[FIC] What Secrets Keep - R - S/R - 15/16+epi

[jenexell]

Title: What Secrets Keep
Series: What...
Author: jenexell
Pairings and Characters:Sirius/Remus (implied past relationship), Harry, Ron, Hermione, Pettigrew (the usual suspects)
Rating: R - Some not so pleasant imagery here and there.
Disclaimer: If this was real, I wouldn't share. As its not, I'm sharing with no personal gain or profit, other than perhaps to feed my attention whore complex. non-recognisable elements are mine! plagiarists will be eaten alive by weasels. Much information has been gleaned from the books (obviously), films, various Wiki's, other internet sources and my font of all HP knowledge ttfan.
Distribution: My Journal (jenexell), and quite a few other places too. (attention whore complex). If you want it, link back to my journal, don't steal its naughty.
Warnings: None for now.
Spoilers: Everything and nothing. Set during Book 2, Chamber of Secrets, but does diverge quite wildly from cannon in some respects. References pretty much everything, although I'm trying to ignore Pottermore because she keeps messing up my backstories!

Summary:Au Book 2. Sometimes there are just too many secrets, and sometimes all it takes to start unravelling them is a failed spell from a broken wand. But with secrets, lies, half truths, mysteries and a giant snake in the pipework, who can be believed?

Previous Parts:
::Prologue::1::2::3::4::5::6::7::8::9::10::11::12::13::14::


Chapter Fifteen - In Timor Veritas

“Now, I understand that you both have something you wish to discuss with me?”

Remus Lupin let his gaze flick between Sirius and the Headmaster as the silence drew out. After all their preparation, all their waiting the moment had finally come to take the first real steps towards Sirius’ freedom, and yet all of a sudden Remus could see it all going horribly wrong.

Because Sirius had frozen up. Because Sirius had suddenly gone mute, his mouth opening and closing fractionally, but no sound emerging. Pinned with Albus Dumbledore’s impassive stare, all words seem to have flown.

He didn’t blame Sirius for that kind of reaction. Being calmly asked to explain themselves like they’d booked an appointment to discuss a business venture was jarring to say the least. But still, it just couldn’t fall apart like this. Not now.

Finally, when the silence and Dumbledore’s expectant stare became too much despite the promise he had made to himself to let Sirius tell his story without interruption, Remus found himself speaking.

“Sirius is innocent.”

“I see.” Dumbledore replied calmly, leaning back slightly in his chair and lacing his fingers together. “Given the evidence to the contrary Mr Lupin, I hope you can understand why that might not be such an easy statement to believe.”

“What evidence.” Sirius snorted bitterly, and Remus felt his shoulders relax. Deer in the headlights Sirius had been unnerving, this Sirius was more like Remus had expected.

Turning his gaze away from Remus and onto Sirius, Dumbledore peered at him over the top of his glasses. “The testimony of a number of Ministry officials and that of your intended victim.”

“Headmaster...” Remus attempted to step in, but Sirius had truly found his voice.

“What witnesses!?” He barked incredulously. “The only people who knew Peter and I switched as Secret keeper were James and Lily and they’re dead! And you can’t use Harry as an intended victim he was a year old! What kind of testimony could he possibly have given!?”

Dumbledore raised his hand and gave Sirius a stern look to halt his diatribe. “I can see Sirius, that you have long laboured under a misconception. It is not for the betrayal of the Potters that you were arrested and imprisoned. The fidelus charm nor the position of Secret Keeper hold any weight in law. No, it is for the murder of twelve Muggles, and the attempted murder of Peter Pettigrew that you were arrested. And it is for those crimes that you must prove your innocence for the evidence against you is substantial.”

“Peter...” Sirius growled as he began, but Dumbledore once more shook his head and raised his hand.

“Do not say any more.” He cautioned. “As Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot I hold the power to preside over matters of law, to hear testimony, but I cannot re-open an investigation, nor can I over-rule a judgment without the co-operation of the Minister of Magic and head of the Department for Magic Law Enforcement. And I assure you, I will not gain that co-operation without real evidence. If you truly wish to prove your innocence Sirius, we must do this by the book.”

