Silent Love (Harry Potter Love Story)

Chapter 36

“Expelliarmus!” said Snape. The wands fly from their hand. We turn, and find Snape standing in the doorway, smiling smugly.
 
“Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I’d be the one to catch you,” said Snape
 
“Severus..” Lupin begged.
 
“I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle. And here’s the proof,” said Snape.
 
“Brilliant! And as usual dead wrong. Now give us our wands back. Remus and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to,” as Sirius approaches, Snape put his wand to Sirius’s neck.
 
“Give me a reason. I beg you,” said Snape.
 
“Don’t be a fool, Severus!” said Lupin.
 
“He can’t help it. It’s habit by now,” said Sirius.
 
“Quiet Sirius!” said Lupin
 
“Listen you two. Quarreling like an old married couple. The creature and the criminal,” said Snape.
 
“Piss off,” said Sirius.
 
“Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors?” said Snape. Sirius looks very scared. “Do I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must be like to endure the Dementor’s kiss. It’s said to be unbereable to witness. But I’ll do my best,” Snape’s eyes harden. He gestures to the door.
 
“After you,” said Snape. As we start to go, Harry glances at the table where Lupin has left Harry’s wand.
Expelliarmus!” said Harry. Snape soars into the air, hits the wall with a thud, and slides down. All of us stare in shock
 
“Harry, why you do that?” I asked shockly
 
“You attacked a teacher,” said Hermione. Harry looks a bit shocked himself, then turns to Black.
 
“You said Peter before, Peter who?” asked Harry. He glances at me, why he does that?
 
“Pettigrew of course, not Fanny Peter. He was  school with us. We thought he was a friend,”said Lupin.
 
“But he died,” I said.
 
Sirius laughs mirthlessly.
 
“I thought so too. Until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map,” said Lupin.
 
“What?” Hermione, Ron, and I said at the same time
 
“The map was lying then,” said Harry.
 
“The Map never lies. Pettigrew’s alive and he’s right there,” said Sirius and pointed at Ron.
 
“M-me? It’s lunatic,” said Ron and went white with fear.
 
“Not you Ron, the rat,” I explained slowly to Ron. Sirius smiles a little at me and I smile back.
 
“Scabbers? Scabbers has been in my family for..” said Ron.
 
“Twelve years. A curiously long life for a common garden rat. He’s missing yoe isn’t he?” said Sirius. Sirius unfolds a dog eared clipping from the Daily Prophet, it shows Ron in Egypt with his family, Scabbers on his shoulder.
 
“So what?” asked Ron.
 
“All they could find of Pettigrew was his..” said Harry.
 
“Finger. Dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. Then he transformed into a rat,” said Sirius.
 
Harry stares into Sirius’s sunken eyes. Wanting to believe. Desperate to believe. Glances at Ron, his agonized face. Scabbers squirms violently.
 
“It’s the most lunatic story I’ve ever heard,” said Hermione.
 
“Show me,” said Harry. Lupin and Black turn to Ron. He holds Scabbers protectively.
 
“What are you going to do to him?” asked Ron. Sirius and Lupin exchange a glance.
 

“Together,” said Lupin. With that, Lupin takes out his wand, as one, he and Sirius cast a stream of blue white light. Scabbers twists madly in midair then transforms into a very short man with thinning hair and grubby hands. Peter Pettigrew.

“Sirius, Remus, my old friend,” said Peter. None of us speaking. Peter’s small, watery eyes dart toward the windows and door. Suddenly, he makes a break for it, but Sirius merely shoves him back. Peter’s nose twitches, his gaze finding Harry. His hands flutter nervously, reveal a missing index finger.
 
“Harry, look at you! You look just like your father. Like James. We were the best of friends, he and I,” said Peter innocently.
 
“Shut up!” screamed Sirius.
 
“I didn’t mean to! The dark lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself what you would have done, Sirius. What would you have done!” said Peter.
 
“Died! Died rather than betray my friends! And you should have realized, Peter, if Voldemort didn’t kill you..” said Sirius
 
“We would,” said Lupin.
 
“No.. please.. you can’t,” said Peter.
 
