Disclaimer: I own none of the things you already know of.
Harry Potter and the Smallest Change.
Chapter 15. 3rd Year, Part 6. 1994.
Three days later, Harry woke in the middle of the night. Beside him, his Potter mirror vibrated on his bed beside his pillow. It took only a moment for him to banish the drowsiness and to take the mirror and activate it.
In the mirror, his mother's worried face was displayed.
'Harry, thank goodness you woke up. Have you seen your father?' she asked, and Harry frowned and cocked his head to the side.
He flung a hand to the side and wandlessly summoned his map, which he snatched out of the air before rolling it open on the bed.
'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.' He muttered and turned the mirror to face the map.
Two sets of eyes scanned the map for a minute.
'Sorry mum, he's not at Hogwarts.' Harry announced and Lily gasped.
'Sirius thinks he's at Hogwarts. Amy says he should be there. But he's been acting strangely lately.' She muttered, still looking over the map Harry pointed the mirror at.
'How? What kind of strange?' Harry asked.
Lily groaned.
'He said something about a rat in Hogwarts.' She trailed off and Harry turned the mirror around to look at her, only to see her face pale with horror.
'What? What does that mean, mum?' he asked, and Lily gasped.
'Harry, I'll call you back soon. I think I just figured it out.' Lily said before the mirror went dark.
Harry huffed.
'If she'd figured it out, the least she could have done is tell me.' He muttered before he looked at his watch. It was three AM.
Sighing, Harry rolled out of bed and got changed.
He rummaged through his clothes and decided he needed an outfit for dangerous situations, maybe enchant some robes or something. He let out another huff and picked up his Potter mirror, then moved out to the common room in case something big happened soon.
Harry noted the couch in front of the fire but knew that he'd just fall asleep again if he sat down. So, he leant against the wall and stared at a space next to the fire, fire had a hypnotising effect which was something else he didn't need right now.
Harry pulled out the Potter mirror and considered calling his mother back, but discarded it. He called Holly instead, only for her to not pick up.
Frowning, Harry tried again. She still didn't pick up.
'Must be sleeping.' He muttered.
Harry fought to ignore the sick feeling in his gut.
'James Potter.' he said to the mirror, which vibrated for a minute before Harry cancelled the call.
'Susan Bones.'
The mirror vibrated in his hands, but again, no answer.
Harry froze. He knew something was wrong. It didn't make sense for none of them to answer. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a cold sweat formed on his brow.
He tucked the mirror into a pocket and pulled out the tracker he'd made for Fleur's and Holly's necklaces. Harry tapped it with his wand and set it to track Holly. He activated it and after a moment, it directed him below.
He blinked. Below?
Rechecking the tracker, it pointed him underneath the castle, not up in the Ravenclaw dorms.
Harry felt hot. He took a deep breath and tried to remember the Occlumency he'd been learning. He needed to be calm to help his family.
'They aren't here.' A voice came from his side, from the boy's dorms.
Harry turned to see Justin Finch-Fletchley, who wore a small smile on his face, except the smile was anything but kind. Harry narrowed his eyes at the boy, lit by the weak light of the dying flames in the fireplace.
'What do you mean?' Harry asked and watched Justin walk toward him. The boy only stopped when he was in Harry's personal space, the weak firelight lending his face a crimson glow.
'Your friends and family are out of your reach.' Justin elaborated; his small smile cold in the light of the dying flames.
'Why? Why them?' Harry narrowed his eyes and tried to keep his budding Occlumency ahead of his raging emotions.
Justin smiled, and Harry saw his eyes clearly. They were not glassy–he wasn't under the Imperius.
'Come with me.' Justin ordered and moved past Harry to the common room's exit.
Harry growled, deep in his throat, and followed the boy. His mind raced, churning through possible actions and consequences. He tried to figure out what was happening, but nothing made sense.
'What is going on?' Harry demanded after a minute of walking through darkened corridors.
Justin laughed; it was a cruel laugh.
'Is it really that easy to make Harry Potter give up? The Killer of Basilisks, Teachers Pet, Prince of Hogwarts?' Justin continued walking.
