Disclaimer: One of the Ten Commandments is, "Thou shalt not worship any god
but me". The same applies here - J. K. Rowling is the only owner of Harry
Potter, so thou shalt not worship any author but her!!
Harry stood for a moment at the top of stairs, gazing down at Wormtail. The wizard stared back at him, a pleading and desperate look in his eyes. For a moment, a feeling of pity swelled up in Harry. The wizard looked so helpless simply lying there on the floor.
Almost as soon as the feeling came, it dissolved as Harry remembered why Wormtail was there in the first place. He walked down the stairs slowly, keeping his gaze locked on Wormtail's. The wizard's eyes widened as Harry came closer. When Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, he knelt on the floor and stared hard at Wormtail.
"I'm going to keep you like this, you know," Harry said contemptuously to the wizard. Wormtail's eyes filled with tears, and they streamed down his face as he looked at Harry with obvious grief.
It suddenly dawned on him. "Voldemort will kill you when he finds out that you got caught," Harry murmured thoughtfully. He glanced back at Wormtail, whose eyes were wide with acknowledgement of this statement.
"More than likely, the Ministry of Magic will put you in Azkaban," Harry spat resentfully. "They'll punish you now for the crime that Sirius never committed!"
Wormtail's eyes closed and a muffled moan could be heard.
"You know that he's dead! You know how he died!" Harry exclaimed in anger.
"If your bloody Master hadn't sent those stinking Death Eaters after us that night, I'd still have Sirius!" Harry reeled away from Wormtail, unable to look at him. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and he muffled a sob as his shoulders began to shake uncontrollably.
"Do you know how much it hurt, Wormtail?" Harry asked in defeat. "Do you have any idea whatsoever what kind of torture it has been for me to live with the fact that I lost the one person who I could call family?" Harry turned to face Wormtail. The wizard gazed back at him, a remorseful look in his eyes.
"Lord Voldemort - " Wormtail's eyes rolled at the mention of his master's name. Harry noticed this, and pointedly said it again.
"Lord Voldemort lured me there that night, and like a bloody idiot, I went. And Sirius followed me. To protect me," Harry whispered slowly. A tear slipped down his cheek as he swallowed hard and tried to keep a hold on himself.
"And that's why he's dead, Wormtail. Because he cared about me. Just like my parents. They cared about me, and they're dead, too," Harry muttered spitefully.
"I don't see why I should show you any mercy," he said. "If it weren't for you, Voldemort wouldn't be back and I would still have Sirius. If it weren't for you, I'd still have my parents."
Harry looked hard at the wizard lying by his feet. Wormtail's eyes pleaded with him, but his silent efforts were in vain. Harry plucked the wizard's wand off the ground, where it had fallen the night before.
"I hope - " Harry was cut off as an owl swooped into the house from the fireplace and dropped an envelope at the floor by his feet. It left as soon as it had come, leaving Harry and Wormtail both staring at the letter.
"Well, this is a nice surprise," Harry said cheerfully. "I wasn't expecting a reply until this afternoon!"
Harry picked up the envelope and read the front. "This isn't Ron's handwriting," he said slowly. He turned it over and ripped the letter open, and scanned its contents quickly.
Harry -
Keep Wormtail in the Body-Bind until I get there. Keep him out
of sight and make sure that no one other than your aunt, uncle, and
cousin see him. I should arrive at the Dursley's before nightfall
today. Be on the watch for anything unusual - his spies are about
everywhere. Do not use any more magic, and do be careful!
-Albus Dumbledore
Harry sighed and stuck the letter in his back pocket. "Well, it looks like I'm only stuck with you until tonight," he said, somewhat relieved.
Harry looked around the foyer, looked for a good place to hide Wormtail. He finally decided on the cupboard under the stairs, where he himself had spent much of his youth. No one went in there anymore.
With some effort, Harry grabbed Wormtail's ankles and dragged him over to the door. He opened it and managed to shove the wizard inside, holding onto his wand and to Wormtail's.
