Ember. It means fire. Ember was never safe. Even before she was born she was coverted. Hunted. She's the last of her kind. Once there were many. Once there were four. Four families. One for each element. Air. Water. Earth. Fire. Every other family e...
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It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what Harry and the others were thinking.
"You're both mental."
"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.
"Impossible!" Ember yelled.
"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" said Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!" He pointed at Black, whose face twitched convulsively.
"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me. . .not this time, though!"
And Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Black lunged at Scabbers.
"Flippindo!" Ember yelled, her wand raised at Black.
Black was knocked back before he could reach Ron or Scabbers. He quickly got back onto his feet and he made another lunge towards them. Ember raised her wand and was about to blast him back but Lupin jumped in front to stop Sirius's pursuit.
"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, restraining him but Ember still stood ready, wand clenched tightly in her hand. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that - they need to understand - we've got to explain -"
"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.
"They've - got - a - right - to - know - everything!" Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. "Ron's kept him as a pet! There are parts of it even I don't understand, and Harry - you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"
Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.
"All right, then," Black said, without taking his eyes off the rat.
"Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for. . ."
"You're nutters, both of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry, Ember and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."
He tried to heave himself up on his good leg and Ember moved to help him, but Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.
"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."
Ember glared at Lupin.
"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Ember caught him with the help of Harry and they pushed him back down to the bed. Then, ignoring Black, Harry turned to Lupin.
"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he said. "A whole street full of them. . ."
"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.