'Prince of Hogwarts?' Harry asked, a step behind Justin, who laughed again.
'Of course, that's what they call you. You have outshone every student since Dumbledore. The closest to you is Granger, but unlike her, you make it look easy. You have connections in each house, and none dare challenge you in this school.' Justin explained before pausing in the corridor, turning to Harry.
'Never mind that though, we've been watching you, and learning. My Master wishes to meet you now that his victory is complete.' Justin boasted.
'The great James Potter, Head Auror is at our mercy and Hogwarts will be ours by the time the sun rises.' Justin smirked and continued walking, leading Harry ever deeper into the dungeons.
Justin turned a corner and down some stairs.
Harry frowned. He hadn't been in this part of the school. He wasn't even sure if it was on the map.
'Dumbledore has but one weakness.' Justin said as he moved deeper into the bowels of the school.
'Do you know what it is, Potter?' Justin asked as he walked.
Harry rolled his eyes. He did not enjoy the mocking tone.
'Enlighten me.' He said, and Justin laughed.
Justin turned as he walked; his face lit by the dim blue light that came from the walls. The boy flashed a too-innocent grin.
'His students.'
Harry froze and a moment later, the two were surrounded by a dozen students, from different houses and years.
He gritted his teeth, feeling his chances of overpowering Justin fade. Holly's tracker still clasped in his hand, Harry noted they were getting closer, only a hundred metres away.
Harry took a deep breath and tucked Holly's tracker in his pocket and ran a finger counter-clockwise around his watch face.
'Help me.' He whispered and hoped his message would be received in time.
Justin froze and spun to face Harry.
'What did you say?' the boy asked, his previous confidence lacking, and Harry knew that until now, everything had gone according to the boy's plan.
Harry ignored the students surrounding them and stepped into the boy's personal space, not that he seemed to notice.
'Threatening my family is not a smart move.' He snarled.
Justin stifled a snort, a faint condescending smile twisting his lips and turned, continuing further below the castle.
Harry followed, surrounded by a dozen silent students.
'Why wait until now to make your move? Surely you had plenty of other opportunities. Why wait until I was down in the common room? Why not break through the wards around my bed?' he asked and smirked as Justin's shoulders tensed.
'Oh, that's it. You couldn't break through the wards. What about your Master? You said my father was at your mercy? Was he your target all along?' Harry asked, only for Justin to ignore him.
'Why are you doing all of this? Are you a willing participant or a mindless slave to this, Master?' Harry asked, drawing a scowl from the other boy, but nothing else.
Harry looked around at the students surrounding him. None bore the glazed eyes of the Imperius.
Clues slowly clicked into place as the other students marched him down the corridor. The Imperius could only affect one person at a time, so these people were being controlled in other ways. His research on mind altering magic throughout the year lead him toward a few likely culprits.
He narrowed his eyes. Now that he was looking for specific effects, he saw the bloodshot eyes that came with extended contact with Befuddlement potions. The telltale yellow tinge on the student's fingertips of a particularly strong loyalty potion that he'd only read about a week before.
Harry inwardly blanched at the number of potions and spells on the students around him and wondered what the long-term effects of that many potions were.
'When did you meet your Master?' Harry asked and the boy's only response was missing a step before he hurried further down the corridor.
Harry figured they were only metres away from Holly by now.
They rounded a corner and Justin opened a massive door that looked out of place in the dungeons where every other door was of standard height.
This door rivalled the Chamber of Secrets for sheer grandeur. It was ten metres high, and Harry blinked and looked back the way they'd come and realised the ceiling had been rising at a gradual angle for at least the last thirty metres. He idly wondered if it was disillusioned, or he'd just not been paying attention.
The grand door in front of him was black iron and bore the Hogwarts coat of arms and swung open at a muttered word from Justin.
Behind the door lay a cavernous room, easily the size of the Great Hall. In the centre of the room hung a glowing red orb the size of a car. It floated in mid-air, and its crimson glow lent the room a nightmarish hue.
