"NO!" Peter wailed, falling to the ground as though Harry's nod had been the nod of the executioner. Shuffling forward, he begged, "Sirius - it's me...it's Peter...your friend...you wouldn't..."
Sirius kicked at him, knocking him back. Shuffling to Sirius' right, Peter reached Amara, who was staring at him with a considering look.
"Please, Amara, please-" he pleaded.
"Get away from her," Sirius growled, stepping in front of her protectively. "I'll kill you where you-"
"Remus," Peter cried, changing targets. "You don't believe this? Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"
"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Remus retorted. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?"
"Forgive me, Remus," Sirius replied.
"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend," Remus replied, rolling up his sleeves. "And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?"
"Of course," Sirius replied. "Shall we kill him together?"
"Yes, I think so," Remus replied grimly.
"You wouldn't, you wouldn't," Pettigrew squeaked. Scrambling to Ron, he pleaded, "Ron...haven't I been a good friend, a good pet? You won't let them kill me, Ron, will you? You're on my side, aren't you?"
"I let you sleep in my bed!" Ron shouted.
"Kind boy, kind master," Pettigrew grovelled. "You won't let them do it. I was your rat. I was a good pet."
"If you made a better rat than a human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," Sirius snapped harshly.
Turning to Hermione, Pettigrew grabbed her robes, pleading, "Sweet girl, clever girl, you - you won't let them...help me..." Hermione ripped her robes out of his grip with a horrified look on her face. "Harry...Harry...you look just like your father," he said, turning to Harry. "Just like him."
"How dare you speak to Harry!" Sirius roared. "How dare you face him? How dare you talk about James in front of him!"
"Please," Pettigrew begged, turning to face Eliana. "You can't believe him. He's responsible for all kinds of things. Eliana, you were always smart. You know it must all be a lie."
Eliana said nothing as she looked away from him.
"You dare beg mercy of her after accusing her of being a spy?" Sirius snarled.
"Please," Peter whispered, turning to the last person in the circle he had not targeted yet.
Althea met his gaze, looking like she was going to be sick.
Then, in a sombre voice, she asked, "What did you gain, joining someone like Voldemort?"
"He - he was taking over everywhere," Pettigrew gasped anxiously. "W-What was to gain by refusing him?"
"What was there to be gained by fighting the most evil wizard who has ever existed?" Sirius yelled angrily. "Only innocent lives, Peter!"
"You don't understand, he would have killed me, Sirius!" Pettigrew cried.
"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Sirius roared. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS, AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"
"You should have realized, Peter," Remus said calmly as the two of them faced Pettigrew with their wands raised. "If Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."
"Sirius!" Amara shouted.
Instantly all the shouting and pleading stopped.
"Sirius," Amara whispered.
YOU ARE READING
The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One
FanfictionEvery family has its black sheep...even the Black family. Althea Black. When she was young, she never understood why her mother refused to speak of her father. As she grew older, it began to not matter who he was or had been. She had her mother and...
