Harry Potter and Death's Mystery

Chapter 26

—Disclaimer, a little cursing in this chapter—

An eerie silence filled the room, Remus, James, and Sirius staring at Peter. Peter shifted uncomfortably in his spot, fiddling with his thumbs behind his back.

Gawain didn't follow Peter inside, instead shutting the door with a loud band that interrupted the silence and echoed the room. After the echo seized, their lips remained title shut, as if they had been sewn together. 

James, the person most discomfited by silence, shifted awkwardly on the balls of his feet. (Sirius used to be worse with silence, but twelve years in Azkaban can change that.) "Peter Pettigrew." The name tasted odd on his tongue.

Peter didn't move from his spot by the door, and didn't utter a single word.

"Well, speak!" Sirius exclaimed, glaring at Peter. "When we saw you years ago in the Shrieking Shack you had the audacity to speak about James to Harry. Well, James is here, say what you want to him."

Peter shivered slightly. "H–he has great powers, you know." He stammered out, "Irresistible—"

James managed to stop bouncing in his spot and frowned, "That's not the words you should be saying to someone who's thrice defied him."

His expression would have been tied nicely together with praying hands, if they hadn't been cuffed behind his back. "I–I'm sorry."

His three former friends glared at him, and James even crossed his arms. "Sorry isn't going to allow me to watch my son grow up, now is it?"

Remus spoke for the first time since Peter entered; his voice was quiet, but cut through the air like Diffindo. "It doesn't even sound like you truly mean it." He met Peter's eyes, "You ruined all our lives, and all you can think of to say to him is 'Sorry?'"

"You don't understand!" pleaded Peter, "I–I needed to! They would have gotten me, if I had not—"

"We would've protected you!" James shouted, his raised voice echoing just as loud as the silence had. "We would've done everything to make sure you had been safe. Yet, you go and stab us behind our backs, and you dare to apologise and make up some silly excuses! You were our friend, Peter!"

"I'm sorry for wanting to stay alive," Peter snapped. His voice lacked his characteristic stutter, which took the others by surprise, "I'm sorry for doubting our side in the war. I'm sorry for lacking faith. I did what I had to!"

Sirius had to be held back by Remus not to pounce on the rat. "You had to sell Lily and James to Voldemort? You fucking had to?"

After Sirius's yelling, James's voice seemed quiet, like it was broken. "So–so, you have no remorse?"

"I–I was just trying to live."

James stormed past him, and flung the door open. "Get out." He said sharply. "Have fun in Azkaban, Peter."

Gawain was still right by the door, and took a hold of Peter's cuff. "Let's get you back to your cell."

Once Peter was out of sight, James collapsed on the floor. "I can't believe we ever trusted him. That fucking bastard."

Sirius knelt down next to James and offered him his hand, though his own head was filled with rage as well. "The best thing to do is let him rot away in Azkaban." He shook his head slowly, "If anyone deserves the place, he does."

Remus took James's other hand, and the both helped him up. "We'll never understand villains and how their twisted mind works," Remus said, "But all we know is that karma's found Peter, and we all know karma's a bitch."

■■■

"You're back quickly," noted the pink toad as Peter was uncuffed and thrown in his cell, "Did you find a way out?"

"We already told you you're not invited in our evil plans." Rodolphus rolled his eyes. "But really, did you get any hints or clues?"

"Where in the Ministry did you even go?"

Peter piped up after the series of rapid-fire questions. "I–I visited my fr–fr–friends."

Rodolphus frowned, "Your friends?"

"Former friends," Peter corrected. 

"So, escape plan?" Rabastan asked, even though he had been the original one to change the topic, "Maybe we can blast a hole between our cells, get Peter into ours, he can turn into a rat, pick the lock, and let us out? Good plan, good plan." He gave himself a high-five.

"No," rebuked his brother, "Not a good plan. How do you plan on blasting a hole in the wall? Do you know the number of enchantments set in place here?"

"I – I'm not sure any of us know enough non-verbal magic to do that." Peter reasoned.

"So, pretty much we just need one of our teachers?" The three's eyes turned in unison to Umbridge. "Did you ever teach non-verbal magic?" Rabastan asked slowly.

"I taught Ministry-approved lessons." She stated pompously, "There were no practical lessons needed."

The three other prisoners groaned in unison. "So, Umbridge is useless like always." Rodolphus said. 

"We'll come up with an idea," his brother reassured him, "I remember Peter and his friends always had outrageous plans, maybe he can figure one out."

"I never planned anything," Peter admitted.

"Great, we really are stuck."

"Shut it, Rodolphus."

I hope I did the Marauder meet up scene justice.

-Maddy