A/N: I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've started a job since then and I'm usually exhausted when I get home. But now I'm finally getting used to my schedule and I'm writing again. As always, please review...it makes me smile ;)
The Prisoner of Azkaban
Escape
There was no such thing as a normal year at Hogwarts.
Lily had known this since she had first arrived at the castle herself. First of all, it's a school that teaches magic – not exactly your typical boarding school. Second, you have hundreds of underage, hormonal teenagers that are practically locked up for nearly ten months out of the year...Things were just bound to be interesting.
It was true when she and James attended, so why did it surprise her that her son's life at Hogwarts was extraordinary? Because Harry had nearly been killed twice in his first two years at the magical school alone.
His latest adventure had involved a diary that wrote back, the Chamber of Secrets, a basilisk, and the true identity of the Heir of Slytherin. Even the idea of it made her head spin and her heart ache. And it wasn't like Harry went looking for trouble – trouble had a nasty habit of finding him.
In about a month, Harry would be returning for his third year at Hogwarts – as well as Leia starting her first year – which could only mean that more mayhem would ensue, Lily just didn't realize how soon.
She must have laid in bed for half and hour, trying to get just that last bit of sleep in before she had to face the day. She took a hot shower and had made a pot of coffee before the rest of her family had even rolled out of bed.
Lily was mixing her cream and sugar into her daily cup of coffee when an owl flew in through the open kitchen window and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet on the counter. She picked up the paper as she raised the cup to her lips, but it never made it. What she saw on the front page made her drop her mug on the floor; the sound of the breaking ceramic echoed through the house.
"What's wrong?" James asked as he entered the kitchen.
She couldn't talk, hell – she could barely breathe. All she could do was stare, white faced, at the heading of the wizarding newspaper. A picture of Peter Pettigrew was in the middle of the front page. But this was not the Peter that Lily had known. The Peter Pettigrew she remembered was a plump, shy boy. But the Peter that was looking up at her from the Prophet was a thin, gaunt, shell of a man with sunken eyes. The article read:
Escape from Azkaban
Early this morning, the Ministry has reported that mass murderer Peter Pettigrew has escaped from Azkaban fortress.
"We are doing all we can to recapture Pettigrew," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
"Well really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Pettigrew is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that the will not breathe a word of Pettigrew's true identity to anyone. And let's face it – who'd believe him if he did?"
While Muggles will be told that Pettigrew is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Pettigrew murdered twelve people with a single curse when Auror Sirius Black attempted to take him into custody.
"Like hell Sirius tried to arrest him," mumbled James as he read the article over Lily's shoulder, "He wanted to kill him."
Lily finally looked at James, but before she could even speak, their doorbell rang.
James made to go answer it, but Lily pulled him back.
"It's okay," he said, "He's not going to just show up and ring our doorbell." Lily nodded and followed him.
Leia and Harry came down the stairs just as his parents were about to answer the door. "Who's here?" Harry asked.
James looked through the peep hole. "It's Fudge," he said in surprise.
"Hello, James, Lily. I suppose you both saw the paper this morning," said Fudge after James opened the door. "Ah, Harry, Leia," he said as he shook their hands. Fudge's eyes lingered momentarily on Harry's scar before he turned back to James and Lily.
"I have just spoken to Dumbledore about the necessary precautions that must be taken." Again, Fudge glanced at Harry, which really irritated Lily. "We've decided to place dementors at all of the entrances to the grounds of Hogwarts."
James wanted to laugh...He knew better than anyone that there were tons of secret passages in and out of the castle, and that Peter knew all of them.
"But I don't understand why you're here, Minister," said Lily, trying not to sound rude.
"Ah, well, you see...given the fact that you were friends with him before the, er, incident, I wanted ask if there was any possible way you two had any idea of how he could have escaped.
Lily knew exactly how Pettigrew had escaped, but as James had said many years ago, it was not her secret to tell. She looked at James, who had an unreadable expression on his face.
"No idea," James replied.
"And another thing," Fudge said. "If you feel it's necessary, the Ministry can put an Auror on guard here–"
"That won't be needed," James said with an air of finality.
"Alright, I'll be in contact," said Fudge before he left.
"What's going on?" asked Harry.
Lily and James exchanged looks before he said, "Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban,"
Harry and Leia simply stared at their parents before Leia said, "Is that even possible?"
"For him it is," his father replied darkly.
"He transformed," Harry said quietly. He and Leia had grown up knowing what James, Sirius, and Peter had done to help their werewolf friend.
Suddenly, two loud cracks filled the air. Lily nearly jumped ten feet.
"Jeez!" she screamed at Sirius and Remus. "You two nearly gave me a heart attack!"
"Sorry, Lils," Sirius said. "Remus here woke me up, and forced me to read what was on the front page, we thought we should talk to you guys,"
James nodded. "Come on," he said as he led his friends into the kitchen.
Harry and Leia made to follow but Lily held them back. "I think it would be best if you didn't hear this," she said gently.
"Ah come on Mum!" Leia protested as Harry said, "Yeah, we already know that their Animagi–"
"I don't care," she interrupted. "Go up stairs,"
They glared at their mother before he moodily trudged up the stairs.
"So what are we go to do?" Sirius asked no one in particular as Lily came in.
"We need to keep our eyes open," said Remus sensibly.
"For what – every garden rat in England?" asked Sirius.
"Well, you guys knew him the best," Lily said, "Does he have any distinguishing marks?"
"No," the three men replied.
"What about the Ministry?" Remus asked, almost regrettably. "Are we going to tell them that he's an Animagus?"
James, Sirius, and Remus looked at each other before they all looked at Lily.
"Oh, no," she said as she raised her hands and shook her head, "This is your three's decision, not mine,"
They fell silent. Finally Sirius said, "If we tell the Ministry that Pettigrew is an Animagus, they're going to want to know how we know, and that will lead to questions about us," he looked and James, "and not to mention you, too," he looked at Remus, "If they know that you're a werewolf, they might do all they can to keep you from teaching this coming term. Dumbledore may not care about your -condition - but you can bet that the morons at the Ministry will."
Remus stayed silently thoughtful, but Lily noticed that his face had paled.
"So we're not going to say anything?" asked James.
"Not yet," said Remus, "If something changes, like if there are any sightings of him near Hogwarts, or even here, then we should tell Dumbledore first,"
"He is likely to understand a lot more than the Ministry," Lily said, "You don't have to tell him now, but I would tell him before the Ministry,"
"Okay," said James. "We tell no one, but we will tell Dumbledore later if we must. Agreed?"
"Agreed," the rest replied.