Author's Note:
Well look at how quickly that happened! I have even begun writing the next chapter, though I think my next posts will be Angel of Death and One Bad Turn Deserves Another.
Following this chapter there are two more to close out the third year.
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
Here is my disclaimer that says I do not own anything Harry Potter related. Everything belongs to JK Rowling, except in universe 47837. Probably.
Saying no to Justin was harder than Harry thought it would be. It was certainly more difficult than turning down both Cedric and Roger's offer to explore being physically intimate with someone.
Which was odd in and of itself, for Justin didn't have the same devilishly handsome features that made someone swoon when Cedric walked into a room. Nor did the third-year Hufflepuff have the rugged good looks that made Roger Davies so attractive and sought after.
But what Justin had – something that Harry came to realize in the days after Justin's offer – was that he had been attached to Harry far longer than anyone else, save Neville.
Justin had pledged his life and magic to Harry long before Harry had even become aware of the boy's connection to his own magical core. While Harry was sure that he had no favorites among those who served him, he was positive that the fact that Justin and Neville had been of the first brood explained why it had been more difficult.
So much so that Harry still thought about it a week after it had occurred. And with his nearly perfect recall he remembered it like it had happened only a few minutes ago.
It was nearly after curfew when Harry had dismissed everyone from that night's training. They had each come so far and he was quite pleased with his group's progress. Harry was confident with the fact that very few students remained that were capable of holding their own against one of his followers. Even Ginny and Luna would be able to go head-to-head against the likes of Phineas or Icarus – not that those idiots would ever be so foolish to assault something that belonged to him again. Phineas and Icarus would not want to cut short what little remaining time that they had left.
Very little sand remained in the hourglass and as Harry looked out over the tired faces of his followers he knew that it was only a matter of time before no student would be their equal.
"Excellent work!" Harry beamed to his followers.
"Everyday you meet the expectations that I have set for you and tonight was no exception."
The sweat that clung in between their skin and their clothes was soon forgotten about as Harry's generous words poured over them. Knowing that they had made Harry proud was beyond fulfilling or satisfying, and they would strive to never, ever disappoint him.
"Get some rest tonight, and be sure to pick something up in the kitchens on the way back. You all exerted a lot of magical energy tonight and I want you to make sure you refill your energy reserves."
"I think the elves have come to expect us at this hour," Roger quipped with a hungry smile.
Cedric met Luna's dreamy stare and both smirked at the thought of the butterscotch pudding and hot cocoa that they had discovered was a shared favorite.
Harry nodded his dismissal and with a flick of his wand the room cleaned itself of the considerable debris that had collected over the last two hours. He then moved to open the door to the hall and held it open as one by one his follower's passed through.
Whether intentional or not, each bowed their head slightly as they made their way past him.
Justin was the last one in line to exit but he surprised Harry by stopping at the door. There was no fear or trepidation in the boy's eyes, only a look of unwavering trust at his leader.
"Do you need anything else, Harry?" Justin asked with utter devotion on his face.
Bemused, Harry tilted his head to the side slightly.
"You know that you control my magic, but you also control all of me. Or you could – if you wanted to. If you needed to."
Justin inched closer.
"My body, for instance," he had said without the slightest trace of fear or self doubt, "is yours should you ever need it."
Harry understood now, and he remembered an image that Justin had showed him years ago when they were learning Occlumency. Harry had never forgotten how much Justin loved him – truly, deeply, and forever.
For a moment Harry considered taking Justin up on his offer. Deep down he loved all of his followers, and a small part of him desired to be intimate with them all. How could he not given how they were bound together?
Harry was sure that all of them felt the same, and that all of them knew that he was going to end up with Tom. Still, he knew that they would support him in any way that they could to help prepare him for his destiny.
"I don't ask for anything in return. Being with you on this journey is enough – no matter my feelings."
And Harry believed him. He knew the boy was baring his soul and being honest.
But in the end Harry couldn't bring himself to go forward.
What he shared with each of them was special, too precious to interject this dynamic into.
So Harry had said no.
"Justin…" he had breathed and caressed the boy's cheek with his hand.
But he was cut off from continuing.
