( chapter xii. ONLY ONE DIES TONIGHT )

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        If she were being more honest – more specific – it started in the afternoon, the day of the full moon, when she was in a corridor by herself. Calypso, even with her enhanced hearing, didn't notice someone trailing after her until she was pushed against the wall in urgency, turning around to see her uncle and how crazed he look. Regulus Black was looking from side to side, making sure no one was around, and Calypso's eyes widened.

         "Uncle Regulus?" she whispered yelled, "What are you doing here? As-As a human? You could be caught at any moment!"

         "I look very different from when I was a student here, I assure you, Cal," he whispered back, "But I had to warn you. I think Sirius is about to attack."

         Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Attack?" she asked him, thinking of who and then...oh. Oh. Regulus nodded when he saw her eyes widen in realization.

         "Yes, attack," he reiterated, "That damn rat has been running around, hiding, we lost him a couple weeks back and you should know that Sirius is anything but a patient man. I think he's gonna take some drastic measures, and I was out earlier near Hagrid's Hut – you know where that is, right? – and apparently he's had Peter this whole time. Ron and his friends are there and they have him and I saw Sirius hanging out around there, I think he's gonna strike at any moment."

         "Then are you telling me this? You should be stopping him from doing something he'll regret," Calypso said. Looking around again to see if anyone was lurking. If she was caught with a man adorning black hair...she was done. And Regulus looked more similar to Sirius anyways, it would be too risky.

         "Because I can't risk being found. If any Death Eater catches waft that I'm alive...I'm a dead man," Regulus answered.

         Calypso wetted her lips as she thought, "What am I supposed to do?"

         "Um, make sure that he doesn't kill Peter in front of children!" he exclaimed, "They don't need that scar forever."

         Immediately, Calypso thought back to when she was five. Five and standing in front of 12 Grimmauld Place, holding her mum's hand, innocent as she looked to see what she would later relate with horror. It was only a house, Remelda had told her, that was no theirs because her grandmother had recently died. Go play, look around, her mother had said once they were inside. And Calypso was a curious child, she liked to explore, so she bounced up the stairs and went looking around, finding an office.

         She didn't expect to see anyone there. Or to imagine anyone there. But no, there was an old woman yelling at her to kill a man – kill another old man because he had gone weak, that was the reason. Her reason for murdering a man was because he had gone weak, which wouldn't hold up in any muggle court and she suspected the same with wizards. Calypso, age five, saw someone die.

         It wasn't true though, she reminded herself. It was just her imagination; her worst fear. And it wasn't even the killing part that scared her the most, it was something darker.

         Her eyes snapped up to his. No, he was right; they didn't need to see someone die. If Calypso could turn back time, she would stop herself from ever stepping into that office. It would change her life forever, and not in the positive way in the slightest.

         "Okay," she nodded, "I can do that."

         His eyes filled with relief. "Thank you," he said sincerely before stepping away from her and morphing back into a cat. He meowed and Calypso nodded, moving away from him and towards the direction of the outside world; of Hagrid's hut.

         And it went well, at first. No one interrupted her, but it wasn't like there were many people in the hallway either. That was until she reached her own dad, Remus Lupin who smiled and said her name. It would be too suspicious for her not to go towards him, even if she was wasting time.

         "Hi, dad," she smiled, "Sorry, but I have somewhere to be."

         She started to move away but Remus grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "Not so fast, young lady, I have some questions for you," he said in a stern voice, silently telling her there was no getting away.

         "Yes?" Calypso nervously asked, looking around and biting her lip. She was running out of time – she was running out of time! What if Sirius had already killed Peter, in front of them, and she was too late. Oh, no.

         "Recently, I got ahold of the Marauders Map – you remember me telling you about that – and I've seen some pretty interesting stuff," Remus started out, innocent enough. But then, then, Calypso's heart stopped. "Mind telling me why I've seen you with Sirius and a dead man?"

         "Um, well, you see..." Calypso started before blurting everything out, "Uncle Pads just needs some food and I don't want him to starve and Uncle Regulus isn't actually dead, he just faked it and has been running around the world ever since. Sorry."

         He looked unimpressed. "And any explanation on why I've seen Peter Pettigrew on the map."

