Snake Bitten

by HighKeyMars

Massive AU: Harry is 12 years old, in the chamber of secrets, and Tom Riddle is making a lot of sense. More than Harry would like to admit actually and Dumbledore refusing to tell him anything just makes Tom's words seemingly all the more true. So, if he can't trust Dumbledore, who can he trust? No Pairings until Year 5. Will be violence and foul language. No bashing.

7. Chapter 7

Fall 1980:

"Lord Voldemort, also known as Tom Riddle, was born into a traumatic childhood due to a love potion, leaving him unable to feel love. He was left in a muggle orphanage, abandoned and unwanted. His traumatic upbringing led to a strong desire for power and control, driven by his obsession with immortality. Voldemort exhibited exceptional magical abilities and a lack of empathy, viewing people as mere tools for his own ends. His manipulative personality allowed him to gather a following of loyal followers known as Death Eaters, who were able to influence and control others through fear and intimidation. Voldemort's evil nature can be attributed to his traumatic upbringing, insatiable ambition, lack of empathy, manipulative personality, and his immersion in dark magic." Said the memory of Dumbledore to his group of followers, the self proclaimed 'Order of the Phoenix'

Tom was pulled out of the memory provided to him by his inner circle member, Chiron, with an emotionless face, but his red eyes danced with anger that promised the worse pain imaginable for the unlucky soul who would be faced with his wraith

"You have done well Chiron" hissed Tom, his words could have been mistaken for the tongue of his forefather, but they were in fact English, "Have Spectre and Flidias make their way into the room on your way out"

Chiron nodded, his long-hooked nose bobbing up and down as he hurried to exit Tom's presence. Tom couldn't blame him, Chiron was a rather smart man, a brilliant potions maker and brewer, a talented spell crafter, but he never held the stomach for their more serious acts of violence. Not that the dark-haired man wouldn't kill, he just preferred not to, and Tom was okay with that.

Everyone in the inner circle served a purpose, with people such as Midas having a non-fighting role as well. The taking over of the Wizarding World was not going to be done with just violence, sometimes it required the right exchanging of money, the right whispered words into the right ears of the government officials in their pockets.

The average Death Eater would be expected to raise their wand in his honor, willing to die for the chance at earning his respect, the chance to curry a single strand of his favor. But they were little more than pawns on the chess board, pieces that could be smitten off the face of the world with the greatest of ease by the opposition and not even a glance of concern on his part.

But the inner circle? They were his brothers and sister in arm, they were the few that he dreamed of crossing the finish line with. Despite the words of his once upon a time favorite Professor, Tom Riddle did have a soft spot for his inner circle. They were the lone people living on the planet that he held a single ounce of respect for, they were the founders of this mission of his … of theirs, and he would be sadden by the loss of a single one of them.

Flidais entered and Tom smiled as she did, she was a tall woman with long, thick, shiny dark hair. Her face had a strong jaw, a thin mouth, and dark, heavily lidded eyes with long eyelashes. She was his hunter, the bloodhound that could track down anyone.

Behind her was Spectre, a slender pale white man with slicked back black hair with strong goatee who was closer to Tom's age rather than the youthful age of the rest of the Death Eaters such as Midas or Flidais who were nearly a trio of decades younger. Spectre was a man who could make anyone disappear, despite the vast age difference between Spectre and Flidais, they were a dynamic duo that combined to enforce his will no matter what.

"My lord" they both greeted, but before they could bow, Tom waved his hands to dismiss the notion from either of them.

"No need my friends" said Tom, "I am sure you are both wondering why I have called the two of you to me"

Flidais nodded and Spectre did not reaction, he was very comfortable allowing Flidais to take the lead as normal.