"You don't have to explain your reasoning. I know I'm not Tom."
Justin had nearly managed to convince Harry that he wasn't a little disappointed. The brief look of pain, however, had caused Harry's heart to flutter; he hated seeing one of his own like that.
"I couldn't," Harry said in response, taking a step forward.
"If and when I need practice," Harry flinched – he hated admitting that word out loud, "I will look to some nameless face outside of this circle."
He continued quickly at seeing Justin's eyes widen.
"I could never denigrate you – or any of the others – in that way; not after you have pledged your lives and magic to me. You mean so much more to me than anyone could know, than anyone could put into words."
As if his words had been laced with magic, a soothing calm passed through Justin's eyes.
Harry stepped forward, cradling Justin's head with his hands and pulling the other boy towards him.
"You will always be mine and I will always protect you."
"I know." A single tear fell down Justin's cheek and he made to leave but Harry's hands kept him still.
"Forever," Harry announced as his magic erupted and overtook the space they were in.
Harry leaned in and kissed the tear-stained cheek.
When Harry leaned back there was a different look to Justin, in the very way that the boy looked back at him.
Harry didn't think that it was possible for Justin to be any more enamored with him, but, then again, they had just shared a special moment that had gone beyond anything that Harry had ever given before.
Justin knew that he, and he alone, had been given a rare honor from Harry – and deep down in his disappointed and pained heart he was now content that his love would never be returned in that way.
To Justin, he had received something better from Harry and he was okay with that.
The memory ended and Harry came back to the present. He was sitting on his usual spot and the book he had been reading was open and lying forgotten on his lap.
Yes, Harry was sure that his reaction to Justin was because of how long he had been connected to the boy. Harry flicked his eyes around the room, over each of his followers with their noses in whatever book they were currently reading, and they stopped when Justin's eyes met his.
Justin nodded his head forward like he had just been reliving that same moment too. The third-year Hufflepuff gave a small and deeply grateful smile before resuming his studies.
Harry then leaned back into the couch and let go of the small amount of tension that he had been holding. Deep down he supposed he had been afraid, fearful even of what Justin would be feeling.
But of course he shouldn't have worried. What they had experienced, and what Harry felt with each of his followers went more deeply than even magic could break. They were – without a doubt – connected through something unbreakable and unwavering.
It gave Harry the strength he needed to resist the thoughts of Tom. Because ever since he had given into his erotic thoughts about the other boy, Harry had needed to release himself of the building desire to interact with Tom in the flesh.
Several times.
It was all he could do not to open the Chamber of Secrets and revisit the Diary – but with the added support that his followers provided and the way that they grounded him, he had a solid anchor to resist until he was absolutely sure that he was ready and able to deal with his equal.
Before any of them knew it the Christmas Holidays were upon them. Of course, Harry's followers were adamant that he not be left alone at Hogwarts, and so all of them were currently enjoying the rare treat of having the Hufflepuff Common Room to themselves.
They had just finished a very rich and filling Boxing Day meal in the Great Hall with the others that either chose or because of a combination of family dynamics were forced to remain in the castle.
Harry was sitting by the fire and his feet were resting on Roger's lap, whose hands absentmindedly rubbed deep circles into the balls of Harry's tired feet while they practiced Occlumency. Harry's group had spent the majority of the day walking outside and the added physical contact felt heavenly.
"Good Roger!" Harry declared in his soft voice that he reserved exclusively for those that were his.
"This time, however, I'm not going to tell you what I'm looking for. I want you to be able to anticipate why someone might be in your mind and where he or she might look."
Harry was very patient and precise with his followers when he really wanted them to learn something he felt was singularly important.
"In the real world you won't have the luxury of knowing that someone is about to enter your mind, and you certainly may not have any idea about what they may be after. However," and this time Harry's hand moved to rest patiently and pointedly on Rogers shoulder for emphasis, "the very best Occlumens should not only be able to keep someone out of his or her true thoughts but also in gaining an understanding of what the intruding Legilimens might be after and without them knowing that you suspect anything out of the ordinary is happening."
Roger took a minute to consider fully what Harry had just said.
