Believer

Chapter Seventeen

Ron looked at me, to Scabbers, to Lupin, to Black.

"You're all mental, Nova give me back Scabbers!"

"Ridiculous!" Hermione said.

"Peter Pettigrew is dead! He killed him twelve years ago!" Harry said pointing to Black.

"Nova! Don't trust him!"

"I meant to- kill Pettigrew! But little Peter got the better of me... not this time, though!"

Crookshanks had mightily shown up once more and lunged at Ron's chest, thinking he still had him. Ron yelped in pain and swore at the cat.

Sirius lunged at me to take the rat. I heard a squeal come from Hermione.

"Sirius, no!" Said Lupin, "don't hurt my godchild!"

I stopped and looked around to the boys to Hermione and to Sirius. Every single one had the same face as I did.

"G-God-Child?" I muttered, barely audible.

"N-Nova, I wanted to tell you-" he shook his head, "it's not so easy, y'know."

"Y-you've been out there but I stayed with a family for eleven years, was separated from my own brother- you were scared about raising me!"

"It wasn't you I was afraid of-"

"Just give me the damn rat!" Sirius screamed as I held up Remus's wand. I pointed at them both.

"Back up!" I yelled. I wasn't here for games anymore.

"You can't do it just like that, Sirius, they need to understand-- we've got to explain--"

"We can explain afterwards if she'd give me the rat!" Black snarled. Lucky me I had the almost sane one. I pitied Harry.

"They've- got- a- right- to- know- everything," Lupin panted as I didn't pull down my wand. "Ron kept him as a pet! There are parts even I don't understand! And Harry-- you owe Harry the truth, Sirius!"

Black calmed down for a moment as look to Harry. He took a step closer as I raised the wand.

"Eh Eh. Stay back, Black," I said as he raised his arm and took a step back.

"All right then," He said, "tell them what you want Remus, but make it quick! I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for..."

The rat had bit my hand in many different places and didn't want to be here. Him biting me just made my grip tighter.

"Just hear me out," Lupin said as I sighed, "just keep a good tight grip on Peter while you listen."

"He's not Peter! He is Scabbers!" Ron yelled. Harry kept him placed on the bed.

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

"And?" I asked.

"They didn't see what they saw!" Said Black savagely.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Lupin. "I believed it myself until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies... Peters alive. Nova's holding him."