Chapter Five; Deadly Temptation

The Hogwarts school library was almost exactly the same as Harry knew it; the hundreds of dimly lit rows consisting of thousands of shelves stuffed full of books; the highly polished work tables placed down the centre and around the walls; even the irritable, vulture-like librarian, Madam Pince, was the same as she ever was, glaring suspiciously at each student that entered or dared to disturb the quiet.

James, Sirius, Lily and Peter had tiptoed inside, avoiding Madam Pince's steely gaze, and claimed a table at the far end of the library beside the Magical Theory section. Harry followed closely behind, as silent as a ghost. He settled himself up on the broad window-ledge beside their table, all the time checking that the Cloak was still hiding him from sight.

Peering down from his vantage point, Harry watched his father absentmindedly chewing his quill as he struggled to concentrate on an extremely dull History of Magic essay; 'How the Laws passed by the Peruvian Sorcerers Union are relevant to the Wizard's Council Committee for International Trading and Commerce'.

Everyone had always pointed out how much Harry resembled his father, and the photos that he owned indeed showed a likeness - but it struck Harry anew to actually lay eyes upon an almost perfect physical replica.

Truly it was a most incredible and heart-wrenching experience. The distance between father and son was no more than five feet but it felt more like a thousand miles. Harry couldn't deny just how much he wanted to reveal himself, yet he determinedly remained quiet and hidden. He was not so foolish as to disregard Dumbledore's instructions, not while his parents' lives were on the line. Showing himself would only draw the assassin's attention and distract Harry from his mission.

Next to James, Sirius was working on a complicated Ancient Rune scroll, meticulously checking over his translations, constantly referring to his Rune dictionary and mass of class notes, a look of intense concentration on his face.

Lily sat opposite, neatly writing out a six foot long Charms essay. Her long red hair hung like a curtain over her face; every few minutes she would tuck it behind her ear, only to have it fall back a few seconds later.

Harry felt strangely moved as James and Lily kept meeting each other's eyes, exchanging silent words through their smiles. To think that in a few years time they would be married with a child on the way. Did they have any idea as to what the future held? That they would have only a few precious years together? They weren't even going to have that if the assassin found them. Harry sat with his wand clutched tightly in his hand, trying to stay alert and watchful for anyone approaching.

Protect the target. Not such an easy task when you had no idea as to where the assassin was or when they would strike.

So, being slightly on edge, Harry couldn't help but start as someone suddenly emerged from among the shelves without making a sound. Harry immediately jerked his wand up, the words of a Paralysis Hex on his lips, just as Sirius looked up at the new arrival, his face brightening in an instant.

'Hey, Moony! Care to join us in this monotonous drudgery our professors have so cruelly subjected us to?'

Harry stared, suddenly recognising the boy. Although none of the Marauders seemed to be over sixteen, Remus somehow looked older. Maybe it was because of the dark circles under his eyes and pale complexion. But his hair was a lovely shade of honey-brown and there was a sparkle in his blue-grey eyes set off by the benign smile that Harry knew so well. Harry lowered his wand, silently berating himself for being so jumpy.

Peter, who had spent the last twenty minutes searching through the musty yellow pages of an enormous dusty old tomb, quickly moved up to give Remus room.

'Moony?' he said as soon as Remus had sat down, a quiet desperation in his voice. 'Could you help me with my essay?'

Remus, having just taken his own essay out of his bag, gave a small, tolerant sigh, as though he'd been asked this many times before.

'What are you stuck on?'

'Everything.' Peter admitted reluctantly. 'I can't remember any of Professor Scythe's lecture -'

'You might want to try paying attention then, instead of stuffing your face with Peppermint Toads,' said Sirius slyly.

Peter squirmed guiltily, his face reddening. 'I - I …'

'Don't try to deny it, Wormtail, I saw you. You must have had at least a dozen - I counted!'

'A dozen?' James looked up from his essay, staring at Peter in disbelief. 'And you didn't share?'

'You greedy pig!' Lily was trying to refrain from smiling so that she could look stern.

'I was hungry!'

'You're always hungry!' said James pointedly. 'The house-elves must simply love you.'

Remus didn't join in the banter. Looking over Peter's extremely short composition, he quickly drew his attention to some obvious mistakes.

'Wormtail, you've got the classifications muddled up.'

