Chapter 21: The Easter of Disaster

"Master," Peter Pettigrew pleaded. "Sirius Black knows what my Animagus form looks like!"

"Then Scabbers must get back to Hogwarts and get a sample of Harry Potter's blood before Potter goes home for the Easter Holidays, doesn't he, Wormtail?" Voldemort maliciously asked.

"Can't we just take blood from another enemy, Master?" Pettigrew begged.

"No!" Voldemort replied. "It must be Potter's."

Two days later, a certain rat was back at Hogwarts. "Scabbers!" Ron exclaimed in joy. "I thought Acquila Black had killed you or fed you to some snake."

"I hope that teaches you to keep at better eye on your pets, Ronald." Percy lectured his youngest brother.

That night, Wormtail tried to find his way to sneak his way out of the dorm but Ron woke up upon hearing the cage door being opened. "Scabbers, don't you go missing again." He ordered his pet. "What if Mrs. Norris eats you?"

Hearing about that cat reminded him of his fear back from his student days and Wormtail decided to get back to his cage. It seemed he'd have to wait until Easter after all.

Months later, the students were readying themselves for the Easter holidays. "Acquila?" Draco approached his second cousin.

"Yes, Draco?" She wondered what he wanted with her.

"I've heard rumors that your father invited muggles for our family's Easter celebration." Draco said in worry. "Did he really do so?"

"There is a possibility that Lord Black invited his godson's muggle relatives but I'm neither confirming nor denying anything, Draco." Acquila formally replied. "If he did, I hope they'll be treated with the same respect every other guest of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black deserves."

"But they're muggles!" Draco exclaimed.

"I know that, Draco." Acquila replied like she saw nothing wrong with that.

"They! Are! Muggles!" Draco pleaded.

"You already said that, Draco." Acquila stated. "Are you a wizard or a parrot?"

"MUGGLES!" Draco shouted.

"A parrot then." She deduced.

When the students took the Hogwarts Express back to London, Peter Pettigrew took advantage of this to sneak his way out of Ron Weasley's watch. He spent the rest of the journey hidden in a corner until the train arrived at King's Cross Station, where he tried to climb upon Harry's trunk but was spotted by Petunia Dursley. "Eeeeeeek!" She shouted in horror. "A rat!"

Immediately remembering the traitor, Sirius Black was quick to immobilize the rat and use the Animagus reversal spell. Sirius was briefly shocked to learn it was really Pettigrew but he recomposed himself on time to prevent the traitor from pulling any tricks. "We meet again, Wormy." He maliciously commented.

"Sirius, my old friend." Wormtail tried to worm (pun totally intended) his way out of Sirius' wrath.

"DON'T 'MY OLD FRIEND' ME, YOUR FILTHY VERMIN!" Sirius angrily shouted.

"S-s-s-s-sirius?" Wormtail asked while feigning confusion.

"You betrayed James and Lily, almost got my godson killed, and killed several muggles as part of a ploy to make me rot in prison!" Sirius recalled what he already knew Pettigrew did. "The only ones I could hate even more than I hate you are whoever killed my wife!"

Now Pettigrew was praying more than ever that nobody would force him to drink Veritaserum.

End chapter.

Omake 3: Acquila and Nymphadora

After Acquila was sorted, Nymphadora Tonks approached her. "Wotcher, are you really Acquila Black?" She asked.

"Yes," Acquila answered and then noticed the other witch's name tag. "Tonks? As in Andromeda Tonks?"

"That's my Mum." Tonks answered. "How did you know about her?"

"Harry Potter and his muggle relatives told me when they found out I'm a witch." Acquila explained. "They thought the name was a coincidence but spoke of your mother as the one person in the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black who betrayed my father by refusing to defend his right to a trial. It didn't come as unexpected from the others because he renounced their Dark traditions but your mother was as much of a traitor as the Order of the Phoenix by refusing to defend him."

Tonks didn't expect that. "Acquila, I don't know what you were told about your father but Sirius Black was You-Know-Who's right-hand-man and, and…"

"Tonks, I don't know your given name…" Acquila started.

"It's 'Nymphadora' but don't call me that." Nymphadora ("didn't you hear me?") Tonks.

"But my father is innocent." Acquila continued. "The evidence against him is so weak the Ministry had to deny him a trial to keep him in Azkaban."

"No, Acquila." Tonks argued. "Your father was denied a trial because his guilt is obvious."

"In the muggle world, those naïve enough to believe that excuse are deemed no better than witch hunters." Acquila said to Tonks' shock. "And you should have known better even without knowing about your Aunt Bellatrix."

"She only got a trial because back then the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was headed by the father of one of the Death Eaters caught with her." Tonks said.

"Which shows that being well-connected is more helpful than being innocent." Acquila argued.

"True that Acquila." Harry Potter agreed. "Being innocent doesn't help those who aren't allowed a chance to plead innocent."

"The evidence against Sirius Black is clear!" Tonks said.

"No, it's not." Harry replied. "There's not even proof that Peter Pettigrew is really dead!"

"Potter, I understand you being upset about someone faking Acquila's death but that's no excuse to say the same was done with Peter Pettigrew." Tonks argued.

"No, Tonks." Acquila intervened. "We already believed Pettigrew to have faked his death even before we learned who I am."

"Unlike the others supposed killed by my Godfather, Peter Pettigrew didn't leave nearly enough of his body he can't live without." Harry added. "Unless whoever faked Acquila's death didn't kill Pettigrew and transfigure his body to pass it as hers and hide the fact Sirius Black didn't kill him, it's likely he's still alive and hidden somewhere."

"Potter, stop giving her false hopes." Tonks demanded. "It'll increase the pain she'll feel when the trial Fudge is going to hold using Acquila's survival as an excuse to doubt her father's guilt confirms his guilt."

"If it confirms Sirius Black's guilt and even then the pain will be the previous administration's fault for not holding a trial back then." Harry argued.

"Cease that discussion right now, Potter." Professor Snape ordered. "I would have docked points for the mess you caused by making Acquila doubt her father's guilt but Headmaster Dumbledore reminded me that students cannot lose points for anything they did before coming here." He said and then left.

Afraid of getting another detention from Snape, Tonks also left.

End omake.