Chapter 70: The Story of Marauders (1/2)
”No he's not dead. He faked his own death. He's living after that as his Animagus form.” Sirius Black said sinking in the bed.
”Yeah and guess what? His Animagus form is a rat,” Chris said looking at Ron. Harry and Hermione both looked shocked.
”Ridiculous!” said Hermione faintly.
”Why Hermione? You didn't see Professor McGonagall? Animagus is not an impossible thing.” Chris said coolly.
”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 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 only been seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrew's name wasn't on the list —”
”Was Sirius Black in them, Hermione?” Chris asked raising an eyebrow.
”No. . .” she answered quietly.
”So Ministry don't know about a few Animagus?” Harry asked.
”I think so. But I think Mr Black or Professor Lupin will able to explain it clearly.” Chris said looking at them.
”I've to say, you're really an extraordinary Witch, Christina,” Lupin said smiling. ”I will explain everything, but first, do you think I could have a look at the rat?” he said to Ron.
Ron tried to say something but nothing came out from his mouth. Lupin looked at Chris then sighed and removed the silencing charm.
Then Ron's voice came out, ”You're all mental.”
”See, that's why I put a silencing charm on him,” Chris said glaring at Ron.
”Could I see him, please Ron?” Lupin asked again.
”Give him Scabbers, Ron,” Harry said suddenly.
”But —” Ron hesitated, then put a hand inside his robes. Scabbers emerged, thrashing desperately; Ron had to seize his long bald tail to stop him escaping. Crookshanks stood up on Black's lap and made a soft hissing noise.
Lupin moved closer to Ron. He seemed to be holding his breath as he gazed intently at Scabbers.
Suddenly Crookshanks was thrown to the floor as Black lunged at Scabbers; Ron yelled with pain as Black's weight fell on his broken leg.
”Sirius, NO!” Lupin yelled, launching himself forwards and dragging Black away from Ron again, ”WAIT! You can't do it just like that — they need to understand — we've got to explain —”
”We can explain afterwards!” snarled Black, trying to throw Lupin off, one hand still clawing the air as it tried to reach Scabbers, 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!” Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. ”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!”
”Please Mr Black. You told us the truth, I think they deserve it too. At least, Harry, he misses his parents,” Chris said calming her voice.
Black stopped struggling, though his hollowed eyes were still fixed on Scabbers, 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, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for —”
”You're nutters, both 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,
”Ron, Please be a little sensible. Use your brain and STOP TALKING.” Chris said with an irritated tone. ”I really don't want to punch you. Please.”
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”Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen,” said Lupin quickly.
”HE'S NOT PETER, HE'S SCABBERS!” Ron yelled.
”AND YOU'RE AN IDIOT. NOW SHUT UP.” Chris growled.
Ron tried 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.
”There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die, Chris,” Harry said. ”A whole street full of them —”
”They didn't see what they thought they saw!” said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Ron's hands.
”Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter,” said Lupin, 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.”
”But —” Hermione tried to protest but then thought something and said, ”What happened actually?”
”Hermione you can't believe them,” Ron said fuming.
”I don't want to Ron but — I think — It's possible,” Hermione said faintly.
”Right again, Hermione!” Lupin said. ”The Ministry never knew that there used to be three unregistered Animagi running around Hogwarts.”
”If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus,” snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers's every desperate move. ”I've waited twelve years, I'm not going to wait much longer.”
”All right — but you'll need to help me, Sirius,” said Lupin, ”I only know how it began —” he sighed and began, ”The Shrieking Shack was never haunted — the screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me.”
He pushed his greying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment, then said, ”That's where all of this starts — with my becoming a werewolf. None of this could have happened if I hadn't been bitten — and if I hadn't been so foolhardy —”
He looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione said, ”Shh!” She was watching Lupin very intently.
”I was a very small boy when I received the bite. My parents tried everything, but in those days there was no cure. The Potion that Professor Snape has been making for me is a very recent discovery. It makes me safe, you see. As long as I take it in the week preceding the full moon, I keep my mind when I transform— I am able to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again. Before the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully-fledged monster once a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. Other parents weren't likely to want their children exposed to me. But then Dumbledore became Headmaster, and he was sympathetic. He said that, as long as we took certain precautions, there was no reason I shouldn't come to school —” Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry. ”I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was planted the year I came to Hogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I had come to Hogwarts. This house —” Lupin looked miserably around the room, ”— the tunnel that leads to it — they were built for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle, into this place, to transform. The tree was placed at the tunnel mouth to stop anyone coming across me while I was dangerous.”
Chris was listening with full attention and felt very bad for Lupin. The only sound apart from Lupin's voice was Scabbers's frightened squeaking.
”My transformations in those days were — were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was separated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the screaming and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumour — even now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers don't dare approach it — But apart from my transformations, I was happier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius Black — Peter Pettigrew — and, of course, your father, Harry — James Potter.” A smile appeared on his face. ”Now, my three friends could hardly fail to notice that I disappeared once a month. I made up all sorts of stories. I told them my mother was ill, and that I had to go home to see her — I was terrified they would desert me the moment they found out what I was. But of course, they, like you, Hermione, worked out the truth — and they didn't desert me at all. Instead, they did something for me that would make my transformations not only bearable but the best times of my life. They became Animagi.”
”My dad, too?” said Harry, astounded.
”Yes, indeed,” said Lupin. ”It took them the best part of three years to work out how to do it. Your father and Sirius here were the cleverest students in the school, and lucky they were because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong — one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter needed all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our fifth year, they managed it. They could each turn into a different animal at will.”
”But how did that help you?” said Hermione, sounding puzzled.
”They couldn't keep me company as humans, so they kept me company as animals,” said Lupin. ”A werewolf is only a danger to people. They sneaked out of the castle every month under James's Invisibility Cloak. They transformed — Peter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willow's attacking branches and touch the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. Under their influence, I became less dangerous. My body was still wolfish, but my mind seemed to become less so while I was with them.”
”Hurry up, Remus,” snarled Black, who was still watching Scabbers with a horrible sort of hunger in his face.
”I'm getting there, Sirius, I'm getting there — well, highly exciting possibilities were open to us now we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school grounds and the village by night. Sirius and James transformed into such large animals, they were able to keep a werewolf in check. I doubt whether any Hogwarts students ever found out more about the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did — And that's how we came to write the Marauder's Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs and I'm Moony.”