“But you believe me?” Sirius pushed, a desperate edge in his voice.

Sighing, Dumbledore cast Sirius a thoughtful look. “That you have presented yourself before me speaks volumes. And I will confess, that of late I have been given reason to doubt certain facts in this matter. However, although the circumstances surrounding the deaths of James and Lily Potter have little legal bearing for you, I am sure you can understand that they are of personal importance to me. I will hear your story Sirius Black. And then I will decide how I will proceed.”

Sirius nodded slowly, and then began to speak. More calmly than Remus would have given him credit for.

Standing to one side, pitching in only when asked to, listening to Sirius’ version of events from the outside was strange. Hearing it all without the back drop of them, of their relationship and it’s vitriolic ending weaving its way through the recitation was just plain hard. For him the pain of losing the Potters was wound up in the pain of losing Sirius. It was all one huge bleeding ball of misery that only the last few weeks had really started to heal.

But the rest of the world didn’t care about the misunderstandings and suspicions that had torn he and Sirius apart. The rest of the world didn’t care about the insinuations Peter had made to drive a wedge between them. It was all irrelevant. So where it had formed so much of the basis of how Sirius explained the true events that Halloween night to him, it barely even featured in what he told Dumbledore.

Other than the most painful part of it all.

“I thought it was only a matter of time. They got closer to taking me down all the time, they seemed to know everything. How I fought, how I would react. How to distract me. I was the obvious choice for Secret Keeper and if they took me... I thought... I thought they’d use Remus against me. That he’d be the one to...”

“Torture you.” Dumbledore concluded thoughtfully. “And you did not believe you could withstand such torture should it be inflicted upon you by the one you still held dear to your heart. Your former lover.”

“I didn’t think I could stand it for long no matter who it was, but if it was Remus...” Sirius glanced over at the werewolf, but looked away quickly. There was something in his eyes that Remus didn’t want to indentify. He wasn’t ready for that. “I wouldn’t last five minutes. I couldn’t take that chance. Not with James, Lily and Harry’s lives at stake. But if I wasn’t Secret Keeper it wouldn’t matter... I’d have nothing to tell.”

Dear Merlin it hurt. He’d heard it all before, but it still hurt. Sirius continued, but Remus only listened with half an ear as the story continued. He knew it all anyway. How James had argued but eventually conceded to Sirius’ wishes. How the charm has been recast. Sirius’ plan to skip the country and his arrival at Peter’s flat on Halloween night to find it empty, something that hadn’t been part of their plan. How Sirius had been suspicious and only grown more so when he couldn’t find Peter. How he’d eventually gone to Godric’s Hollow, not expecting to be able to find the cottage, but possibly find Peter, only to discover the fidelus no longer in effect. Finding James, Lily and Harry. Hagrid’s arrival.

“I must stop you there.” Dumbledore broke in. “The rest, I am afraid I cannot hear in this manner.”

Sirius was shaking, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his jaws now clamped firmly together. To stop himself from continuing or just breaking down Remus didn’t know. He wanted to step closer, to pull Sirius into his arms and comfort him. But that wasn’t them anymore. Instead he could only lay a hand on his shoulder, and show his silent support.

“So what now?” Remus asked after a moment.

“Now we wait.” Dumbledore replied smoothly. “Arrangements are all in place, but for this to be done properly there are others that must be present. I do not believe we will have to wait long.”

Confused, the pair could only look at each other, then back to Dumbledore, whose expression remained disquietingly impassive.

There was a whoomph from the fire behind them, and Dumbledore looked up. “Ah, right on time.”

Turning to follow his line of sight, Remus could see the flames in the fire had turned green, and then a moment later, with a crackle and whooshing noise, a shape tumbled gracelessly out onto the floor.

A short, rounded, balding shape. A very familiar shape. A very familiar face.

“Sirius!” Peter squeaked in alarm, his eyes huge.

From beside him, Remus heard a sound that although human, was also entirely feral.

