The Book Of Jude

Chapter Thirty: Fair is Foul and Foul is Fair

'You're cold that way

And that's why you say

The things that you say

You can't attract

The things that you lack

You're trying in vain.

It seems it's always the crazy times

You find you'll wake up and realize

It takes more than your saline eyes

To make things right...'

Jars of Clay, Crazy Times

Jude stared unblinkingly at the familiar intruder, shifting her weight from paw to paw as nervous felines often do. This had fiasco written all over it.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape informed a rapt audience. The three children were staring, open mouthed, silent with surprise. Lupin, while betraying some hints of shock and anger mixed with fear, maintained his composure admirably. Black was clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Jude gathered there was little love between the professor and the convict. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you..." His voice was icy, as one hand held Harry's Invisibility Cloak. In the other, Snape kept his wand pointed directly at Lupin's chest. Jude watched the tense scene with rising anxiety.

"You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" His black eyes were glittering in the low light. He was enjoying this. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a goblet full along. And very lucky I did..."

Jude continued to stare at him. Lucky? There was nothing lucky about any of this. Lucky would have been her getting to Peter before any of this could have happened.

As if in answer, Snape amended his statement. "Lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know." Jude's breath caught in her chest. He couldn't possibly know she was there, could he? How long had it been since she and Black had passed through the secret passage and off of the map? "I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight." He was glaring at Lupin alone and seemed not to have marked the cat's presence at all. Jude relaxed, but only minutely. The situation still had the overwhelming potential to become a disaster. Her mind was reeling out scenario after scenario, trying quickly to come up with a plan that ended with everyone alive and none of them in Azkaban.

"Severus--," Lupin began, but Snape silenced him, stepping closer and closing the scant distance between them, wand still at the ready.

"I've told the Headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout--,"

"Severus, you're making a mistake," Lupin began urgently, trying in vain to convince him he was wrong. "You haven't heard everything--I can explain--Sirius is not here to kill Harry--,"

Jude silently begged Snape to listen, but knew that it was futile to try convincing the professor of anything once he firmly believed he'd reached the correct conclusion. Still, Jude reasoned, someone's life hung in the balance--Snape may not be entirely fair at times, but he would not send a person back to Azkaban if there was a reasonable doubt as to his guilt.

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape maliciously, his eyes gleaming with hideous fanaticism. What was the story here, Jude thought frantically. For hatred, he would sacrifice two people? It made no sense. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this...He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a tame werewolf--,"

"You fool," Lupin said softly, everyone's attention bent on his words. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

BANG! Jude lurched forward slightly from her perch on the bed, startled by the sudden noise. Thin cords burst from Snape's wand, wrapping voraciously around Lupin. Black sprang forward at Snape, but froze as the wand was now leveled at him, taking aim right between the eyes.

"Give me a reason," Snape whispered, a cruel smile spreading slowly across his face. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will." Jude turned to Black, meeting his eyes with a trapped look. He was silently imploring her to do something.

Jude glanced around the room in a panic. Harry stood, paralyzed and confused. Ron and Hermione looked equally as stunned. No hope there, Jude realized. She shook her head. It was worth it, she concluded. The risk of her remaining silent was greater than everyone discovering she was mixed up, inextricably and unexplainably, in all of this. Snape was not himself and Jude would not be able to handle it if she let something happen that she could have prevented. Afraid of what would be if she wasted another second in capitulation, she was about to leap from her safe perch when she heard an uncertain and breathless voice.

"Professor Snape--," It was Hermione. "It--it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w--would it?"

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spat at her without turning his attention from Black. "You, Potter and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."

"Well," Jude thought, ready to put an end to this scene as she watched Hermione quell under the harsh admonitions of her teacher, "at least I can't be suspended."

"But if--if there was a mistake--," Hermione continued her plea bravely. Jude was breathing heavily, hesitating for some unknown reason. She was a coward, and she knew it. Fighting with her thoughts, she tried to reconcile herself to disappointing Snape and the rest of the people who would be angry at her involvement in this affair. She wasn't sure how much Dumbledore had suspected as concerned her. She only told him that she was going after Black--she didn't even suspect at that time that she would end up aiding the convict. Her head swam with the confusion of it all. To hell with it, she thought. There was more at stake here than everyone's opinion of her. She would trade her freedom for Black's if it came to that.

