Magic At Its Deepest

Chapter Nine

The Headmaster's office was deathly silent. McGonagall went white in the face and pressed her lips tightly together, staring at Harry in shock and anger, and the other Professors all had similar reactions; Hagrid looked as if he'd been punched in the gut. Harry couldn't see his godfather, but Professor Lupin looked staggered.

Well, of course he does! screamed a little voice in his head that sounded a lot like Hermione. You're holding a wand on McGonagall! She's your Head of House! You idiot, she's the only one in the school who has the power to expel you! That realization made Harry's hand start to tremble slightly, but he didn't lower his wand. If he got expelled, it would be worth it, as long as Sirius was safe.

The silence was broken by the sound of Dumbledore clearing his throat. Before he could speak, however, Hagrid exploded. "Harr! Why are yeh protectin' that murderin' turncoat? He killed yer parents, and he woulda killed you if I hadn't gotten there first!"

"No, he wouldn't!" said Harry, very loudly. "He's innocent! He's innocent, and he's my godfather, and I love him, and I will hex each and every one of you into next week before I let you hurt him!"

Sirius, who had been about to push Harry away, froze. So did Hagrid. Both of them stared at Harry in shock, along with most of the rest of the room. Before any of them could react, Dumbledore cleared his throat again. "That, I believe, is quite enough," he said mildly. "Harry, lower your wand."

Harry looked over at the Headmaster, his wand sinking only slightly. "But Sir..."

"Harry, please. I assure you, your godfather is perfectly safe within these walls."

Harry studied the Headmaster for a long moment, then nodded and lowered his wand, causing all his teachers to breathe sighs of relief.

"Thank you, Harry," said Dumbledore, and then looked over at Sirius. For a moment, they just stared at each other, and then the Headmaster smiled. "Well, Sirius," he said softly. "Do you wish to explain it to them, or shall I?"

McGonagall's face, which was just starting to regain its color, went white again. She turned around, pinning the Headmaster with a look of cold fury tinged with disbelief. "Albus? You knew Black was here?"

"Of course I knew, Minerva," said Dumbledore calmly. "It was my idea."

Jaws dropped all around the room. Remus, Sirius and Harry were the only ones unaffected. McGonagall, for her part, simply stared at him for another moment, then drew herself up to her full height. "Well," she said. "If there is an explanation, Albus, I should be delighted to hear it."

"And so you shall, Minerva," said Dumbledore. "Sirius, would you begin with your years as a student here, please? I wouldn't want to inadvertently botch the telling."

"You wouldn't, Sir, but all right," said Sirius. "Let's see, it all began when James and I figured out that Remus was a werewolf. We didn't care, of course, not in the slightest, but we wanted so badly to help...and then, Professor McGonagall, you taught us about Animagi, and it clicked. If we could turn into animals, we could stay with Remus on the full moons, and he wouldn't be alone, and he wouldn't bite us. So we started studying, and it took a long time, but eventually we figured it out, and in fifth year, James, Peter Pettigrew and I became Animagi."

McGonagall's eyes widened in shock. "You....Animagus? Are you telling me that Peter Pettigrew became an Animagus? The same Peter Pettigrew who took two weeks to turn a matchstick into a needle?"

"Yes, Professor," said Sirius. "He turns into a rat. James turned into a stag, and I turn into a dog. Actually, I'm told I bear a strong resemblance to a Grim."

"You do," said Harry dryly. "Which might be why Trelawney's always seeing one in my tea leaves."

Remus and Sirius smirked slightly, and McGonagall, who had a low opinion of Divination in general and of Trelawney in particular, seemed to be suppressing a smile. Dumbledore, too, was amused - his eyes twinkled, and his moustache twitched slightly. "Professor Trelawney, Harry," he corrected mildly.

"Yeah, her," Harry agreed. Dumbledore's moustache twitched again.

"At any rate," said Remus, "they became Animagi to keep me company, and we had some grand times together. The presence of other animals calmed the wolf, and when I was in their company I was less of a danger."

"We had some grand times," Sirius said quietly. "We made a map..."

From there, the whole story came out, from the Maraduder's Map to Sirius' escape from Azkaban and the night Harry found out he was innocent. By unspoken agreement, they left out Severus Snape's intention to send both Remus and Sirius to the Dementors; it seemed pointless to hold onto that grudge, now that he was gone.

When Harry finished telling about waking up in the Hospital Wing and finding out that Sirius had been captured, he stopped speaking and looked at McGonagall, who was staring at him with an indescribable expression. "Potter," she said faintly, "that is the most...ridiculous...story..."

"It's true, Professor McGonagall," said Harry. "Every word."