Peter cringed, peering at the blotched parchment, fiddling with a crumpled yellow quill.

'Look here - lycanthropes are classified as shapeshifters but not all shapeshifters are lycanthropes. Remember what Professor Kettleburn said about Kelpies last week? And Boggarts are forever changing shape so they're in the same group.

'And here - zombies and vampires, although they are both considered by many people to be 'walking dead', they are classed separately because of the zombie's instinctive and compelling drive to feed off dead or decaying matter, unless of course, they've been given specific instructions by the witch or wizard who raised it. Vampires on the other hand, retain the mental capacity to think for themselves and appear to be very much human … if a bit pale.'

'Speaking of …' Sirius muttered, glaring stonily over Remus' shoulder in the direction of the Divination section.

The Marauders all turned round as a pale boy with a hooked nose and long greasy black hair stepped out from behind the shelves. Harry had to admit that the boy did indeed look like a good example of a vampire, yet there was something disturbingly familiar about him too …

Two other boys, both of whom were tall and powerfully built, flanked the vampire-boy. One was blond with a crooked nose and dark narrow eyes. He leered menacingly at Peter who quickly avoided his eyes. The other had spiky dark brown hair and a hard face that gave an immediate impression of a bad attitude.

The three of them stood there for a moment, their eyes sweeping over the Marauders, no doubt looking for trouble. The Marauders exchanged brief looks, putting each other on their guard. Lily casually picked up her wand, twirling it with her long slender fingers, her eyes drifting from one boy to the next. James and Sirius however, were watching the middle boy. Harry could feel a definite sense of unease and hostility in the air.

The greasy haired boy, sneering disdainfully down his nose at the Marauders, sauntered past their table and snatched up a roll of parchment - Remus' essay.

James was on his feet.

'Give that back, Snape.' He growled.

Snape's face twisted into a scornful smirk.

'Ah, isn't that sweet,' he said in the same cold, unctuous voice that so often made use of the phrase 'Five points from Gryffindor.'

Harry felt an almost irresistible urge to sneak up behind Snape and give him a good smack in the back of the head, but the chances of getting to him without bumping into someone were too great. Regretfully, he had to stay where he was.

'Still standing up for poor meek little Lupin, are you?' said Snape scathingly. 'Do you fight all his battles for him, Potter? If he wants this back, he can get it from me himself.' And he pocketed the parchment.

Next moment, Sirius had his wand aimed at Snape's face.

'If you'd like to keep that pit of slime you call your hair, I suggest you hand it over.'

Snape's cronies stepped forward. Harry nervously eyed their fists. They were as large as bricks and probably just as solid. Sirius stood his ground, James beside him.

Snape's nostrils flared.

'And I suggest that if you two like your faces the way they are … that is to say, devoid of a pummelling … then you should back off.'

'Too scared to take us on by yourself, are you?' asked James. 'Afraid you'll lose without Avery and Rosier here to back you up?'

Avery and Rosier scowled at James, cracking their knuckles. Snape's eyes flashed.

'Save your pep talk for that coward. I always knew that the mighty Gryffindor house was full of yellow-bellied cowards,' he said pointedly to Remus. Remus remained silent, his face impassive. 'How else could those two have got in if it weren't?' Snape's black eyes flicked over to Peter, who flushed a deep red, his pudgy face contorting with bitter fury.

Smirking, Snape spun on his heel, his black cloak swirling, and made to leave.

'Severus.'

Snape paused. Slowly, he turned back round with an air of superiority. Remus met Snape's dark eyes unwaveringly, careful to kept his expression neutral.

'May I have my homework back, please?'

Harry, and indeed the rest of the Marauders, turned to stare incredulously at Remus in stunned disapproval. How could he just ask Snape for it back? And so politely?

A thin smile spread across Snape's cruel face.

'Certainly,' he said, with such an air of courtesy, you'd have thought that he had meant to return it anyway.

Sirius and James glared suspiciously as Snape swept over to Remus, still smiling in a cold, snake-like manner. Removing the roll of parchment from his robe pocket, Snape tossed it carelessly back onto the desk in front of Remus, regarding him with a contemptuous stare.

'Thank you,' said Remus politely, unrolling the parchment.

