WORMY'S TALE
A/N: This story came about when my sister was having a Harry Potter Marathon all six Movies back to back. And despite my insistence that I was only going to join her for my favourite (Prisoner of Azkaban) I ended up watching the first 2 as well. Anyway we ended up acting like Lord Voldemort and his band of cronies in a weird parody and that was the start of the Peter's Tale. (That and my Sim wrote a book called Wormtail's Tale.) Anyway to cut a long story short, this is Peter Pettigrew's story from Ron and Harry's 1st Year through to third. If this has been done I am extremely sorry but I did have a look and I couldn't find a fic that was like this.
---CHAPTER ONE---
Off to Hogwarts... again.
Peter Pettigrew had everything he could ever want, a cushy cage and a lining of soft wood shavings. Water, a home with soft, hypo-allergenic bedding, an excersise wheel (which he never used) and endless amounts of food.
At this particular moment in time. Peter was watching a small red-headed boy, bound around his room throwing clothes haphazardly into a trunk.
A voice drifted up the stairs, "RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY!!! IF YOU ARE NOT DOWNSTAIRS IN TEN MINUTES, THEN I WILL TAKE IT UPON MY SELF TO HOME-SCHOOL YOU!"
Ronald paled visibly and started chucking more items into his trunk. Two and a half minutes later the trunk lid closed with a derisive 'snap' and it was hauled downstairs.
Peter sighed contented. Another year of Hogwarts, another year of pigging out on the luscious food the castle had to offer. Another year of doing absolutely nothing...
"Come on Scabbers." Ronald was back and Peter was being plucked from his cushy cage and shoved in a jacket pocket. Peter wasn't sure if he liked this Ronald, his old owner had been much nicer, kinder to him. Percy was now a prefect though and his parents had bought him an owl. Scabbers being a pet and therefore having no say in the matter had been handed down to Ronald.
Poking his head out of Ronald's pocket, Peter stared longingly at his cage. And scowled inwardly when Ronald left it in the room. Yes he definitely didn't like this Ronald Billius Weasley.
*
By lunchtime however, Peter was having second thoughts. Ron – as he was more commonly know – had made a friend. A friend – who desperate to please – had bought a bit of everything the Hogwarts Express Trolley service had to offer. Peter had woken up to find the exit to his owners pocket blocked by a cauldron cake. Letting out a small squeak he started attacking the cake with his sharp teeth, enjoying the savoury taste.
Whilst eating Peter listened in to the conversation. He was pretty good at this and had had plenty of practise over the last ten years.
'What are these?" Ron's friend asked him and Peter laughed.
"Poor kid must be Muggle-born, imagine not knowing what Chocolate Frogs are." Peter thought to himself as he listened to Ron explain about the cards. He felt a pang of longing. He had left all his cards at his mothers.
"So this is Dumbledore!" Said the new kid again and Peter nearly choked on his cake.
"Don't tell me you'd never heard of Dumbledore!" Said Ron and Peter silently agreed with him.
Peter was soon full of Pumpkin Pasties, Cauldron Cakes, and all the different sweets the kid had bought. Climbing out of Ron's pocket and onto his lap. Peter lay so he was facing the door – Ron's friend behind him, and pretended to be asleep. He still didn't know the boys name, he had been asleep when introductions were made.
When a knock at the door interrupted Peter's thoughts, he carefully opened one of his eyes and saw a round-face boy looking tearful.
'Sorry," he said, "you haven't seen a toad at all?" Peter thought the kid looked familiar but he couldn't place where he had seen him before.
Ron and his friend must have made a non-verbal comment because the next thing Peter knew, is that the round-face boy let out a wail.
"I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me."
"He'll turn up." Peter longed to turn around and look at Ron's friend but he was supposed to feigning sleep.
"Yes,' the boy sounded miserable. "Well if you see him..."
Peter watched the boy leave and closed his eye again, listening for the conversation that was bound to follow.
"Don't know why he's so bothered,' said Ron. "If I'd bought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk." Peter thought about the boy and his missing toad and thought it sounded strangely familiar.
"Frank Longbottom was always losing his toad." Peter mused. Realisation dawned, the boy looked like Frank.
"He might've died and you wouldn't know the difference." Peter resisted the urge to roll onto his back, stick his paws in the air and stick his tongue out. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."
Peter groaned, he was a rat not a guinea pig, not that he had any aversion to guinea pigs, it was just a figure of speech Sirius was always using.
"Unicorn's hair's nearly poking out. Anyway -"
Peter was saved by the compartment door. It open and when Peter open one eye again he saw that the Frank Longbottom lookalike was back, along with a eager looking girl who was already in her Hogwarts uniform. She had bushy brown hair and large front teeth.
"You can't talk, look at what you've got for teeth." Peter said to himself as he remembered his rat's teeth.
"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one." She said rather bossily.
