Ok well guys this is possibly going to be the last chapter I'll do with Harry at the age of one. I'm thinking that after this one I'll move on to where he is three going on four years. Hope ye enjoyed the last chapter! Anyways here comes chapter five!
The End of an Era.
After leaving Dumbledore's office some time later, the marauders decided to head down to the Ministry of magic while Lily went to the Weaselys with Harry. It was 12:00 so James, Sirius and Remus had two hours to spare before the trial in which they decided to spend confronting Peter. As they were leaving Hogwarts, Lily said "Well I'll see you guys later." But James turned to Sirius and Remus and said "Come on guys we've got two hours to talk to Peter. Let's walk Lily down to the gates." Sirius gave him a smile. "It would make me feel better okay?" he continued. Remus said "Yeah James no problem. We have to make sure that she's okay. You never know who might be waiting outside for her." He then looked at Lily and gave a warm discreet smile. Lily returned it. Sirius just rolled his eyes playfully and sighed. "Ah you guys! Always the perfect gentlemen hey?" he half laughed and followed beside Remus. Lily was holding on to Harry who was at the moment asleep and James had his arm draped round her shoulder. As they reached the bottom of the hill, James opened the gate for her and Sirius and Remus followed suit. "So you sure that you'll be ok Lils?" asked James with concern evident in his voice.
She smiled at him sweetly. "Yes of course I will James. How could I not be? I'm not walking anywhere. I'm apparating practically outside Molly's house." She half laughed and put her left hand on his left cheek, stepped up on her toes and kissed him on the lips. He then deepened it a little with his arms around her waist and her left arm around his neck while her right arm was around Harry. Remus smiled at the spectacle of affection in front of him while Sirius looked at his watch and tapped his foot impatiently on the ground with his arms folded. After a few seconds he sighed and unfolded his arms and stopped his impatient behaviour and shouted "Lily love let the guy up for air would ya? I mean I know how loved you two doves are and I'm sure he's an awesome kisser and all that….." Remus bowed his head and sniggered at this…" but you'll see him in a few hours for crying out loud!"
At this they let go of each other and Lily began to blush while James turned round and faced Sirius saying "Sirius mate do us a favour, I know it's difficult for ya but please try and shut up!" He then turned back to his wife and son who was still sound asleep. "So I'll see you back at the Weasley's later?" he asked gently, looking deep into her eyes. It seemed that James managed to fall deeper in love with Lily everyday, if that is actually possible, and she the same. "Yes of course." She replied with a warm smile. "Now go." She added pleasantly with a smile. "Okay but not until I've seen you apparating first." He said. She smiled at him and then once again Sirius interrupted them. "Wow, wow, wow!" He ran up beside Lily. "If you're going this time I want to say goodbye to my godson." James rolled his eyes and Lily handed Harry over to Sirius who held on to him tightly and smiled down at Harry. "Padfoot mate, you know all the stuff you said a while ago to Lily about her seeing me in a few hours?"
"Ya" replied Sirius looking at his friend. "Well the same thing applies to you regarding Harry."
"Ah yes Prongs but what you must understand is if I didn't intervene back there, you guys might have swallowed each others tonsils. And then we'd have to back in to old Pomfrey and get ya sorted out! I saved your life." He said with a smile and kissed Harry on the head as he handed him back to Lily. James just shook his head and sighed before saying "right lets go Padfoot. See you later champ." He kissed Harry on the forehead. "See ya later love." He kissed her quick on the lips. "See ya James, Sirius." They both smiled at her. "See ya Lils darling." Replied Sirius with a wink. Remus was standing behind James now. "See you later Remus. Keep these two out of trouble." He half laughed. "Don't worry Lily you can count on me." He replied with a smile. She smiled back and apparated with Harry.
A few minutes later and James, Sirius and Remus found themselves at the ministry of magic entrance hall. They walked over to the front desk where a middle aged grey haired wizard stood arranging some files alphabetically. "Excuse me Sir." Said James. The man looked up from the desk. He was about five foot seven. "Yes. What do you want? Can't you see that I'm busy!" He asked in an aggravated tone of voice. "Sorry Sir but we were just wondering where Peter Pettigrew's trial was being held?" continued James in a polite tone of voice. The man looked at them, scrutinizing them individually. "The trial doesn't commence until two o clock this afternoon. It is now……" he raised his left arm to glance at his gold bracelet watch …" "It is now one o clock. So just go away and come back at two and then ye can proceed to the court room." The three young men looked at each other with quizzical expressions.
