Harry Potter and the Price Of Fame
Disclaimer - I own nothing. All belongs to JKR, with the exception of my OC's.
Prologue
Severus Snape was conflicted, even if his body language would never show it. He was told of his importancefrom both the people he was following orders from. He knew he would never truly be evil, but he could see the possible outcomes if he didn't follow direct orders from the Dark Lord. He may attain riches, but he would be branded a traitor for the rest of his life, and it may cost him the only five people he ever truly cared about.
Severus, as a child, was adamant about his desire to be in Slytherin. But, in its seemingly infinite knowledge, the Sorting Hat placed him in the one House he did NOT want to be sorted in to. Gryffindor. The conversation with the Hat that he had was rather interesting, as it told him of his need for friends. He could, and would, not do that in Slytherin, or even Ravenclaw. And, he was not a Hufflepuff. His indecision as to whether or not he would not betray his friends was a perfect example of this.
Nevertheless, he didn't get along with his fellow Gryffindor first years, with the exemption of the girl he occasionally talked to from his neighbourhood. The other four boys treated him with differing opinions. The small, lumpy boy was deadly scared of him. The brown haired, scarred boy was indifferent, but avoided him. And the two black haired boys treated him like an animal. Ironic, when he looked back on it.
As Severus contemplated his position, he heard the pop of his accomplice. He saw the rodent-looking man across the street give him a discreet nod, and, returning it, they both spun at the same time, arriving at their destination. Godric's Hollow.
As he touched down, feeling slightly ill from the feeling of Apparating, he strode next to his co-conspirator. Without a word, the man with him, dressed in a three-piece suit and Rolex, and Severus, his cloak billowing behind them, quickly caught up to their supposed 'Master'.
"Ah, Severus, I'm glad to see you. I was beginning to wonder if you would turn up. Believe me, you have made the right decision," Voldemort said, an evil smile on his face.
Severus nodded. "Believe me, my Lord, I would not miss this moment for the world," he replied, the same smile on his face.
Voldemort nodded in response. "Very good, Severus," he very nearly whispered, and turned to the other man. "Is everything as planned?"
The man nodded, slightly shaken. "Y-yes, my Lord."
"Excellent! Let us go. Not long from here, I assume?"
Both men, with differing tones of voice, replied, "No, my Lord," and they walked along-side Lord Voldemort, at a rather alarming pace. Severus, still undecided, used the time to ponder his position, while still paying attention to whether the Dark Lord would ask him more questions. His friends knew of his position as a spy, but would he risk his life for them? He valued his life, without a doubt, however, he had long ago realised he was not the one to finish this. Clenching his fist, he remembered his punishment for failing to retrieve all of the Prophecy. He was still walking with a slight limp, and probably would for the rest of his days. He knew that the cold-blooded murderer beside him was not worth his life. His friends were.
Arriving at their destination, Lord Voldemort strode ahead of them by a few steps, and addressed the party of people opposing him. "Ah, a welcoming party. How... Amusing. However, nothing can stop me. The boy must die, and I will not stop until-"
"NEVER!" All four of the people that stood, pointing their wands at the Dark Lord, cried out.
Lord Voldemort only chuckled. "Again, you amuse me. You see, I am not alone," he said, as his two followers appeared out of the shadows. Again, he chuckled. "Now, my servants. Attack them!"
With a nod to each other, they stepped in front of their Master wands raised. As they walked forward, they turned on Voldemort, wands at him, and joined his friends. Severus was on the right side, he was sure.
He saw Voldemort frown, for merely a second. And then, adopted an impassive expression. "I see. Well, this will be... Rather more difficult," he acknowledged. Facing against him were the fabled kinship. The six people that, together, could possibly overpower him. The Marauders.
Peter Pettigrew, no longer acting frightened, stood on the far left, a confident smirk on his face, and was fiddling with a ring-like object. Next to him, Remus Lupin, also smirking, was in a fighting stance. However, Voldemort could see the hatred in the man's eyes as he stared at his parents' murderer. Lily Potter, next to him, was looking at the Dark Lord with anger in those dreaded emerald-green eyes. Her husband was by her side, with a similar look of rage, was panting heavily in his anger. Sirius Black, next to them, was, too, looking at Voldemort with anger in his eyes. But, his whole face was contorted in anger. And then, there was Severus. Severus Snape was looking at his former master with a look of indifference. All of the six Marauders had their wands raised, and were pointed at his chest.
"I never thought this day would come," he sneered, not impressed by the group, "But, at least, tonight, you will all die. Some," he glanced at his former servants, "More painfully than others."
Pettigrew snorted, and said, "Whatever you say, Tom."
Voldemort snapped. No one called him his filthy, mundane name. It reminded him of his imperfect blood. "HOW DARE YOU! MICOFLAMMA!"
A flash of bright light blinded the seven people in the area for several minutes and, when the light dimmed away, all that could be seen of the body of Peter Pettigrew was finger, which saw ablaze. It quickly was reduced to ashes.
The remaining five were shocked, and their enemy took advantage of their lapse in concentration. He screamed, "AVADA KEDAVRA! AVADA KEDAVRA!" as he pointed at Lily and James.
The two Potters, too shocked to move, were struck and enveloped in a flash of green light, first James then Lily. They both screamed, "HARRY!" and fell to the ground. Quickly, Voldemort used a wide-area stunning charm, and Apparated in to the house behind them.
