[A/N:
To all you burnt out collage students:
This one's for you. (⌐■_■) ]
After the Wand Weighing ceremony was complete, and all the wands were approved of, Mr. Bagman had them all take pictures for Rita Skeeter. The process took much longer than Peter would have liked, especially since it took ages for the photographer to figure out how to get Madame Maxime's incredibly tall figure to fit in frame. They ended up having her sit in a chair while the rest stood around her.
During the whole process he, once again, wasn't fond of the feelings Skeeter was giving off as they took the individual picture with Harry. He had a sense she was going to spin the whole story to focus on Harry Potter somehow.
When they were finally dismissed, the classes they were pulled out of were nearly over, Dumbledore allowed them to go straight to lunch if they wanted. The students filed out of the room but the adults stayed to get acquainted with the newest addition to the judges' panel: Mr. Finnegan.
Seeing as it probably wouldn't take long, Peter waiting outside the classroom leaning against one of the pillars. He still wanted to talk with Mr. Finnegan, even if it cut into lunch, it would be nice to speak with a familiar face from Ilvermorny.
That was when he felt a wave of anger flood towards him, Peter immediately turned around to find Harry's glare meet his eyes as he marched towards the other student.
"Bet this was your idea, wasn't it?" Harry said angrily as he shoved one of the buttons Draco made into his chest, making sure to give him a hard shove in the process. Peter grabbed the button before it fell to the floor as he shoved Harry's hand away.
"This was Draco's idea actually, but it's a shame I didn't have a hand in it. Though you should be happy it wasn't me, otherwise it would have said something a hell of a lot worse than 'Potter Stinks,'" Peter shot back.
"Guess you really are a snake," Harry scoffed.
"You're the one looking pretty scaley to me. What the hell did you do when they started calling me a traitor? You know for a fact that I never wanted anything to do with this stupid tournament!" Peter took a step forward getting into Harry's space.
"Is that why you had Draco attack me? Because you're just so innocent?" Harry rolled his eyes. Peter could feel the anger that was building up in Harry, or was that his own feeling?
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Peter laughed, "but I wish I could have seen it, I bet he kicked your ass. I've been training him, you see. Judging by the bruise on your jaw, whatever he cast must've hit you pretty hard if the nurse couldn't get rid of the mark. But I never realized Harry Potter " Peter said the name like it was a disgusting curse, " boy who lived , was such a sore loser, aren't you supposed to be some kind of hero? Or are you just so used to fate handing you victories that you couldn't even fight a properly trained wizard."
"And you think you're so much better than me, all high and mighty. 'Oh look at me, I'm a freak with powers that calls himself a hero' no wonder your aunt and uncle died you're just a hack!" Harry snarled.
"You take that back!!" That was when Peter saw red, in the back of his mind he could hear something urge him retaliate. He couldn't find a reason to ignore it.
Peter threw the first punch, hitting Harry in the cheek. Harry was just as quick to react, throwing his own fist towards Peter, nailing him in the eye. There was a flash of light from somewhere, and someone grabbed each of their shoulders yanking them apart.
"Get off of me!" Peter shouted as he violently shrugged his shoulder out of the grasp of Viktor, who now held himself between Peter and Harry. Each still snarling at each other. Peter held his eyes and Harry his cheek, only Harry's injury would develop into harsh bruises later if not treated.
Peter couldn't help but notice that his cheek was damp, even his uninjured eye stung as he desperately tried to hide the tears produced from the guilt of the aforementioned deaths. Harry's words hit an exposed nerve.
"Is that your solution to everything? Just punch it? No wonder you're so obsessed with dueling, you're bloody insane!" Harry hissed.
Peter huffed in fury, he took a step forwards, in return Harry quickly took a step back, Viktor firmly placed a hand on Peter's chest as he looked at him with uncertainty. Peter froze as he felt the hit of fear from both of them, whether either of them were aware of the feeling. He pulled himself away from Viktor like the touch burned, then quickly turned on his heel as he escaped down the hall. Only to break out into a run after he escaped the eyes watching as he turned the corner.
A small sniff escaped as he tried to wipe the tears from his face.
' What was happening? Why was everything going so wrong? '.
***
Mr. Finnegan found Peter near the top level of the owlery on a small balcony. He sat with his legs hanging over the edge as he leaned forward against the lowest bar of the metal railing. He looked out at the black lake where one of the tentacles of the giant squid could be seen breaching the surface.
Leia sat on Peter's shoulder, and Vader snuggled up against Peter's arm while perched on the thin bottom rail.
Mr. Finnegan stood next to Peter as he leaned his elbows against the top of the railing. Vader perched between them, but his eyes were locked on Mr. Finnegan now with a murderous glare.
'You move any closer and I will be forced to take lethal action,' Vader's hoot sounded like a deep growl.
"This is Vader, he says hi," Peter sighed.
"Yeah, I noticed you got a new bird, but he's never stayed long enough for me to get a good look at 'em," Mr. Finnegan sounded amused as he studied the creature, "Quite magnificent up close. Is he a war owl?"
"I think so," Peter shrugged vaguely. Peter kept his eyes focused on the water below, the sunlight twinkled off the gently rippling surface.
He felt stiff and wasn't looking forward to the conversation ahead.
"Poorly misunderstood creatures," Mr. Finnegan said as he lightly brushed his knuckle against Vader's neck to smooth out some of the raised feathers.
'This human is acceptable,' Vader mumbled as he relaxed slightly.
Peter huffed in amusement at the owl, "Yeah," He agreed, "Tony got him for me so Leia wouldn't have to strain herself when I sent letters to MJ and Ned."
"Speaking of, how was it living with Stark during the summer? He givin' you any trouble?" Mr. Finnegan asked.
Peter could sense the familiar protectiveness the professor had for all his students, it was an easy sense to take comfort from.
"Tony's great," Peter smiled, "He'd try to work from home when he could, so we hung out a lot, especially in his lab. He helped me with my projects. It was a little awkward showing him the wizarding world but he was surprisingly cool with it... mostly, but you know." Peter shrugged. "He told me a little bit about my parents."
Mr. Finnegan nodded quietly, "That's good, he ever start becoming a problem you can always send ol' Vader my way." He gave Vader a small pat on the head before taking a few steps so he could crouch down and sit on the other side of Peter to avoid the large protective owl separating them. He took his hat off, holding it between his hands as he rested his arms over the bottom bar of the hand rail.
