An 1: I warn you that many of you will hate this chapter but Peter is very important to the end of the story. But stick with it and all will be revealed in time.

An 2: This shall be the last chapter where Katherine shall be a bit Mary sue I need it to set the stage for the next steps and the shield is important in the last battle so I had to work it in. But please stick with the story. The story does get better I promises especially the second part of this trilogy which is actually written, its only finishing this bit off I am having trouble with. There will only be a couple more chapters before I get the next part up so stick around.

Chapter 16 - the return of the lost brother

Albus Dumbledore and Alastor Moody had escorted Peter Pettigrew to the ministry earlier that morning, where he had promptly been given Veritaserum and under questioning he had both proven the innocents of Sirius Black and the existence of Voldemort.

"Aurors take Mr Pettigrew to await sentencing, there will have to be a public trial of course so take him to the holding cells," said the Ministry of Magic.

The Aurors began to release Peter from the binds that bound him to a chair. He began to shiver and shake and soon collapsed on the floor in a seizure. The medi witch was called.

"Was this man given a tox screen before he was given the truth serum? We need to get him to a St Mungos quickly, what ever he has taken has caused a serious reaction in him."

Peter was quickly rushed to the St Mungos where he spent 12 hours undergoing extensive treatment.

"Now Minister have you found out what caused the serve reaction?"

"No Albus I am awaiting the medi wizards report."

"Ah and here he is now."

"Minster I have the report on Mr Pettigrew, his system contained two very powerful potions accompanied by three spells. Their purpose we discovered is to suppress the mind and the subconscious rendering the individual under similar effects of the imperio curse, however combine with the spells the effect of these spells is able to last four decades at a time. Sir we have never seen anything like this before we actually had to call in several different potion masters and historians to identify this spell, they are continuing to work on the situation as we were only able to find out limited information on the patients condition; as far as we can tell, these spells have been in use for at least 17 years."

"Thank you... you may..."

"Ah before you go Denis could you tell me what type of effects this has had on Peter."

"Well headmaster, his immune system is totally destroyed at this point in time; also when we removed the spells and flushed the toxins for his body we discovered that he hasn't been able to recall anything; we are still trying determine how far back his memory has been destroyed."

"Thank you Denis and how is your wife?"

"She is very good sir, she is pregnant with our first child...."

"That will be all," said Cornelius. As he gave the medi wizard a stern look letting him know his presents was no longer required.

"Well Cornelius this does change a few things doesn't it."

"What do you mean Albus you heard the Pettigrew he betrayed the Potters killed 13 muggles and is a death eater. He shall receive the kiss as soon as he has been released."

"You do not mean that I hope minister?"

"I most certainly do...."

"But do you not think that Peter deservers a trial, the current facts must be taken into consideration when determining his case."

"Albus you can't be serious he ...."

"You are the minister of magic and it is your right to up hold the value of justice within out community...."

"Yes yes, alright we will have a trail."

Over the next three days a trial was conducted where Peter was found innocent of all the charges brought before him as at the time he was not in control of his actions. Remus, a now free Sirius, Arabella and Harry were present at the trial and had mixed feelings on the outcome, on one had their friend had not betrayed them on the other they never did receive justice.

"Ah excuse me could some one tell me what is going on here, please could I make a phone call or could you contact either Remus Lupin, Sirius Black or James Potter for me?"

"I'm sorry Mr Pettigrew you shall have to wait for the medi wizard to come by he shall be along shortly to explain everything to you."

"Ah ok but could you see about calling one of those people for me?"

"Umm... I'll see what I can do."

"Ah Mr Pettigrew, I believe you have a few questions?"

"Yes I do."

"Well let me first start by telling you why you are here. You are at St Mungos. Four days ago you were brought to the Magic of Ministry to be questioned under Veritaserum. Where it was discovered that you has a reaction to it, and then we found out that you had several potions and spells on you. In consequence these potions and spells together caused you to be under similar effects to that of the imperio curse. Once we removed these spells we found that because the toxins have been in your system for so long your immune system has been reduced to nearly nothing but we are working on the problem. The other present effect is that from the time you were subject to the magic your memory has also shut down. What I am trying to say is that from the time you were infected to the present you will have no memory of the things you have said or done. Your arms has also been servilely injured in the past few years, you did have silver arm in place however at the request to Headmaster Dumbledore it was removed and we attached a new magic protistic arm. Do you have any questions? I now this is a lot of information to take in at once."

