The passage underneath the whomping willow was one (Y/N) hadn't traced along the marauder's map before. She had no clue where it would lead, only that the walk felt incredibly long. She wasn't sure if it was because she could hardly see, even by wand light, or if it was because her only way of knowing she was headed in the right direction were Ron's wails alone.

She hadn't the first idea what she would do once she finally caught up to him. She wracked her brain for defensive spells, but she could only ever remember Immobulus. If nothing else, she figured it might give them enough time to run away for help – if Ron even could run after that Grim dragged him by the ankle.

She was in over her head. She'd known it the whole time but felt it strongest once she reached the path's end. She stood alone in an old, dusty, deserted room. The wooden walls looked like they might fall in at any second, and she worried that may be yet another thing she might have to deal with. Could Immobulus stop a collapsing building?

There wasn't time to consider it. From the room at the top of the stairs, (Y/N) heard Ron give a great shout and a loud crash. She ran to him without thinking.

There was no more Grim, but it brought her no relief. A man, nearly twice her height, stood over Ron menacingly, trying to pry something from his fingers. And for some strange reason, (Y/N) thought about the hourglass she lied about in Trelawney's.

"Get off him!" she cried, throwing herself at the man. He felt like nothing more than bone and he smelled of the outside and sweat.

(Y/N) was never particularly strong, but the man was weak, and he stumbled off of Ron long enough for (Y/N) to wedge herself between them. She pointed her wand at him, hoping she looked braver than she felt as Ron managed, "It's a trap – he's an animagus! It's him!"

She wasn't sure who him was until the man sat up and his matted black hair fell from his face. She'd seen it countless times in the Daily Prophet; his cold, lifeless eyes that made her feel sick. The nausea hit her as the man who killed her mother got to his feet.

Sirius Black.

She wished she were like Harry. She wished she was brave and angry and could bring herself to attack Black the way she knew Harry would. But (Y/N) felt an overwhelming grief and a debilitating fear, and even though she tried to fight it, she felt her eyes well with tears.

Black grinned. He raised Ron's wand at her the same instant (Y/N) remembered another spell.

"Exp–"

"Expelliarmus!" Black was quicker. Her wand flew into his outstretched hand.

He stepped closer, still grinning his yellowed smile and eyeing (Y/N) closely. She tried to back away but bumped into Ron's bad ankle. She heard him wince and everything felt impossible. She gritted her teeth and swallowed the lump in her throat, willing her tears not to fall. They would die there, she was absolutely certain.

"You look just like her, you know," said Black.

That was all it took. It was all it took for the anger to finally surface; for the grief to bubble over and for the tears to finally fall – for every other emotion she felt to overpower the fear. (Y/N) reached for the closest thing she could find – a jagged piece of wood that had broken off from somewhere – and she threw it at Black like a Quaffle across the pitch.

It sent him staggering backward and landed with a harsh clatter on the other side of the room. Not a moment later, she heard two sets of footsteps coming up the stairs, and Harry calling out "(Y/N)?"

Her blood went cold. Black smiled again and pulled himself to hide behind the door the same second Harry and Hermione reached the top of the steps.

(Y/N) tried helping Ron to his feet as she shouted at her friends to "Leave! Quick!" But they were already at her side.

"You're okay!" Hermione draped Ron's other arm around her shoulder to help him stand.

"The dog," said Harry. "Where is it?"

"It's a trap!" Ron said again.

"What?"

"There is no dog!" (Y/N) tried pushing Harry towards the exit, but it was hard with half of Ron's weight on her shoulders. "It's Black, he's an animagus!"

There was a slow creak as Black shut the door to lock them in. Hermione grabbed Harry at once to try and pull him behind them as Ron bravely said, "If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too!"

"No." Black reached up to wipe the blood trickling down his cheek – from the wood (Y/N) threw at him. "Only one will die tonight!"

"Then it'll be you!" bellowed Harry, ripping free from Hermione's grasp and throwing himself at Black.

Harry wrestled him to the ground, and once he had him down, grabbed his wand and pointed it square in his face. And though it had been enough to scare even (Y/N), Black only laughed.

"Are you going to kill me, Harry?" he taunted. His laughter grew as the door was kicked in.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Professor Lupin, and Harry's wand flew into the hall.

(Y/N) could have sobbed with relief seeing him. He motioned for Harry to get off of Black, and he did. (Y/N) pulled him closer by his arm and he stood protectively in front of her. They watched with bated breath.

"Well, well, Sirius. Looking rather ragged, aren't we?" Lupin stepped closer to him, his wand still ready to attack. "Finally the flesh reflects the madness within."

Black laughed again. "Well, you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?"

An unreadable expression crossed Lupin's face before he lowered his wand. He stretched a hand out to the man who killed his friends and pulled him into a tight embrace.

(Y/N) thought she was going to be sick.

"I found him," Black said gleefully, pointing towards the four students. "He's here!"

"I understand,"

"Let's kill him!"

"No!" cried Hermione. "I trusted you! And all this time you've been his friend!"

