A/N: My most humble appreciation to Luna305 for beta and concrit above and beyond, and to everyone else who provided sustenance during the writing of this chapter: Potion Mistress, Indigofeathers, Wandlimb, and Anastasia.


Why

Severus drew his cloak around him. It was already losing Hermione's warmth. "Wormtail," he sneered, picking up the rat that had tried, unsuccessfully, to hide in the long grass by the gatepost.

The rat squealed and worked its hind legs in vain against the air.

Setting the rat on the cracked asphalt in front of the gate, Severus glanced around. The street was empty. He was careful to keep his wand as hidden as possible as he pointed it at the trembling rat.

The rat held itself absolutely still.

With a negligent flick of his wand, Severus made it clear that he expected Pettigrew to transform.

A horrible creaking sound as bones displaced, stretched, and reshaped.

"S-s-severus," Wormtail greeted him, eyes darting from side to side as he licked his lips nervously. "A… a… plea - "

"Imperio."

Pettigrew's eyes went slightly unfocused and he stood, waiting.

Severus motioned him into the shadow, out of the eerie gold glow of the nearest streetlight. Sighing, he brushed his fingers against the mirror in his pocket and called Hermione.

She Apparated a moment later and, catching sight of Pettigrew – a still, hunched figure; empty; awaiting filling – she inhaled sharply but successfully fought the urge to take a step backwards.

She shot a questioning look at Severus.

Although his will was sufficient to work the spell, he spoke the words aloud for Hermione's benefit. "Obey Hermione's commands, Peter."

"Peter?" Hermione asked, a little startled to hear his given name.

Severus scowled. "His kind are notorious for finding cracks and working through them."

She nodded.

An empty bag, a bit of trash, scraped on the street in the slight breeze, and she jumped.

Severus' hand tightened perceptibly on his wand. "Test it. Quickly."

"Do I need to call him Peter?" she asked, not taking her eyes off of Pettigrew, who, even standing still, seemed stuck in a perpetual flinch.

"It will serve."

"Peter, erm… " She couldn't think of anything. "Get that pebble."

Pettigrew flicked his wand and the pebble floated into his hand.

"He still has his wand?" Hermione demanded of Severus, eyes growing wide.

"He is your weapon, Hermione."

Her eyes grew harder as the implications of his words sunk in. If they were intercepted, or attacked, Pettigrew could be made to fight on their side. She whispered, "You don't anticipate…"

"No." He reached his hand to her cheek, and looked at her seriously. "But anything can happen. Should a situation arise, or deteriorate, and you have time, order him to protect Potter."

"And then… ?"

He hesitated. "If you can, get to the main lobby and Disapparate to Hogwarts. If not, do whatever it takes to survive until I arrive."

"But - it's the Ministry! You can't risk going there!"

"I can't not, if Potter is in danger, Hermione," he reminded her quietly.

Her heart in her throat, she nodded.

"Use your control if Potter fails," Severus said.

"But - "

"Think, Hermione. We need to know what he can do."

"You want me to spy on Harry?" she accused him.

"Yes."

His eyes glittered, hard, in the shadows, and she sucked her breath between her teeth, reminded sharply of who he'd always been.

She nodded, and he continued, "You have done Side-Along Apparition?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, actually."

Blast.

She saw his thought in his expression. "When would I have needed to?" she asked, a bit defensively.

Severus calculated the time, and, without warning, reached for her and Wormtail.

A moment later the yard was empty.

/x/

Minerva was waiting just inside the gates, and ushered Harry through first when they all appeared. "Molly. Arthur," she said kindly, as they stepped through. She nodded toward Tonks and Kingsley. "We don't have much time. Potter, you are clear on what must be done?"

"Not really," he said, looking at the headmistress with wide eyes. It was all happening too fast.

She looked at him, startled, and before she could school her expression to its usual brusqueness, her eyes betrayed fear.

Harry swallowed. "The life-debt can be paid this way?"

"Makes a kind of sense, Harry," Tonks interjected.

"If it works," Kingsley muttered.

Molly's hand tightened in Arthur's.

"So I just… say, 'You owe me a life-debt; do this and it's paid,' and he does it?" Harry said, mind whirling in increasing panic.

Arthur nodded. "If… if it…" He couldn't finish.

"It'll work, or it won't," Tonks said briskly. "And it's nearly time."

Harry looked a question at all of them, but could not bring himself to ask it.

"And if it doesn't, lad, we'll step in. We have means at our disposal you're not allowed," Kingsley said gruffly.

Harry nodded, more in gratitude than understanding.

"Very well," said Minerva, opening the gates. "We shall Apparate to the Ministry and head straight to the Department of Mysteries. Hermione will meet us there, with…" Minerva hesitated. "With Pettigrew." I hope, she thought.

"There's no one else with them?" Kingsley demanded.

Minerva shook her head. "No one," she said, in a tone that brooked no further discussion. She reached for the gates and they filed back outside them.

