Peter Pettigrew gasped for air, his face turning purple as Sirius's grip tightened around his throat. Desperate, he twisted toward Argus for rescue, but Argus remained impassive. Peter's eyes darted to Harry—the only other young wizard there besides Argus.
"Harry! Help... help me!" Peter wheezed. "Sirius is the one who killed your parents! Your father and I were old friends!"
"Shut up! You don't get to mention my father!" Harry's voice cracked with fury, his fists clenched at his sides.
"Easy, Harry," Lupin said, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder before stepping forward to pull Sirius back. "Sirius, calm down."
Sirius shook him off with a snarl, his eyes blazing with undimmed hatred.
Peter collapsed in a fit of coughing, scrambling to Harry's side as soon as he caught his breath. "Harry! You look just like your father. James and I were the best of friends..."
"How dare you speak to Harry!" Sirius lunged, kicking Peter sprawling across the dusty floor.
"You're the one who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort!" Lupin snapped, drawing his wand and training it on Peter, ready for any sudden move.
"I... I didn't mean to!" Peter stammered, fully aware his secret was out. He shot a pleading glance at Argus.
Argus gave a subtle nod, urging him to keep up the act.
Emboldened, Peter wailed, "How can you blame me? Do you have any idea how powerful the Dark Lord is?"
The room fell silent, all eyes flicking uneasily toward Argus. Peter backpedaled quickly. "Remus, be honest with yourself! What would you do if you fell into his hands?"
"I'd never betray a friend," Lupin replied coldly, turning away in disgust.
Peter's gaze bounced wildly. "Harry, James wouldn't want me dead. Your father was kind—he'd forgive me. And Lily, she..."
"Shut up!" Snape's voice sliced through like a curse. With a flick of his wand, he hurled Peter across the room, slamming him into the opposite wall. "You should thank your lucky stars you've survived this long."
Snape's tone was casual, but the venom beneath it chilled the air. His wand tip flickered with a sinister green glow.
"Hold on, Professor Snape," Argus interjected, stepping forward. "He's not dying yet—not on my watch." He seized Peter by the collar, ignoring the man's bewildered stare, and shoved him toward Sirius. "You haven't forgotten our deal, have you?"
Sirius inhaled sharply, his fingers digging into Peter's robes. "Of course not."
A peculiar weight lifted from Argus's chest, like invisible chains snapping free.
Snape sneered. "Is that your excuse for covering for him?"
Argus offered a disarming smile, unwilling to provoke the potions master further.
Lupin fixed Peter with a steely glare. "We should secure him and take him to Dumbledore. Sirius's situation is explosive—if it's proven true, it'll upend the entire wizarding world. Better to let the Headmaster sort it out."
Peter's panic spiked at the mention of Dumbledore. He shot Argus a frantic look.
"Boss, this wasn't the plan! That's the man who nearly took down Voldemort himself! Hand me over to him? How am I supposed to escape? I'd rather Snape finish me now than rot in Azkaban!"
Argus had seen this coming. In the original tale, Peter's getaway hinged on Lupin's full-moon transformation. But his own interference had split the capture from that night. With Peter bound and dragged to Hogwarts, staging an escape would be a nightmare.
"It'd be tough handling this alone," Argus admitted, fingers brushing the Time-Turner hidden beneath his collar. An idea crystallized. He met Lupin's eyes. "You're right, Professor. Peter Pettigrew's a Ministry hero with an Order of Merlin. And Sirius Black? He's the last of the Black family line. Twelve years in Azkaban for nothing can't be fixed with a simple 'sorry.' Let's leave it to Dumbledore."
He shot Peter a subtle nod of reassurance amid the tension.
"No need to complicate things," Snape cut in, raising his wand again. He knew the Ministry and Dumbledore's soft spots all too well—delays could drag this out forever. Better to end it swiftly.
"No!" Peter yelped, scrambling back.
Lupin and Sirius might've been venting rage, but Snape meant business. They'd flung Killing Curses at him during the capture—clearly, survival wasn't on their agenda. Without Argus's dark protections, Peter wouldn't have shown his face.
"Severus, stand down!" Lupin barked, positioning himself between Snape and Peter, wand at the ready.
Sirius flanked him without a second thought, his own wand drawn.
Harry turned to Argus, eyes wide with plea. "Do something!"
Argus almost smirked. "Let it erupt—bigger the better." Why spoil the fireworks?
Chaos ignited in seconds. Lupin and Sirius, battered from earlier, were no match for Snape's precision. He toyed with them, dodging curses while landing stinging counters that kept them reeling. Argus could see the deliberate cruelty—Snape was drawing out his revenge, savoring every flinch. If he wanted, he'd have subdued them ages ago.
"Stop! Everyone, stop!" Harry shouted, his voice cracking as he darted between blasts. But Snape was locked in, and Sirius too stubborn to yield. No one spared him a glance.
Seizing the distraction, Argus kept a sharp eye on Peter, who fidgeted under his watch. Tempting to cut him loose now, but too risky—any slip would tie it back to him. Peter could bolt; Argus stayed clean.
Two dull thuds echoed as Lupin and Sirius hit the ground, stunned by Snape's spells.
Snape advanced for the kill shot. Harry, face set in grim resolve, threw himself in front of Sirius. "Don't!"
"Harry!" Sirius gasped.
Even Snape faltered, the curse halfway formed. He clenched his jaw, aborting the spell with visible effort, then whirled on Argus, eyes narrowed in accusation.
"Why didn't you rein this in?"
Argus shrugged it off, nudging Peter with his foot to signal he was occupied. Blame the rat.
Lupin surged forward, wand scanning Harry for injuries and glaring daggers at Snape.
Sirius roared from the floor, "Snivellus! Harry's Lily's only son—you touch him, and you're dead!"
Snape spared Harry a dismissive flick of his gaze, tossing his greasy hair. "Relax. The brat won't die."
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