Untold Truth

Untold Truth

Professor Lupin sat behind the desk in his office, resting his head in his hand. He breathed a sigh. "Waiting for it will not do me any good," he said aloud to himself. Pushing away from the desk, he got up and strode over to his bookshelf. He removed an old piece of parchment from the shelves and returned to his seat with it. He never expected to see this parchment again; it had been confiscated after falling from Peter's bookbag and onto the classroom floor.

Taking out his wand, he tapped the paper and said, " I solemnly swear I am up to no good!"

He smiled as a map of Hogwarts was drawn out right on front of his eyes. He scanned the map. Dumbledore was in his office having a meeting with Cornelius Fudge, Macnair, and Kneaves it appeared. Mrs. Norris was lingering right outside his office door. Snape was moving about his office; brewing Lupin's potion most likely.

He also saw three people who weren't supposed to be out at this time. Not with Sirius Black on the loose, anyway. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley were on their way to see Hagrid. They were probably going to comfort Hagrid before the Hippogriff came to its fate. Remus looked out of the window in his office. He had a clear view of Hagrid's hut, yet he did not see anyone crossing the grounds.

"Of course!", he said aloud. "James' cloak. I should've known!"

Looking at the map he saw them leave the parchment, just entering Hagrid's hut. Once again Lupin let out a heavy sigh. He started to think about the time he and his three best friends, James, Sirius, and Peter made this map. They made it for fun after they learned the castle, taking about a year to do so. Well, it took a year to correct it, charm the commands into it, and then to memorize who was walking about the castle.

Those were the best times Remus remembered having. Even though his friends knew what he was, it didn't matter to them. He wished that was the case with the rest of the wizarding world; not caring who you are, or what you become. It should just matter who you are the rest of the time.

The map caught his attention again as Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the back door of Hagrid's hut. What caught him off guard was there was a fourth person with them. One that was not there before. Remus Lupin stood up with a start, knocking his chair down in the process.

"No it can't be!", he gasped. "Peter Pettigrew" was the name that appeared. Pettigrew was killed twelve years ago. How could he be at Hogwarts? Lupin then noticed that Ron seemed to be holding Peter.

"This cannot be," Lupin thought. He's dead. People witnessed that he was killed. Yet here he is on Hogwarts grounds. The map never lied, so he had to be there. Lupin's eyes widened in shock as all this unfolded on the paper right in front of him.

Pettigrew was running away from Ron, who shot out of the invisibility cloak to chase after him. Harry and Hermione ran after Ron. Remus felt a wave of shock and terror as he saw Sirius Black appear out of the Dark Forest and run straight at Harry, knocking him down. Sirius went over to Ron, who appeared to be holding Peter. Remus then saw Sirius drag Ron into the passage way under the Womping Willow.
Lupin grabbed his wand and ran to his office door, flinging it open as he ran from the room. Mrs. Norris had fallen asleep, yet she jolted awake as Lupin ran past. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, but it didn't seem fast enough. Panting, he made it to the Entrance Hall, slowing down long enough to open the door and get down the front steps. Walking at a fast pace, he reached the Womping Willow.

Lupin walked quickly around the tree looking for something to touch the knot root with. He found on the ground a branch that was broken from the tree. Picking it up he walked around the tree to the knot and pressed on it with the stick. He then slipped into the passageway beneath the tree.

Lupin tried to run down the path, but because of his height, he was forced to move in a stooped positioned. He eventually came out in the Shrieking Shack, a placed he truly loathed. Wishing he hadn't come to this place, Lupin looked around. The windows were boarded up and a heavy layer of dust covered everything. It was then that he noticed the track that had been made in the dirt on the floor. Something or someone dragged Ron into the house. He moved to a rocking chair that was torn apart, wanting to inspect it. He wasn't afforded that time though, as a shout rang out around him.

"HURRY! WE'RE UP HERE---SIRIUS BLACK!" , came Hermione's voice. Remus took out his wand and ran up the stairs. He burst into the room happening upon a crazy scene. Ron was on the bed, wincing because of his broken leg, Hermione was in the corner in a looked of shock on her face, and Harry was holding his wand straight at Sirius Black's heart. Sirius was on the floor bleeding, with a cat on his chest. Lupin had but one choice: make them understand.

"Expelliarmus!", Remus shouted.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione's wands flew into his out stretched arm. Remus looked over at Black. The cat still lay firmly planted on his chest. Lupin moved closer to Black, not taking his eyes off him. He was searching Black. Searching for an answer.

Lupin spoke with urgency in his voice. "Sirius, where is he?"

Black looked at Lupin. Lupin stared back, not blinking. He was searching for an answer and was determined to get it. Sirius' eyes flickered over at Ron. Black lifted his skeleton-like arm and pointed a finger at Ron. His eyes revealed fright and confusion.

Lupin stared at Black, trying to find something. "Why hasn't he shown himself?" Lupin's eyes widened in awe. "You switched...he was it! You didn't tell me?"

Black, who had been staring at Lupin, dropped his gaze and slowly nodded.

"Professor? Wha--," Harry began, but stopped abruptly.

Lupin, lowering his wand, nodded to Black. Lupin walked over to where the other man lay and helped him to his feet, embracing him like a brother.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!", Hermione said breaking the silence.

