Everyone apart from Harry, Bellatrix, and Narcissa stared at Harry with wide eyes before they slowly converged on Peter who was staring ahead in shock, as if he could not believe what Harry had just said. Meanwhile, Harry remained entirely composed as he gazed at the short wizard even though he was anything but.
"What did you just say, Harry?" Sirius asked, being utterly serious for once. There was no hint of amusement on his face as he gazed disbelievingly at Peter who looked as if he'd be anywhere but here.
"Let him answer, Sirius," Harry replied calmly as he gazed at Pettigrew. "Now Peter, please answer me. Have you been meeting anyone from Malfoy's group since this past summer?"
Peter tried with all his might to compose himself and let out a disbelieving chuckle, fully intent on denying it.
"Yes, I did."
His eyes shot open in further shock as the truth forced its way out of him. He stared, disbelievingly, at Harry whose lips curled in a sneer as he gazed at him. Meanwhile, the rest of the Marauders looked as if someone had pulled the rug from under their feet. Their disbelieving eyes were trained on their friend who sat there, gaping like a fish out of water.
"The fuck are you on, Wormy!? You were meeting Malfoy's cronies this summer!?" Sirius cried out in shock.
"Yes," Peter's mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. His entire body was shaking, confusion overtaking him. He could not fathom what was happening or how. His throat had dried up and he coughed, hastily grabbing his beer mug and taking a larger-than-normal swig out of it. Harry's eyes glinted as he slammed the mug on the table.
"Who did you meet, Peter?" Harry asked calmly, and no one dared to interrupt, all staring at the spectacle with disbelief and growing rage, simmering with betrayal.
"Lucius Malfoy and Thomas Avery," Peter was forced to reply once again, his eyes wide in shock. He couldn't understand what was going on. His mouth was betraying him and he had no clue as to how it was happening. His eyes were affixed on Harry and he saw his meaningful glance at the mug of butterbeer in front of him. It took a few seconds for realization to dawn on him and he gasped, staggering in his seat.
"How many times did you meet them?" Harry asked; his faux-amicable demeanor all but vanishing in an instant. His glowing orbs glared at Peter with utter revulsion.
"F-four times," Peter whispered, knowing he was doomed now.
"And you met them because you wanted new friends, I presume?"
"No."
"No?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Then what was it about, I wonder?" His voice gained an edge to it as he continued, "Was it about you joining their side when the time came? You know about Voldemort and what his plans are, don't you? And you were to be their spy in all of this, am I right? Just say Yes or No for each question."
"Y-yes. Yes… Y-y-yes…"
"You motherfucking scum!" Sirius cried out and shot out of his chair. His vicious fist connected with Peter's throat, sending the rotund boy tumbling over to the floor, gasping and clutching his throat. "You bastard! You… you… We did everything for you! We became your friends when no one would! And that's how you repay us! Turning traitor at first chance, and for fucking psychopaths, no less! How dare you, Wormtail!"
Enraged beyond belief, Sirius slammed his boot right on Pettigrew's face, crushing his nose. Blood shot out of the injury, staining his shoe and slowly pooling on the floor as everyone stared dispassionately. James and Remus were still in their seats, gripping the arms of their chairs tightly. Harry could see the latter growling and gritting his teeth and he held himself back. They needed this.
"Sirius, let Harry get everything out of him," Bellatrix said with a glare at the cretin who was still gasping on the floor, holding his fractured nose and his throat with each hand.
Sirius snarled and violently kicked Pettigrew in the midsection, knocking the breath out of him. Breathing heavily, the Black heir staggered back and Frank slowly pulled him back in his seat.
"Fuck you, Wormtail!" Sirius hissed. "I should kill you right now, send you to join your dear friends you would've sold us out to!"
Peter stayed on the floor, gasping and moaning in pain.
Narcissa waved her wand in an arc and he was lifted in the air. Slowly, she deposited him back in his chair.
Harry continued, "What criminal acts have you committed? What did you do to prove to Malfoy and Avery that they could trust you?"
Everyone listened with bated breaths, their ears peeled as they glared at Pettigrew who was visibly struggling, doing everything in his power to stop his mouth from working.
Harry glared and flicked his wand, forcing his mouth open and stopping him from biting his tongue off.