“Sirius no!” He yelled, lunging forward to catch the other man as he shot forwards towards the cowering rodent. He wasn’t quick enough, his arms looping around Sirius’ waist as Sirius’ hands wrapped themselves around Peter’s throat.

“Mercy.” Peter croaked.

“You don’t deserve mercy!” Sirius yelled back, trying at the same time to throttle Peter and throw Remus aside. “You betrayed them! You killed them!”

Even at his fittest however, Sirius was no match for a werewolf. With a hard heave, Remus hauled Sirius back, tearing his grip from Peter’s neck. “Sirius stop it! Sirius!”

“He deserves to die! Stop defending him! He needs to pay for what he did!” Sirius continued to shout wildly, scrambling and wrestling in Remus’ grip.

“I’m not defending him! I’m protecting you!” Left with little choice, strength alone not enough as Sirius wriggled and yanked at his hold, Remus kicked at the back of Sirius’ knees, and as he fell he caught him by the arms, holding the limbs behind the man’s back.

“ENOUGH!”

The bellow was so loud, that to Remus’ sensitive ears it was excruciating. His gaze snapping up, he spotted Dumbledore stood in the middle of the room, wand raised to his throat. Sonorus. In a confined space. No wonder it hurt. And no wonder even Sirius had stopped struggling. It was only in the silence that followed, that he realised it had not just been his and Sirius voices he’d been hearing in the clamber. Peters voice. Wailing and accusing. And another voice.

Remus found himself taking in the rest of the room. Peter, still in the middle of the floor, gibbering and quivering, one arm curled over his head, the other holding his throat. And then there was the third person.

Professor McGonagall. Tall, severe and pristine as ever, her face was a mask of shock and fury, and her wand was levelled directly at them.

He saw the moment she recognised him. Her eyes widening in disbelief and her wand drooping ever so slightly in her shock.

“Remus?” She asked incredulously. “How could you... after all he’s done...”

“Minerva.” Dumbledore cut her off gently. “If you would be so kind as to lower your wand. And Sirius, attempting to kill Mr Pettigrew now will not help your cause.”

Dropping his face lower so his mouth was close to Sirius’ ear, Remus whispered. “Remember your promise to Harry.”

That did it. Sirius sagged slightly, then when Remus’ hold loosened, he yanked himself free but did not charge Peter again.

“Very good.” Dumbledore nodded. “Now, I will explain what is to happen next. Very shortly, an officer of the court will arrive. At which point, the two of you, Peter, and Sirius, will give your accounts of your confrontation eleven years ago... under Veritaserum. Your statements will be recorded in accordance to our laws...

“Why?!” Pettigrew yelped. “He’s the killer! He betrayed the P-Potters! He was their Secret Keeper! He tried to kill me! He killed all those M-Muggles!”

“You snivelling traitorous little worm!” Sirius snarled.

“Sirius!” Remus scolded, stepping up behind him and taking hold of his arm.

Sirius shrugged him off angrily before turning to Dumbledore. “Look at him! Look at him! What other reason could he have to object to Veritaserum if he wasn’t guilty!?”

“Sirius please.” Remus implored, seeing things rapidly escalating out of hand. “Calm down.”

“I will not calm down!” Sirius snapped back. Suddenly he swung back towards Peter and launched himself at him, but instead of trying to kill his once friend, he merely grabbed him by the hair and turned him towards Dumbledore. McGonagall tried to intervene, but Dumbledore shook his head. Things were volatile enough.

“Remus told me all about your lies. I turned you into a Rat did I?” Sirius sneered into Peter’s ear, making the man whimper. He shook him. “Tell them the truth. Tell them what really happened.”

“Sirius... my old friend... please...” Peter pleaded. “You don’t understand.”

“I understand enough.” Sirius growled back. “Tell them the truth.”

