Chapter 44 - Wormtail the Spy
I dropped the rat just as two flashes of blue light came from the wands. The rat was suspended in mid-air wriggling around before there was a flash of white light. And Pettigrew started growing into normal form. Sirius was right. I grinned at him and he grinned back.
"Well, hello, Peter." Moony greeted him. "Long time no see." Pettigrew stood up and faced away from me and to Sirius and Moony. I pointed my wand at his for a precaution.
"S-Sirius... R-Remus. My old friends." Pettigrew stuttered back. Sirius glared at him coldly and lifted up his wand arm but Moony caught it.
"We've been having a little chat, Peter - Me, Sirius and Ash - about the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around the bed..." Moony replied calmly.
"Remus." Pettigrew gasped. "You don't believe him, do you...? He tried to kill me, Remus."
"And yet you're still here." I muttered quietly. Pettigrew turned around to look at me with wide eyes. I raised an eye brow to him.
"So we've heard." Moony said coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'd be so..."
"He's come to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew suddenly shrieked and actually hid behind me. "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me, too... you've got to help me, Remus..."
"Yeah, hide behind the thirteen year old girl, that's smart. And for god's sake get away from me, you stink to high hell." I said to him. I pushed him away from me then went to stand in the door way.
"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things out." Uncle Moony stated.
"Sorted things out?" Pettigrew squeaked. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he'd come back for me! I've been waiting for this for twelve years!"
"You're a seer, now?" I asked sarcastically.
"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban?" Moony asked. "When nobody has ever done it before?"
"He's got Dark powers the rest of us can only believe of!" Pettigrew shouted. "How else did he get out of there? I suppose He-Who-Must-Named taught him a few tricks!" Sirius started laughing coldly.
"Why don't you say Voldemort?" I asked him. He flinched. "Moony and Sirius do. I bet Aunt Lily and Uncle James did. We do." Pettigrew stared at me scared.
"What, scared to hear your old master's name?" Sirius asked him. "I don't blame you, Peter. His lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"
"Don't know... what you mean, Sirius..." Pettigrew muttered.
"You can tell he is lying." I said almost silently. Sirius and Pettigrew both looked up at me. Sirius nodded.
"Who are you?" Pettigrew squeaked.
"You've been with us for three years and you don't know who I am?" I asked him. He stiffly shook his head. "I'm Sirius's god daughter." I finished proudly.
"Aurora?" Pettigrew squeaked again. I nodded. "You're all grown up and beautiful, I remember you as a baby."
"And you're all old and fat and I was brought up believing you was dead." I retorted.
"Your mum was always so kind to me..." Pettigrew said.
"And we were supposed to be killed on the same day as Aunt Lily and Uncle James. Is that because of you, too?" I asked him coldly.
"I expect so." Uncle Moony said.
"What?" Sirius asked us.
"On the night Lily and James were murdered, Voldemort was going to go to Shawna's house to kill all of them, too. Afterwards Death Eater's went after them so Dumbledore had them moved to America until the boys had to start at Hogwarts." Uncle Moony sighed.
"What?" Sirius growled angrily.
"Professor Lupin? Can I say something?" Hermione asked him.
"Certainly, Hermione." Moony replied.
"Well, Scabbers... I mean, this man... he's been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. If he's working for You-Know-Who, how come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?" Hermione asked again.
"There!" Peter said pointing at Hermione. "Thank you! You see, Remus? I haven't hurt a hair of Harry's head! Why would I?"
"I suggest you shut up or, as a cat, I'll play eat the rat." I smirked maliciously at the cowering man.
"I'll tell you why." Sirius replied. "Because you never did anything for anyone unless you could see what was in it for you. Voldemort's been in hiding for twelve years, they say he's half-dead. You weren't about to commit murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose, for a wreck of a wizard who'd lost all his powers, were you? You'd want to be quite sure he was the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him, wouldn't you? Why else did you find a wizard family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you, Peter? Just in case you're old protector regained strength, and it was safe to re-join him." Pettigrew was stunned into silence. He opened and closed his mouth over and over again like a fish.
"Err, Mr. Black... Sirius?" Hermione asked and Sirius jumped. I grinned at him and he rolled his eyes back at me. "If you don't mind me asking... how did you get out of Azkaban if you didn't use Dark Magic?"
"Thank you!" Peter said nodding his head vigorously. "There! Precisely what I..." He was looking quickly between me and Moony and was silence by our matching glares. I kind of zoned out during Sirius's answer which I probably should have listened to if I was going to Azkaban, I should know how to get out but I was just looking at Wormtail. He was always there and I never noticed. He really did look old. He had dirty blond hair with a bald patch. His eyes were a watery blue that almost looked like he was always crying and he was pale, paler than me even plus fat. He was very fat. And then something occurred to me.
