Chapter 18 Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this statement to retrogress in. Then Ron voiced what fire was thinking.Youre both mental.Ridiculous said Hermione faintly. hawkshaw Pettigrews dead said Harry. He kil guide him twelve eld ago He pointed at minatory, whose face twitched convulsively.I meant to, he growled, his yellow teeth bared, plainly little Peter got the better of menot this time, thoughAnd Crookshanks was thrown to the decorate as Black lunged at Scabbers Ron yelled with pain as Blacks pack fell on his broken leg.Sirius, NO Lupin yelled, launching himself forth and dragging Black away from Ron again, WAIT You cant do it just corresponding that &8212 they need to chthonianstand &8212 weve got to explain We can explain afterwards tough Black, trying to throw Lupin off. One hand was settle down clawing the telephone circuit as it tried to reach Scabbers, who was squealing like a piglet, rub Rons face and neck as he tried to escape.Theyve &8212 got &8212 a &82 12 proper(a) &8212 to &8212 k right away &8212 e very(prenominal)thing Lupin panted, still trying to restrain Black. Rons kept him as a pet There are p humanities of it even I dont understand, and Harry &8212 you owe Harry the truth, SiriusBlack stopped struggling, though his hollowed eye were still fixed on Scabbers, who was clamped tightly under Rons bitten, scratched, and bleeding hands. on the whole right, then, Black said, with verboten taking his look off the rat.Tell them whatever you like. just make it quick, Remus. I want to commit the murder I was confine forYoure nutters, both of you, said Ron shakily, looking round at Harry and Hermione for support. Ive had copious of this. Im off.He tried to heave himself up on his good leg, except if Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at Scabbers.Youre going to hear me out, Ron, he said quietly. Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen.HES NOT PETER, HES SCABBERS Ron yelled, trying to force the rat tooshie into his front pocket, moreover Scabbers was fighting too hard Ron swayed and overbalanced, and Harry caught him am pushed him back down to the bed. Then, ignoring Black, Harry turned to Lupin.There were witnesses who saying Pettigrew die, he said. A whole s maneuvert full of themThey didnt see what they legal opinion they saw said Black savagely, still watching Scabbers struggling in Rons hands.Everyone sight Sirius killed Peter, said Lupin, nodding. I believed it myself &8212 until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauders map neer liesPeters alive. Rons holding him, Harry.Harry looked down at Ron, and as their eyes met, they agreed, wordlessly Black and Lupin were both out of their minds. Their story make no sense whatsoever. How could Scabbers be Peter Pettigrew? Azkaban must take aim unhinged Black after all &8212 but why was Lupin playing on with him?Then Hermione spoke, in a trembling, would-be calm sort of voice, as though trying to will Professor Lupin to talk sensibl y. just now Professor LupinScabbers cant be Pettigrewit just cant be true, you know it cantwhy cant it be true? Lupin said calmly, as though they were in class, and Hermione had simply spotted a problem in an experiment with Grindylows.Because because good deal 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 spacework &8212 the Ministry of Magic keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can father animals on that points a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and thingsand I went and looked Professor McGonagall up on the register, and there have been except seven Animagi this century, and Pettigrews name wasnt on the list.Harry had barely had time to marvel inwardly at the effort Hermione enthrone into her homework, when Lupin started to laugh.Right again, Hermione he said. only the Ministry never knew that here utilise to be iii unregistered Animagi running around H ogwarts.If youre going to name them the story, get a move on, Remus, said Black, who was still watching Scabberss all(prenominal) desperate move. Ive waited twelve years, Im not going to wait much longer. both rightbut youll need to help me, Sirius, said Lupin, I only know how it beganLupin broke off. There had been a loud screech behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All quintet of them stared at it. Then Lupin strode toward it and looked out into the landing.No one thereThis place is haunted said Ron.Its not, said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. The Shrieking Shack was never hauntedThe screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me.He pushed his graying tomentum out of his eyes, musical theme for a moment then said, Thats where all of this starts &8212 with my bonny a werewolf, None of this could have happened if I hadnt been bitterand if I hadnt been so foolhardyHe looked sober and tired. Ron started to interrupt, but Hermione, said, Shh She was watching Lupin very intently.I as 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 transformIm sufficient to curl up in my office, a harmless wolf, and wait for the moon to wane again. in advance the Wolfsbane Potion was discovered, however, I became a fully fledged monster erstwhile a month. It seemed impossible that I would be able to come to Hogwarts. early(a) parents werent 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 yard I shouldnt come to school. Lupin sighed, and looked directly at Harry. I told you, months ago, that the Whomping Willow was implanted the year I came to H ogwarts. The truth is that it was planted because I came to Hogwarts. This house &8212 Lupin looked miserably around the room, &8212 the tunnel that leads to it &8212 they were build 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 bothone coming across me while I was dangerous.Harry couldnt see where this story was going, but he was audience raptly all the same. The only sound apart from Lupins voice was Scabberss frightened squeaking.My transformations in those days were &8212 were terrible. It is very painful to turn into a werewolf. I was dislocated from humans to bite, so I bit and scratched myself instead. The villagers heard the noise and the belly laugh and thought they were hearing particularly violent spirits. Dumbledore encouraged the rumor nevertheless now, when the house has been silent for years, the villagers dont dare approach it.But apart from my transformations, I was ha ppier than I had ever been in my life. For the first time ever, I had friends, three great friends. Sirius BlackPeter Pettigrewand, of course, your father, Harry &8212 James Potter.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 m another(prenominal) was ill, and that I had to go home to see herI 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 didnt 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 atomic number 91 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 easy they were, because the Animagus transformation can go horribly wrong &8212 one reason the Ministry keeps a close watch on those attempting to do it. Peter infallible all the help he could get from James and Sirius. Finally, in our twenty percent 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 couldnt 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 Jamess Invisibility Cloak. They transformedPeter, as the smallest, could slip beneath the Willows attacking branches and flavor the knot that freezes it. They would then slip down the tunnel and join me. to a lower place 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 on his face.Im acquire there, Sirius, Im getting therewell, highly exciting p ossibilities were open to us now that we could all transform. Soon we were leaving the Shrieking Shack and roaming the school reasonableness 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 round the Hogwarts grounds and Hogsmeade than we did And thats how we came to lay aside the Marauders Map, and sign it with our nicknames. Sirius is Padfoot. Peter is Wormtail. James was Prongs.What sort of animal ? Harry began, but Hermione cut him off. That was still really dangerous Running around in the dark with a werewolf What if youd given the others the slip, and bitten somebody?A thought that still haunts me, said Lupin heavily. And there were near misses, many of them. We laughed about them afterwards. We were young, thoughtless &8212 carried away with our own cleverness.I sometimes felt unlawful about betraying Dumbledores trust, of coursehe had admit ted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so, and he had no idea I was breaking the rules he had set down for my own and others safety. He never knew I had led three fellow students into becoming Animagi illegally. But I always managed to go out my guilty feelings every time we sat down to plan our near months adventure. And I havent changedLupins face had hardened, and there was self-disgust in his voice. All this year, I have been battling with myself, wondering whether I should fork Dumbledore that Sirius was an Animagus. But I didnt do it. Why? Because I was too cowardly. It would have meant admitting that Id betrayed his trust while I was at school, admitting that Id led others along with meand Dumbledores trust has meant everything to me. He let me into Hogwarts as a boy, and he gave me a job when I have been shunned all my adult life, unable to find paid work because of what I am. And so I convinced myself that Sirius was getting into the school using dar k arts he learned from Voldemort, that being an Animagus had nothing to do with itso, in a way, Snapes been right about me all along.Snape? said Black harshly, taking his eyes off Scabbers for the first time in minutes and looking up at Lupin. Whats Snape got to do with it?Hes here, Sirius, said Lupin heavily. Hes teaching here as well. He looked up at Harry, Ron, and Hermione.Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasonsyou see, Sirius here played a trick on him which or so killed him, a trick which involved me Black made a taunting noise.It served him right, he sneered. Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up tohoping he could get us expelled.Severus was very interested in where I went every month. Lupin told Harry, Ron, and Hermione. We were in the same year, you know, and we &8212 er &8212 didnt like e ach other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of Jamess talent on the Quidditch fieldanyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one level as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be &8212 er &8212 amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and hed be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it &8212 if hed got as far as this house, hed have met a fully grown werewolf &8212 but your father, whod heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his lifeSnape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was nix by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was.So thats why Snape doesnt like you, said Harry slowly, because he thought you were in on the joke?Thats right, sneered a cold voice from the ring behind Lupin.Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing directly at Lupin.