CONGRATULATIONS to all the people who guessed who the mysterious letter writer is before this chapter was even written! I did add little clues in…well done to all of you. (HANDS OUT CHOCOLATE FROGS and BERTIE BOTTS EVERY FLAVOUR BEANS) to all the reviewers.

Right, the chapter that everyone has all been waiting for! You might be surprised, hopefully!


Chapter 13: The Messenger and Dumbledore's Confession

It was Peter Pettigrew.

The man who had betrayed Harry's parents had been helping him.

Harry felt his throat go dry. Wormtail stood watching the four students apprehensively. Harry raised his wand, as did Ron, Hermione and Neville.

"I don't believe it," Harry whispered, "It can't be you. You betrayed my parents, and framed Sirius!" he kept his wand trained on Pettigrew but he was now shaking, not with fear but with anger. How could this man show himself to Harry after all he had done?

"It's not what it seems." Wormtail pleaded, his eyes searching for, perhaps pity, in Harry's face.

"Why should I listen to you? Why should I even believe what you say when you are a lying, filthy little rat and TRAITOR!" Harry roared.

"I feel bad in what I have done. I spent years dreading everything that I'd done," Wormtail said, "I didn't want to face the Ministry all those years ago, but now I do. I'm ready to serve my sentence, one that I have deserved for many years, but hid from for many years because I was afraid, but ever since I want back to…" he struggled for words.

"Voldemort?" Harry said, sarcastically.

Wormtail flinched but Harry ignored it, his face hard: "Go on."

"I've wanted to leave him but cannot. I am bound to him by the Mark. I cannot leave him unless someone helps me to do so," Wormtail stammered, "If I was to help you get back the thing you most want, will you let me surrender myself to you, so I can face the Ministry?" he wiped his face with his hands, "I feel so guilty. Everything that has happened has been my fault."

He began pacing up and down. "I shall tell you the reason behind my actions. I think its best for you to understand why I did what I did."

"We already know," Harry interrupted, harshly, "You are a lying, filthy little rat! What more is there to you?"

"Harry!" Hermione said, elbowing him in the arm, "Let him speak."

"Continue but I'll say this, there is no guarantee that your pathetic pleading will help you now…not like last time." Harry promised.

"You see back when I was a boy, my father was murdered by Death Eaters. I was only ten years old at the time. My mother became withdrawn, unhappy and I wanted nothing more then to please her. I came to Hogwarts, sorted into Gryffindor, quickly becoming the odd one out, probably because I was so pitiful and had no magical talent within me. Yet it was James who saw me for someone who had talent and wanted to prove to me I was useful. I tagged around James and Remus at first, up until the point James and Sirius became friends. At that point I just became the background while they strode around the school becoming popular and the best at everything. I felt lost, yet I was still counted among one of his friends. Years passed, we graduated from Hogwarts and went out into the wide world. James married Lily; Sirius and Remus started work, and I was left alone with no physical means of support. My mother was wasting away in front of me. He-Who-Must-No…"

He was cut off by Harry.

"Say VOLDEMORT! You serve him, so say his name! If you are truly a Gryffindor then you'd say his name and be brave about it, instead of being so stupid and babyish of saying it!"

Wormtail stared at Harry in shock but hid his surprise quickly and stumbled on, saying Voldemort's name but only for Harry.

"Vol…de…mort was gaining power steadily. I was frightened, scared I'd die the same way as my father. I didn't want that. I contacted a Death Eater saying I wanted to join. It was only to protect myself from being killed that I did it. He accepted me into his inner circle; there I found out that he wanted to kill James and Lily. I realised then that as long as I didn't know where they were I'd be safe. However things changed. Sirius declined the offer of Secret Keeper and James came to me. My master discovered that I knew where they were: I had to tell him for he promised to use the Crucio Curse upon me. I did not mean to let it slip; I regretted it afterwards. I realised that Sirius would hunt me down once he knew James and Lily were dead. I said goodbye to my mother and left to wait my fate. Sirius came to me, filled with anger, I knew then that I wouldn't escape alive. I did the only thing I knew, performed a curse that killed all them Muggles and transformed into my rat form. I hid for thirteen years until that night I escaped. I was glad you'd save me from being killed by the hands of Remus and Sirius, but I couldn't give up my freedom so quickly. No one knew I was alive, no one knew that I'd framed Sirius, no one knew I had betrayed your parents, no one knew the truth. With that information, I fled when I could. I know I was a coward that night, I know I was doing the wrong thing, but at that time I didn't care about anyone save myself."

