After several unnaturally long hours, the deatheaters drifted back into the
darkness from whence they came, and Peter curled up in the corner. His eyes
uneasily scanned the large room, lingering on the shadowed corners. But he
could not see anything.
Images of James, Lily, and Harry poured through his mind, laughing, talking, hugging, pervaded his every thought. Were they dead yet? He wondered. He tried to image the scene that was taking place thousands of miles away in Godric's Hollow, and, against his will, a silvery tear escaped from his eye. He shook his head violently, as though that would rid him of the terrible thoughts. But they persisted, tormenting him. And then an image of Sirius materialized before him, eyes alight with madness and rage, and wand pointed at Peter's head. "Sirius no!" He whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. Though the visage of Sirius had been only the product of his own imagination, it filled him with cold terror. He would have to go into hiding... He knew how Sirius loved James as a brother... He would not let his friend's death pass un-avenged. Peter trembled, and pulled his cloak tighter about him. He must not think these thoughts; he had to think about the other, brighter side. The Dark Lord would surely reward him. Hadn't he promised any death eater who supplied him with information regarding the Potter's great riches? Yes, he had. But where was he?
Images of James and the Dark Lord Dueling appeared, unbidden in his mind. James was superb at dueling, but no match for The Dark Lord himself. Smoke clouded the room around the two fighting figures, and James was coughing, and hurling curses and hexes at his opponent in rapid succession. And then a flash of green lit up the room, and James fell, his body crashing into a broken table. Peter fought the urge to cry out as James's eyes grew wide in pain, and his breath became labored, and then stopped. He could see The Dark Lord laughing now, red eyes filled with cold amusement. And then he calmly stepped over the fallen body, in search of Lily and Harry, no doubt. Horrible waves of guilt and shame swept over Peter. He retched, violently onto the floor beside him. He needed to talk to somebody, to wait alone was terrible! He rested his head back against the wall, and willed somebody to come find him. But nobody did, and, after while he fell into a deep sleep.
"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM YOU BRAINLESS RAT!" A voice was shrieking somewhere above him.
Peter slowly opened his eyes, to see a tall woman with a shock of black hair and heavy lidded eyes. Her cheeks were red with rage, and her hands trembled.
"What?" Peter said slowly.
"YOU SENT HIM TO HIS DEATH!"
"I..." Peter's stomach dropped, and his mind became a swirl. "Did, did J-James kill him then?" He whispered.
The woman's eyes narrowed and bored into him mercilessly, "No," She hissed.
Peter flattened himself against the wall, shaking.
"The boy killed him."
Peter didn't know whether to be confused or terrified, "But- the Dark Lord.... He can't be killed. He's invincible..."
"Don't you dare blather on like that!" The woman snapped. "I will kill you. I will ensure your last moments will be more painful than anything you've ever-"
"Bellatrix," A man's voice interrupted from the doorway.
The woman spun, "Lucius," She said curtly. "What news?"
"Aurors are making raids. They know he is gone. We must hide-"
Abruptly Bellatrix turned back to Peter. "Do you see what you have done?" She hissed. "You have ruined us!"
"Is that it?" Lucius asked, his eyes immediately focusing in on the huddled form.
Peter stared back, seemingly seeing everything, but not comprehending anything. His mind was elsewhere; with his master, with the Potters, and somewhere he could not even begin to describe.
"Yes," Bellatrix was exclaiming. "The bloody traitor... he killed the Dark Lord... sent him to his death. But oh- he shall die! I will kill him. He has ruined us all!" She raised her wand, and Peter felt the cold tip rest just above his right ear.
Let it end! Peter thought grimly. There was nothing for him... nothing at all. He had killed members of both sides. He had failed everyone. But his wished was not granted.
"Don't be rash, Bella," Lucius said, pushing aside her wand with his own.
"You'd let it live?" Bellatrix exclaimed, dark eyes narrowing in fury.
"Only in a sense, Bella, they say Azkaban is worse than death. Let him rot there, drowning in his own guilt until madness takes over. Madness, and then nothing. He will be empty.
Real terror gripped Peter's heart. This was something... more real than the recent events. Something he could comprehend. Azkaban... he had been raised on stories of the monstrosity and utter desolation on the place. Death was more inviting. And they would not give it to him.
"See how he trembles? Lucius asked, cold gray eyes staring at the pitiable figure. "Let us leave. They will find him... he is not smart enough to evade the aurors of the ministry."
"But where shall we go?" Bella protested. "We shall be sold out by the others... Will be put on trial, and then..."
"Oh, don't fret... With my influence it will be no problem to pull a few strings at the ministry."
"But what about me?"
Lucius sighed, "If brought to trial, denounce him. Say you were under the impediment curse. They will not be able to persecute you then..."
"I," Bellatrix interrupted, "Will never denounce The Dark Lord like some mudblood scum. I shall remain loyal. If I go on trial- so be it!" her very features seem to straighten as she spoke, as though filled with a new resolve.
"Well, Bella, if that is your course I cannot help you. Farewell then."
