Disclaimer: All characters belong to the queen J.K. Rowling and this is just a work of fan fiction.

Author notes: Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourite and followed. You guys are awesome! This story is inspired by 'They didn't know we were seeds' by LucyLuna. That story is mind-blowing and you should check it out.

This chapter was initially hard to write but I enjoyed it in the end and I hope you do too!

Huge thanks to HogwartsDreamer113 for being my beta!

The Second try.

Chapter Three: Peter Pettigrew.

Peter was not having a good day. It all started when the Boy-Who-Lived and his friends were captured and dragged to the Malfoy Manor. It was going well. As well as torturing for information could go, when it all went downhill. The Lovegood girl and Ollivander were missing from the dungeons, and he was tackled to the ground, his wand wrestled away by his former "owner". His silver hand found its way around his once-honorary nephew's throat. A little more pressure and Harry would be with his parents.

But Peter owed Harry a life debt and he hesitated to kill the boy. In truth, he had not wanted to kill Harry. Just like, he did not want to betray his best friends. But he was scared of You-Know-Who more than he was of betraying his friends. He was scared of dying and the Dark Lord would have killed him, without batting an eye. It had been hard enough to watch Bellatrix torture the girl, but he had gotten used to such stuff, being around Death Eaters helped.

Then he died.

Choked to death by his own sliver hand. As he felt his hand crushing his throat, he could see the boys trying to pull his hand off. They were trying to save him! A Death Eater, the one who sold out his friends' family, sentenced an innocent man to twelve years of hell, key to the Dark Lord's resurrection.

Damn that boy was so much like Lily.

And now, he was a kid again. He had woken up with his hand still around his throat and had screamed out loud, when he saw his right hand was made of actual pink flesh. He had to go to Hogwarts and sleep in the same dormitory with the people he once sent to their death! It was a fitting punishment that was for sure.

He considered shifting to Drumstrang or any other school but that would be too suspicious. Maybe, he could run away? But he couldn't survive alone and he didn't want to join the Dark Lord this time either. Taking every ounce of the Gryffindor courage he possessed, he would go. Maybe, he could start again and this time, NOT repeat the mistakes of his past life.

On the bright side, his mind was around thirty-seven so he could do very well in his studies. He could be as clever as James, Sirius, Remus and Lily! Wouldn't they be surprised?

'Oh right, they wouldn't even know.'

'It is good that they don't,' he tried to convince himself. But it just made him feel more like a rat which was his Animagus form. He hated it when the Dark Lord started calling him Wormtail. It was like twisting the knife which he had impaled himself with.

But a second chance at Hogwarts was as good as a fresh start! His failures were erased and he could begin again. He be damned if he let such a chance slip away. Maybe he will find enough courage to face You-Who-Know and do what Sirius had told him- die for his friends, like he would have done.

He shuddered.

Would he have enough courage to face the Dark Lord and die for his friends and family? He had already betrayed them and knew nothing good came out of that. No power, no rank, no fame (except where he received Order of Merlin, "Posthumously"). All he got was pain and suffering, years of it. He would rather avoid them this time around.

'I mean, what is the worst thing that can happen? I have already been tortured, lived as a rat, treated like a servant and killed… It won't be anything new,' he mused.

The journey to King's Cross was two days away, but every time Peter even looked at his trunk, his heart would beat in fear. His mind was not helping, giving him horrible images and scenarios. What if his friends knew of his crimes? What if they used him instead of Snape as their bait? If they went with Remus on their full moon trips in the near future, would the Wolf smell his fear and guilt?

He pushed away these thoughts and let it wander to some of the good times the Marauders had. When they had sneaked extra chocolate into Remus's stash near full moon, making fun of James when he made a fool of himself in front of Lily, playing pranks on unsuspecting victims and then running away from McGonagall, the adventures they had when it was full moon and the expression on Remus's face when he saw they had become Animagi for him. He was so lost in his thoughts; he jumped when his father put his hand on his shoulder.

"Hey Peter, you excited to go?" his father asked.

