The castle felt different.
As Harry made his way through the corridors, the usual chatter had taken on a sharper, more anxious edge. Whispers followed him like shadows, lips moving quickly behind cupped hands.
"Did you hear? The Minister himself was here."
"Something about Black—Sirius Black."
"No, I heard it was about a rat. A rat that turned into a man."
Harry kept his head down, his cloak tight around him. None of them knew the full truth yet—how could they? Only those in Dumbledore's office had seen it. For now, the rest of the school was caught in a storm of half-truths and guesswork. But that would change soon.
He climbed through the portrait hole into the Gryffindor common room, where the Weasleys were already surrounded by concerned classmates. Ron looked pale and numb, sitting on the armrest of a chair while Hermione perched beside him, one hand resting on his.
"Ron," Hermione murmured softly, "you don't have to explain anything."
But the words were already spilling out—haltingly, and with visible strain.
"I don't really understand it all myself," Ron said quietly. "Dumbledore said… the rat… Scabbers… wasn't a rat at all. He was a wizard. Peter Pettigrew."
Gasps and exclamations broke out around the circle.
"That's not possible!" Seamus said. "Pettigrew died ages ago, didn't he? He was a war hero!"
"No," Harry spoke for the first time, stepping closer. "That's what everyone thought. But he faked his death. And let Sirius take the fall."
Even saying the words aloud again made Harry's jaw tighten. His gaze flicked to Ron, who looked sick.
"He was in my pocket," Ron whispered, trembling. "Sleeping in my bed. I—he was there for years."
Hermione wrapped both arms around him this time, her expression fierce. "None of this is your fault."
"Dumbledore said the Ministry will make a statement," Percy added, his voice unusually flat. "Once the paperwork's done."
"But why would he hide for so long?" Dean asked. "Why pretend to be a rat?"
"Because no one looks for a rat," Harry said darkly. "Especially one in the pocket of a Gryffindor."
Silence followed that. A heavy one.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The fire had burned low in the Gryffindor common room, casting flickering shadows over worn armchairs and half-finished homework. Most students had trickled away, leaving behind only murmurs and the occasional creak of the floorboards.
Harry found the twins near the window, unusually quiet for once.
"I never said thank you," Harry said, pulling something from his pocket.
Fred looked up with mild surprise. "For what?"
Harry unfolded the old bit of parchment with a worn flourish. "For this. The Marauder's Map."
Recognition flickered instantly in their eyes.
"I saw Peter's name," Harry continued, voice steady but low. "On the map. It showed him in our dormitory. With Ron. That's how I found him."
The twins looked at each other, their usual grins softened by something more serious.
"We always knew the map was brilliant," Fred said slowly. "Didn't think it'd help catch a traitor."
"I knew it was powerful," George added, "but not that powerful."
Harry gave a faint smile, then hesitated before saying, "There's something else. You deserve to know… who made it."
The twins straightened slightly.
"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Harry said, tapping the parchment. "They weren't just code names. They were real people."
Fred leaned in. "Don't tell me—"
Harry nodded. "Moony was Remus Lupin. Wormtail was Peter Pettigrew. Padfoot… Sirius Black."
George's eyebrows shot up. "You're joking."
Harry shook his head. "And Prongs was my dad. James Potter."
The silence was stunned and reverent.
"You're telling us your dad helped make this thing?" Fred whispered.
"Yeah," Harry said. "They were best friends. They made it to sneak around the castle and prank people."
Fred gave a low whistle. "That's bloody mental."
George grinned, awestruck. "Brilliant, actually."
Harry smiled. "It's a bit mad, I know. But… I thought you'd want to know whose footsteps you've been following."
The twins exchanged a glance, both looking oddly proud.
"I'm honored," George said, placing a hand over his heart.
"And we've clearly got a legacy to live up to," Fred added.
Harry gave a chuckle, then turned toward Ron, who still sat by the fireplace, shoulders hunched.
Harry walked over and sat beside him.
"I saw his name," Harry repeated quietly. "On the map. I know how awful that must feel—but it's not your fault, Ron. You couldn't have known."
