Various members of the Order of the Phoenix were assembled in the Headmistress' office at Hogwarts. They had turned Peter back into a man and he was currently tied up on one of the chairs, being interrogated. The veritaserum had already been used up, and Peter was sitting in stony silence.

"Look, Wormtail. The dementors are on their way, if you tell us something maybe they won't perform the kiss!" Lupin appealed to one of his former best friends. Peter just glared at him. They were suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door and Rufus Scrimgeor entered the room, without waiting to be invited in.

"The dementors are here. Do you want me to bring them up."

"Yes, I think that would be bes-" McGonagall was interrupted by Harry.

"No."

"What?" The minister looked taken aback.

"Dumbledore said that dementors would never enter the castle itself and I think we should stick to his word."

"Oh very well!" Scrimgeor sighed. "Bring Pettigrew downstairs. Honestly" He muttered to himself "No, dementors in the castle… Even Dumbledore allowed them for Black…" He stopped at the glare Harry gave him at the mention of his godfather. "Bring Pettigrew down then!"

Peter, who had been trying to remain calm, couldn't cope any more. "No!" He screamed "No please! Harry… Remus! Remus, how can you let them do this to me! We were friends, I trusted you! Doesn't that count for anything?" He pleaded desperately.

Remus was about to reply when he was interrupted by Harry. "Trust? My parents trusted you! They put their lives in your hands and now their dead!"

"No! Harry you don't understand! I didn't know!" His voice dropped to a whisper. "I didn't know" he sobbed.

Snape was running up the path to Hogwarts when he felt a burning on his arm. "Not now!" he sighed under his breath. He didn't know what to do- he had to warn the order before Peter was soulless, but he didn't want Voldemort to know that there was a traitor in his ranks. He made his decision.

Peter felt himself being dragged down a staircase, his hands still tied. He didn't care what happened to him any more. He had finally let the guilt he had been working for sixteen years to forget engulf him. They left the school and came out into the cold night. The two people who had been steering Peter dropped him and he sank to his knees. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Harry, so similar to James, and Remus, standing together, their faces unreadable. He heard voices but couldn't make out the words. Through blurry eyes he saw a tall black figure moving towards him, felt what little warmth there was leave him. Suddenly, he wasn't outside Hogwarts any more but in a small house in Godrics Hollow.

"You know why!"

"So why don't you just hand us over to him! You're pathetic, you know that? Pathetic!"

"I would never do that to you!"

"It's not even her he's after! Just leave! I can't stand you!"

The scene changed suddenly and he was standing in a dark grimy room.

"Who are you?"

"I am the Potters secret keeper"

"What?"

"I know where they are…just don't kill her!"

"Fine, where are they! Tell me!"

"Godrics Hollow…"

"Expecto Patronum!" Peter was suddenly jerked from his past into the present. Some of the warmth and light flooded back. He looked up and saw Snape standing there, with the rest of the Order pointing their wands at him.

"Snape!" Harry hissed. He raised his wand and was about to mutter the incantation when Snape yelled "Wait!"

"Scared now are you?"

"Of you Potter? Never. But I need to tell you something. We're not working for Voldemort. You're making a mistake. Voldemort's coming to attack the school on Saturday!"

"And why should we believe you? You killed Dumbledore!"

"I can explain. And Pettigrew can tell you why he betrayed your parents!"

Glaring at him, Harry answered "Fine then. What's the explanation?"

"Pettigrew…?" Snape implored.

"No! I'm not going to tell them. I'd rather go to the dementors than have Lily's son know what I did!"

"And if you don't they'll never believe me! Lily's son will die because of you! What would she say if she knew what you were doing?"

"I don't even know if you're working for him."

"I can explain all that. Please, just tell them!"

Looking round at all the order, Peter met Harry's questioning eyes.

"OK, I'll tell you. Just remember… I've regretted this everyday since it happened." And with that, Peter began to tell them the story that had haunted him for sixteen years.

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