They both watched the lake in silence, only the sounds of nature and the fluttering of owls kept the world from being completely still but there was a peacefulness to it.
"Did I ever tell you about my Pa? Looked meaner-"
" -than a rattlesnake but would never hurt the tiniest fly. " Peter said with a smirk, his tone was bland and suggested he'd heard the phrase hundreds of times before. "Yeah, I think you've talked about him a few times."
Mr. Finnegan looked over at Peter with a tilted head and raised eyebrows, "Do I detect a hint of sass, young man?"
"Or perhaps you growing deaf, old boy," Peter replied easily. It was a common exchange between Mr. Finnegan and many of his favorite students. Though, a teacher like Mr. Finnegan favored all of his students so it was a common set of phrases that were thrown around.
"As I was sayin'," Mr. Finnegan gave Peter the side eye. Peter frowned slightly as he felt a sliver of sorrow fill the air he looked at the source, Mr. Finnegan, who's gaze was off towards the horizon. "My Pa,"
He looked down at his hat and paid extra attention to the rattlesnake skin band that wrapped around the old cowboy hat. "He was never one to back down from a fight, especially if he thought someone had been wronged. I'm sure Ned and you would say he was the Captain America type. Even if he'd never heard of the guy.... We always thought it would get him killed one day. We thought one day he'd walk down to the bar to meet his buddies, run into some folks who were up to no good, and finally meet his match. Probably shoulda had a little more faith in his fightin' skills," Mr. Finnegan said with a small laugh but it faded quickly.
"No, what got him was his kindness," He gave a small huff of disbelief, "Never thought that would be a reason to get killed before then."
Peter swallowed as he looked forward, his eyes drifted down as he thought of his uncle, "What happened?" he asked quietly.
"Well, as you know, I grew up on an animal sanctuary. Magic and non-magic alike, didn't matter, if it needed to help we were glad to assist. Had nearly limitless space and self sufficient resources only thing lacking was manpower but the whole family did their best to keep things together so we managed," Mr. Finnegan nodded to himself before continuing. "One day we got a letter about a sickly chupacabra sighting down south, so me and my pa packed our gear and headed towards the New Mexico border where they migrate into the states. We were down there for about a week lookin' for the thing, the only reason we didn't turn back was because the man who sent us the letter was reliable."
"Eventually, we did catch the trail of somthin' we followed it for another few days but just as we got close enough we needed a supply run. I was going to go into town while my Pa looked for the creature. They are not nearly as dangerous as you'd think so I knew my Pa could handle it when he found it... though, the only problem was... whatever we were tracking, wasn't a chupacabra. I thought I noticed something in the tracks we were following but I never said anything, and through the trip I had this feeling of dread that kept building up. It only got worse when I left my Pa out there," He let out a shaky breath.
Peter waited in suspense as he felt his own dread creep over him at the suspected ending.
"When I got back to the camp... it was already done," Mr. Finnegan said quietly, "It wasn't a sick chupacabra, but an injured mothman larva. Something we were widely unprepared for, something I should have been there to help with. I didn't need to go back for supplies then, we still had a few days till it was necessary, but I just... I wanted to get away from that dread I kept feeling. I knew that if I was there, things would have ended differently."
Mr. Finnegan finally looked over at Peter again, "That's just a long way of saying... I know what you're going through Pete. That anger and frustration of 'what if' constantly running through your head. Not to mention the sudden worry for everyone else you love. 'If I couldn't save them then how can I save the rest.'"
"Yeah," Peter said with a broken voice, he tried to stop the tears from escaping but with no luck.
"What took me years to accept, was that it was no one's fault that he didn't make it out. Not his, not the larva's, and most certainly not mine. Things happen, and no matter how much they might have been different if you were there, you have to accept the fact that there was nothing you could have done. Not with how the cards were laid down. I know my Pa wouldn't want me to feel guilty about it. He'd tell me it was his own decisions that led him to that. And I know for a fact that your Aunt May wouldn't want you feelin' responsible for a car accident," Mr. Finnegan paused, "Even with those fancy powers of yours."
Peter sniffed as he wiped his eyes, though a smile spread across his face, "you knew?"
"'Course I knew, kid. Do you really think I wouldn't notice when one of my students gained superpowers? Then to top that off I come to find out that a new vigilante called 'Spider-Man' is runnin' around New York?"
"Ugh! Why am I so bad at keeping that a secret!? Seriously!" Peter managed to laugh as he shook his head, "guess it doesn't matter, I was getting tired of all the stupid excuses and everyone at Hogwarts knows anyways. I stopped hiding it here, was thinking about doing the same once I returned to Ilvermorny, I doubt my reveal will be as disastrous as it was here. This school is so... toxic," Peter said with a shaky sigh.
"I want to go home," Peter whimpered, Leia snuggled against Peter's neck and Vader managed to wiggle his way into the teen's lap. The tears returned and Peter's shoulders shook, "I miss her so much," he choked out, it felt like a dam inside him couldn't hold his grief back any longer.
Mr. Finnegan wrapped his arm around the boy pulling him into his side, Peter clung to the man's coat as he buried his face in the fabric.
"Why- Why- Why did May have to drive? Why did Ben leave? Why did I have to go to this stupid school? Why did my parents have to die in the first place!? WHY CAN'T I JUST GO HOME!?" Peter started sobbing, but unlike the anxiety or panic before, this time he cried with the realization that there was nothing he could have done to change what's happened. This time he cried to release everything he held in. What he's been carrying even as far back as Uncle Ben.
He never let himself grieve, so for the first time, on a little balcony near the top of the owlery, he sobbed to release the pain he held in for years while in the arms of the only adult he trusted more than Tony.
Peter didn't remember falling asleep, he only closed his eyes just for a moment to avoid the odd feeling of tears as they blurred his vision. The first thing he saw was Mr. Finnegan's red dragon print waistcoat The carefully sewn dragons surrounded him as they looked on in interest, though avoided getting too close to where Peter's head was tucked against his teacher.
Peter shifted and he could feel Mr. Finnegan's arm loosen as he let the teen pull away, he noticed the sun was much further in the sky then it was before. "I think I missed lunch... And the class after," Peter snuffed as he wiped his cheeks with his sleeve.
"Don't fret about it, kid," Mr. Finnegan said, patting Peter's back gently as he pulled his arm away so he could support himself as he leaned back on his arms.
There was a pause, "Sorry-" Peter started.