Lupin turned towards her and spoke in that gentle tone he'd used with (Y/N) all year. "Now, Hermione –"

"I didn't tell anyone!" she screamed. "I've been covering up for you–"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" He took a careful step forward, and (Y/N) pulled Harry back.

"What about my mum?" (Y/N)'s voice trembled. "You said you were friends – best friends! But you've been working with the man who killed her!"

"No," Lupin promised. "Not until now. If you let me explain–"

"Don't trust him!" shouted Hermione. "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!"

An odd sort of look crossed his face. "How long have you known?"

"Since Professor Snape set the essay." She held his gaze bravely, even as he approached.

"You really are the brightest witch of your age I've ever met."

"Enough talk, Remus!" Black exploded. "Come on, let's kill him!"

"Wait!"

"I DID MY WAITING! TWELVE YEARS OF IT! IN AZKABAN!"

Lupin watched Black for a long moment. Then, he turned to look at his students. At Ron, who had to sit back down because his leg was hurting so bad he'd gone pale, and Hermione, whose lip was bleeding from whatever happened with the whomping willow. His eyes fell on Harry next. (Y/N) could feel how fast his pulse was racing through his wrist. He was just as scared and confused as she was.

When Lupin looked at her she could spy his sympathy. It'd always made her uncomfortable, sympathy. But then it chilled her to her core.

"Very well," he said to Black, offering up his wand. "Kill him."

She gripped Harry tighter. It was all she could think to do then. Like somehow, someway, if she held him tighter Black wouldn't be able to hurt him. Harry took another backward step so his back pressed against her shoulder – like that was all he could think to do, too.

Lupin held up a finger, still looking at Black. "But wait one more minute. Harry and (Y/N) have a right to know why."

"I know why!" Harry said. "You betrayed my parents! You're the reason they're dead!"

"No, Harry, it wasn't him! Somebody did betray your parents, but it was somebody who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead!"

"Who was it, then?" Harry demanded.

"Peter Pettigrew!" answered Black, spreading his arms wide. "And he's in this room! Right now! Come out, come out, Peter! Come out and play!"

(Y/N) thought Black was absolutely mental – Pettigrew had been dead for years; he'd been the one to kill him. But if Lupin and Black had been telling the truth, if Pettigrew really had been the one to betray Lily and James, just what did her mother have to do with it? She might've demanded it of them, but someone else had appeared in the doorway, and he had his wand pointed right at Black.

"Expelliarmus!" Snape caught the wand deftly, all the while keeping his aimed at the escaped convict. "Vengence is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

Lupin took a careful step toward him. "Severus, it–"

Snape cut him off with a steady aim of his wand. "I told Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into the castle, and now..." He made Lupin and Black tread to the far wall of the room. "Here's the proof."

Black chuckled mirthlessly. "Brilliant, Snape. Once again you put your keen and penetrating mind to the task, and as usual, come to the wrong conclusion! Now if you'll excuse us, Remus and I have some unfinished business to attend to!"

He'd tried to grab the wands from Snape's hand, but Snape was too fast. He raised his wand to the space between Black's eyes. "Give me a reason," he said slowly. "I beg you."

"Severus, don't be a fool," said Lupin.

"He can't help it, it's a habit by now!" Black spat.

"Sirius, be quiet!"

"Oh, quiet yourself, Remus!"

"Listen to you two, quarreling like an old married couple,"

Black's eyes were ablaze with hate and fury. "Why don't you run along and play with your chemistry set!"

Snape pressed the wand to his throat. "I could do it you know..." he taunted him. "But why deny the dementors? They're so longing to see you." He tilted his head slightly. "Do I detect a flicker of fear? Oh, yes, the Dementor's Kiss. One can only imagine what that must be like to endure..." He started in on Black, and he, eyes wide, slowly backed away. "It's said to be nearly unbearable to witness, but I'll do my best."

Out of the corner of her eye, (Y/N) noticed Harry reaching for Hermione's wand. She didn't know what he was planning, but she knew it would amount to nothing if anyone noticed. She kept her eyes on Black and Lupin, trying to reason with Snape.

"Severus," Lupin began. "Please–"

He ignored him, eyes still glaring at Black. He pointed to the dark hallway. "After you."

Harry had gotten the wand. He pointed it straight at Professor Snape and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

He went flying to the other side of the room and landed unconscious.

Ron and Hermione were aghast – "Harry, what did you just do?" "You attacked a teacher!" – but (Y/N) was grateful when he turned the wand to Lupin and Black next.

"Tell me about Peter Pettigrew!" he demanded.

Lupin didn't miss a beat. "He was at school with us! We thought he was our friend."

"No, Pettigrew's dead." He directed his wand at Black. "You killed him! You killed (Y/N)'s mum!"

"No, he didn't!" Lupin stood between them. "I thought so, too, until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the map."

"The Map was lying then!"

"The Map never lies!" shouted Black. "Pettigrew's alive! And he's right there!" He pointed a bony finger across the room at Ron.

"Me?" he repeated. "He's mental!"

"Not you! Your rat!"

"Scabbers has been in my family for–"

"Twelve years?" Black started towards him. "Curiously long life for a common garden rat! He's missing a toe, isn't he?"

