Peter was paired for the evening with a Dark Force Defence League agent called Spencer Calello. He was a pleasant fellow with an almost light manner. It didn't fool Peter; he had worked with Spencer before and knew him to be a formidable wizard.
They Apparated to the spot where their quarry was said to be hiding: an old, dilapidated, apparently uninhabited cottage. According to the Ministry, however, it was in fact inhabited, by two very dangerous Death Eaters who had narrowly escaped capture a few days ago. Peter and Spencer approached the cottage very carefully and quietly, and but somehow the Death Eaters knew they were coming, and prepared themselves.
It was a terrifying fifteen minutes. Later Spencer could never believe that it had been only fifteen minutes, although he knew it had.
The Dark wizards were skilful and desperate. One of them managed to put the Cruciatus Curse on Spencer within the first few minutes, but Peter rescued him, and together they turned themselves to battle in earnest.
It was like a four-person war. By the time it was over the cottage lay in ruins around them; the two Death Eaters were dead; Spencer was aching all over and bleeding from a gash along his ribs; and Peter – Peter had been hit with a curse from a Dark wizard's wand that had manifested itself in a flash of blue light and left him barely clinging to life, every breath a struggle taking all the courage he had in such abundance.
Spencer knelt by Peter's side; he knew a dying man when he saw one.
"Well, old chap, you fought bravely," he said. "And beat them. Don't know where I'd be right now if you hadn't been here."
Peter reached up a hand and grasped the sleeve of Spencer's robes. "Poppy," he gasped. "Tell Poppy – tell her – I love her."
And he died, gone so quickly that there was nothing Spencer could do to prevent him. His hand relaxed its hold on Spencer's sleeve and dropped limply to the ground. Spencer stood up and looked down at Peter's lifeless body with an unaccustomed solemness.
"I'll tell her, Peter," he said, and turned away.
* * *
A knock on her door roused Minerva partially from a deep sleep.
"Oh, go away," she moaned. She rolled over and buried her head under her pillow.
A moment later she became dimly aware of someone standing next to her. They put a hand on her shoulder and shook her roughly.
"Minerva." It was Albus' voice, low and urgent. "Get up, now. I have bad news."
Minerva sat up, awake now. She cleared her throat.
"What is it?" she asked. She got out of bed, wincing when her bare feet touched the floor. She noticed Albus was fully dressed, and began to pull on robes as he spoke.
"I've just had a visit from a member of the Dark Force Defence League," he began.
"Oh, good Lord, what has he done now?" Minerva demanded, but Albus held up his hand.
"Voldemort has not done anything this time – it is his supporters who have."
"His supporters – "
"Peter Pomfrey was called out this evening on a mission to find and kill two escaped Death Eaters. This was accomplished. However, Peter was killed in the struggle. The Defence League agent who I spoke of was with him."
Minerva stopped in the middle of tying her hair back out of her face.
"Albus, I – I can't believe it. He was such a good man. Oh, poor Poppy. Does she know yet? I ought to go to her and see if I can be any comfort to her."
Albus looked saddened. "Poppy does not know yet. I came to ask you if you would come with me to give her the news."
Poppy paced her room restlessly. She was dressed for bed, but the blankets were untouched. As much as she wanted to sleep, she simply couldn't until Peter was back by her side. Hence, the pacing. A knock at the door brought her up short. She called a tremulous, "Come in," and it opened.
Minerva and Albus stood there. The latter looked unusually sober. Minerva moved into the room and to her side in one quick motion. Poppy had frozen with dread. Albus followed Minerva, shutting the door behind him.
"You might want to sit down," Minerva said kindly. She sat down on the bed and pulled Poppy down next to her.
"Poppy," Albus began gently, "There is no easy way to say this, but Peter was killed tonight in the fight against Voldemort."
The end of Albus' sentence was drowned out by Poppy's long, heartbroken wail.
"No!" she cried. "Please – tell me it's not true." Minerva put a comforting arm around her.
"It is true, I'm afraid," said Albus. "But he talked about you before he went. He wanted you to know that he loves you." Poppy broke down and wept for the man she had loved, the man she had spent the last several weeks fighting with.
"I loved him too," she sobbed. "He was such a good man. I hated his job with the Ministry – that's what we've been fighting about these past weeks. He said – he said he was going to find another job after last night – " She buried her face in Minerva's lap like a small child and wept until she had cried herself into an exhausted sleep.
* * *
Lily and James Potter came to speak with Albus the next afternoon. Voldemort was very eager to see them dead, and Harry too, so they were planning to go into hiding.
"The house in Godric's Hollow is ready," said James. "So I guess we'll perform the Fidelius Charm tonight."
Albus nodded. "Who have you chosen as Secret-Keeper?"
"Sirius," James answered promptly. Harry squealed at the sound of his godfather's name, and Lily hushed him with a smile on her pretty face.
Albus' brows were knitted together in thought. "Someone from our side is passing information to Voldemort," he reminded the Potters. "I would feel better if you would let me be Secret-Keeper."
"Sirius is not spying for Voldemort!" James said indignantly. "And he would rather die than betray us!"
Albus sighed. "I hope you're right, James," he said.
Snape was coming up to Albus' office as the Potters were leaving. He and James eyed each other with dislike, but then James stopped and said, "I don't much like you, Snape, but I have to admit you're doing a brave thing, spying on Voldemort. We're on the same side now, and, well – " He seized Snape's hand and shook it.
Minerva met the Potters in the entrance hall.
"We're going into hiding tonight, Minerva," Lily told her.
"So soon?" Minerva said, then, "I suppose that's wise. I'll miss you, though."
Lily suddenly shifted Harry's weight and flung her arms around Minerva. Taken aback, Minerva patted her awkwardly.
"I'll miss you too," Lily said in a muffled voice. "Thank you for everything you've done for us." She let go of Minerva, who smiled at her affectionately and then embraced James.
"Take care of yourselves," she said. "Hopefully you won't have to stay in hiding very long. Albus is making good progress now that he has Snape on his side; the inside information has helped him along immensely. Good luck with the Fidelius Charm. Give Sirius my regards, and Remus if you see him. I'll see you when things are safe enough for you to come out again."
* * *
Sirius Black sat in his apartment, thinking hard. He didn't want to believe that his friend Remus could be Voldemort's spy, but didn't know who else it could be. Pettigrew didn't have the guts or the brains, and it definitely wasn't Lily or James or – Sirius smashed his fist down on the table in front of him in frustration.
"Why does it have to be like this?" he shouted. "Why?"
* * *
Remus Lupin stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked thin and tired, and his grey eyes were troubled. It was torture to wonder who was passing information to Voldemort, for he trusted everyone who was involved in the fight against the Dark Lord, and didn't want to believe treachery of any of them. The problems was, though, that he suspected Sirius.
"Sirius would never join Voldemort," he muttered. "Never." But it was also possible that Sirius was only giving information to Voldemort because they had given him a truth potion, or put him under the Imperius Curse, or – there were just too many possibilities.