"Chiron has done several great things for me in recent in times" started Tom, "He has overheard a prophecy that tells of my potential downfall"

"Impossible" hissed Flidais

"Silence" hissed Tom, "I did not ask for your opinion or comments on the matter"

"Forgive me for speaking out of turn" whimpered Flidais before she quickly added, "My Lord"

"Remember that I am a kind lord, but also remember your place and mind your tongue. You do not require it to be in your mouth to do your job" tsk'd Tom before he shifted back into his kinder tone once more

"As I was saying, Chiron has overheard this prophecy that tells of my potential downfall, of this baby that was born as July dies but also born to people who have defied me thrice. I believe that it is either the Potters or the Longbottoms, but they have disappeared from the public" continued Tom

"Do you want us to find them for you?" asked Spectre as he realized that Tom had paused for a reason

"No, I would not waste your time finding people who could not be found. They have most likely hidden behind the Fidelius Charm, it would be a waste of your time, talent, and effort to have you chase those who could not be chased" replied Tom, "No, I want you to find the safekeepers"

"The safekeepers?" asked Spectre

"Yes, they are the key to finding the families who actually pose a threat to me" said Tom in a matter of fact tone, "The Potters want people to think their safe keeper is Sirius Black, but that is nothing more than a ploy. I believe it will be someone different, someone that nobody will expect"

Flidais' face twisted into an angry snarl at the mention of her cousin, but she held her tongue this time and Spectre pondered who it could be.

"Tell me Flidais, you went to school with Potter, if not Black, who would they trust?" asked Tom to Flidais

"Remus Lupin or Peter Pettigrew" answered Flidais after a moment of thinking

Tom thought about the two men, he knew of both of them. Remus Lupin was a werewolf rights activist, a man who proudly worked for the betterment of the werewolf community. Someone who held a decent amount of sway in that community, but the very fact that he was a werewolf would complicate things. He would be proud and loyal to his friends as they would be seen as his pack by his inner wolf.

Loyal and influential, but also technically a dark creature despite his rather redeeming qualities. No, they would not trust him because despite his loyalty, they would always have questions about him due to his nature.

But this man, Peter Pettigrew, he knew of the man. He was a man of lesser talents than Potter or Black. Tom had crossed wands with both of them, they were more than serviceable wizards. They would be worthy of inner circle status if they could be swayed, but Peter was a short portly man who was never the one who would rush into battle when he arrived, picking to battle the lower tier Death Eaters than take part in the main fights.

"Remus Lupin is loyal to them, but they will never show him the same respect" said Tom after his musing, "Find Peter Pettigrew, he is the safekeeper for the Potter family"

"Do you want us to squeeze it out of him?" asked Flidais

"No my dear, we will not break this one with violence" said Tom, "We will break him with kindness"

Flidais shivered with delight as she mentally preparing for a hunt. Spectre could already hear her words and advice, 'Stay focused, motivated, and ready to tackle your prey'

Sadly based on his experience with her, he knew that last part of the line was not figurative and more often then not, quite literal. Flidais has an enchanted knife that she loved to us, it was covered in series of runes that prevented it from being healed. The more you tried to heal it, the deeper the gash became, the wider the cut grew. Usually Flidais loved to use it one teenagers and watch in horror as their parents failed to heal them with their magic,

Flidais nodded in agreement, taking the task at once to the surprise of neither of the men present, "The rat will be found and brought to you at one, my lord"

Tom tilted his head, his face twisted into a parody of curiosity, "Rat?"

Flidais nodded in confirmation, "It is one of the worst kept secrets during my time at Hogwarts. Remus Lupin is a werewolf, to help him with his transformations, the other three men in that friend group learned how to turn into animals. James Potter was a proud, large Stag. Sirius Black is a large overgrown Grim, and Peter Pettigrew is a small rat"

Tom fidgeted with his wand, rotating it in small circles as he kept it pointed down, sparks flying out the tip as he started to chuckle.

"The animal that you turn into, is often a reflection of who you are. Your soul's very essence brought forward into the physical world" crackled Tom, "Peter Pettigrew is nothing but a disgustingly pathetic rat, a man who will bite the hand that currently feeds him if the next hand he sees offers him something better"

Remus was nervous as he sat in his classroom, the trial of the century was currently going on in the Ministry and he couldn't bear to witness it. Was he a coward? Perhaps he was. But he had already lost his best friend once, he was not sure he could do it again.

Whether or not he was a coward or not, he knew that this overwhelming feeling of dread was not natural. It was definitely caused by the chained up Dementor in the corner of his classroom.

