Disclaimer: I am not transphobic, so therefore I own nothing except the order these words are in, as everything else belongs to JKR
September 21, 1977
Later That Night, The Hospital Wing
3rd Person POV:
*Use of Profanity*
Hermione awoke with a start. Another nightmare. Thank goodness I put those silencing charms up, she thought to herself as she stood up, maybe if I walk around for a few minutes, it'll help clear my head. She stood, making her way over to a rack on one side of the Hospital Wing, where her beaded bag was, when she suddenly heard some scuffling. She froze, softly calling out, "Who's there?" When she got no response, she hurried to grab her bag, and went back to her bed.
The same noise came again, closer this time, and Hermione looked around warily, eyes narrowing when she caught sight of the shadow of a boy in the corner that suddenly disappeared and the pink tail, that, a few moments later, vanished under a hospital bed. Peter.
I ought to try and coax him out. thought Hermione, Well. This confrontation is going to happen a lot earlier than I thought it would.
"Hello?" She called again, "I know you're there; I just saw you; I think you might as well come out from under the bed." One, Hermione counted, Two…Three. She pulled out her wand and in one swift motion, flicked it at the rat hiding under the bed, which turned into a scrawny teenager. A very angry, scrawny teenager.
"What the fuck?! How the Hell did you know I'm an animagus!
Hermione froze, desperately trying to think of a way to get Peter to admit he was a Death Eater, "Uh, well, I d-don't know, I guess I just-"
She was immediately cut off by Peter, "Never mind! I don't want your stupid excuses! You will not tell anyone what you saw today!" At Hermione's raised eyebrow, he yelled, "I do. Not. Care. What you told Black. Or what she told you. If you tell anyone. And I mean anyone. About what happened, I can guarantee you'll regret it."
"And what exactly did I see? Just some students walking around the grounds, near curfew? Is that what you're mad about? You don't want to get in trouble for being out past curfew?"
"What?! Are you stupid?!"
"Maybe. Enlighten me." Hermione sneered, struggling to keep her voice quiet.
"Listen. I don't care about whatever stupid game you think you're playing. Just do what I said-" the color returned to his cheeks when he saw Hermione roll her eyes, and he roared, "IF YOU TELL A. SINGLE. PERSON. ABOUT THE MEETING WITH THE DARK LORD YOU. WILL. PAY!"
It was then that Hermione realized how Peter came to be a Gryffindor. It wasn't because he was particularly brave, or chivalrous, no, it was because he was good at masquerading as a Gryffindor. Pretending to be brave. And, pretending to not be brave. Quite like Scar, from the Lion King, she mused to herself. A lion, yes, but brave? Really, truly brave? At heart? No. Never.
After all, yes, every lion had its moments of bravery. Short bursts of power they had the mediocre confidence to exhibit. Before returning back to the shadows. Returning to scavenge for scraps left by the truly brave of heart.
She took a deep breath, trying to control the pure rage she felt towards the rat. For betraying his best friends. Betraying the Order. Betraying everything that the Light stood for. Everything good, and all that the good symbolized. For betraying Harry. "The Dark Lord, you say?" Hermione managed to bite out.
Peter's eyes widened as he realized what he had blurted out in his anger, and the consequences that he would face as a result. He moved to leave the wing, but with a couple flick of Hermione's hand, the door was locked, the muffliato she had cast earlier taken down, and Peter's wand was in her hand. She sent a patronus to Albus, asking him to come down to the Hospital Wing.
And then she started screaming.
Madame Pomphrey, woken by the sudden noises, rushed out of her quarters and was met, to her shock, with a scene quite unlike any other she had ever seen before.
Hermione was sobbing on the bed, screaming at Peter to stay away from her, to get away from her. And the Pettigrew boy was staring at her in shock, the last of his anger disappearing from his cheeks, replaced by a terrified expression.
However, this was not the terrified type of expression that stemmed from being genuinely scared of what could happen, or what could happen to someone else. No, this was a guilty terror, and later that night the Matron would understand why he was so guilty.
Poppy hurried to get her a calming draught, and was about to administer it when Albus and Minerva came rushing in. She looked surprised but didn't comment, turning to give Hermione the draught, when the girl stopped screaming and looked up at her innocently – as though nothing had happened.
"Thank you, Madame Pomfrey, but I'm alright, I don't need the draught."
"But-I-Miss Granger!"
"It's alright Poppy," Albus cut in, "What happened, Miss Granger?"
Hermione pointed an accusing finger at Peter, "He's a Death Eater."
Minerva and Madame Pomfrey both gasped, staring at Pettigrew.
"Miss Granger, that is a very serious accusation to make," said Albus quietly.
"I'm pretty sure that he has the Dark Mark," at the adults' reluctant looks, she added, "check his left arm! And if he doesn't have it, at least question him! He just admitted to me that he had been meeting with Voldemort!"
The headmaster raised an eyebrow and sent a meaningful glance at the matron, who hurried away (most likely to get someone else, Hermione deduced), "Mr. Pettigrew? Is this true?"
Peter's eyes widened and he stammered, "N-No! Of course not! She's crazy!"
"Not true! You came in here to spy on me! And then, you threatened me!"
"I-I," Peter couldn't figure out what to say, except, "I'm not a death eater!"
Albus nodded slowly, "So you won't mind proving it, will you?"
Hermione had to hide her smirk. Just then, the doors burst open, revealing an annoyed Mad-Eye Moody.
"Ah, Minerva, Alastor, I am about to take Mr. Pettigrew, here, to my office for questioning. Ms. Granger believes he is a death eater, and during times like these, well, it is better to be safe than sorry."
Minerva looked shocked, one of her cubs was a death eater? Impossible. But it was Hermione who had said so, and she knew what would happen to all of them.
September 22, 1977
Very Early in the Morning, the Headmaster's Office
3rd Person POV:
The Headmaster led his closest friend, a trusted auror, newly found niece, and supposed death eater to his office, sighing quietly to himself as Peter looked around guiltily, as though he were trying to figure out a way to escape. Although he didn't want to admit it, with the way Peter was acting, he was, most assuredly, a death eater.
When they reached the office, a shaking Peter was led to one of the chairs opposite the desk, and Albus sat down. They waited.
And waited.
And then waited some more.
After an eternity, Professor Slughorn rushed in, carrying a vial of clear liquid.
Albus watched as Peter tensed at the sight of the potion, but only said, "Thank you for joining us, Horace."
"Er, yes, of course, Headmaster." He handed Moody the potion, who turned to administer it to Peter.
The rat's eyes widened, and he suddenly cried out, "Stop it! I don't want to take that!"
Minerva straightened up, "Mr. Pettigrew. You will either take the potion willingly, or it will be forced down your throat."
Peter looked terrified, but he still shied away from Moody and the Veritaserum.
Moody looked up at Albus, who nodded, and in one swift motion, the auror brought the potion to Peters mouth and poured it down his throat, pressing a rough hand to Pettigrew's swallow reflex.
Flicking his hand at a quill that wrote down exactly what was said, Dumbledore began questioning the Gryffindor.
"Are you working for Lord Voldemort, or as his followers call him, the Dark Lord?"
"Yes."
"How long have you been working for him?"
"It will be 2 years in December."
"So, since the holidays, or so, of your 5th year?"
"Yes."
"Have you taken the Dark Mark?"
"Yes."
"Why did you join him?" A sad expression flitting over his face, Albus continued, "What did they offer you? Protection? Money? Power?"
"To teach those brats a lesson. The Dark Lord offered me all of those things, and more. Everything I could ever want, and everything they could never give me."
"Who, exactly, is they?"
"James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Sirius Black. They are going to pay for what they've done." the teenager spat out.
"And what, exactly did they do?"
"They're so fucking obnoxious and bratty. They never think of anyone but themselves."
"Alright. That is enough. Alastor, please check his arm for the mark."
Immediately, the auror moved forward, lifting Peter's sleeve up. To everyone's surprise it was bare. The four adults in the room looked at each other, confused.
Hermione, who had been silent up until then, huffed, and moved forward, pulling out her wand, and pointing it at Peter. She quickly muttered a short series of spells under her breath, and Peter's arm glowed for a moment before the Dark Mark was revealed.
Sighing, the Headmaster nodded at Alastor, "We ought to take him away."
The Veritaserum's effect had finally died down, and Peter cried out, "No! Please-" but Minerva cut him off.
"Mr. Pettigrew, what you have done is unacceptable, and you will comply, or else…" She let her threat hang in the air, watching as Peter slumped over in his seat, finally allowing himself to be dragged out by Mad-Eye, with Albus following closely behind.
"I-Well-Alright then, that was quite surprising," the potions professor stumbled over his words, "Goodnight, ladies."
Left alone, Hermione turned to Minerva, "What's going to happen to him?"
"Well, he'll go to Azkaban, where he will await a formal trial." She paused, "And then, he will most likely go to Azkaban permanently, unless some evidence comes up, that he did not do all those things willingly."
Hermione couldn't help but snort at the thought.
Smiling lightly at Hermione, Minerva pulled her new daughter into a gentle hug, "It's late, you should go back to bed, okay?"
"What about you?"
"I'm going to wait for Albus for a little bit, and if he takes longer than expected, well, then I'll go to bed, too."
"Alright, goodnight, Minerva."
"Goodnight, dear."
A/N: Hey guys, sorry it's really short, but that's all I have for today. Hopefully, I will be able to update soon, but it's the end of the semester, and I've got a lot going on right now. Please stay safe and wear a mask!
All my love,
zoe :)