Upon entering the house, he proceeded to stride quickly towards the room where the young boy of Potter was left. The traitorous fool, Pettigrew, gave him a complete layout of the Potter home. As he entered the room, and saw the child in the crib, he smirked. "At last, the Prophecy will be fulfilled. I will be all powerful. Goodbye, Harry Potter. AVADA KEDAVRA!" he yelled.
However, Voldemort did not expect the next development. The spell bounced back. Impossible!he thought, the green light consuming him instead. As his world flashed between green and black, the Dark Lord, Voldemort, swore revenge on Harry Potter.
For three hours, the only remaining Potter cried in pain. He was alone, with a sharp pain on his forehead. It wasn't until the three remaining Marauders and the illustrious Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft And Wizardry, Albus Dumbledore, entered the room, did he begin to calm down.
"Sirius, Remus, Severus, I'm truly sorry. I know how close you all were," Albus said to the three men, who were weeping openly at the sight of the only remaining link to two of their fallen friends, "but a decision must be made. Severus, is what we discussed earlier fine by you?"
Severus, teary eyed, nodded, not saying a word. In thirty seconds, six had been reduced to three. He lost three of his best friends, and was left with two, for which he was glad. He knew that he, Remus and Sirius were lucky that Voldemort didn't kill them. He was too interested in removing the two who defied him three times, and killing the boy. They, as spares, weren't necessary deaths. No doubt he planned to finish the job when he returned from killing Harry.
As he looked at the child that was eyeing him with curiosity, he thought of the lives lost. Of course, for James and Lily's life, he felt he was to blame. But, Peter did something he couldn't. The Potter's had long ago accepted their deaths as necessary for the Wizarding World, but Peter did the unthinkable. By angering the Dark Lord, he had sacrificed himself to ensure only Lily and James would die. As stupid as he thought Peter's plan was, Severus knew that it was sound in concept, and he would forever owe his life to Peter Pettigrew.
By this point, Albus had finished explaining Harry's future arrangements to Remus and Sirius. Severus could tell that Remus had a look of acceptance on his face, but was not happy about the decision. Sirius, however, was irate. "WHAT? Albus, no! I am Harry's godfather! He deserves to live with me!"
Albus shook his head, and spoke calmly, "I agree, Sirius. However Severus, Lily and I discussed this, and we all agreed that, however unpopular this decision may be, it is best for Harry's wellbeing. Lily convinced James, and it is in the will now. There is nothing I, or you, can do now."
Sirius wiped the tears from his eyes, looking down in defeat. "I... I guess you're right. Are you sure he will be safe?"
Severus spoke up, his voice breaking with every word, "Sirius, he will be the safest possible. I assure you of that."
Remus, who had been silent since Albus revived him, spoke up. "As long as he is safe, we must accept this, right Sirius?" he said softly, patting his friend on the back.
Sirius looked at him, and whispered "Moony...If you agree, it's the right thing to do."
Albus nodded. "Sirius, I need you to transport Harry to Privet Drive. Severus, you, Remus and I can Portkey. Thirty minutes on the motorbike, yes?" he asked, and, with Sirius' nod, he pulled a rope out of his cloak, pointed his wand at it and whispered "Portus," and, in a flash, all but Sirius and Harry were gone.
As Severus waited with Albus and Remus, he wondered what would happen now. Surely, everyone in Wizarding Britain now knew of the Dark Lord's downfall, and were celebrating. He knew he would not. He, Lupin and Black would most likely go separate ways to grieve. He knew that all three would never be the same after this day. He was particularly distressed with Lily's and Peter's death. Not to say that James' death did not sadden him, but Lily was his first friend, and Peter was the only person he trusted for months. So, he sat on a bench, and cried. Remus, next to him, did the same thing.
Albus, who stood in front of them, seemingly did not acknowledge that they were mourning, and stood in silence until the roar of the motorcycle could be heard. Remus stood up, and Severus quickly followed. Minutes later, a blank-faced Sirius Black touched down and, like handling china, he cautiously picked up the sleeping infant from the side-car. If he could think straight, Severus would have wondered how a child could fall asleep in such a loud vehicle. But all he could think about was the boy's safety. So, with a flourish he said, "Cruor Tutela," and the blood wards that took months of setting up were activated.
The four wizards, Sirius carrying Harry, walked to the front of Number 4, Privet Drive, and whispered to the sleeping child, "I'm sorry, pup. It's for your own good," and pecked the child on the forehead.
Remus leant in and he, too, kissed the boy on his forehead, and whispered, "Farewell, cub. I'll miss you."
Severus, lost for words, simulated his friends by kissing the infant's head, and Albus too kissed the child without saying a word. Sirius, now teary-eyed, placed the boy on the doorstep, as Albus placed a letter on him, addressed to MrandMrsDursley,Number4,PrivetDrive. Sirius traced the lightning bolt on the boys forehead, whispering, "Farewell, Harry James Potter."
Author's Note - I hope you enjoy my take on the story. I always wanted to portray Pettigrew as a hero, rather than a villain. I know he is a little OOC, but this is MY Peter. He will have a major role, as will Sirius and Remus. Severus as a Marauder was another idea I truly liked, so I decided to make him one. Also, Lily is an unofficial Marauder, through Prongs. Just clarifying.
I hope you enjoy Price Of Fame. I have a basic outline, but I'm winging it mostly. Never underestimate the power of improvisation. Anyway, I'll try to update regularly. Please review!
Kuhal