"I know that we weren't supposed to start these lessons until after the break, but with the constant attraction they have to you, we had to start while on break. The Dementors are a foul creature" said Lupin as he gestured to the chained up cloaked

"Okay, I agree with you" said Harry,

"So..." Lupin had taken out his own wand and indicated that Harry should do the same. "The spell I am going to try and teach you is highly advanced magic, Harry" explained Lupin, "Well beyond ordinary Wizarding Level. It is called the Patronus Charm."

"How does it work?" said Harry nervously.

"Well, when it works correctly, It conjures up a Patronus," said Lupin, "which is a kind of anti-dementor. A guardian that acts as a shield between you and the dementor created by the opposite emotion"

Harry had a sudden vision of himself crouching behind a Hagrid sized figure holding a large club that was pointed at the Dementor, daring it to fuck around and find out.

Lupin continued, "The Patronus is a kind of positive force, a projection of the very things that the dementor feeds upon hope, happiness, the desire to survive, but it cannot feel despair, as real humans can, so the dementors can't hurt it. But I must warn you, Harry, that the charm might be too advanced for you. Many qualified wizards have difficulty with it."

"What does a Patronus look like?" said Harry curiously.

"Each one is unique to the wizard who conjures it."

"And how do you conjure it?"

"With an incantation, which will work only if you are concentrating, with all your might, on a single, very happy memory."

"Happy memory?" asked Harry

"Happiness is a complex emotional state characterized by joy, contentment, and well-being, influenced by biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors" started Lupin, trying to explain this concept to Harry, "Happy memories are recollections of past experiences that evoke happiness, joy, and positivity. These memories can be related to various experiences, such as spending time with loved ones, achieving personal goals, or experiencing beautiful moments in nature. Happy memories are cherished for their lasting impact on well-being. However, happiness and happy memories are subjective and can vary greatly from person to person, as happiness is not a constant state, but a fluctuating emotional experience influenced by internal and external factors"

Harry cast his mind about for a happy memory. Certainly, nothing that had happened to him at the Dursleys' was going to do. Finally, he settled on the moment when he had first ridden a broomstick. No, that wasn't going to be enough, but how about the feeling of spending this summer with Sirius?

"Right," he said, trying to recall as exactly how it felt to find out that he was loved for, cared for, and that someone wanted him to be around.

"The incantation is this -" Lupin cleared his throat. "Expecto patronum!"

"Expecto patronum, " Harry repeated under his breath, "expecto patronum."

"Concentrating hard on your happy memory?"

"Oh - yeah -" said Harry, quickly forcing his thoughts back to that first broom ride. "Expecto patrono - no, patronum - sorry - expecto patronum, expecto patronum"

Something whooshed suddenly out of the end of his wand; it looked like a wisp of silvery gas.

"Did you see that?" said Harry excitedly. "Something happened!"

"Very good," said Lupin, smiling. "Right, then - ready to try it on a dementor?"

"Yes," Harry said, gripping his wand very tightly, and moving into the middle of the deserted classroom. He tried to keep his mind on flying, but something else kept intruding... Any second now, he might hear his mother again... but he shouldn't think that, or he would hear her again, and he didn't want to... or did he?

Lupin pointed his wand at the chains that were holding the Dementor back and jabbed his wand at it, releasing it.

The dementor, now free from the chain, turns its hooded face toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its cloak. The lamps around the classroom flickered and went out. The dementor stepped from the box and started to sweep silently toward Harry, drawing a deep, rattling breath.

A wave of piercing cold broke over him and he could feel the world around him slowly becoming further from his attention.

"Expecto patronum!" Harry yelled. "Expecto patronum! Expecto -"

But the classroom and the dementor were dissolving and Harry suddenly felt himself failing again through thick white fog, and his mother's voice was louder than ever, echoing inside his head

"Not Harry! Not Harry! Please! I'll do anything!"

"Stand aside. Stand aside, girl!"

"Harry!"

Harry jerked back to life. He was lying flat on his back on the floor. The classroom lamps were alight again. He didn't have to ask what had happened.

The dementor was gone from the classroom, the room felt so much better without it floating in the corner. The sole reminder of the creature being in the room was the chains that laid curled up in the ground.

