When Harry opened his eyes he saw that he was in the ruins of a house. It was difficult to make out details. For some reason everything looked flat and more blurry than usual when he didn't wear his glasses, the building around him looked like it had a bomb go off inside it decades ago. The roof had collapsed and the wall paper was sun bleached, but it looked maybe as if it had once been yellow with some floral something inscribed every foot or so. The furniture looked charred and rotten but the space also had a strangely lived in feeling to it. Dust had been disturbed if not removed entirely from some surfaces and things had been moved around to facilitate walking. Harry sat on the floor propped up against the corner of a relatively intact wall. and staring at him was a rat. The rat was scrawny and emaciated, its pale grey fur was falling out In patches, and even with whatever was wrong with his eyes Harry could see that the rat was missing a toe.
'Scabbers, Fuck.' Harry thought. 'Well that explains it.'
As his eyes focused on the rat as much as they could in his current state it began to quickly thicken and elongate revealing a man Harry had not seen hide or hair from since Halloween. He was even skinnier now, his beady eyes were yellow and set over bared and rotten teeth. His cheeks sunken further in than his eye sockets. His clothes were mismatched and so filthy they looked charred. His skin was pale and sallow, all together Peter Pettigrew looked like uncle Vernon's worst idea of what a vagrant looked like.
"Hellooo Peter. You're looking quite nice. Dieting for your summer body?"
"Shut up P-P-Potter. You're not a third as funny as your father and he wasn't half funny as he liked to think he was. " snapped the twitchy animagus. He looked around almost as if he were awed by his surroundings. "Welcome to the site of one of the Potter family's greatest betrayals to wizard kind, and to my family specifically.
This was at some point the village of Feldcroft. The land was once owned by the Potters along with every other village and castle in this county as it once belonged to the Gryffindor family before it was absorbed by the Potters. Your ancestors had the Pettigrew family manage the village. This house at one time was pettigrew hall. We were once respected, had power and had authority and wealth, and we used it to serve your family and protect their lands and how did your father memorialize the dedication of my family? By making me the butt of all his jokes!" And the madman sent a cutting curse at Harry who managed a lopsided dodge and that's when Harry realized.
His leg was gone. His right leg and right arm were gone and had been crudely colderized to stop him bleeding out. Taking a deep breath Harry decided that he'd freak out about that after or if he survived whatever this was.
"SMARA!" Harry yelled mentally or at least he thought he did because Pettigrew chuckled.
"Your snake isn't going to hear you out here, Potter! it's far too far away even for mental contact."
"What do-you want from me? Harry breathed heavily, fatigue already drawing his mind away from reality.
"I want my master! And the future that was promised to me! Thirteen years I spent as a sodding as rat! Well no more. That old fool Dumbledore said that your scar was the key to my master's survival. I thought maybe your eye, like that Loony girl Last year." And he held up a vibrant green eyeball with his blood covered hand. Bile rose up in Harry's stomach as the reason for his strange vision was understood. He only had one eye. "But don't worry Harry, we'll keep at it until the dark lord appears." He said with wide crazy eyes.
"Wait," Harry said, fighting unconsciousness. "W-when I was in Saint mu-mungos they said I had d-dark magic residue in-in my S-scar. My "uncle k-killed m-me my h-heart stopped I bet wh-what ev-ver That mad- ba-stard though was i-in my scar w-was de-destroyed T-hen.
"Oh Harry" the mad man said,leaning down, over Harry and smacking Harry roughly and repeatedly in the face. "You had better be wrong. Because as long as you tie my master to life. You shall remain alive."
"Why!? Why do this? You were my parents' friend!"
The crazed rat backhanded Harry splitting his lip "I was never your dumbass fathers friend and even if I was I stopped being their friend long ago!
