41. Running Away
Harry and Ron spoke animatedly. They were the immaculate image of school boys, just simply enjoying their youth.
Ron saw his pet and smiled widely. "Hey little guy, we have a big surprise for you." He nodded as his friend brought out a carry case for the rat. The rat appeared somewhat interested.
This got a small smirk from the Potter teen.
As they made their way to their destination, they were joined by Hermione. Silently, each carried on. Soon they arrived to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. Though, Harry looked cautiously at the forest every now and again.
Without warning, Scabbers was thrown out of his cage. Just as he was going to hit the ground, Harry pulled his wand and chanted, "Carpe Retractum." A golden orange magical light shot at the rat and held firmly. Like a whip, Harry rose it and slammed it to the ground, causing Scabbers to follow suit.
"Drop the charade, Peter", Harry said with as much venom as he could. His green eyes were narrowed and seemed to be cut of the frostiest gems. His teeth were just barely visible as he tried to nonverbally commute his disdain. "I'll just do it again and again until you start playing along."
Ron and Hermione looked on in a cross of support and concern. Harry dismissed it. Traitorous monsters like Peter weren't worth the pity.
Abruptly, the rat became a filthy looking man with colorless and balding hair. What hair he had left was a tangled mess. Old robes covered his overweight body. Fear was evident on his peasant like features.
Like a harsh and unforgiving king, Harry dragged him towards them. "You must think you're so clever, spying on the Weasleys' and hiding from the law. How long would it have taken you to double cross them as well?" Harry said just above a whisper.
Shaking heavily, the man pleaded to the boy, "F-Forgive me. It was a moment of weakness. I didn't know what I was doing. I-If I hadn't pointed the Dark Lord towards them, I would surely have been punished by him. It wasn't anything personal." The man finished in a whimper.
"You low down snake. If that's how you treat your mates, I'll hate to see what you would do to your enemies", Ron said in insult. His features almost as disgusted as Harry's.
Hermione was attempting to comfort Harry by rubbing his shoulders. It yielded very little results. Harry's emotions seemed to only grow darker. In his eyes, he was showing admirable amount of restraint since he wasn't actively ramming the excuse of a man into the trees.
"Is that all you have to say? You led the enemy right to my parent's home. Even if fear was an excuse, Voldemort didn't tell you to put the blame on Sirius. You're just as much a monster as Voldemort. No, you're worse, he never acted like a victim. I bet if we didn't find you out, you wouldn't have dared gone back to Voldemort. You serve only yourself. Well it ends tonight."
"I couldn't have said it better myself, my boy", the wizened voice of the headmaster emerged from one of the trees. Following his reveal, Professors Snape and Lupin appeared.
Harry could almost see the little hairs on Peter rise as his beady little pupils shrank. An imprint of his wand formed as he gripped his wand harder and harder. It was too much for him to see one of the orchestrators of his parents' demise and not just blast him away.
"I am very much disappointed in you and myself. I have errored Mr. Black quite grievously. I see that even now I am clouded by my own wrath and was unable to discern the best course of action", Dumbledore said calmly, but sternly.
Somehow, Harry didn't believe that he was addressing the pathetic shapeshifter on the ground. Ever so briefly, Dumbledore looked at Harry with an unreadable expression. That almost spilled the boy over the edge. It felt far too knowing for his taste. It was a look that Harry felt only the Pale Lady had any right to have. Still he heeded the headmaster's advice.
Seemingly pleased and proud, Dumbledore nodded over to Professor Snape, the Potions Professor. Professor Lupin just stood there, ashamed for some reason.
"Oh, Peter, you fool! After everything James, Sirius, and I went through with you I just can't believe it. I mourned for your death. How foolish of me to ever think you could be a hero. How long were you working for him? Why?" The worn out looking Professor Lupin simply turned away.
The headmaster nodded his head at the Professor Snape once again. Cape billowing, the dreary man strode towards Peter. "It is evident that birds of a feather so wonderfully flock together. He was simply more monstrous than you and your friends' Lupin", Snape dismissed with such scorn that Harry could almost taste it. It made the man's dislike of Harry seem positively warm and loving. There was clearly bad blood between.
Professor Lupin ducked his head away from the man, in both shame and annoyance.
The darkly dressed potion master kneeled in front of the shivering Peter and looked deeply in his eyes. When the man made to look away, Professor Snape held him in an iron grip. When done, he threw the man to the ground and returned to the headmaster.
Unfortunately, Peter mumbled a chant that Harry couldn't understand and his magical hold on the man dispersed. Before any of the Professors could reach their wands, he transformed back into a rat and ran for the forest.
This was a mistake.
He was caught by the hands of a sickeningly beautiful woman. It was the Fairy Queen. She cooed cruelly at the transformed man, running a smooth finger on his back. "How adorable. He seems ever so important to you, sweet Harry. Normally I'm one for direct punishment, but taking something so dear to you has a nice touch. I can see it, taste it so clearly. You desire this man ever so much." As she spoke, Peter struggled to get out of the grip.
But Harry knew the truth. It was all in vain.
"Come little wizard, I'll keep you safe from the other big bad wizards", her voice was so saccharine, that none were doubtful of its insincerity.
Throwing one last radiant smile at the last Potter, she disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Peter cried a cry so shrill that it rang around all the trees and seemed to tear at each of their ears.
None knew what terrors the man faced in his last days, but one fact held true. Peter Pettigrew, the betrayer, coward, and rat, was never seen again.