"I'm sorry about that" said Lupin and Harry looked to the right and he could see Lupin sitting on the ground next to him, a bar of chocolate in his hand. He extended his hand and Harry took the offered chocolate from Lupin. The first bite brought a pleasant warmth that surged through his body and Harry didn't realize he was shivering until he stopped.

"I would ask what happened, but given that we're both on the ground …" trailed off Harry as he took a second bite of chocolate.

"Perhaps I should have had you practice before having you actually face one of those nasty creatures" admitted Lupin, guilt clear on his face.

"No, I felt that was a good first try, I will practice the spell all week so when we try again, I will be better" proclaimed Harry

Lupin allowed a ghost of a smile to hit his face before it disappeared, and his face looked like he was in deep pain.

"Are you okay?" asked Harry

Lupin took a moment to answer, "Yeah, I just wasn't expecting you to look like James in that moment. I don't know if Dumbledore told you, but I was actually really good friends with your father in school. He was one of my best friends"

Harry nodded, "He said that you were a childhood friend of my father's"

"We were like brothers realty" said Lupin as he gained a far away look in his eyes, clearly lost in a fond memory as he continued, "We would get up to all kinds of trouble. Each one of us was a master of a different skill. Your father was our transfiguration expert, I was potions master, Sirius could do Runes better than anyone in the school, and Peter had a hand in ritualistic magic. We all were great at Defense Against the Dart Arts, but we all also had our specialties. It's what made us such a powerful group to be honest, we all covered each other's weaknesses"

"You sound like you really miss him" noted Harry

"I miss them more than I think words could explain" admitted Lupin as Harry split the rest of the chocolate and gave a chunk to Lupin, "That was the best time of my life, Harry. There was no worries about the war efforts, we didn't have to worry about traitors, we didn't have to worry about anything but essays and classwork, what our next prank was"

"I'm sorry that you lost them" said Harry as he realized that much like Sirius, Lupin was another sad semi-broken man who had survived the war but didn't actually have much of a life after it.

Lupin snorted, "You're telling me that you're sorry is madness Harry. I'm sorry because I'm telling you how much I miss your father when you probably miss him more than I could ever"

Harry frowned, "I actually don't miss him, I never got the chance to have any memories of him. Even with the Dementor attacks, I hear the moment of Voldemort killing my mom, I don't hear him"

Lupin sighed, "That's the saddest thing I've ever heard, but I guess it's nice that you know what her voice sounds like even if there were better moments for you to hear"

"Are you a werewolf?" asked Harry

Remus stiffened, "Why on earth would you ask me that?"

"You always take the full moon off" answered Harry, "Snape makes us learn about werewolves on those days, he seems to get some kind of sick pleasure from teaching about werewolves whenever you miss a day of class"

"I am" said Remus

"Is it painful?"

"It can be"

"It doesn't change anything for me" said Harry, "I still think you're the most brilliant teacher I've ever had"

Remus smiled at Harry, obviously content not to speak on that matter anymore as silence filled the room as they both bit into the chocolate and Lupin was the one to break the silence, "I want you to know that I am deeply sorry that I never looked after you post war Harry. I lost to much, starting with my parents then your parents then Sirius and Peter. I was not sure that I could look after you and when Dumbledore sent me to round up the remaining packs of werewolves, I took the job without question and believed that he would take care of you"

Harry blinked, "No offense, but you probably were what? 20? 21? You weren't fit to be a parent for a baby who apparently looks like your dead best mate. Would it have been nice if you wrote to me? Sure, but we can't change what was done or not done"

"You're a weird child, so much calmer and kind than any of us would have been" said Lupin with a sad look, "How long did they abuse you?"

Harry froze

"Do I look like a daft man" snarled Lupin, "Dumbledore made sure that I was busy because I would have noticed how poorly you were treated. You're 13 years old and what maybe 39 kg (86 pounds)? Anyone with a single ounce of common sense would be able to tell that you're too thin, you are too quiet. After how abused I was for being a werewolf, do you think I wouldn't be able to tell?"

Harry swallowed the suddenly very think saliva in his mouth, "What are you talking about?"

