Hello lovely readers, hope you're having a wonderful time! Heres the new chapter that no one asked for, have a blast. Please remember to review!
Bartemius Crouch Junior never liked his father. He worked too much, and when he wasn't working, he couldn't have been crueler to his son. He lived his life in fear of his father.
When he was offered an opportunity to join an organization that was against the Ministry of Magic, where his father worked, well.
Barty jumped at the chance.
He didn't really care about their other agendas. Barty didn't really care about other people, and so muggleborns never really crossed his mind.
That wasn't entirely true. Barty did care about one person.
Regulus Black.
His dark hair, his grey eyes, his shoulders, god, his shoulders. Barty was a goner.
It didn't help his infatuation that Regulus was from a predominantly Dark family, and his father wouldn't approve. Nor would he approve of the fact that Regulus was a boy.
Barty grinned to himself. He snuck a glance at Regulus sitting across from him in the Hogwarts library. He was busy writing an essay and Barty watched his hands as they moved across the paper. Those hands….
Barty kneeled before Voldemort, his gaze trained on the ground as the man walked slowly in front of him and Regulus. They had attended a meeting where The Dark Lord had called for followers, for young people to flock to his cause.
Barty was only too happy to oblige.
Regulus on the other hand, needed convincing.
His parents were the ones, in the end, to persuade him. He needed to cleanse their family name of the smear his elder brother had left on it. A Black who was a Gryffindor? Who eschewed all of their family ways and consorted with blood-traitors and mudbloods? The Black family wished him to banish from their lives and all connection with them. Something Sirius Black was only too happy to do. Whatever event had finally pushed him to the edge and caused him to run away, Regulus wouldn't say.
Barty felt for the eldest Black child, but couldn't bring himself to care for more than a moment. Not when he had more important matters at hand.
Like serving the Dark Lord and disappointing his father.
Voldemort spoke from above them, and Barty got the gist. In order to become a Death Eater, one of Voldemort's followers, they would have to commit an act most foul, the highest of the unforgivables.
They would have to kill someone.
Regulus's hands shook where they were clasped on the floor in front of him. He didn't truly want to be here. Barty knew that. But he couldn't bear to disappoint his parents. They differed in that aspect.
Hands tightening around a wand firing a vivid green curse. Hands clenching in pain as the Dark Mark was branded on his arm.
Hands gently cupping Barty's face when they got back to Black Manor.
Regulus.
Barty was brought from his memories when the object of his affection kicked him under the table. "C'mon, Barty. You have to do your essay or they'll kick you out."
He snorted. "Please, as if this place could survive without me."
Regulus sighed and Barty smiled.
He'd do anything for him. And he knew Regulus would do the same.
Charlus didn't know what to make of it. Fifty missing persons had been reported found and the Auror department had nothing to do with it. The people they had interviewed about their captivity said that two teenage boys came and took out the people holding them captive. Took out the Death Eaters.
Two teenage boys.
Charlus knew one of the people taken was Ron. And he also knew Harry would do anything in his power to get him back.
The question was, which one of his sons was it that went with him?
Truly, Charlus was surprised Hermione wasn't reported to be there. She didn't seem to be the type to sit out of the action. Unless Harry purposefully went without her, which also seemed like something he would do. He seemed the type to want to protect those he loved, which made it even more surprising he took one of the other boys with him. The actual teenagers in this situation.
In his heart, Charlus knew it was James who went with him. He had a feeling Harry had told them all of his origins, especially since Ron was missing. Explaining why he would be taken without the truth and without seeming like a Death Eater would be nigh impossible.
James would never let family go off and do something dangerous by themselves.
Charlus shook his head.
Judging by the things he knew of Harry's past, recklessness was a gene passed through the generations. He was sure if he asked his wife, she'd say James got it from him. It was the Gryffindor in him.
He was impressed though. His boys had taken on a large amount of Death Eaters by themselves and rescued fifty people. He was proud.
And they were so so grounded when they got home.
Charlus didn't care if Harry was technically an adult, he lived at Potter Manor, and thus would be grounded.
He would be happy to see Ron though. He knew the boy must have gone through hell during his time as a captive, and he knew Dorea and himself were going to absolutely dote on him when they came home for Yule. After all he's been through recently, he deserved it.
Charlus coughed into the sleeve of his robe and sighed. He'd have to take a potion when he got home. He truly didn't have time to be sick.
He sighed as his assistant walked in with another stack of paperwork, waving her over to drop it on his desk. Head Auror's job is never done.
Peter Pettigrew was a good student.
He'd concede that he maybe wasn't as good as Remus, or Sirius, or James. But he could hold his own in the classroom, and got passable grades. He didn't need to be the top in class.
It didn't bother him that his friends were more academically inclined than he was. Peter was just happy they were his friends.
Other people thought he should hate them. People who threw insults at him in the corridors the entire seven years they've gone to school together, now want him to think they have his best interest at heart.
Peter knew better.
There was a thought in his mind that maybe he wouldn't have known better, if not for a new friend. A copy of James Potter but with green eyes, and none of the ego.
Who really reminds Peter more of Sirius than any other.
Harry Potter made sure Peter knew he was wanted. That they loved him. And after learning that Harry, Ron, and Hermione are from the future it made him wonder.
Who had he turned out to be in their future? Why did they make such a concentrated effort to include him, when anyone else would just let things continue as they had?
Who had he become?
Peter watched from the couch in the Gryffindor common room, lit only by the dying flames of the fire, as Hermione practically flew across the room and wrapped herself around the two boys who entered.
It didn't matter.
The only thing that mattered now was helping his friends and keeping each other safe.
Peter smiled.
That he could do.
