Wormtail clambers up out of the stomach pocket and into James' hoodie while they pack up camp to move at Harry's insistence. And by pack up camp, Wormtail means gathering all the various snacks scattered around first.

The expanded Gryffindor bed is still messy from lazing around on it last night and Wormtail hops out of the hood to help James hunt down all the scattered potion vials and half-eaten snacks stuffed into crevices.

Wormtail dives under a pillow and bites down on the corner of a metal box for Remus' special tea leaves, dragging it out slowly since it's the same size as him. James tips the pillow off Wormtail and holds open the bag they use, just a small cross-body sling except Sirius took it from his house so it's dragon hide and the buckles are mithril and it probably costs more than Hogwarts.

Wormtail kicks the tea into the bag and scampers off over the covers again.

Sirius is still talking with Gellert (Dark Lord Grindelwald, Wormtail thinks but no one has confirmed it yet so he's just going to not think about it) and Albus (Headmaster Dumbledore?) plus that Slytherin student Tom.

They're discussing the wording of a vow and that job has been firmly left to Sirius because Remus isn't good at bartering and James thinks the more loopholes the better but doesn't realise other people can use those loopholes too.

Remus is pacing the ward perimeter to break it down for when they leave. Harry, the only stranger Wormtail likes because he defended James from the Slytherin, is also helping to get rid of any signs they were here – including vanishing empty packets of food and the chairs.

Sirius laughs and it doesn't sound nice. "You're not getting your wands back until after the vow."

"I was simply going to conjure paper and a quill," Tom says evenly with a polite smile on his face.

Tom shifts his weight and Wormtail flinches back behind a rumple of blankets even when Tom doesn't look at him. That Slytherin student is terrifying, with all of Sirius' uncaring ferocity and none of the breaks named Remus or James.

Wormtail didn't know what was happening at first, content to hide in James' jumper until he was squeezed out. He had half fallen down James' leg and skittered behind Remus' feet, but got shoved past, behind where Tom was holding James.

Tom had almost looked down, Wormtail remembers distinctly with a shiver, but then Harry had raised his voice to draw attention. And suddenly Wormtail realised Sirius was down and then Remus fell too and James started sounding so panicked…

Peter has been in fights before, but only as the designated 'circle around and get them in the back' by Sirius so it's not like it was very different. Wormtail changed back and Peter's hand still shook and he still almost missed the target. But every time Peter has done it before, it was because it's funnier to surprise someone, not because the Marauders had ever been backed into a corner.

Wormtail doesn't think they should give back the wands. Or rather, only give them back when the strangers are going to leave, just in case. Remus holds the wands for now, which is quite a threat when the moon is still so high.

"Wormy," James croons.

Wormtail leaps over a lump in the blanket and bellyflops into James' hand, getting a soft squish around the middle and then being dumped into the hood. James zips the bag closed and slings it over his head, Wormtail ducking so the strap doesn't get him.

"I really hope we got everything," James says cheerfully and then just vanishes the entire bed, plus the pillow that had fallen off by his feet. "Alright, the rest of you lads ready to head off?"

James trots ahead of the group with a bounce to his step like always and Wormtail is soon rocked into a nap. Rats sleep a lot, unlike Prongs who never does and Padfoot who's all manic energy whenever he's awake.

Wormtail drifts a lot, only waking briefly whenever voices are raised during an argument that sounds a lot like lawyer gibberish to Wormtail.

At one point, James is walking next to Remus and holding hands. "-more tea, Remi, or are you feeling okay? I'll give you a back massage when we stop."

At the next, he's in the back of the group chatting to Albus. "-your red hair. It's really pretty, Alby. You told me you had red hair once, during a lesson – which was actually just detention, but you also said I'm the best transfiguration student you've taught so I'm basically your favourite. Sorry, Gel, it's not my fault I'm so lovable."

Wormtail is kept awake for a while when James twirls his tail around a finger and chatters on to Tom. "-turns out, if Wormy is on me, my magical signature covers his because I'm bigger. It messes with unspecified trackers, that's why you saw only three people and not four. But um, no, Wormy doesn't make it flicker. That part's a secret, Tommy – I'll tell you after you do the vow!"

During a nap, familiar giggles filter through from James and Sirius. "-green eyes. No way it's Lily though, right? I'll ask him – Harry! Harry, I know you said you shouldn't tell me about the future but just nod if I'm correct, okay?"

Wormtail isn't sure if it's going to work with these strangers but James is trying his hardest to endear himself to them to get an advantage on the vow. Pieces of a tempting future, bits of secrets and hidden knowledge offered freely, little cheerful poking questions to get closer.

That's not quite right though. James is always friendly, it's more like he's speeding up the process.

Wormtail drifts.