Lupin raised his hand and Harry flinched, "Today might not be the day to talk about this Harry, but one day soon. Dumbledore will have to answer to me for this, you would have been better off traveling with me as I figured out life than to be raised in a place where a raised hand results in a flinch"

Harry nodded as Lupin closed his eyes as Harry could pick up a hint of a rumbling deep inside of Lupin's chest.

"I will never go back there" whispered Harry

"Dumbledore will die before you do" replied Lupin

"Do you hate Sirius?" asked Harry suddenly

"I don't know" replied Lupin, "For a long time I did, but apparently he might be innocent. But for years, I've known him as the man who betrayed my best friend and killed my other best friend"

"Peter, right?"

"Yeah"

"I heard that Peter Pettigrew could turn into a rat" said Harry trying to think of a lie that would work on Remus. He liked the man but Harry wasn't ready to reveal Sirius' help in this particular plot just yet, "I think the Twins mentioned overhearing one of their mum's friends mentioning that he could do that"

"We could all turn into an animal Harry" joked Lupin

"Yeah but if Peter could turn into a rat, how do we know that he didn't cut off his finger and simply escape?" asked Harry

Lupin hissed as he held back an angry howl, his chest rumbling as the wolf inside slammed against the cage, demanding justice for his friends … for his brothers.

"A rat missing a finger that would have to be over 10 years old at this point" noted Lupin as he racked his brain, he didn't know anyone with a rat who would fit that list of features. But then again, if Peter did actually fake his death, the little shite could be anywhere in the fucking world, why would he choose to remain in England?

Lupin voiced this thought as well, "Harry there are hundreds of rats in the UK, Peter would have to be quite stupid to remain here. Besides how many rats do you know that are missing a limb and over 10 plus years old?"

Harry frowned and admitted, "I guess just Ron's"

Lupin's head snapped to Harry, "I beg your pardon?"

"Huh? Ron's rat is like 12 plus years old at this point. It was actually Percy's rat first but Ron got it when Percy made Prefect" explained Harry

"And it's missing a finger?" asked Lupin

"Yeah, he's missing what would be the right index finger" answered Harry

Lupin snapped his wrist, flicking his wand and extending his non-wand hand as a piece of parchment flew towards him.

Harry watched in wonder as Remus used the tip of his wand to write on the parchment before it glowed and Remus turned to Harry, "Wands out"

The parchment lifted itself out of Remus' hand and turned into a small pointed arrow slowly moved through the classroom and out the door. Remus and Harry followed the floating parchment as it traveled down the hall, seemingly knowing where it was going.

"What exactly are we doing?" asked Harry as they followed behind, no more than a couple of steps behind

"Magic is something that varies in person to person as it will feel different inside each of us. However, when you spend enough time around certain people for large stretches of time, you might become a bit more in tune with the manner in which their magic feels. Some people will tell you that our friends that we make in life are people whose magic calls out to us. Magic that exists on the same wavelength and draws in people of the same feel as yourself" explained Remus

"Is that what you think?" asked Harry as they started to climb up stairs, still following.

"I find that you will meet people who you like and people who you will dislike all the same in life, magic is a very powerful thing but it's not going to make decisions for you" replied Remus, "Sometimes the people you probably should like are a right wanker and not worth getting along with. And sometimes the pureblood trust fund brat is really a messy raven-haired young man with a heart of gold"

"Does that refer to me or my father?" asked Harry

"Both" answered Remus

"What did write on that piece of parchment?" questioned Harry as he had been racking his brain on what runes Remus could have used to get this type of result.

"Remember what I was telling you about the feeling of one's magic?" asked Remus

Harry nodded

"When a witch or wizard goes through the practice of becoming an Animagus, their animal form leaves an imprint on the way that their magic feels" continued Remus, "A powerful wizard such as Dumbledore would be able to activate their mage sight and see the change in their magic, but that's not the only manner. Having worked on runes and arithmancy for many years as well as working with Peter on various magical tasks for 7 years, I've seen his magical properties written down in runes and through arithmancy more than my fair share of times"

"So what? This piece of parchment is leading us to Peter in his rat form?" asked Harry

Remus nodded

"That's incredible" whispered Harry as his respect for runes continued to skyrocket as he added another topic to add to his list of research.