"Answer, you swine," he hissed. "What did you do to prove your loyalty?"
"K-k-k-k-killed a m-m-mudblood."
Gasps were sounded across the table as they either turned away in disgust or glared murderously at him.
"And what did they promise you for your services?" Harry hissed, his rage oozing off him in waves of magical discharge. He was breathing heavily, his eyes narrowed into slits, glaring.
A fearful look crossed Peter's face as he stared at Harry's lethal face. The answer forced its way out of him in a whisper.
James' grasp on his anger loosened entirely. For so long he had been keeping himself in check, to not give in like Sirius had, but now… he couldn't. A red haze clouded his vision and before anyone could react, he lunged out of his chair and hauled Pettigrew up with a harsh grip on his collar.
He kneed him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him for the second time in minutes, before throwing him harshly against the wall.
"You dare!" James hissed maliciously as he punted Pettigrew. The boy cried out, multiple teeth flying out as blood splattered James' shoe and the floor. James showed no quarter. A stinging jab crashed against Pettigrew's chest who grunted in pain, before a pulverizing body shot sent him doubling over, making him gasp and weep pitifully.
No one stopped him, not after what Pettigrew had just admitted.
"You think you could touch a hair on her head!?" James roared. "You think you could get close to her, you cunt? I'll kill you right now!"
Pettigrew feebly tried to shield himself from James' furious blows, his efforts all futile. Thudding blow after blow punished his rib cage as James vented his rage, spitting at Pettigrew as he slid down the wall and slumped to the ground.
He hauled his beaten foe upright, propping him up to tee off with one last sickening blast - a bone-crunching uppercut that whiplashed the traitor's head violently. His eyes rolled back as he finally crumpled into an unconscious heap.
James was left breathing heavily, his fists clenched in a harsh grip on his shirt as he glared at Pettigrew. He felt a firm hand clasp his shoulder and glanced over to see Harry staring at him in understanding.
"What's happening, Harry?" James asked with a shuddering breath and Harry firmed his hold. His heart broke at the sight on his face but he forced himself to stay resolute. They needed this, both so they could not be blindsided by Pettigrew and to truly realize how ugly the situation could be.
Slowly, he steered the other boy back to his chair where both Sirius and Remus took charge of supporting him. Harry smiled thinly and walked over, retaking his seat between Narcissa and Bellatrix.
"I got to know everything about him right before coming here," Harry started, earning everyone's attention again. "There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes right now and as much as it hurts me to hide things from you all, I hope you understand my reasons after this."
Sirius slammed his palms on the table, glaring as he looked at everyone in sight.
"We need a vow. An Unbreakable Vow," he hissed. "Nothing less will be worth our trust now, not after this. If anyone has any problems, fuck off right here and now and we're through."
"I agree," Bellatrix was quick to respond, nodding as she turned to Harry. She reached down and took his hand, clasping it with hers. "We all have to do it. We need to make sure we're all on the same side in whatever conflict is coming. There can be no excuses here."
Harry ran his eyes across the table and saw everyone nodding in agreement. This betrayal had shaken them, although none more so than the three Marauders who still shook at times in rage and pain.
"This is extreme," he stated plainly. "But I can't deny the peace of mind it would grant us. Are you all absolutely sure though? It would mean you are fully committed to fight in the war that's coming our way, and I don't need to tell you what it would be all about."
"You're right," Frank nodded with utmost seriousness. "You don't need to tell us anything. We're doing this, right here, right now."
"We can't keep doubting us if we're going to be in life-threatening situations," Gideon said gravely. "It's obvious that those here in this room are some of your most trusted allies, Harry. We're going to be in the heart of any conflict, simply because we're your friends or family. We need to trust each other, and even though we do already, it's better to be doubly sure."
Everyone gave disgusted glares to the unconscious form of Peter Pettigrew and Harry nodded resolutely.
"Alright then. We'll take Unbreakable Vows."
-Break-
"You three deserve to decide what happens to him," Harry said gravely as he turned around and gazed at the three Marauders. "No matter what you three decide, no one will judge you in any manner. That is a promise."
Outside the door, everyone nodded in agreement.
With a parting glance, Harry shut the door and joined Bellatrix and Narcissa.
"I'll see you guys later," he told Frank and the twins who nodded and walked away.