"Ummm... well actually yes I would like to know what has happened in the past 17 years of my life and where are my friends?"

"Professor Dumbledore would like to speak to you I am sure he will have the answers you are looking for."

"Peter."

"Professor Sir, what has happened to me I don't remember anything where are Remus, Sirius and James."

"Peter many things have happened over the past 17 years and it will take me some time to explain."

The next few hours Albus spent telling Peter about what had happened over the last 17 years of his life, the death of James and Lily, the imprisonment of Sirius, his life as a rat, and his role in bringing back Lord Voldemort. After the headmaster has finished all Peter could do was weep.

"Professor Dumbledore do me a favour and kill me now."

"Peter, I am sorry, but you will get through this."

"No I won't, I killed my friends, and ruined the life of another, and James's son, what have I done to him. I... can't ... do this I...."

"Peter I am sorry there is no easy way for you to begin again but you can, life at the moment doesn't seem to clear but my boy you have been given a second chance, your life for the last seventeen years has not been your own but now you have a chance to live it."

"Headmaster Sirius Remus and Harry, I can't.... They must hate me...."

"I believe at the present time they are very confused just like you... they have spent many years believing that you had willingly betrayed James and Lily but now they just as you are trying to come to terms with what has happened."

"Professor do you think I could be alone at the moment, I really have to think."

"Of course, it has been decided that in a two weeks you will come to Hogwarts where Madam Pomfrey has offered to help with re-building your immune system." And with that the old man left.

Once the door closed Peter once again began to weep for everything he had done, for his friends and for the past which he never got to live.

Remus, Sirius, Harry and Arabella sat in the suite the three adults shared together, trying to understand what all this knowledge meant and how it changed things.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND," shouted Harry.

"Harry none of us do, this is going to take time," said Remus.

"I can't stay here I think I need to go and find Ron and Hermione." Harry left storming out of the room.

Arabella got up to go after him. "Bella don't he needs time, just like all of us," said Sirius, he turned to Remus and said, "nothing makes sense any more Moony."

"Padfoot, this is going to take time but-"

"You don't understand I have spent 15 years hating Peter wanting revenge on him for what he did to me... that feeling is still there what do I do... I don't know if I can forgive him even if it wasn't really him..."

"Padfoot no one is asking you to do anything we have time to think of this, it changes everything... that's true but nothing needs to be decided tonight."

Sirius stormed off into his bedroom slamming the door shut. "Remmy I think I need to go and talk to him will you be ok?" Arabella asked.

"Yes Bella."

So Arabella went after Sirius leaving Remus sitting in their sitting room, turning over the week's events in his mind.

"Mate what are you going to do?" asked Ron.

"I don't know, nothing makes any sense everything is like a wall that has just come crushing down."

"How about we go out to the lake and talk," suggested Hermione.

So the trio went down to the lake.

Katherine had not come with them deciding that the three friends needed to be together on this, and she wasn't apart of it so she went to the Room of Requirement trying to work out her frustrations. 'The eyes never lie, but now look what I have done, I knew something was wrong with that rat not that he just wasn't a rat but there was more to him then what was there. Now look what I have done, I have ruined so many lives.' And so she just continued to hit a boxing bag one blow after another for the next couple of hours.

It had been a week since Peter had been admitted into hospital. Sirius, Remus and Arabella had spent so much time trying to work out their own feelings on the issue and what everything now meant. It was decided that first of all Remus and Sirius needed to see Peter as things needed to be said.

"You ready Sirius?" asked Remus as they stood outside Peter's room.

"Nope. You?"

"I don't think I could ever be ready for something like this."

Knock Knock.

"Come in Professor Dumbledore," came the voice from behind the door.

"Oh god, what are you two doing here?" asked Peter his voice quivering showing that he had been crying recently.

"We needed to talk to you," said Remus. Sirius was incapable of speaking at the moment, the despicable thing he had encountered in Harry's third year was no longer. The man was now clean, his skin a healthier colour and what was left of his hair had been washed and combed.