There was something about this process of helping his followers grow into their full potential that Harry found himself inexplicably drawn to, and each time he became aware that it was happening a small part of his mind couldn't help but think back to that person he had been before Hogwarts.
He had never had a reason to let anyone else in before and preferred it that way, still preferred it that way to be honest. But not with those that followed him. They were different and would always be different; for they were like extensions of his own body and soul and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
"I think I see what you mean," Roger interrupted Harry's musings.
"It is a very big step away from most of the literature that emphasizes only how to shield one's mind, but when presented that way I have to agree. There is a missed opportunity in not trying to understand the not-so-obvious reasons behind a person's intrusion into one's mind in the first place. Thus, one should be able to formulate whether the foreign presence is there for a specific reason – and possibly what that person's motives are – versus someone just seeing if you are telling the truth or not."
Harry's eyes smiled and encouraged Roger on. Very few things brought him this much pleasure as seeing just how capable those who followed him were.
"For instance, knowing what someone is looking for can tell you something about them and you didn't even have to go into their mind!"
Harry squeezed Roger's shoulder and then brought his right hand to tent with his left just in front of his own chest.
"Exactly!" said Harry simply.
Roger's cheeks became warm with the praise but he kept his head level.
"So, tell me what I am looking for and why," Harry's voice sounded before Roger felt the barely noticeable twinge that meant Harry was in his mind.
While Roger and Harry were otherwise engaged, the others present were also working on bettering something about him or herself.
Justin and Cedric were busy going over subtle tweaks to improve the Buddy System. After seeing how Harry was with them Justin had the brilliant idea to extend something similar to the general Hufflepuff population. In his mind, the more interaction between the older students and the younger ones now, the easier it would be for him and Neville to better shape the future of their house when they were older.
The brilliant thing about it was that it wasn't that different than the system already in place.
"Because see," Justin whispered excitedly as his fingers grabbed the quill away from Cedric's fingers, "we already have general house study sessions – so it wouldn't exactly be coming from left field if we modified that into general house tutors for specific subjects and years. Then, we could arrange it in such a way that over time the lower years become more and more accustomed to Harry's point of view with magic. Hufflepuffs are hard workers and extremely loyal and this would only help endear them to Harry by his seventh year and beyond. We don't entirely know yet what the future will bring but by the time Harry graduates I want to leave a legacy for him within this school. By that time he will most likely have shown more and more of his extraordinariness and I want to make sure we capitalize on that and give it the reverence it demands."
Cedric shook his head back and forth in a mild amusement. It was so simple and yet so true.
"By that time Harry could have dozens that are at the very least supportive – if not willing to follow him blindly. I think we could slowly roll this out in the next few months and then in two or three years the foundation will have been laid and we can reap what we sowed."
Justin's eyes had a fire behind then and the two put their heads together and began to draw out the specifics.
Meanwhile, Neville, Ginny, and Luna were busy studying every nook and cranny that Hogwarts possessed. They wanted to know the castle inside and out. The problem was that there were hundreds of rooms and nearly as many halls, not to mention hidden staircases, passages, and the like. It wasn't a simple job but they were convinced it was an essential undertaking even if it didn't bare any fruit for some time.
"Now, here is where Sirius came in," Neville pointed with his finger.
"We have already traced the origins of this secret passage and it comes out in the cellar of Honeydukes. I was a bit surprised he used that – to be honest – if I were him I would have been more inclined to use the one originating at the Shrieking Shack. Much less chance of being detected going in and out."
"I see your point, Neville, but looking at the map I could understand why he went that way. It lets you out far closer to Gryffindor Tower than the other one. While it is true that his starting point would have been harder, it would have made more sense when he was in the castle."
"And that is assuming that he had knowledge of both, which I am not so sure is a given," Luna's dreamy voice chimed in.
"True," both Neville and Ginny conceded.
"We are looking at it from a different vantage point," Neville continued.
"Having this map sure makes this conversation different."
"Still, I wonder how Sirius knew about the password for the route he used. He must have known about it from his days as a student, otherwise he would not have been able to escape as easily as he did. That fact alone makes me inclined to think there is a very good possibility that he knew of the other option but chose not to take it."