'You're welcome.' Snape shot a pointed look at Avery. The taller of the boys pushed roughly past the table, deliberately jogging Remus hard against the table - he let out a cry of pain as his elbow smashed into the edge of the hard wooden table - a bottle of ink wobbled precariously and toppled over as Avery gave the table another shove. A stream of dark purple ink poured out and sloshed all over Remus' essay, completely soaking it.

Lily leapt to her feet, her emerald eyes blazing furiously. She didn't waste her breath on threats. There was a flash of scarlet light and Avery was violently thrown back against the shelves. Several heavy volumes came crashing down onto Avery's and Rosier's heads, barely missing Snape who quickly side-stepped out of the way, glaring murderously at Lily. Lily glared back, aiming her wand at his head.

James and Sirius had just started towards Snape when Peter hissed 'Watch out!'

'What is going on here?' demanded the irate screech of the librarian as Madam Pince came striding towards them. Lily quickly put her wand down, James and Sirius swiftly moved back towards their table and Snape stepped back from Avery and Rosier who were too dazed to do anything.

Madam Pince stopped short of the heap of fallen books, her sharp eyes taking in the scene and fixing each pupil with a penetrating stare that demanded a guilty response. Unfortunately, her eyes were quickly drawn to the dark inky puddle that had spread over most of the table and was now dripping onto the floor.

'What is the meaning of this?' she snapped at Remus who was self-consciously rubbing his bruised elbow.

Snape butted in before Remus could even open his mouth.

'They've all been fooling around and making an awful racket,' he said in a voice as greasy as his hair. 'We just came over to ask them to be quiet; we couldn't concentrate on our own work, and they just ignored us, saying they didn't care and damaged all these books!' He ended on a dramatically tragic note, smiling sadistically at the Marauders as Madam Pince swung round, glaring at them as though she was about to murder the lot of them.

They didn't even get a chance to explain. Madam Pince took their names, promised that each of them were still going to be in detention long after they graduated, and ordered them to clean up the mess. Snape strode off laughing, Rosier and Avery guffawing as they followed, looking very pleased with themselves.

The Marauders dutifully cleaned up the inky mess with some Absorption and Cleansing Charms, and the books were levitated back up to the topmost shelves. As soon as Madam Pince had thoroughly inspected the table and floor and declared it satisfactory, she scurried off back to her office, no doubt to inform Professor McGonagall of their unruly behaviour.

Remus picked up his ink stained essay. It was so badly stained that it was almost impossible to read and the wet parchment was tearing apart wherever he touched it. With a small sigh, Remus took a fresh roll of parchment and a new bottle of ink out of his bag.

'You're not going to write it all out again, are you?' asked Sirius incredulously.

'I have to if I don't want to get into trouble, Padfoot,' said Remus coolly, already writing away, his quill moving swiftly across the parchment.

'But that'll take ages!' James protested. 'Here - just copy mine.'

'No, it's all right,' Remus insisted, writing faster still, looking uncomfortable. 'I can remember the bulk of what I wrote. Besides, Professor Scythe will know if I copy someone else's and I'm in enough trouble with him already.'

'But it wasn't even your fault your homework got ruined. If you tell Professor Scythe -'

'What? Rat on the teachers pet?' Remus looked at James as though he was crazy. James thought better of the suggestion and shut up. But Sirius wasn't finished.

'As much as I hate to admit it, Snape did sort of have a point. Why on earth don't you stand up to him? Fight back once in your life?'

'And sink down to his level? No, thank you.' said Remus in a dignified sort of way.

Lily was still fuming silently. Harry could almost feel the heat coming off her.

'That slimy git,' she spat. 'He's not getting away with this. First chance I get I'm going to hex all his joints back to front!'

'Vicious little spitfire, isn't she?' whispered Sirius, sounding impressed. 'No wonder you like her.'

James managed a wry smile.

Peter was looking from his half-completed essay over to Remus as he frantically scribbled out his own for the second time and back again. A light seemed to spark suddenly in his watery eyes.

'Prongs?' he said, quietly.

'Yeah?'

'Think I should check if Snape has anything else in his pockets?' he suggested slyly.

James, Sirius and Remus all looked up at him. That sly grin seemed to be extremely contagious. Harry was baffled. What was Peter getting at?

'Go for it, Wormtail!' Sirius whispered excitedly.