"Keep quiet, you stupid girl!" Snape shouted, now looking quite deranged. Hermione finally fell silent. "Don't talk about what you don't understand!"

He turned his glare back to the man standing at the other end of his wand. "Vengeance is very sweet," Snape whispered. Jude watched, numb of every feeling, praying for some reprieve from what she was preparing herself to do. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

Black tensed. "Is that what this is about?" He was clenching his fists. "It is, isn't it? This is about her."

Snape stared coldly back at him, a ringing silence filled the room. He pressed the wand against Black's forehead. "No," he spat cruelly. "This is about you."

Jude furrowed her ginger brow, wondering in vain what that cryptic exchange was about. But, just as it had begun--startlingly swift--it had ceased to be discussed. Black was silent and Snape was scowling viciously at him.

Finally, Black spoke. "The joke's on you again, Severus," he snarled, looking every part the ferocious dog. "As long as that boy brings his rat up to the castle," he said, jerking his head toward Ron--"I'll come quietly." Jude breathed a sigh of relief--everything would be settled if Snape granted Black this one concession.

"Up to the castle?" Snape said silkily. "I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the dementors once we get out of the Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black...pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I dare say..." Jude shivered. It was just talk, she was sure of it--he would never let three students see something like that--but Jude could not keep a cold and ill feeling from sweeping over her.

"You've got to hear me out," Black croaked, the pale color draining from his dirty face. "The rat--look at the rat--,"

Jude saw a mad glint in Snape's eyes. Something was going on here that she was unaware of, something bigger than just anger over a mere practical joke--albeit, one that had gone severely wrong and had almost gotten one of them killed and another in serious trouble.

"Come on, all of you," he said, looking around at all of the stunned faces. His eyes settled on the cat for only a fraction of a second, but Jude could see something in the mad glint--there was more, there was a reason for his behavior.

Snapping his fingers, the ends of the cords that bound Lupin flew into his hands. Jude was impressed--it was an admirable show of skill--but it was colored by her disgust at the cruelty he was showing. "I'll drag the werewolf. Perhaps the dementors will have a kiss for him too--,"

Not if I can help it, Jude mused. With one paw raised to leap from the bed, she stopped dead when she saw Harry cross the room to block the door.

"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," Snape snarled. "If I hadn't been here to save your skin--,"

"Professor Lupin could have killed me about a hundred times this year," Harry shouted back at him defiantly. "I've been alone with him loads of times, having defense lessons against the dementors. If he was helping Black, why didn't he just finish me off then?"

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf's mind works," hissed Snape."Get out of the way, Potter."

"You're pathetic!" Harry yelled. Jude was astonished--on many occasions, she'd wanted to give Snape a good verbal thrashing, but had never dared out of respect for his authority. It was odd, really--she held back her opinion for no one, but she had never been able to ignore a Hogwarts teacher's authority--even those she loathed, such as Astor or Vector. "Just because they made a fool of you at school you won't even listen--,"

"Silence!I will not be spoken to like that!" He narrowed his black eyes at Harry. Snape shook his head, his voice dripping venom. "Like father, like son, Potter! I have just saved your neck; you should be thanking me on bended knee! You would have been well served if he'd killed you! You'd have died like your father, too arrogant to believe you might be mistaken in Black--now get out of the way, or I will make you. Get out of the way, Potter!"

Jude watched as Harry raised his wand quicker than any of them could react. She had not noticed that Hermione and Ron had done the same until their voices added force to Harry's.

"Expelliarmus!" they yelled together in perfect and terrifying synchronization. The blast made the door rattle on its brittle hinges. Jude was horrified as Snape slammed into the wall then slid down it to the floor, a trickle of blood ran scarlet from his black hair. He'd been knocked out by three thirteen-year-olds.

"You shouldn't have done that..." Black said, looking absolutely shocked at Harry. "You should have left him to me..." Jude agreed that Harry had acted rashly--he would no doubt catch hell for it--but Jude eyed Black suspiciously as he glared murderously at Snape's prone form.

Harry looked only a little remorseful for his actions. However, Hermione was frantic.

"We attacked a teacher...We attacked a teacher...," she repeated, staring at her professor with frightened eyes. "Oh, we're going to be in so much trouble--,"

Black bent down to untie Lupin, who was struggling against the bonds. He straightened up, rubbing his wrists where the rope had cut into them.