"What do you think they'd do to him?" Narcissa asked Harry who stared at the closed doors with a small frown.
"I truly don't know," he sighed. "Whatever they decide, I hope they don't regret it."
He felt them take his hands and smiled.
"Let's leave them to it."
Together, they walked away, leaving the Marauders in the room to deal with one of their own.
Inside the classroom, James glared at the unconscious form of Peter Pettigrew with utter loathing, ignoring Sirius who paced agitatedly to his right. He could feel Moony trying to control the wolf inside him – something he had been doing ever since the revelation that one of their most trusted friends had turned traitor and joined forces that had the intention to bring untold amounts of horror on innocents.
His disgust reared its head once again when he recalled what Peter had been promised and he had to force himself not to reach for his wand and use a few spells Harry had taught them.
"He can't live," Sirius stated emphatically. "I don't care what you two have to say but he has to die."
"Can you do it?" James asked emotionlessly. "Can you kill, Padfoot?"
Sirius remained silent, glaring at the unconscious wizard.
"You, Moony?"
Remus' growl was the only answer he got and he smiled mirthlessly.
"We can't do it, Padfoot. He deserves it. He deserves even worse than death for what he did and would have done. But… but I can't do it…"
Sirius gritted his teeth powerlessly, knowing James was right. None of them had it in them to take a life, especially the life of someone who used to be one of their most trusted confidants not even an hour ago. Everything had been turned on its head in no time and they were still reeling from those revelations, not knowing what the correct recourse was.
"He can't be left to continue either," Remus spoke for the first time, his voice gravelly as he glared at Pettigrew.
Suddenly, James shot to his feet, glaring, and Sirius paused in his stride, his eyes firmly gazing at his brother in all but blood. On the other side, Remus also stood up, joining them in the middle.
"His form is a rat. Fitting, don't you think?" He whispered in disgust as he flicked his wand and Pettigrew was immediately forced into his animagus form. Another flick of his wand conjured a glass jar and James quickly charmed it to be unbreakable.
"Confinement it is then," Remus muttered as he levitated the rat into the jar and James easily sealed it, leaving a small hole for the rat to breathe. "Here. Gimme it."
James handed the jar over to Remus and he watched with Sirius as the boy traced his wand over it, inscribing a rune that magically glowed before getting imprinted on the surface.
"That would hold the unbreakable charm on this jar as long as there is ambient magic around it," Remus intoned, handing the jar over to James who nodded and put it in his moleskin pouch.
"Where would you put that bastard?" Sirius asked, glaring at the unconscious rat in the jar.
"I'll hand it over to the only person who can keep it safe and away from anyone looking too much into this," James replied curtly. "Whatever happens to him is none of our concern. Harry will handle things from now on."
Remus and Sirius nodded resolutely as they trailed after their friend as they walked out of the classroom.
-Break-
"Abraxas, please have a seat."
Abraxas Malfoy nodded curtly and sat down in front of the Minister who poured a glass of firewhiskey and slid it over. He sighed and reached out, nursing the alcohol as he gazed at the woman.
"Things are getting bad," Bagnold muttered. "This attack by the werewolves was entirely unexpected, and to—"
"I couldn't care less about those filthy beasts and how their mind works, Millicent," Abraxas interrupted with a sneer. "My son, my heir is missing. I want him back."
"Believe me, the aurors are hard at work in locating your son."
"Well, tell them to work harder. What's the use of funding their department if they can't do as much?"
Millicent Bagnold sighed as she gazed at her old friend. He looked visibly distraught and she could fully understand his emotions. She had been under a lot of pressure after having been visited by all the lords who had lost their sons in the recent attack and a few others who had expressed their concerns, asking for new legislation to be introduced against werewolves and other magical creatures who could pass as humans so that a repeat didn't happen. An emergency Wizengamot session had indeed been called for the next day and she could already see the impending complications. The creatures won't be happy and she knew Crouch's reaction already. The auror department would need another budget allocation which meant issues with other departments who'd have their funding cut short. It was all too tiresome at times.
A knock sounded at the door, cutting off her reply, and Bagnold glanced at the Malfoy lord who pursed his lips but did not protest. The door opened and she saw it was Kingsley Shacklebolt, one of the finest aurors at their disposal.