Dozens more similarly mind-controlled students stepped out into the crimson light of the room and Harry gasped as he saw his father silhouetted by the glowing orb behind him. His arms tied behind his back and his legs bound to the chair he sat in. They had stripped James to the waist and even from Harry's distance, he could see his father was worse for wear.
Bruises covered his face, and his robes were torn and darkened with blood in the red lit room.
Harry took a step forward, toward his father, before he froze at a whimper from his right. He spun to see Holly, dressed in her pyjamas, attached to the wall with black iron shackles, her arms held above her by the chain.
An animalistic growl escaped his mouth as he took a step toward her, wand in hand.
'Harry Potter.' A voice called from behind him, and he spun to face the speaker.
To the left of the room's entrance, the crowd of mind-controlled Hogwarts students parted to reveal a balding, overweight man who bore an odd resemblance to a rat, right down to his twitching nose.
Beside the man was Susan, shackled in much the same manner as Holly. The man's hand cupped her developing chest as he half faced Harry.
Harry snarled wordlessly as he took in the man's appearance. He wore an expensive looking, yet ill-fitting muggle suit. His paunch protruded over his pants and his dark, beady eyes bore into Harry's emerald gaze.
Harry narrowed his eyes as he took in the situation. Susan shackled to the left of the entrance, Holly to the right and Harry between the two. Further into the room, completing the triangle, his father sat strapped into a chair, who looked to have been tortured and currently out of action.
Dozens of students from all houses and year levels surrounded him.
With a sinking feeling, he noted at least a dozen more people wearing jeans and jackets and carried handguns.
Muggles.
The muggles stood along the walls of the room and consisted of both men and women, all watching him with hawklike gazes.
To the left of the glowing sphere in the centre of the room stood three portable desks, each laden with potions supplies and one outfitted as a potion's lab.
Harry met the nervous gaze of the rat-like man who released Susan's chest and she whimpered in fear. A handful of empty potions bottles lay on the floor beside her.
'Thank you for joining us young Potter Heir for this reunion between friends.' The man said, his tone oily.
Harry narrowed his gaze.
'Friends? What do you mean?' he asked, his wand itched to strike out at the rat-like man.
The man gasped in faux surprise.
'Dear Harry, what do you know about your fathers' little gang, the Marauders?' he asked, and Harry resisted the urge to attack the man.
Instead, he shrugged.
'They were pranksters in school. It was dad, and his friends Sirius and Remus.' Harry replied, he hoped the man would somehow give him a way to win this impossible fight.
The man stilled; his glare turned to the bound James before he took a step toward Harry.
'Anything else?' he asked, and Harry gritted his teeth.
'Are you some petty man who was pranked too often by them in school, like Snape?' Harry hissed and the overweight man bristled.
He moved across the room and lay a hand on James' shoulder.
The man grinned, a manic gleam in his beady eyes. His teeth were rotted, and Harry watched as, with a flourish and a bow, the man spoke.
'I am Peter Pettigrew, the fourth Marauder.' The man, Peter announced.
Harry frowned.
'There weren't four Marauders.'
Peter snarled.
'It's so like the perfect James Potter to ignore me in the grand stories of the Marauders. I was once one of their best and closest friends. We ruled the school together, the four of us.' Peter explained, squeezing James' wounded shoulder, who flinched at the contact.
'But once we left the school, James and Lily got married and they pushed me out of the group. James even preferred to have Remus around, even though he was a werewolf and always was the one to stop us from doing the better pranks on Snape.' Peter snarled.
Harry growled, resisting the urge to attack the man, it became harder to resist with every word the man said.
'Why do all this? Because my father changed his priorities after getting married? Because he grew up?' Harry asked.
Peter gritted his teeth, squeezing James' shoulder.
'It was Prongs' fault that my mother died.' Peter hissed and Harry blinked.
'How did you come to that conclusion?' Harry asked, his eyes moved around the room, waiting for an opportunity.