"Hold up. Pettigrew, why didn't you go to Voldemort when he was at the school?" I asked him.
"He's been here?" Sirius and Peter choked at the same time.
"Yes." Uncle Moony replied gravely. "He's tried to kill Harry a fair few times while at Hogwarts."
"And Ash has saved me each time." Harry grinned at me. "In the forbidden forest."
"Our first Quidditch match." I continued.
"When he tried to get the Philosopher's Stone." Harry then continued. "And last year down the Chamber of Secrets." Harry finished.
"I've never had so much satisfaction like from fighting with Tom Riddle." I replied grinning. "Although you saved me then, too."
"Not very well, you got petrified by a Basilisk." Harry replied. I shuddered.
"Snakes. I hate snakes like Ron hates Spider's." I shuddered again. Sirius looked at us with a mixture of shock, anger and pride. "Oh, don't give me the proud look. I'm honest to god sick of that look from Moony."
"He was here." Pettigrew squeaked again. That practically proved his guilt.
"Yes." I hissed at him. "And we've kicked your old master's arse plenty of times since we were eleven years old." I glared at him fiercely, I was furious and he was actually shaking in fear.
"Believe me." Sirius choked out looking at Harry. "Believe me. I never betrayed James and Lily. I would have died before I betrayed them." Harry looked at him and nodded. He believed him. Harry believed him. Harry believed us!
"No!" Peter wailed before dropping to his knees in front of Sirius. "Sirius, it's me... it's Peter... your friend... you wouldn't..." Sirius kicked him away.
"There's enough dirt on my robes without you touching them." Sirius replied.
"Remus!" Pettigrew squeaked. "You don't believe this... Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"
"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter." Uncle Moony replied. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?"
"Forgive me, Remus." Sirius said to him.
"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend." Moony said rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
"Of course." Sirius grinned at him.
"And sorry for the bite and the punches and the karate chop to the neck, they couldn't have helped." I grinned at him slightly.
"It's all in the past, my little chaser." Sirius grinned back.
"That nickname had better not stick." I muttered.
"Shall we kill him, together?" Sirius asked Uncle Moony.
"Yes, I think so. If that's okay with Ash." Moony looked at me.
"He's all yours." I replied lightly.
"You wouldn't... you won't..." Pettigrew gasped before he crawled to me. "Aurora... Ash... Nine Lives... please, don't let them... you are so beautiful and smart and kind... so much like your mother and godmother... you wouldn't let them..."
"I'm just gonna do one thing." I told Sirius and Moony who nodded. I brought my foot forward and smashed it into his face. He was sent staggering backwards clutching at his broken nose. "That was for all the times my mother and I have been sad that my beloved uncle died." I walked forward a little and kicked him full force in his side. "And that is for all the times I've hated my godfather when he could have been there for Harry." I hissed at him. Wormtail then scrambled to Ron.
"Ron... haven't I been a good friend... a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you... you're on my side, aren't you?" Wormtail begged him.
"I let you sleep in my bed!" Ron said with a look of revulsion.
"Kind boy... kind master... you won't let them do it... I was your rat... I was a good pet..." Wormtail continued.
"If you made a better rat than human, it's not much to boast about, Peter." Sirius said harshly. Wormtail then staggered to Hermione.
"Sweet girl... clever girl... you, you won't let them... help me..." Wormtail begged holding onto the bottom of her robes. She pulled them away from him and backed away looking horrified. I was slowly getting angry. Wormtail turned slowly to look at Harry.
"Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..." Wormtail whispered. I snapped.
"Get away from him!" I shrieked.
"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY?" Sirius roared. "HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?"
"Harry," He whispered again. "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would have shown me mercy..." The evil spineless rat! I was beyond furious! I pointed my wand at him and screamed the first spell I thought of in my head.
'CRUCIO!' A flash of red light left my wand and hit Wormtail. He writhed in pain on the floor. The whole room froze while I dropped my wand and covered my mouth. I'd used an unforgivable. They're illegal! They're dark magic! I couldn't believe what I'd just done. The words of my prophecy flashed into my head. 'One of the chosen one's will be tainted by the darkness her ancestors strived for.' It was coming true. Then I felt warm tingle's rush up my arm. They felt good. The dark magic didn't feel bad for me, I didn't feel tainted. And I'd used it on Wormtail, he deserved it. And the war would still be decided by me, I'd always have a choice and I wouldn't betray Harry like Wormtail did. I dropped my hands and a slow smile crossed my face. Wormtail deserved it.
