A Different Outcome

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. However, since Rowling discarded my favourite characters I picked them up and took them into my care to give them the love and attention they deserve...and occasionally give them reason to need that love and attention no matter how much they deserve it without needing a reason.

Summary: What if; when the trio confronted Sirius in the Shrieking Shack, things had gone a little differently?

Warnings: hints of strong bromance, Dumbledore and Snape bashing and some very light Ron bashing.

Special thanks to Kitty for beta-ing this story for me and giving me endless support and inspiration. Thank you for your endless patience with my grammar and for all the lessons you've taught me and are still trying to stamp into my brain.

Not a part of the A Bond of Family series!

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"All right…but you'll need to help me, Sirius," said Lupin. "I only know how it began…"

Lupin broke off. There had been a loud creak behind him. The bedroom door had opened of its own accord. All five of them stared at it.

Then Lupin strode towards it and looked out into the landing.

"No one there…"

"This place is haunted!" said Ron.

"It´s not," said Lupin, still looking at the door in a puzzled way. "The Shrieking Shack was never haunted...the screams and howls the villagers used to hear were made by me."

He pushed his greying hair out of his eyes, thought for a moment, then said," That's where all of this starts...with my becoming a werewolf. None of this..."

Harry wasn't the only one who jumped as Black interrupted him by slamming a chair into thin air, surprising them all as a whimper and crack were the only warnings they got before something heavy hit the ground.

"Stupid eavesdropping git," Black growled, pulling away the invisibility cloak to reveal Snape's unconscious form on the floor behind Lupin. "Always said he was a slimy snake. What is he doing here?"

"He works here," Lupin revealed, kneeling down to check their most hated professor's pulse. "How did you know he was there?"

"Aside from his slimy stench?" Something seemed to have changed in Black in the moments since knocking Snape out and Harry warily eyed him, not sure what to make of the sudden calm that had come over the man. "I heard his breathing. I'm surprised you didn't."

"I think I can be forgiven if you take into account all that's happening right now," Lupin' posture had changed as well, relaxing while Harry couldn't believe Black was joking.

"Never lose sight of your surroundings and always be on guard."

"Yes, yes, I know. You've told me a thousand times," to Harry's surprise, Lupin's entire being relaxed further the longer he and Black interacted.

"Constant Vigilance."

"What is going on here?" Ron broke out of his stupor as Lupin rolled his eyes as he rose to his feet again, ignoring Hermione as she tried to shush Ron.

"I'm sorry, I was about to tell you..."

"Not yet, what was Snape doing here," Black interrupted Lupin once more, gazing around suspiciously.

"I don't know, he might have seen me leave the castle."

"After what happened last time?" Black snorted, impatiently brushing his long filthy hair out of his eyes. "He's an even bigger idiot than I thought to once more follow you to the Shack."

"Why did Snape follow you to the Shrieking Shack before?" Harry asked before he could stop himself.

"Because he was curious to where I went every mo...the full moon!" Lupin's eyes widened. "I didn't take my potion today, I'm not safe."

"What potion?" Black grabbed his arm as Lupin scrambled back in a panic. "The moon won't be up for another hour. I´ve kept track of the moon cycle to prevent running into Moony, so calm down."

"Wolfsbane, it's a potion that allows me to keep my mind when I transform, so I can just retreat as a harmless wolf. But only as long as I take it the week preceding the full moon and I forgot to take it today," sudden realisation came to Lupin's eyes as he fought to control himself. "Snape's the one who's been providing me with the potion, he must have been bringing it and I left the Marauder Map open on the desk."

"You took a potion that a known enemy provided for you?" Black sounded disgusted and Harry couldn't blame him as that was one of the most stupid things someone could do.

"I had no choice and he wouldn't dare to tamper with it under Dumbledore's watchful eyes," Lupin defended himself. "I need to leave, I won't be safe tonight."

"Because you haven't taken that potion?" Harry asked.

"I won't make it back in time..."