"Well, when you say it that way Gin," Neville rolled his eyes at how fundamentally strategic Ginny's brain was.
Ginny's red eyes danced with glee before Luna interrupted everyone in the room.
"Peter Pettigrew!" her voice echoed as if enhanced by magic.
"You tricky little rat," she then said in all seriousness. "I've been trying so very hard to see you these past few months and here you are in the kitchens."
"Show me."
That was the only thing that Harry said before his magic flooded the room and made sure that everyone was on the same page.
He had been waiting months for this opportunity and he wasn't going to chance missing the rat again. No matter how capable his followers were, this was something that he would see to personally.
Fifteen minutes later and Harry had the rat in his possession. It had been quite easy retrieving him, actually. The only minor obstacle Harry had run into was in avoiding the house elves, but that hadn't been too difficult for him to navigate around.
Not with a prize like finding out what the rat knew waiting at the finish line.
Harry looked down upon the unconscious form of the rat from where he sat on the couch within Hufflepuff. There was a hungry gleam in his eyes; he was both curious about what he was about to find out and excited to think what that information could do for him.
Harry was a firm believer that knowledge was power and he was very hopeful that the rat held some of the answers to his many questions.
Suddenly the air in the room became thick and heavy with Harry's magic and his followers spread throughout the room in a circle around Scabber's unconscious form as their Lord's power caressed them.
Roger Davies knew that it was now time and trained his wand at the rat.
A second later a powerful burst of light silently shot forth from his wand and revealed the short and rather lumpy form of a man. Pettigrew's face was still pressed into the floor, but it was his disheveled and torn clothes that gave off a pungent odor that everyone soon focused on.
Cedric wasted no time in casting the Febreeze Charm to mask the smell.
At the same time Luna flicked her wand and a chair appeared that Ginny's magic soon commanded Pettigrew's limp form to fill out.
Finally, Neville sent forth ropes that secured the man in place while Justin completed the perfect and swift teamwork that readied Peter to meet Harry.
"Ennervate!" his voice echoed off the walls.
At once Peter's black and beady eyes opened, and his body twitched against his bonds as his mind reoriented itself to the new surroundings.
It took him several moments to realize that he wasn't going anywhere but the fear didn't register in his eyes until he understood that he was no longer a rat.
Harry responded to the man's extreme discomfort with an eerie laugh.
"Hello Peter," he then smiled darkly.
"Welcome back to the world of the humans."
Pettigrew froze in his chair as he recognized the boy in front of him, so different than the seemingly normal and meek boy that he had gotten use to when passing in the halls atop Ron's shoulder.
Pettigrew then struggled harder against his restraints while the boy whose parents he had betrayed leaned back on the couch.
"I wouldn't worry about your bonds," said Harry simply.
"We've taken extra precaution in making sure you can't go anywhere. Can't have you slipping into your rat form and disappearing behind the walls again, can we?"
"No," Harry continued as terror began to sink its claws deeper and deeper into Pettigrew's heart, "we won't be having another repeat of your encounter with Sirius Black."
Pettigrew nearly stopped breathing at that moment. For the past several minutes he had been trying to understand how he had ended up in this position but from the moment the name Black had left Harry's lips his only thought was in trying to get as far away from this room and this castle as possible.
Despite Harry's earlier warning, Pettigrew tried to change into the form he had been using for more than a decade. Only, he painfully discovered that his Animagus transformation simply wasn't possible.
Harry laughed again and an ominous chill rippled down Pettigrew's spine; it sounded so much like the Dark Lord that sweat soon began to form at his brow.
"I told you!" Harry chided.
"My followers have made sure that you can't go anywhere."
It was then that Pettigrew fully noticed the others. His eyes darted from the oldest to the youngest and he could hardly believe what he saw. They may have been young but they had power, but there was something else that frightened him and drew up comparisons to the Dark Lord once more.
However, whereas the Death Eaters served the Dark Lord out of a devotion rooted in fear, each of the children that his gaze fell upon had looks of utter loyalty, respect, and love on their faces.
