37 Chapter 19 - The Hunt is On! (1/2)

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.”

”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?”

Sirius turned right around to look at him; Snape's head was scraping the ceiling but Black didn't seem to care.

”You want to?” he said. ”You mean it?”

”Yeah, I mean it!” said Harry.

Sirius' face broke into a grin, completely erasing any trace of the ragged figure from before. The two of them didn't speak until they neared the end of the tunnel.

”Oh almost forgot, thank your frie—no, nevermind,” Sirius stopped himself mid-sentence.

”Hmm? Friend? Who?” Harry asked as they finally reached the end of the hole. Harry glanced curiously at Sirius who was about to answer when his face turned a deathly pale.

Harry didn't realise why until a white light shone through the clouds, basking them all in the moonlight.

”Oh, my —” Hermione gasped. ”He didn't take his potion tonight! He's not safe!”

”Run,” Black whispered. ”Run. Now.”

Harry looked to Ron who was chained to Pettigrew and Lupin. He leapt forward to help but Black caught him around the chest and threw him back.

”Leave it to me — RUN!”

There was a terrible snarling noise. Lupin's head was lengthening. So was his body. His shoulders were hunching. Hair was sprouting visibly on his face and hands, which were curling into clawed paws. Crookshanks's hair was on end again; he was backing away—

Sirius immediately transformed into his giant dog form and pounced on the werewolf, engaging in a mess of snarls and claws ripping at each other.

During this time, Pettigrew dove for Lupin's dropped wand and aimed it at Ron and Crookshanks.

Hermione screamed in panic, catching Harry's attention as he caught sight of Ron's terrified expression and Pettigrew's triumphant look as he mouthed his spell—

*BOOM*

Pettigrew was thrown back, tumbling down the hill as a rod smacked into him, blowing up with an unusual force. The three of them turned back to see Vincent catch his rod as he ran towards them.

”Vincent! How—?” Harry asked dumbfounded only for Vincent to rush past.

”I'm after Peter! You guys, help Sirius!” Vincent yelled at them as he jumped down the hill.

”How did he know—Sirius!” Harry was confused for a split second only to turn back. ”Sirius! Pettigrew has escaped!”

Sirius, looking all bloodied up. Lupin seemed to have run off somewhere in the forest. At Harry's call, he instantly bounded after Peter.

”Vincent?! What the bloody hell is he doing here?!” Ron muttered. He grimaced in pain as Harry and Hermione ran to check on him. However, they heard a low whine in the distance, causing Harry to freeze in place.

”Go! I'll be fine, just go and help him!” Ron encouraged Harry who nodded.