"Thank you, Harry," he said.

"I'm still not saying I believe you," he snapped halfheartedly at Lupin.

"Then it's time we offered you some proof," said Lupin officially. "Ron--give me Peter, please. Now."

Ron clutched the rat to his chest as it struggled furiously.

"Come off it," he said weakly. "Are you trying to say he broke out of Azkaban just to get his hands on Scabbers? I mean..." He looked up at Harry and Hermione for support, "Okay, say Pettigrew could turn into a rat--there are millions of rats--how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up in Azkaban?"

"You know, Sirius, that's a fair question," said Lupin, turning to Black with a questioning stare. "How did you find out where he was?"

Black reached into his robes and took out a ragged, crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and handed to Lupin.

Lupin smiled. "How did you get this?" He was thunderstruck.

"Fudge," said Black. Jude felt her hair stand on end in unrestrained dislike. "When he came to inspect Azkaban last year, he gave me his paper. And there was Peter, on the front page...on this boy's shoulder...I knew him at once...how many times had I seen him transform? And the caption said the boy would be going back to Hogwarts...to where Harry was..."

Ron eyed the paper skeptically and then returned his eyes to Black, even more skeptical.

"My God!" said Lupin softly, yet with triumphant surprise. He was staring from Scabbers to the picture in the paper and back again. "His front paw..."

"What about it?" said Ron, determined to be defiant to the last.

"He's got a toe missing," said Black.

"Of course," said Lupin with a small smile. "So simple...so brilliant...he cut it off himself?"

"Just before he transformed," said Black. "When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to here that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew apart the street with the wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself--and sped down into the sewer with the other rats..."

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" said Lupin, mildly coaxing the boy to see reason. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

"Look, Scabbers probably had a fight with another rat or something! He's been in my family for ages, right--,"

"Twelve years, in fact," said Lupin. "Didn't you ever wonder why he was living so long?"

"We--we've been taking good care of him!" said Ron, growing angry.

"Not looking too good at the moment, though, is he?" said Lupin. "I'd guess he's been losing weight ever since he heard Sirius was on the loose again..."

"He's been scared of that mad cat!" said Ron abruptly, nodding toward Crookshanks. Jude remained still and purred innocently on the bed. However, she betrayed an annoyed look at Ron. She noticed Lupin had once again resumed examining her with his enigmatic eyes.

"This cat isn't mad..." Black said coarsely, never taking his eyes off of Scabbers...or Peter. "Peter got wind of what was going on and ran for it..." he continued. "This cat--Crookshanks did you call him?--told me Peter left blood on the sheets...I suppose he bit himself...Well, faking his own death had worked once..."

Harry looked shocked beyond recovery.

"And why did he fake his death?" Harry said furiously. "Because he knew you were about to kill him like you killed my parents!"

"No," said Lupin, "Harry--,"

"And now you've come to finish him off!"

"Yes, I have," said Black. Immediately Jude turned her head and stared furiously at him. He'd intended to kill him all along--how could she have been so foolish? It was ridiculous to want this man to have faith in justice--hell, she hardly had any faith left to call her own either--but she thought he at least wanted to make an attempt at freedom. Black was looking evilly at Peter.

"Then I should have let Snape take you!" Harry shouted.

"Harry," said Lupin hurriedly. "Don't you see? All this time we've thought Sirius betrayed your parents, and Peter tracked him down--but it was the other way around, don't you see? Peter betrayed you mother and father--Sirius tracked Peter down--,"

"That's not true!" Harry yelled. "He was their Secret-Keeper! He said so before you turned up. He said he killed them!"

Jude swallowed hard as Black spoke, weary with guilt. "Harry...I as good as killed them. I persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuaded them to use him as Secret-Keeper instead of me...I'm to blame, I know it...The night they died, I'd arranged to check on Peter, make sure he was still safe, but when I arrived at his hiding place, he'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. I was scared. I set out for your parents' house straight away. And when I saw their house, destroyed, and their bodies...I realized what Peter must've done...what I'd done..."

Jude tried to block the voice from her head.

Child, I give the duty to you. Kill him.

"Enough of this," Lupin's sharp voice broke off the terrifying memory of that night...the night that haunted Jude relentlessly...without hope of escape...that would continue to torture her until the end of her days...maybe after that...