And snaps awake when he's jostled madly in the fabric of the hoodie for a few brief, disorientating seconds, all the yelling blurring into white noise. He's thrown from James' hoodie and tumbles through the air, hitting the leaflitter on his feet, absorbing the impact.

Wormtail scrambles, rat instincts sending him sprinting into the safe darkness of a bush, and looks around wildly, seeing Remus' feet disappear through a cracked open tree trunk before the bark snaps shut and the spiralling vortex of colours disappears.

Harry slams into the tree hands first, getting there just too late to grab on and instead almost gets swallowed by the abrupt burst of flowers that sprout on the bark. He staggers back, looking around with wide eyes. "Sirius - the other fey couldn't move far! They must be close." Harry casts a tracking spell then a distance spell, one that throws out blue mist and a few more.

Gellert is panting slightly, pushing himself off the ground where he'd fallen between giant thorns coming out of the ground, two wands clutched in his hand. He passes one to Albus as the other man helps him up, and discards a scrap of fabric that might be ripped from Remus' pocket.

Tom steps over a huge tangle of shrivelled vines, his own wand in hand and magic practically humming. "Well then. Lovely meeting you all but I should be on my way."

Wormtail is still looking for the Marauders. Remus went through but what about James? Sirius? Are they all gone? Wormtail wants to turn back into Peter to track them but the strangers are right here. He turns away, ready to run further out.

"Wait!" Harry cries, staring wide eyed as the other three strangers walk away. "Dumbl – Albus, can you teach me that grey ring spell? None of my seeking spells work in here and my patronus can't find a passage through to them."

Albus pauses and half turns back but there's regret in his expression. "I'm sorry, Harry. I'm worried the realm will collapse without them here, I can't stay."

"Can you just show me once? The wand movement?"

Gellert puts a hand on Albus' elbow. "Harry, in the nicest way, we're still quite upset at them. I wish you luck, and I wish them to…not be hurt too badly but perhaps a bit of injury." Gellert shrugs dismissively. "Just karma, nothing too bad."

Tom tosses over his shoulder, "With their talents, they'll be fine, Harry. And if they're not? Well, you'll disappear as soon as you step through to your own time so it won't concern you much regardless."

Albus offers up an apologetic smile but he keeps walking with Gellert, though in a different direction to Tom.

Wormtail shrinks back at that. He knows the other three will be fine, they always are, but hearing it so callously makes him worry. It also occurs to him that if Harry can't track them, do Wormtail's spells work? The Marauders know it's a problem so they designed a spell that goes through this realm to the normal world, but does it work through two realms?

Wormtail edges around the base of a tree towards Harry. They need to work together and Harry must already know about being animagi if he really is James' son so Wormtail can transform back and-

"I know where the Hallows are," Harry says firmly.

Gellert whirls around so fast he almost slips in the leaflitter and Albus stops dead in his tracks still facing away. Tom pauses too but he's chuckling quietly and crosses his arms, watching in amusement unlike the shock on Gellert's face.

Wormtail remembers James joked about his cloak a few times -even about Grindelwald's mark- but never with any weight to his words. Harry sounds so certain though.

"It's not safe here," Albus says to Gellert in concern. "It's too much of a risk and I don't want you to get hurt. We can find them on our own."

"No, you can't," Harry states. His green eyes are bright as the sunlight plays through the canopy. They almost look like they glow. "Tom can confirm how true that is in the future."

"How are you so sure?" Gellert demands, that careless edge to his body language completely gone. "If you're lying to me, Harry-"

"I have fought far worse than adolescent little Dark Lords," Harry snaps in frustration. "Help me find them and then I couldn't care less what you do after."

Albus blinks. "Dark…?"

Gellert pulls back, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Harry's eyes dart away. "It's a figure of speech-"

But Tom starts to laugh, and it's far from the polite, low tones he's used so far – even when threatening James, he was silky smooth. This laughter is loud and jagged, almost a cackle. Wormtail flinches, pressing lower to the ground.

"I'll help you, Harry," Tom says in delight, a bit breathless from his sudden laughter. "And then you can tell me where to find the Hallows."

"We'll help," Albus cuts in, darting a glance to Tom. "Gellert and I can find your father and his friends."

"Oh, but Albus, aren't you busy making plans?" Tom hums, eyes half-lidded. "For the greater good, I think you should run along home."

Gellert takes a deep breath but his carelessly charming smile is back on his face. "Let's go save your dad, Harry."

"I just need their location, I'll save them myself," Harry corrects with a frown. "And I never said I'd tell you where the Hallows are."

"Harry," Albus sighs but his blue eyes are icy. "You are in far too deep to be backing out now."

Wormtail hesitates but this looks like it might go bad. He slinks back into the darkness of the forest and only follows from a distance as they start to move, a determined Harry leading the group and adamantly ignoring questions.