All of a sudden it occurred to Remus that to Sirius and Peter, the rest of the room had actually vanished. This wasn’t about Peter giving his account. Sirius wanted to hear the man say it. Sirius wanted to hear the truth from Peter’s lips no matter the cost. And Peter, Remus had no idea what he wanted. He’d known for weeks that Peter was guilty, but seeing him plead with Sirius suddenly made it all the more real.

And then Peter landed a bombshell.

“The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses... I ask you Sirius... what would you have done?”

Sirius’ response was vocal, but hardly verbal. The sound he made was one of inarticulate rage, his hands shifting on Peter’s head so that with one small movement he would snap his neck.

“Sirius no!” Remus yelled, even as Peter squeaked in fright and the door burst open and banged back against its hinges.

“No!”

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. In the distraction caused by the door opening, Peter caught Remus’ eye, and the expression on his face was almost gleeful. Then in the next moment he was changed, sliding easily into his animagus form and wriggling free of Sirius’ grip.

Everyone tried to move, tried to do something. They just weren’t fast enough. Sirius lunged even as Remus, McGonagall and Dumbledore reached for their wands, but it wasn’t enough. Peter easily darted through the feet of the newcomer in the doorway leaving Sirius to slide haplessly across the floor right into the legs of Peter’s unwitting accomplice, bringing the unfortunate arrival down on top of him.

“Minerva!” Dumbledore gestured urgently, and the professor quickly caught on, changing into her own animagus form mid-run and easily leaping over the two men struggling in the doorway. Turning sharply to a painting, Dumbledore made sure he had the portrait’s attention and then began giving instruction. “Armando, pass the message along. Inform the ghosts, the staff, anyone you can find. I want every inch of this school searched. Pettigrew must not be allowed to escape!”

Meanwhile, reaching into the pile of tangled arms and legs on the floor, Remus managed to grab Sirius’ arm and drag him free, and they both looked up to find themselves peering down the business end of a strangely familiar wand, held in the grip of a man with an equally familiar face.

“Going somewhere?” Severus Snape spat darkly. “Black... and Lupin. Now why aren’t I surprised? I told Dumbledore you’d be helping him...”

“Brilliant Snape.” Sirius snarled back, “Once again you’ve shoved your overly large nose where it isn’t wanted and managed to mess things up completely. Now if you’ll excuse us, Remus and I have a rat to catch! A rat you just let escape!”

“Like I’m letting you go anywhere.” Snape hissed, narrowing his eyes.

“Severus.” Dumbledore spoke up, his face grim. “Alas Sirius has a point. Unfortunately, your arrival has allowed Mr Pettigrew to escape. For now.”

“Pettigrew?” Snape questioned in confusion, keeping his wand raised at Sirius with clear intent to use it should Sirius make a sudden move.

Sirius wasn’t so deterred however, and it was only Remus’ grip on his arm that kept him from trying to barge his way through. “You idiot! The longer we stand here the less chance we have of catching Peter! Get out of the way!”

“Headmaster please.” Remus pleaded. “Peter knows every rat sized tunnel and crack inside the castle, and the fastest ways outs of it. The longer we stand here the less chance we have of finding him.”

“Severus, let them pass.” Dumbledore nodded sharply.

Snape hesitated for a moment looking searchingly at the Headmaster, then lowered his wand, turning aside to let the two men go. But their path was blocked. Pained faced, Minerva McGonagall stood in the doorway.

“I’m sorry.” She said to the two men, sounding out of breath. “I lost him. He disappeared down a drainpipe in one of the bathrooms. I couldn’t follow, and I have no idea where it comes out.”

“Do not concern yourself Minerva.” Dumbledore hastened to reassure the clearly aggrieved deputy Headmistress. “I have no doubt you did your best. By now all staff, every portrait and as many ghosts as can be mustered will be looking for him. He will be found.”

“If he hasn’t already made it out of the castle.” Remus mumbled quietly. But not quietly enough he realised when all eyes turned his way, and Dumbledore nodded sadly in agreement.

“I should have killed him.” Sirius muttered furiously, pacing away from the group to rest his forehead against a pillar. Slamming his fist against the stone, he yelled. “I should have killed him while I had the chance!”