"There's one certain way to prove what really happened. Ron, give me that rat."

"What are you going to do with him if I give him to you?" Ron asked tensely, still clutching the fiercely struggling Peter.

"Force him to show himself," said Lupin. "If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Ron hesitated, but finally relinquished the creature. The rat began squeaking without stopping, twisting and turning in Lupin's hands.

"Ready, Sirius?" said Lupin. Black already had Snape's wand at the ready.

"Together?" he asked quietly.

"I think so," said Lupin, holding the squirming rat tightly in one hand. "On the count of three. One--two--THREE!"

A flash of blue-white light lit up the dark room. Jude watched eagerly as the gray rat fell and hit the floor. After another blinding flash, Jude smiled.

Peter stood, cringing and wringing his hands in the middle of the room.

The short man glanced frantically around the room. He looked terribly frightened, but Jude knew not to be deceived--he was treacherous and clever. His friends had grossly underestimated him--easy enough to do, she admitted, remembering his scheming acts from when she was a child--but that was a mistake she would make only once, she promised herself as she watched him with a cautious and vigilant eye.

He was breathing fast and shallow, his eyes darting to the door and back again. Jude narrowed her eyes, daring him to make a run for it.

" Well, hello, Peter," Lupin said affably, as if they'd never ceased to be the closest of friends. "Long time, no see."

"S--Sirius...R--Remus..." His voice was squeaky. "My friends...My old friends..."

Black's wand arm rose, but Lupin seized him by the wrist and shot him a warning look.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around down there on the bed--,"

"Remus," Peter gasped, his face becoming paler and beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. "You don't believe him, do you? He tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So we've heard," said Lupin blandly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so--,"

"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked. He was pointing furiously at Black, who leveled a cold, murderous glare at him. Jude smiled--Peter pointed with his middle finger, the index finger missing. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too...You've got to help me, Remus..."

Lupin looked momentarily at Black. "No one is going to kill you until we've sorted a few things out."

"Sort things out?" squealed Peter. "I knew he'd come for me! I knew he'd be back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" said Lupin. Jude was impressed--nothing passed this man unnoticed. He pegged every nuance of every word spoken--he would've excelled in law, had it not been for...

"When nobody has ever done it before?" he continued.

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Peter countered weakly, yet adamantly. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

Black started to laugh mirthlessly. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?"

Jude desperately wanted to insert a horrible dog joke here but reminded herself that it probably wasn't the right occasion.

Peter flinched at the name. Jude was slightly amused that, after all of these years, Peter still held the terrible reverence for his master's name.

"What? Scared to hear your old master's name?" said Black. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?" Jude listened intently.

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius--," muttered Pettigrew, breathing ever faster.

"You haven't been hiding from me for twelve years," said Black. "You've been hiding from Voldemort's old supporters. I heard things in Azkaban, Peter...They all think that you're dead, or you'd have to answer to them...I've heard them screaming all sorts of things in their sleep. Sounds like they think the double-crosser double-crossed them." Jude froze. She wondered what her fellows in Azkaban would say if they knew she had survived that night?

"Voldemort went to the Potters on your information...and Voldemort met his downfall there. And not all Voldemort's supporters ended up in Azkaban,did they? There are still plenty out here, biding their time, pretending they've seen the error of their ways...If they ever got wind that you were still alive, Peter--,"

"Don't know...what you're talking about...," said Peter again, more shrilly this time. Jude knew how he felt--she felt the same way now...like the walls were closing in, like she was a hunted animal. Black's words had struck more than one target in that room.

Peter wiped his face on his sleeve. Looking up at Lupin, he squeaked "You don't believe this--this madness, Remus--,"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty understanding why an innocent man would want to spend twelve years as a rat," he said evenly.

"Innocent, but scared!" squealed Peter. "If Voldemort's supporters were after me, it was because I put one of their best men in Azkaban--the spy, Sirius Black!"

"I think I would have known if Black was one of Voldemort's spies, Peter."

Every head in the room snapped around at the sound of her voice. Tired of the arguments and determined to see Peter safe in custody and frantic not to let him slip through her fingers--as he was trying desperately to do, and seeming to succeed at it--Crookshanks had silently leapt off the opposite side of the bed. Emerging from behind the dusty damask was no longer the large, squash-faced ginger cat, but Jude--dirty and exhausted.

