Chapter 14: The Traitor
Lily got up to make some food because Sirius's stomach was grumbling loudly as usual. James was playing with baby Harry on the floor, until Sirius transformed into a dog and gave Harry rides around the room much to the baby's delight. McGonagall was watching them fondly and Hermione was laughing. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Sirius growled, and James took Harry so he could transform back.
"It's Pettigrew." Sirius spat. "I could smell him."
"What is he doing here?" James growled.
"Guys, he doesn't know you know he is a traitor. You can't give anything away and he can't know I'm here." Hermione whispered frantically. The professor's nodded.
"We shall return to the school until he has gone." McGonagall spoke and she disappeared into the fire, followed quickly by Flitwick.
Hermione threw a quick glance at Sirius. "You can't harm him in any way or tip him off that you know."
"We can't let the filth go and return to Voldemort." Remus said, a glint of anger in his eye.
"Quick, answer the door and get rid of him quickly. I will hide upstairs." Hermione told them and sprinted away. James went to the door and opened it with an attempt at a smile.
"Hey Peter, long time no see old friend." He said friend as if it were a filthy word. Peter looked at him strangely.
"HI James. I stopped by to see how things are going." He smiled and stepped inside, making himself comfortable on the couch as he had done countless times before. He noticed James and Sirius seemed to be on edge. "What's up, you two seem prepared for an attack?" He asked as innocently as possible.
"Oh ya know, just the same old. Moldyshorts trying to kill us as usual, always be prepared." James smiled, but it was the same grimace he had used at the front door and Peter knew something was up.
"Moldyshorts?" He squeaked, amazed how stupid his friends could be about provoking the Dark Lord himself. Lily came in with a plate of food.
"Hi Peter." She smiled, it didn't reach her eyes, but he was used to it. Lily had never been his biggest fan. She was acting the most normal of them all. "What brings you here?"
"Oh, just missed my friends. The shop has been keeping me busy or I would have been by sooner." He smiled.
"Oh yeah, how is the shop going?" James asked, regaining his normal tone.
"Pretty well actually. It's hard now that dad has gone, but we get by." He told them. "Need some more help though, really. Hey, Remus, how's your job hunting going?"
"Not well." He sighed.
"You could always come and work at the shop, if you need to." Peter offered with a smile. Remus and Sirius exchanged warning glances but Peter was too used to being left out to notice, or care.
"That's a great offer Peter, thanks. If I don't have any luck with the next applications I have sent off then I will consider it." He said gratefully. Could this really be his enemy? Maybe Peter was a much better actor than they had given him credit for.
"So what are you all up to today?" Peter asked.
"Not much really. Lily and I aren't supposed to be out much. We can't afford to leave Harry without any parents, so it's stay at home 'safe'. James said bitterly. "Padfoot and Moony stopped by to relieve some boredom."
"No, I stopped by for the food." Sirius said with a grin, taking a sandwich from the plate Lily offered.
"Food?" Peter asked eagerly. Lily laughed and offered him the plate as well. It was taking all her energy not to hex Peter on the spot, so she chose to get out of the room before the urge overcame her. She scooped up Harry and went upstairs, explaining that he needed a nappy change.
"So, when's the next Order meeting?" James asked Sirius. Peter's head snapped up.
"Next week, I think." Sirius replied. Dumbledore has a few new people to introduce to us apparently.
"Only a few? The recruitment isn't going as well as hoped then?" Remus asked sadly.
"Well, not many people want to stand up to Voldemort openly. You can't blame them." Peter put in.
"You can blame them for being cowardly. You think staying out of it is going to get him to leave you alone. He doesn't care. He will torture you and kill you for no reason if it so pleases the dark bastard." Sirius growled. Not if you are on his side. Peter thought to himself.
"I agree." James said. Lily came back down and Peter excused himself.
"Bathroom." He muttered and vanished up the stairs, where he shut the bathroom door loudly and transformed into a rat.
"Why can't we just hex him into oblivion?" Sirius whispered.
"Because then we would have to explain to everyone why we know he is a spy. They can't convict him without evidence and we can't expose 'Mione." Remus whispered back.
"Dumbledore would be on our side." James reasoned.
"He can't make up false evidence. 'Mione can't become common knowledge." Lily argued.
"Lily is right. We have to play this out as if we don't know." Remus sighed.
"So we let the scum keep giving valuable information to Voldemort?" Sirius growled in frustration. "If we stop telling him something important, even Pettigrew would figure out something was off."
While they were talking, Hermione had her ear pressed against the door and heard the tell tale whooshing noise of the transformation. Clearly Pettigrew had become a rat. She waited a few second, and opened the door noiselessly. Sat at the top of the stairs was a thin, black rat, listening intently to something downstairs. She listened herself and heard voices discussing Peter. She gasped to herself, knowing this meant Peter was hearing that they knew he was a traitor. Quickly, she grabbed him by the tail and marched down the stairs.
"'Mione what are you…" Sirius started in a frantic whisper and then he caught sight of the rat, squirming violently in her hand. "You little…" He was too angry to finish the sentence.
