Something Wicked This Way Comes

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I'd heard the analogy of things clicking into place when all the clues are put together. I'd never had that moment before, not until now. It made sense now, the scratches, the paleness, the aggressive nature... Snape's lessons. Snape must have known, he leaned on it so heavily.

I couldn't help but sit in shock and silence. Lupin stepped forward, "How long have you known Hermione?"

"Since Professor Snape set the essay..." Her shoulders tensed and she had her head held high.

"Well, well, You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione-"

"Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon. Enough talk! He dies. Now. If you won't do it with me, Remus, I'll do it alone!" Sirius interjected. I could feel my blood grow cold.

"Wait, Sirius–" Lupin tried one more time to calm him, but it didn't work. Sirius became erratic and he yelled, "I did my waiting! 12 years of it! In Azkaban!"

Lupin glanced back at all of us, mainly staring at Harry, then finally at me. I could feel my gaze harden with rage and hate. I loathed what he was, he was a lie. A walking, breathing lie. I could see the discomfort as he awkwardly turned back to Black, handing him his wand, "Alright... But wait one more minute, Harry has the right to know why."

"I know why!" Harry piped up, he sounded like he was on the verge of hysteria, "You betrayed my parents! You're the reason they're dead!"

"No Harry it wasn't him!" Lupin snapped as he stepped forward, "It wasn't him. Somebody did betray your parents, but it was somebody until quite recently I believed to be dead!"

"Who was it then?!" Harry yelled jutting out his chin.

"Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius called out, swaying and smirking as he stood, "He's in this room, right now!" He chuckled and then spoke in a sing-songy manner, the room around us seemed to creak and sway with him "Come out, come out, Peter! Come out, come out, and play!"

"Expelliarmus!" Snape barreled into the room, zapping the wand out of Sirius Black's hand, sending it flying across the room, and for once I was truly happy to see the man, "Ah, vengeance is sweet," Snape smugly stood there in the doorway with a smile that would make most shiver, "How I'd hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

"Severus–" Lupin muttered softly, walking nervously around the cold professor who quickly whipped around to point his wand at Lupin to keep him back, Lupin did indeed keep back, flinching away from him, "I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here's the proof," He turned his attention back to Sirius.

Sirius stood there cocky and walking from one side of the room to the other as he spoke, "Brilliant Snape! Once again you put your keen and penetrating mind to the task and– as usual– come to the wrong conclusion!" As he walked and talked I watched Lupin almost reach out a few times to Sirius, as if to keep him quiet. The bastard was trying to keep his little friend from saying too much, but Sirius didn't listen nor pay attention, "Now if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend too–"

Snape stuck his wand into Sirius' throat, and spoke with a voice as cold as death, "Give me a reason, I beg you!" Lupin flinched back as he did so and muttered, "Severus don't be a fool..."

"He can't help it, it's habit by now-"

"Be quiet Sirius!"

"Oh quiet yourself!" Sirius shouted. Snape scoffed and shook his head, his wand still shoved into the criminal's throat, "Oh, listen to you two, quarreling like an old married couple.." He wasn't wrong...

"Why don't you run along and play with your 'chemistry set'," This man does not know how to shut up for even a second. Snape pushed his wand further into Sirius's throat, his eyes could freeze everything over, "I could do it you know. But why deny the dementors? They are so longing to see you," I heard Sirius's breath become heavier, a spark of terror in his eyes, "Do I detect a flicker of fear?" Snape mocked, "Oh, yes a dementor's kiss. One could only imagine what that must be like to endure," Snape began to smirk as he pushed Sirius back and back until his legs hit the front of the piano behind him, his breath now swelled into a fear-filled pant. Snape sneered, "It's said to be unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best!"

As I watched this transpire I felt a small amount of respect given to Snape, he seemed to be genuinely pissed off at this cold murderer. Then again, he mentioned Peter Pettigrew... But it didn't add up. He was dead.

"After you," Snape motioned us to the door. I went to take a step when Harry stepped forward first with his wand drawn toward Sirius Black. I was sure he was going to kill him then, "Expelliarmus!" He shouted, pointing it at Snape last second. I gasped aloud.

"Harry what did you do?!" Ron cried out.

"You attacked a teacher!" Hermione seemed just as dumbfounded as the rest of us. Harry pointed his wand back at the two men, "Tell me about Peter Pettigrew!" he demanded quickly and sharply.

"He was at school with us! We thought he was our friend!" Lupin jumped in, sounding exasperated at this point.

"No Pettigrew was dead..." Exactly my point! "You killed him!" He pointed his wand back at Sirius, poor boy, back and forth he went.

"No, he didn't! I thought so too until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map!" Okay... now I was completely lost. This was becoming like some drama show happening in front of my eyes, "The map was lying then!"

"The map never lies. Pettigrew is alive! And he's right there!" He pointed at Ron. What the fuck was happening?! Ron's face turned to one of a distraught nature, "Me?! He's completely mental!--"

Sirius scoffed, "Not you... Your rat!" The rat? Ron fidgetted with the rat, rubbing his hands around the rodent nervously, "Scabbers has been in my family for–"

"12 years!" Sirius nodded and stalked closer to him. I decided to put myself in between them, finally snapping out of my stupor, and glaring down the criminal with my wand pointed straight at him. He stopped for a moment his gleaming eyes meeting mine for a moment, "Curiously long life for a garden rat! He's missing a toe isn't he?!"

"All that was left behind was–" I muttered, frowning as I began to mull things over in my mind. The crime scene, "His finger!" Sirius growled out. I moved to the side barely lowering my wand. Sirius walked a bit past me toward Ron, "The dirty coward cut it off so that everyone thought he was dead!" It seemed he might be on the nose, as soon as he got close enough the rat began to squirm harder in Ron's grasp, squeaking and screeching, "And he transformed into a rat!"

"Show me..." Harry demanded. Sirius reached over and yanked the rat out of his hands. Ron cried out telling them to leave him alone, but they cared not for the boy's cries, all that mattered was that rat. They set the rat down on the piano, and it took off. Sirius and Lupin shot magic at him, trying to catch the rat, but the rat was a bit too quick. The rat jumped from the piano to the stool and then tried to make it to the hole in the wall. One of them must have hit because the rat grew in size and crashed into it, making the hole grow much bigger.

My eyes must have been big around because all I could see was legs poking out of the wall. This day went from weird, to crazy, to absolutely insane.