"Do you recognize me, Peter?" Jude walked around the bed, coming to lean against one of the posts, facing the squat man, only a few inches superior of her own height. "I recognize you...and that is usually never a good thing."

The silence was electric--almost tangible. Every eye was fixed on the girl--bare feet, filthy and scratched, arms folded across her chest, weary eyes narrowed and unforgiving on Peter. In grimy jeans and her hair dull and dirty, she presented an appearance to rival the scruffy and sinister look of Black.

Peter remained silent. Jude ignored the rest and focused every attention on the man in front of her. "It was my duty to weed out the unfaithful, Peter. All spies were known to me--I kept my eye on them--I ensured their loyalty. And I condemned the double-crossers--as you put it, Black."

She chanced a minute glance in Black's direction. His expression was pained--he was either sorry that she had revealed herself on his behalf, or he was kicking himself for having accepted, however unknowingly, the help of a former Death Eater. She forced herself to look away and to focus on Peter, avoiding the eyes of everyone else in the room.

Peter stared in astonishment at her, trying to retain the air of confusion.

Jude sighed. Rolling up one grimy sleeve, she hesitated then removed a wide, silver band wound around her left wrist. She held her arm out at her side--the mark was unmistakable, undeniable. The effect was perfect.

"You!" Peter whispered, betraying the recognition.

"Yes, Peter. Me. The Sparrow. I sang the praise or the damnation of every person under Voldemort's power."

Jude noticed that Ron had recoiled, dragging his wounded leg across the bed, inching farther from her. She paid no heed. They could see what they want to, but she had a mission. Jude always got her man.

"It can't be...you're dead!" Peter gasped.

Jude smiled sinisterly. "As you can see, Peter, I am not." She replaced the bracelet on her left wrist and crossed her arms once again. "I am quite hurt that you would wish so, however." Her face was blank, no sign that she was, in fact, hurt by this--her features remained emotionless. "So, tell me, Peter--if Black was one of Voldemort's best men, why haven't I ever spoken to him until Halloween--this past year?"

Peter remained flabbergasted, unable to speak.

"Black was never a spy...he was never a follower of Voldemort...But you were."

"Lies...she is lying...Kill her! She admitted it...she is a Death Eater," Peter began shrieking.

Jude looked around. She had rather condemned herself, hadn't she? Yet no one moved--no one reached for a wand to hex her into oblivion. Black was staring at the ground, Remus' eyes were fixed on her and his face was extremely pale. The kids looked a little dazed, but she was aware that they already knew a little about her from her escapades during Harry's first year. She assumed Harry had told his friends everything that had happened then.

Black finally broke the silence. "It was you...you were the little girl...that night...when James and Lily..."

Jude looked at him and nodded solemnly. "I was there. With Voldemort...I was ten years old then."

"See? She's the one you want--not me... not me!" Peter was yelling frantically.

"Quiet!" Black bellowed at Peter. "I will not kill her...she saved Harry that night...made sure he was safe with Dumbledore. For that alone I owe her my life."

Jude hung her head at this. If he only knew...

"Then she helped me hunt you down. She wanted to set me free..." Black finished, staring oddly at Jude. Gratitude mixed with a thousand unanswered questions.

She knew she had a lot of explaining to do. "I joined Voldemort when I was only seven years old...He looked after me when I had no one...it's not an excuse, I don't want to make an excuse for what I was a part of...but that night...I couldn't do it anymore..." Her voice was shaking and she tried mightily to restrain her fear and guilt.

"Dumbledore let me stay at the school...he gave me a second chance." Jude glanced momentarily at Lupin, noting that those haunting eyes still looked annoyingly familiar. And she was relieved--he seemed to understand. "Black deserved a lot more than I had been given. I deserved his lot...I deserve Azkaban. He doesn't. I chose my path...his was governed by the lies of another. Peter," Jude returned her piercing stare to the short man. "What goes around, comes around. Somehow, I think you knew this would all come back to bite you in the ass."

Peter sputtered. "I am no spy...I would never..."

