Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: Italics represent parseltongue. Also Coastalfirebird may not be working with anymore, but he still needs given credit for the work he has done in this chapter.
Christmas Day
After the eventful evening of having the Flamels around and finding out that two of his father's friends were still alive, Harry didn't have any clue what to do. He had learnt that one of his dad's old friends was a werewolf and was shunted by everyone. Not to mention another one was in Azkaban for being a Death Eater and a traitor to his parents. That was the one that upset him the most. Sirius Black had supposedly let loose the secret of where his parents were hiding to Voldemort, and was responsible for their death. He had almost used his position to enforce that he receive the Dementor's kiss. However, there was one small problem that bothered him. He had learnt that Sirius had not received a trial. Something told him that old Dumbledore was to blame, for now though he forgot all about the events of the Flamels visit and continued to get ready for the day. Harry had just finished getting dressed when a slim blonde missile hit him pushing him onto his bed. He felt like he was in the coils of an anaconda, and now he felt that he had blinders on with his eyes obscured by the blonde locks now trailing his face.
"Daph, I really love you, but I am finding it hard to breath."
Daphne released her hold on Harry and gave him a tender kiss on his lips "Morning, my lovely husband-to-be."
Harry kissed her back "Morning, yourself beautiful, here." Harry moved himself to the edge of his bed then leaned under it, pulling a small gold and red package out.
Daphne squealed with delight as she opened the present from Harry. She pulled the wrapping off and opened the lid of the box. Their inside was a diamond and gold locket, with a small raven on the front of it. Daphne noticed the raven has a crafted sapphire with a small diamond for its eyes. She choked up in tears as she opened it. There inside was a picture of her mum and dad and sister, and on the other side was a picture of her and Harry cuddling. Daphne remembered fondly as when the photo was taken; she knew Harry had a plan for the picture but she didn't know what.
While Daphne was looking at her gift, Harry removed two more parcels. He walked over to a small table where a simple wooden perch stood with a white, snowy owl looking at him. Harry pulled the wrapping off and showed Hedwig the box of flavorite owl treats "Merry Christmas, girl."
Hedwig took one of the treats with her talon, and gave her owner a friendly hoot in appreciation, before nibbling down on it. Harry then walked back to his bed and began to open the other parcel.
Harry hissed out, "Rex, time to come out; I have a special gift for you."
Harry's snake tattoo rippled for a while, before a snake began to rise from the surface. It slithered down his arm onto the bed. There in front of it was the biggest, juiciest rat he had ever seen. The snake flicked its tongue and allowed its tongue to graze over the fur. Suddenly, it pulled back rather hastily.
"Master, this is no normal rat, where did you find it?"
Harry was surprised, he hissed back. "I caught it a few days ago, before we left Hogwarts. Why what is wrong with it?"
Rex hissed, "Master, it is a human in disguise of a rat."
Harry backed up then waved his wand over the rat, he watched it glow blue; signalling they were in animagus form. Harry turned to Daphne "Daph, go get your parents now, we may have a problem."
Daphne didn't ask why, she raced out the room and returned a few minutes later with Clyde and Martha behind her.
"Harry, what's wrong?" asked the head of the Greengrass family.
Harry turned to Clyde and said "Uncle, I caught this rat for Rex just before we left Hogwarts, and I placed it under stasis so that it would still be alive as Rex loves live food. However, he rejected it telling me that it is someone in their animagus form. I used the revealing spell and confirmed that it was as Rex has said. I asked Daphne to get you two so when I lift the stasis spell, and reveal the person, you will able to help me subdue whoever it is, and explain about this being a complete misunderstanding."
Clyde nodded then readied his wand. He watched Harry lift the stasis charm. He then pointed his wand at the rat, and forcing it to take its natural form. Clyde gasped then immediately stunned the man now standing before him.
Harry was confused. He had watched his uncle gasp then stun the chubby, bald, little man. Harry took a closer look at the figure and noticed a yew wand in his hand, not to mention one of his fingers was missing. He turned to his uncle then asked, "Uncle, who is he?"
Clyde ignored Harry for the moment and turned to Martha "Go inform the DMLE, and ask for Madame Bones to attend as well. This is a serious matter." Martha nodded then turned around and raced out the door with Daphne following close behind. Clyde turned back to Harry. "That, my boy, is the supposedly dead Peter Pettigrew. He is also one of your father's friends. However, it was thought the day Sirius was arrested that Sirius had killed twelve muggles, and that he had killed Peter as well. But that wand Pettigrew holds is most disturbing; for it is the wand of the Dark Lord you defeated when you were a baby. Meaning he must have been there when the Dark Lord fell. I fear that we have imprisoned an innocent man for ten years, and that Black was not your parents' betrayer since it seems Pettigrew was."
Harry looked down at the chubby man now bound on the floor with rage. He was about to say something when Madam Bones walked in with two Aurors at her side. Harry saw the reaction on the middle-aged woman's face. Madam Bones looked stunned and turned to Harry for an explanation "Impossible, he was supposed to have died. Tell me Lord Potter how did you come across him"
Harry then relayed the story of how he had wanted a rat for his familiar's present and how Rex had told him that the rat was a human in disguise.
The head of the DMLE nodded then levitated the bound Pettigrew into a chair. She waved her wand over the stunned man, and watched as he was brought out of his stunned state. Pettigrew stirred from magically induced slumber. The pudgy man looked around the room and Harry could see the fear in his eyes.
"If you try and enter your animagus form again you will be stunned, do you understand?" Madam Bones asked.