I'm the last pettigrew you know, my mother and father were siblings; to keep the line pure you know, but all it did was make me infertile. So my mother raised me in the old ways and taught me to hate the Potters for ruining our family. Then that damn war happened and everyone started dying and I was terrified so I joined the winning side. Now? Now All that matters is my own survival! And with that wolf and hound out there? on the same side? My master is the only one that can defend me.
When I earned my mark I slaughtered the only girl I had ever loved and her entire muggle loving family down to the last mud blood baby. Marlene McKinnon always looked down her nose at my advances but she was begging on her knees for me after I started in on her baby niece "she's only eight Peter please I beg you!" he said in a squeaky pleading mocking tone. "She noticed me then but it was too late her entire bloodline died that night to fuel the binding of my mark." a proud and deranged smile spread across his face "and my old friends call me a coward! Oh the deaths they don't even know I'm responsible for!" And he began cackling and each deranged laugh filled Harry with rage, each recollection of this rat's evil deeds filled him with seething hatred, the feeling intensified even more at his last revelation.
"I was so happy, Harry, so happy when that flea bitten mut Sirius Black finally convinced your dumbass father to make me secret keeper, it took months of sowing doubt between those two morons and Remus! When your mudblood whore of a mother made the switch from Sirius to me it was all I could do not to run directly to the darklord. But Dumbledore had spies following all of us back then but it only took me little more than a week to tell the darklord the secret, and then YOU. RUINED. EVERYTHING!" Pettigrew Punctuated the last three words with silent cast bonebreakers, not that Harry felt his bones breaking at the impact of the spells his body had long gone into shock. Harry's eye began to glow with power at the rage filling his mind from hearing a first person account of his parents betrayal. His power continued to grow inside himself, until a sharp spell pierced his last orb and shattered his mind. Harry Screamed, not at the pain, he screamed into the void of his world.
Harry screamed for a long indeterminate time, a time of fear and Blackness, no, not blackness, nothing, a void so great, so potent it swallowed his entire perception of what he once knew as reality. No pain filled his mind. There was nothing but his rage, his hate, his need to kill the welp that would dare injure him so completely. Somewhere in the darkest reaches of his mind a familiar song filled him tinted with notes of anger but still the familiar song calmed his mind enough deep inhale and rational thought filled his mind; he knew of a way to see again but how to do it.
'what was it that Smara said.' he questioned his own mind.
"As sharp as our eyes are we do not only see the heat of the world when we track our prey, we serpents hear the air as it swirls around a rabbit, smell the fear of a mole as it digs in flight at our scent, we feel the vibration of the deer as it flees our hunt. And you little one can feel the magic around you. Combining these senses, you can see more completely than any mammal will ever be capable of." And so Harry went through the exercises his master in the temple of the sun taught him in order to activate the full spectrum of his senses. It was difficult exhaustion and pain making concentration almost impossible but still harry persevered and after a time where Pettigrew continued his insane rambling but soon enough harry went through the reflexes of opening his eyes and he saw, he saw a riot of swirling smells and collapsing sound felt the wind as it circled the fitted house they were in and in front of him Harry saw the weak sniveling cur who took his eyesight and he extended his right arm and squeezed until he felt the man's arms snap, until the man's screams filled the air and gurgled pleading came rolling from the man's mouth.
" what! What? How where– Harry? Please Harry, please, you don't want to kill me do you? Please! The things he can do, you have no idea! I was scared! I was never brave like Sirius or your father!" At the mention of Harry's father, Harry's magic grip tightened, eliciting a series of snaps and cracks from the man.
"PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU! I didnt mean it, Harry. I didn't mean to do any of it. I was just boasting before. Please, I'm weak, I'm a worm, please, the dark lord made me Harry and he forced me! He would have killed me-"
the wall was blasted suddenly out of the way and in rushed a familiar panicked scent.
Sirius, who obviously had not realized That Pettigrew was at Harry's fastly dwindling mercy, strode up tu peter and stuck his wand in the rat animagus' face and yelled "THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED! PETER! DIED! rather than betray your friends. As we would have died for you." He finished in a deathly whisper.
