I. Can't. Wait. To. Get. To. Fourth. Year. And. Why. Am. I. Typing. Like. This?

"Harry," Snape said quietly, almost hesitant. Sirius had never heard him sound like this. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep." Harry shrugged. "Luna came out to the common room and told me to come here." He looked down at Remus, eyes widening in alarm. "What's going on?"

"Lupin here-" Snape sent a scorching glare down at the bound werewolf- "has been helping Black all along. Get back to your dorm. I can deal with them."

"Are you sure, sir?" Luna asked. "Your head is not very clear."

"Professor," Harry said, "there's a misunderstanding. Sirius is innocent."

Sirius gaped at him. "You believe that?"

Harry nodded. "Peter Pettigrew was the Secret-Keeper, wasn't he?"

"Yes, we switched it at the last minute."

"How do you know that's true?" Snape demanded, feeling very out of place.

"It was in Mum's journal," Harry said.

Snape dropped his wand to his side. "Is there anything she hasn't said?"

"I'm sure there is," Harry said. "But that's not important right now."

Luna had knelt down by Remus and was running her hand over the ropes. "These look very tight, Professor. Do they hurt?"

Sirius reached down and untied Remus. As soon as Remus was mobile, Snape pointed his wand at him again. "Explain. Now."

So Remus did, and Snape listened silently.

"Why did you only escape recently?" Snape said to Sirius.

Sirius pulled out a picture from his pocket. "Look at this."

It was from the Daily Prophet, featuring the Weasley family in Egypt. Sirius pointed at Ron's shoulder, where a rat was perched. "Look at its foot."

"It's missing a toe," Luna remarked.

"So Scabbers is Peter!" Harry exclaimed.

"Unfortunately, yes," Sirius said grimly. "That's why I broke into the Gryffindor Tower that night." He snorted in amusement. "Imagine my surprise when I didn't see you in that dorm."

"Ron thought Hermione's cat, Crookshanks, ate him," Harry told him.

"No, well, I hope not. I've been speaking with him."

"You? Conversing with a cat? As a dog?" Harry asked.

"Crookshanks is a smart fellow. Willing to help."

Harry didn't disagree that Crookshanks was smart; in fact, that was probably why he and Hermione were such a good match. "Does the Summoning Charm work on animals?" he asked.

"Only small ones, I believe," Remus said. "You think we should try it?"

Harry shrugged. "Doesn't hurt."

Remus raised his wand. "Accio Peter Pettigrew!"

For a moment, there was silence. Then a small brown shape came hurtling into the shack. Sirius snarled. "Peter."

The rat squeaked and tried to run away, but Remus cast another spell, one that revealed his true form.

"Remus," Peter said. Even his voice was squeaky. "My old friend."

Harry snorted.

"And Harry Potter!" Peter turned to him. "You look just like your father, you know."

"So I've been told," Harry said. "But because of you, I can't make the comparison for myself."

"It wasn't me!" Peter seemed to curl into himself. "It was Black! He was the one who-"

"Silence!" Snape snapped. He pointed at him accusingly. "Thanks to you, Harry does not know his parents more than what he's been told."

"Sirius' got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of!" Pettigrew shouted shrilly. "How else did he get out of Azkaban? I suppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named taught him a few tricks!"

Sirius laughed bitterly. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?" he said.

Pettigrew and Snape flinched as though they had been struck.

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

"Don't know what you mean, Sirius-"

Harry scoffed. "Drop the act, Pettigrew. It's not very convincing."

He jumped back as Pettigrew grasped his shoulders with his shaky hands. "You must believe me, Harry. Oh! Those eyes. So much like your mother's."

"Get away from him!" Snape threw Pettigrew off of Harry and towered over him.

Sirius was staring at Pettigrew eagerly. "We should kill him now."

"You wouldn't... you won't..." gasped Pettigrew. He scrambled over to Luna. "Sweet girl... you- you won't let them... Help me..."

Luna backed away, eyeing him warily. Pettigrew turned back to Harry, who had pushed Luna behind him protectively.

"Harry... Harry... James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would have shown me mercy..."

Harry stared down at him coldly. "Fine."

This took Sirius and Remus aback. "Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents," Sirius said.

Snape shifted uncomfortably but didn't speak.

"I know," Harry said. "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, and he flung his arms around Harry's knees. "You- thank you- it's more than I deserve- thank you-"

Harry took out his wand. "Stupefy," he said, knocking the man out. Four pairs of eyes stared at him. "What? He was getting on my nerves."

Luna patted his head. "It's okay, Harry. He was getting on Professor Snape's nerves, too."

"Where did you learn that spell?" Sirius asked, impressed.

"Professor Snape used it once," Harry said, giving the potions master an appreciative look. He looked down at Pettigrew. "Er- how do we move him?"

"Levicorpus!" Remus chanted. Pettigrew's inert body was lifted into the air.

Harry smacked his forehead. "The Levitating Charm. Of course. I forgot."

"You? A Ravenclaw?" Snape drawled. "Forgetting a spell?"

Harry grumbled under his breath.

It wasn't until they were all inside the tunnel when Sirius realized something. "Wait, you're a Ravenclaw?"

Harry be like: surprise, motherf-

Accio is said to work on small animals, so... convenient? Very much so