Pariah: The Other Malfoy

Chapter 27: Full Moon

"What are you going to do to him?" He cradled Scabbers protectively.

"Trust them, Ron," I said, and Harry shot me a look of confusion.

"If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him," Lupin took the rat from Ron's hands before turning to Sirius, "Together."

Lupin dropped the rat and both men shot a blue light at him. Nothing happened for a second before he began to twist madly in midair, then a bright flash made us all look away.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than me. His thin, colourless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who had lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like the rat's fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at us all, his breathing fast and shallow.

"Sirius! Remus! My old friends!" Sirius and Lupin didn't respond, but reacted immediately when Pettigrew tried to make a run for it.

Pettigrew turned to Harry, trying to figure out another way to escape, moving quickly towards him.

"Harry! Look at you! Y-you look just like your father. Like James. We were the best of friends, he and I —" but he didn't get much further when Sirius stepped forward.

"Shut up! How dare you talk to Harry!" He roared.

"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!" Pettigrew pleaded.

"Died! Died rather than betray my friends! And you should have realised, Peter, if Voldemort didn't kill you..." he grimaced, "We would."

They both pointed their wands directly into the man's face. He shrunk back, his eyes tightly closed in fear, bracing himself —

"No," Harry spoke, all three men frowning at him.

"Harry, this man—" Lupin began.

"I know what he is. But we'll take him to the castle," he fixed his gaze on Pettigrew, "After that, the Dementors can have him."

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.

"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry."

Harry hesitated.

"I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."

Harry stepped out of the way. Thin cords shot from Lupin's wand this time, and next moment, Pettigrew was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged.

"But if you transform, Peter," growled Sirius, his own wand pointing at Pettigrew too, "We will kill you. You agree, Harry?"

Harry looked down at the pitiful figure on the floor and nodded so that Pettigrew could see him.

"Right," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the Hospital Wing."

He hurried over to Ron, bent down, tapped Ron's leg with his wand, and muttered, "Ferula." Bandages spun up Ron's leg, strapping it tightly to a splint. Lupin helped him to his feet; Ron put his weight gingerly on the leg and didn't wince.

"That's better," he said. "Thanks."

"What about Professor Snape?" said Hermione in a small voice, looking down at Snape's prone figure.