         "So, Uncle Pads wasn't the Secret Keeper it was Peter and he also faked his death and has been a rat this entire time," Calypso said, "Look, I know I sound insane but you have to believe me."

         Remus sighed, "I wouldn't normally, but I've seen the proof myself."

         "I can go now? Because I'm pretty certain Peter's about to be killed," Calypso said, leaving Remus in wide eyes before she was running away. He knew, she told him, and he knew. Now there was only one secret left...

         Calypso rushed outside, seeing a rabid looking dog grabbing the redheaded boy – Ron – by his leg and dragging him to the Whomping Willow. Her eyes widened and she knew she had to hurry, seeing him go into the hole while his friends, Harry himself and Hermione Granger, looked on in shock as they tried to get close to the tree.

         He saw Harry be thrown with Hermione on top of him before getting up again and finally sliding into the hole. Calypso just went after them, finding no trouble with the tree seeing as she was used to sliding under it.

         "– hope I'm wrong..." she heard Harry mutter to Hermione before her.

         There was silence as they continued to walk, Calypso trailing behind them until the perfect moment, which presented itself when Hermione asked, "We're in the Shrieking Shack, aren't we?"

         "What gave it away?" Calypso questioned behind them, causing them to jump and look back at her, "Just keep walking. Come on."

         She pushed them forward, not letting them get away, silencing them when they tried to ask questions with a firm glare. They didn't after being on the other end of it.

         Harry muttered a spell and the light from his wand was gone. They entered the main room of the shack and saw a scared Ron in the corner on the bed, clutching his foot which had been bitten. By the looks of it, it had been a pretty deep one.

         "Ron!" Hermione exclaimed at the sight of him, "You're okay –"

         "The dog – where's the –" Harry cut his friend off, more concerned with the animal that bit Ron.

         Calypso looked around, to the other end of the room, where she saw her uncle looking menacingly enough. "He's the dog. It's a trap, Harry. He's an Animagus..." and finally, the others looked to see what had scared Ron so much.

         It was him, it was Sirius Black in the flesh in front of them looking as ragged as ever. At the sight of him, Harry raised his wand and Calypso stepped in front of the two.

         "Hey! Hey! Put that down, Harry!" she said as calm as she could, but the three friends weren't having it.

         Hermione gave a look to Calypso, as if saying that she was right about the girl along. "If you two wanna kill Harry, you'll – you'll...have to kill us, too!"

         "No," Sirius said in a dark, grave voice, "Only one will die tonight."

         She knew the others thought he was speaking of Harry, but Calypso knew the truth. And there would be no mercy for that rat.

         "Then it'll be you!" Harry decided, firm in his voice, keeping his voice level.

         "Harry! No!" Hermione cried, trying to stop him but Sirius almost chuckles, but does look at the boy carefully. He had heard what Harry had done in his time at Hogwarts.

         "Going to kill me, Harry?" it was almost a taunt and Calypso really wanted to hit her uncle over the head a bit.

         "Yes," Harry answered.     

         "Come on, you're thirteen, too young to be a killer," Calypso stepped in, "Think about what you're saying, Harry."

         He looked at her but before anything else could be said, there's a crash and the door opens. "Professor Lupin!" the trio say at the same time Calypso says, "Dad!"

         But Remus ignores them, instead focusing on the man he called his best friend for so long. "Looking a bit ragged, aren't we, Sirius?" he questioned, "Finally the skin reflects the madness within."

         "You'd know all about the madness within, wouldn't you, Remus?" Sirius played along with his own jab. But Calypso didn't like it, seeing as it also applied to her.

         The two men look at each other before Remus steps forward, embracing Sirius with a grin on his face. Calypso would've smiled and cheered – her dad and uncle getting along – if they weren't currently in the middle of something as big as this.

         "No! I trusted you!" Hermione cried in horror, in betrayal, "I covered up for you. And all this time you've been his friend!" Then, she pointed to him and looked back at her friends, "He's a werewolf! That's why he's been missing classes!"

         Harry and Ron just stare but Calypso swells with anger. Sirius laughs and Remus looks at her. "How long have you known?" her dad asked.

