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Dangerous Times

December 1, 2000

Headmaster's Office

Howarts, UK

"I must press how important it is that this be kept secret." Albus stated. "True Prophecies are most difficult to come by. With finding the truth of these contents, you must understand that your very lives may become forfeit."

He stared at the four people in front of him gravelly. All of them had turned to look at the two boys who were sitting in a transfigured pram seemingly talking and looking at Fawkes in equal measure of awe. They had been quietly playing and at one point napping during the time it took for Albus to show their parents the memory of that blustery, rainy night at Hogsmeade when the newly Professor Trelawney spoke of a boy born in the seventh month of the year with a power the Dark Lord knew not that would defeat that cruel wizard.

"The fate of our future is in their hands?" Alice murmured shakily. "I dare say that is preposterous."

"I would as well my love," Frank replied. "However True Prophecies are not to be trifled with."

"Has the Dark Lord made any plans to attack any of us?" James asked his former Headmaster, face pale while Lily seemed resolute in light of the news given to her. She had decided she needed the comfort of her son in her arms. Harry seemed to be aware of his mother's distress. Calm, blue lights danced about them and for a moment she felt most at peace.

"There are whispers but not even my sources are accurate." Albus murmured. "Be wary now that you know this. Trust those you believe will keep you safe."

The four parents looked at their sons and then to each other. Their faces drawn; the war had just become personal.

000

December 7, 2000

Prongs' Estate

Uknown, UK

"James we are mad!" Lily exclaimed as she paced the whole of their lounge, her bright hair static with erratic magic. She was on the tenterhooks so to speak after Albus' reveal.

The duo was now alone with their son who was sleeping happily upon his father's chest. Harry's face was beginning to show some signs opposite of James' looks like the more angular jaw line. Yet in sleep, he was the epitome of innocence. James felt proud and so incredibly blessed to have been there for this child's birth.

"We are doing the best we can Lils," James sighed. "However, we are not mad for staying here and fighting the good fight."

"I know that James!" Lily hissed. "There has just got to be a way to save ourselves, save our son and to still help in this war. We could go to America even!"

James pressed his lips. "We could go there yes and what of MACUSA? What do you think will happen should anyone find out we have gone abroad?"

"We signed a treaty with them did we not?" Lily asked. "It is in our notes for Hogwarts a History."

James knew his wife was a Muggleborn so she wouldn't know the delicate intricacies of the International law. He didn't think he would have to have been the one to educate her seeing as she was incredibly smart. However, just like him – she found history boring.

"Father said that MACUSA does not like Muggleborn wizards and are not as accepting of inter-relations between Muggles or Magic. They had the worst bit of witch burnings over in the Americas. Should we go abroad; the Bastard will find out somehow. We saw that in how he manipulated Peter and caused him to undergo such acts of horror." James said.

The redhead calmed momentarily before sighing. "I suppose but what else can we do? I gave those letters to Petunia in case she did somehow get involved. As for Clint; he knows as well but it's him versus magic."

"Something I find about Muggles and those witches or wizards born through non-magical blood is that they are far more resilient as well as adaptable." James stated firmly eying his wife who finally stopped pacing. "We have done what we can; it's just now a matter of time and waiting. We need to find more safe houses and do something with our funds so as to protect ourselves as well as Harry."

Lily closed her eyes; she slumped beside her husband and child. Her head upon his shoulder as the fight slowly left her. She needed the calm the brunet provided, his quiet voice of reason. She knew that even the best laid plans could go south. That's how Harry came into the world in the first place. Not that she would ever regret birthing her son.

However, there they were now, large targets for a mad man and his masked cronies. There had to be a way to end this war. Just not through her child. There had to be a way. Lily resolved to pursue doing further research especially protective magic that dealt in blood. While James was queasy around blood magic; she was of the opinion that there were grey areas in magic. Sometimes, one had to do whatever one had to do in order to protect the peace and do what was right.

"Can we stay this way forever?" She murmured quietly. James made no reply, only freeing his one arm to pull his wife closer. Harry shifted slightly feeling his mother's fingers gently run up and down his spine. They sat in peaceful silence. Unaware that danger had a way of always finding them.

000

Peter Pettigrew was a rat; literally and figuratively. He was an unregistered animagus who could transform at will into a funny creature with beady eyes, rounded body with a wormlike tail. His former school mates gave him the moniker "Wormtail" due to the appendage. Figuratively; he began to resent them all.

James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin – all handsome young lads with each of them had some sort of talent or dark history. Whereas he? He was the mediocre son of a pureblood family with passing grades and what he hoped back in his school days was common sense. He hung out with the trio because all of them were very talented and very skilled. Initially they had made him feel wanted, accepted. Peter – the beady eyed youth who didn't ever seem to grow any taller than 5'5". However by associating himself with those three, he felt protected and somewhat powerful by association.

