*Chapter 34*: Chapter 34
"Come on!" Black called over. "I've pulled some memories for Harry to see us in our animagus forms. Let's go."
"Marvelous," Snape grumbled as Remus and he left the couch. "Strolling down Memory Lane with the Marauders. Just how I wanted to spend my afternoon."
All too quickly for Snape, the four of them were immersed in the memory, watching a big dog and a stag play in a clearing of the Forbidden Forest. Suddenly a howl split the night and Harry grabbed for Snape's hand. "What was that?" he asked nervously.
"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Remus said, panicking slightly at the thought of Harry's reaction. "This can't be comfortable for Severus -"
Snape was busy fighting not to wet himself in terror, but he was not about to let the idiot Marauders know that. "I'm fine."
"Is it really just a memory?" Harry whispered, his face white with fear.
"Yes," Snape assured him, trying to convince himself at the same time. "You cannot be harmed."
Harry still looked uncertain and edged closer. As usual, Snape found it easier to feign calm when those around him were petrified. "You are in no danger," he told Harry firmly.
"I тАУ I know," Harry agreed with an utter lack of conviction in his tone, and then the werewolf entered the clearing.
The dog and stag instantly moved to join it, and to Snape's surprise, the werewolf bounded playfully forward, rather puppyish in its enthusiasm. "Moony, you're kinda cute," Harry said in surprise, venturing forward a bit in order to have a better view.
Remus visibly relaxed. "Never forget that in this form I am very, very dangerous, Harry. If I catch a human scent, I becomeтАж obsessed."
"But isn't there something that helps?" Harry looked up at his professor. "Didn't we learn about a potion that does somethin' for werewolves?"
"Wolfsbane," Remus nodded. "It allows me to retain my human mind, but even with it, I remain very dangerous and untrustworthy, Harry. Do not ever come near me during the full moon. No matter what. You are to Stun me if you ever see me in this form outside a memory. Do you understand?" For once the gentle wizard looked very stern.
Harry nodded soberly. He glanced up at his professor. "But you make sure he gets his potion, right?"
Snape nodded, still surprised to realize he found the werewolf actually rather cute in this memory. Of course all of his memories of the blasted thing occurred when it was trying to rip out his spleen, not when it was playing tug of war with Black's canine form over an old stick. "I do. But that does not change what Mr Lupin has just told you. You will obey him in this."
"Okay," Harry said, sounding a little exasperated. "You know, it's not like I'm stupid or anything. Why are you all acting like I don't know enough to stay away from dangerous things?"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Was it some other first year who nearly smashed himself against the castle walls? Offered to take on a troll single handed? Threw a bedpan at тАУ"
"Okay, okay," Harry interrupted, redfaced. "I promise, all right?"
Snape smirked and turned back to the memory. It really was quite astonishing that three students had all mastered the animagus transformation without any faculty help, not to mention assisted in containing a werewolf for seven years.
"Ewww!" Harry yelled, pointing. "Padfoot, you have a rat on your head! He's gonna wee on you!" Then he looked more closely. There was something about that ratтАж
"Padfoot! What is wrong with you?" Remus demanded, keeping his voice down to a furious whisper. "Why would you show Harry a memory that has Peter in it?"
"There aren't that many memories of us in our forms where Peter isn't present," Sirius retorted defensively.
"What about that time that he was sick with dragon pox? Or the month he had detention with Filch for тАУ"
"Okay, fine, there were some," Sirius grumbled.
Snape rolled his eyes as the two bickered. Idiots. "Come back here," he called to where Harry had moved to get a better view of the cavorting animals. Although he knew it was just a memory, the sight of Harry so close to a werewolf made his skin crawl.
Harry obediently trotted back, his brow creased with puzzlement. He tugged on Sirius's elbow, interrupting his ongoing argument with Lupin. "How come you had Scabbers with you?"
"Who?" Sirius asked.
"Scabbers. Ron's rat. He's sitting on your head."
"That isn't Scabbers, Harry. That was another student whose animagus form was a rat. His name was Peter Pettigrew, though we called him Wormtail. He wasтАж a friend of ours at the time," Remus said carefully.
Harry shook his head. "That's Scabbers."
Sirius shook his head. "No, it's Pettigrew. He's тАУ " he glanced at Snape, then continued at the man's nod " тАУ he's the one who betrayed your parents, Harry. He was their Secret Keeper, and he told You Know Who where to find them."
"No," Harry insisted. "That's Scabbers. I mean, he's still got his toe an' all, an' his fur's not so grey, but that's Ron's rat."
"Harry, one rat looks awfully like another," Remus argued.
Harry scowled. "I said," he began, his voice rising dangerously, but before he could launch into a full-scale yell, Snape interrupted.
"What did you say about his toe?"
Sidetracked, Harry looked up at his guardian. "Scabbers is missing a toe. Ron said he's always been like that, ever since Percy found him all those years ago."
The men exchanged glances. "It can't be," Remus broke the silence first. "Impossible."
"The Weasleys of all families?" Sirius demanded. "Why them? Peter had to know they were staunch opponents of You Know Who. Why not take refuge with the Malfoys or some other Death Eater family?"
"Because that's the first place they would have looked for him, if his effort to frame you hadn't been so successful. Not only would no one have ever considered looking for a Death Eater at the Burrow, but Pettigrew must have also known that the Weasleys' financial situation would make them highly likely to accept a 'found' pet. Another family might have chosen to purchase a familiar; the Weasleys would be all too happy to forego the added expense," Snape replied.
"So you believe me?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, Harry," Sirius said doubtfully. "It's awfully hard to believeтАж"
"I agree," Remus said apologetically. "I think you've just made an understandable mistake, Harry."
Harry's face fell.
Snape scowled at the sight. "So where do you think Pettigrew is?" he demanded of Black.
"Huh?" Predictably, Black blinked at him stupidly.
"If we are to believe you, Black, you did not murder Pettigrew and all those Muggles. Rather, you were set up by the rat. Ergo, Pettigrew is still alive. Where is he? Where has he been for the past ten years?"
Black shrugged uncertainly. "How would I know? Maybe he's in Brazil enjoying the bikinis."
"So Pettigrew was the sort to have an elaborate plan in place, whereby in the completely unexpected defeat of the Dark Lord, he could effortlessly escape from Europe and go into hiding so successfully that not even a hint of his presence has escaped in the past decade?"
Remus rubbed his chin and exchanged looks with Sirius. "NoтАж I wouldn't have thought Peter would have planned ahead like that. He was always a follower. He needed someone else to tell him what to do, or he'd just panic and flail around."
"Considering that the Dark Lord's defeat at Godric's Hollow caught even Lucius Malfoy by surprise, and he is тАУ you will agree? тАУ a consummate Slytherin and therefore has back up plans for his back up plans, is it so hard to imagine that Pettigew was similarly shocked? And that in the aftermath, he sought refuge in his animagus form and, as you put it, 'flailed around' until he found sanctuary with an unwitting family with impeccable credentials? Molly Weasley had lost her twin brothers in the War тАУ no one would have imagined for an instant that they could be harboring a Death Eater, even unaware."