"Don't," Mr. Finnegan said in a gentle but firm tone, "You hold things like that in and they have a way of building up. You start to get mean, set to a hair trigger. If you don't allow yourself moments like these then eventually you might lose yourself to those feelings."
Peter hugged Vader who was unsurprisingly still in his lap. "Everything's just been too much lately," He whispered.
"I know, Peter,' Mr. Finnegan sighed, "And I'm gonna tell it to you straight here, it's not going to get any easier with this Tournament ahead and worse still, I can smell a plot brewing."
"Me too," Peter said firmly, confidence already returning to his tone.
"You ready to face it?"
"I don't know," Peter said honestly, he almost sounded lost.
"I have a hard time believing that," Mr. Finnegan said smugly, "Especially since you're not facing this alone. You have a habit of befriending some pretty amazing people, here at Hogwarts, back at Ilvermorny, no difference. Plus you got me and Stark. With that kind of line up I believe you can take on the world, kid," Mr. Finnegan grinned as he looked out at the lake. "Now, I'll ask again; You ready to face it?"
Peter smiled, "I was born ready."
***
My Dearest Peter Benjamin what ever the fuck your name is now,
Why, in the founders' name are you in the Triwizard tournament??
Do. You. Have. A. God. Damn. Death. Wish.
I don't care that you didn't put your name in, but you obviously did something to someone and now they want to kill you. Postpone your studies in MJ's Lessons for Losers™ because I'm enrolling you in a new course called DON'T FUCKING DIE NERD. Ned and I have been studying all the previous tournaments and I have constructed the DFDN course to help counteract whatever it is they try to throw at you. These are not necessarily more spells to learn but additional tricks, techniques, and strategies that will help improve upon what you already know as well as incorporating your spider abilities.
These are cheap, borderline cowardly, and will most likely get you the least points possible. So get this into your overly competitive thick skull:
YOU ARE NOT HERE TO WIN .
Make that clear to everyone and maybe that pompous ass Potter will stop making you the bad guy.
Right, now that's over.
In other news at Illvermorny's school of witchcraft and Wizardry
Mr. F has already left the States to go see you, Mrs. Blue is already ruffling her poor feathers about it so please don't make the pregnant woman wait! She's already eaten half the kitchen in her worry, the pukwudgies have upped their complaining to epic proportions, and I think she hexed the history teacher in her frustration. (Not The) Willam looked like he was going to shoot Mrs. Blue with his bow after she threw up on the base of the Isolt statue
Your frustrated but worried friend,
MJ
*
Peter was rereading the letter he received the evening after the much needed talk with Mr. Finnegan.
Much needed indeed. He'd been holding on to so much guilt over May and to an extent Ben, but he had to face the fact that there was nothing he could have done about it. It hurt to say the least, but a necessary pain, like ripping off a band-aid that's stayed too long. The wound needed to breath and the band-aid was only hindering the healing process at that point.
Peter's heart still aches over the loss, but he felt relief over not holding it so much anymore. It made dealing with everything else that much more bearable. The constant berating from the rest of the school was bad before, but ever since Skeeter published her story two days ago things have just gotten worse.
Who knew you didn't need the Parker name to still have the Parker luck. Figures. Peter had hoped that maybe, just maybe , the infamous Stark Luck and Parker Luck would cancel each other out.
Ha! Nope.
Peter let out a faint sigh as he dragged his eyes up the 2nd page of MJ's DFDN course. His eyes flowed down the paper but he didn't remember a word of what he read. He hated doing that.
Draco sat next to him in the Slytherin common room reading a fiction about a wizard that had a striking resemblance to Indiana Johns. Peter was going to look into the author later wondering if they were pulling inspiration from Muggle media.
The quiet thought was immediately interrupted by the sound of flying paper colliding with feathers followed by the most terrifying screech he has ever heard from Vader.
'How DARE you attack MY Peter. I WILL CLAW YOUR FACE OFF AND EAT YOU ALIVE!!" The war owl shot towards the attacking student in a blaze of speed.
"Vader!" Peter stood up quickly, he barely had a second before Vader would reach the student, but it was enough time to shoot a string of web at the owls feet holding him back. "Stop, now, Vader," Peter said sternly as the owl continued to flap his wings with enough vigor to keep him airborne in his suspended state. A normal human wouldn't have been able to hold him back with how strong his wings were. Thank god his web shooter didn't fail.
Daphne Greengrass stood with Vader angrily screeching just a foot away from her. "Now, now, little birdy. Wouldn't want to disobey your master," She mocked. "I really can't tell you how hilarious it is to know the freak owns a freak bird."
This only seemed to enrage Vader as he spouted various ways he was going to decorate his nest with her internal organs, but of course, all of this was lost on Greengrass as all she heard were the angry noises of a raptor. Seeing that Vader was too lost in his anger to stop the attack himself, Peter gave a hard yank to the line causing Vader to slingback towards Peter. He caught the bird gently and started to pet him in attempts to calm him down.
"The hell do you want, Greengrass," Draco spat.
"Oh nothing, Draco, just making sure the local amalgamite has seen the paper," She said innocently, as if it were just a normal conversation. The insult was thrown so much at Peter that he was beginning to be desensitized.
Glancing down Peter spotted the rumpled newspaper on the ground, the one that Vader intercepted before it hit Peter. "Aw that's nice," Peter replied, "Now if you could just fuck off that'd be great, thanks," his own tone just as innocent.
"Ta ta," She said waving her fingers as she headed towards the female dorms.
'-then I'll gouge her eyes out and yank out her tongue! I'll use her spine as-' Vader was still planing her murder and Peter shut out his voice as he gently pet the raging owl.
"One of these days your webbing will fail and Vader's going to kill her," Draco sighed.
"Don't get my hopes up," Peter said plainly as he halted Vader's petting for a moment to pick up the newspaper. "I was really trying to avoid the article. I don't even know what it says but I already know it's bad news considering how everyone looks at me now."
"Skeeter's writing is kinda shit so you're not missing much," Draco shrugged as he watched Peter toss the paper onto the desk and pick up his chair that had fallen over during the incident.
As he sat down keeping Vader in his lap he looked at the slightly wrinkled paper, on the front page was a fantastic image of Peter lunging at Harry. Fist held tight and anger plain on his face as he punched 'the boy who lived.' The scene on page continued with Harry returning the punch but from there it looped. "I was wondering what that flash was," Peter muttered. He read the article as he absently pet Vader. He stopped squirming in Peter's grip so at least it was working.
Tensions high at Hogwarts!