Harry snorted. "Yeah, I bet you thought you were clever. I can't see why my father befriended you in the first place."

"He did because he felt pity for me," Wormtail replied, "And so did you. I am grateful for it. That has shown me the truth." He lowered his head but continued speaking, "When I heard about the Department of Mysteries incident I decided to help you discover the truth behind it. I knew if I revealed myself you wouldn't take to me so I used 'S' for 'Scabbers' the name you knew me by for three years."

"The truth?" Harry said, "the truth about what? I know what happened that night! I was there! Dumbledore told me everything that night!"

"Did he tell you about your family?"

"What about my family?"

Wormtail shook his head in denial. "He didn't tell you the whole truth about your family? He never told you that?"

"Told me what?" Harry demanded. His temper was rising.

"That you are the heir of Gryffindor." Wormtail said simply.

"Wha-?" Harry stopped, staring at the man, unbelieving.

"He never told you that…Voldemort picked you as the most threat because you were the heir of Gryffindor?"

Harry shook his head. "No…he didn't. He said it was because we were both half-bloods and it was that."

"He discovered shortly before going after James and Lily. He traced your line by looking at portraits of Godric Gryffindor and his sons. He then made the connection. I don't know how he knows but Dumbledore knows, he will tell you."

Harry could not believe what he was hearing. He had suspected that he was the heir of Gryffindor but not openly believed it. He would have to speak to Dumbledore about it. He would pay for not telling him the truth.

"What else do you know that I don't?" Harry asked, determined to get answers.

"Do you know about Sirius?" Wormtail questioned, but seeing Harry's puzzled look, said: "He's alive Harry."

"He can't be," Harry began, "Sirius can't be alive, I saw him die, he fell through the Veil!"

"Then you didn't find anything on the Veil and the power it holds?"

"I found something explaining that it had something to do with the four founders and that their heirs would be able to use them to go to the after-world, or something like that." Harry said, not really caring, for he knew there was no way Sirius could be alive, as Dumbledore had said so. But then…Dumbledore was hiding things from him anyway. Could it possibly be true? Could it possibly mean there was a ray of shining light in his future?

"I can only advise you, Harry, if you want to know the truth go to Dumbledore and he'll tell you," Wormtail said, and then suddenly he made an offer, "Harry, if you help me escape from my master, then I can show you where Sirius is. That is if you are willing to trust me. I know it is a long-shot but with my help you can get your godfather back." he held out his hand.

Harry stared at Wormtail before he spoke: "Is Sirius a captive of Voldemort?"

Wormtail bit his lip. "Not exactly but essentially he is. I can't really explain it. Do we have a deal?"

"How can I trust you?"

"Because I want to stand up to what is right. I owe you Harry and now I am repaying you."

"Just one more thing: Who is 'B' on the letters that you've been sending me?"

"'B' means Black as in Sirius Black. I thought that might have helped you understand."

"Yet it did not help me in the way you thought." Harry murmured. He glanced at the others who had stood silent through the entire conversation. Neville's face was pure white; Ron's was blazing and Hermione looked anxious and kept checking around her, as if she was afraid someone was going to jump out and attack them all.

Yet something inside him, Harry knew, he had to trust Wormtail. Something told him it was the right course of action. If Sirius really was alive, and Wormtail knew where he was, how could Harry pass the opportunity up?

Seeing discomfort in the sixteen-year-old eyes Wormtail lowered his hand and said: "Look, I know its hard to believe that I'm working to betray the Dark Lord…Voldemort…but I am. I want out, all I want is to be at peace with myself, and how can I do that when my conscience is tearing me to pieces? I feel bad about everything, but…as a Gryffindor I feel I should stand up to what is right. And that's fighting for you, Harry, fighting for what James and Lily did, for you."