Even Ginny, the youngest Weasley who had seemed so unsure of herself growing up in a house of all brothers looked so comfortable and confident with her wand that Pettigrew almost didn't believe that it was her. Nor could he understand the level of reverence and loyalty that she extended to Harry in how she held her wand.
Pettigrew had seen this look before and knew that all that was standing between her casting an Avada Kedavra was Harry's word.
Sweat was generously dripping down his face by the time Pettigrew mustered up the courage to look at Harry once more.
The boy seemed to know what he had been thinking, and his smirk widened.
"They are capable and strong and would do anything I command. But it's best if you don't worry about them right now. Instead, let's take a few moments to chat, just you and I, about how it is that a man who multiple witnesses swore died over a decade ago is now sitting here and being chased by Sirius Black."
Pettigrew's already terrified countenance manifested as he swallowed the bile rising in his throat. Again, he had no idea how he had gone from raiding the kitchens to being here with Harry Potter of all people and tied up; nor did he understand how this boy seemingly knew some of his most private secrets.
It unnerved him, and with his back up against the proverbial wall he decided that the only way that he was going to get out of this was to play to his strengths.
"Harry, my boy," his unkempt face softened as he groveled before the boy.
"You look so much like your father. Except for your eyes – so much like Lily's they are. It's a s-shame at what happened to them that Halloween night."
Peter's unsteady eyes cautiously studied Harry.
"Yes, well, I never knew my parents. Not really. But that is neither here nor there and certainly not relevant now. What I am interested in knowing is why Sirius is after you when Albus Dumbledore thinks that the man should be after me."
Pettigrew swallowed back the bile in his throat again. This Harry was certainly different than he had ever expected and he would have to try harder to endear himself to the boy.
"I think it's important that you know how much like your parents you are. They were wonderful people and v-very, very kind. Your mother, in particular, always saw the good in someone."
But Harry only narrowed his eyes at him and took a deep breath before inching forward in his seat.
"It's strange you know," Harry said while looking straight at Pettigrew and not blinking, "the supposed right-hand man of the Dark Lord after someone that he allegedly already killed twelve years ago – that for all intents and purposes looks harmless and rather pathetic if he thinks conjuring up similarities to my dead parents will make me suddenly forget my questions and let him go. After all, you hid out in a wizarding home as a pet for all this time and that in and of itself raises some serious questions."
Harry stood up and slowly began to walk around the outside of his circle of followers, disappearing from Pettigrew's view when he was behind him.
Pettigrew tried to keep his façade together but there was something so chilling about the boy that kept unraveling his nerves.
"For example, Peter," Harry's voice cut through him like ice, "why go through all that trouble unless you were guilty of something? Sounds to me like someone wanted to stay hidden – which is odd considering that the person currently chasing you was in Azkaban for all those years."
Harry stopped after going once around the circle and stood before Pettigrew with an expectant look on his face.
"I wonder why that is?"
The sound of the blood pumping through Pettigrew's veins was deafening as he contemplated his options. He had the distinct impression that Harry was deadly serious.
Still, Pettigrew believed that there was still a way out of this if he could be convincing. And after his run-in with Sirius Black he had spent some time thinking about what his side of the story would be, should he ever be in the position to need one.
"After your parents m-mm-murder," Pettigrew stuttered while his eyes and face did their best to convey heartfelt emotion.
"I confronted Sirius in the streets. I knew he had been the one to betray them to the Dark Lord," the man lied expecting Harry to believe him.
"But no matter how much I wanted to avenge them Sirius' talents were beyond mine. My only recourse was that his spells tended to be a little overpowered. When he blew up the street as all those Muggles remembered seeing, part of his spell must have hit me as well. I remember being blown backwards and then no more. The next thing I can recall was being under a mountain of rubble."
Pettigrew must have thought his version of events was doing as intended, for the longer he spoke the more confident he became that Harry would believe him.
"When I woke up it was too late. Everyone had already thought I had died. I came to find that there had already been a funeral for me and my poor mother had already been through enough. So I remained hidden thinking that the life I had known was over."
Pettigrew was getting more comfortable with his lie, and his shoulders relaxed into his seat.
"I knew that it would be too risky to find you, Harry, to continue protecting you. So I went into hiding until I could be of service."