         "Since Professor Snape set the essay," Hermione stared at him, not breaking it.

         Remus nodded, "You're the brightest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione." Calypso tried not to take offense.

         "Yes, you glow like the sun. And you howl at the moon," Sirius rolled his eyes, "Enough talk! Now. If you won't do it with me, Remus, I'll do it alone."

         "Wait, Sirius –" Remus started.

         "I did my waiting! Twelve years of it! In Azkaban!" Sirius yelled, eyes blazing, "Trust me, you wouldn't have lasted a week."

         "At least not in front of the children, Uncle Pads." Calypso stopped him calmly, "Come on, you can kill if you want but don't scar them. At least have the decency to it in the hallway."

         Remus looked at his daughter then back at Sirius, relenting with a nod, "All right then. As you wish...but in the hallway, they don't need to see this."

         No!" Harry raised his wand at Remus and disarms him before looking back at Sirius with murderous eyes, "You betrayed my parents! You sold them to Voldemort!"

         "It's a lie! I never would've betrayed James and Lily!" Sirius exclaimed.

         "Harry! You've got to listen –" Remus tried to calm the boy down, but Harry wasn't having any of it.

         "Did he listen! When my mother was dying! Did he heart her screaming!" Harry went on but Calypso rolled her eyes.

         "You can't even remember that, you were one!" she broke in again.

         "Oh? And can you remember anything from when you were that young?" Harry fired back.

         "Flashes, when I was two, I think. It's a lot my mum crying and then another woman crying. I think I saw that woman in the paper, too. She died. Oh, well, seemed nice enough," Calypso shrugged, "Oh, right...go on. Tell him who you're here to kill, we're all very interested in it."

         "We already know," Hermione said, "And we're not letting him kill Harry."

         Calypso rolled her eyes again. "No, not you, Harry," Remus stepped forward, "Someone else, the one who really betrayed your parents. Someone in this room right now. Someone who, until quite recently, I believed to be dead."

         "He's as good as dead," Sirius snarled in turn, eyes glaring in anger.

         "What're you talking about?" Harry asked, confused, "There's nobody here."

         "Oh yes there is..." Sirius turned to Ron and started to sing a bit, "Come out, come out, Peter. Come out, come out and play..."

         Ron drew back, "You're mad..." but then the rat started to twist violently when Sirius drew a wand he acquired only to hear:

         "Expelliarmus!" and they all looked behind them to see Severus Snape with a smug smile, "Ah, vengeance is sweet. How I hoped I'd be the one to catch you."

         "Severus –"

         But he cut off Remus, "I told Dumbledore you were helping your old friend into the castle, that Calypso was helping her uncle. And here's the proof."

         "Brilliant!" Sirius went off, "And – as usual – dead wrong. Now give us our wands back. Remus and I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to."

         Snape stepped forward and put his wand to Sirius' neck, "Give me a reason. I beg you."

         "Don't be a fool, Severus!"

         "He can't help it," Sirius taunted, "It's habit by now."

         "Quiet, Sirius!" Remus hushed his friend, knowing things would get worse if he continued to speak.

         "Listen to you two. Quarreling like an old married couple. The creature and the criminal," Snape's lips twitched upward and Calypso really wanted to punch. How dare he call her dad a creature – how dare he called her a creature?

         "Piss off," Sirius snarled.

         "Witty as ever I see. Tell me, will you be so irreverent when I turn you over to the Dementors?" Sirius' eyes flashed, "DO I detect a flicker of fear? One can only imagine what it must be like to endure the Dementor's Kiss. It's said to be unbearable to witness. But I'll do my best."

         Snape gestured to the door, "After you." As they turned to leave, Harry raised wand and disarmed Snape himself. The Potions professor soared through the air and hit a wall, sliding down.

         "Harry!" Hermione exclaimed, "You attacked a teacher!"

         The boy looked shocked himself but then he turned back to Sirius, "You said Peter before. Peter who?"

         "Pettigrew," Remus answered for Sirius, "He was at school with us. We thought he was a friend."

         Harry couldn't believe it, "No. Pettigrew's dead. He killed him." At that, he pointed to Black who dryly laughed.

