A Hogwarts Legend: Changing Paths [3]

Chapter Thirty

Unedited

Chapter Thirty - "I'm just trying to make some sense out of the crazy."

It takes a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in. Then Ron voices what everyone is thinking.

"You're both mental."

"Ridiculous!" says Hermione faintly.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" says Harry. "He killed him twelve years ago!"

He points at Black, whose face twitches convulsively.

"I meant to," he growls, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me ... not this time, though!"

And Crookshanks is thrown to the floor as Black lunges at Scabbers; Ron yells with pain as Black's weight falls on his broken leg.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin yells, 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!" snarls Black, trying to throw Lupin off, one hand still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, who's squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tries to escape.

"They've - got - a - right - to - know - everything!" Lupin pants, 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 stops struggling, though his hollowed eyes are still fixed in Scabbers, who's clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched and bleeding knuckles.

"All right, then," Black says, 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," says Ron shakily, looking round at us for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

He tries to heave himself up on his good leg, but Lupin raises his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.

"Where are you going?" I ask. "Are you planning on hobbling your way back up to the castle?"

"You're going to hear me out, Ron," he says quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yells, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers is fighting too hard; Ron sways and overbalances, and Maya catches him and pushes him back down to the bed. Then, ignoring Black, Harry turns to Lupin.

"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," he says. "A whole street full of them ..."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" says Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," says Lupin, 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."

"Well, they never did find his body," I say, shrugging, and my friends stare at me, shocked. "What? I'm not saying I believe them, I'm just trying to make some sense out of the crazy."