Wandless - A Harry Potter Fanfic

Chapter 19 - The Hunt is On!

At the same time Vincent saw the Marauders map, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all gathered with Professor Lupin, Sirius Black, a knocked out Snape, and very short man, hardly taller than Harry and Hermione. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes.

The three of them were standing in shock at the new found information that was revealed to them, Lupin being a werewolf, Scabbers being Peter Pettigrew, and that he was the one that betrayed the Potters, not Sirius.

Sirius and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, wands raised.

"You should have realized," said Lupin quietly. "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."

Hermione covered her face with her hands and turned to the wall.

"NO!" Harry yelled. He ran forward, placing himself in front Peter, facing the wands. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."

Sirius and Lupin both looked staggered.

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Sirius snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors...He can go to Azkaban...but don't kill him."

"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You—thank you—it's more than I deserve—thank you—" 

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because—I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers—just for you. And your sister, she deserves to see the man that killed her best friend." 

"A—Annie?!" Pettigrew froze. 

"You didn't only betray my family, but yours as well," Harry said in utmost revulsion, but there was a hint of sadness in his tone.

No one moved or made a sound except Pettigrew, whose breath was coming in wheezes as he clutched his chest. Sirius and Lupin were looking at each other. Then, with one movement, they lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," said Sirius. "But think... think what he did...and Annie, do you really think she'd want to see...that?"

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does...and yes, of course she'd want to."

"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry, don't worry, I'm only tying him up." 

It was a very bizzare scene. Crookshanks leading them out with Lupin trailing behind with Pettigrew on a leash and Ron badly limping due to Sirius biting too hard in his dog form. Lupin helped him by tying up his leg. Hermione went next, followed by Snape who Sirius levitated off the ground, not taking care to avoid any bumps Snape hit along the way. Harry and Sirius both stayed at the back, walking together.

"What—live with you?" Harry said excitedly at Sirius' proposal to live with him. "Leave the Dursleys?"

"Of course, I thought you wouldn't want to," said Sirius quickly. "I understand, I just thought I'd —"

"Are you insane?" said Harry, his voice easily as croaky as Black's. "Of course I want to leave the Dursleys! Have you got a house? When can I move in?"