"So what?"

"Pettigrew's finger," said (Y/N). She'd read the article enough times to know it was all anyone could find of him. "They searched for hours, it was all that was left behind."

Black pointed at her next, still approaching Ron. "Exactly! Exactly, (Y/N), the dirty coward cut it off so that everyone would think he was dead! And then he transformed into a rat!" He glared down at Scabbers, still held safely in Ron's hands. He was squirming and squealing.

"Prove it," said (Y/N) at the same moment Harry said, "Show us."

Black looked over, smiling slightly before he reached down to rip Scabbers from Ron's hands.

"Give it to him, Ron!" said Harry.

But poor Ron looked close to tears. "What are you trying to do to him? Scabbers!" He tried to get up to go after him, but it was no use on that ankle of his. "Leave him alone!"

Black brought Scabbers to the other side of the room as Lupin passed him a wand. Then, he dropped him on a broken-down piano and began casting spells.

Scabbers didn't stay put. He weaved through their charms easily, making a beeline to a small hole in the wall. (Y/N) snatched Hermione's wand from Harry's hand and pointed it straight into Scabbers' path. "Immobulus!"

He froze, and Ron cried out as Black finally hit him with a spell. It all seemed to happen at once. Scabbers had suddenly grown limbs, a human head, and about ten times his size. He lay motionless and face-down on the dirty floor.

Ron had gone mute.

All four of the students stared with wide eyes as Lupin and Black hoisted Pettigrew to his feet, and threw him into a dusty chair in the corner.

(Y/N)'s mind was racing. For an instant, she considered the possibility that her mother might've been hiding someplace too, but she knew better. Catherine (L/N)'s body had been found, and she was buried somewhere in Hertfordshire. She was murdered, and it was becoming incredibly muddy who did it, and (Y/N) wanted to know why.

Before anyone could say anything, she found her voice. "What happened to my mum?"

Black looked at her and his eyes, just moments before, cold and murderous, softened. It was the same sympathy Lupin would regard her with. It gave her a funny sort of feeling in her stomach.

"Why don't we let him tell you?" Lupin waved his wand, and Peter Pettigrew sat upright.

It was scary how his face contorted from one of great desperation to a wide-eyed wondrous look. His trembling hands reached out in front of him. "Remus? Is-is this Sirius?" He pushed himself to stand. "My old friends!"

He made for the opened door, but they stopped him and shoved him away. (Y/N) could see the sweat on his forehead as he turned towards her. In an instant, he was gripping her arms, his face inches away from hers.

"This man – he tried to kill me." He pointed across the room at Black. She could feel Harry tugging her back and Hermione trying to push Pettigrew off. "He killed your mother I tried to stop him – I tried to save Catherine–"

"DON'T YOU SPEAK HER NAME!" Black ripped Pettigrew away with ease, but it was not a second later that he was reaching towards Harry, his eyes pleading.

"Harry, look at you! You look so much like your father, li–"

"How dare you speak to Harry!" roared Black. "How dare you speak to either of them about James or Kitty after what you did!"

Pettigrew scurried behind the piano. Lupin and Black had him trapped from either side.

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

"Oh, I didn't mean to!" wailed Pettigrew. "The Dark Lord – you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself, Sirius! What would you have done?" His voice broke. "What would you have done!"

"I would have died!" he screamed. "I would have died rather than betrayed my friends! As I would have done for you!"

Pettigrew dove under the piano and ran to the door again, but this time, it was Harry who stood in his way.

"Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed!" he sobbed. "Your dad would've spared me! He would've shown me mercy!"

Lupin and Black threw him off Harry again and kept their wands aimed at his chest. Pettigrew stood in the center of the room a sputtering mess, anxiously wringing his hands. (Y/N) knew if she wanted answers, she needed to get them then.

"What did you do to my mum?" Her voice was surprisingly even as she approached him, mirroring Lupin and Black as she kept her wand steady.

"You have to understand," Pettigrew began. "He was going to kill me!"

"What did you do!"

Pettigrew jumped. It made (Y/N) angry because she was only thirteen. He was the man who murdered her mother and she was thirteen and he was scared of her. Black was right about him; he was nothing but a dirty coward.

"I was on my way to kill him," Black said through gritted teeth. "But Kitty didn't believe he did it; she couldn't believe he'd betray James or Lily." He regarded Pettigrew with nothing but hate in his eyes. "She followed me there to stop me – to save you, Peter!"

Pettigrew's face scrunched up and his body shook with sobs. "She was just in the way." His voice was broken. "I never meant to hurt her, she was just in the way!"

(Y/N) didn't realize she was crying until she felt her own body shake. In the way. Her mother was dead because she was in the way.

She was furious.

She would have killed him herself if only she had a spell.

"You should have realized that if Voldemort didn't kill you then we would!" Black said, glancing at Lupin. Off his nod, he said, "Together!"

"No!" shouted Harry.

Lupin dropped his head and gave a mirthless laugh. "Harry, this man is–"

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

Pettigrew fell to his knees. "Oh, bless you, boy!" He reached towards him. "Bless you!"

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