PART 1: PRONGS
“Take Harry and run!”
James rose from the couch hurriedly, grabbing his wand off the coffee table. His wife scooped up their son and stumbled from the room, looking over her shoulder at James, terror etched into her face.
The door shuddered. James ripped his eyes away from Lily’s retreating form, knowing full well it would be the last time he would see his wife. His hands were drenched in sweat, brain whirling to comprehend what lay beyond his front door...
BANG!
The door gave in. James’ entire body seemed to jolt. He forced himself to look outside, and all the blood drained from his face at what he saw. A pale, snakelike face, colorless save the evil red eyes....Lord Voldemort had found the Potters.
James knew how. Even as he faced his death, cold fury raged through his veins. Peter. Traitor. Sirius’ worried voice ran faintly through James’ head: “It’s Remus. I can’t believe it, but who else?...Make Peter the Keeper! They’ll never suspect....He’ll never suspect. You know how Remus thinks.” James felt a powerful slash of sadness, the strongest feeling yet. The Marauders were dismantled not by some outside power, but by suspicion and treachery. Gone were their monthly jaunts, their earnest vows. James could only hope that Moony and Padfoot would avenge him, and take care of his wife and son. Hope surged through his heart at the thought - Remus and Sirius, his faithful friends.
In the fraction of a second that it had taken James to think this, Voldemort had raised his wand and opened his mouth. James snapped rudely back to the present. Grim-faced, he prepared to meet death. He raised his wand with a steady hand, adrenaline spiking through his veins, and spoke only three words - “They’ll get you.”
PART 2: PADFOOT
Even now, chasing the traitor, wand raised, Sirius’ mind was replaying what he had seen just hours ago. Numb with disbelief, he remembered the scene: his best friend, his “brother”, sprawled out on the floor, glasses askew; beautiful Lily, reaching for her tiny son, even in death. Harry, alive and screaming, blood running down his forehead....
Sirius’ heart clenched. It felt as though a fist was squeezing his chest. Taking a deep, quavering breath, Sirius forced the images from his head and focused instead on the squat figure ahead of him, panting and running at full speed through a crowd of people. Peter....
“Friends forever, right guys?” Peter squeaked, a smile on his chubby, open face.
Sirius rolled his eyes. “What are you, six, Wormtail?” He smacked the smaller boy good-naturedly on the back.
James’ eyes lit up. “No, Wormy’s right. No matter what happens out of school, we’ll always be the Marauders. Friends forever!”
Remus smiled weakly. It was mid-afternoon, but he was still tired from his transformation - the last one he would experience at Hogwarts. “One for all and all for mischief!” he said in his hoarse voice.
The four boys, Sirius included (although he did roll his eyes again), put their hands together. “Marauders,” James said, “One, two, three - MARAUDERS!” His voice was joined by Peter’s, Sirius’, and Remus’.
At that moment, Sirius had thought that nothing could ever change between them, that no matter what happened around them, they would always be together. Through thick and thin, he reflected bitterly. He was getting sick of chasing his old friend through the crowded streets.
“What, Wormtail? Scared of your friend Padfoot? Stop running and face me like a man!” Sirius roared. Peter stopped abruptly and turned around.
“Sirius, why did you do it?” he yelled hysterically. “Why did you betray them? Lily and James, Sirius!” he sobbed. Momentarily shocked by this outburst, Sirius had no time to react when Peter murmured an incantation and a spell shot from the wand behind his back. However, he didn’t miss the genuine look of deep sorrow and terror in Peter’s eyes.
BANG! Sirius was thrown on his back amid screams of terror. Gasping for air, he sat up and looked in front of him. He didn’t register the huge crater, or the Muggles lying motionless around him. All Sirius saw was a severed finger, still bleeding, and a rat’s long tail disappearing into a sewer grate.
PART 3: MOONY
Remus stared at his old friend, who was so thin and dirty he was almost unrecognizable. The werewolf’s mind was whirling.
“Unless you switched...without telling me...” Remus muttered, his eyes boring into Sirius’.
Suddenly, he realized. The revelation hit him like a blow, and he almost staggered back under its weight. Peter...Sirius... Their faces ran through his haggard mind.
Twelve years! Remus thought. Twelve years Sirius was in Azkaban, and the only person who could have saved him - his only remaining friend - had been stubbornly ignoring his instincts! Remus looked at his friend again, ready to see anger and hurt in Sirius’ sunken eyes. He was met only with joyful trust, barely concealing a fury that Remus knew was mirrored in his own. A fury for Peter.