"What spell did you just use?" Uncle Moony whispered.
"What spell did it look like?" I shot back.
"The Cruciatus Curse." Moony replied. I nodded. Hermione gasped while Wormtail glared at me.
"They're illegal!" Hermione gasped again. I nodded again.
"How... how did you do it?" Sirius asked me.
"I don't know." I replied still looking at Wormtail. "I've never done it before. I wanted him away from Harry. I wanted to cause him pain and I was reading about them in a defence against the dark arts book I bought in the summer, this morning. And it just happened. But it... it felt..."
"What?" Uncle Moony asked me.
"It felt good." I said in a small voice. I saw from the corner of my eye Sirius and Moony exchange a look. "So I don't care. And no one will say anything." I looked around at all of them threateningly before looking back at Wormtail. "And I will do it again if you don't move your pathetic arse away from Harry." I growled at him. He looked scared. Sirius and Remus glided forward and pulled him away from him and threw him near Snape on the floor as I picked up my wand.
"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort." Sirius growled at him and my spell was forgotten. "Do you deny it?" Wormtail burst into tears like a big baby.
"Sirius, Sirius, what could I have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea... he has weapons you can't imagine... I was scared, Sirius, I was never brave like you and Remus and James. I never meant it to happen... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me..." Pettigrew blubbered.
"DON'T LIE!" Sirius bellowed, shaking in anger. "YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!"
"He... he was taking over everywhere!" Pettigrew gasped. "Wh-what was there to be gained by refusing him?"
"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" Sirius yelled. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"
"You don't understand!" He whined. "He would have killed me, Sirius!"
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Sirius roared. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
"You should have realized, if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter." Uncle Moony told him quietly as both he and Sirius pointed their wands at him. Suddenly Harry raced between them.
"NO!" Harry yelled. "You can't kill him. You can't." Me, Moony and Sirius stared at him in shock.
"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents." Sirius snarled. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die, too, without turning a hair. You heard him. His own stinking skin meant more to him than your whole family."
"I know." Harry replied. "We'll take him up to the castle. We'll hand him over to the dementors. He can go to Azkaban... just don't kill him."
"Harry!" Wormtail gasped. "You... thank you... it's more than I deserve... thank you."
"Get off me!" Harry spat venomously, kicking him away in disgust. "I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing it because I don't reckon my dad would've wanted his best friends to become killers... just for you." I agreed with him then. He was right. Even I didn't really want my Uncle Moony to become a killer or my godfather. Sirius and Moony lowered their wands.
"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry." Sirius said. "But think... think what he did..."
"He can go to Azkaban." Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, he does."
"Very well." Uncle Moony said. "Stand aside, Harry." Harry hesitated. "I'm going to tie him up. That's all, I swear." Harry stepped out of the way.
"But if you transform, Peter, we will kill you. You agree, Harry?" Sirius growled and Harry nodded. I walked towards him and smiled lightly, holding his hand.
"You think I'm making a mistake." Harry stated.
"No, not really. It's noble. You're right, he doesn't actually deserve death, and he deserves to rot in Azkaban for the rest of his miserable life." I grinned at Harry and he pulled me into a hug. "Besides, we need him alive so Sirius doesn't go back to Azkaban. He has twelve years of presents to give."
"I gave you both a Firebolt for Christmas." Sirius replied. I released Harry and stared at him before a slow grin grew on my face.
"Wait for it." Hermione said. I screamed in happiness and barrelled to Sirius giving him a hug.
"Thank you!" I squealed. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Oh God you smell." I wrinkled my nose as the others burst into laughter at the astounded look on Sirius's face.
"I told you they were from him." Hermione said.
"Yeah but not to kill us." Harry retorted. Hermione shrugged.
"So… Up to the castle?" I asked everyone and they nodded.
"What about Professor Snape?" Hermione asked in a small voice.
"Let's just leave him." I grinned looking down at him. Uncle Moony walked over to him and checked his pulse.
"There's nothing seriously wrong with him. He's out cold. Ash just... er... stunned him, over-enthusiastically. It would be best if we didn't revive him. We can leave him here." Uncle Moony finally agreed with me.
"And two of you should be chained to this." Sirius said looking at Wormtail. "Just to make sure."
"I'll do it." Uncle Moony said.
"And me." Ron said walking forward on his newly strapped up leg. Ron's face was set. Sirius pointed Snape's wand at Wormtail and big manacles appeared and attached themselves to the three of the arms. They left the room first followed by me pointing my wand at Wormtail then Sirius, Harry and Hermione followed me.