Kozmo Part 2: The Carnival of Fear

"Where have you been hiding this charming young lady?" Pettigrew asked as he offered Hermione a smile and his hand. He introduced himself and she again said that her name was Julia.

"Pettigrew was just leaving," Mad-Eye said. "Goodbye, Peter."

"Goodbye?" Harry asked as he strolled into the room. "Come on, Mad-Eye, you know you have to give your guest a proper send-off!" he exclaimed as he held up a bottle of vodka. Pettigrew grinned as Harry led him over to a table.

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Ginny Potter called Draco Malfoy and asked to meet with him right away, saying that it was urgent. He came to meet her at the side entrance to the public defenders' building. She pulled out the file on her client, Fletcher.

"Malfoy, there were witnesses," Ginny whispered urgently. She began explaining to him what Fletcher had told her about the night before her husband died. Malfoy looked at her gravely and took the documents from her, promising to launch an investigation.

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Meanwhile, back in Trolley Park, Harry and Orwell were seated around a table with the Carnival of Crime as Pettigrew explained to them how many of the joints in his body he could dislocate, and gave them a small demonstration (successfully grossing out both of the women at the table, though the guys didn't seem to mind).

Having demonstrated his abilities as a contortionist, Pettigrew decided to show off his palm reading skills, too, asking "Julia" to give him her hand. Reluctantly, Orwell surrendered her palm to him and the Worm began examining it.

"Hmm. Spoiled little rich girl, but not your typical princess. You've got some real daddy issues," Pettigrew began.

That was an understatement. Hermione tried to roll her eyes and pull her hand out of the creep's grasp, but he held on tight.

"Let me see," he admonished her. "I see I'm not the only one here who has been imprisoned…

"I can't tell you who you are because you don't know that yourself, but one thing's for sure, you're not Julia!" he proclaimed as he finally dropped her hand.

Harry stood up.

"Have you heard how dangerous it is in Palm City?" Potter asked as he began circling the table slowly. "Three people were murdered the night before last."

"Is that so?" Pettigrew asked, faking nonchalance. He knew perfectly well where this was going.

"You know the interesting thing about the murders," Harry began as he approached Pettigrew, "was the murder weapon. The men were killed with throwing knives, the exact same knives that the carnival uses.

"Now, I'm thinking that only someone who has been in the carnival would both have access to those knives and know how to use them," Harry pulled out a knife covered in dry blood and dropped it on the table right in front of Pettigrew.

"Where were you that night, Pettigrew?" the vigilante asked.

"A cop?" Pettigrew rose to his feet. "Mad-Eye, you gave the cape to a cop?"

"You're going back to that Russian prison," Harry threatened the Worm, jabbing a finger in his face.

"I'll never go back there," Pettigrew said, shaking his head. Before Harry could react, Pettigrew tossed down a smoke pellet and disappeared before the smoke cleared.

Harry made to leave and find the contortionist, when Mad-Eye called out to stop him.

"Let him go, Potter! He wants his freedom more than he wants that cape! This isn't your fight!"

"As long as I'm the Cape it is," Harry called back as he exited the tent.

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Back at his hideout, Harry opened the compartment where he stored his armor and prepared to don his costume. Orwell was with him, biting her lip.

"Harry, what Pettigrew said about me, when he read my palm… He wasn't wrong. He knows things. He knew you were a cop. He could know-"

"About my family," Harry said, his green eyes wide. He had to go check on Ginny, now!

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The Cape hid in the shadows as Ginny Potter walked through the parking garage of the office building. The attorney quickened her steps as she heard footsteps growing nearer. Someone was following her!

She reached into her purse and turned to face her pursuer, holding the item aloft like a can of mace… to find Remus Lupin standing there.

Both Potters sighed in relief (though no one heard Harry's).

"Remus, that was close," Ginny said.

"Yeah, you could have freshened me to death," her boss joked. He had noticed that Ginny was not armed with mace, but rather was holding up a breath freshener. Realizing she was still holding it up, Ginny tucked it back into her bag.

"Right, sorry! It's for my client, the urinator. He kind of reeks."

"Are you okay, Ginny? You seem a little…tense."

"I… It's just…" Ginny sighed before taking a deep breath. "Al's started at his new school and he's already been suspended for fighting. The other kids…" Ginny trailed off. They had been insulting Harry. She didn't condone the way Al had reacted but… Who was she kidding? If she was in his place, the slime balls wouldn't have gotten off so easy. Harry had been framed damn it! She made a strangled noise, trying to choke back a sob.

Harry's heart sank. Al had been fighting in school? The hero, who had dropped his hood, could do nothing but crouch there, helplessly, as Remus moved in to comfort his wife.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be dumping this on you," Ginny said, as she struggled to maintain her composure.

"No, it's alright," Remus shushed her. "Look, maybe I could talk to Al one time or take him to a ball game?" Ginny smiled.

"Thank you. Yeah, I think a little male bonding would be good for him," she replied.

Something twisted in Harry's gut. He should be the male bonding with his son, not this stranger.

Merlin, but his life was seriously messed up!

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Hermione watched as Tonks practiced her aerial act. Mad-Eye walked up behind the blogger.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" he commented. "Do you have any special talents?"

"I can hotwire a car," the young woman began. "I can get through any firewall in under a minute." Moody scowled.

"I was being serious," the magician groused. She folded her arms.

"So was I." Mad-Eye scrutinized her, trying to figure her out.

"Well, anyway, stick around for the dress rehearsal, girl. We're going to put on a hell of a show!"

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Mad-Eye was in his room, doing his last-minute preparations when he felt a presence outside his window. He frowned as another's reflection appeared in his mirror.

"Peter."

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A crowd of people stood around, waiting for the dress rehearsal to start. A man wearing Mad-Eye's ringleader jacket and top hat stood in the center ring. From somewhere off stage, a voice announced:

"Welcome to Mad-Eye Moody's Carnival of Fun!"

Afterwards, Pettigrew's voice rang out: "Welcome to Peter Pettigrew's Carnival of Fear!

"Tonight you will see acts that have never been seen before. You will watch as the tiger-tamers are eaten!" On cue, a curtain was pulled back to display a tiger prowling around his cage.

The audience applauded, believing this to be part of the show and Pettigrew continued monologuing, revealing Sirius, Tonks and Ron tied to a giant target (again, to cheers from the audience).

"But the greatest act will be the death of Mad-Eye Moody!" Pettigrew proclaimed as he pulled the tarp off of a tank. It was full to the brim with water, and within, struggling against his restraints and holding his breath, was Mad-Eye.

(Again, the audience applauded, believing that they were about to witness an amazing escape act.)

"You should have picked me, Mad-Eye," Pettigrew chided the drowning man, before turning back to the audience and spreading his arms wide.

"Where is a hero when you need him?"

Author's Note: Some of you have by now figured out why Hermione has "daddy issues." Kudos. The rest of you will have to wait until the next chapter, won't you? (No, you can't look it up on Wiki; the encyclopedia is down today because of the protest.)

Thank you to my reviewers: dem bones, IronAmerica, and Orwell! And of course, thanks to IA for serving as beta.

I have been asked to continue the story past "Endgame." While I am as in favor of a happy ending as the next gal, going through "Endgame" alone would make the story twenty to thirty chapters long (and let's remember the story has had a total of four reviewers so far). Frankly, I'm going to need encouragement just to go from one chapter to the next…

So, by show of reviews and/or alerts, who doesn't find the story boring?