"Yes, but, Clyde, why do you look so angry it was Sirius who killed James and Lily!" The man talked in a low squeaky voice.
"I have my reasons to doubt that." He helped one of the Aurors pour Veritaserum down the man's throat. The Aurors nodded to Madam Bones signalling that potion had taken effect.
"What is your name?"
The man's blue eyes shone with resistance, but eventually he squeaked out. "Peter Patrick Pettigrew."
"When were you born?"
"February 29, 1960."
Madam Bones looked to Clyde for confirmation, and with a nod of his head the questioning continued. "Why were you still hiding from Sirius Black?"
"Because he did not kill those muggles, I did." The man was squirming in his seat. The man's mouth quivered after realizing what he had confessed.
Clyde asked the next question. "Did Sirius Black betray the Potters?"
Again the man tried to resist the compulsion to answer the question. It took a full two minutes before he informed them of the truth. "No, I was the secret-keeper for the Potters. Sirius had suggested this course of action, and the Headmaster agreed with his judgement."
"You mean Dumbledore KNEW of this!" Madam Bones screamed.
Clyde pressed on with the interrogation, "How did you come to hold the Dark Lord's wand?"
Peter again was forced to answer "The night Harry defeated the Dark Lord; I was present in my animagus form. I watched as the curse rebounded and hit my master. He was hurt and we apparated to Albania, where his other followers were waiting. My master knew he was going to die, so he entrusted me to hold on to his wand, until such time as he would rise again."
Harry could barely hear the man talk of the blood pounding in his ears. To think that the so-called "leader of the light" could keep this secret for so long, and that Sirius, his father's brother in all but blood, had to rot in Azkaban this entire time for one man's folly. He felt a hand wrap around his wrist. He looked to his right to see Daphne looking at him with sorrow laced with in her eyes. As he embraced his intended a hand was placed on his shoulder. Looking up he saw Martha looking down at him. After a few more questions Madam Bones and the two Aurors lead the disgusting man out of the house.
Harry shouted out "Peter, as the heir to the founder, I will make sure you receive the kiss for your crimes. Prison is too good for you."
Peter shuddered at the sound of Harry's voice, for he had thought he would just be sent to prison; now he knew his days were numbered.
The arrival of an owl took their minds of the despicable acts of Peter. Clyde walked over to the exhausted creature and took the letter from it, and then got the poor thing some water. He opened the note and a broad smile broke across his face.
"What is it, dear?" Martha asked.
"Remus should be here later. He says to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron
"Let's all go together, shall we?" Harry asked.
"I would think of no other way Harry." Martha said with a smile.
Headmaster's Office
Fawkes was sitting there on his perch watching his master go over some notes from one of his contacts. He was still valiantly trying to prove the Greengrass family was "dark", and with each passing day the old wizard grew more and more irritated. This being Christmas Fawkes thought that Dumbledore would have taken a break from this mad quest, but no. And it seems the once great man was walking down an ever darkening road.
The flare of Floo brought him to the present as it took the man away from his notes. Fawkes looked over and saw the woman named Bones walking towards Dumbledore's desk. The look on her face would have stilled Death for only a moment's notice, and by the look on Albus' face the man was not pleased to see her.
"And to what do I owe a visit from the head of the DMLE, Madam Bones?" Albus asked with a fake smile gracing his face.
"Cut the act, Headmaster. We have just found Peter Pettigrew…alive." The visceral anger in the woman's voice was only matched by the heat Fawkes was now putting off. What was the meaning of this?
"Surely there is a mistake. Peter Pettigrew is dead."
Fawkes could tell the old man was lying. This was too much he flew over and sat on sat on Bones shoulder. Upon contact with the woman he could feel the truth and justice flowing through this woman, and he could see the interaction with Lords Potter and Greengrass regarding the bald man they had caught red-handed. He knew about Lord Potter's alternate form as he was looking for a meal himself that night. He nearly felt bad for the poor boy that lost his pet, but now he was glad the redhead had lost the foul thing. He let out a trill that emboldened Madam Bones. She didn't need it, but it would be a clear sign to the old man of his last and final mistake.
"Fawkes, what are you doing?" Dumbledore asked.
"I think it is obvious Professor Dumbledore. Your familiar is abandoning you for your deceit." The phoenix nodded his head. "And about Peter's status; he is very much alive professor, and he informed us, me and two other Aurors, that you were the one who made him the secret-keeper to the Potters."
"Well, he must have…"
"Don't even try, headmaster, the man was carrying You-Know-Who's wand, and he was missing the top portion of his right index finger." Bones nearly screamed this.
"Well, I am sure that can be explained somehow Madam Bones." The smile on the corrupt man's face was sickening.
"There is only one way to explain it professor: he was there the night the Potters were killed, and he took the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Her eyes were shooting daggers at the man at this point. "Your only saving grace is that I cannot charge with murder. As it stands I am charging you with obstruction of justice." She handed man a piece of parchment as four more Aurors came through the floo.
"Madam, I will go with you, but as you know that is a shallow charge."
"That it may be Headmaster, but you will still lose your seat as Chief Warlock, and the ICW is revoking your position as Supreme Mugwump, and the only thing keeping you as headmaster is your few staunch supporters." Fawkes wanted to trill at the look on the old man's face. "Will you be accompanying me?" Bones asked Fawkes. He shook his head. "Then you are free to go noble bird." Fawkes flashed out intent on meeting Lord Potter.
A/N:Hope you enjoyed the Chapter. A big thank you to my Beta HowlnMadHowie. Who has helped by proof reading the chapter, and making changes here and there to help the chapter flow better.