"Are you a wizard or what? If the slimy git came to bring it to you like you suspect, it's likely he left it at your desk, just summon the bloody thing here," Black growled as he bend down to tie Snape up with a rope he pulled out of thin air. "And send for McGonagall while you're at it."

"What?" they all turned to Black surprised, but it was Lupin who voiced the thought that Harry believed was on everyone's mind. "Why?"

"Because you're going to change into a werewolf in a hour's time, not leaving us enough time to both reveal the rat for what he is and get them away from you without causing a mess. So summon the potion and send a Patronus to McGonagall, she is still working here, isn't she?"

"Yes...I...are you sure? You don't know if McGonagall will listen, this might be your only chance, one you've clearly been waiting for," Lupin worriedly asked.

"Yes, I've waited twelve years for this," Black stared at Scabbers with clear hatred before he turned to Harry and his haunted eyes softened with an emotion Harry couldn't identify. "But for his safety, I'm willing to wait a bit longer for my chance at justice. Summon her."

"Justice?" Lupin send off a Patronus. "I thought you wanted revenge?"

"I did and I still do, but there are more important things than revenge, something I'd forgotten over the years," and suddenly Harry recognised the emotion in Black's eyes for what it was; love.

"Why...you betrayed my parents," the sudden pain that flashed through Black's eyes cut off what Harry was going to say and he stared at the man for a long moment as he suddenly realised he didn't believe this man, this supposed murderer and betrayer of his parents, was all that guilty.

Sure, the man himself had admitted he'd killed his parents, but the guilt and pain he could see clearly in the man's eyes now that he had calmed down, didn't fit with what he'd been lead to believe and Harry decided to trust his instincts to give the man a chance to try and explain himself. "You said Scabbers is really a man named Peter Pettigrew, show me."

"Harry?" Grey eyes blinked at him confused even as a potion soared up the stairs, into Lupin's waiting hand and Harry ignored his professor downing it as he caught the intelligence in Black's eyes, surprising him, but also making him believe he had make the right choice as it weren't the eyes of a madman at all.

"McGonagall is on her way, show me now. So that when she comes in here, she'll see that you are telling the truth and will give you a chance to explain yourself."

"You can't be serious, you actually believe him?" Ron snapped, still pale as a sheet and clutching his injured leg and Hermione stared at him in disbelief but Harry couldn't have felt more sure of himself as he gazed at the surprised man.

"Yes, I do," Scabbers squeaked in terror as Harry crossed the room and pulled the struggling rat out of his protesting friend's hands. "Will it hurt the rat if you are lying?"

"No and if it'll make you feel better, you may even cast the spell yourself," Black moved to his side, but Harry didn't feel threatened by the man's close proximity. Earlier events aside, he felt instinctively that the man wouldn't cause him any harm.

"I don't know the spell," Harry admitted.

"Then I'll teach you," Black shrugged, his voice much softer now that he was calm. "The incarnation is Homorphus, and while you say it you should just picture in your mind him changing back into his human form. If it works, there will be a blue and white flash and he´ll begin to grow. If it doesn't, nothing will happen."

Surprised by the simple advice, Harry pulled out his wand and tried to follow Black's direction as Lupin watched with oddly bright eyes.

But Harry ignored his Defence Professor, letting go of Scabbers as there was a blinding flash of light and limbs grew out of the rat, a man falling to the ground in place of where Scabbers had just been.

A very short man, who had the appearance of having lost a lot of weight in a short time, scrambled to his feet immediately, freezing as he seemed to realise what had happened and Harry stared at the beady eyes that flashed around nervously before settling on Black beside Harry.

"S-Sirius...R-Remus," the man stuttered out over the gasps of disbelief coming from Hermione and Ron.

"Wh-what...P-Pettigrew," McGonagall's gasp made any reply either man might have had fall away as they all looked up to see the elderly woman clasp a hand to her chest, eyes blown wide in shock as she had clearly just arrived. "H-how..."

Her eyes widened even more as she caught sight of Black, still standing beside Harry before flashing back to Pettigrew. "I...what's going on here?"