“And then you truly would have been guilty of one of the crimes of which you are accused.” Dumbledore replied sombrely. “I have heard and seen enough already to concede Sirius, that there may well have been a gross injustice served upon you. But before we do anything else, I must insist in knowing for sure. To that end, I propose we continue as planned. Severus, I assume you have the Veritaserum?

“I have.” Snape affirmed coolly, casting Sirius a sideways glance.

“Then let us proceed.”

~HpɸqH~

Morning was approaching. Minerva McGonagall could feel it in the heaviness of her limbs and the dryness of her eyes. This was no magical extra sensory perception of the time of day, merely pure, entirely mundane, fatigue.

Perhaps tomorrow, no today, she would have a chance to rest. But then again she highly doubted it. Thankfully there were only a few days left until the end of term, and then there would be three whole weeks off to catch up on much needed rest. And much neglected paperwork, and marking.

And of course there would be the research she would need to do to make sure her testimony at Sirius Black’s trial was beyond reproach. That Albus would call her she had no doubt. That she would agreed to it went without saying.

She would testify. Oh yes. There was no way to truly right the wrong she had committed against Sirius eleven years ago, but she could do what she could now. And if standing before the Wizengamot and testifying that Peter Pettigrew’s account was the great pile of troll dung it was then she would gladly do it.

An animagus. She should have worked that one out. When Pettigrew had fed her his pack of lies she’d been incredulous, his account defying all she knew about transfiguration, yet the idea of him being an animagus had not occurred to her.

Why? Because she hadn’t credited him with the talent, endurance and skill to have been able to become one. Nor had she, in all honesty, suspected that any of her Gryffindors would have become animagi without informing the correct authorities. That Pettigrew had done so, while still at school, was beyond belief.

It was in fact, more incredible than the story he had told. Which of course explained why she hadn’t thought of it.

Now though, it made a horrible and frightening kind of sense. And apparently, it had made a great deal of sense to Albus long before now. Damn him and his enigmatic ways. If he had only said something. Then again, he’d already admitted that he hadn’t been completely sure until the moment Pettigrew had transformed in his office.

Oh this night had been full of revelations. Pettigrew’s almost confession. His exposure as an animagus. Sirius’ account.

Dear Merciful Merlin. Sirius’ account. How could she have been so wrong? How could she have written off one of her own so quickly? She hadn’t even known she held such prejudice in her heart, and yet clearly she did because she’d lumped Black in with his family without question. She’d assumed his betrayal without pause.

Oh she’d lamented it. She’d spent hours pondering how she could have been so wrong about one of her most talented students, but she had never doubted his guilt. Had never once considered she had in fact been right.

Albus, the Ministry, the Press, even Remus had denounced him. It never crossed her mind to argue the facts laid before her. Only they hadn’t been facts. They’d been supposition.

Assumptions. The entire case against Sirius Black was circumstantial and built on misinformation. The chain of events one poorly made decision after another. Not that his case had ever been heard. There had been no trial. And again Minerva wondered why she had never questioned that fact. No, she knew why. She had assumed, as many did, that Black had confessed.

Only there had been no confession. Under the influence of Veritaserum, Black had claimed responsibility for the Potter’s deaths. But further questioning proved this an unwarranted assumption of guilt due to poor choices, not through any action on his part for which he should feel guilty.

He blamed himself. That did not mean he was the one responsible.

Pettigrew had been the spy within the order. Pettigrew had been the one to sell the Potters out to Voldermort and Pettigrew had been the one to blow up the street full of Muggles. The reason for which they could only assume was to fake his own death and frame Sirius. Without Pettigrew’s own statement however, there was no way of knowing for sure.

Unfortunately, Pettigrew’s statement was going to prove hard to come by since the little rodent had managed to evade capture. For all their combined skills and talents, for all the watchful eyes of the portraits and freedom of movement of the ghosts that they had been unable to find one rat was nothing short of infuriating. Even the house-elves had aided in the search, and they too had come up empty.

