AN: I found this old piece of work, forgotten in an abandoned folder on my hardrive. Its a one-shot idea that popped into my head for an alternative scene in PoA. I hope people like it, but I didnt want to try and continue a story from here, it wasnt a big enough change to really alter the overall story much.

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A Liars Truth

As the spell struck him, Peter began to shift back in to his human form, whimpering as he was dragged back before his old companions and Harry with his friends. Ron gibbered slightly in the corner, the pain and his mental abilities having trouble with the situation. His mind running through the fact that he had slept in a bed with a man pretending to be a rat!

Peter began to blather and plead, looking for an opportunity to escape before he vision met something he had expected to only see in the afterlife.

Lily Potters eyes filled with hate and a hunger for vengeance.

Sighing, he stopped and leant back onto his heels for a moment and raised his hands in surrender, his voice calm and clear rather than the miserable image he had protrayed just before, "Okay, you win."

His words shattered the building argument and silence fell like a smothering shroud over everyone.

He looked Harry in the eyes and focused on him. "You win Harry, you have me, I am your prisoner." He emphasised before glancing at the living marauders, "Not the Fool or Coward's. Yours."

Sirius snarled as Remus blinked as if he had been slapped, both silenced at the burning gaze Harry gave them.

"Explain." One word. Full of anguish and pain and hate and curiosity.

Peter sighed as he began, "First of all, your word that you'll let me explain in full?"

Harry cocked his head to one side, "I promise I won't let anyone stop you talking until you're done."

Peter smiled at Harry for that, "Just like your mother. Very well. First of all, you should understand that being a Rat animagus was more than suitable for me. I am a survivor, others would call me a coward, but I'm alive where they are not. I was captured by the Dark Lords followers when I wasn't careful and brought before the Dark Lord personally. One of his agents saw me with a known enemy of his, a member of the Order. I was given the choice, Death or Service. Not my best moment, but I chose to live, I became one of his spies in the Order. And do you know what was the most damning part?"

At Harry's shaken head, Peter snorted, "Lily knew."

At the gasps and beginnings of denial, Harry raised a hand to stop them as Peter laughed. "She caught me one day, spotted the Dark Mark and we talked. I told her what happened to me and she sat there for it felt like ages before she nodded and told me what we were going to do. She told me enough to keep both myself and others safe, but make it so that I was still useful to the Dark Lord. I gave snippets of information back which she used until she got pregnant with you. After that she aided planning and setting traps with the information I gave her."

With a cough and grunt of pain, he rubbed his throat before continuing, "Sorry, been a while since I talked so much like this. Anyway, one day Dumbledore summoned your parents and the Longbottoms, the very next day they went into hiding, but that drew the Dark Lords attention. His personal attention. Understand me when I say that was a rare thing, people tended not to survive it for long. I don't know what Dumbledore told them, but it was something important enough for the Dark Lord to command their immediate capture. Remember that. Capture. He wanted them taken alive, not killed."

He took a deep breath and settled back to sit on the floor rather than kneel or crouch, resignation and relief showed in every move he made. "I bought as much time as I could until the Fool there came up with his grand prank. Trick the Dark Lord into who was the Secret Keeper. I thought it strange that Dumbledore wasn't the Keeper, that would have been safest, they couldn't use Lily due to her pregnancy, no idea what that spell would have done to you. James refused as he wouldn't leave your mother unprotected. So, Dumbledore suggested Sirius."

He laughed slightly at that, "She asked Dumbledore if it could be transferred and he told her only with the Keepers death or the spell is released. It took Lily two months while pregnant to work out how to move it without breaking the enchantment, so much for his never being wrong. She then did a second ritual to place it within me without telling anyone else outside the four of us, I would provide the secret on a piece of paper to maintain our cover, I could forge Sirius' handwriting well enough for it to pass."

He sighed and rubbed his face for a moment, before focusing back on those eyes he loved, "I was burdened with that accursed duty, a duty which would only last as long as the Dark Lord didn't ask me the right question. Then one day, Lily told me my part in her plan. Her vengeance and scheme to protect you. I was to tell the Dark Lord the address on Halloween morning, she would deal with the rest."

The gasps and cries of "What!?" broke the flow of his tale and Harry frowned at the noise as he clamped down on his burning rage, "Why are you telling me this?"

