11.- A small rat.

It was incredible how quickly time passed while you were having a good time. That's exactly what happened to Harry. With classes, the time he spent with either Snuffles or the Marauders, in no time, it was the end of April and the OWLs were getting close. Hermione started to nag them about their studies and how they should have started earlier like she did. Both friends listened to her calmly, and the Marauders watching at them in admiration.

Besides that, Snuffles seemed to start to get nervous; it seemed like he was waiting for something to happen, but he didn't want to tell them what was wrong. For some reason, he started to forbid Harry to go out with the Marauders during the full moons. At first, it started with detentions, which he always had to take on those nights. After that, it started to look like he was doing it on purpose, and Harry started feeling ill on those nights. Finally, the man spoke with the boy.

"Listen, Harry, I don't want you to go out with the Marauders during the night anymore, is that clear?"

"Why?"

"Because...because... you're changing the past."

"You were the ones who send me here!"

"You heard me, Harry. I don't want you out at night with them."

Those words angered Harry. Why was the man forbidding something like that? Of course, he didn't remain in the office long enough to find out. He turned around sharply and left the room, walking towards Gryffindor Tower, no one daring to stand in his way.

"Harry!" Cried his friends, seeing him so angry.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Asked Ron, approaching his friend, something most Gryffindors didn't think was very safe to do.

"Snuffles forbade me to go out at night!"

"Why?" Asked Hermione.

"I don't know! He didn't want to tell me!" He said angrily. "But I swear I'm going to find out tonight."

"Do you think that will safe, Harry?" Asked Hermione. "Snuffles must have had a good reason to forbid it, you know he worries about you. After all, he is your godfather, and he loves you."

"Yeah, right." He said, still angry.

"You'll come?" Asked Ron.

"Yes."

"But Snuffles..."

"I don't care!"

That same night, Harry, Ron, and Hermione took the invisibility cloak and left the school. Once outside, they hid the cloak and transformed. They started to run around the place, while playing. Coming after them, still covered with the invisibility cloak, were the Marauders.

For the first time, Harry knew how the Marauders felt while running through the Hogwarts' gardens during the full moon. They made a surprising group, since it was not usual to see such a carefree unicorn. Not to mention that he was with a powerful looking stag and a resolute owl, who managed to steer her friends away from places she didn't want to go.

After a while, the stag started to walk towards the Forbidden Forest. The unicorn and the owl didn't seem to like that idea, but nevertheless, they followed him.

"Harry seems to be very much at ease out here, being the first time he comes out at night." Said Remus softly.

"I know." Answered James. "The poor guy has had bad luck. In November he couldn't come out because Dumbledore wanted to talk with him, then the other times, McGonagall watched him closely. And now, since Smith's arrival, he has always been in detention or ill."

"I don't understand why Professor Smith forbade him to come." Said Lily.

"No idea."

"Hey! They are going to the forest!" Cried Sirius.

"Let's go then." Said the others, and they followed them into the Forest.

They found them again a few minutes later, in a small clearance with a small pond filled with sparkling clean water. They stopped there to drink a bit and play. Hermione transformed back and took off her black robe, showing she was wearing a muggle T-shirt and shorts. She ran to play with the stag and the unicorn this way, because as an owl, she was only able to fly.

It was during those games that they heard something coming from some bushes. The three ran to hide behind some other bushes while the Marauders stayed still. A few moments later, a man stepped into the clearance. He was not very tall, but he was dressed in dark robes, Death Eater's robes. From their hiding place, the Marauders saw how Hermione whimpered softly while the stag and the unicorn looked murderous. There was a small pop, and both boys returned to their human forms. After they changed, their expression went from furious and hate to cold indifference, they then stepped back into the clearance.

"What are you doing here?" Asked Harry.

"Ah, Harry, I knew you were here." Answered the Death Eater.

"You didn't answer my question! What the bloody hell are you doing here?!"

"I wanted to speak with you, Harry."

"But I don't want to talk to you! So, go away!"

"Harry, listen to me, I've come to help you."

"I already know your ways of helping me." Assured Harry while sending him a hateful glance.

"That was many years ago! I was young!" Cried the Death Eater.

"Many years ago!" He shouted angrily. "You think you did this to me many years ago?!" He said while he lifted his shirtsleeve and showed him a black scar.

"Well...I..." Said the Death Eater nervously while he ran his silvery hand through his hair.

"It hasn't even been a year since you did this to me! Now leave, Peter! Or should I call you "Wormtail"? Is that what your master calls you now?" Said Harry.

From their hiding place, the Marauders had to make an effort to remain still after those last few words, but they managed to continue listening quietly.

"I'm risking my live with this!" Cried Wormtail.

"Then leave!"

"I owe you a life debt." He shouted. "That's why I came to warn you. You're not safe here anymore! My Master knows where you are!"

Harry stayed still and silent for a moment, processing the information he had just received and after regaining his calm, he answered.

"I don't give a damn about your life debt. I didn't save your life because of you, but because I knew that my father wouldn't have wanted his best friends to become murderers because of you. I thought that was clear. You should have thought helping us fourteen years ago, not now."

"Don't talk like that, James and Lily were my friends!"

"You betrayed them! They made you their secret keeper, and you gave them away to Voldemort! You were the one who murdered my parents, so don't tell me they were your friends, Pettigrew!" Shouted Harry.

While he shouted, a golden light enveloped Harry, and everything started to shake around them. While the trees trembled, they were all able to sense the great power that surrounded the boy, and they started to hear thunder coming from far away while it started to rain.

Wormtail started to tremble before the teen's power. He had never seen so much raw magical power in anyone, and for the first time, he knew why Voldemort wanted Harry dead.

Just then, Snuffles arrived, and he ran to hug the boy while trying to calm him down. He was looking at the Death Eater with a hateful glare.

"Leave, Peter, or I'll forget the promise I made to Harry those years ago!" Cried Sirius.

"I don't want to hurt him, Sirius." Said Peter. "You have no idea how much I regret what happened...what I did."

"No, I don't know, and I don't want to know. You gave James and Lily away, you didn't care that Voldemort wanted to kill them. Now, you should leave before I kill you."

"No, he is not going anywhere." Said Harry.

And even if the man was hugging him, he was able to raise a hand and pointed it to Peter. Mere seconds later, the Death Eater fell on the ground completely unconscious.

"He is going right into Azkaban." Added Harry. "This time, he won't get away."

With another movement of his hand, the Death Eater turned into a rat and was locked away in a crystal jar. After that, Harry turned around and hugged Sirius, crying into his shoulder.

"Hush, calm down." Said his godfather. "Calm down, Harry. I told you not to leave the school, I asked you. I didn't want you to go through this."

"You knew that Voldemort...?"

"Yes, that's why I came to the past, to protect you."

A/N: Thanks for all reviews and thanks to my beta-reader, Vinnie.