𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧
THE months had come and gone and it was now almost the end of the year. Spring had sprung and now you were sitting in Remus’s office, grading third-year tests on muggle house supplies. Remus was also grading essays on Banshees. He had the marauders map open on his desk while he was grading. Having the map open brought Remus a strange sense of comfort, almost as if the map transported him back to his boyhood. Remus had noticed some movement on the map out of the corner of his eye. He brought the map close to him and nearly had fallen out of his chair. Not only were Harry, Ron, and Hermione out of bed after curfew they were also in the Shrieking Shack accompanied by none other than Sirius Black and Petter Pettigrew.
“That’s impossible,” he muttered. You look up from your papers to see Remus holding the Marauder's map.
“What’s impossible, love?” you ask setting your quill down.
Remus doesn’t answer and simply says, “We’ve got to go.” He gets up from his chair, grabs his wand, and rushes out the door with you doing the same. “Remus, what’s going on?” you ask as you follow behind him.
Remus’s long legs rush through Hogwart's many corridors and hallways until you reach the Whomping Willow. Its branches have already been frozen so you and Remus slide through the passageway and enter the run-down house where Remus’s spent so much of his Hogwarts life.
It takes you five seconds to hear it. The familiar voice of Sirius Black. The slow and gritty voice was accompanied by the voices of three horrified Hogwarts students.
You and Remus follow the voices up the stairs and into the first room you see. On the floor you see Harry holding his wand toward Sirius’s neck. The students look towards the two of you, and Remus yells, “Expelliarmus,” taking Harry’s wand from his own hand.
“Professors!” all three of them yell. Ron was in the corner of the room with what looked like to be a broken leg and Hermoine was standing next to them. As you’d seen before, Harry was kneeling by Sirius’s head, still in shock from being de-wand. All three of them have scratches and scars similar to Remus’s.
“Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius? Finally, the skin reflects the madness within,” Remus dismisses the intense stares that the students give him. Now that you really got a good look at him, he didn’t look like the Sirius you’d come to know and love. He was skinny, almost waif-like, his once smooth shiny black hair was matted, and he was caked with so much dirt and dust.
“You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?” Remus helps Sirius up and they embrace. Sirius’s eyes meet yours and it’s almost like the first time the two of you met. Your heart skips a beat and your stomach feels like it’s overflowing with butterflies. “Sirius,” you say, tears brimming your eyes. Your emotions get the best of you and the tears begin to fall. After twelve years, he was finally back. He walks over to you, his bony arms sliding around your frame, and pulls you into him. Your arms fly around him and pull yourself even closer to him. “I’m back and I promise I won’t leave you this time. I’m so sorry,” he whispers into your ear. Remus joins in on the hug and rests his face on top of the two of yours. Remus was heads taller than the both of you which sometimes came in handy. While the two of you were having such a sweet reunion, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stared in horror. They all felt the hardest sense of betrayal.
“No! I trusted you! I covered up for you. And all this time you've been his friend!” Hermione points at the three of you which causes you to break apart. Hermione then singles out Remus with her finger, “He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!”
“How long have you known?”
“Since Professor Snape set the essay,” she crossed her arms.
“You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione.”
“Hermione, please don’t tell anyone else. It would put him in danger,” you look over at the bushy-haired girl. She nods and then turns her attention to the two older men.
“Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon. Enough talk! He dies. Now. If you two won't do it with me, I'll do it alone.”
Remus tries to hold him back, “Wait, Sirius.”
“I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!”
Remus looks at him while you just stand there, eyes wide. Remus nods, “All right then. As you wish.”
“No!” Harry raises another wand at Remus and Remus easily disarms him once again. If this was any other situation you would have scolded Remus for disarming your nephew twice in a day but Harry needed to know the truth.
“You betrayed my parents! You sold them to Voldemort!”
“It's a lie! I never would've betrayed James and Lily!” Sirius shouted. That was true. Sirius would have died rather than betray his best friends.
“No, Harry! You’ve got to listen,” you spoke for the first time.
“Did he listen? When my mother was dying! Did he hear her screaming!”
“Stop it!” you didn’t want to think about your sister screaming out for help moments before she died. You didn’t want to think about how your usually strong and optimistic sister was utterly hopeless and you couldn’t do anything about it.
“No! I wasn't there! And I'll regret it the rest of my life!” your voice cracked.
“Someone else betrayed your parents, Harry. Someone in this room right now. Someone who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead,” Remus took the attention off of you which you were thankful for.
“He's as good as dead,” Sirius muttered.
“What're you talking about? There's nobody here,” Harry looks around.
“Oh yes there is,” Sirius turns to where Ron sits on the floor. “ Come out, come out, Peter. Come out, come out and play,” he says in a sing-songy way.
“You're mad,” Ron cowers more into the corner.
“Expelliarmus!” Severus suddenly enters the room, disarming Remus and Sirius at once.
“Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you,” Severus digs his wand into Sirius’s neck.
“Severus,” you bring out your own wand and point it at Snape.
“I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof,” he looks at you without taking his wand off of Sirius’s neck.
“Brilliant! And -as usual - dead wrong. Now give us our wands back. Remus and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to,” Sirius smiles. His teeth were black and yellow, signs of the torture he went through at Azkaban.
“Give me a reason. I beg you,” Severus begs.
“Would Lily want you to do this,” you whispered barely audible but your comment made it to the ears of Severus who just tightened his jaw.
“Don't be a fool, Severus!” Remus said.
“He can't help it. It's a habit by now.” Sirius laughed.
“Quiet, Sirius!”
“Quiet yourself, Remus.”
“Both of you, shut up!” you said, still pointing your wand at Severus.
“Listen to you three. Quarreling like an old married couple. The creature, the criminal, and the cumdumpster.”
