Magic? || Years 1-5

Escaped: Year 3

"No!" Pettigrew shrieked, falling to his knees in front of Harry.

His voice was so loud, so sudden, so sharp through the heavy silence that was Sirius's story that Amisty bit her tongue to keep from yelping so hard she drew blood. Pettigrew was groveling pathetically, pleading.

"Sirius -- it's me... it's Peter... your friend... you wouldn't..." He whimpered desperately.

Sirius kicked at him, eyes narrowed.

"There's enough filth on my robes without you touching them," He growled, not bothering to hide the threat in his voice.

"Remus! You don't believe this... Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?" He tried yet again, turning around to Lupin.

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter. I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" He replied, looking over Pettigrew's head.

"Forgive me, Remus," Sirius replied sheepishly.

"Not at all, Padfoot, old friend. And will you, in turn, forgive me for believing you were the spy?" Lupin asked casually, rolling up his sleeves.

"Of course. Shall we kill him together?" Sirius asked, grinning slightly as he rolled up his sleeves as well.

"Yes, I think so," Lupin nodded.

Pettigrew looked aghast, "You wouldn't... you won't..." He turned to Ron, "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 sounded absolutely disgusted.

Amisty would've laughed if the situation were any different.

"Kind boy... kind master... you won't let them do it... I was your rat... I was a good pet..." Pettigrew crawled toward him.

"If you made a better rat than human, it's not much to boast about, Peter," Sirius snarled lowly.

Ron, very, very pale, dragged his broken leg away.

Pettigrew immediately turned to Hermione and grabbed her robes.

"Sweet girl... clever girl... you -- you won't let them... Help me..." He whispered, voice cutting off as Hermione wrenched her robes away, horrified.

Pettigrew didn't even spare a word to Amisty, who was growling threateningly the second his tiny eyes drifted over to her.

Sirius looked mildly impressed.

Pettigrew, at last, turned to Harry, trembling.

"Harry... Harry... you look just like your father... just like him..." He bent his head and Sirius exploded.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK TO HARRY? HOW DARE YOU FACE HIM? HOW DARE YOU TALK ABOUT JAMES IN FRONT OF HIM?" He shouted, absolutely livid.

"Harry. Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed... James would have understood, Harry... he would've shown me mercy..." Pettigrew went on anyways until Sirius and Lupin strode forward and threw him back on the floor.

"You sold Lily and James to Voldemort. Do you deny it?" Sirius asked, shaking just as much as Pettigrew, but for a different reason.

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

"DON'T LIKE! YOU'D BEEN PASSING INFORMATION TO HIM FOR A YEAR BEFORE LILY AND JAMES DIED! YOU WERE HIS SPY!" Sirius shouted.

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