Which meant they were going to have to accept that he was gone. So close to being captured, Pettigrew had escaped.

Well not for long if she had anything to do with it. Once the Ministry was informed of what was going on, there would be nowhere the little weasel could hide.

And he better hope the Dementors caught him, because they would be far kinder to him than she would be.

Her anger knew no bounds when it came to his audacity and his betrayal. He’d lied to her. He’d used her. Not only to gain safe harbour, but to get close to Harry.

Harry, who apparently had more sense in this than all the adults around him. No wonder the poor boy struggled to trust her. There she’d been trying to force him to spend time with the very person who had betrayed his parents.

And he knew it. She had a fairly good idea how long he’d known it too. Those questions he’d asked her a few weeks past. The secrets he’d been keeping. He’d known. He’d come into contact with Black even then. How or why that came to be she didn’t know, nor did she have any idea how long Sirius and Remus had been sneaking in and out of the school undetected. Albus’ questioning had been limited to the events of the morning of the first of November 1981, so either he didn’t care, hadn’t thought to care, or already knew.

Personally, she thought the last was the most likely. At least she hoped so. Quite frankly, having been acting Headmistress during the period the two men had been doing their sneaking, she was rather anxious to know just how they had managed to circumvent the school’s rather legendary security. If she were still acting Headmistress, she’d be looking to find a way to seal up those holes.

But she wasn’t. And she could only assume that Albus was doing what was necessary to prevent others from entering as the two former students had.

That was all thoughts for another time however. Right now she had other priorities. Having left Dumbledore’s office after Sirius had finished giving his statement and had been given a potion to counter the effects of the Veritaserum (left uncountered, Veritaserum could leave someone not only unable to lie for anything up to forty eight hours, but could also render the recipient highly vulnerable to suggestion and feeling decidedly unwell) she’d rejoined the search effort and had only a few minutes ago finished reporting to Dumbledore their lack of success. Albus had been good about it, but Minerva wasn’t fooled. That Pettigrew hadn’t been found was worrisome to say the least.

So she’d left Albus discussing how security around the castle could be increased with the Portraits and gone in search of their resident fugitives, although she wasn’t entirely sure the term rightly applied to Remus. Albus had apparently forbidden either of the two men from joining the search, and had instead secreted them away somewhere in the castle with instructions to bathe and get themselves checked out by Madame Pomfrey. And it was to this location that Minerva now strode, wishing for the chance to rest but knowing she wouldn’t find sleep until she’d checked on the two men.

Approaching a rather non-descript door in a little used section of a lower level (below ground, but hardly a dungeon level), she knocked and waited, breathing a fortifying breath through a nose.

When the door opened a fraction, Minerva was met with the at first apprehensive, but then relieved face of Poppy Pomfrey.“Oh, Minerva it’s you. Come in.”

Stepping through the door which had only been opened just enough to let her pass, Minerva nodded her thanks and surveyed the room. It was an old office. If she wasn’t mistaken, it had once belonged to head of the now redundant ‘Battle Magics’ department, back in a time way before the memory of even the oldest living witch or wizard.

“I’m just about done here.” Poppy continued with a shake of her head. “Although I’ll want to see Black again before the end of the day. He’ll need to go on a special diet I’m afraid. Little and often. He’s in the advanced stages of malnutrition, and I doubt his stomach would take a meal even if it was put in front of him.”

“Doesn’t mean he wouldn’t try.” Remus Lupin suddenly broke into their conversation, emerging from a side room, wiping his hands on a cloth.

“Well he’ll certainly regret it if he does. And I’m entrusting you to keep him in line Remus. Or he’ll wind up in a worse state than he’s already in.” Poppy ordered firmly, before seeming to address anyone who was listening rather than anyone in particular. “I don’t care what they’ve done, or why they’re in prison. That kind of treatment is just inhuman. Why it’s allowed is beyond me.”

“And that is why you as good a healer as you are Poppy,” Minerva comforted, placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder, “Thank you, for doing this and not asking questions. I promise I will explain everything later.”