Lupin let go of Black and turned around to face Hermione as she was bringing herself off the floor. Her eyes widened and she pointed at Remus. "I can't believe you---"

"Hermione---"

"-you, him!"

"Hermione please!"

"I know!", she yelled. "I covered for you!"

"Look, Hermione, I can explain!" Lupin shouted.

"I can't believe it! I trusted you! And you've been his friend!" Harry yelled at Lupin, and he looked at Harry.

Lupin was trying to remain calm, but it was too hard with two stubborn teenagers double-teaming you.

"Let me explain, okay? I'm Sirius' friend now. I wasn't before."

"Don't trust him Harry. He's been helping Black," Hermione asserted. "He wants you dead--he's a werewolf!"

The room went silent. Everyone was staring at Lupin, who continually grew paler. He sighed, turning to Hermione.

"Not what I expect from you, Hermione. You only got two right. I surely don't want Harry dead. And I certainly haven't been helping Black into the castle. But I won't deny that I am a werewolf." Lupin's complexion had become as white as a winter's moon.

Lupin heard Ron try to get up, but the boy fell back. Remus started over, a look of deep concern on his face, wanting to help Ron. Ron pulled his leg away and growled, "Get away from me!"

Lupin stopped, deep hurt washing over him. He turned and looked at Hermione. As if forcing it, he asked, "How long have you known?"

"Since Snape had us write that essay," she replied in a voice unlike her own.

"He's going to be pleased," Remus said coolly. "He was hoping someone would notice when he assigned the essay. Hoping, just hoping, someone would realize the symptoms. Did you realize when you checked the Lunar Chart or when the Boggart changed into the moon?"

"Both," she said, barely above a whisper.

Lupin forced a laugh. He knew one day he would have to deal with a student finding out. He just didn't expect it to happen when his back was already against the wall, having no choice but to tell the one thing he never should've.

His voice was calm and unshaken. "Clever you are, Hermione."

"If I were clever I would've told on you ages ago!", she said with anger in her voice.

"No need for that, Hermione. The whole staff knows." He responded in a calm undertone

"Is Dumbledore mad?" Ron gasped clutching his leg.

"He's been trying to prove, to those who have a problem with it, that I am trustworthy," Lupin said calmly.

"SEEMS HE WAS WRONG!" Harry shouted "YOU'VE BEEN HELPING BLACK THE WHOLE TIME!"

Lupin watched as Black went slowly to the four-postered bed and laid down, putting an arm over his eyes. Ron edged away, dragging his leg with him.

"I have not been," Lupin explained. "Look, give me a chance and I will explain it all okay?" Lupin separated the three wands and threw them back to their rightful owners. Then sticking his own into his robes, he asked with urgency, "Now can you listen?"

"Fine. If you aren't helping him," Harry said nodding to Black "How did you find us here?"

"The Marauder's Map, I was looking at it in my office when-"

"How do you know how it works?" Harry asked

"I helped write it," Lupin said impatiently waving his hand "I'm Moony---my friends called me that in school."

"You wrote---"

"The important thing is that I was looking at it when I had an idea you three would go sneak to Hagrid's to visit him before the Hippogriff was to be executed. And I was right." He started to pace while talking to them, making a short trail in the dust. "You might've been wearing the cloak Harry-"

"How do you know about the cloak?"

"James disappeared in the cloak many times in front of me." Lupin waved the impatient hand. "Even if you're wearing an invisibility cloak, you show up on the map. I watched you enter Hagrid's hut. Sometime later you came out. But there were four instead of three."

"No possible way!" Harry said.

"At first I thought my eyes deceived me," Lupin continued, speaking as if he were talking aloud to himself. "The map must be wrong. Could he be with you?"

"It was only us!" Harry said.

"Another dot galloped toward you and collided with you. Sirius Black. Then I watched as two of you went with him!" Lupin's eyes widened recalling what he saw.

"No! One! One of us!" Ron said bitterly.

"Ron! There were two of you!" Lupin said as he stopped pacing and looked at Ron. "Do you mind if I took a look at that rat of yours?" Lupin asked holding out his hand.

"Scabbers? What does he have to do with anything?" Ron asked.

"Everything could I see him, please?"

Ron reached inside his robes. Lupin moved a little closer to Ron. Ron pulled Scabbers out, who was thrashing around, trying to run away from it all. Crookshanks made a low hissing noise from where he lay. Lupin looked from the cat to Scabbers. Then Scabbers to Black, who had been watching it all and nodded.
Lupin looked back to Ron and Scabbers. He was moving slowly closer to Ron holding his breath, staring at the rat.

"What?" Ron pulled Scabbers closer to his body, wincing as he bit and scratched him. "What does my rat have to do with anything?"

"That's no rat." Sirius Black said suddenly.

Ron raised an eyebrow. "What? Of course he's a rat."

"No he isn't." Lupin said quietly "He's a wizard."

"An Animagus," Black said. "Whose name is Peter Pettigrew."

Lupin looked at their bewildered faces. "This is going to take a long explanation. And that's what they need. They need to know the truth." Lupin thought to himself. He had no idea how right he was.