"I'll keep this until Dumbledore gets here," Harry said triumphantly. Wormtail closed his eyes and made another muffled sound as Harry closed the door with a snap.
Harry stood for a moment at the top of stairs, gazing down at Wormtail. The wizard stared back at him, a pleading and desperate look in his eyes. For a moment, a feeling of pity swelled up in Harry. The wizard looked so helpless simply lying there on the floor.
Almost as soon as the feeling came, it dissolved as Harry remembered why Wormtail was there in the first place. He walked down the stairs slowly, keeping his gaze locked on Wormtail's. The wizard's eyes widened as Harry came closer. When Harry reached the bottom of the stairs, he knelt on the floor and stared hard at Wormtail.
"I'm going to keep you like this, you know," Harry said contemptuously to the wizard. Wormtail's eyes filled with tears, and they streamed down his face as he looked at Harry with obvious grief.
It suddenly dawned on him. "Voldemort will kill you when he finds out that you got caught," Harry murmured thoughtfully. He glanced back at Wormtail, whose eyes were wide with acknowledgement of this statement.
"More than likely, the Ministry of Magic will put you in Azkaban," Harry spat resentfully. "They'll punish you now for the crime that Sirius never committed!"
Wormtail's eyes closed and a muffled moan could be heard.
"You know that he's dead! You know how he died!" Harry exclaimed in anger.
"If your bloody Master hadn't sent those stinking Death Eaters after us that night, I'd still have Sirius!" Harry reeled away from Wormtail, unable to look at him. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, and he muffled a sob as his shoulders began to shake uncontrollably.
"Do you know how much it hurt, Wormtail?" Harry asked in defeat. "Do you have any idea whatsoever what kind of torture it has been for me to live with the fact that I lost the one person who I could call family?" Harry turned to face Wormtail. The wizard gazed back at him, a remorseful look in his eyes.
"Lord Voldemort - " Wormtail's eyes rolled at the mention of his master's name. Harry noticed this, and pointedly said it again.
"Lord Voldemort lured me there that night, and like a bloody idiot, I went. And Sirius followed me. To protect me," Harry whispered slowly. A tear slipped down his cheek as he swallowed hard and tried to keep a hold on himself.
"And that's why he's dead, Wormtail. Because he cared about me. Just like my parents. They cared about me, and they're dead, too," Harry muttered spitefully.
"I don't see why I should show you any mercy," he said. "If it weren't for you, Voldemort wouldn't be back and I would still have Sirius. If it weren't for you, I'd still have my parents."
Harry looked hard at the wizard lying by his feet. Wormtail's eyes pleaded with him, but his silent efforts were in vain. Harry plucked the wizard's wand off the ground, where it had fallen the night before.
"I hope - " Harry was cut off as an owl swooped into the house from the fireplace and dropped an envelope at the floor by his feet. It left as soon as it had come, leaving Harry and Wormtail both staring at the letter.
"Well, this is a nice surprise," Harry said cheerfully. "I wasn't expecting a reply until this afternoon!"
Harry picked up the envelope and read the front. "This isn't Ron's handwriting," he said slowly. He turned it over and ripped the letter open, and scanned its contents quickly.
Harry -
Keep Wormtail in the Body-Bind until I get there. Keep him out
of sight and make sure that no one other than your aunt, uncle, and
cousin see him. I should arrive at the Dursley's before nightfall
today. Be on the watch for anything unusual - his spies are about
everywhere. Do not use any more magic, and do be careful!
-Albus Dumbledore
Harry sighed and stuck the letter in his back pocket. "Well, it looks like I'm only stuck with you until tonight," he said, somewhat relieved.
Harry looked around the foyer, looked for a good place to hide Wormtail. He finally decided on the cupboard under the stairs, where he himself had spent much of his youth. No one went in there anymore.
With some effort, Harry grabbed Wormtail's ankles and dragged him over to the door. He opened it and managed to shove the wizard inside, holding onto his wand and to Wormtail's.
"I'll keep this until Dumbledore gets here," Harry said triumphantly. Wormtail closed his eyes and made another muffled sound as Harry closed the door with a snap.