DUSK; Cedric Diggory

Chapter 31

A flash of blue light erupted from both Black and Lupin's wands, and Ophelia watched in disbelief as Scabbers began to twist madly, followed by Ron's screams as a head shot upwards, and the gray garden rat began to take form of a plump man.

"Well, hello, Peter," Lupin said calmly. "Long time, no see."

"S—Sirius...R—Remus..." 

"His voice is as squeaky as a rat's," Ophelia whispered to a disgusted Harry.

"My friends...my old friends..." 

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed that when you were squeaking down on the bed—" 

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, sweat dripping down his dirt covered face. "you don't believe him, do you? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so—" Lupin said, his voice now cold.

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew said, pointing his middle finger at Sirius—his index finger was missing. Since Ophelia was facing Pettigrew as he did that, she sighed and pretended she was looking in her pocket before sticking her middle finger up at Pettigrew too.

"I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!" Pettigrew squealed, his beady eyes avoiding everyone in the room.

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin. "When nobody has ever done it before?"

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named must've taught him a few tricks!" 

"Dream of? I sure don't want any dark powers, Pettigrew." Ophelia spat, eyeing the man distastefully. "If I had to say so, you're not making a great case to defend yourself."

Black started cackling. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?"

Pettigrew flinched at the name. "What, scared to hear your old master's name?" Black said. "I don't blame you, Peter. You haven't been hiding from me, you've been hiding from the old death eaters that are still out there..."

"Don't know...what you're talking about..." said Pettigrew. "You don't believe this—this is madness, Remus—"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat."

"Innocent, but scared! Of Sirius Black, the spy!"

"Me? I spy?" Sirius scoffed. "Lily and James only made you Secret-Keeper because I suggested it...I had thought that Voldemort would be sure to come after me, would never dream they'd use a weak, talentlessthing like you...then you go on and tell Voldemort..."

"Professor Lupin?" said Hermione, finally speaking up. "Can — can I say something?" 

 "Certainly, Hermione," said Lupin.

"Well — Scabbers — I mean, this — this man — he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory forthree years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry beforenow?"

"Thank you! You see,Remus? I have never hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why should I?" 

"Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could seewhat was in it for you, you coward...why would you dare to commit a murder under Dumbledore's nose? No one to fall back on, now...like you had Voldemort..." Sirius spat.

Pettigrew opened and closed his mouth like a fish caught out of water, his eyes darting to any open windows—Ophelia eyed him suspiciously, he looked quite guilty now, that's for sure.