"How do you remember what his magic felt like?" asked Harry as they continued to climb the stairs

"I have heightened senses from being a werewolf, this also extends to things like magic sensitivity and memory. I remember what it feels like because I mostly remember everything" replied Remus

They arrived at the Gryffindor Common Room and Remus tapped his wand at the base of the Fat Lady's portrait and it swung open and the parchment flew through the opening and pointed at Ron who was relaxing on the couch by the fireplace.

"Oi mate, what are you doing with Professor Lupin? It's still the holiday break" asked Ron as he yawned lazily

"Do you have an old pet Rat?" asked Remus

"Yea, what bout it?" asked Ron, his eyes bouncing from Harry to Remus in confusion, his voice shaking as he struggled to figure out the question

"May I seem him?" asked Remus

Ron reached into his pocket and upon seeing Remus, Scabbers started to wiggle and whine in Ron's grasp and Remus pointed his wand at the rat. Upon seeing this, Ron clutched Scabbers closer to his chest.

"Oi, what's going on?" asked Ron

Remus growled as he looked at Rat before a bang went off and a fizzle of magic flooded out of his wand, sending Scabbers into the air. The rat hissed as it was kept suspended in the air and Remus jabbed his wand at Ron, wrapping the young boy up in ropes.

"My God," said Lupin softly, staring from Scabbers "His front paw..."

"What about it?" said Ron defiantly.

"He's missing the toe that they found from Peter," said Harry

"Of course," Remus whispered, "So simple, yet so brilliant"

Remus bit back a snarl before he added, "He cut it off himself?"

"Now what?" asked Harry

Remus circled the floating squirming panicky rat, "Betrayal cuts deep into the core of trust and loyalty. It's a rupture in the fabric of relationships, leaving behind a trail of hurt, confusion, and often, lasting scars. When it's a friend, betrayal shakes the foundation of our beliefs, challenging our very understanding of the world. When it is someone who you call your brother, you destroy the very fabric of the relationship that you hold so hear.

Faking one's death, on the other hand, is a drastic and dramatic act. It speaks of a desire to escape, to start anew, or perhaps to deceive. It's a pathetic twist that pulls on a mix of emotions, shock, disbelief, and even a hint of admiration for the audacity of such a move.

You see Harry, For those who commit such acts, there may be feelings of guilt, remorse, and profound sadness for the loss of both a friend and a part of themselves. It can also have a profound impact on the friends and loved ones left behind, who are left to grapple with the loss and the betrayal of trust.

Isn't that right Peter?"

The rat squawked as Remus finished his speech before a blistering rush of magic flowed from Remus' wand and washed over the rat.

The flash of blue-white light erupted from his wands; for a moment, Scabbers was still frozen in the air before his small gray form started wiggling madly as the rat fell and hit the floor. There was another blinding flash of light and then it started.

It was like watching a speeded-up film of a growing tree. A head was shooting upward from the ground; limbs were sprouting; a moment later, a man was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands.

He was a very short man, hardly taller than Harry was currently. His thin, colorless hair was unkempt and there was a large bald patch on top. He had the shrunken appearance of a plump man who has lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin looked grubby, almost like Scabbers' fur, and something of the rat lingered around his pointed nose and his very small, watery eyes. He looked around at them all, his breathing fast and shallow. Harry saw his eyes dart to the door and back again.

"Well, hello, Peter," said Remus pleasantly, as though rats frequently erupted into old school friends around him. "Long time, no see"

Ron gasped in horror as his pet rat had turned into an old man, "What the hell is going on here?"

But everyone simply ignored him

"R … Remus" Even Pettigrew's voice was squeaky. Again, his eyes darted toward the door. "My friend... my old friend..."

He caught sight of Harry, "Oh my … H … Harry, it's been so long"

Harry narrowed his eyes, and he used the same spell that Remus had used to tie up Ron, but his anger had warped the spell and instead of plain rope, a string of sharp biting barbed wire sprung out of his wand and wrapped around the man.

"Harry … please … this hurts" whimpered Peter as he struggled against the tightly coiled wire, "Please … this isn't what your parents would have wanted"

"Oh please, do tell us what our dear friends, Lily and James, wanted from us?" hissed Remus

Peter flinched at those words

"Remus," gasped Pettigrew, and Harry could see beads of sweat breaking out over his pasty face, "Sirius … he tried to kill me, Remus..."

