How was I going to find Him? That was the question. Surely after selling out James and Lily Peter would know that I would be looking for him. I was the only one, other than the Potters, who knew that he was their secret keeper. Everyone else would think I was the one who betrayed them.
I knew Peter would be in hiding and it quickly became apparent to me that I would need magic other than a wizard's to find him. A house elf would come in handy right now. Just my luck, I thought bitterly. I only knew of one house that had a house elf I could use, and it was a house that I swore to never step foot in again.
I appareted to Grimmauld Place and it appeared before my eyes. I stared up at the door that I had slammed years before as I ran out and went to James's house. I hadn't looked back.
I glanced at the windows and didn't see any lights on; hopefully no one was home. I turned my attention back to the door and took a deep breath. I didn't want to go inside. I didn't want to take a step closer to the vile house.
This is for James and Lily, I told myself. I gritted my teeth and stepped inside.
As far as I could tell there weren't any lights on in the house. At least one thing was going my way tonight. I turned on the light and glanced around the room. It looked about the same as I remembered it: dark even when lit, the horrible portrait of my mother hung on the wall, house elves heads lining the hall way. It disgusted me.
I crept forward slowly, nervous to be back here even though I was certain it was empty.
"Kreacher," I said quietly. My voice shook; it hadn't been completely steady since I heard the…news. I cleared my throat.
"Kreacher," I said slightly more confidently. "Kreacher, come here."
Suddenly I saw a small wrinkled head with large bat-like ears poke out from behind the kitchen door. He saw me and his eyes narrow.
"What are you doing here?" He asked in a low, frog-like voice. "Filthy blood-traitor. You made my mistress cry. You're a bad boy, a very bad boy. Not like master Regulus, no."
"Kreacher, I need help. Please, you need to help me," I begged him. I could tell her heard how desperate I was. He tilted his head to the side, a wicked grin spreading slowly across his face.
"Why should I help you? You're a no-good blood traitor, as bad as a filthy mudblood." He spat.
It took every ounce in my body to stop myself to pulling out my want and hexing him into oblivion.
Begging wasn't going to work, I decided.
"Kreacher," I said slowly through clenched teeth. "I am a member of the…noble…house of Black. You will obey me."
Kreacher shook his head. "Not after you ran away. My mistress took your filthy name off the family tree. You made my mistress cry for weeks, she was so disgraced."
I couldn't stand it anymore. The longer I talked to Kreacher, the further Wormtail could get away. I whipped out my wand and put it to Kreacher's throat.
"You will take me to Peter Pettigrew," I hissed. "Now."
Kreacher glared at me for several seconds before deciding he didn't have much of a choice. He snapped his fingers reluctantly and Grimmauld vanished before my eyes.