"Minister," Kingsley greeted respectfully, glancing at Abraxas who stared at him expectantly.
"Auror Shacklebolt," Bagnold nodded and accepted the folder from the dark-skinned auror.
Abraxas frowned when she sighed. Before he could say anything, she gazed at Kingsley and asked, "This is final?"
"Yes, Minister," Kingsley replied solemnly. Bagnold released a deep breath and nodded.
"And there are no additional findings?"
"Not yet, Minister. The forces are looking into it though. Any news and you will be informed promptly."
"Thank you, Auror Shacklebolt."
Kingsley nodded and with a parting glance toward Abraxas Malfoy, he turned around and walked away, shutting the door behind him.
"What is it? Please tell me they found my heir," Abraxas asked urgently, frowning when Bagnold sighed.
"The investigation has concluded, Abraxas. The deaths were indeed caused by the werewolves," she replied. "Even the blood reports confirm the fact. All six samples show a match."
"Six?" Abraxas asked pointedly. "Not Lucius, you mean. He wasn't killed by those beasts then, right?"
Bagnold nodded.
"The aurors are searching for your son and I'm positive that they'd find him soon," she said consolingly.
"There needs to be consequences for this, Millicent," Abraxas intoned firmly. "Rogue beasts like those werewolves can't be allowed to do as they wish. The ministry needs to crack down on creatures like them."
Bagnold, who was reading through the folder, frowned before she paled.
"Merlin…" she whispered. "Those were Greyback's beasts!"
"What!?" Abraxas' eyes widened in shock.
"Transformation induced by substance abuse," she continued, her eyes wide. "That's the telltale sign of Greyback's influence."
Abraxas' mind was reeling. His lord had expressed his desire to recruit Greyback to their cause, proposing to make suitable offerings for the aid of his pack in their crusade. For some of his pack to attack a group of pureblood heirs unprovoked signaled an opposite response to what they wanted.
"That fucking scum…" Abraxas hissed under his breath. "He will have to answer for this crime."
He had a hard time believing that Greyback had truly given his pack the leave to attack pureblood heirs but that did not absolve him from the crime that the beasts under his command had committed. Still, there was a way of knowing for sure.
"Did you interrogate those beasts? Did they tell anything about my son?"
"The transformation of the werewolves we captured is permanent, Abraxas," Bagnold sighed. "It's impossible to extract any answers from them in any manner."
Abraxas gritted his teeth in helplessness, his concern for his son rising along with his rage at the entire situation. If Greyback had truly done this then it meant he was choosing to stand against them. It took away a powerful ally, dealing a massive blow to their cause which was further worsened by the demise of the heirs of some of the most prominent pureblood houses in Wizarding Britain.
He could only imagine the reaction of Lord Voldemort when he got to know about it all. He had informed them that he would be overseas for a few months and would be arriving in Britain in a week or two. No matter what though, one thing was for certain. His lord would be livid with how the situation had unfolded.
Abraxas was suddenly interrupted when he felt a response from the charm he had placed on the Malfoy family tree and his eyes widened. Bagnold watched as the man pulled out a folded sheet of parchment from his pocket and unfurled it on the desk.
"Abraxas?" She asked searchingly as she watched all color drain from the man's face. The parchment fell on the desk as he stared disbelievingly at the sheet.
"I-I apologize… I uh… I need to go," he whispered shakily, getting out of his seat, shivering.
Bagnold stared at him in visible confusion and she winced when his shaking hand pushed the glass of firewhiskey over the edge of the desk. The glass shattered on the floor as the man staggered to the door and fumbled with the handle. Millicent quickly flicked her wand and the door opened, not that the man noticed anything as he slowly walked out of the office.
Curious as to what he had seen, she reached out and pulled the large parchment toward her.
"The Malfoy family tree?" She whispered in confusion before her eyes widened. "Surely not…"
A gasp escaped her lips as she saw what Abraxas must have seen. A blank where a certain individual should be.
Lucius Malfoy was also dead.
-Break-
"Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?" Narcissa asked with obvious skepticism as she stared at her boyfriend who was poring over his notes, scanning his calculations once again.
"I've been working on this for months now, Cissa. Trust me, this is necessary," he replied. Arcturus had devised it for him in the previous timeline, leaving the final details for him to sort out. It was necessary since the place in which he performed the ritual would count for the final calculations.
