CHAPTER 10: THE SILVER HAND
AN: For those of you who read The Tragedy of Peter Pettigrew, this storyline will seem familiar.
As Snape's letters left his office, Albus Dumbledore, Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, and Sextus Maxwell were pouring through tome upon tome in the restricted section while Gaius made supply runs.
They needed a way to close the portal to the world of Gre'nor. The Orc Elarik had brought his army to Hogwarts, and they were patrolling the Forbidden Forest. Already, 20 Death Eaters had been found. Only one escaped death at the Orcs' hands.
Wormtail was brought into the library by Elarik. Sirius Black was summoned, as were Severus Snape and Harry Potter. Harry and Sirius exchanged uneasy glances with Snape, then turned to join the others in questioning the captured Death Eater.
Peter wouldn't talk of anything relating to Voldemort, nor would he say anything at all; he just cowered in a chair, looking around fearfully. His animagus power was disabled by Dumbledore, as to prevent his escape.
Just as all prepared to summon more Aurors to take him to Azkaban, Harry thought of something: Wormtail owed him a life-debt!
"Wait a minute," Harry said. All eyes turned to him. "Leave me alone with him. I can get the information." All hesitated, but, one by one, left after Dumbledore told them to. "We'll be outside if he tries anything, Harry." Sirius said.
And thus, Harry Potter and Wormtail were alone. "Wormtail, you owe me a life debt. I want to know everything you know. The strength of Voldemort's army, how to close the portal, what Voldemort's plans are, and why you betrayed my parents."
Wormtail was more compelled to tell Harry what he wanted to know by the life debt than could've been acomplished through even Veritaserum. He gave away troop strengths, battle plans, who led what armies, even the spell to destroy the portal. But he knew not which artifact to use.
"Then let's move on. Why did you betray my parents?" Harry asked, no longer concerned about the required artifact; he was certain that, now that the spell was known, the artifact wasn't far behind.
"I never betrayed your parents; I was never their secret-keeper." Harry was confused; although Sirius had pretended to be secret-keeper, Peter was the one who had been chosen. "I don't understand; how can you say this? You gave out the secrets they entrusted to you; isn't that bet-"
Harry was cut off. "I gave secrets that weren't mine to keep of give!" Wormtail cried. "I am not Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew died the night I was born; I merely inhabit his body. When the Dark Lord couldn't break Pettigrew, he locked his conciousness away, and replaced it with me, the Death Eater Wormtail!"
"You expect me to believe that!?!" Harry shouted. "Yes! Yes, I do! I cannot lie... the wizard's debt prevents me from it..." Wormtail broke down, sobbing. Harry walked out of the room, his face showing disgust because of the pathetic sight behind him.
"So, this isn't really Peter. Right. That's bull-" Sirius was cut off by a cough from Dumbledore, who's eyes were shining in their usual amused way; as if he always saw something everyone else did not.
"Actually, Black, it's quite possible. Likely, even. I remember Pettigrew from the last mission I acted as his informant- and from his first times in the Death Eater meetings. It's impossible for someone's personality to change so drastically in so short a period of time." Snape said.
"I have to agree with Snape on this one." Remus said. Unlike Harry and Sirius, he had accepted the letter sent to him, and had, in fact, been happy to recieve it. It offered some closure for Remus. Some peace at last.
"As do I, Sirius. Severus is correct. As is our friend Wormtail. Under the Wizard's Debt, he can tell no lies, no matter how damaging they may be to him. Harry, ask him what spell was used, and I can reverse it." Dumbledore said, finalizing the matter. Rivals or no, Sirius and Snape would always defer to the great man's judgement.
"What spell was used, Wormtail?" Harry asked as he walked back into the room. "Spell? What spell?" Wormtail answered. He knew full well what spell Harry was talking about; he would try to evade as long as he could. Wirzard's debt or no, Wormtail still held a high sense of self-preservation.
It was all for nothing. Harry went straight to the point. "What spell did Voldemort use to place you over Peter Pettigrew's conciousness?" Wormtail tried to evade again. "How would I know? I was created by a second spell-" "But you have all of Peter's memories, as you told me. Tell me the spell, I know it is withing your ability to do so."
No more evasions. "The first spell used was the Mind Suppression Curse. The second was the Mental Webweaver spell." Harry smiled; it wasn't a pleasant smile, either. It was more of a... predatory smirk. Whatever the proper description was, it chilled Wormtail to the very bone.
The spells used called for a casting circle; it was an ancient art, mostly forgotten. the Old Spells required one, but with the advent of the New Spells (which comprise the majority of the Hogwarts curriculum), casting circles fell out of use due to sheer complexity.
The powdered amythest and rose quartz were spread out, charmed to enhance the magic in that area of the world. Wormtail and Dumbledore were placed inside it, and a shield charm was erected.
"Menti Reparo!" Dumbledore shouted, an emerald beam flying directly from his wand to Wormtail's skull. The Death Eater screamed, and died. The silver hand Voldemort had given him fell off, and the rest of the man fell to the floor in a rather hard way. Dumbledore muttered a few words, and Pettigrew's arm was restored.
"Wh... what happened? Where am I?" Peter Pettigrew spoke, word coming out of his mouth, and not Wormtail's, for the first time in so many years. He looked up. "Dumbledore?" He then passed out.
"I suggest we let Mr. Pettigrew rest. We have a weapon now; a weapon with which to destroy Voldemort." Dumbledore said.
The rest were amazed. "What is that, Professor?" Harry voiced the question on everyone's mind.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Why, the silver hand."
Voldemort was happy. He was powerful again; powerful enough to defeat even Dumbledore.
Thus he was very disturbed when he felt the death of Wormtail... and the restoration of Peter Pettigrew.
Ahh, Wormtail. My favored servant, my loyal one. I created you, molded you, perfected you. And now, you are but a memory. Voldemort was no longer happy; he was angry. He had come to regard Wormtail as his best servant and... dare he say it? As a son.
"Lucius!" He bellowed, calling his new second-in-command.
"Master, how can I serve you?" Malfoy said, prostrating himself before Voldemort.
"Send a squadron of Death Eaters, Dread Champions and Skeletons to Hogwarts! They've killed Wormtail!"
Lucius had despised the whimpering man known as Wormtail, but knew better than to voice this; it was well known that if you voiced anything against that man... things were known to happen.
"It shall be done, master. Master?" Lucius said, then asked as the leader of the Death Eaters fell over.
Voldemort screamed. And he never stopped.
Harry Potter screamed after he cast Crucio on the silver hand; the link worked! He wasted no time in following through with the plan...
R&R, s'il vous plait.