Harry did not reply. How could Pettigrew really mean that? Had he really changed or was it some plot of Voldemort's?

"If you want to help Sirius then meet me back here in two week's time at midnight. I will be waiting for you. If you don't show up then I'll know you don't want to help me." Wormtail said, then before anyone could stop him, he transformed back into his rat form and scuttled out of a hole in the wall and away from them.

Harry had not even bothered to stop him. He knew that he would not be coming back here, even if Wormtail meant to help him.

"Harry?" Hermione asked timidly.

"What?" he snapped.

"What are you going to do?"

Harry turned to face her. His green eyes were blazing with fury. "I'm going to find out the truth! I'm going to Dumbledore."


Harry had escorted the others to Gryffindor Common Room, left them and in a temper gone to Dumbledore's office. Surprisingly, Professor McGonagall was waiting for him outside the statue that led to the headmasters office. She eyed him and then spoke:

"The headmaster knows what you have been up to, Potter, and will see you now. He waiting for you." Turning to the statue, she said the words: "Orange Chocolate."

The gargoyle began to move revealing a chain of stairs; Harry stepped onto them and they began to swerve upwards towards the door. Once it had stopped, Harry pushed the door open, his anger flared again when he stepped in and saw Dumbledore sitting at the desk, calmly watching him, with bright, sad eyes, as if he was in pain.

But Harry didn't even care.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME! WHY DID YOU KEEP IT A SECRET FROM ME? ABOUT SIRIUS AND MY CONNECTION TO GRYFFINDOR?" Harry was practically yelling, but his temper was up by seeing Dumbledore looking calm and resolute.

"I didn't know," Dumbledore said simply. "I knew nothing about Sirius until Wormtail contacted me on the 31st July. I knew about you being the heir of Gryffindor but I saw no reason to burden you further."

"YOU THOUGHT I COULDN'T HANDLE IT?" Harry accused.

"No, Harry, I merely mean you'd just lost someone very dear to you and you had learnt about the prophecy. If I'd told you that you were the heir of Gryffindor then, how would you have reacted? What you are doing now? Maybe worse?"

Harry sat down feeling hot and bothered. When he spoke he said: "How am I related to Godric Gryffindor?"

"Through your father's side and your mother's side, Harry," Dumbledore said, "You have the mark of Gryffindor in your outward appearance. One can identify you as Godric's heir by simple means, by looking at portraits made of them in the time of his life and of his sons." He opened his desk and rummaged around until he came to a small portrait, hand-sized, and passed it to Harry.

"Look at it."

Harry ran his eyes over the miniature portrait. Two women stood on either-side of two men, who were holding arms, smiling. One of the men had, in a way, Harry's appearance. The jet-black hair that Harry had inherited from his father, sat neatly combed on top of a bearded man, who's green eyes flashed out at them.

"If both my mother and father are heirs of Gryffindor, then wouldn't they be cousins?" Harry asked.

"Let me tell you how it happened," Dumbledore said, spreading his hands wide. "Godric Gryffindor had two sons: George and Tomas. George had five children: three sons and two daughters. All of them married and had children and multiplied throughout the ages. However the second and third son of George, their lines are now gone. Their heirs no longer walk upon this earth. One of his daughters lines still run, the other daughter doesn't. James, your father, comes from the first son of George, son of Godric Gryffindor in the straight line. Your mother is descended from George's youngest daughter. Many long years my ancestors have kept watch on the line of Gryffindor and have passed the knowledge on how to identify the heirs of Godric Gryffindor. By looking at that picture, Harry, you carry the two most important traits of Godric Gryffindor: your unruly hair and his green eyes. They are the marks of the heir of Gryffindor."

Both his parents were the heirs of Gryffindor? Then that meant he was the last pure heir of Gryffindor. He felt sick to the stomach with that thought.

"Did…they know?" he asked weakly.

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Harry, they didn't. Well, Lily was unaware of her heritage, but James knew. Somewhere along the line of the daughter, one of his heirs was a Muggle and after that there were no Witches or Wizards born into the family until your mother."

Harry gulped. "Would you have told them?"

"I probably would have done if the situation arose."

"What about Hufflepuff? When I asked Professor Lupin he said that he had no clue and that the line had been lost."

"The heir of Hufflepuff is in this school right now though they do not know it. They are too young to understand the complexity of it."

"Who is it?"

"Claire Wright." Dumbledore replied.

"It can't be," Harry murmured, stunned for the second time that night. "She's in Gryffindor! The Sorting Hat never makes a mistake!" but then…it had tried its hardest to put him in Slytherin.

"Perhaps I should tell you how Claire is the heir of Hufflepuff but not in the house?"

Harry nodded, slightly confused. His anger with Dumbledore forgotten.

"You might recall I told you about Tomas Gryffindor, the second son of Godric? He was a Squib, no magical talent which was a shame. He married and had his own children, one of whom was a great Wizard. Over the centuries the line continued and soon the magic in Tomas' line gradually died out. It can happen but be restored within a blink of an eye. Then about a hundred years ago a Victorian called Charlotte who was the direct descendent of Tomas Gryffindor married Ryan Baker who was the heir of Hufflepuff. Ryan was a Wizard but had been expelled from Hogwarts, for a reason I will not let you know about, and he rejected the magical world for that. He had a child, Megan, who was magic but he didn't want his child going to Hogwarts, so she grew up in a world where she couldn't understand what was going on around her. Megan married David Wright and had a son, who in turn married and had a son and daughter. The son married, and Bonnie and Claire were born. Bonnie had magical blood in her, however it is minimal and not enough to warrant her entry into Hogwarts. However her sister Claire did. Claire, being both of the lineage of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had to be in one house or the other. She is brave, resourceful, daring, and has a nerve to cause trouble – you may not have seen it, but she does – and they are the qualities of Gryffindor house, that are part of her genes because of her connection to Godric Gryffindor. She is also loyal and patient, two of the qualities of Hufflepuff house, however the Gryffindor in her stands out more then it does of Hufflepuff." Dumbledore explained.

"Nevertheless, she is still a Hufflepuff at heart and the last surviving member of that line."

Harry could barely believe what he had heard. Claire was the heir of Hufflepuff? It was impossible, but the way Dumbledore put it, it seemed right.

There was silence in the office, all Harry could hear was the silent ticking of the Muggle clocks that hung on the walls. Fawkes the Phoenix stood on its perch, observing them, as if he understood what everything the headmaster had said.

"Harry, what did Wormtail tell you about Sirius?"

Harry jerked out of his dream-state: he had been thinking about how he was the heir of Gryffindor. Hearing Sirius' name his anger mounted again. Dumbledore had lied about that too. He needed the answers to that riddle.

"He said he was alive. Tell me the truth."

Dumbledore put his hands together and stared at Harry through his half-moon glasses. "Harry, please understand that I did not know that Sirius was alive when I explained to you about the prophecy. Now, I will tell you what I know," he said, "I presume you know about the Veils, the four of them?"

Harry nodded.

"Well, as you are the heir of Gryffindor you can control the power of the Veil whenever you want, I was aware of the Veil's supposed powers when Sirius fell through but did not know if what I believed was true or not. The Veil's are a gate-way to death, only those who can control the Veils are able to step through them and come out of a door underneath the Veil. You, Harry, can do this, but only when you have trained yourself in that art."

"On the night, Voldemort was channelling his own power through the Veil, hoping that in some way you'd fall through it, because of your certain curiosity, you would. However you didn't, you were pulled away. He kept his power running through it in case you did not give up the prophecy, so if given the chance the Death Eaters could push you into the Veil, therefore enabling you to pass through alive and unscathed. Yet, Sirius fell through when Voldemort was controlling it. Sirius was taken to Voldemort, yet he was spared death by Wormtail who said that he would be useful in getting you to come through the Veil and look for him. Voldemort didn't know Wormtail was already planning to betray him. He contacted me the same time as he did you, though he appeared to me in person and told me this. He said he wished to amend the hurts he had done but the only way to do that was wait until you had worked it out. I was against this, knowing that if you realised that Sirius was alive, you would rush off to save him. Wormtail has been contact with me since that first attack and informed me of what Sirius has told the enemy."