The American Exchange Student, Peter Stark, quickly slithered his way into the hearts of students, Harry Potter specifically. The two grew to be great friends in the beginning of the school year despite their long time house rivalry. Peter entered into Slytherin through a slightly unorthodox sorting ceremony, Harry, the generous Gryffindor, took the new student under his wing. Showing him the ropes of the school, mentored him, they both bonded over the loss of their parents as they shared intimate feelings about those losses. But as Harry opened his heart to a new friend, it was met with utter betrayal!
Peter has used his closeness with The Boy Who Lived to gain his own fame. Even going so far as to force both their names into the Tournament, no doubt to steal the victory away from the true students of Hogwarts and to shove his victory in the face of poor Harry. What would his father, Iron Man, think of the actions of his adopted son?
Peter skimmed the rest of the article that continued on three different pages, "Apparently, Harry is going to kick my ass in the tournament with the help of his parents' spirit protecting him.. And he openly admitted to still... crying about them? Who's she trying to make look bad here? Me or Harry?" Peter laughed in disbelief. He refused to acknowledge the part that suggested a love triangle between Peter, Harry, and Hermione! Absolutely not on so many levels, plus he's pretty sure Ron's the one that's been growing feelings towards her, though, despite trying not to look into it for the sake of Ron's privacy Peter could sense they were cloudy and unsure. Something bound to lead to problems later.
He wasn't sure if Hermione was developing the same feelings for Ron though, she had a very structured and well organized mind. Something he admired since he was less likely to accidentally pick up personal information absently floating about.
"Who knows, either way, good fodder against Potter," Draco shrugged, drawing Peter's attention away from the article.
Peter sighed, "Yeah, about that. I know they're still acting like I'm the bad guy but try not to go too far, ok? I'm hoping to salvage something of a friendship once they see I didn't put the names in."
"Of course you'd be saying something like that after what Harry said," Draco scoffed. "Why can't you just hold grudges like a normal person?"
Peter shrugged, "Guess I'm just a weirdo," he joked.
"Got that right," Draco muttered, "... but alright fine. I guess I'll try not to pick fights with them. At least I stopped using that word against Granger."
"Congratulations on gaining basic human decency."
"Congratulations on being a prick," Draco replied in a mocking tone.
Peter sported his best shit eating grin, "Just being supportive."
Draco wasn't going to give Peter the satisfaction of replying, he simply rolled his eyes and continued with his work as the common room fell into silence.
***
The week leading up to the first task Peter spent whatever time that wasn't dedicated to homework to study the DFDN course from MJ. He practiced at the edge of the forbidden forest, Luna and Draco often accompanying him, but he was always careful enough to give Hagrid's hut a wide birth in case the trio visited him. Though there was this one time Hagrid invited him for tea after seeing him practice alone. It was a refreshing break but he hated how he had to rush out when he heard the trio coming down the hill.
"I'm so sorry Hagrid, I promise next time I won't leave in such a hurry. The tea was amazing!"
Hagrid just gave a small sigh, "Friends butt 'eads sometimes, I understand ya. Just hope ye resolve it soon, the thestrals are startin' to miss ya. Sunshine 'specially."
"Make sure to tell her I'll come by with some meat tomorrow," Peter said quickly before ducking out the back door.
With his new complicated relationship with the Gryffindor trio he couldn't help Hagrid as often. He especially loved the different animals. One of them being a disabled thestral named Sunshine who immediately took a liking to Peter. He managed to ask her one day why that was but all she replied with was 'I like how you smell.' She wasn't one to talk much, so he was surprised with the comparatively lengthy answer.
Days started ticking down. It was the Sunday before the tournament (which meant he had three days to figure out what the hell he was doing), and Peter quickly found his way towards the library to study since the common room would be full of students enjoying their day off.
He found Viktor sitting at one of the open tables in the middle of the library, he was frowning down at his book and his brow knitted together. Not that he didn't usually look like that but Peter could sense something was on his friend's mind.
Peter gracelessly landed in the seat next to Krum.
"If I didn't know you better I'd say you were trying to burn a hole in that book with your eyes alone," Peter said as he pulled out reading material that MJ suggested, useful plants and herbs were today's topic of excitement.
"Hm? Oh. No, I was just... thinking." Viktor trailed off.
"About?"
Viktor was quiet for a moment, Peter could sense him considering his words but didn't dare to look into the details, "So... you and Hermione Granger, you are close, yes?"
Peter winced, "eh, kinda? Not sure right now with all the drama concerning the Tournament. But we were good friends before all that."
"Could you, perhaps, help me... what is word? Associate? No, what I mean to say is..." Viktor turned away from Peter as he tried to find the words, was that bashfulness he was displaying? Why would he- oh.
Oh.
"You want to try to get to know her better, but you're not sure how to start a conversation. That's where I come in right?" Peter provided.
"Yes! Exactly, yes," Viktor let out a sigh of relief at Peter's understanding.
"Well, first off you can't do anything until you get rid of that fan club following you. I know for a fact that irritates the hell out of her especially when she's trying to read in the library."
Viktor huffs in annoyance, "I also share that irritation. But it is doable."
"Ok, now onto the talking part. You're going to have to actually talk, you know that right," Peter teased.
"I talk!"
"To me and Draco, yeah, but in her eyes she's only ever seen you stand there stoically quiet and all mysterious. You know, as you do," Peter said matter of factly.
"I can talk," Viktor mumbled.
"So for topics, she's really into house elf rights. Ask her about her S.P.E.W. badge, good ice breaker and she will carry most of the conversation while telling you about her cause... you should probably bring a few sickles with you. She'll want you to join the cause and there's an entrance fee." Peter explained.
Viktor just looked at him with focus and nodded at his words as he soaked in the information.
"She loves discussing magical theory, and is always down to learning something new. Though she's pretty much read every book in the library so you might want to tell her about the history and magic of your school."
"She loves to learn?" Viktor asked, tilting his head.
"Absolutely," Peter knew that without a doubt.
"Very admirable," Viktor looked off towards one of the other tables with a smile.
"Oh..." Peter remembered something.
"What?" Viktor's attention was immediately brought back to Slytherin.
"So, she's not really a big fan of quidditch," Peter winced.
"Oh..." Viktor just frowned.
"So try not to mention it too much. She already gets an earful from Harry and Ron."
Viktor just nodded as he looked off again, his mind buzzing with thoughts that Peter couldn't see, "Thank you, this was very helpful, Peter."
"Hey, glad to help."
