Peter Pettigrew sits on the front porch of his house, picking at the peeling paint of the steps. His pale brown hair hangs loosely over his chubby face. He isn't fat, but his build is small and therefor looks very disproportionate with a slight bit of weight on him. Or maybe he is just plump.

Peter waits for his mother, Enid Pettigrew, so they can go to Diagon Alley to get his things for Hogwarts. It is early for this, only a week after receiving his letter this July, but they like to be prepared. She is still cleaning herself up from her job at the Leaky Cauldron as a dishwasher. They live in a muggle neighborhood not far from Diagon Alley, so working in the wizarding pub is the ideal job for their location. But the fact that it is ideal is not why she works there, not really. It's because she has to.

When Peter was six, his father Leo Pettigrew left them. Peter had thought things were fine in their family, at least from what he could remember from such a young age. They lived a comfortable life here, so close to Diagon Alley as a family of wizards. But Leo never really treated Peter in a loving way, or even played ball with him as Peter saw other boys do with their fathers. Leo hadn't had a job, he had said he was too tired to do it, but Peter had known he never did anything to make him tired; it was just because he was lazy. So Enid had to work all day to provide for them, while Leo was just sort of there, not acting very much like a husband or a father.

Peter didn't know why he never did anything. He would sit around all day, listen to the wizard radio or read a newspaper, then he would sometimes go out at night and not come back until the morning. Peter didn't know where he went either. Leo would almost always come back drunk, but he would be in better moods, so they had been fine with that. Or at least that's what Peter thought.

Peter eats dinner with his mother: Leo had gone out again last night, taking some of the money Enid had earned yesterday.

"Where is daddy?" Peter asks. Enid clutches her fork a bit tighter as she looks at her son sitting across from her.

"I don't know," she admits, "but I'm sure he'll be back in a bit." Peter frowns, because this is how she always answers this question. She never seems to know anything, or have the interest to search for the answer. Peter picks at his food.

Just then there is the sound of the front door opening. Peter looks up excitedly. Maybe daddy will be good today. Heavy footsteps stomp down the hall into the kitchen, thumps on the wall as if someone is tripping as they walk. Leo shuffles into the room, holding a bottle in his hand, which contains a liquid that splashes over the rim as Leo falls down into his chair at the square table.

"Daddy!" Peter exclaims. Leo winces at his squeaky voice and waves in his direction as if he were swatting away a fly. Enid looks down at her food, her face showing that she isn't glad to see him. Or maybe it's disappointment. Or shame. Leo leans back, taking a swig of the last drops of his drink.

"Got any money today?" Leo grumbles towards Enid. She nods her head slightly and mumbles something. "What was that?" Leo asks.

"I think…" Enid clears her throat. "I think you should get a job as well. I don't get all that much, then you…well, you spend it." Leo leans forward, with a sudden intensity as if his drunkenness had worn off just from the shock.

"But we've been getting along fine," he insists evasively. "There's no need for that kind of talk." Peter looks back and forth between the two of them. Enid has challenged Leo like this before, telling him not to go out at night, but she usually doesn't tell him to get a job, because he always refuses.

"I think we should share the responsibility of this family more," Enid suggests causally, but Peter can hear a layer in her tone that sounds more like a demand. "I think it would be good if you helped out more." Leo scoffs and shakes his head.

"Peter can get a job when he's older," Leo replies like this has been a plan all along, a plan they have decided on. Peter frowns. Isn't he supposed to help us, as a dad?

"But you can't just sit around all day, without a care in the world!" Enid says with a shaky voice. "What kind of example are you setting for Peter, if you're all he has for a role model as a boy?" Leo stands up, only a little unsteady.

"Well," he replies with a raised voice. "If that's how you feel about me, then maybe I'm not needed!" He has a small smile like he has been waiting to say that for a long time. Then Leo turns around and walks out the door. He never comes back.

Peter can't remember much about his father, but that memory always stuck with him. He knows Leo had been lazy, uncaring and a bit of a git for taking Enid's hard earned money. But Peter had still been confused when he left. He remembers his mother had said that Leo was a bad example for Peter to follow. He doesn't think that his father has influenced him at all. Peter's never 'followed his examples', he's helped his mum around the house and made sure she is taking care of herself. Peter wouldn't be like his father. That is surely the only way Leo can affect him.

But that isn't the case. Enid was right: Peter didn't have a role model or anyone to look up to. Sure, Enid is strong as a single mother, but she stopped cleaning and fixing up the house long ago. Peter cleans it up for her, but he doesn't know why she doesn't at least acknowledge the mess creeping up around them. Maybe it's because she works so much. Or she's given up, tired of running everything herself. In any case, Enid has just focused on getting enough money. They had enough money; in fact they could comfortably spend as they pleased. Enid just seems to have this idea that she has to make up for all the years Leo didn't work, as if she can change Peter's image of how parents should take care of their family.

Peter loves her and all she does, but she is always at work, obsessing over earning more money, as if it would gain them any power, which is unlikely. So Enid isn't at home very often, leaving Peter alone to clean the house while she is gone. Peter doesn't know what a strong, brave, admirable person looks like. With no one like that to look up to, Peter accepted that no one is like that, he himself could never be like that. And that is that.

If only there were such things, amazing people like that. I wish I could be brave; then maybe I wouldn't get knocked about at school. They always tease me for being so small and pitiful. If I were brave or powerful, I would show them. But that'll never happen. No one is that cool or perfect.

Peter thinks about the kids that beat him up at school, teasing him about his weight, his plump, childish face. His mother doesn't know about them, he doesn't want her to worry more than she already does. So Peter suffers through it, wishing he had the courage to stand up to them, or report them: they threatened him not to tell. I'm too much of a coward to even talk about them to someone when they aren't even in the room.

The front door opens behind him and Peter turns around to see Enid locking up. She has changed into nice, clean clothes, but she has an air of exhaustion around her that isn't just from work, but from a weakness of her spirit. But Enid smiles at Peter lovingly and he gets up from the creaky steps.

"Ready to go, dear?" Enid asks him. Peter nods and smiles excitedly as they begin to walk down the street back towards the Leaky Cauldron. It's still July, he won't go to school until September. But I don't think I can wait any longer to go anyways. Because this is the first time Peter has truly been excited about something.

Sure, he is nervous about leaving home for so long for the first time, but this will be a new start for Peter. Things are going to change. These will be wizards, they'll be nicer than muggle boys. No one will tease me, I'll find some friends. Mum and dad were in Hufflepuff, I think I'll enjoy it there. I don't know much about the other houses, but at least Hufflepuff doesn't require bravery. There is Gryffindor, they're the house of the brave, but they must all be fakes, no one is really magnificent or noble. I'll settle for Hufflepuff.

But what if they don't accept me there either? What if I'm not good enough and don't belong anywhere? Peter swallows nervously. The thing he fears most that he'll be so bad of a wizard they'll send him home. He didn't even show his first sign of magic, of being a wizard until he was five, a late start compared to others: Enid had her first sign when she was three. Peter doesn't have many talents, he just gets by in muggle school.

But maybe, just maybe, I can change that at Hogwarts. I don't need to be the best: Hufflepuff will accept me. I'll get by and maybe make some friends along the way. But there's no use worrying about those things. I should just focus on the fact that I'm even going to Hogwarts!