HARRY POTTER and the Prisoner of Azkaban CHAPTER 18
Chapter 18
MOONY, WORMTAIL, PADFOOT, AND PRONGS
Harry cannot believe what he is hearing. Scabbers is really Peter Pettigrew? Ron looks angry. “You’re all crazy!” he yells.“That’s not true! Peter Pettigrew is dead!” says Hermione. “Sirius Black killed him twelve years ago!” says Harry. He points at Black, who is sitting on the bed.
“I tried to kill him,” says Black in a deep voice. “But little Peter got away from me… I finally found him. He will not escape again!” Suddenly, Black jumps up and tries to grab Scabbers. Crookshanks jumps off Black’s lap. Black hits Ron’s broken leg as he reaches for the rat.
“Sirius, no!” yells Lupin. He runs forward and holds Black. “Wait! You can’t kill him like this. We must tell the children everything. They need to understand.” “We can tell them after I kill him!” says Black angrily. He pushes Lupin. Scabbers squeaks and tries to run away. He scratches Ron’s face.
“They have a right to know!” says Lupin. “Ron has had Pettigrew as a pet for years. And Harry deserves to hear the truth.” Black stops moving, but his eyes stay on the rat. “Fine,” says Black. “Tell them. But be quick. I want to do the one thing I was sent to Azkaban for.”
“You’re crazy,” says Ron. “I’m leaving!” He tries to stand, but Lupin points his wand at him. “You’re going to listen,” says Lupin. “Hold onto Peter.” “He’s not Peter!” yells Ron. “He’s Scabbers, my rat!” Scabbers keeps trying to get away.
“There were people who saw Pettigrew die,” says Harry. “Muggles saw it happen!” “They didn’t understand what they saw,” says Black. He still watches the rat. “I believed he was dead too,” says Lupin. “But tonight I saw the truth. I saw the Mischief Map. And that map never lies. Peter Pettigrew is alive. Ron is holding him right now.”
Harry looks at Ron. This doesn’t make any sense. Is Black crazy? Why would Lupin help him? “But Professor,” says Hermione. “Scabbers can’t be Pettigrew. I checked the Ministry records. All Animagi must be in the record. Pettigrew’s name is not there.”
“Well done, Hermione,” says Lupin with a smile. “You are right. But the Ministry never knew there were three Animagi at Hogwarts. Three who never told anyone.” “Hurry, Remus,” says Black. “Get on with your story. I’ve waited twelve years.” Before Lupin can speak more, the door creaks. He checks it quickly. “No one is there,” he says.
“This house is haunted!” says Ron. “It’s probably just the ghosts.” “It’s not haunted,” says Lupin. “There are no ghosts here. The cries the people of Hogsmeade hear from this house… they are my cries. That is how the story starts. I was a boy when I was bitten by a werewolf. There was no cure. My parents tried to help me, but nothing worked.” He looks tired now.
“Snape makes me a special potion. It is a new discovery. It doesn’t cure me, but it keeps me safe. I drink it before the full moon. It helps me keep my human mind, even when I change into a werewolf. But long ago, we didn’t have this potion. Back then, I had to come here to change. This house, this tunnel, and the Whomping Willow were all made to keep others away while I changed.”
Harry listens carefully. He still doesn’t understand what this has to do with Black. “When I was a young werewolf, it was very painful to transform. Because I was here in this house, away from other people to bite, I hurt myself every month. People in the town heard my screams. They thought this house had ghosts. Dumbledore let them believe that. It helped keep me safe.”
“I had good friends then,” says Lupin. “Sirius, Peter, and your father, Harry—James Potter. They discovered my secret, but they did not leave me. They became Animagi to help me.” “My father changed into an animal, too?” asks Harry in surprise. “Yes, he did,” says Lupin. “It took them a long time to discover how to become Animagi. It is difficult magic. It can be dangerous, too.
That is why the Ministry of Magic controls everyone who becomes an Animagus. But they became Animagi illegally! James and Sirius were the smartest. And they helped Peter learn the magic. All of them were able to turn into animals whenever they wanted.” “But how did that help you?” Hermione asks, curious. “They knew that when I was a werewolf, I was dangerous to all humans,” answers Lupin “But it was safe when they were animals.”
“A werewolf does not harm other animals. They were my friends even when I was isolated as a werewolf. Peter was the smallest, a rat. He was able to pass the Whomping Willow tree and touch the secret spot. That stopped the Willow tree from attacking. Then the others could come into the tunnel and stay with me. They helped me control myself. I still looked like a wolf, but I had my own human mind when they were with me.”
“Hurry up with your story, Remus,” Black snarls. He is still looking at Scabbars with a mean look on his face. “I’m almost done with my story, Sirius,” says Lupin. “A little patience, please… Well, at that point, all of us could transform into animals. So we decided to leave the haunted house. We began to walk around the school grounds and in Hogsmeade at night. Sirius and James transformed into very large animals. They were able to control me while I was a werewolf…
