Abigail landed on her feet and looked around the building, taking a moment to figure out what she was going to do. She walked further into what she had concluded was a small, creaky shed and found Ron on the floor in the corner. He pointed behind her frantically but no words would leave his mouth.

She turned around slowly to find a man's outline in the corner of the room, concealed by the darkness. He seemed to perk up upon seeing the girl and she pulled her wand out, pointing it at the man. "You aren't getting to Harry," she informed him. "You aren't going to kill him."

"No," he agreed, confusing her greatly, "Only one will die tonight." He stepped out of the shadows and looked over the girl, a curious expression on his face, "You look familiar. Do I know you?"

"I think I would remember if I knew a murderer," she pointed, her grip tightening around her wand. "If you aren't here to kill Harry, what is it that you're doing dragging his best friend into the Shrieking Shack?"

"I wasn't after the boy, I was after-"

"Ron, you're okay," Hermione breathed out in relief. "The dog," she began, "Where is it?"

"It's a trap," Ron announced as he pointed to where Abigail stood with her wand pointed at the man. "He's the dog. He's an Animagus."

Harry acted as soon as he registered that Sirius Black was in the room. He threw the man onto the floor with ease and pulled his wand out. "Are you going to kill me, Harry?" Sirius inquired with a maniacal grin.

Abigail's head erupted in pain causing her to drop her wand. She clutched her head. "Something's not right," she tried to tell them. "We're missing-"

"Expelliarmus!" Lupin shouted and Harry's wand flew from his hand. Abigail reached down and grabbed her wand off the floor. "Well, well, Sirius," Lupin began, "Looking rather ragged, aren't we?" He had his wand pointed at the man on the floor, "Finally, the flesh reflects the madness within."

"Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you?" Sirius responded and LUpin reached down and helped the man up. The two embraced, confusing Abigail further, "I found him."

"I know," Lupin nodded and Abigail looked between her father and the escaped prisoner, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening.

He nodded, "It's him."

"I understand."

"Let's kill him!"

"Dad!" Abigail exclaimed, her eyes widened at the two, "You can't let him do this!"

Sirius looked between Lupin and Abigail, a look of realization dawning on him. He looked up at his old friend, "This is Abigail?" Lupin nodded and he looked back up at the girl, "You look just like your mother."

Abigail raised her wand and pointed it between the two of them. "I don't know what's going on," she explained as she turned to her father. "You can't seriously be helping him, can you?"

Lupin shook his head and he opened his mouth to respond but Hermione shouted before he could, "I trusted you!" Abigail turned around to look at the three behind her. "And all this time, you've been his friend," Hermione pointed out. "He's a werewolf!" she informed them and Harry and Ron looked at Abigail, "That's why he's been missing classes."

"How long have you known?" Lupin inquired.

Her jaw was set, "Since Professor Snape set the essay."

"Well, Hermione," he nodded, "You really are the brightest witch of your age."

"Why haven't you denied helping him?" Abigail interrupted, growing irritated with everyone in the room. There was no Calming Draught to help control her actions this time. She raised her wand more and it was now pointed at her father, "What the hell is going on?"

"Because I am helping him," he replied and Abigail felt dread was over her, "But not for the reason you may think."

"Enough talk, Remus!" Sirius exclaimed, "Come on, let's kill him!"

"Wait!" Lupin shouted as he held Sirius back.

"I did my waiting!" he shouted. "Twelve years of it!" he informed them. "In Azkaban!"

"Very well," Lupin nodded, "Kill him." Abigail's eyes widened, "But wait just one more minute. Harry has the right to know why."

"I know why," Harry spoke up as he stepped forward so that he was standing next to Abigail. She glanced over at the unarmed boy and wished that he would stay behind her. "You betrayed my parents," he accused, "You're the reason they're dead!"

"No, it wasn't him," Lupin shook his head. "Someone did betray your parents, somebody who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead!" Abigail's wand lowered slightly as she processed what her father had said.

"Who was it, then?"

"Peter Pettigrew!" Sirius announced. "And he's in the room!" he informed them, "Come out, Peter! Come out and play!"

Abigail glanced behind her at the rat that Ron was still holding tightly against his chest. "Expelliarmus!" Snape shouted and the wand her father had handed over to the escaped criminal flew from his hand. "Vengeance is sweet," he began, "How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you..."