"All right," said Professor Flitwick. "Even if that is true, Black, tell me this. How on earth did you escape from my office? You could hardly have jumped out of the window..."

"Actually, Professor Flitwick," Sirius said quietly, "I wouldn't be the best person to ask." He looked down at his godson, who was blushing faintly. "Tell me, Harry, how did you get Buckbeak up there, anyway?"

Hagrid, who had not looked at all convinced to this point, turned to Harry, wide-eyed. "Beaky?" he said. "What's Beaky got ter do..." He trailed off, blinking. "You mean, it was yer who..."

"Hermione and I," Harry said. "It's a long story, and there are some parts I can't tell you...but we snuck Buckbeak out so the people from the Ministry couldn't kill him, and then we took him up to Professor Flitwick's office, and he and Sirius got away." He couldn't, of course, tell them about Hermione's Time-Turner, as McGonagall and Dumbledore were the only ones in the room who knew about it, but hopefully they wouldn't ask too many questions.

McGonagall dashed that hope almost immediately. "Potter," she said, "even if all this is true...how on earth did you manage to accomplish all of that in one night?"

Harry glanced over at Dumbledore, who was smiling faintly at him. "It wasn't that hard, Professor," he said. "Especially after Headmaster Dumbledore was kind enough to buy us a little time."

McGonagall opened her mouth to reply, then closed it again, eyes widening slightly. She glanced over at Dumbledore, who nodded slightly, and Harry knew she'd understood. Hagrid, he noticed, seemed more occupied with the 'what' than the 'how'. "Yeh...yeh really saved him?" he asked Harry softly. "An' he's...all right?"

"Buckbeak's fine, Hagrid," said Sirius. "At the moment, he's living in a cave in Hogsmeade. I go visit him with food every day."

Hagrid just stared at him in silence, plainly at a loss for words. "He's here? He's in Hogsmeade?"

"Yes, and I assure you he quite likes it there," said Sirius. "We lived in that cave together during most of Harry's fourth year. I wanted to be close by in case he needed me."

"We went out and saw them during one of the Hogsmeade weekends," said Harry. "Buckbeak looked fine, Hagrid. I think he likes Sirius."

"Of course he likes me, Harry," said Sirius. "Hippogriffs are very discerning animals."

Harry briefly considered saying that he'd noticed that when Buckbeak was attacking Malfoy, but decided it wouldn't be appropriate. Instead, he looked over at Hagrid who was watching Sirius with a very thoughtful expression, as if trying to weigh the man accused of murdering thirteen people with a man who would go to any trouble at all to take care of a condemned hippogriff.

Harry, sensing this hesitation, decided to take advantage of it. "It's true, Hagrid, I swear it is," he said softly. "Sirius wouldn't hurt me. Ever." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, still unused to the bone-deep knowledge that Sirius cared for him, loved him and would do anything to see him safe. The very concept of anybody loving him that much had never occurred to him before he met his godfather, and it was still so new that vocalizing it seemed impossible...but he had to try. "He cares about me, Hagrid. He was the first person who ever told me he loved me. Having him around last year helped a lot, especially when...when Ron wasn't talking to me. It helped to know that somebody was around who cared about me. And having him teach here is the best thing ever, next to having Professor Lupin back." Remus went pink, but Harry didn't notice. "We talk about stuff, and sometimes he helps me with my homework, and he worries about me, protects me..." Harry swallowed and glanced over at Sirius, who was watching him with an indescribable expression. "James Potter was my father," he said softly, "but Sirius is my

dad."

There was a short silence, which was broken only by McGonagall blowing her nose. She wasn't the only one so effected, either; Hagrid reached up and wiped a knuckle across his eyes, then stepped forward and offered Sirius his hand, which Sirius took immediately, his own eyes suspiciously moist.

Harry sagged in relief as the rest of the staff, apparently equally convinced, came forward to do the same, offering soft apologies which Sirius quietly dismissed as unnecessary. McGonagall was the last, and she peered intently at him for a moment, and then said, "I never thought I would see the day when you could teach at this school without blowing it up."

"Frankly, Professor McGonagall, neither did I."

"I don't think any of us did," said Remus, coming up behind them. "Especially with me here with him."

McGonagall blinked, and then went white. "Merlin," she muttered. "We're going to need stronger wards."

"You're more right than you know," said Harry softly. When they looked at him, he said, "I told you Voldemort was sending somebody to kill Remus. I didn't tell you who it was, but now that you know about Sirius being innocent, I can." He looked up at Remus, his expression grave. "It's Pettigrew."

At this point, Sirius let loose a string of invective that made Harry think he should be taking notes. Remus, for his part, went white, and then his eyes narrowed dangerously. "You're sure, Harry?"

