This chapter is dedicated to none other than: PADFOOTLET! For sticking to my story till the end and being an awesome reviewer! Thank you sooo much! tear You are a true fan!
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is out! PADFOOT RIDES AGAIN!
I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER... (!#&!)
Chapter 6 The Betrayer:
The Fidelus charm. An immensely complex spell involving the magical concealment of a secret inside a single, living soul. The information is hidden inside the chosen person, or a secret keeper, and is henceforth impossible to find- unless, of course, the secret-keeper chooses to divulge it. As long as the secret-keeper refused to speak, Lord Voldemort could search in Godric's Hollow for years and never find the Potters, not even if he had his nose pressed against their sitting room window. Sirius Black of course was the Potter's secret-keeper. James Potter had told Dumbledore that Black would rather die than betray them... and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. He had even offered to be the Potter's secret- keeper himself. He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping Voldemort informed of their movements. Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to Lord Voldemort. But James Potter insisted on using Black. A year later, sadly, Sirius Black persuaded Lily and James to change to Peter at the last moment, persuading them to use Peter Pettigrew as a secret-keeper. Fate fed off the mistake. Sirius arranged to check on Peter tonight, to make sure he was still safe. Only to find his hiding-place empty. He'd gone. Yet there was no sign of a struggle. It didn't feel right. Sirius was scared. And so, he set off for the Potter's house. But he wasn't the only one...
James sat at home, trying to get the now 1year old Harry to eat his dinner.
"Come on Harry! Just one little bite! Please, for daddy?"
Harry stubbornly turned his head and closed his mouth tightly.
"Come on Harry," James asked a bit desperately, "You have to eat it, come on, just one little bite!"
Harry then hit the spoon, causing peas and yams to get splattered on the front of James' black robes.
"Aw, Harry!" James groaned as he hastily tried to wipe it off with a napkin.
Harry let out a fit of giggles.
"Proud of yourself, are you?" James muttered, but couldn't help smile just a little bit back.
Just then, Lily walked in. She took one look at James' robes and gave a smirk, "Having trouble, are you? The idea was to get it in his mouth." She gave a bit of a laugh.
"It's not as easy as it looks, Lily." He replied. "Why don't you try it? That way, when he splatters yams on your robes, I'll get to laugh at you." He smirked back.
Lily gave a smile and walked over.
"Harry, open up for Mummy," Lily wooed as she took her turn with the yam- covered spoon. "Come on Harry, do it for your Mummy!"
Harry gave a giggle and allowed the yams to enter his mouth. James looked at Lily in awe.
"How did you do that! How come he'll except it from you and not from me?"
"You just have to know how to talk to him, that's all." Lily said, satisfied. She picked Harry up and did a light step dance with him, smiling. The one-year-old laughed.
"Do I get a turn?" asked James with a small smile.
Lily looked at him, then to Harry. "You don't mind, do you Harry?"
He just giggled. Taking that as a 'yes', she set him down. James clasped one of her hands and put his other around her waist, she followed suit, putting an arm around his shoulder. They slowly turned in circles, smiling at one another.
"No music?" said Lily, smiling even broader.
James smiled in return and softly began to sing a song that had been played on their wedding day:
"Dancing is magical upon the floor, And dancing, soon becomes romancing, And love has captured us once more, And my Angel, please don't cry, Let our love make us fly, And forever be by my side, As we dance with the shadows all through the night, Oh my Angel, please don't cry, For I shall forever love you."
Lily rested her head upon James' shoulder. "Oh James, your such a charmer."
"Besides the fact that my voice breaks glass?" He laughed.
"Yeah, besides that." Lily teased.
Suddenly, a hard knock on their front door made them break apart.
Lily picked up Harry as James walked to the front door. He opened it, and what stood before him gave him a shock.
"W-Wormtail!" James exclaimed.
Indeed, none other than Peter Pettigrew stood before him. He was heavily cloaked and looked as though he was about to burst in tears. He had cuts and bruises covering his face and deep round circles beneath his eyes. Peter's bottom lip trembled and his beady little eyes darted around in a panic. He was scared to death... but why?
"Wormtail, my friend, I haven't seen you in ages! Where have you been? A- and what happened to you? You look horrible-"
"J-James," Peter managed to stutter, but it was in a low and shaky whisper, "I-I-I-"
"Err- do you want to come in?"
"I-I shouldn't, I mustn't l-linger..." He whispered, panicked. His beady eyes continued to dart around, as though expecting someone to be watching or listening to them.
The best Peter did was step a bit in the doorway.
"I s-shouldn't be here..."
"Wormtail, something is seriously wrong, what-
"Don't c-call me that!" peter suddenly shrieked.
"Err, don't call you what?" asked James confused.
"That-that name!"
"What, you mean Wormtail?"
"Yes! Stop it, please! I-I am n-not worthy! I am ashamed!"
"Wor-I mean, uh, Peter, what's going on?" said James.
"J-James" He looked around again nervously. Now, Peter's voice was so low, James had to lean in closely to hear him.
"James, I-I have done something... S-something t-terrible... very, very terrible..."
Every word seemed to be causing him a very great deal of effort. Peter rubbed his hands in nervousness.
"James, what's going on?" called Lily in the doorway of the next room, Harry tight in her arms.
"Lily, can we have a moment alone, please?" James asked.
She nodded and left.
"P-Peter... What did you do...?" James whispered cautiously.
Suddenly, peter began to sob, still trying to keep his voice in low whispers, "I- he- I didn't mean to! His power is great! I am no longer to be called friend! I am ashamed! What have I done? W-what was I t-to do! His power is beyond what even we new!"
"Peter, what are you talking about? Who's 'he'? James asked in confusion.
Peter's sobs ceased a bit as he whispered, "I –I told him..."
"Who...? Told what Peter...?" James was beginning to get a little scared.
"...Him... The Dar-Dark l-l-Lord..."
James stood in shock and stared at Peter as he let these crucial words sink in. He suddenly realized what he was talking about. James heard Lily gasp behind him. She had obviously hidden by the doorway, listening. He couldn't believe it. He had cared for Peter, trusted Peter.
He had been his good friend for years... and he had betrayed them...
"I-I have to warn you..." Peter stuttered as anger reached James Face. "He-he is-is c-coming!" Peter hissed.
"Peter...You didn't..." James whispered horridly. "Peter..."
"What was I to do? He has immense Power!"
"Peter!" James roared in anger.
"James, my friend, y-you must understand... I-didn't mean- I-I"
"Get out." James whispered coldly. He burned with hatred.
Peter began to slowly back away, mumbling, scared, under his breath.
"I said get out!" James raised his voice furiously.
"J-James-"
"GET OUT!" James roared.
Peter stumbled out of the doorway, scared, he ran out, down the dark, cold street.