Peter sighed sadly at him, "Because you deserve to know the truth. Dumbledore placed you with your aunt, because the Fool decided vengeance was more important than you. He scared off the Coward with his lycanthropy and loyalty. There's only two people alive who know what the true reason why you were attacked, the Dark Lord and Dumbledore. I doubt either would tell you the truth, so you deserve what I can give you. There's also the fact that if I'm going to die, then I want to sort a few things out before I go."

Harry frowned at that, "Die?"

Peter chuckled at the question, "Of course die. I'm not stupid, I'm a Marauder, every plan has a backup with a backup for that just in case. Sirius was the distraction, charms and faceman, James chose and confirmed the target as well as transfiguration work, Lupin made the plans and considered all the options, runes and arithmancy was his focus. And I did the legwork, potions and intricate setup, after all, I could reach places they couldn't without notice compared to their other forms. How subtle is a large black dog or a stag going to be in sneaking in somewhere? But a rat?" Peter chuckled at that, "They're everywhere."

He grunted in amusement at a memory before shaking his head to clear it and focused back on Harry, "So, either Sirius kills me and condemns himself to running from the law for what remains of his life, I get the Dementors kiss for my treachery and Sirius goes free, Remus becomes Moony in about 5 minutes and I get mauled even if I manage to change form, you kill me in anger or Severus kills me to keep his secrets."

"Severus?" Remus gasped as Sirius growled "Snivellous."

Peter smirked and looked knowingly at the door to the room, "In the hall listening in right now aren't you." He tapped his ears, "Heard him coming up the stairs while I was trying to escape. Rats have good hearing."

Severus swept into the room, sneering at the others, his wand rapidly snapped into position to point directly at Sirius' heart. "Give me an excuse Black, please."

Peter snorted in amusement, as Sirius backed off with his hands raised, "The old gang back together again. Its been too long Snivellus. Then again, maybe not long enough."

Snape sneered at them all and then focused on Lupin, "We had all best go and leave the good professor here, we don't want any... accidents do we?"

Lupin blanched and looked at the sky through the gaps in the blocked windows. "Merlins… Go, I'll be fine. Severus, please keep them safe."

Snape sneered and pointed his wand at Pettigrew whilst keeping Black in his line of sight, "Move."

The party trudged out the room and Snape quickly cast a swift spell on the door before he pointed towards the tunnel. It took only a few minutes for them to travel through the tunnel and walk out of the Whomping Willow's reach. The full moon shining bathing the world in its silver light.

Peter looked to Harry, "Do you want to know more or was that enough?"

Harry looked torn but nodded and motioned Peter to continue, "I want to hear everything. I made my promise and I'll keep it."

Snape frowned in annoyance, but held his position, his wand point never leaving Pettigrews form, ready to strike at any moment whilst he kept his childhood tormentors both in sight.

Peter nodded with a faint smile, "Very well. It was Halloween morning and the Dark Lord summoned us and began to rant about our failure to find the Potter's and Longbottom's. As your mother planned, I let the Dark Lord know that I had acquired a copy of the secret just before being summoned. I only had a little time before I was missed. The Dark Lord accepted my excuse and informed me that I was to return at sunset for my reward." He shuddered slightly at that memory, "When I returned, he rewarded me with allowing him to join him as he went to Godrics Hollow."

He spat to one side as if he had a bad taste in his mouth, "We arrived as Lily planned but I think we turned up earlier than she expected, James was still there, he was meant to be visiting me and we were meant to go find Sirius, get some fresh air and relax with a few pints. Your father tried to fight the Dark Lord, it was quick, its always quick, he didn't suffer. Your mother was asked to stand aside, but you know what happened there. I don't know why he did that, he had no reason to do so. Severus arrived shortly afterwards, but that's his story to tell."

He smirked slightly at Snapes flinch at that and the hate filled but curious glare from Harry. "Severus ran when the Fool arrived. Sirius took you as he was meant to, but was stopped by Hagrid on Dumbledores orders. No idea on how he made it there so quickly unless he was already there or Dumbledore made him a portkey or something. That's something you'll have to look into."