"Well why can't you just tell us where it is now? I mean fine, we are aware that we aren't allowed to enter the room until two but what's the difference between telling us now and at two?" questioned Sirius impatiently. The man glared at Sirius with small, narrow eyes and said. "Fine. If I tell you where it is will you go way and leave me get on with my work?" They all nodded. "Room ten. Third floor. Down on the left corridor after passing The Trainee Aurors Office. Last door on the right." He said rather apprehensively. "Thank you for all your help Sir. We are very much obliged." Replied Remus politely with a half smile. The man just looked at him before turning his back and going to the other side of the desk. As they were walking towards the third floor Sirius asked "Remus? Is there a reason that you have to be always so polite mate?" Remus just half laughed at this. "Well Sirius one of us has to be. I mean the way you were going he wasn't even going to give you flobberworm! And James, well I reckon he thought you were just trying it on mate!" James sniggered and said "Ya I guess so mate. Cheers Moony. Nice one." All three smiled as they continued their journey to the third floor in silence.
There was a wooden bench set outside the court room where the trial was taking place so James, Sirius and Remus sat there for the last half an hour when then suddenly they saw a tall thin man with half moon glasses on the bridge of his eyes and a long white beard. He was wearing long, glittery purple robes with a matching hat. "Hello gentlemen." He said pleasantly as he approached them. They all looked up and saw Albus Dumbledore standing beside the bench they were sitting on. Remus who was sitting on the outside stood up and offered his seat but Dumbledore declined and asked them to follow him. "Sir what is going on?" asked James as they were walking down the long corridor.
"Well James let's just say that I called in a special favour for you three. If I asked you I was afraid you would decline so please just follow me. It's just around the corner here." He said as they turned on to the opposite corridor of the court room. They all trudged down a long, wide dark hallway. There were candles all along the wall to give some form of light. As they came to a brown, varnished door with frosted glass at the top in the middle of this corridor, Dumbledore stopped outside and turned to face his former students. "I suppose you are all wondering why I brought you here." They nodded vigorously "Well, inside is your former friend Peter Pettigrew" he replied calmly and quietly. James and Sirius faces turned sour but Remus did not. However he was apprehensive about the situation. Dumbledore rose up both his hands and said "James, Sirius I know how you feel after everything he did. But please try to remember all the good memories you have had with him. He was a good friend to you while you were at Hogwarts. He looked up to you James in particular. How he wished he could be like you. You and Sirius had all the luck with the girls and ye also were excellent students. Ye have left a legacy at Hogwarts for other students to live up to. Now I understand your anger, your hatred and I don't blame you. But please don't go in there so vengeful. There can be many reasons why he went over to the dark side. Perhaps because he felt that he failed as one of your friends and assumed that ye were ashamed of him and didn't want to bring you down with him. I'm not trying to justify his actions but he has a weak element in his character so please, go in there with anger fine but not hatred. This will be the very last time you see him ever. Try to make peace. Just think about it." He smiled sadly at them and opened the door to reveal Peter Pettigrew sitting over in the corner of a square shaped room staring out the window. The last time he would ever see day light.
He turned around when he heard the door close. He jumped off the chair and stood up and became quite jittery when he saw his old friends. They just glared at him for several minutes before Peter spoke in that quivering voice. "Ja...JA...James. I...I…I...I….I'm so sorry." He began wringing his hands.
"Save it Peter!" shouted James. Peter began to cry and bowed his head.
"Why did ya do it Peter?" asked Sirius aggressively.
"I don't know." He said as he looked up and wiped his eyes with his suit jacket sleeve.
"We were supposed to be friends mate! Didn't the marauder pack mean anything to you?" asked James
"It…It…It….It mmmmm meant everything to me James. You have to believe me." He replied nervously. James just sniggered and rolled his eyes. His blood boiling rapidly here. "I have to believe you? I? Believe you? You must be joking!" replied James. "It's the truth!" Peter replied quietly.
"How do we know that Pete? You lied to us all along! You lied to us at Hogwarts about being in league with the death eaters; you lied about your mysterious absences which we by way covered up for when teachers asked where you were! Why did we do that? Because that's what friends do mate! They help each other out when necessary; they help each other through rough times. They don't sell them out to the most deranged wizard ever known!" shouted Sirius. Peter started crying again and wringing his hands. "I know." He replied looking at the ground. "So come on then Pete tell us why? Why did you sell your best friend and his family out to Voldemort?" asked Sirius impatiently.
"I don't know." He still couldn't look at them. "I regret it. I never should have!"
Sirius walked up to him and Peter looked him in the eye.