Bellatrix nodded, and the two turned away from one another, departing in different directions.
Peter watched them go, not sure whether to be happy or frightened. And then the thought of Azkaban came back... Ah! The dementors.... He shivered. He had seen them once before. The Dark Lord had summoned them once. They were more than terrifying. There was a terrible aura that surrounded them, encompassing all the fears in this world. He could not bear being around them... There was only one choice for him. He would have to go out into the world once again. Always hiding... The Death of the Dark lord would not turn Sirius's fury away.
Warily, Peter stood up and brushed off his cloak. His ears strained to hear something other than the ominous silence, but, apart from his heavy breathing, there was nothing. All the other deatheaters had fled, and he was now quite alone in the large citadel that had been The Dark Lord's base. He looked around the main hall one last time and then departed through a small wooden door.
The citadel was filled with twisting hallways and corridors, and rooms of all shapes and sizes could be found opening onto the never-ending halls. The place had obviously been deserted in a hurry. Half eaten bowls of soup were left casually on the lintels and occasional table, robes and masks had been left in crumpled heaps upon the floor, and the mice and rats had already begun to take over the place.
Rats... Peter stopped in his tracks, and a glimmer of thought appeared. He had a secret alias that nobody knew of! Well, nobody except for... no he could not yet think those names. They would never tell the ministry anyways. By doing so, they'd be turning themselves in as well... He would not be found unless he wanted to be. He resumed walking, running over various scenes in which he defied the entire ministry. He chuckled, in spite of himself. The laugh, small as it was seemed out of place in the gloomy building. It held so many mysteries, so many secrets, and ears... The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and, nervously he looked behind him, expecting to see a robed pursuer.
Don't be silly! He told himself. They've all gone!
Because of you, another voice responded.
It was an accident!
You will still be blamed.
They wont find me.
The Dark Lord has eyes and ears everywhere...
He is dead now.
He can't die, the other voice persisted.
Then what happened? He protested inwardly.
The other voice did not answer, but seeds of doubt manifested themselves in Peter's mind. What if The Dark Lord wasn't dead? Maybe he could still find protection and hiding would be unnecessary...
He stopped in front of a large window, overlooking a vast and wild wood. How peaceful and simple everything seemed on the surface! But oh, what it hid...
Note- this chapter is not my favorite, but it was necessary to bridge the gap between 1 & 3 obviously ^_^ The next chapter will hopefully be more interesting- it's going to be about Sirius and Peter's encounter. Sorry for the lack of updates lately, I've had a ton of work for school. But I will be on Spring Break next week so I should get a lot done then ^_^
Images of James, Lily, and Harry poured through his mind, laughing, talking, hugging, pervaded his every thought. Were they dead yet? He wondered. He tried to image the scene that was taking place thousands of miles away in Godric's Hollow, and, against his will, a silvery tear escaped from his eye. He shook his head violently, as though that would rid him of the terrible thoughts. But they persisted, tormenting him. And then an image of Sirius materialized before him, eyes alight with madness and rage, and wand pointed at Peter's head. "Sirius no!" He whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. Though the visage of Sirius had been only the product of his own imagination, it filled him with cold terror. He would have to go into hiding... He knew how Sirius loved James as a brother... He would not let his friend's death pass un-avenged. Peter trembled, and pulled his cloak tighter about him. He must not think these thoughts; he had to think about the other, brighter side. The Dark Lord would surely reward him. Hadn't he promised any death eater who supplied him with information regarding the Potter's great riches? Yes, he had. But where was he?
Images of James and the Dark Lord Dueling appeared, unbidden in his mind. James was superb at dueling, but no match for The Dark Lord himself. Smoke clouded the room around the two fighting figures, and James was coughing, and hurling curses and hexes at his opponent in rapid succession. And then a flash of green lit up the room, and James fell, his body crashing into a broken table. Peter fought the urge to cry out as James's eyes grew wide in pain, and his breath became labored, and then stopped. He could see The Dark Lord laughing now, red eyes filled with cold amusement. And then he calmly stepped over the fallen body, in search of Lily and Harry, no doubt. Horrible waves of guilt and shame swept over Peter. He retched, violently onto the floor beside him. He needed to talk to somebody, to wait alone was terrible! He rested his head back against the wall, and willed somebody to come find him. But nobody did, and, after while he fell into a deep sleep.
"YOU KILLED HIM! YOU KILLED HIM YOU BRAINLESS RAT!" A voice was shrieking somewhere above him.
Peter slowly opened his eyes, to see a tall woman with a shock of black hair and heavy lidded eyes. Her cheeks were red with rage, and her hands trembled.
"What?" Peter said slowly.
"YOU SENT HIM TO HIS DEATH!"
"I..." Peter's stomach dropped, and his mind became a swirl. "Did, did J-James kill him then?" He whispered.
The woman's eyes narrowed and bored into him mercilessly, "No," She hissed.
Peter flattened himself against the wall, shaking.
"The boy killed him."
