Chapter 249

Chapter 249

“Hrr… hrr…” Black used his Animagus transformation to wrench himself free of Lupin’s arms. In an instant, he became a great black dog and lunged viciously at Pettigrew.

Pettigrew broke off and screamed.

Fortunately, just as Sirius’s claws were about to reach him, a woody vine caught Black around the body and yanked him backwards.

Even so, those sharp claws tore a great swathe from Pettigrew’s tattered robes, exposing the pale flesh beneath.

Suer also saw drops of water rapidly soaking the hem of Pettigrew’s robes. An unpleasant smell immediately spread through the room.

“Ah…” Hermione clapped her hands over her eyes and darted behind Suer. Suer frowned as well and pinched his nose in disgust.

Dumbledore gave a soft sigh and waved a hand. A fresh breeze swept the smell away at once, the vine bound Black securely, and Pettigrew’s robes repaired themselves.

“Now then, Mr Pettigrew,” Dumbledore said softly. “I am curious. Once you knew that Black had been taken away and that the Dark Lord had suffered a complete defeat, why did you still turn into a rat and go into hiding until today?”

“To my knowledge, the Ministry of Magic awarded you an Order of Merlin, First Class, after the event. Why did you never come forward to claim it?”

“That is an incomparable honour, Mr Pettigrew. Very few wizards, I imagine, could resist such a temptation.”

Pettigrew appeared stunned witless. He stood rooted to the spot and only began to answer after Dumbledore’s question, trembling like a badly frightened man.

“I was afraid, Professor. I was afraid even though I knew Black had been locked away in Azkaban.”

“I was afraid he might escape from Azkaban and come for me.” At this, Pettigrew even sent Black a sidelong glance. His meaning could not have been clearer.

Suer shook his head and sighed. Peter Pettigrew still had not grasped his situation. Even now, he was trying to wriggle free of the questions surrounding him.

His story might have possessed a certain internal logic, but it was riddled with holes.

The fact that he had refused to show himself even after Black was imprisoned in Azkaban, remaining hidden for twelve years until Suer dragged him out, was already extremely difficult to believe.

Twelve years. A full twelve years. Even a wanted criminal could hardly hide better than that.

And Black himself was standing right there, yet Pettigrew continued to deny everything. His acting was admittedly rather good…

Suer glanced at Hermione, who was enjoying the spectacle beside him.

Her tiny changes of expression confirmed it: Pettigrew’s acting had indeed fooled her. Ah, little Hermione was still too green.

Then he looked at the portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses lining the rear wall of the office. Every one of them had crowded into the frame nearest the scene. Their faces displayed varying degrees of avid curiosity and contempt.

Yes, the wise and illustrious heads of Hogwarts had not taken Pettigrew’s defence seriously either. Dumbledore certainly would not.

Age bred cunning; the old saying was entirely right. And there was Legilimency besides. Suer would wager a whole box of Cockroach Clusters that Dumbledore had already seen through him.

Black was whining ceaselessly now, struggling to break free of the woody vines.

Professor McGonagall waved her wand and loosened the vine binding Sirius’s muzzle.

“Woof!”

The furious bark rang through the headmaster’s office. Suer noticed that even Fawkes, who had been dozing, was startled so badly that he nearly toppled backwards.

Magic suffused Dumbledore’s voice, lending it the power to calm.

“You appear to have something to say, Mr Black. As Mr Pettigrew is also present, this would be an excellent opportunity for the two of you to confront one another.”

At Dumbledore’s signal, Professor McGonagall gave her wand a cold flick and released Black. Surprisingly, although he looked incandescent with rage, he did not throw himself at Pettigrew again.

Instead, he forced himself to calm down. Within seconds, he had resumed his human form and was staring icily at Pettigrew.

Silence returned to the headmaster’s office, and the atmosphere hardened. Everyone noticed a bead of sweat running down the side of Pettigrew’s forehead.
Perhaps Pettigrew had finally realised that, for all its apparent logic, his story contained a fatal flaw.

“Heh…” When Pettigrew looked away, unable to meet his eyes, Black gave a hoarse, bitter laugh filled with suppressed fury. “Why did you betray James and Lily?”

“Enough of your tricks, dear Wormtail. You could not deceive a child with them.”

Suer paused when he noticed Pettigrew looking at him. Oh. It seemed he and Hermione were the only two children in the office… Hmm…

He gave Pettigrew a perfectly harmless smile.

Yet that smile sent a chill through Pettigrew’s entire body. It seemed… he had seen it somewhere before. His instincts insisted he had, but he could not remember where.

“Answer me, Wormtail.” Black stepped forwards, his thin, unsteady frame carrying a frightening force.

Pettigrew had no choice but to return his attention to the confrontation. He retreated a step without meaning to, cold sweat streaming down his face.

He felt as though he was about to wet himself again… Ever since the loss of certain important parts, he never seemed able to hold his water properly…

Under Black’s relentless stare, Pettigrew’s lips worked soundlessly. His gaze swept pleadingly across the faces of Dumbledore, Lupin and Professor McGonagall. Without exception, their eyes held only composure…

No. There was mockery in them too.

So he had merely been the clown all along?

Pettigrew suddenly understood why he had been brought here without knowing anything. This entire gathering had been arranged so that they could watch him make a fool of himself.

He began to laugh at himself, despair thick in every note.

Then he spoke.

“Yes. I betrayed Lily and James.”

“I was the one who told the Dark Lord where they lived.”

“Why?” Black laughed too, but his laughter held nothing except rage. “We treated you as a true friend, and you betrayed us.”

“You don’t understand, Black. You truly don’t.” Pettigrew sank weakly to the floor and murmured, “He was too powerful. I was never your equal — not yours, not James’s, nor Remus’s. I did not have your courage. I could not stand against the Dark Lord as you did.”

“So you chose betrayal.” Black’s voice was utterly calm, the stillness before a storm.

Pettigrew shook his head. His voice was full of despair, yet not one of them could hear even the faintest trace of remorse in it.

“I never wanted James and Lily to die, but the Dark Lord forced me — I had no choice. I truly had no choice, Sirius. You don’t know. He came for me with all his followers –”

“But as far as I know, you had been feeding him information for an entire year before Lily and James were found.” The fire in Black’s eyes suddenly blazed. He even drew his wand.

“Ah… so you knew already.” Pettigrew smiled feebly. “Ha. His forces were too powerful. If I resisted, I would have been killed.”

“I did not want to die, Sirius. I never did.”

“So you chose to become a filthy traitor and betrayed James and Lily!” Black roared. Light flared at the tip of his wand. “Don’t you understand? If it had been you, we would have fought Voldemort for your sake too!”

“Better to die than betray a friend!”

Whoosh!

In the extremity of his rage, Black fired a streak of red light at Pettigrew, who sat crumpled on the floor. Dumbledore had been prepared. He knocked the spell aside, sending it crashing into a nearby bookcase.

Books tumbled to the floor in a clattering heap.

“That is quite enough conversation.” Dumbledore waved his wand. Pettigrew immediately went limp, toppled to the floor and closed his eyes, unconscious.

“Do not forget that we must explain matters to the Ministry of Magic shortly. Pettigrew can be punished only by the law.”

“There is not much time before the Aurors are due to arrive.”