He coughed slightly before continuing, "Anyway, the Fool chose to run after me rather than go with Hagrid, perhaps explain the situation, raise you as he was meant to if things went wrong. But no, he decided to go after me. He jumped me as I wandered trying to think what to do, muggle London would have been safe, but the Fool lacks subtlety and I did what I had to do to survive. I won't apologise for that. I can't."

Peter gestured to the ruined House on the nearby hill, "The Coward, Remus, kept away, Dumbledore playing with his guilt, it's strange really, all these years without contact and then suddenly, 'Hello Harry, I knew your parents.' Bollocks. The Cowards collar is held by Dumbledore, never forget that. Severus used to be a friend of your mothers, came together to Hogwarts in their first year. He was our main target of our bullying because your father was jealous of Severus' friendship with Lily. Oh, we called them pranks, but we were bullies, little monsters all."

He glanced across at Severus and smiled with a malicious edge, as if daring him to stop him talking, "I think Severus actually loved Lily, perhaps something could have happened there, it got damn close at points, but all it took was one bad day. We pushed him too far and he snapped at Lily, said something... unforgivable. The next year, your parents were dating. Now don't get me wrong, we were little shits and focused on Severus there, but I will admit, you had to admire the guy, holding his own against 4 others, sometimes even beating us."

He chuckled as he looked up at the moon with a wistful look, "We all know He's returning. You've already fought the Dark Lord in this school, twice now. We all know what will happen next. You need to train Harry, learn, be strong. Make allies and prepare for what comes next, you must be ready, for he will be coming for you. No-one gets away from him when he comes for you, no-one. He will not rest until you are dead by his hand. Know that, do not doubt it."

He turned to focus upon Harry's eyes, trying to impart the importance of his words in the intensity of his gaze, "Fight with all your skill and strength, hold nothing back, do not fight as Dumbledore would tell you, fight to win, to survive, to live. You will never match the Dark Lord with straight up magic, so cheat. Use everything you can, ignore no weapon that might give you an edge. Nothing can be forbidden to you, every skill or talent must be explored and considered. Study him, you must understand and know him. Information is power, no detail is to be ignored. But most of all. You must live Harry, no matter the cost. Live."

Ron growled groggily through the pain at that, "Harry's not a Dark wizard, he's nothing like that."

Peter smirked at that, "Hush Ron. You have no idea of whats coming. For once in your life do some studying, ask your mother about her brothers. Look around the school and see how empty it is. Then tell me that he doesn't need to know all that if he wants to win."

Peter took a deep breath and smiled up at the moon again, "You know what? I have something for you Severus, something Lily once gave me. It's in my pocket, I'm going to slowly get it out now."

With that he slowly reached a hand into his breast pocket and pulled out a chess piece, the black king. He smiled at Harry as he rolled it in his hand for a moment before looking at Severus, a hand reaching out with it held between his finger and thumb. Severus' eyes widened at the sight of the old item and he lowered his wand as he reached out a shaking hand for the item. Just as he was about to touch it, Peter smiled and winked at Harry, "Kings to you." And with that, he disappeared in a swirl of colour and a pop of displaced air.

Everything froze for a moment before the world seemed to rush back in as Sirius screamed with rage and Severus seemed broken as he fell to his knees, Harry blinked and looked at his friends in shock as Hermione covered her mouth with wide eyes and Ron frowned in pained confusion.

Harry managed to croak out his question, "What... what just happened?"

Sirius collapsed to his knees as he began to laugh hysterically at the question. A tone of despair rising as he wrapped his arms around himself and shivered in the cold night.

Severus looked up with haunted and pain filled eyes at Harry. "Always have a backup plan and a plan beyond that. He told us in the shack. He's gone."

Hermione took hold of Harry's hand in support as Sirius's laughter faded, "That was a portkey, but it shouldn't have worked here. They don't work on the school grounds."

Sirius snarled, "It was Lily's portkey, made by Dumbledore for her to escape back to Hogwarts and return home afterwards. He'll be long gone by the time we get to Godric's Hollow." He looked down at his hands in realisation, his breathe clouding before him, "I truly am a fool."

Harry looked between Sirius and Snape, "Did he lie? Was what he said the truth?"

The haunted and shamed look in both men's eyes told him everything he needed to know.

Then Harry frowned as he watched his breath in the air and felt the chill settle into his bones as he heard his mothers screams.