Secrets Only Trouble Knows - George Weasley

64 - Slipping Through My Fingers

{ A/N: goodbye Prisoner of Azkaban, helloooo Goblet of Fire! Can't believe I'm already about to start Book 4 :')

Also, good news! I finish my finals tomorrow (yay) which means I will have a lot more free time now! I hope to get you guys chapters a lot faster from now on <3 }

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After asking us to believe he and my father would never betray the Potters, my friends and I all gave Sirius small nods, our throats too tight to speak.

Peter Pettigrew then fell to his knees in front of Sirius as if our nods had been his death sentence. He immediately shuffled forward, his hands clasped in front of him as though praying. He began begging at Sirius's feet, but Sirius kicked outward at him.

"Remus!" Pettigrew then squeaked, turning to him instead. "You don't believe this! Wouldn't Sirius have told you they'd changed the plan?"

"Not if he thought I was the spy, Peter," Lupin responded. "I assume that's why you didn't tell me, Sirius?" he added over Pettigrew's head.

"Forgive me, Remus." Sirius replied.

"Of course, Padfoot," Lupin assured him, beginning to roll up his sleeves. "Will you two forgive me for believing you were the spies?"

Sirius and my father both nodded at him, the ghost of a grin flitting across their faces. Then they began to push their sleeves up as well.

"Shall we kill him together, then?" Dad asked, looking back and forth between his two friends.

"Yes, I think so, Fangs." Lupin said grimly.

Peter burst into tears and it was disturbing to watch— he looked like an oversized, balding baby. He begged and begged again, crawling around to everyone in the room, myself included, trying to earn pity. I had to rip the hem of my pants out of his hands while Jasper kicked him for me.

"S-Sirius, Sebastian, w-what could I have done? The Dark Lord... you have no idea... he has weapons you can't imagine... h-he was taking over everywhere! Wh— what was there to be gained by refusing him? You don't understand! H-he would have killed me!"

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Sirius bellowed.

"Died rather than betray your friends!" my father yelled.

Now the three men all stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Peter. Sirius and Lupin had their wands raised.

"But— but—"

"You should have realized," Lupin said quietly, "if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would. Goodbye, Peter."

I immediately turned my face into Jasper's shoulder, not wanting to witness firsthand a death of any kind, no matter how much Pettigrew deserved it.

"No!" Harry suddenly yelled. Shocked, I watched as he ran forward, placing himself in front of Peter. "You can't kill him—"

"Harry, this piece of vermin is the reason you have no parents and the reason Jasper and Nova grew up without their father around." Sirius snarled at him impatiently. "This cringing bit of filth would have seen you die too, without turning a hair."