Viktor stood up taking his book with him, "I will leave you to your studies, I must think on your advice," he gave Peter a short nod before heading towards the door.
"Alright, see ya, buddy," Peter watched as Vikor left, "Oh, and if things don't work out, she's still a pretty cool friend to have."
Viktor gave another short nod of acknowledgement before leaving.
Peter looked back at the plant book with a small sigh, right, time to get to work.
*
It had been a few hours but eventually Draco found him in the library.
"There you are!" Draco exclaimed dramatically, "I've been looking for you everywhere!" He stomped his way over to Peter then he grabbed his arm, "Come one we're going to Hogsmeade," He demanded.
"No," Pete said firmly, placing his feet on the ground, "I have to study because the first task is in three days! I can't go to Hogsmeade," Peter huffed.
"Peter-"
"No."
"Pet-"
"Absolutely not."
"You have been studying non-stop for weeks, if you're not ready then there is no ready. Just go to Hogsmeade before you fry your brain. Butterbeer's on me."
Peter just let out an undignified groan as he gave into the temptation, "Buy me two and we have a deal."
"Done," Draco said smugly.
"I hate you," Peter muttered as he gathered his things.
"You won't after you drink those Butterbeers."
Peter hated that they both knew he was right.
As expected Hogsmeade was bustling with activity, but not just from students. All sorts were in the area, most likely for the Tournament. Though that wasn't exactly good news seeing as Rita Skeeter was still roaming around as well, he spotted her walking out of the Three Broomsticks and Peter didn't have the energy to hide his scowl.
"At least we don't have to deal with her spotting us once we're in," Draco said as he dragged Peter towards the pub.
Peter felt a weight settle in his hood, he glanced back to see Leia getting comfortable. 'Glad you're out, about time.'
"Hi Leia," Peter grinned, he glanced up at the sky before they ducked into the pub, "Where's Vader?"
'Doing that patrol thing again. He's really taking that seriously, I'd be worried if he wasn't... well, Vader '
"Maybe he'll see something interesting today," Peter followed Draco through the crowd making sure no one got too close to cause Leia discomfort. They found an empty table at the far side wall.
When they settled in and Draco ordered the Butterbeers, Peter couldn't help but notice Draco watching the door. "Expecting someone?" Peter asked.
"Um, I think Luna might join us," Draco replied dryly.
Peter frowned, it wasn't technically a lie, but Peter could tell something was being omitted. He opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the sight of one of the corner tables not far from him. "Hey, it's Hermione," Peter said, a little surprised. She was on her own looking down at a notebook muttering to herself, probably trying to work something out.
"Wonder where the other Gryffindorks are," Drako replied.
If she was alone, maybe this was a good time to talk to her?
Peter hadn't been able to properly say anything about the tournament since the drama started. Maybe she could talk sense into the others. He was so tired of the wall between them.
Right, it was decided.
"Hey, Draco, I'll be right back. Gonna go talk to her for a sec," Peter said as he stood.
"You sure that's a good idea?" Drako raised an eyebrow.
"Won't be long, I'll be back before the Butterbeer," Peter smiled.
"Alright, but if the other musketeers show up-"
"I'll be fine," Peter said as he turned away. He wormed his way through the crowd and stood at the edge of Hermione's table. He almost halted his journey thinking he sensed Harry, but the Pub was bustling with so many minds he blocked them all out so he would grow overwhelmed.
"Hey, Hermione," He greeted cautiously.
"Peter?" She said a little surprised, she gave a quick glance to the chair next to her but Peter took no mind.
There was a silence that quickly grew awkward.
"So! My-um, Tony, he got a house elf."
Hermione frowned as if ready to protest.
"Don't worry though," He added quickly "he totally pays her!"
Hermione relaxed, but her brow knitted together as she looked off to the side again. "Was that what you wanted to tell me?" She finally said.
"Yes? No- I mean-" Peter let out a heavy sigh, "I miss how things were before." Peter sounded defeated. "You, Harry, Ron, the rest of the Griffindors that I put with me."
Hermione just looked down at her notebook awkwardly as if she wasn't sure how to respond, "I as well, I'm not overly fond of how everyone is acting," She scowled at the space next to her. "I've been thinking everything over and I can't figure out a plausible motive for a boy like you to want to put yourself and Harry into the Tournament. You might have had the means and opportunity and even when you try to show off you take full responsibility for your actions. It makes no sense for you to blatantly deny entering yourself into the tournament if you were the one to do it."
Peter blink, "You believe me?"
"Yes, despite the outrage from Ron and Harry," She rolled her eyes. Peter could have sworn he heard a faint thump and someone muffling a hiss, but the tavern was very noisy so it was hard to pinpoint any particular noise.
"Thank you, you have no idea how much that means to me," Peter said gratefully, he glanced over at Draco to see him waving someone (probably Luna) over to their table. "Well, I better get going, but when you see the guys can you tell them I'm sorry? Not for the goblet of course," He huffed, "But for picking fights... punching Harry... the badges." Peter winced, he had a lot to apologize for "Just, you know, all that. And tell them I'm planning to do everything I can to get the worst score for the challenges. I don't want to win this thing, hell, I'd go so far and say I'm competing for last place," he gave a small humorless laugh.
Hermione looked up at him, she studied his eyes for a moment, "Alright," She nodded with a soft smile, "I'll make sure to tell them."
Peter let out a breath of relative, "Awesome, thank you. Right, well, I'll see you around, yeah?" He smiled.
"Yeah... bye, Peter," Hermione smiled.
Peter quickly turned to head back to his table, he felt the comforting gesture of Leia nuzzling against the back of his neck as he held his head down.
"Hard to tell from here, but it looked like that went well," said a familiar tone.
Peter quickly looked up in shock at the figure sitting next to Draco. "Tony!" Peter quickly closed the last few steps from the table barreling into Tony almost knocking him out of the chair if it hadn't collided with the wall. He hugged the man tightly as his chest welled with joy.
"It's good to see you too, Pete," Tony said, patting his back as he embraced the teen.
Peter suddenly pulled back slightly so he could glare over at Draco, Luna sat now sitting beside him. "This was planned," Peter tried to stop his grin from showing but it was a near impossible task.
"Maybe a little," Draco shrugged.
"Surprise," Tony followed.
With his grin breaking into a smile Peter settled into the seat next to Tony, four Butterbeers were already placed in front of them.
"Are you here for the Challenge?" Peter asked hopefully.