"P-Professor McGonagall...y-you need to save me, he's come to try and kill me again!" Beady eyes flashed to Professor McGonagall and as McGonagall swiftly pulled her wand out, Harry feared she might attack Black.

But he was surprised as she raised her wand at Pettigrew, barely sparing Black a second glance as she turned her back on him.

"I knew it...I just knew it," she whispered, realisation filling her eyes as she stared at the trembling man before her. "You are the traitor, aren't you? You betrayed the Potters to You-Know-Who."

Harry couldn't help but gape at her in utter shock at her words.

"Professor?" Lupin blinked, clearly just as surprised as Harry was by this turn of events, but McGonagall ignored him.

"Why, why did you betray them? Why did you frame him?!" she demanded.

"I...I didn't, h-he did, and he betrayed Lily and James to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, a spy..." Pettigrew stuttered, what little colour his ashen skin had rapidly draining at the sight of her wand steadily aimed at him.

"Don't you dare lie to me, never again," the words were almost growled by their Head of House as she trembled. "You...you are the one who was the spy, weren't you?"

"No, I've been hiding from h-him, I knew he would come after me," Pettigrew shook his head fiercely.

"How could you have possibly known Sirius would escape from Azkaban, it's never been done before," Lupin spat out.

"He has dark powers the rest of us can only dream of," Pettigrew squeaked at the clear anger in Lupin's tone.

"I've never dreamed of dark powers of any sorts, you know very well that I've spend my entire life running away from anything to do with that," Black's tone was surprisingly soft compared to the anger in McGonagall and Lupin's voices, though Harry could see his hands were balled into fists and trembling in a clear attempt to keep himself under control.

He didn't know what the cryptic words meant, but from Pettigrew's flinch he knew the other did and he hadn't missed both McGonagall and Lupin shifting either.

"While you on the other hand have always surrounded yourself with powerful people," tears appeared in McGonagall's eyes. "I should have seen it; it is so obvious now that I think back about it. How could I ever..."

She cut herself off all of a sudden, hand trembling more than before as she stared at Pettigrew. "Why...why did you betray them?"

"He forced me to," Pettigrew seemed to realise it was no use pretending he hadn't as McGonagall, Black and Lupin all stared at him with equal hatred. "He was gaining so much power and I...I was scared and he forced me..."

"Don't lie," Black hissed. "You went to Voldemort of your own free will when you felt the war was turning to their advantage. You had been passing information for over a year already."

"I..no..."

"You forget where I've spent the last twelve years, Peter. I've heard their screams, how they cursed you for your double crossing them. Voldemort went to James and Lily's house on your information. You wouldn't believe the things I've heard in there about you, what they'd do to you if you were still alive, so don't lie, not any more."

"Why did you throw away the best thing that ever happened to us, why did you betray our family?" Harry's heart clenched at the emotion he could hear in Lupin's voice, echoed in Black's grey eyes.

"I couldn't go up against him, there was nothing to gain..."Pettigrew' beady eyes flashed between Black and Lupin.

"Were we not enough?" Black spoke up, his voice no more than a whisper. "You were our brother; we loved you and would have died for you. How could you even think of betraying our family the way you did? Lily and James...how could you?"

The hairs on Harry's neck rose at the loaded words and he turned to Pettigrew to see his reaction, but the twitchy man seemed unmoved by the emotion in Black's voice as he stared at him blankly.

"Why did you frame him?" Harry couldn't help but ask. "Everyone thought you went after Black after my parents died, but he was the one who cornered you, wasn't he? Why did you blow up that street and frame him for their deaths?"

"Because he would never have stopped hunting me for betraying James, for getting him killed," Pettigrew's honest answer surprised Harry, not having expected it after all the lies told so far and he wondered if Black's words had actually reached the cowardly man after all. "He'd have hunted me down and killed me."

"No, I wasn't going to kill you that day. I wanted you to pay and death would've been too easy," Black growled. "I'd have made sure you would suffer for what you've done. I still want you to suffer."

