The Dream Trilogy Book One: To Dwell On Dreams (A Harry Potter FanFiction)

Chapter Eighteen

Wormtail let out a funny little squeak. "Why would I know Lucius' boy?" he said. He was trying to be calm, but he kept touching his nose where Harry had hit him and blinking too frequently. "Never met him before in my life, no idea why he's here." 

"Harry," said Lily, looking between the boy she thought was her son, and the man she thought was her friend. "What are you talking about. Peter doesn't know Draco." 

Harry turned back to Malfoy, who strangely looked like Harry felt. Incensed, his whole body vibrating and his glare directed straight at Wormtail. "Do you know him?" Harry asked, speaking earnestly to Malfoy for the first time in his life. "Is he who I think he is?" 

Several people spoke at once. 

"Of course he doesn't know me!" squawked Wormtail. 

"What has he told you?" demanded Sirius. 

"Who do you think he is, Harry?" asked James with concern. 

Harry tried to steady his breathing, but it was hard. "I think he's a traitor," he said. 

Everyone in the room apart from Malfoy, Hermione and himself exploded in indignation. Roaring, shouting and waving arms. But Harry didn't budge, he just watched the look of fear creep onto Wormtail's face. 

There was no doubt. 

Harry could feel the tears pooling in his eyes for the second time that night, and he sagged a couple of steps towards Hermione, who put her hands on his left arm and shoulder.  

"Harry that is an unforgivable thing to say!" bellowed James, livid beyond reason. "Peter is one of my oldest friends!" 

"That's what Sirius thought too," Harry said, knowing he wasn't going to make any sense. "That's why he trusted him, why they switched. But here...here you didn't did you?" he addressed his godfather.  

Sirius was all flustered, his chest puffed out and his breathing fast, but Harry's question threw him and he calmed down a bit. "Didn't what?" he asked. 

Harry shared a glance with Hermione, who looked wrought with tension. "That's what's different," he told her, and she nodded. "The one change, between the two worlds." 

"What?" said Sirius. 

Harry turned back to him, to his dad. "When I was a baby, you knew you were in danger, so you got a Secret Keeper, didn't you?" 

"Harry," said Lily urgently. "How do you know that?" 

"You asked Sirius," Harry continued, ignoring her and turning to his godfather. "And you said yes. But what if you'd offered to switch, to let everyone think it was you, but really it was him." The last word came out as a snarl as he turned on Wormtail. 

"But I didn't," said Sirius in confusion, looking at James and Remus for help. "I mean, I considered it-" 

"And you saved our LIVES!" yelled Harry in anguish. "If you had chosen Wormtail he would have handed us to You-Know-Who and you would have both DIED!" 

"No!" cried Wormtail as Lily gasped. James, Sirius and Remus were standing shoulder to shoulder, all frowning in confusion at Harry. Parvati's mouth had gotten stuck in a permanent 'O' shape, and she had grabbed hold of Seamus' hand as the two of them watched the carnage unfold. 

"No," said Wormtail again, shaking his head, sweat running down his neck. "No, Harry, listen to me. I don't know what that Malfoy boy has told you-" 

"I haven't told him anything!" yelled Malfoy, moving stiff legged to Harry's side. "Don't you stand there, don't you lie to them you piece of dirt! I know, I know."