'The Dark Lord promised to cure her illness. She'd gotten sick in our seventh year. Prongs and Padfoot refused to use their fortunes to help my mother.' Peter said, his voice filled with fear as he spoke of his fallen Master.
'So, you chose to follow Voldemort?' Harry growled, hand tightening around his wand so that his knuckles turned white.
Peter flinched.
'What would you do, little Potter Heir? If you could save your family by making the hard choices?' the rat-like man asked.
Harry's lip curled.
'I would die protecting them.' Harry snarled.
Peter scoffed.
'You say that now, little Potter. How will your bravado change once your precious sister is gone? Or perhaps I should kill the red head that reminds me so much of Lily?' the man said, looking between the two girls.
Harry stepped toward Peter but froze as two mind-controlled muggles stepped close on either side of Holly, holding their handguns to her head. The motion was mirrored with Susan, who had two handguns pressed to her temples.
The black pistols glinted red in the light of the orb behind Peter and James.
Harry and Peter stared at one another, and Peter gave a cruel smirk, then his eyes turned toward Holly.
'You better kill me now Peter, because if you harm any of my children, the Aurors will be the least of your problems.' James snarled from his chair; his teeth clenched as Peter squeezed his wounded shoulder.
'I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and beyond you little rat bastard.' James growled.
Harry saw a flicker of fear pass through Peter's eyes before he glanced at his army of mind-controlled muggles and students.
Peter gave a weak grin to James, then to Harry. He strode across the room to stand in front of Holly and ran a hand down her cheek and trailed it down across her neck.
Harry was sure his wand would snap if he held it any tighter.
'Is there anything you want to say to your brother and father before the end?' Peter asked and Holly's eyes locked on to Harry's.
Tears flowed down her cheeks, her lip quivered before she glared at Peter. She turned to Harry, then James, then back to Harry.
'I love you.' She said, before a loud crack echoed through the room, followed by a scream from Susan, who had scrunched her eyes shut.
The great black iron doors exploded inward, and six Professors burst into the room. Remus and Dumbledore rushed inside a moment later, followed by McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout and Snape.
'Danger left, Danger front.' Harry called out to the Professors. He'd watched it in the summer with Remus about American muggle soldiers fighting in some desert.
Harry rushed at Peter, who stood in front of Holly, his beady eyes wide at the dramatic entrance of the Professors.
He dodged spells as they sped toward him; Stunners, Bone Breaking Curses and so many more that he only knew would cause pain and stop his vengeance if they hit him.
From the corner of his eye, he saw the Professors dealing with the dominated students and muggles, even though they were vastly outnumbered.
Gunshots filled the room; great, deafening cracks filled his ears as bullets whizzed across the room unseen. Bullets that missed and hit the stone walls bounced off, some ricocheting into the Professors.
McGonagall fell to a stray bullet in the stomach, entering through her back.
Sprout dropped to the ground a moment later with a shrill scream as a bullet tore through her calf before a Banishing Hex threw her into the wall, where she then lay still.
Dumbledore too was struck by a ricocheted bullet. It tore into his right shoulder, forcing him to swap his knobbly wand to his left hand.
Harry drew in close to Peter, whose beady eyes were wide with fright at the Professors. But the manic gleam was still there. As Harry approached, Peter turned to face him.
'Stupefy, Incarcerous, Bombarda, Reducto, Percutio.' Harry shouted and sent the spells with pinpoint accuracy toward the man.
Peter deflected each spell with contempt.
'Enough, I won't let my vengeance be stopped now. Not by you little Potter.' He snarled.
'Imperio.' Peter hissed.
Harry's body relaxed, and he slowed to a stop only a metre from Peter. He revelled in the voice inside his head.
Kneel.
The voice was silky smooth, soft, and he wanted nothing more than to obey.
He made to kneel but stopped. Why would he want to kneel?
Kneel.
Harry resisted. Why should he kneel?
Harry blinked and the voice inside his head was gone, along with the bliss that he'd experienced moments before. The floating sensation faded, and he was in control of his body once more. Inwardly, he thanked his bracelet for helping to break the curse.