Harry's mouth felt dry. He could hardly speak. "Did…Sirius te…ll them where the … Order was?"

Dumbledore nodded sadly. "I'm afraid that Voldemort had ways of forcing him to. Voldemort also knows about the Prophecy now but as far as I know Sirius has not told Voldemort where the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is now, though he did know where it was, though I am grateful. All I know is, Harry, that Wormtail means to do good, and it'll be wise to trust him. I know I can't stop you rushing off for it is our decisions that make us who we are today, and maybe Harry this is what you have to do, maybe you do have to go through the Veil, maybe you do have to trust Wormtail, but it is your choice. I can no longer aid you as a mentor, teacher or friend."

Harry lowered his head. His Godfather had betrayed them – not intentionally – but he had.

"I am sorry to burden you with this, Harry. I would've told you sooner but I thought it would be best to leave it for a while, wait until the year was over. It was another of my old man's mistakes that I should not have made," Dumbledore admitted, "Go to bed, Harry. Tomorrow you do not have to attend lessons. I am sure that Ron, Hermione and Neville will still be up, and they too will not have to go to lessons."

Harry silently left the headmaster's office and trod back to the Gryffindor Common Room, his spirits low and his heat aching with despair.


As Dumbledore had predicted, Ron, Hermione and Neville were sitting, worriedly in the chairs beside a roaring fire. As Harry entered they all looked at him, but seeing his face, and the tears leaking down his face, all they could do was comfort him, with words that had no meaning to them.

Taking his leave of them Harry went up to his bed, careful not to make any noise and lay in the darkness thinking over everything that he had heard that night.

In all his life he had never expected to be the heir of Gryffindor nor to discover his Godfather was still alive and had betrayed them all.

He felt utterly down.

He did not notice Ron and Neville coming up to bed, looking at him from behind his drawn curtains, and getting into bed.

Harry did not sleep until the early hours of the next day.

TBC

Um…yeah it wasn't my intention in bringing back Sirius, it just kind of worked out that way. Makes an interesting storyline, I think! The bit about James and Lily being distant cousins…I know is strange but if they don't know, it's all right to get married right? After all it is fanfiction. I do think it might have ruined the story that way, but I couldn't really think of a way to connect Harry to Gryffindor, so I used both parents as heirs but from separate lines.

I hope it wasn't too confusing about Claire but that's how it worked out. You'll get to know her well in the next couple of chapters: she plays a major role.

The next chapter might not be out for a while as I haven't written it yet, as this one was half written when come to writing it.

Review Responses:

Luna Shadows: Me, talent? Thanks! I would like to be an author when I'm older, the only thing is fan fiction is just so interesting to write! I have started writing a book but its not that good. I don't like Wormtail either, but there is a little good in every evil person, though not Voldemort. He has gone way tooooo far. And we might see Sirius later on if everything goes to plan…probably won't though…lol! Hope you liked this chapter!

Phoenixtears: Yes the suspense continues! And will do so in the following chapters. It will stop eventually. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Got-lotr: There will be another cliffy in the coming chapters. And I will update my LOTR story in the near future…bad Leela for not updating! Come on, all the Legolas fans must be waiting for the next chapter but I haven't had much time to sit down and write it…I'm also stuck on how to end it. But I will continue with it…I promise. This fan fiction is far more promising to write at the moment - I hope you understand! Thanks for reading!

AnnaSun: Yay, you finally made it to read it Anna! I'm glad you liked it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Moon Lace: Hi Serry! I hope you like this chapter! I hope it wasn't too confusing - any questions and I'll answer them. Yes…um…sorry about the cliffy…but there will be lots more in the future. It's coming to the point in the story where I have to end the chapters some where. I'll try not to leave cliff-hangers but I can't guarantee it. Well done on guessing Pettigrew at the last minute! You got it right! Here is a quick update…hope you enjoyed it!