"Severus..." Sirius mused.

"I told Dumbledore you were helping a friend into the castle." Snape informed Lupin. "Here's the proof."

"Brilliant, Snape," Sirius replied. "You've put your keen mind to the task and come to the wrong conclusion. If you'll excuse us, Remus and I have business to attend to."

"Give me a reason," he warned as he moved the wand closer to his throat. "I beg you!"

"Don't be a fool," Lupin suggested.

"He can't help it," Sirius pointed out, "It's habit."

"Be quiet."

"Be quiet yourself!" he shouted back.

"You two," Snape scowled, "Quarreling like an old married couple."

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set!"

"I could do it, you know. But why deny the dementors?" Snape informed the man. "They're so longing to see you. Do I detect a flicker of fear?" He smirked, "Oh, yes. A Dementor's Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like. It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best..."

Lupin spoke up at this, "Severus, please."

Snape nodded his head toward the exit, "After you."

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted and Snape went flying across the room.

"Harry!" Ron exclaimed. "What did you just do?"

"You attacked a teacher!" Hermione shouted.

"Is now really the time to be concerned about something like that?" Abigail inquired, her wand raised pointed at her father and the man but she was more uncertain now.

"Tell me about Peter," Harry demanded.

"He was at school with us," Lupin explained, "We thought he was our friend!"

"No. Pettigrew's dead," he pointed out before looking at Sirius, "You killed him!"

"No, he didn't," Lupin shook his head. "I thought so too, until you mentioned Pettigrew on the map!"

"The map was lying, then."

"It's the rat," Abigail spoke up and everyone turned to look at her. "The three of you all became Animagi to help my father. You, a dog. James, a stag. And Peter, a-"

"A rat," Sirius finished for her and she turned to look back at Ron who seemed alarmed.

"Scabbers," Abigail concluded, "Is he by chance missing a toe?"

"So what if he is?" Ron gaped. "Scabbers has been in my family for-"

"Twelve years?" Sirius inquired. "Curiously long life for a common garden rat!'

Harry seemed to connect the dots, "All they could find of Pettigrew was his-"

"Finger!" Sirius exclaimed, "Dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead! And then he transformed into a rat."

"Show me," Harry demanded.

Abigail walked over to where Ron sat on the floor. She reached her hand out for the rat and he was reluctant before handing it over to the girl. She made her way over to her father and Sirius and gave it to him, "Here."

Sirius nodded and placed him on the table, pointing his wand at the rat. "What are you trying to do to him?" Ron asked, "Scabbers!" The rat ran through the room, dodging the hits and Sirius chased him, "Leave him alone! Get off him!" Sirius dove after the rat as it snaked through a hole, "What are you doing?"

Lupin pulled the now human rat up, "Remus? Sirius," Peter smiled, "My old friends!" He turned and looked at Harry, "Harry! Look at you! You look so much like your father! Like James! We were the best of friends..."

"How dare you speak to Harry!" Sirius shouted, chasing after the man. "How dare you talk about James in front of him!"

"You sold James and Lily to Voldemort, didn't you?" Lupin asked.

"I didn't mean to!" he exclaimed. "The Dark Lord. You have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself, Sirius! What would you have done?"

"I would have died!" Sirius replied, "I would have died, rather than betray my friends!

"Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed!" he pointed out, "Your dad...Your dad would have spared me! He would show me mercy!"

"You should've realized, Peter, that if Voldemort didn't kill you, then we would!" Lupin countered, "Together!"

"No!" Harry shouted.

"Harry, this man..."

"I know what he is," he nodded, "But we'll take him to the castle."

"Bless you, boy! Bless you!" he moved to hug Harry but the boy shoved him off.

"Get off!" he yelled, "I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the dementors can have you."

"Sorry about the bite," Sirius apologized to Ron as he and Harry helped him out of the shrieking shack. "I reckon that twinges a bit."

"A bit?" Ron gaped, "You almost tore my leg off!"

"I was going for the rat," Sirius pointed out, "Normally, I have a very sweet disposition as a dog. More than once, James suggested that I make the change permanent. The tail I could live with. But the fleas, they're murder."