Pettigrew was really laying it on thick now.
"I sought out a wizarding family with like beliefs to the Potters and that also had too many children to notice a rat living longer than it should – while at the same time allowing me to keep abreast of what was happening in the world. I never realized that we would be at Hogwarts together. Again, I was able to witness the comparisons to your parents; so like them you are!"
Now it was Pettigrew's turn to look at Harry expectantly; the boy would surely eat this up now and he went in for the kill.
"However, when I heard about Sirius' escape I knew he had seen my picture in the Daily Prophet. I could only envision that he wanted revenge for me going after him… for me being the one that put him in Azkaban."
Peter was sure that he had sold his take on things; how could Harry not believe him and what, if anything, would he be able to do about it?
Sure, he was currently bound to a chair in which he had no recollection of getting there. But at some point there would be a slip up and he would be able to scurry away to safety.
But then Harry spoke, and all it took was three words for Pettigrew to know that his performance had been for naught and that he was truly dealing with someone whose exterior did not match what they were capable of on the inside.
"Is that so?" said Harry in a soft but cold voice.
"I think your lying."
Harry's green eyes pierced right into Pettigrew's soul and instantly his face was drenched in a cold sweat. He was in trouble.
"While I could just as easily take this information from your mind – and I will, shortly – I would prefer to hear the truth spoken from your own lips. Being at Hogwarts and just a mere third year has limited the way others see me. Of course, most of that is because I want to remain under the radar. It has been difficult to achieve given that I'm the Boy Who Lived and for reasons that I'm trying to better understand have attracted the unusual attention of both Albus Dumbledore and the weakened Dark Lord."
"Therefore, I prefer to enjoy myself when I can," he smiled with pure and unadulterated joy and Pettigrew knew he was about to feel the full extent of Harry's power.
Which Harry confirmed in a chillingly angelic way, "and I think tonight is one of those 'let your hair down' moments as the Muggle expression goes."
Harry's eyes, still locked onto Pettigrew's trembling face, soon began to sparkle a most brilliant and terrifying green. Pettigrew didn't have time to see it but he knew that something was happening because one by one the other children that stood around him began to quiver with all the telltale signs of pure ecstasy.
Then, Pettigrew understood what the others were feeling and why. Only to him, there was nothing comforting about the terrible and invisible weight that soon enveloped him.
Gone were the chains and the chair and he found himself floating in the middle of the room. Harry was looking at him with a calm, almost bored expression. Except his green eyes continued to shine with a gleeful malice that was somehow more terrifying than anything he had felt in front of the Dark Lord.
All that Pettigrew could think of was how someone this young had access to this much power. For the first time he truly began to wonder if he would make it out of there alive.
"And here, with my friends," Harry gestured with a simple look to the right and then to the left, "I can be my truly authentic self. Of course, there are a few others that have had the privilege of seeing just what I am capable of – even if they don't exactly remember everything that happened."
Harry finished the sentence in a haunting tone; it was only a little louder than a whisper but it cut Pettigrew to the core.
"You know," Harry said as the edges of his lips curled up slightly, "if I were in your place, I would have realized the seriousness of my predicament by now. Everyone already thinks you are dead anyways so there really is no reason for me to keep you around – especially if you prove uncooperative. Chances are, I probably won't have a need for you but you didn't exactly help your chances by lying so needlessly. So, let's try again and maybe, just maybe, your honesty will be rewarded. I think you have knowledge of something or someone that will be useful to me and I will get it one way or the other."
Harry's eyes were the color of the Killing Curse now and Peter Pettigrew was one hundred percent convinced that Harry Potter was a demon. There simply was no other explanation.
"Well, I, you see… uh…" Pettigrew stuttered.
It was hopeless, utterly hopeless. In his mind there was no way the dark angel before him would let him leave after hearing how he had betrayed the boy's parents. Only, Pettigrew knew that his death – and he firmly believe the child in front of him was capable of killing – would be far worse if he attempted to lie again.
"All right!" Pettigrew cried as tears began to form in the corner of his eyes.