"So the Frank lookalike is called Neville... poor kid." Though Peter as he watched the boy and girl through one eye.
"We've already told him we haven't seen it." Said Ron testily.
The girl looked at Ron with a strange look in her eye. Peter had seen that look many-a-time, it was how Lily used to look at James, back when he tried to be smart and Lily knew better.
"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."
Peter groaned as the girl sat down. He heard Ron clear his throat.
"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow, turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."
Peter was quiet fond of his brown hair, if and when he ever return to being human and his brown hair had turned as blonde as Lucius Malfoy, then he would just have to hunt Ron down and dispose of him. Something else hit him. Something he didn't realise the first five times Ron attempted the spell yesterday. The spell described him as stupid and fat!
Disgruntled Peter continued listening just in time to hear the girl say her name
" - I'm Hermionie Granger, by the way, who are you?" Peter pricked his ears up. Introductions, maybe he'd finally hear what Ron's friend was called.
"I'm Ron Weasley."
"Harry Potter."
Peter froze, he felt as though a huge lead bowl had just landed in his stomach. His owner had made friends with the son of the people he betrayed. He listen half-heartedly as Hermionie chattered on about reading all about the boy in various books. Books that Peter – if he could be bothered – should read. The talk soon changed to houses, but still Peter was only half listening. He longed for a look at the boy he had ten years ago held in his arms. But he was facing in the wrong direction, he was also supposed to be asleep.
The talk turned to houses and the girl and toadless boy left. Peter was nearly asleep when he heard his name.
It was Harry. "You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," He was obviously trying to take Ron's mind off the fact they were just talking about Houses and how Ron's whole family had been in Gryffindor, yet he was worried he'll be in Slytherin.
Peter was getting hungry again and as the talk turned to Quidditch, Peter managed to discreetly pull down a chocolate frog and nibble on it whilst still pretending to be asleep.
"Is it true?" A new voice said.
Peter slowly looked up – he hadn't heard the compartment door open. He froze when he saw the three boys. All three of them were son's of the Dark Lord followers. All three of them Crabbe, Goyle and Lucius Malfoy, all thought him to be a traitor. They all looked like their fathers, Malfoy even had the same slow drawl and bleach blonde hair. Crabbe and Goyle were both thickset and looked mean. Peter knew from experience that, if they were anything like their fathers then the mean look was just an act.
"You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better that others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."
"Typical Malfoy." Peter thought, as he felt Ron shift underneath him.
"I think I can tell who the wrong sort are for myself, thanks." Peter felt a pang of remorse that he quickly buried. Harry acted just as his father would've done, brave and noble. Very Gryffindor. If that was Peter he would've jump ship there and then, he would've taken Malfoy's hand just because he would've been too scared to cross him.
Peter didn't hear Malfoy's retort but the next thing he knew, was that Ron had stood up quickly and Peter had been dumped on the seat next to him. Happy to be closer to more chocolate frogs, Peter tucked in. Oblivious to the petty fight raging above him – a fight that had started way before the first years had been born, Peter didn't notice someone's hand moving towards his frogs, until his teeth collided with a knuckle.
Surprised at the contact. Peter held fast as Goyle swung him round the compartment. He was starting to feel sick and dizzy. Percy definitely didn't treat his pets like this. With a loud thud. Peter hit the window. Feeling dazed and stunned that he had accidentally bit Goyle – he also silently hoped, Goyle wouldn't tell his father and that his father wouldn't remember if they ever met again.
Hearing Ron come towards him, Peter feigned sleep again. He tried not to squirm as he was picked up by the tail and placed on the table.
The girl from earlier came back in, then, and not only did she have the nerve to scold them for fighting (Peter scowled when Ron blamed it on him – it had been a complete accident, he would never have bit a Slytherin on purpose), but she also told them to get change because they were nearly there.
Once on the table, Peter risked opening an eye and stealing a look at Potter. He looked exactly like his father, but hidden behind his round sellotaped glasses, were his mother's eyes. Peter remembered those eyes, the first time he had saw them, she was looking at him with pity. Pity because he had accidentally been pushed in the lake. Pity because Sirius and James had saved him. That was when he first latched on to Sirius and James, because they had saved him from the lake. Stood up to the Slytherin who had done it to him and protected him.
Peter closed his eye quickly again as Ron picked him up and placed him in his robe pocket. Peter put his past behind him as he remembered that if they were nearly at Hogwarts, it meant it was nearly time for the feast. Hogwarts food was always the best, probably why he had latched himself onto a wizarding family with Hogwarts aged kids. He'd never have to go hungry again.
A/N: Once again I'm sorry if this has been done. Please Review :D. If this story is a hit, I will continue. Please be nice in your reviews. Constructive Criticism is welcome however no flames. There are nicer ways to say things. :D Also a first for this story, I will try to answer all your reviews personally so if you review and are a member then please login :D Cheers once more.
Naomi