"You…make. Me SICK! HOW DARE YOU BETRAY A FELLOW MARAUDER PETER! After everything we did for you. AFTER EVERYTHING WE HELPED YOU WITH! We helped you with homework, exam studies, girls….every single girl who went with you to all the balls at Hogwarts and Hogsmeade you owe James, Remus and I for and this is how you thank us? BY TRYING TO KILL ONE OF US! Have you forgotten when we were in first year? The day we all met? Myself and James met on the train and we got to know Remus through being sorted into Gryffindor and you were lost going to transfiguration on our first day of classed and you asked us for help and from that day on we took you under our wing, made you a fellow marauder, taught you all the secrets out of Hogwarts, made a map together, helped you with your animagus form….. And for what? To sneak off to special meetings with your masked friends? You know how lucky you are to be receiving the dementors kiss mate? Very! Coz if it was up to me…. You would endure a slow painful death!" Peter was on his haunches, biting his nails on both hands while looking up at Sirius with fear and tears welling up in his eyes.
Remus then stepped forward and looked at the quivering form of his former friend. "I don't understand Peter. There must have been something that inspired you to join Voldemorts supporters. Out of all of us, you were the one I didn't expect this kind of betrayal from. I'm not suggesting I expected it from James or Sirius…. But you were the nervous, clingy, Peter Pettigrew who idolised Sirius and worshipped the ground James walked on. I don't know what else to say except….. Remember. Remember us as your friends Pete and not as Voldemorts next targets! Coz I know I will. I will remember all the good times we had together and cherish those memories forever." Peter got up and gave a half smile but Remus said firmly "I'm not saying that I forgive you Pete because I don't. But I will remember our happy days together before it had to come to this." Remus smiled sadly and gave a half bow and went back over to Sirius. James then stepped forward with a look of hurt and sadness in his dark hazel eyes.
Peter stood up and said "James I…" James held up a hand to stop him.
"Don't. Don't say that you're sorry Peter when you're not. Or at least when you don't know what it is you are actually apologising for. I know you felt that you never fit in anywhere and that you thought you were degrading our prestige by hanging round with us all the time." Peter nodded.
"But you weren't mate. We didn't agree to be your friends out of sympathy or reprise; we became your friends because you seemed like a decent guy who never really got a chance because of your nervous habits and appearance. We gave you that chance mate. We gave you the opportunity to finally be someone. To be popular with ladies, to be a good student to be…. A marauder. Do you know what you once said to me about being a marauder?" He shook his head. "You said being a marauder was the best thing that ever happened to you. You were given respect by fellow students, girls looked in your direction even if it wasn't you that they were looking at and teachers always accused you with the three of us for some prank in the school. That made you feel happy. That made you feel safe. That made you feel like you belonged somewhere for once on your life." Tears welled up in both their eyes.
"I know why you did it Pete. You did it coz you felt like a cling on to us. You joined the death eaters for that reason. But why you betrayed me and put my family in jeopardy I'll never understand." James wiped the tears away from his eyes. "If the tables were turned, and I was in your position, I'd die for you mate. I'd die for you. Because that's what being a marauder is all about! You don't abide the school rules, but you do abide the rules of being a marauder. But you were too weak Pete to go that far. It's obvious now. The four of us could have had a great life outside Hogwarts. We could even have found you a wife!" James half smiled at this. " But, I guess some things just aren't meant to be. It's a pity mate!" James was just about to walk away when he heard Peter's squeaky voice call him.
"James?" he called quivering. James turned around with fresh tears streaming down his face. "Ya?"
"Do you forgive me?" Sirius let out a bark like laugh. James rolled his head back and more tears came flooding down his face so he took off his glasses to dry them. After he dried his face and eyes on his red jumper sleeve he said; "You know what Pete? A part of me does. That part is my heart. I forgive you for selling Lily and I out to Voldemort." Peter smiled at this. "Prongs are you cracked in the head? Because of him you almost lost your son!" shouted Sirius.
"I know Sirius but for that I cannot forgive. I forgive you Pete mate for lying to us, sneaking around, joining the death eaters and even giving away our whereabouts but never hear me? NEVER for nearly costing me my son!" James stared at him hard and he replied "Tha... Thank you James."
"Dont thank me Peter. Just do as Remus said and remember all the good times we had together. Because that is what I am going to do." James smiled sadly at Peter and bent down a little and hugged him. "Goodbye Peter Pettigrew, former marauder, former classmate….." James eyes welled up again but he blinked them away and said, "Former friend." Peter looked at him in disbelief. "You have no idea how hard that was to say. But then again you have no idea how much hurt you have caused me Pete mate." James walked back over to where Sirius and Remus were standing. They approached the door and Sirius opened it and glared once at Peter. Remus was behind and just smiled sadly and left. Then James said "See you at the trial." And he smiled sadly before he joined his friends outside.
After James left and the door closed shut behind him, Peter Pettigrew was left all alone with his thoughts. He stood staring at the door on the hope they might come back and forgive him. It didn't happen. He knew he wasn't going to see them again. He knew. So he broke down on his hands and knees and cried uncontrollably and shouted at the door "IM SORRY JAMES! I AM SO SORRY!"