He lunged forward a moment later, his fist smashed into Peter's shocked face and sent the rat-like man to the floor as blood gushed from a broken nose.
Harry took aim behind him and fired a Severing Charm at James' chair leg, sending him toppling to the ground before an Entrail Exploding curse passed through the space James had been moments before.
The curse sailed into the crimson sphere, which rippled like water before it stilled.
Harry turned back to Peter, who stood, wand outstretched, and fired a stream of curses at Harry. He dodged what he could and deflected or blocked what he couldn't.
But it was clear after only a few seconds that Harry was outclassed.
He really needed to learn how to cast nonverbally.
'I've spent the last twelve years preparing for the day I would avenge my mother's death, boy.' Peter's nasally voice growled.
Harry dodged a spell and fell to the floor, the back of his head hit the stone with a loud crack, making him see stars. Ropes wrapped around his legs; Harry struggled but froze as Peter's paunch came into view above him. Peter towered over Harry's fallen form; malice danced in his beady eyes.
Harry stared up at the man, madness having replaced the manic gleam. A sense of fear filled Harry, emptying his mind of anything else. He'd never felt such fear as right then, not even against the Basilisk the year before.
Peter smirked down at Harry before he turned his gaze to Holly and flicked his wand. A whip of thin flame lanced out of his wand and wrapped around Holly's leg.
She screamed as the thin flames burned through her thin nightgown and the flesh of her leg.
Harry struggled to stand, only for Peter's boot to strike his face, breaking his nose. A metallic taste filled his mouth, and he screamed.
He spat out the blood that filled his mouth and pain blossomed in his face at the movement. He reared back to escape the pain but only hit his head on the stone floor again, leaving him dazed.
Holly's screams tore through his pain addled mind and Harry turned tear-filled eyes to Holly as Peter's Fire Whip burned deeper into her right thigh. The smell of burning flesh filled the room and Harry heard James' shouts as he fought the two dominated muggles who kept trying to shoot him.
'Thtop.' Harry called, though due to his broken nose, it was unintelligible.
Peter continued; his beady eyes sparkled with a mad glee.
Harry's gaze never left Holly's face; her eyes screwed shut in pain.
Harry rolled on his side and clutched his wand.
From the corner of his eye, he saw Snape forcing McGonagall to drink a potion while holding a bloody hand on her stomach.
Sprout lay unmoving against a wall and Flitwick fought with his back against the wall while two dozen students fired spells at him. Every student he dispatched returned to the fight moments later, revived or released by the others.
Dumbledore stood in a circle of defeated muggles and students, his knobbly wand weaving through the air like a conductor's baton.
Remus, Harry, blinked through tears, he couldn't see Remus anywhere.
Harry pushed himself up on shaky legs and fired a Stunner at Peter, who released the Fire Whip and deflected the spell toward the door to the room.
Harry's eyes widened in horror as the deflected Stunner hit Remus in the face and he fell to the floor in a heap. Peter gave the unconscious Remus a swift kick in the head and laughed as he turned to smirk at Harry, madness alight in his eyes.
'Crucio.' Peter hissed and a red beam of light leapt out of his wand and struck Harry in the chest.
Harry's world exploded in pain. Everything he was, that made him Harry, faded in the face of the all-encompassing agony that tore through him. He curled into a ball and held himself, unknowingly, to escape the pain that ravaged his body. His blood felt like it was stabbed with millions of knives, boiling hot and freezing cold at the same time. His existence became defined by the pain that gripped him.
Nothing else mattered anymore.
A single sound ripped through his pain and reminded him who he was. He was Harry Potter, son of James and Lily Potter, and brother of Charlus and Holly Potter. It was Holly's scream that tore through his pain, her scream at seeing him tortured in front of her.
Broken nose forgotten amid the knives in his blood, Holly's scream cut deep into him, and his conscious mind pushed through the agony burning within him.
Digging deep into his reserves, Harry flung out a hand toward Peter and felt a blast of pure, unshaped magic rush out toward the rat-like man.
With a surprised shout, the magic flung Peter off his feet and away from Harry. He skidded to a stop ten metres away.