Harry blinked - and Peter vanished! Startled, Harry leaned forward as far as he could without falling off the windowsill, trying to see where Peter had gone. He caught a flash of movement on the floor out of the corner of his eye. Harry turned just in time to see a thin, pale tail whip out of sight behind the nearest bookshelf.

And it hit him. Of course! They were Animagi! Harry could have kicked himself for not realising it earlier. As if their nicknames weren't blatant enough clues, the fact that they were at least sixteen should have tipped him off. Hadn't Remus told him once that they had succeeded in becoming Animagi during their fifth year? How could he have missed that?

'AAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!'

A horrible scream rang out through the library, silencing everybody else in a split second. Harry jumped, gripping the sill tightly. The Marauders exchanged triumphant smiles and launched themselves out of their seats to look down the next aisle of books. Harry hastily climbed down and followed them.

There, at the far end of the aisle, was Snape, screaming and shouting in a panic, jumping and dancing around wildly as he frantically shook and slapped his robes. Avery and Rosier were standing well back, looking bewildered, hesitant to assist Snape despite his continued shouts for help.

The Marauders fell about laughing, hanging on to each other for support. Harry looked closer. From underneath the collar of Snape's robes came a thin, worm-like tail, whipping back and forth. Snape took one look at it and bellowed even louder, renewing his efforts to shake it out.

'GET IT OFF ME! GET IT OFF!'

Sniggering uncontrollably, Harry had to stuff his fist in his mouth to muffle the sound, leaning against the bookshelves shaking with suppressed laughter. Other students, curious as to the commotion, were appearing from all around the library, shrieking with delight and pointing as Snape tried desperately to shake the rat out which appeared to have slid down his back.

Madam Pince came swooping down on Snape looking absolutely outraged and none too sympathetic to his plight.

Completely unnoticed by the Slytherins or Madam Pince, a plump grey rat dropped out from under Snape's robes and onto the floor, dodging nimbly out of the way of the rapidly stamping feet and out of sight.

By the time the hysterics had subsided, Snape had been throw out of the library for his appalling behaviour. Peter sneaked back over to the Marauders and transformed back to human in a shadowy corner. He emerged looking flushed and promptly started dusting himself off, making a noise of disgust.

'Urgh! That was horrible! Grease and sweat -' he shuddered. 'Sorry guys, but there's no way I'm doing that again!'

The others all laughed.

'Shame, that was brilliant! I've never seen Snape move so fast!' Sirius sniggered.

James clapped Peter jovially on the shoulder.

'Good job Wormtail, the Marauder Honour is once again avenged!'

'Hey, no one bullies my friends and gets away with it!' he said firmly, to which Remus smiled gratefully.

Deciding to quit working for the time being, the Marauders packed up their things and headed off down to the kitchens.

*

The sky was darkening to a deep velvet blue as the sun ducked down below the horizon. The night sky suddenly glowed with starlight. Shadows crept through the windows into the Gryffindor common room, kept at bay by the large crackling fire.

The Marauder's had spent all evening in front of the fire, discussing an upcoming Quidditch match and Wormtail's daring mission of vengeance. Sirius sent all of them into hysterics again with a ridiculous impersonation of Snape being attacked by a rat, complete with high pitched squeals for help.

Harry remained on the opposite side of the room, watching them. Although he had to keep reminding himself of the assassin threat, he was quite confident that the assassin would not be able to enter the Tower without the password. Just to be on the safe side, however, Harry had opted to spend the night in the common room, guarding the entrance.

When Lily bade the boys goodnight, planted a kiss on James' cheek and swept up the staircase to the girls dormitories, Harry stayed where he was, listening to the Marauders while they finished off their essays for tomorrow's classes. Not long after Lily had gone, the Marauders left the common room and disappeared up the stairs to bed, leaving Harry on his own. He quietly moved over to a comfy armchair next to the fireplace, facing the portrait hole. If anyone forced their way in, Harry would have a clear and direct shot.

The fire was burning low, the embers glowing brightly as the shadows closed in.

After a while Harry's thoughts began to drift from his task, once again focusing on his mother and father. All his life he had wished he could remember his parents, that he could have spoken to them - now he had every opportunity to say something to them … and he couldn't, not without altering time. No one was to know of Harry's existence here.

This isn't fair, he thought bitterly. I never knew them. I never even got the chance to know them.