"And he will. If anyone deserves to be send to Azkaban, it's him," McGonagall declared as she knocked Pettigrew out with a spell before binding him with ropes. "We'll take him to the castle and call the Aurors from there. They can take him into custody."

Harry was surprised when Black stepped around him to McGonagall's side. "And I hand myself over into your custody."

"I...why?" McGonagall blinked surprised. "I'm not an Auror."

"No, but you are the Deputy Headmistress and therefore authorised to take someone into protective custody when the Ministry fails to provide that," Black held out a wand to her that Harry hadn't known he possessed and gob smacked, she took it from him.

"You are an innocent man, Sirius. I can't in good consciousness arrest an innocent man, even if I do have that authority like you say," she objected.

"You do and although I am innocent, that's not stopped the Ministry from chucking me into Azkaban before," he swallowed. "And I know there is a Kiss on sight order with my name on it that I'd like to prevent from being executed."

"Dumbledore..."

"I don't trust Dumbledore, not any more," Black sounded bitter to Harry, though he had no idea what might have caused the man to distrust the Headmaster and he knew now was not the time to ask.

McGonagall seemed to realise the same thing as she unexpectedly pulled him into a tight embrace before she took his right hand firmly in her own. "I, Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, take you, Sirius Orion Black, into my custody."

A red string of thread bound itself around their hands, glowing brightly for a moment before fading.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

"A protective spell," Hermione immediately answered, seemingly unable to not do so when a question was asked. "By willingly entering the Deputy's custody, a protection is placed upon him that will prevent others from forcefully taking him away."

"What it means is that until I've received a trial, they cannot kill or chuck me back into Azkaban," Black clarified.

"Why didn't you fight your conviction," Lupin asked softly.

"What conviction?" Black raised an eyebrow and both Lupin and McGonagall gasped.

"You mean that you have never received a trial?" scandalised McGonagall bristled as Black shook his head. "Then I will personally see to it that you will this time!"

"That would be nice, but we haven't got time to discuss things further as the moon will come up in less than fifteen minutes. We need to leave so that Remus can lock himself up here for the night."

"You're right, we need to get a move on," McGonagall decided as she turned to the bed. "Can you walk? Because I am not much of a healer."

"He is," Lupin spoke up as he pulled out his wand, turning the handle to Black. "He always took care of any injuries James and I gained. Could you heal his leg so he won't be slowed down by it?"

"I'm the one who broke it so it's the least thing I could do," Black hesitated for a moment before his fingers closed around Lupin's wand and he moved to Ron. "I'm sorry I hurt you while trying to get my hands on Peter, but would you allow me to make it right by healing it?"

"No! You'll mess it up even more!" Ron gasped, pain flashing through his features as he shifted away, what little colour was left in his face fading as he seemed to realise who he was shouting at. "I- I mean, a teacher tried to heal Harry's broken arm before and he removed all the bones in it instead. Let Madam Pomfrey deal with it."

"I'm not a teacher," a hint of something unpleasant crossed Black's lips. "Though I would like to know the name of the incompetent man I need to rip apart for hurting him; I can assure you that although I am likely to be a little rusty, I am actually a qualified healer."

Ron shifted nervously, but Harry felt a warmth blossom in his chest at the low spoken words, realising that for some insane reason, Black cared about him, about his well-being and it suddenly made him see several things in perspective.

He remembered seeing that gigantic dog at Magnolia Crescent and several times over the course of the year. Initially he'd thought it was a bad omen, but he realised now that the man had probably been trying to look out for him in the only way he could, by watching him from a distance to try and keep him safe.

He broke into Hogwarts twice, neither time he ever came near to Harry or another student despite having every bit of opportunity to do so and it suddenly made sense why Ron hadn't been hurt that time as it hadn't been Ron the man was after.

Harry knew the dog must've seen them travel from the castle to Hagrid's earlier that afternoon, but hadn't made a move until Pettigrew was with them. But even when he did have Pettigrew, he hadn't killed him despite having every bit of opportunity in the time it took Harry and Hermione to make it through the tunnel.