"Of course," Tony said, taking a sip from his tankard, "Oh! Wow, that is very sweet." Cream stuck to his lip but he quickly wiped it away with a napkin. "I'll be staying in Hogsmeade till the morning after the Challenge. Heartstring is looking for his sister right now, and Ruffle is making sure the room is in order -might even be wondering around the book store if she's finished by now- but we'll be doing some work while you have your classes. That and researching," Peter could sense the hint of frustration.
"How's that coming along?" Peter asked.
"Painfully slow," Tony shook his head, "But enough about me, what about you? What's your plan with the first Challenge?"
Peter frowned, "Not sure yet, but MJ sent me some stuff to help me. I've been practicing that. She suggested that I try to get the lowest score, the bare minimum and all that since I'm not trying to win."
Tony nodded taking another drink, "Good strategy, that should disprove that nonsense going on in the papers now. Maybe even show your Gryffindor friends you didn't put the names in."
Peter cringed, "You saw that?"
"Hard not to when it was plastered all over the place," Tony laughed. "But really, kid, don't sweat it. Reporters, magic or otherwise, are always going to be placing stories like that. Blatant lies for the sake of sales, and unfortunately nothing sells better than dramatically written libel towards a famous name."
"My father only prints what he believes to be absolutely true," Luna joined in, "Otherwise he throws the story into the garden for the gnomes to feed on,"
"Nice to know there are some truthful reporters out there," Tony replied.
They continued talking, Peter and Tony caught up. Peter telling Tony about his prototypes and Tony giving him a more detailed explanation about his own progress. Apparently they had only one lead but he wasn't happy with it, they were hoping to find something better soon. Peter didn't miss the part where he neglected to mention what the lead actually was, but Peter would assume it had something to do with the material Dr. Strange gave them.
At one point Peter noticed Moody was also in the pub, though it was a little hard not to since Hagrid was with him. Out of the corner of his eye he watched them visit with Hermione before finally leaving, though he had a feeling that Moody was keeping his own magical eye on Peter, literally, he could sense the man watching him through his spider sense but he only knew for sure after the feeling dissipated when the man finally left.
Peter and Tony spent the remainder of the day together, Draco and Luna tagged along for a few hours before going their own ways to take advantage of the stores in Hogsmeade. They spotted Heartstring and his sister in passing on the street. He and Daisy have never actually spoken, so he wasn't sure where she stood on her feelings towards him, and it didn't seem like he'd be finding out soon judging by their lack of interactions. Heartstring and Tony only had some passing words of when to meet back at the inn they were staying in before they went their separate ways.
Not long after they ran into Ruffle, who was wearing a surprisingly nice red floral dress with a yellow striped bandanna covering her head and a clean blue tie around her neck. Peter noticed that the bandanna was tied in a way to let her large pointy ears stick out the top. The bright primaries she wore almost distracted Peter from noticing the large stack of books she was carrying.
"Ruffle, why don't you just teleport them?" Tony asked, amused.
"But what if they get damaged!?" She gasped, as if the very idea of bending a page would shatter the countless volumes of books.
"Would you like any help at least?" Peter offered.
"Nope, nope, nope," She said in a happy sing song tone, "I's got it."
" I've got it, " Tony corrected.
" I've got it," Ruffle repeated, she mumbled 'I've' to herself a few times before grinning up at Tony, "Thank you, thank you!" She continued on her way, and hummed her own rhythm as she headed back towards the inn.
Eventually, the two walked towards the end of town when the time came for students to return to school grounds, the sun was hanging low in the sky but only because the days were growing shorter.
"Hey, if you find a break from studying you know where to find me," Tony said as they stood at the edge of town. "I know I don't know enough to help-"
"You being here helps," Peter said quickly. He could sense the man's insecurity, but quickly blocked it out knowing the thought was too private for him to feel comfortable knowing. "Really, it does. With everything," Peter shrugged, "I'm glad you're here."
Tony grabbed Peter's shoulder pulling him into a hug, "Anything for you, kid."
They both took a moment to enjoy the contact. Tony was the first to pull away, "You better go, wouldn't want you getting in trouble, and your owl seems to be getting impatient." Tony nodded towards Vader who was perched on a nearby fence post.
He could sense the owl had something important to say, but was waiting till after Tony left.
Strange.
The two said their goodbyes and Peter promised to send Tony a note when he was free from his studies.
It wasn't till they were half way to Hogwarts that Vader finally spoke.
'Evidence suggests someone is trying to infiltrate Hogwarts,' Vader said calmly, but his tone was precise as he glided slowly above Peter. His sharp eyes watching their surroundings.
Peter blinked in surprise as he looked up at Vader, he opened his mouth to reply but the bird interrupted.
'Don't. They watch.'
Peter swallowed as he stuck his hands in his pocket. He gripped his wand as he looked forward. No one else was on the road with them, the only noise was from the crunch of leaves under Peter's shoes and the gentle breeze brushing through the empty trees. He couldn't sense anything with his spidey sense but he wasn't about to doubt Vader.
'I have been watching the man with the hippogriff. He has been exchanging letters with Harry Potter, and I have recently discovered that he is an animagus. Large black dog, currently trailing behind us at the edge of the woods out of sight. From what I've gathered he has something planned tonight.'
An animagus that's been talking to Harry? Is he working with Moody? Or was he the one to put the names in the fire?
'I heard from the owl sending the letter that they are to meet after midnight, though what time exactly and where I do not know. I was unable to read the letter itself though I believe the barn owl is telling the truth...' He paused glancing around them, 'the black dog has left,' Vader concluded. At his last words Peter let out the breath he was holding, though now with the recent news he found a heavy stone resting in his stomach.
Despite their fighting and the recent exchange of harsh words, Peter still considered the Gryffindor to be his friend. He wouldn't willingly stand around while someone he cared about found themself in danger.
"Dammit, Harry," Peter mutters, "What have you gotten yourself into."
***
That night, as students fell into their beds to prepare themselves for tomorrow's classes, Peter waited as he listened to his roommates. He waited till he heard the snores of Crabbe and Gregory, the steady breathing of Zambini, all signs signaling that his roommates drifted to sleep, well, all except one.
Draco knew of his plan, Peter made sure to clue his friends in the moment they met up after Hogsmeade. Unsurprisingly they wanted to help, but Peter was the only of the three that could effectively sneak out of the dorms. It wasn't like they could become invisible, and three students roaming the halls at night were bound to draw the attention of Filch and his cat.