"Yes." Harry swallowed. "He told Peter to use his silver hand...and to take his time."

The room erupted in horrified gasps. Remus' face took on a decidedly green tinge, and Sirius stopped swearing. All the blood drained from his face, and he stared at Harry in horror. "Bloody..."

"Yeah. My feelings exactly," said Harry softly.

Sirius stared at him for another moment, and then his expression hardened into brisk, cold efficiency. "All right," he said. "Here's what we do."

Two nights later...

Peter Pettigrew slipped into Remus Lupin's bedchamber, stepping over the shattered remains of the gargoyle that guarded it. He hadn't known the password, so he hadn't even tried - a well-placed Reducto had a far greater effect than words, and a silencing spell ensured that nobody would hear. The spell stopped at the door, however, and so Peter had to tiptoe across the room to ensure that he wouldn't wake Remus - werewolf senses were damnably sensitive, and he'd learned how light a sleeper Remus was when they shared a dorm together.

As he neared the bed, he kept a careful watch on Remus' chest. It moved up and down evenly, a sure sign of sleep. It was going to work. It was really going to work. Remus was going to die, and he, Peter, was going to be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams. A slow, triumphant smile lit his features, and he leaned over Remus' bed, lowering his silver hand to cover the werewolf's mouth.

It was less than an inch away when an unseen hand grabbed his other wrist, pulling him away from the bed. He reeled, his heart dropping into his stomach, as James Potter's Invisibility Cloak dropped to the floor. "Did you honestly think," said Sirius Black, his expression coldly furious, "that I would let you take Remus from me?"

He pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at Peter's heart, and Peter took a step back, terror slowly overtaking him at the sight. "Were you honestly stupid enough," Sirius continued, voice dripping contempt, "to believe that I would leave the one person left on this earth who I've loved for almost thirty years unprotected?"

Peter swallowed sharply. "S-Sirius," he stammered. "Sirius, p-please. You can't kill me. H-Harry was right, J-James..."

"Wouldn't have wanted me to become a murderer over a piece of flobberworm dung like you," said Sirius. "Yes, I know. So I'm not going to kill you, Peter." When Peter started to relax, he added sharply, "But don't think you're going to escape me again. We prepared for this far too well. Didn't we, Headmaster?"

Whatever fear Peter had felt at the sight of Sirius was all forgotten in the wake of the mind-numbing terror that spread through him as Albus Dumbledore appeared in the corner of the room. "Indeed," said Dumbledore, and crossed the room silently, staring at Peter with an expression that chilled his blood. "Hello, Peter. I believe that you and I are overdue for a little talk."

An hour later, Peter was seated in Dumbledore's office, along with the Headmaster himself, Remus, Sirius, Minerva McGonagall, and Harry Potter, all of them pointing their wands at his face and scaring him half to death. This time, he knew, there would be no escaping. He would go to Azkaban, or he would be given to the Dementors and Kissed.

If Sirius didn't kill him outright. Judging by the look on his former friend's face, Peter wasn't placing any bets on Potter or even Dumbledore being able to stop him. He knew that going after Remus would infuriate Sirius, but he'd apparently underestimated how much Sirius cared about the werewolf. He was afraid to even look at Remus, because if he did he had the feeling that Sirius would kill him first and ask questions later.

"Veritaserum," said Potter's voice, and Peter twitched slightly. "We ought to give him Veritaserum. See what he knows about Voldemort's plans."

"An excellent idea, Harry," Dumbledore said mildly. "Do you have any, Sirius?"

"Some, but I've just recently learned to make it and I've never tested it," said Sirius. "It might kill him." He didn't sound particularly bothered by the notion.

"Always a risk." Dumbledore didn't sound too concerned either. "I remember some of the early cases...ah, but I digress. Perhaps the Veritaserum won't be necessary." He turned to Peter, blue eyes cold and missing all their usual sparkle. "Well, Peter? What can you tell us?"

Peter swallowed, mentally calculating the odds that Voldemort could get to him in Azkaban. They weren't in his favor, and so he shook his head. "I won't betray my Master," he said softly.

"The idea of being a traitor is suddenly reprehensible to you, is it, Peter?" said Remus coldly. "Didn't stop you twelve years ago, did it?"

Peter finally turned to face Remus. "You don't understand," he started to say, and then stopped dead, shocked, as the specter of Lily Evans materialized suddenly in the air next to the werewolf.

She was clad all in white, a peaceful look on her face, and her long, coppery hair was flowing free behind her, unbound. "Oh, Peter," she said softly, her expression mournful. "Why did you do it?"

"Oh, we understand," Sirius said from behind him. "We understand you all too well. You are a traitor, Peter. You betrayed all of us. Me, Remus, James, Harry..."