Still in shock, Remus pulled Sirius to his feet and embraced him, trying not to think about how painfully thin he had become. In the background, both men heard horrified gasps. With a sigh, Remus turned to face his three outraged students....
“He’s a werewolf!” Remus’ insides churned at Hermione’s proclamation. Although every inch of him was itching to get at Peter, he calmed himself and began his explanation, giving Sirius a warning look. The hungry gleam in the convict’s eyes did not dull, however.
Half an hour later, Remus’ story was told, his old nemesis was Stunned, and his wand was in his hand, pointing at a childhood friend. Remus glanced at Sirius, expecting to see hard conviction. However, his friend was obviously upset. Sirius’ wand hand was trembling visibly, and as Remus watched, he swallowed, his eyes betraying his inner turmoil. Remus knew how Sirius felt. Staring him in the face was one of his oldest and best friends, squinting up at him in ratlike fear.
Peter Pettigrew looked much the worse for wear. He was thin and looked undernourished, with grubby, pale skin. Even after 12 years, however, Remus could still see the old Peter lurking beneath the greatly changed exterior. Try as he might, Remus couldn’t suppress the feelings of pity and remorse he felt upon seeing his old friend’s face. He knew Peter ought to be killed immediately for what he had done, but it wasn’t going to be an enjoyable or easy task.
“Goodbye, Peter,” Remus said.
“NO!”
Harry had jumped in front of the quivering Pettigrew, and was staring up at Sirius and Remus, his breath coming in gasps. “You can’t kill him. You can’t.”
Stunned by Harry’s resemblance to James, Remus didn’t register Sirius’ protest, Harry’s answer, or Peter’s sniveling thanks.
“...I don’t reckon my dad would’ve wanted them to become killers - just for you.” Harry finally said.
Slightly ashamed, Remus knew the boy was right. James was better than that. He looked at Sirius and saw that his friend agreed. They lowered their wands as one. Inwardly, Remus was relieved - as much as he knew Wormtail deserved it, he didn’t know if he would’ve been able to kill his old friend.
Vengeance is in someone else’s hands now Remus thought.
PART 4: WORMTAIL
“Expecto patronum!” Peter said, at the same time mentally relaying the message he was sending - it was so long he had to read it off of a sheet of parchment:
Harry, this is Peter Pettigrew - Wormtail. I know you do not trust me. You have no reason to. I’m sending you this not to ask for forgiveness or to try to atone for my crimes, because I know I can’t, but to try and set things on the right track for once. To make the right decision for once, even though it’s not easy. I have information that can help you more than you know. I won’t say what it is here, just in case. As soon as you get this, Harry, find Remus Lupin. Ask him to take you to the place the Marauders went right after every full moon. He will know where to go, and also what to say when he finds what I’ve hidden there. I promise you this is not a trap. You won’t believe me, but read the Prophet tomorrow. Something will be...found...that clears Sirius’ name and implicates me. Look, just find Remus. Best of luck.
Concentrating hard, Peter had not noticed his rat Patronus quadrupling in size, but when he had finished, he looked at it in awe. Almost blinded by its intense light, Peter just discerned its tufted tail and thick mane as it ran out of sight. It was a lion. Gryffindor after all.
Heartened by the sight, Peter grabbed his wand and burned the parchment on which he had written his message. Then, he transferred the wand to his other hand, the silver one, and bent it almost double between his thumb and pinky. It stretched farther and farther, and finally, with an almighty crack, it broke. Peter put the pieces back into his robe. Having solved the Priori Incantatem problem, he steadied himself for the task ahead. He put one foot on the balcony’s low railing, hands gripping the bar. Peter would finally get what neither James nor Sirius nor Remus (Prongs Padfoot Moony, his mind chanted) had been able to achieve - vengeance. Peter took a deep breath and threw himself over the balcony. Prongs Padfoot Moony Wormtail!
PART 5: MARAUDERS
Remus was lost in thought as he followed Harry’s slim form down the tunnel. Peter is dead, he told himself, wondering why he couldn’t feel happiness at the thought. With a slight shock, Remus realized that he was the only Marauder left. How ironic, he thought. The werewolf survives.
They had reached the Shack. Remus stepped inside, and with a sharp intake of breath, looked around the room. Curtains were ripped, chairs gnawed, even walls had slashes and gash marks. Even now, it was hard for Remus to believe that he had done such damage. Of course, that was before his friends had become Animagi. Peter included, he admitted. But that didn’t matter anymore. Things had changed, people had changed.