Peter didn't know whether to be confused or terrified, "But- the Dark Lord.... He can't be killed. He's invincible..."
"Don't you dare blather on like that!" The woman snapped. "I will kill you. I will ensure your last moments will be more painful than anything you've ever-"
"Bellatrix," A man's voice interrupted from the doorway.
The woman spun, "Lucius," She said curtly. "What news?"
"Aurors are making raids. They know he is gone. We must hide-"
Abruptly Bellatrix turned back to Peter. "Do you see what you have done?" She hissed. "You have ruined us!"
"Is that it?" Lucius asked, his eyes immediately focusing in on the huddled form.
Peter stared back, seemingly seeing everything, but not comprehending anything. His mind was elsewhere; with his master, with the Potters, and somewhere he could not even begin to describe.
"Yes," Bellatrix was exclaiming. "The bloody traitor... he killed the Dark Lord... sent him to his death. But oh- he shall die! I will kill him. He has ruined us all!" She raised her wand, and Peter felt the cold tip rest just above his right ear.
Let it end! Peter thought grimly. There was nothing for him... nothing at all. He had killed members of both sides. He had failed everyone. But his wished was not granted.
"Don't be rash, Bella," Lucius said, pushing aside her wand with his own.
"You'd let it live?" Bellatrix exclaimed, dark eyes narrowing in fury.
"Only in a sense, Bella, they say Azkaban is worse than death. Let him rot there, drowning in his own guilt until madness takes over. Madness, and then nothing. He will be empty.
Real terror gripped Peter's heart. This was something... more real than the recent events. Something he could comprehend. Azkaban... he had been raised on stories of the monstrosity and utter desolation on the place. Death was more inviting. And they would not give it to him.
"See how he trembles? Lucius asked, cold gray eyes staring at the pitiable figure. "Let us leave. They will find him... he is not smart enough to evade the aurors of the ministry."
"But where shall we go?" Bella protested. "We shall be sold out by the others... Will be put on trial, and then..."
"Oh, don't fret... With my influence it will be no problem to pull a few strings at the ministry."
"But what about me?"
Lucius sighed, "If brought to trial, denounce him. Say you were under the impediment curse. They will not be able to persecute you then..."
"I," Bellatrix interrupted, "Will never denounce The Dark Lord like some mudblood scum. I shall remain loyal. If I go on trial- so be it!" her very features seem to straighten as she spoke, as though filled with a new resolve.
"Well, Bella, if that is your course I cannot help you. Farewell then."
Bellatrix nodded, and the two turned away from one another, departing in different directions.
Peter watched them go, not sure whether to be happy or frightened. And then the thought of Azkaban came back... Ah! The dementors.... He shivered. He had seen them once before. The Dark Lord had summoned them once. They were more than terrifying. There was a terrible aura that surrounded them, encompassing all the fears in this world. He could not bear being around them... There was only one choice for him. He would have to go out into the world once again. Always hiding... The Death of the Dark lord would not turn Sirius's fury away.
Warily, Peter stood up and brushed off his cloak. His ears strained to hear something other than the ominous silence, but, apart from his heavy breathing, there was nothing. All the other deatheaters had fled, and he was now quite alone in the large citadel that had been The Dark Lord's base. He looked around the main hall one last time and then departed through a small wooden door.
The citadel was filled with twisting hallways and corridors, and rooms of all shapes and sizes could be found opening onto the never-ending halls. The place had obviously been deserted in a hurry. Half eaten bowls of soup were left casually on the lintels and occasional table, robes and masks had been left in crumpled heaps upon the floor, and the mice and rats had already begun to take over the place.
Rats... Peter stopped in his tracks, and a glimmer of thought appeared. He had a secret alias that nobody knew of! Well, nobody except for... no he could not yet think those names. They would never tell the ministry anyways. By doing so, they'd be turning themselves in as well... He would not be found unless he wanted to be. He resumed walking, running over various scenes in which he defied the entire ministry. He chuckled, in spite of himself. The laugh, small as it was seemed out of place in the gloomy building. It held so many mysteries, so many secrets, and ears... The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and, nervously he looked behind him, expecting to see a robed pursuer.
Don't be silly! He told himself. They've all gone!
Because of you, another voice responded.
It was an accident!
You will still be blamed.
They wont find me.
The Dark Lord has eyes and ears everywhere...
He is dead now.
He can't die, the other voice persisted.
Then what happened? He protested inwardly.
The other voice did not answer, but seeds of doubt manifested themselves in Peter's mind. What if The Dark Lord wasn't dead? Maybe he could still find protection and hiding would be unnecessary...
He stopped in front of a large window, overlooking a vast and wild wood. How peaceful and simple everything seemed on the surface! But oh, what it hid...
Note- this chapter is not my favorite, but it was necessary to bridge the gap between 1 & 3 obviously ^_^ The next chapter will hopefully be more interesting- it's going to be about Sirius and Peter's encounter. Sorry for the lack of updates lately, I've had a ton of work for school. But I will be on Spring Break next week so I should get a lot done then ^_^