"Ye-yeah dad."

"Your mother said you looked a bit spooked today and you didn't even have any second helpings at breakfast! Are you feeling alright?" Mr Pettigrew asked with a hint of worry. It was very rare when his son refused food.

"I- I am fine. Just nervous, I guess," Peter answered, "Dad… what if they hate me?"

"Ah Peter. They won't. Trust me. Just be kind, work hard and be good. You will make tons of friends. Just you see. I am pretty sure by Christmas, we'll get a ton of mail from you, pleading to allow your friends to come home and sample your mother's gorgeous cooking and to fatten everyone up, just like your old man," his father replied patting his belly and winking.

"Sounds like a good idea to me. Second helpings for lunch to soothe mum's worries. What are we having for lunch? I am starving!" He gave a smile that was only half forced.

Peter giggled softly at the smile on his father's face as they both got up and walked to the kitchen. He had missed them. He was still worried and scared at the thoughts of facing his friends.

After lunch, he took a deep breath and approached his trunk. With shaking hands he started packing. The next day, he would ask his mother to make some of her homemade sweets, which he knew the boys loved. He would share it with them in their dorm.

'Maybe I should ask mum to make and send some of her mouth-watering homemade chocolate for Remus after the next full moon?' he mused. He couldn't help but grin at that memory.

*******FLASHBACK*******

It was a few days after full moon and Remus had been successfully sprung from the hospital by James and him while Sirius distracted Madam Pomfrey (Even though she knew they were there to "jail-break" Remus, she was just playing along). It was a Sunday so they had no classes to worry about.

They had taken care of all the notes and Remus had completed all the homework assigned on Saturday, because he was the good student and it was boring in the hospital wing. After reaching their dorm, they settled down as per usual.

And then,

"WHO ATE ALL MY CHOCOLATES!" was followed by the angry face of the resident wolf holding an empty "goodness bag", as he called it. Three guilty faces glanced at each other.

"Peter was hungry and was too lazy to go all the way to the kitchen!"

"My dog ate it!"

"James and I were proving each other wrong! He said Muggle chocolates would all taste the same!"

"Well, Peter said –,"

"Don't blame me. Blame it all on Padfoot!"

"James …."

All three were defending themselves at the same time. Remus was trying not to smile.

"Alright, enough!" he started, "James, there are many sweets that taste different in the Muggle world too but not as much as Honeydukes; Peter, eating chocolates instead of proper food isn't a good idea and Sirius, you do know that chocolates are bad for dogs right?"

"WHAT!" shouted Sirius as he scrambled out of bed. Ever the drama queen.

"AM I GOING TO DIE, REMUS!?"

"Mate, I am pretty sure, you are not going to die," James stated in a dry voice.

Sirius then started twirling around and screaming "how everything was going round and round". He ended up facing the wall and was still shouting.

"REMUS! JAMES! PETER! WHERE ARE YOU GUYS?! I CAN'T SEE!"

Cue James with an epic face palm and Remus burst into laughter. Like a signal, they all started laughing.

"So, which one of you are buying me chocolates, then?"

Immediately all hands pointed to the other. He should have expected this. Then Peter dug out a small jar.

"My mum sent me this yesterday. She made them. I thought you would like them, Remus." He offered the jar with a smile.

Remus took the jar with a soft thanks and offered it to everyone. They all ate with gusto. When James reached for a second piece, he was firmly swatted on the head.

"You guys aren't getting any more of this. I am taking this as Peter's offering. You both owe me chocolates. This is mine!" Remus announced hugging the small jar. It was so adorable that James looked like he was close to cooing over him. Of course, that jar had been emptied by the time Monday had arrived causing James and Sirius to buy two times the chocolates as peace offering.

******* END FLASHBACK*******

With that, he completed packing his trunk. He missed his friends and he didn't want to be such a coward. Maybe he would find the bravery to stand up, even against the Dark Lord? Whatever happened this time, he would face it like a man. No more running.

'There was a reason the hat had put me in Gryffindor right?'

It was time to face the music.