         "I thought so, too. Until you mentioned seeing Pettigrew on the Map...until Calypso told me the truth," he looked towards his daughter.

         "Hi, I've kinda known for years," Calypso raised a hand in a wave, "Mum told me when I turned eleven."

         Sirius frowned, "Why then?"

         Regulus showed up, there was a lot of explaining that needed to happen. "Things happened," she said instead, "I was starting Hogwarts and everything...so, yeah."

         "But – but the Map was lying," Harry said, "When I told you that, the Map was lying. He can't – you're lying."

         "The Map never lies. Pettigrew's alive. And he's right there," Black pointed at Ron who turned white with fear.

         "M-Me? It's lunatic..." the Weasley boy stuttered out.

         Sirius rolled his eyes, "Not you, you idiot. Your rat."

         "Scabbers?" Ron asked incredulously, "Scabbers has been in my family for –"

         "Twelve years," Sirius stopped him, answering bitterly, "A curiously long life for a common garden rat. He's missing a toe, isn't he?"

         It was then that Sirius showed a dog-eared clipping from the Prophet of the Weasley family, Ron having the rat on his shoulder. They were in Egypt. "So what?" Ron asked.

         Harry seemed to be placing the pieces together. "All they could find of Pettigrew was his –"

         "Finger," Sirius nodded, "Dirty coward cut it off so everyone would think he was dead. Then he transformed into a rat."

         Harry looked at the rat and then back to Sirius, "Show me."

         Ron tightened his grip on Scabbers protectively, "What are going to do to him?"

         Sirius and Remus looked at each other as the Black man asked, "Together?" They point their wands at Scabbers as there was a flash and he transformed into the man himself; Peter Pettigrew.

         "S-Sirius....R-Remus. My old friends," they said nothing and Peter turned to Calypso, "A-And Calypso. Remember me? I used to take care of you! And Harry! Look at you! Y-you look just like your father. Like James. We were the best of friends, he and I –"

         "Shut up!" Sirius yelled, angry that the man dare talk of James and Lily as if he hadn't been the one to have them murdered.

         "I didn't mean to! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses! Ask yourself what you would have done, Sirius. What would you have done!" Peter pleaded, hoping they would listen and understand.

         "Died! Dead rather than betray my friends! And you should have realized Peter, if Voldemort didn't kill you..." Sirius started.

         "We would," Remus finished, looking at the man with cold eyes. Calypso had never seen her father like this and she hoped she never would again.

         "No...please...you can't..." Peter looked around until he looked at the redhead, "Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat..."

         But that didn't work, Ron didn't take the bait. Too disgusted in the man and Peter saw this, looking instead of Hermione. "Sweet girl. Clever girl. Surely you won't let them..."

         He continued to look, hoping for anyone to save him when Harry said, "No."

         "Harry, this man..." Remus said, hoping to make the boy understand why he needed to die.

         "I know what he is," Harry looked at Remus and then to Peter, "But we'll take him to the castle."

         Peter scrambled to Harry's leg, "Bless you, boy! Bless you –"

         "Get off!" Harry screamed, kicking him away, "I said we'd take you to the castle. After that, the Dementors can have you."

         "Turn me into a maggot. A dung beetle. A Flobberworm! Anything but the Dementors..." Peter pleaded again, "Ron! Haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, will you? I was your rat..."

         Peter tried again, over and over as they walked out to see the night sky. It had been longer than Calypso realized, too long. It was dark and she looked up to see the full moon, almost there, and she knew what was going to come. Oh, no.

         "Dad," she said, alerting Remus to go near her, "I have to get out of here – we need to get out of here."

         "Calypso," but he was cut off as she directed his gaze to the full moon and he seemed to understand, "You mean..."

         "I'm sorry I never told you," she gulped, "It was mum's idea and I...you always feel so guilty about things, even if it isn't your fault. But we have to go."

         Remus nodded and looked to Sirius, who looked back at him. It was beginning to become too late, the full moon was almost there, almost ready. She could feel her bones wanting to crack, to transform her.

         "Go," Sirius uttered and the two ran.

         They didn't get far when Calypso let out a scream. It was happening, she was transforming. The pain was too much as she looked to the moon. And finally, the skin reflects the madness inside.