"One more thing, though..." Jude continued, ignoring his protestations. "You've been living as a rat with this boy for twelve years, and besides the fact that that's incredibly pervy, it is highly suspicious." Jude took a step away from the bed and towards Peter. "Why? Why a wizarding family? Keeping your ear to the ground? Hoping for news from Voldemort?" she questioned scathingly. "What's in it for you, Peter? You could have killed Harry a hundred times by now. Why didn't you?"

"I'll tell you why," Black answered in Peter's stead. "Because he never did anything for anyone unless he could see what was in it for him. Voldemort's been in hiding for fifteen years, they say he's half dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all of his power, were you?" Black glared murderously at Peter. "You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully on the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizarding family to take you in? Waiting for your old protector to regain strength, and it's safe to rejoin him..."

Peter open his mouth and closed it several times, giving him the appearance of a fish out of water.

Black turned to Harry. "Believe me, Harry. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them."

Jude watched, flooded with relief as Harry nodded. She smiled weakly at Black, who looked wearily overjoyed.

Peter had fallen on his knees at the nod that condemned him.

"No!" he pleaded, hands clasped in front of him. "Sirius--it's me...your friend...you wouldn't...you wouldn't believe her over me..."

Black kicked out and Peter recoiled.

"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked at him in turn imploringly. "You don't believe this...wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," said Lupin. He turned to Black. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" It was casual, without any malice. Jude was unfamiliar with this kind of friendship...one that could survive such suspicion and mistrust, coming out unscathed in the end. It was completely alien to her. The only friendship she'd ever had even resembling this had not survived her lies.

"Forgive me, Remus," said Black.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," said Lupin, clearly elated to be able to call his companion by his nickname once more. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"

"Of course," said Black, and the shadow of a grin crossed his face. They had both rolled up their sleeves...

Like executioners, Jude thought in a macabre way.

"Shall we kill him together?" Black looked to Lupin, asking the question lightly.

"Yes, I think so," said Lupin grimly.

Jude was glued to the spot. She seemed to have momentarily lost the power of speech. Her tension melted, however, as she saw Peter dart out from under the wand. "You wouldn't...you won't..." He scrabbled over to Ron. "Ron...haven't I been a good friend...a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you...you're on my side, aren't you..."

Jude pried her feet from their spot and rushed over to the bed where Ron lay pale and livid, being fawned over by the sniveling little man. She placed herself between Peter and the boy he was addressing, her glare was harsh and cold and immovable. Resting a hand on Ron's shoulder to keep him from jumping up out of anger, Jude was mildly surprised that he did not recoil from her this time.

"I let you sleep in my bed!" Ron yelled.

"Kind boy...kind master..." Pettigrew crawled toward Ron, "You won't let them do it...I was your rat...I was a good pet..."

Jude snorted with mock amusement. "If you made a better rat than a human, Peter, it's not much to brag about," she said scathingly. Peter scowled menacingly at her.

"Your time will come." His voice was a whisper. "We will have our revenge. They speak of my treachery, of my betrayal. You can't hide much longer. Voldemort will not be defeated by a little girl." Jude eyed him with cold hatred as he finished his address full of portent for her. He turned to Hermione as his next choice of benefactor.

"Sweet girl...clever girl...you won't let them...Help me..."

Jude smiled ruefully as Hermione snatched the hem of her robes away from Peter and backed against the wall, looking utterly horrified.

Pettigrew finally knelt before Harry.

"Harry...Harry...you look just like your father...just like him..."

Jude stepped forward a little as Black shouted. "How dare you speak to Harry?" he roared. "How dare you face him? How dare you talk about James in front of him?"

Jude was numb--she didn't know what to think. This should be her...on her knees in the middle of a dank room...pleading for her life...she had done almost the exact crime he was being reproached for...yet she remained silent.

"Harry," whispered Pettigrew, shuffling over to him. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed...James would have understood, Harry...he would have shown me mercy..."

From the bed, Jude watched as both Black and Lupin strode forward, seized Peter and threw him back onto the floor.

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort," said Black, shaking. "Do you deny it?"

He glanced sidelong at Jude. She stared back, unmoving and unfeeling.

Peter burst into tears. "Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord...you have no idea...he has weapons you can't imagine...I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen...He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me--,"

"Don't lie!" bellowed Black. "You'd been passing information to him for a year before Lily and James died! You were his spy!"

"He--he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "What was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Black, his fury unrestrained. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" Peter whined. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"

"Then you should have died!" Black roared. "Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you!"