Hogwarts was the perfect place for this endeavor as its ancient walls were brimming with latent magic that would boost the effects he would attain from the ritual by a significant margin, at least that was what he had theorized in his calculations.
With the situation escalating at a fast pace, he needed to do something to bridge the gap between himself and Voldemort as much as he could. No matter how well he had trained under Arcturus or how well he had been doing on his own ever since arriving here in the past, it was an undeniable fact that as he was now, he could perhaps last for a while against Voldemort but he could in no terms outlast or overpower the bastard.
"Then we'll do it too," Bellatrix replied, earning looks of surprise from both Harry and Narcissa.
"What?"
"You heard me," she replied without missing a beat. "We'll do this ritual too."
"There's no need for you to go through this," he said with a frown which deepened when she scoffed.
"Who are we, Harry?"
"What do you mean?"
"What are we to you?" She asked patiently, sighing when he stared at her in confusion. Slowly, she walked over until she stood beside him and leaned over, gently cupping his cheeks and tilting his face upward so she was looking into his eyes. "We're your girlfriends, Harry. You accepted us both in your life, and whatever the situation might be, we all know we want to spend our lives together, right?"
Harry nodded. Bellatrix smiled softly.
"We'll be in as much danger as you, my love," she said softly. "Not only because we'll be fighting against him, but because of how close we are to you. Tell me this Voldemort guy won't try to harm us to get to you."
Harry pursed his lips as Bellatrix stepped back, joining Narcissa who was now staring at the notes on the table. He had to admit that she had a point, and no matter how capable they were right now, undergoing a ritual would enhance their abilities.
"There's a complication though," he sighed. "I worked on this ritual with myself in mind. You already know the sacrifice. I've no idea how it would impact women."
"No worries," Bellatrix squeezed her twin's shoulder confidently. "I'm sure you and Cissy can work together to modify it so it suits us."
Harry glanced at Narcissa and asked softly, "What about you, Cissa? Do you really want to do this? You know what it could cost."
Narcissa had been thinking about it for a while and she nodded shortly, earning an understanding look from her boyfriend.
"Alright, here's how we'll do it," he replied. "I'll do it right now and we'll get to you two after that. There's no need for all three of us to do it at the same time."
"Makes sense," Bellatrix nodded. "You want any help?"
"Nah," Harry replied as he stood up and picked up an ornate knife that appeared on the table. "I have to do it all on my own."
The twins watched Harry as he walked over to a small cleared space in the middle of the room and dropped to his knees. A thin cut on his finger opened a wound and blood spurted out of it. Harry traced the finger all over the hard floor of the room, ignoring the sting of pain as he drew intricate runes on the solid stone beneath him.
"This is unlike anything I've ever seen," Narcissa whispered in awe as she stared at the runic sequences Harry had drawn on the floor, all in his blood. He worked slowly and meticulously, ensuring to not let even the slightest of missteps hinder him. Even the smallest of mistakes could cost him dearly.
It took him over an hour to draw the runic sequences on the floor that resembled a seven-pointed star in blood. The complicated structure had demanded quite a lot of blood and he had to keep making several cuts on his fingers to keep the blood flow steady. He was feeling a bit lightheaded but the ritual demanded it.
"He can't have a Blood Replenishing Potion either," Bellatrix muttered, staring at his notes in her hands now.
"Yeah, can't let any form of healing magic come into contact with me right now," Harry replied as he stood up. "So, how does it look?"
"Show this to the runic society and you'll earn a mastery in an instant," Narcissa replied, visibly impressed. Harry smirked at her.
"Thanks, I try," he replied. The blonde merely rolled her eyes.
"Just get on with it already."
"Don't mind me if I do."
They all knew it'd never happen anyway. This was blood magic in ritualistic form – magic frowned upon by the ministry who would not hesitate in chucking him off to Azkaban and keeping him locked there forever. They couldn't, but the principle remained all the same.
Harry stepped right into the pentagon in the middle of the seven-pointed star and turned to his girlfriends.
"This is going to be painful," he whispered and brought the knife to his palm. He made a long gash and the moment blood gushed out, he smeared his palm into one of the five smaller segments between the pentagon he was standing in and the longer segments that connected to the points of the star.
