Raven (Fred x oc)

23. Truth and Justice

"S-Sirius...R-Remus," Peter squeaked. "My friends...my old friends..."

Giving a small, fake smile, Remus remarked, "We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around there on the bed..."

"Remus," Pettigrew gasped as my jaw clenched. "You don't believe him, do you? He tried to kill me."

"So we've heard," Remus replied bitterly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so-"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Peter shrieked. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too! You've got to help me, Remus!"

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out," I said darkly, my grip around my wand turning my knuckles white.

Pettigrew looked at me, his expression changing as he said, "Valerie-"

"Don't you dare talk to her!" Dad roared. "You killed her godfather!"

"What?" Harry exclaimed.

"James was Raven's godfather," Sirius explained, glaring at Pettigrew. "Before he took that away!"

"I knew he'd come after me!" Pettigrew squeaked fearfully. "I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" Remus mused. "When nobody had ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Peter squealed. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

With a loud, bark like laughed, Sirius countered, "Voldemort, teach me tricks!" Peter flinched, causing me to smirk as I shared a look with Dad. "What, scared to hear your old master's name?"

"You know, word on the street is that his lot isn't very happy with you," I taunted, taking a step toward him. "I wonder what they'd do if they found out you were still alive, still right here. I might find out. I mean, think about it. It was you that brought the intel resulting in Old Voldy's fall."

"Wha-" Pettigrew began. "I-I never did anything to you, why-"

"You had my father locked up for over a decade!" I yelled dangerously. "My whole life, I blamed the Ministry of Magic for taking my father away, but it wasn't just them! YOU ARE THE REASON I GREW UP WITHOUT A FATHER! IT'S YOUR FAULT!" My voice lowered to a dangerous tone as I spat, "You know if you were even one sliver of the person my father is, you'd had have the balls to not become Voldemort's bitch."

Pettigrew's mask of scared innocence fell for a moment and he shoved me back. Next moment, he put back on the mask and shrieked, "She's just like him! She wants to kill me too!"

"Damn straight," I snarled.

"Val," Remus sighed. I backed up, still fuming.

"Er - Mr. Black - Sirius?" Hermione said meekly. Dad looked over at her, surprised at being addressed so politely. "If you don't mind me asking, how - how did you get out of Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic and if Valerie didn't help you?"

"Thank you!" Pettigrew gasped. "Exactly! Precisely what I-" Rolling my eyes, I stamped on his foot, causing him to whimper pathetically in pain, but Dad was thinking carefully, frowning slightly at Hermione in thought.

"I don't know how I did it," he admitted finally. "I think the only reason I never lost my mind is that I knew I was innocent. That wasn't a happy thought, so the dementors couldn't suck it out of me...but it kept me sane and knowing who I am...helped me keep my powers...so when it all became...too much...I could transform in my cell...became a dog. Dementors can't see, you know..." He swallowed painfully. "They feel their way toward people by sensing their emotions...They could tell that my feelings were less - less human, less complex when I was a dog.