After a short struggle to get his hand free from Harry's magical grip peter shouted "Avada kedavra!" when Sirius drew close. A bolt of white heat and black death shot at Harry's godfather, which Sirius quickly and easily sidestepped. That was Peter petigrews last action though as Harry's magical grip crushed the man like a rat in a trap, his broken body squelching to the ground gurgling out his last breath as Harry released the magical grip he held the worm with.
"Harry! Who! What? How!" Sirius yelled in stunned incredulous bewilderment. "Dear me, are you even alive over there?" Sirius asked rushing to his side
"Yes,yes, me, magic and I don't know? Squishing I guess" said Harry looking into the depths of Sirius's eyes with his sightless sockets.
"Oh! Harry! I- are you OKAY?- no, no you're not never mind I'm an idiot of course you're not, look at you." something seemed to stop Sirius. "C-can you see me, Harry?" Sirius had wrapped Harry in a rough hug and then picked the boy up.
"Somewhat yes, your magic and your heat and the colors of the wind and around you and the sound you make but not you per say. It's hard to explain. Can you take me back Sirius? I'm afraid I can't walk. Or keep this vision up anymore in fact I-I" and Harry passed out. Knowing nothing more than a now familiar humming cadence deep within the confines of his soul.
Harry tried to open his eyes. His world had been a void ever since That rat violated his eyes with his spells but a lifetime's habit was hard to break. It had been a full week now since that night. When he first woke up he railed against the loss of his eyes and forgot he now lacked a leg and arm and fell out of bed when he tried to stand up and pace his room. Then he had been restrained as doctors and healers and teachers scanned, poked, prodded and plied him with so many potions it was making him ill. The only good news was that absolutely nothing was Permanent damage. Pettigrew used no dark curses and so his leg and arm and both eyes will be regrown and probably better than they were originally as they would no longer be hindered by the beatings,broken bones and malnutrition he suffered growing up. But it would take months, Andromeda said September at the earliest with more than a year of training time to catch up his strength in the new arm and leg.
In the days following his kidnapping Harry learned that In regards to killing Pettigrew, that he would see no charges, madame Bones came, and explained personally that he would even be receiving a fifteen thousand galleon bounty for his "capture" of the criminal and an order of merlin third class. He told Andromeda to pick a charity and donate the money. The goblins as well rewarded him for killing a known felon and invader on their lands presenting him a dagger bound to his blood and the title of warrior, an honor in their culture Blüdrük his account manager seemed quite pleased to present the knife to Harry it was apparently just as much honor for him that his client received such high praise.
Many people came to the hospital wing to wish him a quick recovery and to share their pity for his injuries. Most students ignored the room's other occupants. Hermione had been in a magically induced coma while Madame Pomfrey Healed her. Lupin told him that she had a severe concussion and brain swelling but would recover just fine, with her being in the hospital wing it was only natural that Dan and Emma Granger and with his permission of course, aunt Petunia came to dote upon the injured children, aunt Petunia and Emma had identical panic attacks at the sight of Harry's truncated frame. His aunt spent the first week with him helping him reach things and awkwardly holding him when he sprung from his latest night terror and during the day she ever shared a few stories she remembered his Mum telling her about her own time here when they were children like getting detention for making sirius' hair,finger, and toenails grow to frightening lengths cuasing him to Fall down the stairs. She had to pickle toads as a punishment..
It took Daphne and Ron a lot of work to help Harry and Hermione keep their grades up. But they worked without much complaint. Ron went strangely silent when several reporters were finally allowed in to interview him about his injuries, or his kidnap and fight with Peter, or the awards he had been given and what charity he was donating the bounty money to.