Black and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the door, wands raised.

"You should have realized that if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter." Lupin said with eerie, unfeeling politeness that was ill suited to him marking every word.

Jude watched unblinkingly. She then realized that it was not her place to stop this. They deserved their revenge.

"No!" Harry yelled, breaking Jude's weary trance. "You can't kill him," he said breathlessly. "You can't."

Black and Lupin exchanged confused glances. Jude furrowed her brow.

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Jude closed her eyes and sighed. Every word stung like a knife, slicing her already thin and abused soul. Black snarled further. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."

"I know," Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the dementors...He can go to Azkaban...but don't kill him."

"Harry!" gasped Pettigrew, flinging his arms around Harry's ankles. "You--thank you--it's more than I deserve--thank you--,"

"Get off me," Harry spat, throwing Pettigrew's hands off him and striding out of his reach. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because--I don't reckon my dad would've wanted them to become killers--just for you."

The silence was thick, interrupted only by Peter's ragged, despairing breaths.

Black broke it finally. "You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry," he said. "But think...think what he did..."

"He can go to Azkaban," Harry repeated with force. "If anyone deserves that place, he does..."

"Very well," said Lupin. "Stand aside, Harry."

Harry hesitated.

"I'm going to tie him up," said Lupin. "That's all, I swear."

Harry stepped out of the way, just as thin cords sprung from Lupin's wand and entwined themselves around Peter, who was soon bound and gagged and wriggling on the floor like an overgrown worm.

"But if you transform, Peter," growled Black, leveling his wand at Pettigrew still, "we will kill you. Agreed, Harry?"

Harry nodded seriously.

"Right," said Lupin, suddenly businesslike. He walked over to where Ron lay, pale and tired, on the bed. Jude got up immediately and relinquished her spot next to the boy. "Ron, I can't mend bones nearly as well as Madam Pomfrey, so I think it's best if we just strap your leg up until we can get you to the hospital wing."

Jude listened to Lupin as he bent over Ron's leg, bandaging it the best he could. Even his voice was familiar--calm, but with a hint of sadness behind the kind tone. She shook her head, kneeling next to the prone form of Professor Snape. It was all in her head, she reasoned, examining the small cut at the professor's hairline. That was going to be one nasty headache when he woke up.

"Do you think we'll get expelled for that?"

A shaky and uncertain voice caught her attention. She looked up into Hermione's frank and inquiring face, a bit startled to be addressed by the girl.

"No," Jude said with an exhausted shake of her head. "He was asking for it anyway." She smiled, but Hermione was still frowning, frightened.

"Look, I'm sorry I lied to you...I didn't intend to trick you, but it was the best plan I could come up with...I'll make it up to you..." she said, hoping to cheer the girl up a little.

She merely nodded and moved to stand next to Harry, who was staring at her with an unreadable expression. Jude could not bear it and avoided his eyes.

Black came to kneel next to her. "You three did a good job on this one."

Jude shot him a venomous look. "That's a friend of mine you're talking about, Black." Jude said, too tired to sound like she meant it.

"Well, what do we do with him?" Harry cut in.

"There's nothing seriously wrong with him," said Lupin, examining him over Jude's shoulder. He checked the unconscious man's pulse. "You were just a little--overenthusiastic. Still out cold.Er--perhaps it will be best if we don't revive him until we're safely back in the castle." He directed the last part of his sentence to Jude.

She nodded, agreeing one hundred percent. She needed time to think about what the hell was to happen next.

"We can take him like this..." He muttered the word and Snape was pulled into a standing position.

Black announced that two of their number should be chained to Peter. Lupin and Ron took up the commission--both looking morose, they were cuffed to the loathed man. Ron seemed to be taking his rat's secret as a personal insult, and stared resolutely and firmly ahead.

"Come on, Severus," Black said to the oblivious figure. He made no effort to avoid running him into the doorframe.

On the landing of the creaking and dusty stairs, Jude turned to Black and gave him a withering glare. "Play nice, Black. I mean it."

"Yes, madam," Black croaked officially.

Jude leapt lightly down the stairs, once again in the form of a large ginger house cat. She reckoned it would be harder for those behind her to ply her with questions if she were not able to answer them. So, silently and absorbed in her own thought, Jude led the freakish processional back into the passage, heading for the castle.