"He was spying on us?" James asked, his voice low and cold. Hermione nodded silently.
"Well there is the evidence he is a spy." Remus growled. "Let's hand him over for interrogation." The rat squeaked in fright. "Oh shut up!" He spat.
"Can't we just kill him now?" Sirius asked.
"NO." Hermione told him sharply. "As much as I wish we could, he might have some information for us. At least he can tell us how much he has told Voldemort about our plans so we can change them" SIrius sighed.
"Why do you have to be so smart?"
"Because you aren't and someone has to stop you doing stupid stuff." She retorted with a grin. He gave a bark like laugh and then turned his attention back to Peter.
"Ok. Send a patronus message to Dumbledore and tell him we caught a traitor." Lily nodded and went to the kitchen.
Half an hour there was a knock at the door and Dumbledore stood outside with Mad-eye Moody. Hermione had to stifle a greeting, remembering he wouldn't know her.
Sirius and Remus had already forced Peter to transform back to human. Moody looked him over and glanced over at the other boys. "Explain." He barked.
"Peter is a traitor. A spy for Voldemort." Sirius announced.
"That is a serious accusation Black." Moody barked.
"How do you know this?" Dumbledore asked, shooting Sirius a warning glance.
"He was caught listening in on our conversation when he was supposed to be upstairs using the bathroom." James explained.
"You didn't realise he was listening in?" Moody asked in disbelief that they could be this careless.
"He is an animagus. He was caught as a rat." James said without thinking.
"He isn't registered. How would you know it was him?" Dumbledore asked sharply. He glared at James, who immediately realised he shouldn't have admitted to knowing that.
"I saw him transform." Hermione stepped in to save him, speaking for the first time. James threw her a grateful look.
"And you are?" Moody asked.
"Hermione Lupin. I moved here from America when my parents died. Remus is my cousin. He didn't have room for me so I'm staying with James and Lily. I was in my room when I heard someone come upstairs. I opened my door just as Peter transformed and listen to their conversation from the top of the stairs." She explained quickly and confidently. Sirius and James were looking as if she had hit them over the head with a heavy book. Remus, however, was beaming proudly and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled.
"Well well, unregistered animagus and spy for Voldemort." Moody said, eyeing Peter with distaste.
"They are un…" Peter began, but Hermione cast a silent silencing charm on him before he could explain that James and Sirius were unregistered too.
"Who are what? Moody barked at him. He couldn't speak so just shook his head. "Fine. I will take him in and question him tomorrow Dumbledore." Dumbledore nodded. With that, Moody dragged Peter out of the house. Hermione quickly undid her spell without anyone realising and then turned to face the others.
"A very good story Miss Lupin." Dumbledore beamed at her.
"That was incredible. When did you think of that?" Remus asked her.
"About two minutes ago." She confessed with a small smile.
"Not the smartest witch of your age for nothing huh?" Sirius grinned, enveloping her in a tight hug.
"Thanks for the save as well." James said gratefully. She just chuckled.
"I just delayed the problem. He will spill out that you and Sirius are too when he is questioned tomorrow." She sighed.
"I may have a solution." Dumbledore said. "But for now, I must return to my business. I trust I can request Minerva and Filius to return for some more of you thrilling tale?"
"Of course Professor." Hermione smiled. He disapparated. The others all sat back down on the couch and remaining chairs.
"The nerve of him. Spying on us in our own house." James burst out angrily.
"Yeah. who knew Wormy would ever get a backbone?" Sirius snorted in derision.
"Well, you two weren't exactly behaving normally with him. Even Peter could figure out something was off." Lily told them with a huff.
"Lils. He is the reason we die in the future. The reason our son grows up with no parents, and you expect me to be his friend? Even for a few minutes, that's asking too much." James replied flatly. Lily took his hand and squeezed it gently. Remus smiled at the pair. Hermione leaned back on the sofa.
"At least that is over with. He is locked up and won't pass on any more knowledge." She said.
"Well, he could still get Sirius and James in a lot of trouble." Remus pointed out.
"Dumbledore said he would sort it out. I trust him." Hermione replied quickly. "HIs plans seem mad in the beginning but there is always good reason for them. I learnt that the interesting way." She gave a twisted half smile at the memories that brought back. A few minutes later, Flitwick and McGonagall arrived out of the fireplace, looking around expectantly.
"Well, what happened? Albus didn't say?" McGonagall asked. Hermione gave the cliff notes version and both teachers were flaring their nostrils by the end.
"Good cover story Miss Granger. Shame you weren't a Ravenclaw." Flitwick mused.
"The hat debated on it, but chose Gryffindor instead." She smiled. McGonagall flashed her a rare smile, with a hint of pride in her expression.
"And a very good choice it made too." Sirius beamed.
"Agreed." James said. "My son has good taste in friends." Hermione blushed.
"We should start the story again. Voldemort will soon notice that Peter is missing and know something is wrong. It is more important than ever to get this told so we can begin the journey to kill him for good." Hermione said firmly.
"Let's do this." Remus agreed.