Ron looked up, his expression haunted. "I slept with him in the same room for years. Fed him. Took him on holiday."
Harry shook his head. "So did Percy. Peter's entire plan was to hide where no one would think to look. And he did. That's not on you."
Ron let out a slow breath, still pale but a little steadier.
"And the map," Harry added, "was made by my dad and his friends. I used something they left behind to finish what they started. You helped too, even if you didn't know it."
Ron glanced at him, eyes wide. "Your dad made that map?"
Harry nodded. "He and Sirius, Lupin, and Peter. It's all connected."
Ron gave a faint, stunned laugh. "That's… mental."
"Yeah," Harry said. "But kind of fitting, too."
He stood. "I've got something to do. I'll be back later."
And with that, Harry turned, pulling his cloak tighter, the map tucked safely away once again.
The castle was waiting.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The castle was quieter now, the halls dim in the late afternoon gloom. Harry didn't stop until he reached the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom.
Professor Lupin was still there.
He stood by the window, staring out at the forest with a look that spoke of exhaustion beyond sleep. His shoulders slumped slightly as if the weight of the past had finally caught him.
"Professor?" Harry said quietly.
Lupin turned. He looked older somehow—tired and worn—but when he saw Harry, he straightened.
"Harry."
There was a long pause before Lupin asked, "Are you alright?"
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "But I need your help."
Lupin nodded, as though expecting those words. "To find Sirius."
Harry blinked. "How did you—?"
"I would be doing the same if I were you."
Harry stepped closer. "He's here. Somewhere near Hogwarts. I can feel it."
Lupin didn't argue. "Then we find him."
They moved quickly. Lupin led Harry through a passage behind a tapestry near the third floor, a route he remembered from his own school days. The two of them paused only briefly in the corridor to retrieve Harry's invisibility cloak from his dorm.
"We'll need to mask our scent," Lupin said, his voice quiet but precise. "If he's in hiding, he'll be skittish—like a cornered wolf."
A flick of his wand released a fine mist around them—scent-masking charms. A second incantation dampened the sound of their footsteps. Harry nodded in silent approval, drawing the cloak around them both.
They slipped through the grounds like shadows, passing students returning from Herbology, unnoticed and undetected.
"The Shrieking Shack," Harry whispered.
Lupin gave a solemn nod. "The perfect place to hide. Everyone avoids it. No one would suspect he's there."
They reached the Whomping Willow just as the sun dipped below the hills. The tree stood still for now, but its branches twitched as if sensing them.
Lupin pulled a long stick from the ground, deftly prodding the knot at the base of the trunk. The tree froze.
"Follow me," he said, ducking into the tunnel that yawned open before them.
The passage was narrow and earthy, the ceiling low enough that Harry had to crouch. They moved in silence, each step taking them closer to the truth, or perhaps, confrontation.
Harry stepped lightly, his wand gripped tightly under the Invisibility Cloak. Behind him, Lupin moved with silent precision—his face pale, eyes sharp.
There, in the shadows by the fireplace, something stirred.
A black shape.
Motionless. Breathing.
A grim.
It lay curled like a shadow-made flesh, its ragged fur rising and falling with each slow breath. Its posture was not that of a beast stalking prey—it was tired. Worn. Resting.
Harry didn't wait.
With a flick of his wand and a whispered incantation, magical ropes shot from beneath the cloak, wrapping around the creature's limbs and pinning it in place.
The grim let out a snarl, thrashing—but not violently. Its head snapped up, and yellow eyes gleamed in the dark.
Lupin threw the cloak aside, stepping into view. "Sirius."
The dog froze.
Its eyes widened—not in fear, but in utter disbelief.
Lupin followed, pulling back the hood. "It's us. You're safe."
There was a long, shuddering silence. Then, slowly, the grim began to shift. Fur rippled, bones reshaped, and in seconds, Sirius Black stood before them—thin, pale, and ragged, his hair tangled and his cheeks hollow.