"I did it! I was the one that betrayed James and Lily to the Dark Lord that night. I was their Secret Keeper – not Sirius – so only I could reveal where the Potters and you were hidden. After your parent's death Sirius knew immediately what I had done and came after me. He was overwhelmed with grief and guilt as he was the one to suggest that I be the Secret Keeper in his place."
Peter was sobbing now and his tears left clear marks amidst the dirt and grime on his face.
"I took advantage of his lapse of concentration in the street that day and blew a hole in the ground and escaped. I thought that he would tell everyone what I had done and so I remained in my Animagus form. It took several weeks for me to find out that he had been imprisoned and that everyone thought he had been the one working with the Dark Lord – and I was given a hero's burial. I preferred to stay hidden until the dust settled but I found that the time passed quite quickly while at the Burrow and grew accustomed to a life without worry or having to face what I had done."
Snot was pouring from his nose. He was ashamed and broken by having to voice out loud all that he had kept hidden. And deep down he knew that the only reason he had had the strength to speak the truth tonight was that he was afraid of a more painful death. Just like with being captured by the Dark Lord all those years ago his main concern was and would always be for his own safety.
"I see," Harry said simply.
"And why was the Dark Lord after me?"
It took Pettigrew a few uneven breaths to have enough air to speak.
"A Prophecy had been made."
Harry inhaled sharply but further surprised Pettigrew by the look that fell over the boy's face; it was as if Harry had finally confirmed something that he had mostly already known.
"And do you know what that prophecy said?"
Harry's eyes were focused on him and Pettigrew shook his head from side to side.
"The Dark Lord never revealed what the contents were."
Harry continued to stare at him for another minute before he broke eye contact and turned his head to look out over the other children.
Pettigrew watched a wordless understanding pass between them, all the while wondering what his own fate would be.
The thought of what awaited him soon came to dominate his awareness and he never even noticed when Harry entered his mind.
Pettigrew's mind was quite different, and it took Harry a few minutes to recognize why. The man had truly lived as a rat for the past twelve years and Harry came to the conclusion that memories made while a wizard was in Animagus form were quite different than the ones he was used to seeing.
The visuals within those memories were not as sharp and Harry didn't spend all that long within those because of the lack of detail. The memories that Harry found to be most useful were the ones from Pettigrew's youth and those made right before the Dark Lord killed his parents.
Harry was somewhat surprised to learn that Pettigrew had been a Marauder alongside Black, the werewolf Lupin, and his father. Of course, it was quite clear based on what Harry saw that Pettigrew contributed very little to the creation of the Marauder's Map or was responsible for any of the advanced magic that his father's group could wield.
Aside from learning more about the ins and outs of Hogwarts and gaining a greater understanding of how close Sirius and his father had been, Harry was quite amused to learn that Severus Snape had possessed such an obvious crush on his mother that he was surprised no one else had been able to put two and two together.
No wonder the man was a complete ass to him; his father had been the one to get the girl!
Harry spent a good hour going through the rest of Peter's memories, and spent another thirty minutes focusing on two final memories. For these were the only ones that involved Peter's interaction with the Dark Lord and while Harry wasn't about to take stock in an unknown prophecy, Voldemort had.
The first memory was the one Harry spent the most time in.
And again, the man was nothing like the boy in the diary. It was almost painful to see how far the man had fallen from the potential that his younger form had shown. Even as Harry sunk into the memory his body would never forget how every square inch had shivered in response to the magic from the boy in the diary.
"Hello Peter," the Dark Lord hissed from the shadows.
Peter yelped and fell to the floor in his own living room.
He clumsily grabbed for his wand but knocked over the table that it rested on instead, sending his wand rolling onto the floor and underneath the couch.
"I've not here to kill you, Peter. Not yet, anyways."
The Dark Lord walked into view and this time Harry got a much better view of the man's face than he did when relieving his own encounter with the man on account of the Dementor.
Gone was all the handsomeness and the indescribable pull that being in the presence of Tom Riddle had evoked from Harry's core. It wasn't that Harry no longer felt the man's magic it was just that the man walking across Pettigrew's floor was not his equal. Far below it actually.
"I'm actually here to spare your life. I think you can be of use to me and will keep you alive until you prove otherwise."
