Chapter 6
“We should go down there right now and rip him out of his robes.”
“You’ll scare Ron.” Anya pointed out. “And in the street like this? You’ll attract attention.”
Sirius bared his teeth and growled.
“This requires a woman’s touch.” Anya said, as she flipped her hair back in a rather flamboyantly feminine gesture. Sirius was so taken aback he cast a look up at her.
She leaned over the side of the railing and looked down at Ron again. She regretted not coming here in disguise: if she had been wearing one, she would be able to go right up to them with no fear of Harry becoming angry with her for being here. As she focused in on Ron, his thoughts began to flow into her head.
“Don’t die on me, Scabbers. We’ll get your medicine soon enough.”
The rat’s name was Scabbers, she recalled. She felt a strong sense of pity for him: He seemed to deeply care about that rat. He had no idea what the creature in his robes was really thinking.
“I can’t sleep, I can’t eat. Sirius… I can’t let him find me.”
Too late for that, Anya thought grimly, as the trio began to make their way up the stairs. She pulled back and led Sirius back into the crowd as the three of them reached the top of the stairs. She hid herself behind a sign on the side of the street and pretended to be fastening Sirius’ collar as the three had a brief conversation.
“I need to go get Scabbers his tonic.” Ron was saying.
“I have some birthday money left over.” The girl, who Anya was sure what Hermione Granger was saying, as she checked her purse. “I could buy a gift for myself…”
“How about a nice book?”
Anya giggled. Sirius raised his paw and pressed against her face.
“No, I’d like an animal.” Hermione said earnestly. “I was thinking about getting an owl… Harry has Hedwig and you have Errol…”
“And he has that filthy rat in his robe pocket.” Sirius growled.
“Be patient.” Anya stressed. “Ron’s going to get medical supplies for him. We’ll corner him there.”
The three of them moved on to their next destination, and Anya followed behind them at a distance.
“Have you done this before?” Sirius asked curiously, as she nonchalantly made her way down the street. “You look like a professional.”
Anya ignored him as the three entered a shop filled with owls and other animals of all shapes and sizes. Anya stopped at the outside of the door and grimaced.
“Well, Sirius.” She said. “You would fit right in.”
He let out a bark that sounded shockingly like a laugh.
She peered in through the windows and let out an exasperated sigh. Although Ron had taken out Scabbers and placed him on the table, Harry was with him. She would have no better chance of reaching the Rat and accomplishing Operation Ratcatcher, but she would have no way of escaping Harry’s questions.
“That is no rat.”
Anya found herself moving with almost impossible speed: The cat leapt up onto the counter, sending the rat sprawling to the ground. Scabbers was running.
“Crookshanks no!” The shopkeep cried. Harry and Ron turned… but as soon as Scabbers made it out the door Anya swooped down and snatched him up with ease.
“UGH!”
“Heh.” Anya smiled, as the cat came to a stop at her feet. It looked up at her imploringly as she turned to Sirius and held him out to him.
“Mission accomplished!” She chirped. Scabbers squealed in fright as Sirius bared his fangs at him.
Anya found her smile fading as she turned and faced a shocked looking Harry Potter, and a confused looking Ron. She felt herself shatter to pieces: she honestly had not expected them to come chasing after the cat.
“Anya?” Harry said, dumbfounded. “What are you doing here?”
Anya spluttered. She lowered her hand, and Scabbers fought to escape, struggling fiercely in her grip.
“Hey you!” Ron said, making his way to her. “Let him go! You’re scaring him.”
She shook her head and backed away, as Sirius stepped forward, growling at Ron. He stopped mid-step, taken aback.
“No, I can’t do that.” Anya said. “See, this isn’t a rat.”
“What are you talking about?” Ron snapped. “Of course he’s a rat.”
He stepped up to her. He was quite a lot bigger than her, but Anya was sure that she could take him in a fight if need be. She stood her ground and stared up at him defiantly.
“No, he’s not!” She said. The owl sitting on the podium next to her hooted.
Feeling a sense of inspiration, she took the rat and shoved it into the owl’s beak. Ron let out a cry as the owl sputtered, flapping wildly as she tried to force the rat down its throat.
And then, out of nowhere…
Sat a balding man, sweating profusely on the cobble floor.
“This.” Anya said, raising her voice to the crowd around her. “Is an animagus by the name of Peter Pettigrew.”
The owl ruffled its feathers and gave her an indignant look. The crowd surrounding them, however, stood in shock.
"Peter Pettigrew…?”
“The man who….”
“Peter Pettigrew faked his own death twelve years ago in order to frame his friend, Sirius Black, for the death of twelve muggles and the Potters.” Anya said loudly, as she advanced upon Pettigrew. Harry’s eyes widened with shock as she glared down at the man.
“This is true, is it not?”
Peter Pettigrew stared up at her, eyes wide, trembling.
“No…. no it isn’t!” He squeaked. “You’ve got it all wrong!”
She had not got it wrong. His thoughts were clear. “How did she know?”
She grimaced as she grabbed his head and twisted it. He let out a yelp of surprise as he was turned to face Harry.
