The Marauders and the Prisoner of Azkaban

5 | Magical Menagerie

~August, 1993~

Peter Pettigrew

They - Peter, Ron and Hermione - were sitting outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, when Ron and Hermione started shouting.

"Harry! HARRY!"

If a rat could groan, Peter would have certainly done so. He couldn't help but feel uncomfortable around Harry. Especially because of his resemblance to James - it was like his ghost was haunting him.

~~~

1st of September, 1991

"Anyone sitting there?" Peter heard Ron say. "Everywhere else is full."

The person sitting in the compartment must have nodded, because even though Peter didn't hear any talking, Ron walked into the compartment and sat down and then there was silence. Painful and uncomfortable silence.

"Hey, Ron." George said, entering the compartment.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," Ron mumbled.

"Harry," George said and Peter felt his body stiffen. What did he mean by 'Harry'? Not Harry Potter, surely? Ron did not choose to sit with Harry Potter, did he? 

"Did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."

"Bye," Ron and Harry said. Peter heard the door of the compartment shut.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Ron blurted out and Peter closed his eyes in horror. Out of all the people Ron could have chosen to sit with, he had to go and sit with Harry Potter? Why, in the name of Merlin, did Molly and Arthur have to get Percy an owl? He would much rather listen to Percy's blabbing than having to interact with James Potter's son.

"Oh - well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," Ron said. "And have you really got - you know..."

There was a quiet pause. 

"So that's where You-Know-Who - ?"

"Yes," Harry said, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?"  Ron said eagerly. 

"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow,"  Ron said, while Peter felt a painful sensation take over his heart and spreading across his body, making him shiver. That lot of green light happened because of him. That lot of green light meant death. That lot of green light killed Lily and James Potter. That lot of green light destroyed Voldemort.

"Are all your family wizards?" Harry asked after a few moments of silence.

"Er - Yes, I think so," Ron said. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you must know loads of magic already."

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," Ron said. "What are they like?"

"Horrible - well, not all of them. My aunt and uncle and cousin are, though. Wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five," Ron said gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left -- Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."