Harry turned to watch Pettigrew's face quickly read between the lines, and virtually no time passed before he made his decision.
"I'll do anything!" Pettigrew pleaded.
The Dark Lord smiled and Harry understood. People were so easy to influence and intimidate and here was Pettigrew again looking out for his own interests above all others.
"I am interested in where the Potters are. Their whereabouts are something that I very much would appreciate knowing."
The Dark Lord tented his long white fingers together and his crimson red eyes stared pointedly at Peter.
"Huh – hmm," Pettigrew stuttered.
"They move around a lot right now but I think they are planning on settling down in the future to raise their son," Pettigrew whimpered.
"Lily is adamant that he be given as normal a childhood as possible."
"How … quaint."
"Well then," the Dark Lord announced after several seconds of silence, "I expect to be updated when they finally settle down."
Harry watched relief flood through Pettigrew's face when the Dark Lord made to leave – only to revert to terror when the man turned around once more.
"Oh, and should you fail I can promissse that your death will be long and that you will lossse ssseveral limbsss before you depart thisss world."
The added hisses caused the hairs on Harry's arms to rise so he could only imagine how it had been for Pettigrew.
"Yes, of course … my L-Lo-lord, I understand."
Crimson eyes flashed once more before the Dark Lord turned on the spot and disappeared without a sound.
Harry paid little attention to the retching form of Pettigrew who had dropped to the floor at the moment his deadly visitor had left; his mind was too busy processing the many thoughts about what had changed the man. And Harry knew that he was still out there – still harboring thoughts about an inane prophecy.
He watched the memory three times – each time focusing harder and harder on the man's magic, trying to draw out anything that would help him to understand what had changed. It almost felt like the man was less whole, if that made any sense.
Harry left that memory and sped through the events in between, learning how a Fidelius Charm was cast before diving headfirst into the final memory in which Pettigrew revealed the location of Godric's Hallow. He didn't spend as much time within this one but again he focused on the Dark Lord, studying every little detail that would help to provide a single reason as to why the older Tom Riddle didn't affect him quite like his younger version.
And Harry was certain that it had nothing to do with age or how a person changed throughout their lives. Everything that Harry knew about magic told him that it didn't work like that.
Harry eventually exited that memory and then left Pettigrew's mind completely. It was now in the early hours of the morning but Harry's friends were still awake and waiting for him.
Neville was the first one at Harry's side when he stood up and walked towards the fireplace.
Harry was silent for several moments. He had confirmed everything that Pettigrew had told him and had learned some other interesting stuff but nothing too groundbreaking. Still, he was grateful for the information that he had learned and an idea as to how he could use it began to form in his mind.
The time had come for Harry to toss his hat into the ring, and the great thing about what he was thinking was that no one would see it coming.
He just needed to wait for the right time.
In the meantime and feeling better than he had in a long time, Harry turned to face Pettigrew who was just starting to recover from having someone inside his head for that length of time.
"Thank you for being honest, Peter, or should I say Wormtail."
Harry pushed off from the mantle above the fireplace and inched closer to where Peter was leaning against the legs of the chair on the floor he had been tied to earlier in the night.
"However, I'm afraid that your past deeds have finally caught up with you. You know too much to be released back into the world. But don't worry," Harry soothed, "you won't be in my care forever. I have plans for you to move up in the world."
Harry smiled ominously and knelt down to stare at the man's eye level.
The only reason Pettigrew was able to keep his body upright was his fear over what that meant; otherwise his body would have given way to exhaustion.
"In the meantime," Harry cooed with a gleam in his eyes.
"My followers would appreciate your help with their training. There are some things that are best learned on a person and I just know you will be more than happy to accommodate their requests."
Again, Harry unleashed the magic from his chest and Pettigrew's body rose in the air as Harry stood.
"After all," Harry's eyes twinkled like they were made of emeralds, "it's the least you can do after sentencing my parents to die."
With that Pettigrew lost consciousness and was soon put into a type of suspended animation in a hidden compartment in Harry's trunk. The rat would soon come to find his waking hours to be the sort of pain that he had always feared.
Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading.