Once the break was over and Hermione had returned they had returned to their search of Flamel. However because the exams were to begin in a few months, Hermione had roped all of them into studying with her all the time. None of them minded too much though Ron commented that too much study isn't much better than lazing about.
One day they were taking a break at Ron's behest. They were playing wizard chess when the Portrait door opened. Neville crawled through. A feat that Peter thought was very impressive considering that his legs were stuck together. Hermione immediately stood up to cast the counter curse. Many of the other Gryffindors laughed.
"What happened Nev?" Peter asked. "M-Malfoy. He cornered me and 'practiced' on me." The young boy answered.
"You need to stop letting him walk all over you mate." Ron said. "Stand up to him."
"You don't need to tell me. Everyone knows that I don't belong in Gryffindor. I'm barely even a wizard." Neville said sadly.
"Hey. The hat doesn't make mistakes." Peter said. "Just focus on your strengths. You're the best in our year at herbology." Peter said. "Second best." Neville said.
"Oh c'mon Nev. Hermione's not that good." Peter said redirecting the comment at her. He knew that Neville was talking about him though.
Harry grabbed a chocolate frog and gave it to Neville. "Cheer up Neville you're worth twelve of Malfoy." He said.
"Did you just call Neville the equivalent of twelve Malfoy's? Ooh I'm not sure the world could handle that much narcissism." Peter said. "We deserve the whole wide world." Peter said in a mock voice of Malfoy. This received quite a few laughs from the other students in the common room.
This seemed to cheer Neville up as he ate the frog. He gave the card to Harry. It was another Dumbledore.
Finally Dumbledore's hint clocked in Peter's head. "Chocolate." He webbed the card in Harry's hand and pulled it over to him. "I knew the name rung a bell." He said.
"Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling." Peter read the whole thing.
"Nicholas Flamel must have been some kind of Alchemist." Harry said. Hermione hopped to her feet. "Wait here." She said running up to the girls dormitory. She came back stairs with a huge book and set it on the table. I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading." She said.
¨This is light?" Ron asked incredulously. Hermione gave him a venomous look as she opened the book flipping through pages until she found the right one. Peter leaned over her shoulder reading the page.
She read out loud. ¨Nicholas Flamel is an Alchemist and only known maker of the Sorcerer's stone." Ron and Harry looked at her perplexed. "Honestly don't you two read?" She asked.
"The Sorcerer's stone has the ability to turn any metal into gold and produces the Elixir of Life which has the ability to turn the drinker immortal," She kept reading. "Huh, with that kind of power you'd think he'd give it a more fitting name… like the Philosopher's Stone." Peter commented.
"Nicholas Flamel recently celebrated his 620th Birthday." Hermione read.
"Well no wonder we didn't find him in 'Recent Magical Developments' He's not exactly recent if he's 620 is he?" Ron mused.
"Welp mystery solved. Now we know what our thief is after." Peter commented rubbing his chin.
"But why do ya think Snape wants it?" Ron asked.
"Well our thief either wants to get rich or live forever." Peter said not acknowledging Ron's accusing of Snape.
"Well back to studying for exams." Peter said shooting a webline and hanging upside down. Ron groaned as they all went back to studying.
In the evening Peter was caught up in a chess match with Gwen. Ron was watching with keen interest when the portrait hole opened and Harry came crawling through. He looked as though someone had just snapped his broom in half.
"What's up Harry? You're expression is very reminiscent of our Grumpy Old Potions Master." Peter jested. "I just found out something." Harry replied. "Snape is reffing the Quidditch Game against Hufflepuff."
The reactions from almost everyone was immediate. Ron fell off his chair, Gwen looked horrified, Seamus and Dean both spat out their drinks and Neville lost his balance and almost fell into the fire, but he was caught by Hermione who had dropped her book. Peter looked at ceiling and sighed
"See first he tries to kill Harry with a Jinx and now he's reffing a match. He's out to get him." Ron hissed to Peter.
"Gotta admit… it is fairly damning." Peter muttered thoughtfully. "Well then guess you'll just have to catch the Snitch in record time." Peter said jumping off his chair. "If he's already set to ref there's nothing you can do. Except maybe pretend to be dead or something."
Harry looked as though he might be sick just at the thought of this. "Best you can do is play fair and win fast." Peter said.
There was silence in the common room. He sat down and looked down. He didn't exactly feel like playing chess anymore.
Gwen saw this in his eyes and smiled kindly. "To be continued…" She said gathering up her pieces. Peter nodded gathering his pieces and cleaning up his chess set.
He got out of his chair and looked at Harry and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Good luck Harry. You're gonna need it against the old grouch." He said.
Harry nodded, not looking incredibly confident in his chances to win.
The next day Peter woke up. The game was going to be the highlight of the day. He glanced at Harry's bed. Weather or ot Harry was asleep he couldn't tell. He got out of his own bed and got dressed before going down to the great hall for breakfast. He sat next to Gwen and Hermione.
"Where's Red?" Peter asked. He looked and saw the Weasley in question trying to psyche up his brothers for the upcoming match.
"Nevermind." Peter said. He looked up at the center of the teams anguish. Snape was talking to Quirrell.
As if he knew that he was being looked at his head slowly turned until his black eyes met with Peter's brown eyes. Although Snape's expression was unchanged the look Peter was giving him spoke volumes. Peter was giving the teacher a very dark glare. Snape met his glare with the same sour expression he always looked at Peter with.
Peter looked away and focused back at the food on his plate. He scooped what was left onto Ron's plate. "I'm not hungry anymore." He said standing up and heading to the Quidditch pitch.
As he walked across the ground his mind wandered to darker thoughts and feelings. Today one year ago Peter's callous use of his power got his uncle killed. It still felt like yesterday.
Back in New York The 10 year old Peter returned from school early due to accidentally breaking a kids wrist. He glared angrily at Uncle Ben who had come to pick him up and had been chewing him out the whole way home.
"Uncle Ben how many times do I have to say that I didn't start that fight! I didn't do anything but block a punch." Peter explained.
"You should have walked away Pete. Even just blocking an attack is dangerous with your abilities. You're lucky that they aren't making us pay medical bills and you're only getting off with suspension." Ben chastised.
"Flash Thompson was always a jerk. He's teased me since Kindergarten. All I did was stand up for myself!" Peter argued.
"You shouldn't have stood up like that. Peter the power you and your father had could hurt people if not controlled." Ben said.
"So what? I should have been a doormat!? Let him walk all over me is that it!?" Peter yelled beginning to cry.
"No Peter. You should have just left. Walked away and let it be." Ben replied softly trying to calm Peter down.
"You don't understand how much I already hold back around them! You don't understand what it's like to have to let the say whatever they want! You don't understand how it feels! I hate you! I wish I was still with my Dad! AT LEAST HE'D UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS!" Peter ran out without another word.
"Wait Peter come back!" Ben said moving to run after him but realizing that he wouldn't be able to keep up even if he wanted to.
Peter ran and ran and ran all the way back to his parents graves. He stood over their graves. "He doesn't get it! Uncle Ben can't get it! He's not one of us!" He said sitting in front of their graves holding his knees against his chest. "Why did you have to die? Why am I stuck with him?"
You aren't stuck with him. You're lucky to have him. And you know he's right.
Peter gasped. That wasn't his voice. That sounded like… He looked at his Father's grave. It looked at exactly as it had when he was young. There was no way that he could just heard his dead Father's voice right.
Peter did know how lucky he was though. In the heat of the moment he verbally abused his uncle. Saying that he was no different from the kids who made fun of him. It was wrong to say that.
After a few hours as the sun began to set and the sky began to turn orange Peter got up. He walked back home ready to apologize to his Uncle. When he got home he saw police on the driveway. Aunt May had returned home from shopping and she looked devastated. Peter ran into the house and saw the worst thing he'd ever remember.
His uncle sprawled on the floor with a gunshot wound in his chest, limp and lifeless. "No…" Peter said walking over to him. "I don't… I can't…" Peter said.
He threw himself on his Uncle's Chest. "Uncle Ben! Uncle Ben no! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He yelled. "I'm sorry for what I said to you! I'm sorry!"
No one intervened. No one knew what to say. This young boy had now lost two fathers. After a few minutes Aunt May pulled him off of his Uncle and hugged him tightly also crying. Peter held onto her unable to hold back his tears.
Peter looked down sadly now sitting at the pitch waiting for the match to start. The words echoed in his mind. I hate you! I wish I was still with my Dad! AT LEAST HE'D UNDERSTAND HOW IT FEELS!
Peter closed his eyes trying not to cry. He barely registered Ron and Neville's appearance next to him. Thinking back to his last words to his Uncle he sat silently suffering in silence and guilt. Uncle Ben… I Love you. I'm sorry.
"You good mate?" Ron asked noticing Peter's downtrodden expression. Peter looked at his friend. He sighed sadly. "Yeah… just… I feel guilty about today." He said.
Ron's bright expression fell. Peter had Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Gwen about that night and the guilt he felt about it. "Oh… I'm sorry. Here this always cheers me up." Ron said passing him a Chocolate Frog.
"Thanks Red." Peter said gratefully taking it. He did feel a little better just in time for the match to begin.
When the match began it wasn't long before Snape began to award unfair penalty throws to Hufflepuff. "He's gonna have to catch it quick." Peter said.
"I wonder how long it'll take for him for to fall his broom this time." A voice said behind them.
"Malfoy." Peter said with a neutral tone. "Parker." Draco said much more venomously.
"What's wrong Longbottom need a Spider on your side to feel safe." The Slytherin mocked.
Neville turned to Malfoy looking very pale but with a very brave expression. "I-I'm worth twelve of you, M-Malfoy." He stuttered.
"You tell him Nev." Ron said focusing on the match.
"I wonder how wealthy the twins must feel having brooms like those. I wonder if you can even afford a single broom among your whole family." Malfoy said loudly.
Ron lunged at him and a fight broke out between all of them with Peter trying to focus on the match. Just let it be. You're fine. Just let it be. They can't bother you if you don't let them.
As the fight between them went on Goyle threw a punch at Neville's face. One that would have knocked him on hit, but his fist was caught. Peter glared at the large brute. With far more control of his strength what happened last year would not be repeated. But, Peter wasn't going to just let his friend get beat up.
"Don't. Hit. My friends." The Spider said pushing him back. He dodged a punch from Crabbe with ease and pushed him as well. The two of them were unhurt but they did fall onto their backs.
"So the Spider does have a threshold good to kn-" Malfoy began to jeer but was soon silence by Peter's now intimidating presence.
Despite only being a few inches taller Peter towered of Malfoy. "Shut up and listen. I have had it up to here with you. Constantly getting on everyone's nerves. Constantly attacking people that you know can't or won't fight back. And if they do you rely on your friends to fight your battles for you. The next time you take it this far. The next time you start a fight like this with us you better be ready to step into the ring. Because when I'm done with your lackies I'll be after you." He threatened.
The match, Lee Jordan's commentary, and everything that wasn't Malfoy had left his focus. He stared down at the rich slytherin. He was only brought back to reality when he heard Lee Jordan yell. "HARRY POTTER HAS CAUGHT THE SNITCH IN RECORD TIME! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"
This one took a while because I wanted to make a good longish chapter. I have a few ideas for other stories. First I want to know. Would you all like something know or would you like me to work more on the projects that are already in the works? Tell me in the reviews. Also thought I might take some time to respond to the reviews.
Bookwormrdd: In the comics Spider-Man could sense shapshifters so why cant he sense wormtail?
It would untruthful and rude to say that I knew everything there was to know about Spider-Man. I love Marvel Comics and Spider-Man is by far my favorite Superhero and I learn as much as I can about each of them. However, I don't have a lot of money that I can spend freely. I'm not allowed to have a job during the school year and I can't use my bank account without permission. This means that my access to said comic is rather limited. I do lots of online research and I fact check to make sure that I get things right but I don't know everything. As far as I'm concerned in the now though, for the same reason he can't sense Voldemort on the back Quirrell's head. If I tried to write it in that way it would get much more difficult to write the story in an entertaining manner. I reference a quote from MasakoX's What If series. "The whole point of these what ifs is to make them entertaining as well as factually accurate" In this case I had to prioritize entertainment value over factual accuracy, otherwise most of the books would be over before they even really got started.
ArmyWife22079:Only thing I can think of that was wrong with the fact is adding the bit about thanksgiving- that's an American holiday not celebrated in the UK.
That is something I feel I SHOULD have made sure I knew. Same with the previous review. I've researched british culture (but ultimately made things easier on myself by saying Peter moved from New York) but I'm human. And humans miss things.
ItsYaBoi: You gotta make hermione and peter a thing if you decide to continue this as a series!
Nope. I don't and I won't, I am ad always will be an an avid Ronmione fan. I have something lined up for Peter in later years.