Still, he knew that with the rise of the Dark Lord – loyalty would not save him. He was a survivor; Peter was. He had learned throughout his young life that his life was of some value even if at times it wasn't valuable to his friends. After all, wasn't he the one to continually risk limb and tail to open a door at the base of the ferocious Whomping Willow? Wasn't he the one who always covered their tracks or was the first in line to see danger? No, his friends he had soon realized – didn't truly care about him as much as he wished to believe they did. For him – they had betrayed him first.

So when the opportunity had arisen to see what this Dark Lord was about; he took it. He watched as the Dark Lord spoke about how magic was supreme. It was a wonder to behold and why should witches and wizards cower in fear to muggles. They were more powerful than anything they could come up with.

While Peter did not completely believe in such talk; he watched fearfully when he saw the Dark Lord show his followers and recruits how simple muggles were. He watched as a family was tortured in front of his eyes through the combined use of magic and werewolves. If he had any more courage; he would have left then and there but by then it was too late. He had seen too much. He was branded.

He feared the repercussions of his choice. However, they started sending him on missions. He was the perfect little spy. So spy on the Order he did whilst hiding that status to his once best mates. The fear of what the Dark Lord could do burning and urging him forward. Soon he fell for the power that he could obtain by following such a powerful being. He had to be more powerful than his old Headmaster. Peter in his petty, ridiculous selfishness turned on the only friends he had out of jealousy and fear.

It had almost ended when he realized he wasn't careful enough. He also hadn't been close enough to the Marauders so he couldn't have seen it coming when Regulus Black once again became close to his brother Sirius. He didn't realize the brothers had forgiven each other and had once again learned to trust each other in those times. No, poor pathetic Peter decided he wasn't poor or pathetic. Now he had a chance to prove himself.

He began to distance himself from the other Marauders while still keeping up a charade that he was still loyal to them. He had not forgiven them for years of bullying or years of showing him up in all school subjects. He had not forgiven them for every negative word real or imagined and had transformed internally into the scavenger he was.

It almost came crashing down when Remus Lupin nearly died because of his own petty actions. The silver, the fire and chaining him with iron against other hungry werewolves had somehow given him away. In order to save his life due to his failure to kill his former best friend; Snape of all people was the one to use this to their advantage.

He was immediately put under the Imperius and sent to win his friends over once more. He committed atrocious actions against a muggle family under the Imperius only to be stopped by the Black brothers revealing the "true betrayer" to the Dark Lord. Shortly after when he was "recovered" and shown as having been under the control; he was once again accepted into his friends' midst.

Peter didn't reveal his growing involvement within the Dark Lord's circle. Nor did he realize how twisted he became as he began practicing darker arts. Indeed, the watery eyed bumpkin from Hogwarts' house of lions had changed. His initially bruised ego, jealousy and manic desire to prove that he was a worthy champion of magic soon gave way to the darkness. He grew to strongly believe even more the lies he had played in his head about his friends not truly being his friends. Even as he associated with his friends he knew that his time was coming.

"Indeed a most cunning plot Severus." The Dark Lord had praised the hook-nosed bastard. "Our little rat was indeed useful to us as well. Find the betrayer and bring him to me. Let us make an example of what happens to defectors, shall we?"

Peter never revealed to his friends his involvement in Regulus Black's permanent disappearance. When they had attacked the hapless muggles in a local business; the younger Black was present. Peter rejoiced watching the other man's body go slack with pain as he Black with Crucio. Never mind that it was the Dark Lord who would be the one to finish the man off. Oh yes, Peter had his fun. Torturing the youngest Black was Peter's first real taste of revenge against his "friends".

000

January 1, 2001 – 13:13

Prongs' Estate

Uknown, UK

"Oh Sirius, I'm so very sorry." Lily murmured comfortingly as the enigmatic man slumped down in her arms bawling. James and she were with their friend while Harry was in the other room with the Longbottoms. They had been together to celebrate what little of Yule they could when they had heard the news from Peter.

The watery eyed blonde told them he had had to report to Dumbledore what had happened. Apparently there was an attack on some muggles in a café. Regulus so happened to have been there at the time because he was going to see Clint when the Feces' attacked. The details were blurry but the point was; Regulus had tried to save the muggles' life only to be cut to pieces by a Death Eater who had recognized him.

"Kreacher keeps saying he's alive but I don't believe that little troll." Sirius cried. "I just got him back! I – James – you are my brother indeed, moreso than anyone but Reg, he. He was my younger brother – I."

The pain was great. Everyone in the room could feel it. Even though they didn't realize that by saying Kreacher's name Sirius had called his house elf to him. The house elf stared at Sirius with a heart broken look. Apparently; he wasn't the only to have called him. In the house elf's arms was the broken, shivering body of the youngest Black.

Author's Note: Another chapter in just two days. Y'all am on a roll. Time to get some action and excitement going eh!? Thanks again for the reviews, favourites and follows! Some of you were wondering where I was going with this. Quite honestly I'm just going where the characters take me. Someone might die in the next chapter. No promises. We'll see what happens shall we?