Peter made sure to go to bed with his spider suit under his pajamas. He never intended on using it while at school, but with everything that had happened it felt better to have it nearby. He did made sure to remove the power source when packing so it was completely deactivated, he didn't want to risk damaging the circuitry.
Now that the others were sleeping, with silent steps, Peter slid out of his bed and towards the door. Draco had put a silencing charm on the hinges so they wouldn't squeak. He hurried his way into the common room where Vader sat dutifully waiting. Peter pulled off his pajamas hiding them on the top of one of the bookcases. His suit was charmed to be a dull black to blend with the shadows and he didn't bother putting his mask on, he only needed something with maneuverability.
'This way,' Vader hooted in a low tone. He gracefully flew up into the dark corner of the room, the one where he and Leia often appeared from.
Peter jumped up onto the ceiling as he crawled across the smooth stone towards the owl passage. If they were large enough to allow Vader flight then no doubt would they be big enough for Peter to fit through. But he still paused as he looked into the shrouded inky blackness of the hidden entrance, the unknown would always be a subconscious fear in the human mind.
Pushing himself forward, Peter found the narrow passage that immediately started as a vertical shaft going straight up. After assessing his surroundings in the near pitch black he slowly started to move upwards.
'There is a passage that intercepts in 30 feet, my dear Peter,' Vader said in an attempt to reassure. 'Though I must warn you, only turn when I tell you. These tunnels can become an impossible maze if you're not careful. One only meant for owls to navigate.'
"That makes sense, wouldn't want just anyone crawling up the walls of this place," Peter joked.
'Indeed,' Vader said, obviously not picking up on the sarcasm, 'These passages link to nearly every room in the castle, not to mention there are plenty that offer excellent vantage points for private conversations. But those are regarded with heavier illusion magic. I wouldn't wish for you to go there, I fear you might get lost in the endless tunnels... that ledge you reached, crawl onto it, you'll be turning left next," Vader directed. He stayed ahead of Peter, watching him somewhere in the darkness as he guided him through the passage.
It didn't take nearly as long as Peter expected to reach the outside exit. He ended up at one of the bases of a lower turret, the entrance still high enough off the ground to keep those without flight (or wall crawling abilities) away from it.
"Go check Harry's dorm, see if he's left yet," Peter ordered.
Vader just nodded, before jumping off his perch, flying up toward the Gryffindor tower silently.
Peter looked around from his vantage point on the wall. There wasn't much to see with the dim moon and lack of suit sensors, but in the distance he could hear rumbling... almost like a roar.
'His bed is empty, he must have left before us,' Vader reported as he swooped towards Peter, he kept in flight but stayed close enough for Peter to sense him 'Movement was spotted at the forest's edge.' the owl reported.
Peter jumped down to the brick roof top below him, "Was it the dog?"
'Affirmative. How shall we proceed?'
Peter thought for a moment as he ran across the brick roof towards the forest, he paused before jumping down into the grass there was a long stretch between the forest and the castle. "What I wouldn't give for a broom right now," Peter muttered. "Go over there and distract him if you can. He'll see me running through the field otherwise, but be careful, I don't want you getting hurt."
'My dear Peter, you have nothing to worry about, this mutt is only a small one,' Vader took a sudden sharp turn to immediately sped off towards the forest. Peter was pretty sure the owl let out a maniacal laugh as he did so... maybe he should have remarked about the animagus' wellbeing instead.
A painful yowl broke the night's silent. A loud and vicious fight between animals continued there after.
Immediately realizing his mistake Peter quickly jumped off the castle landing in the grass with a roll before seamlessly landing on his feet with the momentum, he took off like a shot fired. Grass whipped past his legs and he could feel the chilled air nip at his face, though in the close distance he heard the screeches and howls from the edge of the forest. Merlin cures it all, he didn't want the animagus dead! Worser still he could be desperate enough to turn human, what would Vader do against a wand!
With the trees in sight he shot out a web the moment he could see a limp close enough. He yanked as hard as he could launching himself off the ground and into the branches. Vader had driven the animagus further into the forest, he could hear the war owl let out a harsh hiss and the animagus yelp in pain. There was a crash of a body through foliage, then to Peter's horror, a human voice, " Stupefy !"
There was a flash of light illuminating the two as the animagus cast the spell, Peter caught a glimpse of a man fallen on his back with his wand pointing towards a dark, speeding figure diving towards him. Peter's heart nearly stopped as he watched the spell collide with his beloved, but frustratingly, murderous owl.
But to both wizards' surprise, the spell collided with the owl like a splash of water. Leaving the bird unaffected.
Before Peter could wonder the meaning of this, Vader landed on the animagus' chest with his full force of flight. The man gasped out painfully as his air was knocked out and claws dug into his chest. With a vicious screech, Vader took the opportunity to rip the wand out of the wizard's hand with his beak. Peter was close enough to translate.
'I WILL CRACK OPEN YOUR RIBS AND CONSUME YOUR HEART IF YOU DO NOT CEASE YOUR PATHETIC STRUGGLE!' Vader flung the wand off into the dark to be hidden among the sticks of the forest floor.
The wizard was still dazed. Peter took advantage of the opportunity as he dropped out of the tree, "Take flight," Peter ordered.
The owl leapt into the air without a second of hesitation, Peter sprayed a coat of webbing pinning the animagus to the ground. He struggled, but his effort was in vain as the webbing held without strain.
"Play time's over, pooch," Peter quipped. "What do you want with Harry Potter?" He asked quickly and focused on the man's thought to catch his immediate response, but was met with a brick wall. Damn, occlumency. Peter pulled his wand out, flicking his wrist. Dim light illuminated the two wizards.
Through the bloody clawed face, the human animagus looked at Peter with vague recognition. "Peter Stark," He said coolly despite his injuries. His breath was still heavy from the fight but he was steadying it fast.
The teen tensed at his name, "Nice to meet you. Now, you know my name, it's only polite to give me yours," Peter attempted casually, but it was a little too stiff.
The man considered something, then quickly came to a decision, "Sirius Black."
"Uh, who?" Peter frowned. The man said his name like it was some big reveal, but he tried to rack his brain for the vaguely familiar name. He swore he heard MJ mention it once but he couldn't remember the context or importaints.
Black chuckled, "Yes, I supposed that name wouldn't mean much to you. If it's any consolation, I fought with your parents. The Parkers right?"
Peter took a quick step back, Vader quickly reacted to the response by landing on Black's chest again. It was an obvious warning as a talon rested on the man's neck.