"So, I had heard," said Lupin, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, Peter, if you'll be so -"

"I had to hide, he was going to try and kill me again!" Pettigrew squeaked suddenly, "He killed Lily and James and now he's going to kill me too... You've got to help me, Remus... You've got to help me hide again"

"I know that you're lying Peter" said Remus, "You were always a pathetic liar and could never hold up under the pressure Peter"

Peter fell silent and Harry found that he couldn't tear his eyes from the man that Sirius had told him had betrayed his parents.

This was the man who was responsible for why he didn't have a loving mom and dad. This is the man who is the reason he had grown up in a cupboard under the stairs. He is the reason that he was so famous for surviving what his parents had failed to.

"Why did you do it?" asked Harry, his voice cracking with emotion, rage coiled up like a snake but pain splitting it like lightning would the sky

Pettigrew burst into tears. It was horrible to watch, like an oversized, balding baby, cowering on the floor. Blood started to ooze from the various places where the wire had bitten into his skin, his pained gasps of air filled the air. This man was every bit as much of a rat in human form as he had been in his literal rat form.

"Harry … Remus, what could I have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea... he has weapons you can't imagine... I was scared, Remus, I was never brave like you and Sirius and James. I never meant it to happen... He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named forced me -"

"No, the protection of the spell couldn't be broken by a forced reveal" whispered Harry as tears began to flow from his eyes as Peter lied to them.

"He - he was taking over everywhere!" gasped Pettigrew. "Wh - what was there to be gained by refusing him?"

"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" said Remus, with a terrible fury in his face. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"

"You don't understand!" whined Pettigrew. "He would have killed me!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" roared Remus as the wolf inside of his chest demanded justice, "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Peter sobbed louder and Ron passed out as a wave of magic came rolling off of Remus, a thick crushing pressure that blanketed the entire room.

"You should have realized," said Remus quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Good-bye, Peter."

"NO!" Harry yelled. He ran forward, placing himself in front Pettigrew, facing the wand of Remus.

"You can't kill him," said Harry with his hands spread out in front of Peter, "You can't."

"Why not?" asked Remus, "He deserves nothing more than to suffer the fate that he said Sirius gave him. He deserves the same end result that he gave your parents, Harry"

"I agree" said Harry, "But if we kill him, Sirius will never get the justice that he deserves. He deserves to be free, we need to turn him over to the ministry to assist in his trial"

Remus closed his eyes as he clinched his wand so tightly that Harry thought that it might snap from the force. He lowered his wand slowly and Harry turned as Peter started to mutter words of thanks.

Harry's wand flashed red as blasted the man with a disarming spell, sending him across the room. Peter roared in pain as the barbed wire shredded parts of his skin and he whimpered as Remus walked over to him, standing over his once upon a time friend.

"You should be dead Peter" said Remus, "If not from You Know Who killing you for not revealing the location, then from Sirius or my wand. You're beyond lucky that Harry is more James than Lily because James wouldn't have wanted you to die. Lily would have gut you herself. Just know that no matter what, one day you're going to be free, out and about in this world, and I am going to crush you like the pathetic sack of shite that you are. Because in the real-world Peter, when you have a rat problem, you do everything you can to exterminate them"

That was the last thing Peter saw before a flash of red filled his vision and he knew no more.

4 days later: Ministry

"Sirius Black has been cleared of all charges" came the booming voice that filled every single inch of the Ministry. The trial had been greatly aided by the turning over of a very much alive Peter Pettigrew. Hard to pin your murder on someone when you were openly alive. As such, the ministry had been forced to admit that Sirius Black was free to go, but that mattered very little to this particularly well dressed man.

The freedom of his wife's cousin did very little for him other than provide another hammer like blow to the cracks in the foundation that he had creating. The downfall of the Aurors as well as the entire branch of Magical Law Enforcement had been merely part one of his plan. The second step had been getting the official title of the position that he had been holding for years unofficially: Senior Advisor to the Minister.

