no. only one will die tonight.
going to kill me, harry?
you'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, remus? the two regard each other, the moment taut with tension, then lupin steps forward and.  embraces black like a brother.
yes, you glow like the sun. and you howl at the moon. enough talk! he dies. now. if you won't do it with me, remus, i'll do it alone.
i did my waiting! twelve years of it! in azkaban! trust me, you wouldn't have lasted a week!
it's a lie! i never would've betrayed james and lily!
no! i wasn't there! and i'll regret it the rest of my life! harry's eyes flash to black's, glittering with pain.
he's as good as dead.
oh yes there is.  black turns then, to ron, and croons in a cruel sing song:
come out, come out, peter come out, come out and play.  ron draws back from black's demented gaze.
brilliant! and -- as usual -- dead wrong. now give us our wands back. remus and i have a bit of unfinished business to tend to. as black approaches, snape puts his wand to black's neck.
he can't help it. it's habit by now.
piss off.
the map never lies. pettigrew's alive. and he's right there. black points at.  ron. ron goes white with fear.
not you, you idiot. your rat.
twelve years. a curiously long life for a common garden rat. he's missing a toe, isn't he? black unfolds a dog-eared clipping from the daily prophet: it shows ron in egypt with his family, scabbers on his shoulder.
finger. dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. then he transformed into a rat.
together. with that, lupin takes out his wand and, as one, he and black cast a stream of blue-white light. scabbers twists madly in midair, then -- flash! -- transforms into.  a very short man with thinning hair and grubby hands.
shut up!
died! died rather than betray my friends! and you should have realized, peter, if voldemort didn't kill you.
beautiful, isn't it? i'll never forget the first time i walked through those doors. it'll be nice to do it again. freely. that was a noble thing you did back there. he doesn't deserve it. harry studies pettigrew briefly, looks away. lost in thought.
i don't know if you know, harry, but when you were born, james and lily made me your guardian.
and, well, i'll understand if you choose to stay with your aunt and uncle, but, so you know, you could --
soon as my name's cleared.  harry looks at hogwarts. grins. sirius does the same. then, hermione's voice rises on the air, quavering with fear.
remus, old friend.  did you take your potion tonight? lupin, twitching, shakes his head. pettigrew's eyes dart, taking in the situation, then slowly shift, note the wand trembling in lupin's lengthening fist.
run. all of you. now. but none of them do, transfixed, watching as bristles poke through lupin's skin. black steps forward, wraps his arms around his friend, presses his mouth to his ear.
you know the man you truly are, remus. this flesh is only flesh.
you might try --
that'll do.
you truly are your father's son, harry!
i'll be forever grateful for this. to both of you.
one day perhaps. for some time.  life will be too.  unpredictable. besides, you're meant to be here. black claps his shoulder, looks him in the eye.
but promise me something, harry.
trust yourself. no matter the challenges you face -- and i fear they will be many -- you'll be surprised how many times you can find the answers.  . here. as sirius climbs atop buckbeak, a shooting star arcs through the heavens.
a shooting star. make a wish. whack! -- black gives buckbeak a slap and they soar into the glittering sky. harry and hermione stand watching, when.  ding! they wheel. look to the clock tower.