"You have your mother's ability, I could sense you trying to dig into my mind. Look now," Black said with a slight strain in his voice, but only because Vader pressed his talon against his throat. His wings suspended threateningly and his eyes had a bloody hunger to them, almost daring Black to try something.
Peter took a small quiet breath, he looked into his mind once again. With a purposeful look he would see the image Black was thinking of, what he saw was a memory through Black's eyes.
His mother, his father, the two that he'd only ever seen in pictures, stood there in the memory smiling down at a bundle in his mother's arm. There was a sense of foreboding surrounding the memory, but in it's center was a lighthouse of hope. The feeling radiated from what he could now tell was a child. It was himself.
"Connie's on his way," Black said to his parents, they both wore dark clothes and looked down at Peter sadly.
Marry was tearing up, "we'll be back soon ok?" She brushed the baby's face gently.
"You won't even notice we're gone, bud," Richard reached out a hand and little Peter grasped it, the baby whimpered. Almost as if he knew.
A set of hooves hitting the pavement had everyone looking towards the street. The four were standing outside a house in the dark of night, waiting. The hooves that drew their attention was a thestral, a man in a dark cloak dismounted from it's back. He walked over to the ground, the strong confidence in his stride could be seen despite the black cloak covering his body. His face was shrouded by a seemingly endless shadow contained within his hood. A name came to Black's mind when he looked at the man: The Contriver.
"Ready?" The man asked grimly.
Marry swallowed hard as she nodded quickly. She held out Peter to the newcomer.
"Will you be taking him to Stark?" Black asked.
The Contriver looked up at Peter's parents, seeming to wonder the same question.
Richard just shook his head, "No, the man's busy these days. Take him to my brother, they're already in hiding, he'll be safer that way."
With a nod the Contriver took the baby placing him in a sling that cradled the child against his chest, little Peter whined at the loss of contact with his mother. He wrapped his cloak around the month old baby before securing an arm under it. There were no words as he walked back to the thestral that waited patiently, a new air of carefulness to his step.
"Goodbye, baby," Marry whispered, Richard put an arm around her.
"Safe flight, Connie," Black said.
The Contriver just simply looked at the three before urging the thestral forward at his command. It started in a slow gallop down the street before picking up speed to take flight. The three disappeared into the darkness of the sky.
Peter gasped, his heart ached as he clutched his chest falling to his knees.
Was that their last moments with him?
Vader interrupted his thoughts with an angry hiss 'What did you do?!' murder clearly on his mind.
"Vader! Off!" Peter said quickly, hoping the owl didn't further hurt Black, the guilt from his injuries was already heavy on his mind. Vader calmed immediately as he took flight.
"Last memory I have of you and your parents," Black said quietly.
He looked at the man, sincerity in his eyes. Peter looked down at the forest floor, he had dropped his wand during the vision, something that probably only lasted a second but would have lasting effects. He always imagined his parents marching off to do their duty during the war but it was obvious the war was not something they wanted. What they truly wanted was to hold Peter, watch him grow up, and for that, Peter could actually feel their love for the first time. "Thank you," He said quietly.
"Now that we got that settled, I'm kind of on a crunch for time here so if you could just..." Black nodded towards the webbing.
"Oh! Sorry, um, so sorry!" Peter fumbled to get a knife out of his utility belt. "I thought you were, ya know, a bad guy," Peter laughed nervously as he used his wand to cut the web in one efficient swipe.
"Just don't tell anyone I got my arse handed to me by a bloody owl and we'll call it even," Black jokes as he takes the rest of the webs off himself. "I'm Harry's godfather by the way, I've been helping him try to figure out what's going on with the games."
Peter winced at the sight of his scratched face, "If that's the case, I'd be grateful if you could tell him to stop listening to Moody and blaming me that would be great."
"Mad-eye?" Black frowned.
"Yes, the man has some kind of vendetta against me. He's been egging on the conspiracy that I'm the one that shouldn't be trusted, that I'm the one that put our names in the goblet," Peter huffed. "The guy acts sketchy as all hell and I wouldn't be surprised if he had something to do with it."
"That's a very serious accusation, Peter. Moody is a very reputable Auror," Black replied.
"Yet people can't seem to look past that." Peter said as he stood up, he held a hand out for Black to grab. Black accepted the hand then pulled himself to his feet. "Look, I know what my senses are telling and I don't care who he used to be. That man is up to something and I'd bet everything I have that it has something to do with Harry. I was just an obstacle he had to get rid of."
"Did you see into his mind?" Black asked skeptically.
"No... not exactly. But I get these feelings, ok?" Peter was beginning to get annoyed with explaining himself all the time.
"What do you feel when you read Karkaroff?" Black suddenly asked.
"Nothing nefarious if that's what you're asking, he's just as pissed about the whole thing as the other judges, if not more. Guy's weirdly competitive for Viktor," Peter shrugged.
"If you're right, that's deeply troubling. Moody would never line himself with the dark forces, and Karkaroff was my only suspect," It was weird seeing an outsider actually consider Peter's evidence, but if he knew of his mother's ability then perhaps he trusted Peter's senses by proxy. "I'll have to consider this more later." Black said looking down at his watch, "I have somewhere I need to be."
"Again sorry about the whole... attacking you thing, I need to work on Vader's commands," Peter looked up towards the tree where Vader sat watching them.
"You'll have to tell me how you got your hands on a war owl sometime, didn't think there were any left after the war," Black said with a hint of amusement as he collected his wand, he gave a small salute before shifting into a dog to run off into the dark.
Peter just watched in silence before looking up at Vader, "We really got to work on your aggression."
Now that the animagus had left, Vader was feeling a little remorseful, though not for injuring an innocent man, but for disappointing Peter. 'My apologies, my dear, I will work on my restraint.'
"Next time, don't actually attack unless I specifically say so," Peter rubbed his eyes. He was aware that Vader had a temper, but it wasn't until tonight that he realized the bird had a literal blood lust. Something he doubted Vader had any say in it, it was probably a desired trait to have for an animal used in combat, but that didn't make it any less problematic.
Vader simply nodded. Peter extinguished the light from his wand and began to walk back to the castle, trusting that Vader would notify him if he saw anything suspicious.
[A/N:Been working on this one awhile but school really bogs down my pace, hopping the summer will let me get a few more chapters out.
Whelp, hope you like. It was fun having Sirius show up.
Next chapter I promise there will be dragons, and boy are you guys in for a real treat! :} ]