Pomfrey waved her off. “I know you will. But the boys have already explained a lot of it. If you and Albus say Sirius Black is innocent then I believe it. I could never really get my head around him being guilty in the first place.”

“Then you were a lot more open minded then many of us.” Minerva conceded.

Poppy shook her head, but at the stubborn set of Minerva’s jaw, she thought better of whatever comment she was about to make. “Well I’ll leave you to it.” Looking back at Remus she added, “and you remember what I said, or I’ll have both of you tied.”

“Yes Madame Pomfrey.” Remus replied with a deep nod.

As Pomfrey slipped out, Minerva checked the door then turned back to the room, her gaze sweeping over Remus. “I see you’ve taken advantage of baths Mr Lupin. I can’t say it was too soon.”

“I can’t say it was either.” Remus chuckled lightly, and then looked down at himself. “And thank you, to whoever provided the clothes.”

“Either the house-elves misunderstood, or Albus is trying to show his funny side again.” Minerva replied desperately trying to keep the amusement from her face. “As amusing as it is to see you in uniform once again Mr Lupin, I think perhaps we can find you something more appropriate.”

Reaching into the folds of her robe, Minerva pulled out her wand and with a few muttered incantations, transfigured the grey trousers and white school shirt Remus was wearing into something a little better fitting and not quite so obviously taken from the school’s lost property bin. “That I’m afraid will have to do for the time being. I assume Black has a similar problem?”

“Not so much.” Remus shook his head, a smile twitching the corner of his lips.

Frowning in confusion, Minerva looked around the room once more. “Where is he anyway?”

Looking a mix between exasperated and amused, Remus beckoned Minerva towards him as he crossed to the back of the room. There, blocked from view from the main part of the room by a large bookcase, was a dust sheet covered chaise-longue on which was sprawled the largest, scraggliest and thinnest dog Minerva had ever seen, clearly fast asleep.

“Gracious” she gasped, before her tired mind suddenly filled in the blanks. “Thats... He’s... He’s an animagus?”

Beside her, Remus nodded.

Minerva shook her head in disbelief. Not at the fact the Sirius Black was an animagus, no that was the least surprising part, but at herself. “Now this certainly does explain a lot. I didn’t think Pettigrew had it in him to achieve the transformation, but Black... well if he was coaching him then it’s not so surprising after all.”

“They both helped him.” Remus muttered quietly, then looked at little wide eyed at his admission.

Minerva felt like slapping herself in the forehead. “Let me guess. Potter. Even now the four of you manage to astound me. What on earth convinced the three of them to even try? No, never mind, I think I can guess.”

Remus ducked his head, and even in the gloom of the poorly lit and dusty office, Minerva could see his cheeks brighten.

“Three unregistered animagi in my own house and I had not a clue.” Minerva snorted to herself, then she once again wished she were more awake and as a result not as slow. “Miss Granger’s Grim. It was him wasn’t it? He saved Hermione Granger from the Basilisk.”

“He did.” Remus affirmed quietly.

“The trespassers overheard that night.” Minerva continued. “That was the pair of you as well wasn’t it? Oh so much makes sense now. And to think Albus knew all this time...”

Remus cast her a sideways look, and Minerva shrugged. “You know what he’s like. Riddles. The man loves his riddles. When I called Miss Granger’s rescuer a Grim he told me it was something more mundane yet at the same time far more incredible. An animagus is certainly more mundane than a Grim, but that it should be Sirius Black, whom we all believed at the time was a true follower of you-know-who, that rescued a Muggleborn...”

“Is far more incredible.” Remus finished for her. “I felt the same. That was the night I finally caught up with him.”

“I owe that man more of an apology than I can possibly ever hope to give.” Minerva sighed. “But it can wait. At least until he wakes up.”

“That might be a while.” Remus chuckled softly. “He accidentally admitted to Madame Pomfrey that he has nightmares, so she gave him a dreamless sleep potion.”

