The Lost Potter-Draco Malfoy

Chapter 9 (Year 3)

A/N- I saw a comment saying that Charlotte should have known Pettigrew's story because she had read the Harry Potter books. First, JKR wrote the books the way they were originally in this story. So, in her story, Sirius Black was the criminal, so Charlotte read that Sirius was the innocent criminal. But in this story, Sirius was seen as innocent and now Peter is the criminal that is actually innocent. Charlotte did not know that Peter was innocent because she read it differently.

Charlotte panted she had lost the rat, but she was sure it was Pettigrew. How many rats only have one finger? She gripped her wand and pointed it straight out in front of her.

"Peter Pettigrew! I know you're here! I saw you! Come out! I'll find you!" She shouted; she wasn't sure if her voice sounded as nervous as she actually was. She heard the bushes shake from her left, and she jumped, pointing at the bushes.

"Pettigrew! Come out!" Charlotte yelled; she saw a pair of hands push the bushes apart. Peter Pettigrew stepped out of the bushes. He grinned at Charlotte. His face was too pale, his hair was long, up to his chest, but they were also some that were different lengths. He was skinny, the clothes were too big for him.

"Charlotte Potter, you look just like your mother." He laughed. He didn't seem like the weak, scared Peter she always read and saw in the movies.

"Stay back! I'll shoot you!" Charlotte yelled; Peter threw his head back, laughing.

"Then why did you call me? Why did you come running into the forest after me?" Peter asked as he started circling her.

"Because I needed to know,"

"Know what?" He asked, still smirking.

"I needed to know if you are actually a criminal." His grin slipped as he stopped pacing her and faced Charlotte instead.

"If I tell you, would you believe me?" Charlotte bit her bottom lip as she thought about it. The story Fred told her made little sense, but only Pettigrew know the answers. She had to trust her gut, and it was telling her to listen to him, but she needed to ask him one thing first.

"Do you have the mark?" She asked,

"What?" He asked.

"Do you have the dark mark? Lift up your sleeve and show me." She said, using her wand to point at his arm. Peter pushed his sleeve back and showed Charlotte his arm. Charlotte expected a dark mark. She was waiting for it, but no, all there was, on his arm, was pale dirty skin.

"But-but?"

"What? Dog got your tongue?" He laughed, his eyes twinkling mischievously. He used to tell that joke to Sirius.

"But everyone thinks you betrayed them? Did you?"

"Of course, I didn't!" He yelled at her, she jumped back in freight.

"Sorry," he said, breathing deeply to calm himself, as he ran a had threw his long hair.

"Tell me the story, please." Charlotte said,

"I will tell you when you put your wand down," Peter remarked, as he sat down and leaned against a tree. He crossed his legs and yawned as he waited for her to put her wand away and sit down in front of him.

"Now, tell me." Charlotte said.

12 years ago, Flashback-

"What do you mean gone! He can't be gone!" Peter heard someone yell. He opened his eyes weakly. He had passed out from the pain of his finger being chopped off earlier today. Every day for two years, Antonio Dolohov had come and cut pieces of Peter's hair, so he could pretend to be him, using the Polyjuice potion, and spied on the Order of Phoenix, and beaten Peter hard that he never could escape, but now he had just enough strength to stand up and walk to the cell bars.