Kerry Yaxley

Chapter Eighteen

UNVEILING PETER

"Give me the rat Ron." Remus held his hand out but Ron wouldn't let go. The rat was clawing every bit of Ron he could to try and get away.

"Leave scabbers alone!" Ron protested. Harry and Hermione sighed.

"Give him the damn rat Ron." Harry urged.

"The spell will not harm him if he is a rat. If he isn't, the spell will force Peter to show." Remus explained.

"This is not Peter! It's scabbers!" Sirius couldn't take it anymore. He launched himself forward and grabbed the rat. He landed on Ron's leg but quickly got up as Ron yelled in pain.

Sirius held the rat by his tail and away from his body.

"Do it Remus. I want to prove my innocence." Sirius growled. Remus pointed his wand at the rat and a blue light shot out of the end. It hit the rat an the weirdest thing happened.

The rat sprouted legs, then arms, then a head and lost the tail and basically totally transformed into a weasel type man. He actually looked like a rat and it was definitely freaky. He fell to the floor and started to look around frantically.

He blinked a few times and ten stood up.

"R-Remus? My old friend!" He exclaimed. Remus grimaced slightly. "You have to help me Remus. Sirius wants to finish me off because he didn't get chance to before." He quivered.

"I think your story is wrong Peter. We all thought you were dead." Remus replied.

"I nearly was. If I hadn't gotten away I would be dead. I went after Sirius and when I found him he killed the muggles and nearly me." Peter tried to explain. Sirius gave a cold laugh and Peter turned around to look at him in fear.

"Oh Peter. You make me laugh. How has it been to hide for 12 years?" Sirius sneered.

"Horrible. I was scared you would come back for me. You deserved Azkaban and you betrays the Potters."

"No Peter. You betrayed the Potters. I heard things in Azkaban Peter. Do you know what?" Peter shook his head frantically. "Well basically, thy are pretty angry with you, do you know why?"

"Yes! I put one of their best men in Azkaban! I bet the dark lord taught the some tricks and that's how you escaped!" Peter reasoned.

"You make me sick!" Sirius growled. "Me work for Voldamort? Yeh right. I never needed to travel with people who I thought were bigger and better than me. Guaranteed protection. That was you Peter. Ultimate power with Voldamort! That is why you joined him!"

"It is not true!"

"I'm sorry mr.black." Hermione began. Sirius looked at her funny, being addressed so formally. "But how did you escape if you didn't use dark magic?"

"Exactly!" Peter yelled. "Explain that one Sirius!"

"It's pretty simple actually. The dementors couldn't effect me when I was a dog, so I transformed a lot. As the years wore on I became very skinny and after seeing the picture in the paper, that I got from Fudge, I tested myself by seeing if I could slip through the bars. As a dog obviously. Well I did and then I swam from the island to shore." Realisation hit Hermione's features and Kerry seemed quite impressed. Ron had been quiet for some time an Harry was quiet as he was listening patiently.

"Why did you hide as a rat for 12 years if you were innocent then Peter?" Remus challenged.

"I was innocent but scared Remus! Sirius is capable of anything!" Peter whimpered.