I will always find you

POA 16

It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voiced what the others were thinking.

"You're both mental."

"Ridiculous!" Hermione said faintly. 

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Harry said. 

"He killed him twelve years ago!" Ella said pointing at her father 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; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg. 

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again, "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 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, Ella – you owe them 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" Ron said shakily, looking round at Ella, Harry and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off." He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, 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." 

"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 Harry caught him and 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!" Black said savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands. 

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter" Lupin said, nodding. "I believed it myself – until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies ... Peter's alive. Ron's holding him, Harry." Harry looked down at Ron. Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibly. 

"But Professor Lupin. Scabbers can't be Pettigrew it just can't be true, you know it can't" 

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows. 

"Because ... because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework – the Ministry keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things ... and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have only been seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list" Lupin started to laugh. 

"Right again, Hermione!" he said. "But the Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts." 

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus" snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."