And although Black had tried to get them out of the way when rage overcame him, Harry now understood that he'd never been out to truly harm them and suddenly it all made sense to him.

"That's why you escaped, isn't it?" He asked out of the blue as he remembered overhearing Mister Weasley say that Black had been talking in his sleep before escaping, repeating 'he's at Hogwarts' over and over again. And although everyone had assumed he was talking about him, Harry suddenly realised he must have been talking about Pettigrew. "You escaped because you knew Pettigrew was here."

"Yes, I was the only one who knew the truth and the danger he posed to you here, perfectly positioned to harm you the moment he got wind of Voldemort returning," Black seemed surprised by Harry's insight, ignoring the three others starting at the name.

It made Harry remember that his parents had named this man his godfather and it seemed that he was taking that job seriously despite not having seen him for twelve years and being on the run now.

"Let him heal your leg, Ron," he commanded, not breaking eye contact with Black as a small smile crossed the man's lips that made him appear years younger.

"I...if you are sure," Ron still tensed as Black raised Lupin's wand, but a moment later he blinked surprised and patted his leg. "Huh...it's healed."

"I'm not some incompetent idiot," Black grumbled as he handed Lupin his wand back while Ron carefully stretched his leg.

"Although I've given myself over into your custody willingly, I think my sudden appearance at the castle might cause a bit of a panic," Black spoke to McGonagall.

"I agree, but I don't see how we can avoid that."

"Peter is an Animagus, a rat...and I'm one, too," Black softly admitted. "You should take that into account while we're both in your custody and when you hand us over to the Aurors."

"You...he...we'll be having a long discussion about that very soon, but it might be wise if you change into your Animagus form for now and remain that way until we're out of sight," McGonagall swallowed thickly as Black transformed before her eyes.

Harry stared at the large dog in amazement, the black fur matted and thinner than could be considered healthy, but still a force to be reckoned with as he'd discovered earlier that afternoon.

"We should get a move on," McGonagall stared at the dog with the same amazement for a long moment before she ushered Ron and Hermione to their feet and pushed them into the direction of the hatch. "Go through and don't stop. Mister Potter and Si.."

"Padfoot," Lupin interrupted as he moved into the front room, suddenly looking tense as they moved away from him. "His name is Padfoot."

Recognition flashed through McGonagall's face, a small smile crossing over her lips as she looked at the dog. "I see...I should have realised...Mister Potter and Padfoot will follow behind you and I will bring up the rear with Pettigrew and Professor Snape."

The dog, Padfoot, hesitated for a moment before trotting across the room to Lupin, who knelt surprised and ran a hand over the matted fur as the dog whined. "I'll be all right; with the potion I won't hurt myself like I normally do. I...I'll..."

"You will see him in the morning, Remus. I swear you will," McGonagall said as Lupin swallowed thickly and pulled the dog close for a moment before letting him go again, the tenseness having mostly vanished.

"Go with them and get your fugitive butt free," Harry was fairly sure the words were meant just for the dog, but they all heard them clearly as the dog barked before trotting back to them to flank Harry's side.

"Go Mister Weasley," McGonagall ordered and they all moved back through the tunnel, Crookshanks appearing at the dog's side out of nowhere.

"I wish I'd thought about enlarging the tunnel on our way here," Hermione murmured, making Harry realise the tunnel was in fact much higher than it had been on the way there.

"A trick Mister Potter's father accidentally taught me years ago during a catastrophic event," McGonagall told them as Crookshanks shot past them to immobilise the Whomping Willow so they could climb out without danger.

"Stay close together and don't speak to anyone," McGonagall ordered as they crossed over to the castle. "I'm fairly sure we'll make it to the Headmasters office without a problem, but you never know for sure."

Truer words Harry knew were not spoken and he grinned at Padfoot as the dog trotted beside him in a clear protective move, knowing things were about to get really hectic.