The pain that defined him moments before faded, but his body could only twitch in response to his urging it to stand. He lay on the floor twitching as Peter dragged himself to his knees, then stood. Blood covered his now tattered muggle suit.
Peter stalked toward Harry, who could only widen his eyes in fear as the fourth Marauder closed in, his mad eyes flashed with fury.
A whimper escaped Harry as Peter flicked his wand at Harry. He skidded across the uneven stone floor before he crashed into the wall beside a struggling Holly.
'You will regret that, you little shit.' Peter snarled, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor.
Harry felt his wand still in his twitching hand, which rested on the floor.
He pointed it at Remus.
An idea entered his mind, and Harry turned his focus on it. He gathered all the magic he could, like he was using wandless magic, but instead, he focussed it through his wand which seared his skin as it smoked and vibrated with the sheer amount of magic channelled through it.
'Ennervate.'
The lack of a wand movement, and the distance between them, was overcome by the sheer power Harry poured into the spell and a moment later, Remus' eyes flickered open. Harry saw the werewolf snarl as his amber eyes flashed at seeing his old comrade.
Harry looked back at Peter.
'H-how d-did y-you hide f-from the m-map?' he stuttered; his body unable to follow his commands as his nerves reeled from the Cruciatus.
Behind Peter, Remus forced himself onto unsteady feet.
On the other side of the room, Dumbledore waved his wand above McGonagall while also helping Flitwick deal with the remaining dominated students.
Peter wore a cruel grin as he towered over the crumpled and twitching Harry.
'I searched Hogwarts every night while the castle slept. I had my student helpers keep an eye on you and the other two who had maps.' Peter grinned and licked his lips.
Behind Peter, Remus took a step toward him.
'It took a few months but eventually we found a room that I didn't remember from my time at Hogwarts.' Peter paused and before he could continue, Remus' hand closed around the fat man's head and he squeaked in terror.
Remus tightened his grip around Peter's skull and with inhuman strength smashed his face into the stone floor with a deafening roar, filled with rage.
Remus slammed Peter's face against the floor once, twice. It left a wet, bloody smear on the stone.
'R-Remus s-stop.' Harry croaked and Remus smashed Peter's face against the ground a third time before the rage left his amber coloured eyes.
'R-Remus, s-stop, we n-need him al-live.' Harry stuttered, and a horrified expression covered Remus' face as he realised he'd let the wolf out in front of the kids.
'P-please, help H-Holly.' Harry asked, and Remus nodded.
Remus stood and took hold of the black chain which pinned Holly to the wall.
A flash of pain rocked through Harry's body, and he convulsed as his nerves fired all over. His skin felt like it was on fire, and he gritted his teeth against the pain.
Harry saw James subdue the second muggle he'd been fighting before collapsing beside them.
Flitwick levitated a released Susan to the floor, iron chains still attached to her wrists.
Dozens of muggles and students lay bound and unconscious behind Dumbledore as he leant over McGonagall with Snape by his side, his long thin fingers covered in the blood of the Transfiguration Professor.
With a mighty roar, Remus tore the chains from the wall, freeing Holly as she fell to her knees beside Harry.
'Harry, I was so scared.' She sobbed into his shoulder and Harry struggled to contain the tremors wracking his body.
'I-m okay H-Holly. I-' he paused as he looked around, sending fresh flares of pain through his body.
Peter wasn't there.
The wet smear of blood from his crushed face was there, but no man.
Only the sound of tiny rodent feet skittering on stone could be heard in the now silent room.
'Remus, P-Peter's es-scaped.' Harry ground out and Remus dropped Holly's black chain to the floor and swore.
A moment later, Remus was gone.
Harry's vision darkened, and he closed his eyes, now dizzy.
When he opened his eyes, his head ached and lay in Susan's lap while Holly sat beside him, his hand clutched in hers.
A tremor tore through him and he groaned as his nerves exploded with pain before it subsided a moment later. He tried to sit up, but his body still wasn't listening to him.
'How are you two?' he said, pleased that his stutter was gone.