After a full month in the hospital wing a visit from Snape brought him three truly horrendous potions and the terrible methods in which they were brewed. The eye sight restoration potion and limb regrowth potions both according to Snape required the lost limbs and eyes as an additive in the potions. That Harry had to quite literally slurp down the four thick glutinous potions and their horrible tastes made the after effects so much worse in Harry's opinion. Effects such as unending aches. Pins and needles, and forever itchy eyes that Harry was not allowed to scratch and worst of all the endless amounts of mind exploding pain without adrenaline or anti pain potions To dampen the effects. Hermione had been awake at that point for several weeks but she was still on bed rest while her vertigo went away and he restricted the pain he was showing outwardly if even by a little for her sake, he had to endure the ordeal knowing she was watching and listening to him scream himself hoarse. The entire process of regrowth of his limbs took from March to May, Hermione was released from the hospital wing after two weeks and Harry was thankful for he no longer had to dial back how much he showed his torment.
Free finally to rip his throat apart with the ferocity of his screams.
Harry sat in the stands in between Hernione and Daphne in the announcers box waiting for the last quidditch match of the year to start. He had only just been released from the hospital wing after begging the matron for nearly 3 hours to let him go, after nearly 2 months of being bed ridden he was ready to stretch his new leg which was far stronger than his aunt or madam pomfrey predicted it would be at this point which both women attributed to harrys own massive magical power. The Gryffindor versus Slytherin game was always the game most students looked forward to, and this year was no exception. Genny Weasley, fresh off her defeat of Ravenclaw after tricking the ravenclaw seeker cho chang into flying straight into the stands ending the asian girls game early due to injury. Genny was itching to prove she was just as capable a seeker as Harry was. Harry knew the second year was gnawing at the bit to get ahold of Malfoy but, sadly, the blonde git got himself banned from the game when he was caught giving out badges for the game that called Genny something very unladylike.
Harry enjoyed the game and Daphne, Hermione and Lee Jordan the announcer of the game described the action in the most vivid detail possible. From Gennys very daring loops and dives as she chased the snitch to each and ever heroic block or goal scored. After the game Harry was led down to the pitch where he was handed the quidditch cup second only after Oliver wood was done snogging it.
In his classes he was able to work well enough despite his lack of vision. The only real struggles were geting to and from his classes hogwarts didn't have wheelchairs or escalators for when his new limbs grew tired. And potions class inparticular where he could not brew without his sight but Snape worked around it by Ron who needed the extra instruction or Daphne in the weekend advanced potion courses would follow Harry's brewing Instructions to the letter and Harry would inspect every ingredient Ron prepared to make sure the preparation was correct. All of Ron's protestations of "why would I go through the effort of Cubing Sulphur slugs" or "but it will take too long to skin the shrivel figs when squeezing them works almost as well." Fell on Deaf ears as well as blind eyes towards his struggle. Ron even faced Detention for intentionally Disregarding Harry's instruction and thus sabotaging another student's work. An offense that normally Leads to total expulsion from Snape's course.
On on of the last days of school the students found out Lupin had suddenly resigned. Harry turned on his heels and went to find his uncle. Which he easily found in his office using his snake sense. The man was pouring over a piece of parchment.
"Harry, Hermione! Welcome, it's always a pleasure" he said without looking up."
How did-?" Hermione asked but.
"The map, of course." Lupin interrupted. Taping the parchment. "Sirius recovered It a few days after you were brought back. It's just as easy for him to sneak into goblin territory as it was for Peter.
"You're leaving? We just heard a rumor"
"It's no rumor. I turned in my resignation this morning, my time here was always on borrowed time and I have decided to stop pushing luck's hand. I can give you an explanation if you want. It ties back into my friendship with your father." At Harry's nod the man continued. Heaving out a long slow sigh. "I hope you don't think too poorly of me when I say this Harry but I, am a werewolf."
he paused to Gauge Harry's reaction.
"Yea, so? Smara and I figured out that months ago" Hermione nodded, saying she has as well. "By noting your sick days against the lunar calendar.
