The Marauders: Year Six Part 2 #Wattys2017

Throwing Stones

Throwing Stones

Peter Pettigrew knocked upon Minerva McGonagall's office door. He stood, timidly shifting his weight from foot to foot and clutching the purple velvet bag that carried his divination crystals. He looked nervously down the hallway and bit his lower lip, his nostrils flared a little. It took several moments before the door opened and it was not Minerva McGonagall who stood in the frame but, rather, Elphinstone Urquart. He raised an eyebrow at Peter a moment, then stepped back, pulling open the door so Minerva, who was pacing before her office floo, could see who had come to visit.

"Peter," she said, her voice thick with the Scottish accent. "What are you doing here, my boy?"

He was still breathless from running down the stairs, and having a hard time catching it, too, because of how worked up he was. He had been being rather lazy, eating some of Remus Lupin's chocolate from the hollowed book on the bottom shelf, and thought he might use the stones to check on how his friends were doing. Peter had sent an owl to James without hearing back. He understood. Holidays were rather busy and with Remus and Sirius there, surely James was extra busy and just didn't have time to write Peter back... So Peter had been throwing the stones... and what had cast terrified him.

"I was hoping you could answer a question I had about my stones," he explained, holding up the bag.

Professor Urquart looked wary, "Mr. Pettigrew, isn't it?"

Peter nodded.

"This isn't the best time. I'm sorry. Professor McGonagall's currently acting as the Deputy Headmistress as Headmaster Dumbledore is away..." Urquart hesitated. He didn't want to tell Peter too much. Dumbledore had specifically told them not to alarm any of the students while he was away and Peter looked alarmed enough already - bit twitchy, this one.

Peter looked crestfallen. "But it's sort of --"

"Mr. Pettigrew," McGonagall's voice cut him off, stern, "I will speak to you first thing in the morning. I haven't the time right at the moment." She had an apology in her voice.

"Yes Professor," Peter relinquished, looking sorry.

"Thank you, Mr. Pettigrew," Urquart said.

Peter nodded and Professor Urquart closed the door.

Inside the room, he returned to Minerva's side. She was clutching the blue china tea cup - James Potter's reparoed tea cup, which still bore a crack on the lip on the far side, a piece that had chipped away from a fall she did not remember it having taken... She sighed when Peter had left and returned to her pacing.

"Min..." Elphinstone said gently, "It'll be alright. Albus will get to the bottom of it."

She couldn't still herself though, and eventually he simply sighed and waited quietly, just as nervous, for word from the rest of the Order on what to do.

Peter, however, was done waiting.

He went to the dormitory and he threw himself onto his belly and pulled his book bag out from under his bed. Without much show of it, he upturned it over the bed so that the books fell out and a couple even spilled onto the floor, and he started gathering supplies. He emptied the rest of the chocolate bars from the hollow book into the bag and a couple sweaters, and he put a couple bottles of pumpkin juice in as well. Then he gingerly scooped up his velvet bag of crystals from the bed and he hesitated in the doorway, trying to think if there was anything else he should bring, and finally decided he'd packed at least the things he'd need... and he inched out of the dorms, through the common room, and down the castle stairs. He hesitated slightly at the door, but nobody had cared yet - why start now? And he ducked out the door.