At his words, both girls teared up and Harry felt a tear drop fall on his cheek from Susan. Holly took hold of Susan's hand with her spare hand.
'I was so scared. Sarah Conners, a girl in my dorm, stunned me while we were climbing into bed for the night.' Holly whispered and Harry saw her fear in her eyes, and it crushed him, he'd failed them, and they'd suffered so much because of it.
'Sarah, she was always so nice to me. She'd been a little odd over the last few weeks, but overall, she was nice.' Holly continued; her eyes locked onto Harry's.
Susan took a rattling breath and let it out.
'A girl in my dorm, Megan Jones, had been a bit off since Christmas break, but I didn't think she would attack me in bed.' Susan paused and Harry felt another teardrop land on his face.
'She petrified me, so I watched the ceiling the entire way down here. I heard them, talking and planning.' Susan stopped and took a shaky breath.
'If you hadn't of come down when you did Harry, something horrible would have happened.' Susan shuddered and covered her face with her hands.
Harry tried to move his arms to comfort her, but his body wouldn't move. All he could do was gesture to Holly with his eyes toward Susan. But Holly understood and wrapped Susan in a tight embrace while the red head cried silent tears.
'Justin led me down here. Apparently, Peter wanted to gloat.' Harry said and muffled snickers escaped both girls.
A soft click clack sounded nearby and from the corner of his eye, Harry saw his father hobbling toward them on a conjured walking stick. It was simple oak, with a roaring lion handle.
James wore nothing above his waist and was covered in blood and wounds. Harry hoped it was not as bad as it looked, because he looked like he'd lost a fight with a blender.
James collapsed to his knees in front of the three kids, and Harry met his father's eyes.
'Hey-' Harry started before his body convulsed and his back arched as a pained hiss escaped him.
'I'm sorry he pulled you kids into this mess.' James said and rested a hand on Harry's head before he leant forward to kiss the girls' brows with a pained groan.
'Don't worry about that, dad. What did Peter mean about you and Uncle Sirius refusing to help his mother?' Harry asked and watched as the elder Potter's face turned grim.
James sighed; he ran a bloody hand through his hair.
'Peter came to us in our seventh year. He knew we were from old families, even though we thought Sirius was disowned at the time.' James paused, licking his lips, and he wiped his forearm against his mouth before sighing again as his face was covered in blood from his arm.
'Peter's mother died of Dragon Pox, and like we told him at the time, both the Potters and the Blacks have invested heavily into research on a cure.' James sighed and met Harry's gaze.
'As you know, your grandparents, Fleamont and Euphemia Potter died of Dragon Pox before you were born. A cure is something very important to us.' James finished and Harry tried to move in Susan's lap but convulsed again.
He let out a pained grunt.
'Why would Peter believe Voldemort would cure his mother if there was no cure?' Harry asked and James shook his head.
'I don't know. I can't figure out why Peter would believe Voldemort could or even would cure his mother. Maybe it was just pure desperation?' James shrugged.
James shrugged and his gaze briefly went to the two girls before returning to Harry.
'Peter always was the one who came up with the most vicious pranks. We didn't follow through with most of them, but the ones we did do were aimed at Snape.' James admitted and Harry sighed.
'What about what Peter said about being pushed out of the group?' Harry asked.
James ran a hand down his face and flinched as he touched an open wound.
'After we finished school, Sirius and I went to the Aurors, and Remus got a job at an apothecary in Diagon Alley.' James paused, looking to the ground for a moment before giving a slight shrug.
'Peter, he'd had difficulty adjusting to real life. Outside of Hogwarts, we were the same as everyone else. We had to work hard to get good jobs. But Peter didn't do that, he had to look after his sick mother and didn't have much money.' James explained.
'The war was in full swing by then and your mother and I got married. I guess our lives seemed perfect to him and he couldn't do the same as he cared for his mother.' James sighed.
'After you were born, Harry, the war picked up, and we went into hiding. We didn't see Peter much and I guess the Death Eaters got to him.' James looked haggard and exhausted.