“Ron! Haven’t I been a good friend? A good pet? You won’t let them kill me, will you? I was your rat,” said Peter. Ron draws back in disgust. Peter turns to Hermione.
 
“Sweet girl, clever girl. Surely you won’t let them..” said Peter.
 
As one, Lupin and Sirius raise their wands, point them directly into Peter’s face. He shrinks back trembling, closing his eyes in fear.
 
“No, you’re both not a killer,” I scream.
 
“Thank you so much Miss,” Peter wanted to hug me.
 
I shove him. “Don’t touch me!” I glare at him. “I just don’t want them to be a killer. I’m not doing this for you.”
 
“Fanny, this man...” said Lupin.
 
“I know what he is, but don’t let him turn you into something that you’re not,” I said.
 
“Fanny is right. I said we’d take him to the castle. After that, the dementors can have him,” said Harry.
 
We emerges from the gap, Peter prattles desperately.
 
“Turn me into a maggot. A dung beetle. A flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors.. Ron! Haven’t I been a good friend? A good pet? You won’t let them kill me, will you? I was your rat..” said Peter.
 
As Ron draws back in disgust, a sleepwalking Snape bumps his head against a low limb. Hermione turns to Harry.
 
“Don’t worry, he’s under the somnambulist charm. It’s primarily used to transport the seriously deranged,” said Hermione. As harry nods, Peter’s pleading eyes find Hermione.
 
“Sweet girl, clever girl, surely you won’t let them..” said Peter. Hermione tugs her robes from Peter’s sweaty grasp. Harry turns, sees Black staring in wonder at the castle, shining radiantly under the bright bowl of the night sky. Harry grabs  my hand and we walk to Sirius.
 
“Beautiful isn’t it? I’ll never forget the first time I walked to through those doors. It’ll be nice to do it again. Freely,” said Sirius. Sirius turns to me. “That was a noble thing you did back there. He doesn’t deserve it.”
 
“I don’t reckon Harry’s father’d want his bestfriend to become killers for a worthless piece of vermin like Peter. Besides, dead, the truth dies with him. Alive.. you’re free,” I said.
 
“You remind me of your father. He’s the nicest person that I’ve ever met. Always helps me with homework. Sometimes James is a little jealous of your father because he’s so close with Lily. Even he also nice to Severus. But they just bestfriend. And thank you for calling me Mr. Black,” Sirius smiled.
 
“It’s good to hear something about him. Because I don’t really remember him,”I smiled.
 
“I don’t know if you know Harry, but when you were born, James and Lily made me your guardian,” said Sirius.
 
“I know,” said Harry.
 
“And well, I’ll understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but, so you know, you could,” said Sirius.
 
“When! Come live with you?” asked Harry.
 
“Soon as my name’s cleared,” said Sirius.
 
“Believe me, Harry will love that. Dursley are horrible,” I laughed.
 
Harry looks at Hogwarts. Sirius does the same. Then, Hermione’s voice rises on the air, quavering with fear.
 
“Harry...” said Hermione.
 
We turn, see Hermione staring at the full moon. His eyes shift. Lupin is a rigid silhouette, his fingers twitching.
 
“Remus, old friend, did you take your potion tonight?” asked Sirius.
 
Lupin, twitching, shakes his head. Peter’s eyes dart, taking in the situation, then slowly shift, not the wand trembling in Lupin’s lengthening fist.
 
“Run. All of you. Now!” said Sirius.
But none of us do, transfixed, watching as bristles poke through Lupin’s skin. Sirius steps forward, wraps his arms around his friend, presses his mouth to his ear.
 
“You know the man you truly are, Remus. This flesh is only flesh,” said Sirius. “This heart is where you truly live. This heart! Here!” said Sirius touch Lupin’s chest.
 
As Lupin’s wand drops. Peter leaps.
 
“No!” I said. “Expelliarmus. But it’s too late. Then slowly, Peter turns. Face blank, eyes closed, he grins hideously, transforms, stunned, I watch a rat dart into the night.
 
A howl pierces the air and Harry wheels. With a shrug, Lupin tosses Sirius into the air, then turns. He is no longer human. He’s a werewold. We begin to edge back.
 

“Professor..?” I asked and all I know that suddenly everything turns Black.