Secrets Revealed

Chapter 14

It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to sink in.

"You're all mental!" Ron exclaimed.

"Absolutely bonkers." Nova deadpanned.

"Ridiculous!" said Hermione faintly.

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

"I meant to," he growled, his yellow teeth bared, "but little Peter got the better of me... not this time, though!"

And the cat was thrown to the floor as Sirius lunged at Peter. Ron yelled with pain as Sirius' weight fell on his broken leg.

"Sirius, you IDIOT!" Nova shouted.

" Sirius, NO!" Remus yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Sirius away from Ron again

"Wait, Sirius! You can't do it just like that - they need to understand - we've got to explain -" Nova told him pointedly.

"We can explain afterwards!" snarled Sirius, trying to throw Remus off. One hand was still clawing the air as it tried to reach Peter, who was squealing like a piglet, scratching Ron's face and neck as he tried to escape.

"They've - got - a - right - to - know - everything!" Remus panted, still trying to restrain Sirius. "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!"

Siriud stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Peter, who was clamped tightly under Ron's bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands.

"All right, then," Black said, without taking his eyes off the rat. "Tell them whatever you like. But make it quick, you two. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for..."

"You're nutters, all three of you," said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry and Hermione for support. "I've had enough of this. I'm off."

He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, but Nova raised her wand, pointing it at Peter.

"You're going to hear us out, Ron," she said quietly. "Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen."

"HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!" Ron yelled, trying to force the rat back into his front pocket, but Scabbers was fighting too hard; Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him and pushed him back down to the bed. Then Harry turned to Nova and Remus.

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

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" said Nova savagely, still watching Peter struggling in Ron's hands with a predator like gaze.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter," said Remus, nodding. "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."

Harry looked down at Ron, and as their eyes met, they agreed, silently: Sirius, Nova, and Remus were out of their minds.

Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will the Lupin siblings to talk sensibly.

"But Professors... Scabbers can't be Pettigrew... it just can't be true, you know it can't..."

"Why can't it be true?" Remus asked calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows.

"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."