Pandemonium went out through the hall. Students were screaming and it took Dumbledore a while to get everybody to calm down. Finally he issued that 1st through 3rd years should go to their dorms, but that all other students should help fight the fire.
Harry's outraged thoughts about Pettigrew had been driven from his mind. (A/N: If only this was the "Heir" series of mine Harry could just put out the fire with his mind…) The students rushed out of the building. The teachers were with them, side by side, trying to put out the by now, huge fire. Only one teacher was missing. Krikor. But nobody really noticed.
Krikor was actually hiding in his room, afraid the fire would melt off his mask. He was shutting his windows when a loud SQUEAK echoed through the non-carpeted place. He spun around. James had never been all to fond of mice or rats for that matter.
And a rat was exactly what he saw. Only this rat was different somehow. He seemed to be deformed. It had a hole in its ear and a silver paw. It looked oddly familiar.

~* ~* ~* ~*

"Hey Ron!" Hermione said. She was sweating with all the heat from the forest.

"What?"

"On the count of three, we say the water charm. Neville! Harry! Seamus! Dean! On three we do the water charm. Aim for that tree!"

"One. Two. Three!" They pointed their wands and shot water at a huge flaming tree. They fire was extinguished from it and they were all rather proud of themselves.

"Look." Hermione said. "The fire is just about gone right here. Ron, lets go in a little farther to see if we can put out anything more to the center of this forest."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Ron said nervously. "I don't want to get hurt."

"Since when did that ever stop you before?" Hermione said, grabbed his hand and yanked him into the singed forest.

~* ~* ~* ~*

James pointed his wand at the rat, to get rid of it once and for all. Its little black nose twitched and then its whole body shivered. He watched, stunned as the rat turned into his old school friend, Peter Pettigrew.

"Gregory Krikor?" He said formally. "That's who you are, right?"

James nodded numbly.

"Right then." HE said and his voice cracked. "Let's see here."

A sudden wall of fire spurted up in front of James. He yelped, even though the fire didn't touch him. And as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Only there was one difference. The difference was of course that James was exposed. His disguise was gone.

"It is you then." Peter said. "It's good to see you again. Forgive me."

"Never!" James said. "You killed Lily!"

"Not me personally." Peter said, looking shifty and guilty. "Stupefy."

~* ~* ~* ~*


It was hot in the forest. Very hot actually. The ground was smoking, in fact.

"Hermione, I'm getting light headed. Can we please go back now?" Ron said.

Hermione, who was in front of him, coughed.

"Are you okay Herm?"

"I'm, I'm fine." She said faintly. Ron rushed up to her and caught her as she fainted. He thanked god that she was rather light as he gathered her in his arms. He ran out of the forest and up to the school. In five minutes they were in the hospital wing and Madame Pomfrey was fussing over them both.

"Now, I want you to drink this all up." She said. "And now, I think I'm going to go lend a hand down by the fire."

"Thanks." Ron said.

"Thanks." Said Hermione who had just been revived. They drank their potions and scrunched up their faces at the taste.

But they forgot about their own troubles when 2 voices came into earshot.

"You got the DADA teacher?"

"Yes."

"Where is he?"

"James is currently stunned in his room."

"JAMES?"

"James Potter."

Ron and Hermione looked at each other. "Pettigrew and Snape." Hermione whispered. Ron nodded with wide eyes.

"But he's dead."

"He will be soon." Peter re-assured.

"Well why are you telling me this?" Snape said. "I don't care."

"Because you're coming with me Severus."

"I am not!"

"My lord will kill you if you don't."

Hermione was biting her lip.

"Well- well- I'll come then." Snape said. "Why does Voldemort want James."

"To get Harry." Peter said. "We hope that if we capture his father he will be come vulnerable. So he will be easier to reach and kill."

Hermione grabbed Ron's leg in fear and squeezed it hard.

"Ow! Hermione! Geroff!"

"What was that?" Peter said.

"I don't know." Snape replied. "Do I get to help to kill the Potter boy?"

"You'll have to take that up with my Lord."

"How long until he's dead?"

"Two weeks maybe?"

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. "No!" She cried out.

Snape choked and froze. A student! If he were caught, Dumbledore would fire him for sure. He was panicking when he burst the door in. "Stupefy!" He cried.

Ron and Hermione didn't have a chance. They froze.

"Imperio." Snape said. The two stunned students had no choice but to agree.

"Good thinking." Peter said. "Now lets go get James and get out of here."