Kingsley and Tonks exchanged a look of professional concern. This had all been laid on much too quickly.

Tonks moved to guard Harry as Minerva turned to shut the gates, but Kingsley lagged behind. Keeping his voice low, he asked, "Wouldn't it be more prudent to wait, Minerva? This is no plan at all."

"It will work, or – or not," Minerva said, quietly. "If it doesn't, waiting serves his purpose more than ours." Minerva's voice seemed to come from somewhere far away. Gathering herself, she turned to Kingsley. "You are prepared to take over, if… "

He nodded.

The gates of Hogwarts closed.

Minerva thought that somehow the sound they made should have been louder.

/x/

In an instant, Hermione found herself and Pettigrew on the sidewalk by the red telephone booth and a pop told her Severus was gone.

"In there," she pointed at the booth.

Wormtail stepped in obediently, and she followed, trying inasmuch as possible not to touch him.

"Dial 62442," she directed him.

He did so.

She breathed more easily with every order he followed.

"Peter Pettigrew and Hermione Granger," Wormtail spoke evenly into the receiver.

Hermione closed her eyes - I don't like this - and barely heard the disembodied voice ask the purpose of their visit to the Ministry of Magic. I don't like this at all.

He looked at her and waited.

She hesitated. "Make it sound convincing," she said finally.

"Just following orders," Wormtail replied.

Two badges slipped into the coin return, and they were in.

/x/

"Nymphadora Tonks, Harry Potter, and Kingsley Shacklebolt," Kingsley said into the receiver, a few minutes later. "Here on Auror business."

More badges.

Minerva looked at Molly and Arthur, and put a hand on Arthur's arm. He looked at her, and had no words.

She and Molly turned to each other, and Minerva was astonished to find herself drawn into a warm, comforting hug.

"Minerva," Molly said fiercely in her ear. "It wasn't your fault. Do you hear me? Not your fault. You've been an outstanding mother, to all of us."

Molly's hug tightened to the point where Minerva found breathing difficult.

And as suddenly as it had happened, it ended. Minerva's hand fluttered aimlessly and dropped, then rose again.

She leaned in and kissed Molly's cheek. "You are a dear, Molly. Such a dear." She patted her elbow and, after one last, somehow searching glance at Molly and Arthur, stepped into the phone booth.

"Minerva McGonagall, Acting Headmistress, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." She paused briefly, closing her eyes, and continued, "Fool's errand."

Another badge.

Arthur and Molly stood together on the sidewalk, their hands resting gently on each other's arms. They had already said everything there was to say.

"Molly," Arthur began, but she stopped him with a finger to his lips and a forgiving smile.

She took his hand and started into the telephone booth. Her voice was perhaps a little too bright, but nonetheless determined. "Do you remember the time, Arthur, when the twins turned Ron's teddy into a spider?"

Despite himself, he chuckled.

"Was that Fred or George?" she continued.

"Fred."

"You're sure it wasn't George?"

"Quite sure."

"I always thought it must be George."

"It was Fred."

The telephone booth door closed.

Two more badges. Both read, "Bearing Gifts."

/x/

For as long as she lived, however long that would turn out to be, Hermione never forgot her trip down the elevator with Peter Pettigrew.

Standing as far away from him as she could – emphasized with a "You stay over there," for good measure – she watched as the numbers changed. Her mind was ricocheting between "What if?" and "I hope," and try as she might she couldn't get it to still.

She refused to look at him.

"Are you going to let him kill me?" he asked, his voice a high-pitched cringe.

She flinched. "I didn't tell you to talk."

"You won't let him kill me, will you?"

Hermione stared determinedly at the numbers.

When it became apparent that she would not reply, Pettigrew spoke again. "He's controlling you, too, isn't he… he must be, such a clever girl, surely you can see it?"

Hermione pretended to ignore him.

"You can, of course you can," he pressed on. "He's on his own side, you know, you must know, you must see it… "

"I see a cringing rat," she spat.

His voice was wheedling, but an unpleasant light grew in Pettigrew's eyes. "Everyone he touches ends up dead. He killed them – James, and Lily, it was his betrayal. He bragged about killing Dumbledore. How the old fool pleaded with him – begged him – trusted him… "

Hermione closed her eyes briefly.

Pettigrew sensed an advantage, and spoke faster, his voice raising, his eyes alight with a rheumy mania. "He died with tears in his eyes… flying, a broken doll, off the tower, how his hands scraped on the stone, still enough life in him to bleed… "

Hermione glared at the numbers and felt in her pocket for the mirror.

"Are you safe?" she heard Severus' instant thought.

"I think so. We're in the elevator. I hate him."

A silence. "He is a loathsome creature."

"I don't like this, Severus."

"I don't either. Watch him, Hermione."

She broke contact in time to hear Pettigrew finish, "… and he'll kill you too."

She whirled on him, wand out. "Shut up!"

Pettigrew could not speak, but his eyes shone dangerously.

Damn.

