"It's all Percy's fault. He brought that rat home." Fred set aside the matter of his Wand for the moment. "Doesn't that mean Little Ronnie's in danger?"
"I always said that rat had lived far too long." George forced himself to stay calm. "Professor Dumbledore, we have to save Ron."
Dumbledore reassured them. "Don't worry. Peter won't hurt Ron for now. Think about it: why did he stay with your family all those years?"
"To escape the law?" The two of them quickly put it together.
Dumbledore nodded. "Exactly. He's afraid of being exposed, so he won't dare hurt Ron, especially when he doesn't know what happened today. We can't tip him off. We need to catch Peter in one go.
"Of course, you can leave that to me."
Everyone present trusted Dumbledore, so they accepted his plan.
Dumbledore picked up a Quill and scribbled on a piece of Parchment he had grabbed. He handed it to Hagrid. "Let's get Black settled first. For his safety, and to make things easier later, he'll stay with you for now, Hagrid. Sorry for the trouble, but please build Sirius a small hut according to these instructions."
"Of course, Professor Dumbledore." Hagrid put away the Parchment. Now that the misunderstanding had been cleared up, he no longer bore Black any ill will.
"Lupin, just act as you normally would. Don't let anything seem out of place."
Lupin nodded.
"Black, I must tell you: don't make any moves or cause any trouble for the time being. Those Dementors won't listen to your explanation. We have to catch Peter first, then make the Ministry of Magic understand what happened. Only then can we clear your name.
"Think of Harry. You're his godfather."
Sirius's clenched fists trembled slightly. But he hadn't left his wits behind in