Peter only half-heard him; he was too busy staring at Lily in shock, unable to believe his eyes. "Lily?" he whispered softly.

"Yes," said Remus coldly. "Lily. You betrayed her too, Peter, and you know Lily never did anything to you."

"He's right, Peter," Lily sad sorrowfully. "I never harmed you. You were my friend. I cared about you. So did James. We all did. Why did you betray us?"

"I...I had no choice," Peter said softly. "Voldemort..."

"There's always a choice!" Sirius growled, and hauled Peter off his feet. "You dirty, slimy bastard, you chose to send two wonderful people to their deaths, and it would have been three if you'd had your way! Don't try and tell us you had no choice!"

"He's right, Peter," Lily said softly. Her voice, unlike Sirius', held no blame, merely sadness. "You know he's right. You betrayed us all. You're the reason Harry never knew his father and I. You're the reason why Sirius spent twelve years in Azkaban and Remus spent the same twelve years thinking that all his friends were gone. You chose to make that happen, Peter." She tilted her head to the side, surveying him with a sorrowful expression. "You deserve every bit of what you're about to get, Peter. I hope you realize that."

And then, just as suddenly as she had appeared, she was gone. Peter stared at the space she'd been occupying for a minute, shocked, and then fainted dead away. As his body hit the floor, the others exchanged glances, and Dumbledore smiled. "Well played, all of you," he said, and waved his wand at Lily, negating the Invisibility Charm that had concealed her from Peter's view.

Lily sighed and looked down at herself, shaking her head. "I still say the white robes were a little over the top."

"No, they were great," said Sirius. "I say we should have given you wings and a halo."

"That's because you're a melodramatic prat." Remus grinned as Sirius gave him a mock-injured look. "Now come on. Let's take Peter to the Ministry. I can't wait to see the look on Fudge's face when he realizes he's going to have to admit that he was wrong."

Harry, unfortunately, was denied that privilege; as the adults went to the Ministry, he made his way back to the Common Room. Hermione and Ron were there, waiting for him, and he relayed what had happened, causing both his friends to start laughing at his imitation of Pettigrew's expression before he passed out. When they returned to their beds, Ron fell asleep immediately, but Harry stared at the ceiling above him, too excited to sleep. Sirius' name would be cleared, at last. He would never have to go back to the Dursleys' again. Finally, for the first time in his life, Harry would be able to live with people he loved.

When he finally did fall asleep, he dreamed of flying.

The headline of the next morning's Daily Prophet proclaimed Sirius Black's innocence for the entire wizarding world to see, and the Great Hall was abuzz during breakfast as the students of Hogwarts devoured the article, shocked and disbelieving. Harry found himself glancing up at the Head Table, biting his lip to keep from laughing, every time one of his fellow Gryffindors expressed their belief that "Hope Foster, Daily Prophet Correspondent" must have made a mistake somewhere, because Sirius Black couldn't possibly be an innocent man.

About the tenth time he did that, Albus Dumbledore caught his eye, and the Headmaster smiled at him before standing and clinking his fork against his goblet. "Your attention, please," he said, and the Great Hall quieted as all eyes turned to him. "You have all, I suppose, seen this morning's Daily Prophet," he began. "I realize that it comes as a great surprise to most of you, but let me assure you that it is true. I, myself, heard Peter Pettigrew confess, under Veritaserum, to framing Sirius Black for the crimes that sent him to Azkaban." This set off a series of shocked murmurs, and Dumbledore allowed them for a moment before raising his hand. "I confess, however," he added when the room fell silent again, "that I have been aware of Sirius' innocence for over a year, ever since he was held at this school the year he escaped from Azkaban. In fact, my faith in him is so great that he has been residing at this school since August, and, since classes resumed, has been teaching you Potions, albeit disguised as Margaret Keating."

There was a moment of silence, and then the room erupted. Students were on their feet, screaming, unable or unwilling to believe. In fact, the only ones who were not so affected were Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and the Weasley siblings, who merely exchanged smiles. It only added to the tumult when Dumbledore waved his wand at Sirius, causing the illusion that hid his identity to melt away, leaving Sirius Black standing at the Head Table, looking a great deal healthier than his wanted posters.

This time, the thing that silenced the outcry was just about the last thing any of the students expected. The doors leading into the castle opened, and Lily Potter stepped through them, smiling. Those students who had been raised in wizarding families recognized her instantly, and the ones who hadn't been were quickly clued in to her identity. There wasn't a sound in the Great Hall as she walked over to the Head Table, stopping in front of the Headmaster. "I'm sorry I'm late, Headmaster," she said serenely. "What have I missed?"