His eyes fell upon one of the essays left on the low table in front of him. Peter's homework. Wormtail.

The traitor.

Harry's hands clenched tightly around his wand, a hot surge of anger rising from deep inside of him.

It was because of you, Wormtail, that I never knew them. It's all your fault. They trusted you and you betrayed them; my parents are dead, you put all the blame on Sirius and Remus was left all alone.

Harry's gaze wandered up to the ceiling. Right above him, Peter slept soundly - the boy that would grow up to betray each and every one of his friends. How could anyone concede to such a disgusting and cowardly act? What on earth made him choose to side with the Dark and turn on his friends?

The building rage subsided only slightly when Harry reminded himself that back on his own timeline, Wormtail was paying for his crimes. Peter Pettigrew was entombed in Azkaban with a Dementors Kiss due to be administered in a weeks time.

But it still didn't change the fact that Harry's parents were dead because of him and nothing was going to change that.

Unless …

Harry sat up straighter, staring intently into the flickering flames. What if … what if it could be changed? His heart ached with the longing for his parents so much it was an almost physical pain and thus impossible to ignore. Suppose there was a way to save his parents? Not just from the assassin but from Voldemort. The Dark Lord had found James and Lily through Peter … so if Peter hadn't been there …

A dark thought suddenly occurred to Harry, the notion of which he was so physically repulsed by that he quickly shoved it away, feeling horribly sick to think that he would actually give such an act even a passing thought.

But the idea returned shortly after that, plaguing his mind. Demanding his consideration. To think about it.

Hesitantly, Harry mulled it over, looking down at the wand in his hands. It would be so easy. Wormtail was fast asleep just upstairs. Surely it wasn't difficult. One curse was all it would take -

Harry dropped the wand. It clattered loudly on the floor, the sound strangely magnified in the still night air. Harry stared into the dying firelight without really seeing anything. What was he thinking? He couldn't kill Wormtail - he couldn't!

But he killed my parents. Surely it wasn't so much murder, as it was justice.

Do you honestly have it in you to kill a boy in cold blood? He hasn't done anything.

But he will! When he grows up he'll murder my mum and dad! He'll frame Sirius for it!

And what do you think Sirius would think of this?

He'd agree with it! If Wormtail weren't around then Sirius would have been the Secret Keeper in the first place and he wouldn't have spent twelve years in that hell hole for a crime he didn't commit!

You'd become a murderer for him?

Harry paused, suddenly recalling something that he'd actually told Wormtail on that fateful night so long ago when he'd discovered the truth behind his parents deaths, and when Sirius and Remus had been on the verge of executing Wormtail …

'NO! You can't kill him … you can't.'

'Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents. This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him that your whole family.'

'I know. We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the Dementors. He can go to Azkaban … just don't kill him.'

'Harry! You - thank you - it's more than I deserve - thank you -'

'Get off me! I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers - just for you.'

The anger drained out of Harry like someone had pulled the plug.

He'd saved Wormtail's life that night. He hadn't wanted his godfather and very favourite professor to be responsible for Peter's death … no matter much he felt that Peter deserved it. Sirius had escaped Azkaban after twelve torturous years to commit the very crime for which he had been wrongly imprisoned. How angry he must have been. The burning hate and desire to deliver justice for himself, Remus, Lily, James … and Harry.

Yet Harry had stopped him.

Why?

Why stop Sirius from killing Wormtail only to go back in time and contemplate the very same thing, to kill him before he had the chance to betray his friends?

Harry pondered that for a while. Then it occurred to him - how would he feel if someone from the future arrived on his timeline, claiming that Ron would ultimately betray him and had come to 'dispose' of him before it could happen? Well, for one thing, Harry wouldn't believe that, not for a second.

And in the same way, James wouldn't have believed it of Peter. Friendships were based on trust. If James and Lily hadn't trusted Peter, they wouldn't have gone ahead with making him the Secret Keeper to try and fool the Dark Lord. They had had no way of knowing what was to happen.

So what would they think of Harry, if he did it, changed time to save them … would they, or could they, ever forgive him for it? For taking a life?

Could Harry forgive himself?

Harry stared vacantly down at his wand, lying still and passive on the floor at his feet.

The shadows thickened, swallowing him up as the final essence of light flickered and died.

*

To Be Continued

*

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