It was a 'paid' position where all the gold that should have been entering his vault was swiftly diverted back into the Minister's own personal pocket. This could be tricky to do, but they didn't call him Midas simply for his wealth, not it was the ability to manipulate everything he touched into a golden opportunity. There was a small paper trail that would pin the entire thing on the Minister. The poor bumbling fool would be the sweetest victim he had ever had the pleasure of taking everything from.

The newfound position gave him nearly Minister level access and clearance, which meant that he was welcome to travel into the belly of the Ministry and visit someone who was not supposed to have any visitors.

"Peter Pettigrew as I live and breathe" greeted Midas as he finally entered the room that gave access to the lone prison cell in the Ministry.

"Malfoy, you are looking well" greeted Peter, gone was the whiny voice. No, replacing the crybaby rat that he had been trying to sell himself as to Remus and Harry was replaced with the man who had willingly become a Death Eater, a man who had enjoyed the power that came with said title.

"Oh are we on last name basis?" asked Midas, "Because while everyone else remembers that there were 15 members of the inner circle. I had the privilege of being the Dark Lord's right hand man"

"Ah, so it is not pretty boy Malfoy who comes to pay dear old little me a visit, but rather the powerful Midas" noted Peter

"You were always so … observant" replied Midas, "It was one of the things that made you the perfect safekeeper, you were always aware of your surroundings. Everyone knew that, isn't that right Wormtail"

Peter gave a small snort at the use of his nickname in such a mocking manner but didn't give any other sign that it had bothered him.

"Why are you here Midas?" asked Peter

Midas waved his wand and set up a cone of silence around them, nobody but Peter and Midas would be able to hear what was about to be said.

"I stand before you not as a hero or a savior, but as your fellow brother in arms. I have embraced the label that society has placed upon me because I believe in our cause, flawed as it may seem to some.

Our loyalty to the Dark Lord is unwavering and with his second rising around the corner. I simply wanted to see how I could go about gaining a man who had a specialty that none of the other members had" said Midas, his words dripping with false promises of a better tomorrow.

"What are you talking about Midas?" asked Peter, "I don't want to have to shift through the gold nuggets that you always lay down with these fancy speeches"

Midas let out a chuckle, "Allow me to be direct then, I need the assistance of Mercury"

Peter smirked as he let out a crackle of laughter that was more unhinged than anything that Midas had heard since the fall of the Dark Lord

"You know about that?" asked Mercury as Peter stopped existing from the world

"As I mentioned before, the Dark Lord's second act is about to be on the rise, and I know that you will be a most welcome party for his rise" said Midas, "You also know that you will be most unwelcome on their side"

"Interesting, you extend me an opportunity to rejoin the Dark Lord's forces, yet you haven't told me the price that buying back in will cost me" retorted Mercury, "Death would be a far kinder and safer option for me than to rejoin you guys in the poorest of favor"

"Living up to that rat form" taunted Midas, "What if I told you that if you choose to rejoin us, you would not only return in favor, but be a favorite among even the inner circle"

"I would say that you are hiding something from me, but also know that you wouldn't tell me until I agree to do whatever it is that you have in mind for me to do" replied Mercury

"Oh, I will openly tell you the task that I have in mind for you and would bring you the Dark Lord's favor if you were to do it correctly" said Midas

"As you can see, I am not going anywhere" said Mercury with a wave of his arms inside his cell, "I am all ears"

"The Dark Lord needs a ritual to return to his full power" said Midas, "From our time in school, I remember how much a student of the finer arts of alchemy and rituals you are. If you were to complete this task, you would be seen as the man who single handedly brought back the Dark Lord"

Mercury blinked before he smiled, "I will do it"

Midas smirked, "I never had a doubt that you would"

A/N: Wow that was a pretty long chapter, but I am overall happy with how it came about. I love writing for this story, expanding on things in ways that I feel never came about in the canon story.

I really don't have much else to say, but this is going to be my main story for the foreseeable future. Expect 2-ish updates on this story per month, with 1-2 updates of some other stories during the course of the month.

As always, think about joining my discord, I have a May giveaway on the way, would love to get as many people in on that as possible. Join with invite code: PqqbWdsn

Until Next Time, HighKey_Mars out