“Tell that to him.” Anya said, her voice ice cold. “Harry, this man is the reason you don’t have any parents.”
Peter trembled.
“I didn’t mean it!” He blurted out. “I never wanted Lily and James d-dead…”
Anya didn’t even notice Sirius leaping forward, eyes blazing. In a flash he had Pettigrew pinned under his massive paws. The rat whimpered.
“Sirius, please….”
“What’s all this?”
Anya turned to see a red-headed man, who she was sure was Mr. Weasley, striding towards them. He was not looking at her, focusing his attention on the scene in question.
It was time for her to leave.
Anya turned away from the scene and tried pushing her way through the crowd. The shocked crowd, clearly untrained at handling these kinds of situations, allowed her to go.
She made her way back to the Leaky Cauldron, made her way back onto the transit, and made her way back to Privet Drive. She sat in silence as she contemplated what she had just borne witness too. She felt a sense of intense elation at what she had done, as well as deep concern. They had caught Pettigrew, but Sirius himself had been in the middle of a confrontation. It had not been a good idea for her to stay, but at the same time… she felt concerned about what exactly would happen.
She got her answer later that night. Hedwig brought her a copy of the Daily Prophet, the wizarding newspaper. The front page was filled pictures of Sirius Black… and Peter Pettigrew. The Ministry, it seemed, had managed to take Pettigrew into custody and the testimony he had given seemed to indicate that Sirius Black very may well be innocent. The Paper promised constant coverage of the situation going forward.
The letter that had come with the paper was a bit more clear. It was from Harry.
Dear Anya,
Today’s been a bit of a wild day. Can’t wait to see you. Things are looking up.”
She smiled as she read the words over and over in her head. She felt as if Harry had barely managed to put the letter together due to his excitement.
It wasn’t long until she received another newspaper, this time during morning breakfast. She looked up from her eggs to see an owl tapping on the window with her beak. She walked over, opened it, and then took the paper.
Things continued this way for quite some time. The investigation, the paper said, was confirming behind a shadow of a doubt that Peter Pettigrew truly had killed Harry’s parents. Old reports had to be dragged up, muggle witnesses had to be found and interrogated, and Sirius himself had to explain his side of the story to the government, to Dumbledore, and to Harry himself.
It was about a week until she was due to head back to school when Harry Potter arrived at her doorstep.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
They stared at each other for a while. It took Anya a while to see that he was waiting to be invited inside.
When they were kids he would come in as if he were part of the family. She thought to herself, as she pulled herself away from the door and led him to the sitting room. They sat down across from one another and sat in silence.
“Where are your parents?”
“Out.” Anya said evasively. Yor was out killing someone and Loid was doing some kind of intelligence work.
“Oh.”
He seemed to be struggling to find the words. Anya patiently sat and waited, hands folded in his lap.
“It looks like I’ll be able to leave Privet Drive.” He said.
“I’ve heard.” She said. “Congratulations.”
Her voice was kind of stiff. She almost mentally slapped herself for it. Harry however, did not seem to mind.
“We have a little legal work to get through.” He said. “And I’m heading off to Hogwarts soon anyway. It’s looking like I might have to spend the rest of the summer here, and then…”
“You get to live with your Godfather.” She said, trying to keep her voice cheery. “I’m happy for you.”
She was not. She knew what was going to happen. The instant that Harry left Privet Drive…. They would no longer be friends. He would return to his life in the wizarding world, and she would be alone.
“Yeah.” Harry said. “I’m really happy.”
Her emotions were running so wildly that she couldn’t even bring herself to read his thoughts. She gave him a smile, trying to hide her tears.
“So this is it.” She said. “Tomorrow will be the first day of the rest of your life.”
Harry stared at her as she rubbed her eyes.
“Anya.” He said. “You helped Sirius find Pettigrew, didn’t you?”
She hesitated. Nothing in Harry’s letters had indicated that Sirius had explained her role in Operation Ratcatcher. But she had no choice.
“Yes.” She said. “I did.”
He stared at her. She offered him a weak smile.
“You don’t look surprised.”
“No, I already knew you did.” Harry said. “Sirius told me.”
“Of course he did.” Anya said. “What else has he told you?”
“That you seemed to see right through him.” Harry said. “How could you understand him even when he couldn’t say a word. How you believed him when no one else did.”
He hesitated.
“How you helped him for me.”
Anya nodded. Her lip trembled. She was growing increasingly nervous. She had never… in her entire life… had come so close to admitting that she could read people’s minds.
“How did you know?”
She shook her head.
“I just did.”
“Anya.” Harry leaned in closer to her. “You don’t need to keep secrets from me.”
She flinched, peering into his eyes. They stared at each other for a moment. Unlike the awkward moment at the door, Anya felt herself feeling very safe and secure. She felt a strange burst of confidence in herself, and what she wanted.
“I want to be your girlfriend!” She blurted out. She raised her hand to her mouth and covered it, eyes wide.
They stared at each other for a moment longer, and Anya suddenly began to suspect that she already was.