He could feel himself getting lightheaded and his hands were shaking in protest, but he persevered and pushed through his body's reluctance. Stopping right now would have catastrophic consequences.
Narcissa and Bellatrix watched with visible grimaces on their faces as Harry grew paler by the second as the runes demanded more and more blood which he continued giving, painting all twelve segments in crimson. By the time he was done, he was breathing heavily and shaking. The toll the blood loss had taken on him was obvious.
"Still want to go through this?" he gasped, smiling at the twins who stared with pursed lips.
"Just finish this quickly," Narcissa sighed.
Knowing it wasn't anything they hadn't seen before, Harry took his clothes off and threw them away, standing naked in the middle of the star. He pressed his bleeding palm against the pentagon in the middle and the runes sucked his blood greedily. The space around his feet and under them bubbled up, covered in his blood, and he let out a tired smile as the runic star glowed an ominous shade of crimson.
"That's good," he breathed out. "That's very good."
He pulled out a small transparent jar from his pocket containing crushed components of Thestral bone mixed with Thestral hair and scattered it all over the runic sequence, watching how the grayish powder was submerged under the blood.
Satisfied, Harry began chanting softly, "Ens sanguinis mei, accipe sacrificium meum sed parce mihi duobus, dona benedictiones dignas te!"
Repeatedly, he chanted until he felt the throbbing in his head and joints. A grunt escaped him as he was forced to his knees, lightheaded and breathless, when he felt a surge of pain in his abdomen and groin. A loud cry escaped him as his insides were twisted over and over again. It felt as if someone was going for his nuts brutally, kicking without any consideration or sympathy. It was a feeling he wouldn't wish on any man.
Outside the ritual's range, Bellatrix and Narcissa stared at his wincing form on his knees, gripping his thigh harshly. Blood was smeared across his skin and the sight was more horrid than most of the things they'd ever laid eyes on. Staring at his naked figure or making a joke was the furthest thing in their minds and all they wished was for the ritual to conclude soon.
Their eyes widened when suddenly, a ghostly spectral form of a Thestral emerged from the blood, leaving an ethereal red glow in its wake as it floated about right over him. The creature suddenly dove toward him and all they could do was stare as it phased through Harry and vanished back inside the blood.
Harry lurched, gasping aloud as a sudden pain flared throughout his body. With a red blast, the blood evaporated, the seven-pointed star vanishing in a puff of red smoke.
Bellatrix and Narcissa waited impatiently for the smoke to clear, aware that the ritual might not be over yet and they had to let Harry make his way out instead of going to him.
It took a few minutes for the smoke to truly subside and with bated breaths and wide eyes, they watched Harry as he staggered toward them. They gasped as they caught sight of the tattoo of a feral Thestral with its fangs bared mid-flight emblazoned on his chest, right over his heart.
"Harry!" Narcissa gasped as he stumbled and both she and her twin quickly caught him before he could fall.
"P-potion…" Harry rasped and Bellatrix was quick to respond. Her face set into one of concern, she gently tilted his head up and fed him the Blood Replenishing Potion. Both she and Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief as color started returning to his body.
Harry took a few deep breaths as he allowed them to lead him over to a chair. He leaned back, feeling his racing heartbeat and he felt a throb on the left of his chest. An involuntary chuckle escaped him when he caught sight of the tattoo.
Leaning back comfortably and feeling a lot more recovered now, Harry smiled at his girlfriends.
"Looks like it worked absolutely fine," he said. With the knife still in his hand, he made a small cut on the tip of his finger and everyone watched how the cut healed up instantly. "Yep. Absolutely fine."
"But at quite a steep cost," Narcissa could not help but remark.
Harry smiled gently as he gazed at her and Bellatrix before he reached forward and gently pulled them closer. They allowed him to pull them on the arm of the chair and looked at him.
"I told you I was going to ask for it to spare me two, remember?" He asked softly. "I'm sure it would be enough for us all."
Smiling, he allowed them to pull him into a loving three-way embrace and sighed in contentment.
The boons were worth the sacrifice. He had no doubts about that.
TBC.
Check out the link on my profile for early access and more of my work. Chapters 24, 25, and 26 are already up.
Thanks for reading.