“Accidentally?” Minerva questioned in confusion. That Sirius would have nightmares should have gone without saying. Then a thought suddenly occurred to her. Black had clearly been in his animagus form before Poppy had left, which meant she had known about it. But if she had known she would have said something. Poppy was a great believer in patient healer confidentiality, but she would not have held information back if it could possibly result in harm to others no matter that she’d never truly believed Sirius to be guilty.

As if Remus had read her mind, he suddenly seemed rather alarmed, and nodded his head to beckon Minerva back into the main part of the room, looking deeply uncomfortable. “Please don’t feel like he didn’t trust you enough to tell you about being an animagus. Its only she found something inside Sirius that needed explaining, and well Dumbledore already knew....”

Holding up her hand, Minerva halted Remus’ hurried explanation. Other than the fact that it was so like Remus to be concerned that somehow they’d managed to hurt her feelings, she suddenly had a very vivid flash of memory. In fact she had a number of them. Her own experiences during her early years as an animagus, a reminder in her diary, and most potent of all, a memory of a conversation with Poppy over fifteen years ago. The nurse had been concerned at sheer amount of potions designed to treat fleas and worms in animals that Remus had been getting through, having claimed that the Shrieking Shack had a ‘rat problem’. She’d also been rather concerned that Remus had found the situation amusing.

Now she understood. Remus had been amused because the rat problem had in fact been one single rat, his friend, Peter. And he hadn’t been getting through the potions himself, but instead had been sharing them with his friends, who had no doubt managed on various occasions, as she herself had from time to time, to pick up a difficult to explain parasite.

Given that she now understood that Sirius had likely remained in his animagus form for a majority of the time he’d been back at the school in order to avoid being recognised, it was hardly surprising that he had once again managed to pick something up. Something Poppy would have seen instantly.

That is of course, if Sirius hadn’t managed to pick it up anyway whilst in Azkaban. She wasn’t oblivious to the fact that humans weren’t immune to parasites when exposed to filthy conditions.

Inside, Minerva shuddered and also felt acutely embarrassed. This was not information she should be privy too. Remus’ concern for her feelings she realised was only part of his ramble. The other part, was misdirection. A misdirection she was more than happy to follow along with. She might understand, and even sympathise, as only an animagus or a werewolf might, but that didn’t mean she wanted to talk about it.

Smiling a little wanly, she waved Remus off. “Doubtless if Albus knows, and you two are to become something of a feature around here for a while, I would have found out when it was necessary. As an animagus myself I know that it is nobody else’s business but Sirius’ own when and how he chooses to let someone know. Although he might want to work out a jolly good reason for not informing the Ministry even before... well before...”

Relaxing slightly, Remus nodded. “I’m sure we’ll work something out.”

“Well, it’s the least of your concerns right now.” Minerva conceded, “Especially with Pettigrew still out there.”

It was like watching a man bend under the weight of a mountain, Minerva thought as she watched Remus sit down heavily in a cloth covered chair and put his head in his hands. Taking a chair opposite him, she waited and watched as he groaned and rubbed his hands over his face before looking up again.

“I was hoping when you didn’t say it straight away...” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “Wishful thinking. I knew the minute he made it out of Dumbledore’s office he wasn’t going to be caught.”

“He will be caught.” Minerva insisted firmly.

Remus cast her a disbelieving look, then sighed, sitting back. “So what happens now?”

Minerva pinched her lips and resisted the urge to shrug. “To be honest with you, I have no idea. Albus wants to wait until a more reasonable hour to contact the Minister. He feels that it will not help Sirius’ cause to put the Minister in a bad mood by waking him up, even before he hears what Albus has to tell him. Perhaps his good news from yesterday will carry over, who knows.”

“Good news from yesterday?” Remus asked in confusion.

“Why, the discovery of the Chamber of Secrets and the rescue of young Ginny Weasley of course. Not that Albus told him about Harry’s involvement. The last thing he needs is a barrage of press attention. Let Gilderoy have his last hurrah, it’s not like he can enjoy it. I actually find myself feeling sorry for him.”

“Hold on.” Remus urgently stalled her. “Harry’s involvement?!”

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