Percy Jackson and the Hound of Hogwarts [Book 3]

51) Werewolf

"If you haven't been helping him," Harry glanced furiously at Black, "how did you know he was here?"

"The map," Lupin said. "The Marauder's Map. I was in my office examining it —"

"You know how to work it?" Harry questioned suspiciously.

"Of course he knows how to work it," I rolled my eyes. "He helped write it. He's Moony."

Lupin waved his hand impatiently, "That was my friends' nickname for me at school."

"You wrote —"

"The important thing is, I was watching it carefully this evening, because I had an idea that you, Ron, Hermione, and Percy night try to sneak out of the castle to visit Hagrid before his hippogriff was executed. And I was right, wasn't I?"

Lupin started pacing around the room, looking up at Harry.

"You might have been wearing your father's old Cloak, Harry —"

"How d'you know about the Cloak?"

"The number of times I saw James disappearing under it..." Lupin waved another impatient hand. "The point is, even if you're wearing an Invisibility Cloak, you still show up on the Marauder's Map. I watched you cross the grounds and enter Hagrid's hut. Twenty minutes later, you left Hagrid, and set off back toward the castle. But you were now accompanied by somebody else."

The last piece of the puzzle fit into place, and I paled, staring at Ron with wide eyes.

"What?" Harry said. "No, we weren't."

"I couldn't believe my eyes," Lupin said, ignoring Harry's interruption. "I thought the map must be malfunctioning. How could he be with you?"

"No one was with us!" Harry said.

"And then I saw another dot, moving fast toward you, labeled Sirius Black.... I saw him collide with you; I watched as he pulled two of you into the Whomping Willow —"

"One of us!" Ron said angrily.

"No, Ron," Lupin said. "Two of you."

He stopped pacing, looking over at Ron.

"Do you think I could have a look at the rat?" He said evenly.

"What?" Ron demanded. "What's Scabbers got to do with it?"

"Everything," Lupin said. "Could I see him, please?"

Ron hesitated, then reached into his pocket. He held Scabbers, who was thrashing wildly now. He had to grab his tail to keep him from escaping. Crookshanks stood on Black's leg, hissing.

Lupin moved nearer to Ron, holding his breath.

"What?" Ron held Scabbers close to him. "What's my rat got to do with anything?"

"That's not a rat," I stared at 'Scabbers', my grip on my sword tightening.

"What d'you mean — I'd course he's a rat —"

"No, he's not," Lupin said quietly. "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," Black said, "by the name of Peter Pettigrew."

"You're all mental," Ron said.

"Ridiculous," Hermione said weakly.

"Peter Pettigrew's dead!" Harry pointed at Black, whose face twitched. "He killed him twelve years ago!"

"I meant to," Black snarled, teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me... not this time, though!" Black lunged at Scabbers. Ron shouted with pain.

"Sirius, NO!" Lupin shouted, and we dragged Sirius away from Ron. "WAIT! You can't do it just like that — they need to understand — we've got to explain —"

"We can explain afterwards!" Black scowled, trying to throw us off. He was still reaching towards Scabbers, who was scratching at Ron in an attempt to escape.

"They've — got — a — right — to — know — everything!" Lupin breathed. "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 stopped struggling, staring fixedly at Scabbers in Ron's scratched, bleeding hands.

"All right, then," Black stared at the Ron. "Tell then whatever you like. But make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for...."

"You're nutters, all of you," Ron said, turning to Harry and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

Ron tried to stand on his good leg, but Lupin raised his wand, pointing it at Scabbers. "You're going to hear me out, Ron. Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled struggling to force Scabbers into his pocket. He muttered some rude words, then something about me having a heart too big for my own good. Ron swayed as he stood, and Harry caught him, pushing him back onto the bed.

"There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die," Harry turned to look at Lupin. "A whole street full of them..."

"They didn't see what they thought they saw," I said simply, staring at the rat.

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

After a moment of silence, Hermione spoke in a trembling voice, "But Professor Lupin... Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..."

"Why can't it be true?" Lupin said clamly

"Because... because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had been an Animagus. We did Animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework — the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things... and I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been only seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list —"

"Right again, Hermione!" Lupin laughed. "But the Ministry never knew there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts."

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus," Black said, still staring at the rat. "I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"All right... but you'll need to help me, Sirius, I only know how it began..."

Lupin stopped. There was a loud creak. The bedroom door had opened on its own. We all stared at it. Then Lupin walked over.

"No one there..."

"This place is haunted!" Ron hissed.

"It's not," Lupin stared at the door, perplexed. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted.... The screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made my me."

Heh. Sorry. I keep forgetting what day it is. So today is Monday. I was supposed to pot yesterday. Sorry. I would post another chapter to make up for it, but we're almost finished with this book. Remind me to make it up to you when the fourth book starts, I'll post six chapters when I start instead of the regular five. Also, I'm not finished with the fourth book :( Every time I've posted a book, I've had the next book finished. But, I'm like sixty chapters in. That's a third of the book, I believe. Oh, and the chapters will have to be longer once I get to the fifth book. It may even need to be longer now. But the fifth book is really long, and there's only so many chapters you can have in a book. But yeah.

I hope you guys have enjoyed the chapter, and enjoyed your Monday. I will see you tomorrow, Tuesday, if I can remember. Love ya!