he managed.
‘For help with homework, Sir,’ said Harry, bravely. ‘ You told us we could meet you about it here.’
‘Silence, Potter.’ snapped Severus, his eyes never leaving Remus, eyebrows raised so high they'd almost disappeared.
‘I-’ Remus began, with really no idea what he was going to say, Harry's eyes were wide and pleading, Ron was very red in the face, struggling to hold his tongue. The last thing Remus needed was an outburst about a rat.
‘Yes! Yes, I did.’ he burst out, suddenly. ‘Yes, the research project. You couldn't find that book in the library but I think I have a copy here, don't I. Come in, come in.’ he stepped aside and waved them through. Severus was eyeing him with suspicion.
‘You are aware that students are supposed to go straight to their common rooms after dinner.’ he said, it wasn't a question.
‘Of course,’ said Remus quickly, ‘unless accompanied by a member of staff. Thank you ever so much for escorting them Severus.’ he tried to force a polite smile. ‘You three really should have waited for me to come and collect you! Don’t let it happen again. Right! Let's get on so that we can get you up to bed in good time, good night Severus!’
Snape, who was looking furiously back at him, opened his mouth as if to speak, but Remus closed the door. He paused for a moment, trying to compose himself before turning around. When he did, he pressed a finger to his lips and pointed to the door - he had not yet heard Severus retreat - and ushered the three children further away, towards his desk.
‘What are you doing here?’ he said, voice low, ‘I told you to get back to bed! Now we're all stuck here with Snape lurking at the door!’
Harry gave him a slightly strange look. Remus wondered just how mad he looked, bag over his shoulder, hair wild from the run up the stairs. ‘We were going to see Hagrid, about the appeal,’ Harry began in a whisper, ‘and then we bumped into you -’
‘And you had my rat!’ Ron hissed furiously.
‘Snape caught us arguing about it,’ Harry cut back in, ‘just down the corridor. We're really sorry - we were right there, you seemed like the obvious excuse.’
‘I really am very busy this evening,’ said Remus, trying to sound professional. ‘I have got to go and see Professor Dumbledore about something, urgently, and -’
He was cut off by a muffled thump and an ‘ouch’ from his quarters. All three children looked up at the closed door, and then back to him. Remus opened his mouth to say something, anything, and then with horror, heard the door creak open behind him.
Hermione gasped as Sirius stepped out into the classroom, rubbing his shin. He looked up in surprise, the colour draining immediately from his face, he clearly had not been expecting anyone to be still there.
‘I thought you were going to get Dumbledore,’ he whispered.
‘I have been trying!’ Remus said in a strangled voice.
There was a beat of silence and they looked at each other. Harry was staring fixedly at Sirius, his face ashen. Ron had stepped protectively in front of his friend, drawing himself up as tall as he could. Sirius was looking at Remus, eyes full of apology, until they shifted to -
‘Harry?’ he said hoarsely.
Remus looked between them. He thought he might pass out. This was going so, so wrong. Ok, he thought, focus, just, talk them round, get them to wait.
‘I knew it! I knew it!’ Hermione squealed suddenly.
Her piercing voice brought Remus back into the present.
‘Everybody just stop!’ he said, his voice like steel.’Nobody moves, nobody speaks, just listen.’
They all turned to look at him, wide eyed.
‘We need to get Professor Dumbledore. That is what must happen next. No panicking, no running, no revelations. No shouting for help. Before this gets any further, we need Dumbledore here.’
‘What is he doing here?’ Harry said, through gritted teeth, ignoring Remus’ instructions completely. ‘Why were you hiding him?’
‘Harry,’ Remus said, ‘this is very very serious. It will all be explained, but we do need to get Dumbledore here first.’
‘Have you been helping him, all this time? All this time, while you were pretending to be my friend, showing me pictures of my parents? Telling me stories?’ Harry's voice cracked, and there were tears forming in his eyes, ‘and then we come to you for help and there's a murderer in your bedroom?’
Sirius made a strange strangled noise and took a step forward.