Harry continued. "You smell like a wolf. It doesn't mean you're bad or evil or anything, it just means you have a - a problem!" This got a resounding laugh from the moon struck man.
"i apologize, you reminded me of james." He said smiling " he referred to it as my "Furry little problem "when in public." many people at school were convinced I had a poorly behaved rabbit." The man sobered up when the door opened and McGonagall, Sirius and Snape walked in.
"What you must understand, Harry , is that most wizarding society does not share the same egalitarian view as you and Hermione do. They hate and fear my kind and it is a hate and fear I have dealt with all my life. For I was a very small boy when I received the bite. revenge against my father speaking out Against the packs. I grew up thinking I would have no chances to go to school or to have friends. But then Dumbledore became headmaster and he was "quite proud to include the less fortunate in our society." to attend hogwarts. I was allowed to come to school as long as they took precautions Like."
"The wolf's bane" said harry "Snape has had me helping him brew it all year.
"No." Said Snape from the corner of the room " the wolf's bane is a very recent discovery within the past eight years. His precautions were to leave the grounds the night of the full moon via a secret tunnel whose entrance was underneath and guarded by a rare and valuable tree that you have seen many many times the " whomping willow" As it's known.
Lupin nodded in thanks at Snape before continuing."After I came to school I thought for sure people would know, would realize what I was instantly. Instead I was welcomed with open arms and for the first time ever I had three good, no , great friends. It didn't take them long to work out where I disappeared to, or the reason behind it. And soon they became animagi and thus the marauders were born Peter who became a rat turned into wormtail. Sirius was Padfoot who as you know is a great black dog or actually really a grim. And your father became Prongs, a massive pure white stag another magical breed called a lunar reindeer. And in my mind I was the werewolf who led them astray.
It's now time I continue on with my journey of life, I just so happen to know of a rather affluent family who will soon be in need of a steward?" and he pulls out a piece Of parchment "this is Andromeda's resignation and letter of recommendation for me to begin my new duties immediately." And he handed them to Harry and laughed at the shocked look on Harry's face.
"Well of course you're hired then. Will you remain here and help me around the school for the next few days?"
"I shall do whatever my lord commands, ah sorry I did a bow I forgot you can't see yet, any news when that will come back?"
"Madame Pomfrey says the healing process will be finished by the end of July, so my birthday, hopefully." There was silence then, Harry suspected Lupin was nodding. "What was in the news this morning? A couple of the older students seemed a bit concerned."
"Oh yes, that, a rather well known ministry employee was found dead in his home after he failed to show up to work this week. The family's house elf was found liable, investigations showed that both ate the same poisoned food."
"Can house elves poison their masters?"
"Not normally no, but if they use a poison they don't know is a poison then yes. Most likely Harry, this was an assassination and there's just not enough evidence To pursue that line of investigation. This family in particular were not short on enemies, after all he did head the DMLE for a while. Maybe one of the oldest purebloods with nothing left to lose got tired of allowing a feud to fester. That same paper announced the death of Thaddeus Nott, the grandfather of your classmate and he was an original follower of he-who-must-not-be-named, and the man they found dead signed the death warrant of two of his children during the war.
I wouldn't let this worry you too much Harry, you're becoming more politically aware you're going to notice this kind of stuff more often."
"Poisoning and assassinations are common huh?" Harry snarked.
"Quite The opposite Actually, what I meant to say is you're starting to notice the news, most kids your age barely know who the minister is."he smiled Genuinely at the kids before shooing them away so that the group of adults could discuss his departure.
His friends spend the next few days helping Harry train his new limbs. By Guiding him around the castle until he had to restrain and take " muscle growth potion" which was little more than a non magical protein shake.
The ride home on the train was far quieter than any he had experienced and he didn't need to know why. Using his snake sense he could smell the fear that Harry's presence elicited, and smara confirmed his opinion. The other students were scared of him.
Scared of the killer in their midst.