Alternative Hallowe'en '81

Written several years ago in response to a fan who asked: "What would have happened if Peter Pettigrew, when commanded by Voldemort to betray the Potters, had gone to Dumbledore instead?"

Albus Dumbledore sighed softly, and looked gravely down at the little figure kneeling, hunched before his desk, drenched in tears and self-pity, wracked with sobs, stammering out half-finished self-reproaches and half-baked excuses. 'He hadn't meant to… he didn't know… he had been a fool… the Dark Lord had tricked him…' Poor Pettigrew — for his own sake, he should never have been trusted with so much. And now…

'Peter,' he said gently, raising the young man to a chair. 'I am sure you know that we all, and James in particular, I think, will forgive you.' Pettigrew looked up, hope struggling with fear in his face. 'But Voldemort' (Pettigrew flinched) 'will not. You say he suspects you already?' Pettigrew formed a silent 'yes' with his lips. 'Then, Peter, he will certainly not rest until he has forced the secret from you. How he will accomplish that, you know better than most.' Pettigrew, sick and white with terror, buried his face in his hands.

'The Ministry will have to know that Remus and Sirius have been cleared of suspicion of passing information. I'm afraid, Peter, that will mean Azkaban for the real culprit; and I doubt very much whether the Dementors either could — or would — keep the Dark Lord from reaching … him.' Dumbledore placed a hand on his shoulder. 'Peter … can you honestly say you could resist Lord Voldemort's questioning?'

Pettigrew raised his head, and looked long into the wizard's earnest, searching gaze. He did not speak.

'Well,' Dumbledore broke off, 'I must be going down to the feast. It's a pity you can't attend, Peter — the decorations are particularly fine this year, I think. Hagrid has got in a number of will-o'-the-wisps — or should that be wills-o'-the-wisp? — from Bleaklow this year, and I must say they make quite a display. Here, have a look.' He threw open the window. Peter rose and moved jerkily, like a marionette, to look down at the little blue flames that roved restlessly in and out of the silvery forms of the ghosts in the courtyard, hundreds of feet below.

'I shall be going now,' said Dumbledore, quietly. 'When I return, I shall have informed the Ministry, and they will probably insist on sending the Dementors. Good-bye, Peter.'

He turned, and took a few steps.

'Headmaster!'

'Yes, Peter?'

'I — I — ' Pettigrew seemed to master himself. 'Tell James… tell him… I won't tell. Tell them all… all… that I — I didn't.'

Dumbledore's eyes were shining. 'I'll tell them, Peter.'

'And, Headmaster — ' Pettigrew gripped the old wizard's hand. 'Thank you.'

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'They've got the ghost of a RAT here?!' exclaimed Harry Potter, incredulously.

'Yeah,' said Ron, stuffing his face with pumpkin pie. 'Percy told me. He shows up on Hallowe'ens like this — plummets right out of the sky, and disappears just before he hits. Percy says he was some nutter that jumped out of the Great Tower a dozen years ago or so. Hey, can I have your Chocolate Frogs?'