His voice cracked when he spoke. "Remus? Harry?"
Lupin nodded. "It's really us."
Sirius stared at them both—still bound, still cautious—but the fight had drained from him. "How?"
"Pettigrew," Harry said simply. "We exposed him."
Sirius blinked, stunned. Then—though his arms were pinned—his shoulders sagged, and his eyes welled with emotion. For a moment, he looked ready to collapse.
"Free me," he whispered, "if you still trust me."
Lupin raised his wand and the bindings released, falling to the dusty floor with a soft thud. Sirius didn't move. He just stood there, as if afraid it was a dream that might vanish if he took a step.
"I didn't run," he said hoarsely, looking at Harry. "I stayed near. I had to know if you were safe."
Harry nodded once. "You were right to stay. We have a lot to talk about."
Sirius looked between them, his voice barely audible. "I thought I'd never see you again."
Sirius slowly lowered himself onto an old, dust-covered trunk by the wall, as if his legs might give way. The firelight cast deep hollows on his face, making him look older than his years—haunted, worn, but alive.
"How did you find out?" he asked quietly, eyes flickering between them. "About Peter?"
Harry took a breath, stepping forward. "I saw his name on the Marauder's Map. It showed him... right next to Ron. In our dormitory. I thought it was a mistake at first, but it kept showing up. Every time."
Sirius blinked. "The map still works?"
Harry nodded. "Fred and George nicked it from Filch's office. Gave it to me last year."
A ghost of a grin tugged at Sirius's lips. "Mischief managed indeed."
Lupin gave a dry snort, but there was no real humor in it—just grief laced with memories.
"I knew I had to do something," Harry continued, his tone careful. "And I did. I brought him in. Alive."
He didn't mention how he'd stunned Peter, how he'd questioned him alone, or how much darker that night had been than anyone else knew. Some truths didn't need to be spoken—not yet.
Sirius looked at Harry, a mix of admiration and unease in his expression. "You tracked down a Death Eater. Alone."
"Peter isn't exactly a threat."
"He's still a rat," Sirius muttered, his voice tight with bitterness. "You shouldn't have had to do that. You're just a kid."
Harry shrugged. "So were you, when the war started."
Sirius went quiet at that, the fire reflecting in his dark eyes.
After a long pause, he spoke again—his voice lower now, more raw. "I only ever wanted to protect you, Harry. That's all I ever wanted. But after James and Lily... everything went so wrong, so fast."
He looked down at his hands, fingers curling loosely. "I went after Peter that night. I was going to kill him. I thought—I thought he was my friend. That I'd trusted him with their lives. When I saw the destruction… the bodies… I snapped."
He swallowed hard. "I didn't care about the Ministry or Azkaban. I just wanted to make sure the person who betrayed them paid."
Harry didn't speak. He just listened.
Sirius glanced up again, his voice thick. "And when they took me away... when I realized where they were sending me… I begged them. I begged them not to leave you with them. With Petunia."
"I thought someone else—someone kind—would take you in. Lupin. Or Alice and Frank. I didn't know what Dumbledore had planned. I didn't know what your life would become until much later."
Harry's throat felt tight. "I know. It wasn't your fault."
"I should've fought harder," Sirius said fiercely. "Should've escaped sooner. But now…" He trailed off, exhaling slowly. "Now that the truth's coming out, if—when—I'm cleared…"
He looked directly at Harry, his gaze steady.
"I want you to come live with me. Properly. Not as some obligation, not as a ward. As my godson. As a family."
Harry's heart jumped.
"I'd like that," he said, voice soft but sure. "I'd really like that."
Sirius let out a shaky breath, something between a laugh and a sob. Lupin turned away for a moment, pretending to inspect a broken wall sconce, giving them privacy.
For the first time in years, the Shrieking Shack didn't feel haunted.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[A/N] - I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. I'd love to hear your thoughts—what's working for you, what's not, and what you'd like to see in future chapters. Your feedback means a lot and helps me make this story even better. Please let me know in the comments or drop a review!
Thanks for reading !