Chapter 17: Peter Pettigew

Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Fred and George exited the store at Hogsmeade, from which the passage led for the past while. Hogsmeade was empty, it seemed that it too was evacuated. In the distance they heard battle cries.
'We have to go find Sirius' hiding spot,' said Ron. 'It was going in the east direction, in the woods past the shrieking shack.'
They made their way out into the open empty street, and headed for the shack.

Harry saw Pettigew inch ever nearer toward Voldemort, until at last he aimed.
Voldemort turned and saw what had happened.
'Explerimus!' yelled Voldemort at the same time Pettigew yelled 'Curcio!'
Voldemort shrieked with pain, but Pettigew's wand went flying past him.
'Get it!' yelled Pettigew, and Harry ran after it.
Voldemort rose, still in very bad pain, but he seemed to be getting over it.
Harry reached the wand, and thought... why didn't he just do the summoning charm on the wand? Why bother having Harry go after it... then it hit him, it wasn't Pettigew's wand after all, it was Harry's. He looked at it in disbelief. He had left his wand at the side of his bed before going down to the dinning hall the last time he had been in Hogwarts. He sneaked the wand into his robe, while Voldemort turned and aimed his wand to Pettigew.
'Why did you do that! It seems my trusty servant isn't so trusty afterall.'
Harry walked slowly behind Voldemort.
'Master, I...'
'You what!?'
Harry drew his wand and aimed... what should I do? He thought... he wished he could kill him, but knew he couldn't.
'WHAT!' Voldemort said, aiming his wand.
Harry had only one thing left, 'EXPLARIMUS!'
Voldemort lost his wand over toward where Harry's landed. The sound of battle still blazed beyond.
Harry threw the wand to Pettigew and he uttered a spell and Voldemort was bound and gagged.
Harry looked at Pettigew and said, 'why did you help me?'
'Because, there is more to things than you may think, Harry.'
'Does it have to do with the fact I saved your life?' asked Harry.
'You-'
He was cut off, first noticing the eerie silence.

'Snuffles!' yelled Ron.
'SNUFFLES!' yelled Hermione. They were trying to find the hiding place.
They were very far in the forrest.
But surprisingly, there came a responce.
'Hello?!' came a yell.
They ran towards it.
They saw a tall skinny man with scraggly black hair. They were surprised by him.
He looked strange. So pale was he, and sick looking.
'Who are you?' the man asked.
'I am Ron, this is my friend Hermio-' Ron was interrupted.
'No need to continue that Ron, I know very well who she is... and I know who all the rest of you are.'
'How?' asked Hermione.
'I am with the Order, come!'
They followed him.

Harry looked and all was still... The Auror's did not move, only moved their head side to side... the Death Eaters stood, bewildered.
The Dementors started cowering back. The Giants were mostly in the castle.
Harry realized all eyes were on him.
Pettigew moved over to Voldemort and stared at him. Voldemort showed many signs of evil in his eyes, fiery was the sight. A green glow seemed to be in those eyes.
Then, to Harry's utter surprise, there was a vast explosion. It came from the wands of all the Auror's combined. The explosion was so vast, nearly like a nuclear bomb. It was a pink-red light that filled the sky all around. Death Eaters fell, all seemed to have fallen. The red shock wave move up the mountains, ripping the trees from the ground. Even the Auror's fell.
Harry and Pettigew were knocked to the ground with immense force.
Harry hit his head, yet stayed conscience.
The sound was ear splitting, the sound of screams could be heard, one would say.
Then it ended... and all was silent again...

At the cave, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred and George followed the man.
'My name is Esmot...'
'Where is Dumbledore? And Sirius?' asked Ron, noticing them gone.
Lupin was not there either, nobody was.
'They are out taking care of some important things.'
Esmot took an envelop out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione.
'Hermione, I want you to give this to Harry, when you see him next,' he said with sad eyes, handing it to her.
'Alright...' she said, wearily. She pocketed it.
'Come, sit inside with me. We will wait for someone to return.'

Harry looked up, blinking... for the first time he realized Dudley was there. He saw Dudley lying on his face some yards away, but still breathing, for he could see his chest moving.
Harry walked slowly over to Pettigew, who laid on his side. He stood up next to him, and looked over the field.
He saw hundreds of bodies laying down, motionless on the ground, while other stirred. Both Auror's and death eaters. Harry couldn't understand what happened.
Hogwart's still stood, except for the right half, which was charred or mission altogether, but nothing a little magic couldn't fix. The battle seemed to have lasted days, but it was fierce.
Harry walked over to Dudley and began nudging him.
'Wake up!' he yelled.
'Mommy?' moaned Dudley. He quickly sprang to his feet seeing Harry, and noticing Voldemort and Pettigew lying near.
'Those are the bad guys!' yelled Dudley.
'Yes, well, that one over there helped us a lot... but he is still bad.'
Harry walked over to him, and nudged him. He blinked and looked up at Harry, and amazingly smiled.
'You are okay?'
'Yes... thanks, for... saving me,' Harry said. He still hated Pettigew, for what he did to his parents. But it seemed to Harry they were even now, for he once set him free.
Pettigew stood up, and leaned on a nearby tree.
'Looks like a implosi spell... it is very nasty spell, cast when all else fails... kills those closest, knocks out those farthest. It is used by the Auror's as a last resource. However, it is very dangerous. I have seemed to misplace something,' he said, feeling his belt.
'What?' said Harry, hoping it not to be his wand.
'Ah, never mind now, we best be getting you back, there is something I must tell you tho-'
'CRUCIO!' yelled Voldemort, and Pettigew went falling to the ground in pain.
Harry jumped, Voldemort somehow got untied.
Harry took out his wand, but- 'CRUCIO!' and Harry felt a familiar, horrible pain. The same pain felt in the graveyard a year ago. He fell to his knees.
Then it subsided rather quickly.
'Potter! You will die now! See, my faithful servant betrayed me, and now... I shall kill you...'
Harry eyed in the corner of his eye, he saw Pettigew reaching over with his silver hand at Harry's wand, which he lost in the chaos of the moment.
Voldemort turned, 'Think I don't see you! Cheater!'
They had both their wands raised and both at the same time shouted, 'AVADA KADAVRA!'
Out of both wands came green light, Voldemort screamed as it engulfed him.
It hit Pettigew square in the chest, and he breathed no more.
It seem to eat Voldemort, from the feet up. He screamed a shearing scream.
Harry fell stayed on the ground, noticing Dudley screaming near him.
Voldemort was gone, not even a body remained.
Harry's legs pained him, but he slowly got up. He crawled on his knees and made it to Pettigew's body, and collapsed on his cold breast.
Even though Peter Pettigew, Wormtail as was his nickname, single-handedly was the main reason why Harry had no parents, once again felt pity for the little man... the one who lived as a rat for twelve years... it was strange, the way Harry felt for him now. He even shed a tear...
A small shadow grew over them, and Harry saw above a bird, a great red bird of brilliant color... it was Fawks the Phoenix, and it landed next to them and rested.
Harry laid his head upon the chest of Peter Pettigew for sometime.
Then, to Harry's surprise, something happened. The chest seemed to grow larger, and longer... he began to see white sprout from the grass around them. Harry was bewildered, until he got up and looked... to his horror, the body was no longer Peter Pettigew, it was Albus Dumbledore.
'NO! NO! NO! Dumbledore! Please!' sobbed Harry. He cried, more than he ever cried before... all the emotions of his life with out his parents drained out on the chest of Albus Dumbledore, who died saving Harry Potter's life.

(The final chapter is near, for there will only be 18, so keep looking!)