Peter glanced over his shoulder. "Shhhh!" he warned them. "Say one word and
you die."
They nodded mutely. He had a wand in his pudgy, limp hand, but he didn't look very threatening.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked.
Peter glared at her. "I said don't talk!" he snapped. "Respect my authority!"
"Did Snape send you?" Ginny asked, fairly confident that Peter wouldn't carry out his threat.
"Snape." Peter's voice dripped with hatred. "No, Snape didn't send me."
"Who did then?" Ginny asked.
Peter laughed mirthlessly, a bitter, angry bark. "Contrary to everyone's belief, I am capable of doing things by myself. Of course, nobody cares about the things I do for the Dark Lord. Its always about Snape, Snape, Snape. Snape did this. Snape made that. Lord Voldemort-" Ginny shuddered, but the other's didn't react at all to the name, "-always tells me that the only thing I ever did right was be the Potter's secret keeper. But this new plan of Lord Voldemort's means that I didn't even do that did I? Instead, I'm just the useless lackey who keeps getting underfoot while Snape is cooking up something else to make him the favourite. But right now, Snape is upstairs in the teacher's lounge telling the Dark Lord that he has four of the biggest thorns in his side trapped. But when Voldemort comes down here, you four will be gone and Snape will look stupid. For once, Snape will do something wrong." Peter's face lit up with glee. Then he turned, and ran off down the hallway, leaving them standing there.
"Who was that?" Hermione asked.
"Peter Pettigrew." Harry answered. "He's one of my father's best friends."
"I don't like the sound of that Voldemort guy." Ron declared.
"He's pretty nasty." Ginny agreed.
"Let's go get our wands, then meet up in the common room." Harry suggested.
Ginny guessed that it was about five o'clock in the morning when they gathered by the fire.
"Ginny, I think we should listen to you." Hermione said.
"Well, it's about time." Ginny said in annoyance.
"Tell us everything you know about Voldemort." Ron said.
Ginny took a deep breath and started to recount all of Harry's exploits, from his parent's death to the Triwizard tournament.
"Cedric Diggory is dead?" Ron asked in disbelief.
"My parents are dead?" Harry asked.
"I think I like things better the way they are now." Hermione said.
Ginny sighed. "But it's not right?"
"But maybe this isn't such a bad thing." Harry said gently.
"But Voldemort is strong and in this school." Ginny argued.
"Well, we'll just get rid of him. We've done it before, according to you." Ron pointed out.
"Its not that easy. He's stronger now."
"And your mum isn't here to save you this time," someone said.
"Draco!" Harry said. "What are you doing in the Gryffindor common room?"
"I'm here to save you. I told the Fat Lady that it was an emergency. And it is. While you four are sitting around talking, You-Know-Who is gathering his forces to attack the school from the inside."
"You know about You-Know-Who?" Ginny asked.
Draco nodded. "My father is one of them. He's kept me up to date on what's going on with You-Know-Who."
"Then can you tell us what's going on?" Hermione asked.
They nodded mutely. He had a wand in his pudgy, limp hand, but he didn't look very threatening.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked.
Peter glared at her. "I said don't talk!" he snapped. "Respect my authority!"
"Did Snape send you?" Ginny asked, fairly confident that Peter wouldn't carry out his threat.
"Snape." Peter's voice dripped with hatred. "No, Snape didn't send me."
"Who did then?" Ginny asked.
Peter laughed mirthlessly, a bitter, angry bark. "Contrary to everyone's belief, I am capable of doing things by myself. Of course, nobody cares about the things I do for the Dark Lord. Its always about Snape, Snape, Snape. Snape did this. Snape made that. Lord Voldemort-" Ginny shuddered, but the other's didn't react at all to the name, "-always tells me that the only thing I ever did right was be the Potter's secret keeper. But this new plan of Lord Voldemort's means that I didn't even do that did I? Instead, I'm just the useless lackey who keeps getting underfoot while Snape is cooking up something else to make him the favourite. But right now, Snape is upstairs in the teacher's lounge telling the Dark Lord that he has four of the biggest thorns in his side trapped. But when Voldemort comes down here, you four will be gone and Snape will look stupid. For once, Snape will do something wrong." Peter's face lit up with glee. Then he turned, and ran off down the hallway, leaving them standing there.
"Who was that?" Hermione asked.
"Peter Pettigrew." Harry answered. "He's one of my father's best friends."
"I don't like the sound of that Voldemort guy." Ron declared.
"He's pretty nasty." Ginny agreed.
"Let's go get our wands, then meet up in the common room." Harry suggested.
Ginny guessed that it was about five o'clock in the morning when they gathered by the fire.
"Ginny, I think we should listen to you." Hermione said.
"Well, it's about time." Ginny said in annoyance.
"Tell us everything you know about Voldemort." Ron said.
Ginny took a deep breath and started to recount all of Harry's exploits, from his parent's death to the Triwizard tournament.
"Cedric Diggory is dead?" Ron asked in disbelief.
"My parents are dead?" Harry asked.
"I think I like things better the way they are now." Hermione said.
Ginny sighed. "But it's not right?"
"But maybe this isn't such a bad thing." Harry said gently.
"But Voldemort is strong and in this school." Ginny argued.
"Well, we'll just get rid of him. We've done it before, according to you." Ron pointed out.
"Its not that easy. He's stronger now."
"And your mum isn't here to save you this time," someone said.
"Draco!" Harry said. "What are you doing in the Gryffindor common room?"
"I'm here to save you. I told the Fat Lady that it was an emergency. And it is. While you four are sitting around talking, You-Know-Who is gathering his forces to attack the school from the inside."
"You know about You-Know-Who?" Ginny asked.
Draco nodded. "My father is one of them. He's kept me up to date on what's going on with You-Know-Who."
"Then can you tell us what's going on?" Hermione asked.