"Remus there is nothing I can say, I deserve to die for what I have done; I can't even fathom why you are here."

"Peter..." Sirius began.

"And you Sirius I have hurt you the most because of me you spent 12 years in Azkaban...."

"Peter shut up,' said Sirius. "Over the past week we have spent a lot of time trying to understand what has happened, and it didn't work, before I stepped in this door I wasn't sure if I wanted to strangle you or what... but .... I forgive you. It wasn't you who did this to us Wormtail, it was something that was done to you..."

"Sirius you can't...."

"It's done Peter."

"Mr. Moony would also like to tell Mr. Wormtail, that he is forgiven and that if Mr. Prongs was here he would say that same."

The three friends began to talk about old times, the future and nothing was mentioned of what had occurred over the last 17 years.

Sirius and Remus had come to talk with the Peter yesterday and today it was Harry's turn. He stood outside the door; Katherine had come with him also.

"You sure you don't want me to wait outside? I mean I don't really have much to do with this."

"Sure, plus I don't think I can do this on my own.'

"But wouldn't you feel better if someone like Professor Lupin or Sirius where here?"

"No." He took her hand unconsciously and opened the door.

"Hello Peter."

"Oh god Harry, I am so sorry, I know there is nothing I can say that will ever be enough but you have to know I am so sorry for everything I have done to you..."

"Peter there's not need...."

"Yes there is I am so sorry...."

"Peter I forgive you it wasn't you, therefore I can't hold it against you however Voldemort is a totally different story, one day...."

"Oh Harry... thank you." Peter threw his arms around the boy's neck and began to hug him as tears of joy followed from his eyes.

Katherine who was sitting in the chair opposite the two smiled at the seen in front of her. Harry had gained another connection to his family. She let out a sigh as flashes from her past causing her to shiver at the thought.

Harry noticed "Katherine are you ok?"

"Yeah... Harry maybe I should go and leave you two to talk."

"No... please don't go. Come over here and sit with us." He patted the bed next to him signally her to sit down.

"Uh...."

"Come on..."

She got up and went across the room taking a seat at the very end of the bed putting the most distance between her and the other two. Harry reached out his hand and grasped hers smiling at her.

Peter and Harry began to talk as Harry filled Peter in about Hogwarts and his life. As Katherine got more comfortable with the situation she had unconsciously moved closer to the others. During Harry's story about his battle with the basilisk in his second year, Peter grabbed Katherine's hand shocking her.

"So Peter when did the medi wizards say you could be released from here?" asked Harry.

"Ah... because of the potions my immune system has disintegrated so they have to keep me here a bit longer before I'll be stuck with Madam Pomfrey for a about a month while her and Snape try to rebuild it."

Katherine felt so sorry for him he had been through so much and it still wasn't over she wish she could help him. Her hand felt warm again not like the last time this time it was different. However after 5 minutes the felling was gone. The Mediwizards came in as they had noticed changes in the spells that surrounded Peter monitoring his vitals. It seemed that for an unknown reason his immune system was beginning to repair its self.

Over the next day it seemed that for some unknown reason Peter's immune system had fully repaired itself. The Mediwizards where completely baffled. He was then taking to Hogwarts to be under the care of Madam Pomfrey to ensure that what ever had happened didn't reverse itself. He finally moved into Grimmauld place where he got a job at the Ministry of Magic in the games and leisure department as Ludo's second. The job he held under a different ministry official 17 years ago. The three Marauders began to rebuild the relationship that they had shared so many years ago; however it was not an easy task.

TBC

An 3: And Despite everything Peter will not be getting off scott free despite the fact that it wasn't his fault I promise.

Review Responses:

Gryffindorchick(): hope you like the chapter and thank you for the review.

Cardiff bluebird: its nice to see some people haven't forgotten Hufflepuff. More about Jillian and Katherine's past will come in the next chapter. Now will you send me a flame or not for this chapter. I bet it will be a flame. :P

Auntarctic: I think your going to be right about people hating this chapter but sometimes you have to do things that you don't wanna do. :D

House cup points:

Gryffindor: 120 points

Slytherin: 60 points

Ravenclaw: 50 points

Hufflepuff: 20 points