‘No, no no.’ said Remus. He put a hand up, warning Sirius to stop, ‘No to all of that Harry, but you remember, when you asked me what happened? And I said I didn't know? I do now, and we need to explain this all in front of a witness, a reliable one. We just need-’
‘I’ve been covering for you!’ Hermione said suddenly, ‘I never told anyone! And all this time-’
‘Hermione!’ Remus said in a tone of sheer desperation.
‘Harry, don’t trust him, he’s been helping Black get into the castle, he wants you dead too – he’s a werewolf.’
Remus closed his eyes and inhaled. The room was deadly silent. He exhaled again in a long shaky breath. He thought he might pass out.
‘Only one out of three correct there, Hermione. Not at all up to your usual standard. I have not been helping Sirius, and I certainly don't want Harry dead.’
‘Wh-what?’ Ron spluttered, backing away from Remus, pushing Harry behind him and grabbing Hermione by the arm.
‘I have known for ages!’ she continued, ‘ever since I finished reading the textbook. You're always ill at the full moon and your boggart - and I never told anyone because I thought you were a good teacher! And now -’’
Remus nodded, slightly hysterical now. ‘Very clever, very observant.’
‘Not that clever,’ she said bitterly. ‘If I was clever, I'd have told everyone what you are, before you could,’ she gestured furiously at Sirius.
‘They already know,’ said Remus, dismissively, ‘or the staff do anyway.’
‘Dumbledore knew you were a werewolf and he still gave you the job?’ Ron gasped. ‘Is he mad?
‘Quite possibly.’ said Remus, ‘but the fact that I am a werewolf really isn't the matter at hand here -’
‘No,’ said Harry coldly. The werewolf revelation did not seem to have rattled him at all. ‘The matter at hand is why you're harbouring the man that killed your friends, who tried to kill me! What was the plan? Huh? Have we just made it easier? By coming to you?’
‘I’m not here to kill you, Harry.’ Sirius said quietly and Remus felt the pain in his voice as if it was slicing through his own body, ‘I’d never -’
Sirius was cut off by a high pitched squeal from the bag that was still slung across Remus’ back.
‘Scabbers!’ yelled Ron, ‘I don’t know what sick, twisted thing you are planning but you give him back!’
Remus felt like he was going to explode. He drew the box from the bag. Wormtail was indeed awake, clawing at smooth glass, his paws slipping down it as he tried to climb towards the top. He was squeaking frantically and for the first time, Remus noticed how ill he looked: skinny with patches of hair missing. Upon realising his environment had changed, the rat paused and looked around the room. Remus wondered how much he could see through the glass, and when Wormtail’s beady eyes came to rest on Sirius he had his answer. He began to make a horrible shrieking noise, as if being tortured and Ron made to move towards them. Remus flung himself over the box.
There was a great bang and the classroom door flew open and a voice bellowed from the doorway. ‘Nobody move!’
They turned as one, towards the noise. Severus stood there, menacing in the doorway, his black robes billowing behind him. His wand was raised.
‘I’ve told the Headmaster again and again that you’ve been helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here’s the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to bring him into the castle –’
Remus was really struggling now. Black spots were dancing in front of his eyes and he was breathing hard and fast, too fast. He saw Sirius out of the corner of his eye back against the wall, he thought he’d heard Ron start to say something, but he couldn’t make out what. He needed to get a handle on this. He forced himself to look into Severus’ eyes.
‘Severus, you’re making a mistake,’ he said urgently. ‘You haven’t heard everything - Sirius is not here to kill Harry - this rat -’
‘I have already called for Professor Dumbledore,’ said Severus coldly, ‘you can save your pleading for him. And the Dementors, not that I expect either will take any notice. I told Albus, again and again…’
‘You called for Dumbledore?’ Remus said. Had he heard him correctly? Was Dumbledore on his way?
‘Of course I did,’ Severus snapped, ‘He needs to see this! He needs to see what you are, what you have been doing! He needs to see that -’
‘What do I need to see so urgently, Severus?’ came a calm voice from the corridor. Dumbledore rounded the door frame and stopped, surveying the scene: Remus, hunched over a box, the rat inside it screaming; Sirius, in his ripped trousers, pupils blown wide, cowering against the wall; Harry, Ron and Hermione, trembling behind them. ‘Oh’, he said.