Cumdumpster that was a new one. You rather liked that insult but your partners were about ready to kill Severus for what he just said to you.
“Severus, choose your next words carefully,” Sirius said slowly.
“Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors? Do I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must be like to endure the Dementor's Kiss. It's said to be unbearable to witness. But I'll do my best,” Severus gestures to the door, “After you.” You grab onto Sirius’s arm, he looks at you, and you shake your head mentally telling him not to go. Suddenly, Severus is disarmed and knocked back. You look at Harry who now has his own wand in his hand.
“Harry, you attacked a teacher,” Hermione sounded distressed while Harry looked a bit shocked yet proud of himself.
“You said Peter before. Peter who?” Harry asked.
“Pettigrew. He was at school with us. We thought he was a friend,” Remus started.
“No. Pettigrew's dead. He,” Harry pointed at Sirius, “Killed him.”
“I thought so, too. Until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the Map,” Remus nodded.
“The Map was lying then-”
“The Map never lies,” you and Sirius said at the same time then Sirus continued, “Pettigrew's alive. And he's right there,” Sirius pointed one of his thin fingers at Ron who was holding a squirming rat.
“M-me? It's lunatic,” Ron squirms just as much as the rat.
“Not you, you idiot. Your rat,” Sirius sighs.
“Scabbers? Scabbers has been in my family for-” Ron starts.
“Twelve years,” Sirius cuts in, “A curiously long life for a common garden rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?”
“So what?” Ron asks, holding his Rat protectively to his chest.
“All they could find of Pettigrew was his-” Harry trails off, putting the puzzle pieces together.
“Finger. The dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. Then he transformed into a rat,” Sirius answers the question everyone had in their minds.
“Show me,” Harry demands. You, Remus, and Sirius looked at Ron who holds Scabbers more protectively.
“What are you going to do to him?” Merlin was Ron slow to understand situations. You rolled your eyes.
The three of you exchanged a glance, “Together.” You all take out your wands, Sirius using Severus’s wand, and cast a spell that reveals Scabbers’s true form.
A plump and round man with beady little eyes and a short frame appears. “S-Sirius... R-Remus…Y-Y/N. My old friends,” he holds his hands out and comes towards you but Remus and Sirius step in front of you. Pettigrew's small, watery eyes dart toward the windows and door. Suddenly, he makes a break for it, but Sirius merely shoves him back. His gaze meets Harrys and says, “ Harry! Look at you! Y-you, look just like your father. Like James. We were the best of friends, he and I -”
“Shut up!” all three of the adults shout.
“I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself what you would have done, Sirius. What would you have done!” the traitor says.
“Died! Died rather than betray my friends! And you should have realized, Peter, if Voldemort didn't kill you…” Sirius started, “We would,” and Remus finished.
“No... please... you can't,” the rat whined, “Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat,” he then turns to Hermione, “Sweet girl. Clever girl. Surely you won't let them.” the three of you lift your wands at Peter. He hangs his head but Harry then jumps in. “No,” he says.
“Harry, this man-,” you start.
“I know what he is. But we'll take him to the castle,” Harry nods his head.
“Bless you, boy! Bless you,” Peter hugs Harry. You were about to run and rip Peter off of you but he did that for himself.
“Get off! I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the Dementors can have you.”
Peter then whines like a baby which disgusts you even more.
●・○・●・○・●
All of you emerge from the gap that leads from the Shrieking Shack to the grounds of Hogwarts. Snape was under a Somnambulist Charm, banging his head on any little thing that came his way. Peter continues to beg for mercy as if he wasn’t the reason why two innocent lives were killed, as if he wasn’t the reason that Harry grew up without parents, as if he wasn’t the reason why you lost your sister! Harry and Sirius were walking side by side, catching up on the events that happened in the past twelve years. Harry finally had another piece of his past solved in the past year.
You walked with Ron and Hermione while Remus walked slowly behind. Hermione stopped in her tracks, tapped your arm, and pointed at the sky. The full moon was glaring right back at you.
“Fuck,” you muttered.
“Harry!” Hermione said. Harry turned back to see Hermione point at the sky. Sirius’s eyes followed the direction that the young witch's arm was pointed. Sirius ran over to Remus who was now twitching, getting ready to transform.
“Remus, old friend... did you take your potion tonight?” Sirius tried to help Remus remember who he was. “Run. All of you. Now!”
You try to turn the kids around but they just stare at Remus as he transforms. You see Sirius wiper something to Remus but right now you really didn’t care. You really needed to get the kids and yourself out of there. During all the commotion you don’t notice Peter transform back into a rat and run away. Remus, now a werewolf, turns to the four of you but Severus intercepts him just as the werewolf pounces, but Sirius, now in his animagus form, attacks him midair. Seeing that his godfather is hurt, he runs forward. You try to grab Harry and pull him back but he was faster than you and slipped out of your hold.
“Harry, No!” you yell.
Harry bends down to look at the hurt dog. The werewolf slowly walks towards Harry, showing its razor-sharp teeth. Desperately, Harry grabs a branch and hurts the werewolf, causing it to stumble back. The werewolf snarled and makes its way back toward Harry but a howl causes the werewolf to look at the sky and run away.
You missed that interaction due to you and Severus rushing Ron and Hermione to the hospital wing. Hermione had escaped with only a few scratches while Ron wasn’t that lucky. The poor redhead had broken his leg.
“Harry,” you said, suddenly remembering that Harry was still outside, “I have to go get Harry!” you start to the door but Severus stops you.
“No, you’ve done quite enough. I’ll go get Potter just,” he looks around, “Stay put.”
You sink down into one of the beds and lay your head onto one of the stiff hospital wing pillows. Your tiredness had overcome you and you drifted off into a dreamless sleep.