Holly shifted in place beside Harry and squeezed both Harry's and Susan's hands.
'How did Peter get all these people under his control; how did he enslave so many people?' she asked.
James groaned and used his walking stick to stand.
'That, my dear, is a question I would like an answer to as well.' James said. He gave them a small smile, more a grimace, then hobbled off toward the Professors.
Harry watched as James moved to stand beside Flitwick as Dumbledore and Snape worked magic on McGonagall and Sprout, both laying on the cold stone floor.
The two girls turned to Harry, who squeezed their hands.
'It's going to be all right, you two. Uncle Remus will catch Peter and make him tell Aunt Amy everything he did, how he enslaved those muggles and students.' Harry said, as much for himself as for the girls.
Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside the room and Harry blinked in surprise as Madame Pomphrey entered, he'd expected Remus. Madame Pomphrey bustled over to the Professors and shooed them all away, except for Snape, who pulled a collection of vials out of his robes.
'Where do you think Snape keeps his potions? He's been pulling them out of nowhere for at least ten minutes now.' Harry whispered, a touch of awe in his voice.
Susan gasped, and Harry turned toward her.
'What's wrong?' he asked.
Susan touched her lips and her eyes widened, her gaze moved back to where she'd been tied up. Her other hand covered her chest as tears welled up in her eyes. Without a word, Holly wrapped Susan in a hug.
Susan clutched at both of them as she sobbed.
'Peter forced me to drink potions, lots of different ones. He cast a bunch of spells on me that I don't know. They made me feel funny, made me want to do what he told me to.' She whispered into Harry's chest.
'But at the same time, I was repulsed by him.' She finished and pulled back to look Harry in the eye.
'Thank you for the bracelet. It must be what stopped the potions and spells from working fully.' Susan squeezed him in a tight hug, which Holly joined a moment later.
Susan pulled away from the hug a minute later, a blush on her face.
Harry and Holly looked at her.
Susan burst into tears and Holly pulled her back into a hug and rubbed her back while she stroked her hair.
'I was so confused. Part of me liked that Peter touched me, while the rest of me was terrified and disgusted. What kind of person is like that?' Susan whispered.
'Hush now Susan, it's okay.' Harry murmured as his head lay in her lap.
'The part that was disgusted is you. The part that liked it was the potions and spells. You'll be safe now.' Harry whispered.
He looked away from Susan and into Holly's eyes.
'We're all going to be okay. We'll contact some mind healers from Saint Mungo's to help us through this. I think we all need it.' He said and Holly pulled him into an embrace.
Together, the three cried.
A few minutes later, Harry looked up from his tears to see Dumbledore wearing a soft smile above them. His father stood beside the Headmaster looking haunted as he watched the crying children.
Harrys arms worked enough to squeeze the girls' legs, and they looked up to see the two men standing over them.
'I am truly sorry that you three were caught up in the renegade Death Eater's schemes. I believe I shall lead you up to the hospital wing for some much-needed rest.' Dumbledore said, his kind eyes not twinkling for once.
'How is Professor McGonagall, sir?' Harry asked and saw Dumbledore's eye twitch before he gave a heavy sigh.
'She should be able to pull through this, but it'll be a few days until she'll be brought out of her induced coma. The damage was quite severe.' The Headmaster replied, his eyes now dull.
Harry nodded and peered at the bloody mess that the Headmaster's right shoulder was.
'How is your wound, sir?' he asked, gesturing with raised eyebrows at the wound.
Dumbledore chuckled.
'Oh this? I've had much worse, but I must admit that I had gotten lax with practising magic left-handed. Perhaps this was a, how do the muggles call it? Wake-up call?' the aged wizard wore a small smile and Harry figured he'd done something to dull the pain.
Harry nodded and tried to stand, and after a minute of struggle, he stood on wobbly feet. He turned to the girls and helped them to stand. Holly favoured her wounded leg, leaving Susan in the middle of the three to support the other two.
Together, the three students made their slow journey up to the hospital wing, a silent and bloody James Potter by their side, his wand out.