“Professor Lupin?” Harry said, cutting into his thoughts. Remus looked down at the boy (although it wasn’t nearly as far down as before - Harry had grown a lot) and noticed his concerned look. Not that it was surprising, as Remus had been standing motionless for a good thirty seconds.
Remus coughed. “Harry, do you remember exactly what Pe - Wormtail said?”
“Yeah, he said that I had to find you, because you would know what to do. He said you were to go to the place the Marauders went after you...er...transformed.”
“Of course...” Remus mused, a slight smile on his face. “Follow me, Harry.”
But Harry hadn’t moved. “Look, sir, do you really think it’s safe? I mean, it’s Wormtail....He’s betrayed you before.” Harry’s voice shook with anger.
“I know, Harry, I know. It’s been bothering me too. But Wormtail’s dead now. What possible gain could he get out of tricking us again?” Remus swallowed, then continued bitterly, “He felt no more loyalty to Voldemort than he felt to us, I am sure.”
Harry’s face relaxed, and he followed his old professor through the Shack.
Remus knew what Peter had been talking about. There was a cabinet in the back of the Shack, filled with bandages, potions and salves. Every morning after a full moon, James, Sirius, and Peter would grab everything they could from the room and return to nurse Remus back to health. The cabinet was enchanted so as to be impervious to even Remus’ strong teeth and claws.
Remus stood in front of the cabinet, which, in stark contrast to the rest of the demolished room, was shiny and unmarked. He smiled as he remembered Madam Pomfrey’s surprised exclamations the first time the Marauders had accompanied him on a full moon: “Why, Remus, you’ve patched yourself up so well, there’s hardly anything I have left to do!”
Bringing himself back to the present, Remus retrieved his wand and muttered, “Alohomora,” trying not to look at his haggard, gray-haired reflection in the glass. The doors sprung open.
Remus motioned Harry forward and they both rummaged through the shelves. “Look for anything out of the ordinary,” he instructed.
After a few minutes, Harry gasped and pulled out what was unmistakably a Golden Snitch, although one of the wings had been torn off. The little ball’s surface was also slightly cloudy, lacking the usual shiny sheen. Its wing beat futilely in Harry’s palm. In spite of himself, Remus laughed at the sight, his hoarse voice filling the dank and dirty room.
Surprised, Harry gave him an inquisitive look. “Er...?”
Remus laughed again. “You remember what you saw in that Pensieve, right? Your father, playing with a Snitch?” Harry nodded. “Well, Sirius got rather tired of James’ showing off, so he nicked the Snitch from James’ pocket one day, chopped off one of the wings, and charmed it to say...er...rude things whenever James touched it. Your father got quite a surprise the next time Lily Evans walked by and he pulled out his Snitch to impress her!”
Harry smiled. “So...Wormtail had it?”
Remus frowned, thinking. “I expect so. James eventually threw the thing out. Wormtail must have retrieved it. You saw how he was about James - Peter hero-worshipped him.” Remus didn’t notice that he had said Peter, not Wormtail.
“But what are we supposed to do with it?” Harry wondered, oblivious as well. “I mean, it’s just a Snitch, right?”
“Maybe not,” Remus said, taking it from Harry and examining it. “See how cloudy it is? That’s not from Sirius’ spell.” He shook it and was surprised to hear a faint rattling inside.
“There’s something in it!” Harry exclaimed.
“Yes, but how to get it open?” mused Remus, squinting at the tiny ball.
Harry gasped in memory. “Wormtail said you would know what to say!” he exclaimed.
Puzzled, Remus furrowed his brow, looking at the Snitch. I would know what to say? Suddenly it came to him, in a rush of emotion so strong he almost had to sit down.
“Of course,” he breathed, unaware of Harry’s confused look. “Of course.”
Clearing his throat, which had tightened uncomfortably, Remus held up the Snitch and said in the clearest voice he could manage,
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”
The little ball shuddered, and then opened along a crack that had before been invisible. Inside was a scrap of parchment, laboriously rolled up so it would fit. Peter.
Remus smiled. The Marauders lived on after all.
THE END
A/N: Thanks for reading! Just for the record, I'm not a Peter fan. I think he's one of the most interesting characters in the Potterverse, though, mostly because of his betrayal. Anyway, feedback is greatly appreciated! Like I said, I'm a newbie, so suggestions are very welcome!
All For One by Astarte
Chapter Notes: Just a short piece about the Marauders, focusing on their oh-so-fascinating friendship. I'm a newbie, so bear with me! I hope you enjoy it.