Moon’s Curse and the Trial of the Betrayer

The tension inside the Shrieking Shack was suffocating.

Sirius Black stood motionless, his ragged form tense with barely restrained rage, while Peter Pettigrew shook violently, his eyes darting toward the door like a cornered rat.

Then, the door creaked open.

A figure stepped inside, tall and cloaked, with graying brown hair and tired amber eyes.

"Remus?" Sirius whispered, his voice heavy with emotion.

Remus Lupin stared at his old friend for a long, painful moment before letting out a shaky breath. "Sirius…"

Harry and Hermione looked shocked, but Ezekiel's sharp gaze remained steady. He already knew what was coming.

"You knew, didn't you?" Ezekiel said, looking directly at Lupin.

Lupin nodded slowly.

"I suspected, but I… I couldn't believe it," he admitted. He turned his gaze toward Pettigrew, disgust flashing across his face.

"Twelve years," he said coldly. "Twelve years I thought Sirius was the traitor. And all this time… it was you."

Pettigrew whimpered, scrambling on his hands and knees. "Remus! You have to understand—I was scared! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would have killed me!"

"And you let James and Lily die instead," Sirius growled, his wand shaking with fury.

Lupin's jaw clenched, grief and fury battling in his expression.

"I trusted you, Peter," he said bitterly. "We all did."

Then, he took a deep breath, his gaze shifting to Harry.

"You deserve to know everything," he said. "About your father. About us."

---

Lupin's voice was calm, yet the weight of his words was heavy.

"Your father, James, was my best friend, Harry," he began. "Along with Sirius and… Peter. We called ourselves the Marauders—four misfits who thought we could take on the world."

Harry listened intently, his eyes wide.

"But I was different," Lupin continued, his voice dropping. "I was cursed. A werewolf. And back then… it was dangerous for someone like me to even be at Hogwarts."

Hermione gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

"James, Sirius, and Peter found out," Lupin said, a sad smile appearing. "But instead of fearing me, they found a way to help me. They became Animagi—illegally, of course. They learned to transform into animals, so I wouldn't be alone on full moons."

Ezekiel remained silent, his arms crossed, already knowing this information but letting the others process it.

"We roamed the castle grounds as a group: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," Lupin continued, his gaze turning toward Sirius.

Sirius grinned slightly, despite the situation.

"Your father was brilliant, Harry," Sirius added. "One of the best wizards I've ever known. And so were we. But in the end, we weren't careful enough."

Lupin sighed. "When Voldemort began hunting the Potters, they had to go into hiding. Dumbledore suggested the Fidelius Charm—a powerful spell that could hide them completely."

Harry clenched his fists. "Sirius was supposed to be the Secret-Keeper, wasn't he?"

Sirius nodded. "I thought I was too obvious of a choice. So I suggested Peter instead, thinking Voldemort would never suspect the weak one." His voice darkened. "That was my mistake."

Pettigrew sobbed harder, his entire body shaking.

"He betrayed them," Lupin said grimly. "Led Voldemort straight to James and Lily."

A chilling silence followed.

Harry's face twisted in fury.

"You killed my parents," he whispered, his wand shaking.

Pettigrew collapsed onto the floor, groveling. "Please! Mercy! Spare me! I—I can be useful!"

Ezekiel stepped forward, his voice cold.

"You had your chance."

He flicked his wand, binding Pettigrew in thick magical ropes before he could transform.

"This time, you don't get to run."

---

A loud crack echoed outside.

Lupin stiffened, his entire body tensing.

"The moon," he whispered.

Panic flashed across Sirius's face. "Remus! You didn't take your potion?!"

Lupin staggered, gripping his head as a low growl tore from his throat.

Ezekiel swore. "Everyone move!"

With a horrifying snarl, Remus dropped to his knees, his limbs twisting as fur sprouted along his skin. His eyes turned yellow, and his snout elongated into a wolf's muzzle.

In mere moments, Lupin was gone.

The werewolf that took his place threw back its head and howled.

The windows shook.

Sirius immediately transformed into a massive black dog, leaping at Lupin to keep him from attacking.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron scrambled backward.

Pettigrew took the chance to struggle against his bindings, but Ezekiel stomped on his chest, pinning him down.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled.

The room erupted into chaos—Padfoot and Moony fought, knocking over furniture as the werewolf snarled and snapped at the dog.

Outside, the sound of howling dementors filled the night air.

Ezekiel's wand glowed cold blue. With a single word—"Petrificus Totalus!"—he completely froze Pettigrew's body.

"That should keep you still."

Then, he turned toward the raging werewolf battle, his mind racing.

How the hell do we stop Lupin?

---

Two days later, the Wizengamot chamber was filled with whispers.

Sirius Black stood before the council, still gaunt but free, while Peter Pettigrew trembled beside him, bound in enchanted chains.

Ezekiel Cassian Malverne—Lord Ravenclaw—sat among the noble representatives, his cold blue gaze locked on the room.

Dumbledore had vouched for the truth, but the decision still needed to be made.

"The evidence is undeniable," Ezekiel spoke clearly. "Peter Pettigrew conspired with Voldemort, orchestrated the deaths of James and Lily Potter, and let an innocent man rot in Azkaban for twelve years."

The Wizengamot members murmured, but no one could deny the truth.

"The question remains," one of the elders said. "What punishment befits his crimes?"

Ezekiel's expression was stone cold.

"Send him through the Veil."

The room fell silent.

Peter let out a wail of terror. "No! Please! Anything but that!"

Sirius said nothing, but his sharp grin showed that he fully agreed.

The Chief Warlock glanced around, then nodded. "Very well."

Peter collapsed, sobbing, as two Aurors dragged him toward the Veil of Death.

As Pettigrew's screams echoed through the chamber, Ezekiel watched without flinching.

Sirius Black was finally a free man.

And Peter Pettigrew was no more.

---