"You will not mention him again." Stop talking. Just stop talking. Breathe.

Pettigrew stared at her in intent, triumphant silence for the remainder of the slow descent.

It seemed an eternity before the doors opened and she stepped out into the stone corridor.

/x/

Harry swallowed hard as he followed Kingsley down the corridor. He could do this.

/x/

Hermione had ordered a still silent Pettigrew to stand in front of the veil, wiping the sly, smug look from his face. She made sure he was close enough to hear the whispering and shot him a triumphant look of her own, holding him at wandpoint.

A fiction, but a necessary one.

She did not take her eyes off him as the others came down the stairs, but she could just see Tonks' strawberry colored hair as the Auror stationed herself in the doorway.

"Pettigrew." Harry's voice sounded low but clear in the chamber.

Pettigrew looked up, eyes wide, saying nothing.

Minerva handed Harry the small bundles as they fanned out around the veil. Hermione backed up until she was but one in a circle of wands, all pointed at Pettigrew.

Only then did she look at Harry, in time to see him square his shoulders and walk up to the dais on which Pettigrew stood, trembling.

"Why, Peter?" Harry asked. "Why did you betray my parents?"

Hermione eased her hand toward the mirror.

"It's your fault they're dead, Peter. All of them."

Pettigrew's eyes were darting frantically around the circle. His back to the veil, controlled, he could not run.

"My father. My mother. Cedric. Sirius. Dumbledore. All of them."

Hermione's hand touched the mirror. "It's started."

She felt a reassuring pressure. "Get your hand out of your pocket, Hermione. Be careful… "

"Why, Peter?" Harry asked again.

The silence rang out, empty, as the veil fluttered.

"ANSWER ME!" Harry shouted.

Pettigrew flinched and sent a pleading look at Hermione.

"He can't speak, Harry."

The rest of the Order members exchanged startled glances at that, but remained silent.

"Hermione," Harry began, his voice low, but she heard the effort control cost him. "I need to know."

Did he really? Hermione's mind flew too quickly for conscious thought and alighted on No. She spoke. "Because he's weak, Harry. It was because he's weak."

Kingsley's voice broke the tension. "Harry."

"I saved your life, Peter. I showed you mercy, and you would have watched me die. You owe me." He held out the bundles. "Pass these through the veil, and drop them on the other side."

Hermione held her breath. Please, let it be enough. Let the life-debt be enough.

Pettigrew stared at Harry, fighting the life-debt, but finally reached out to take the bundles.

With the wrong arm.

And Harry let him.

Hermione and Minerva gasped, and they all watched as Pettigrew extended his hand – his human hand – toward the veil.

Then Hermione remembered that that Harry didn't know about Dumbledore's arm, that he would be responsible for Pettigrew's death. She couldn't -

"Use your other arm, Peter!" she commanded, her voice ringing too loudly in the chamber.

His silver arm glinted in the torchlight.

The circle closed in on him.

They all held their breath as the silver arm disappeared through the veil.

He whimpered, a high, keening sound.

He withdrew his arm, and his hand was empty.

Molly reflexively looked at herself to make sure she was still there. Minerva's nostrils flared. Arthur's free hand moved involuntarily toward his wife.

Hermione closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, her heart pounding loud in her ears. She knew it was only a matter of time before she was asked for –

"Because Severus forced me to," Pettigrew whined, shooting a sly look at Hermione and reaching for his wand.

In that moment, Hermione knew two things.

That he was lying.

And that the veil had broken the Imperius Curse.

/x/

In the library in Grimmauld Place, Severus' hand flew to his heart as the Compulsion flared to life.

He gritted his teeth. You cannot protect him if you are dead, Snape. Focus.

He concentrated on his breathing.

/x/

A piercing shriek from the doorway broke into untold reverberating fractions, and, in a split-second reaction, Pettigrew transformed.

An arrow the colors of nighttime streaked toward the dais, shrieking, furious, raging, straight at the veil -

"Tayet, NO!" Hermione screamed, but Tayet was already back-winging, the force of her flight deafening as she beat the air and the veil rippled outward, the whispers loud enough to echo throughout the chamber.

Pettigrew squealed, his humanity overwhelmed by instinct, and he cringed backward, away from the talons opening toward him, the furiously beating wings –

- and, as he cringed, the bottom of the veil rippled behind him, over him, and he was gone.

/x/

Severus could breathe again. He reached for the mirror.

/x/

Tayet landed on the dais and glared for a moment at the spot where Pettigrew had been an instant before.

The Order members erupted in loud, unguarded confusion –

"Bloody - "

"Was that - "

"Oh, Arthur!"

"Merlin's beard!"

"Did you just – "

"Fawkes!" Harry's voice was the loudest.

The noise startled Tayet, and with a loud "Squerk!" she flew to Hermione's shoulder.

The noise silenced the Order, who turned as one to stare at Hermione.

With Tayet peeking out through her hair, Hermione blushed furiously.