Moonlit Bonds

22. The Betrayal

But as the battle drew closer, a terrible truth began to unravel. Whispers and suspicions circled around the Order, doubts that someone within their ranks had betrayed them. The rumours festered until the devastating truth came to light: Peter Pettigrew—Wormtail—had turned traitor.

Moony and Padfoot had been there the night it was discovered. Dumbledore had gathered the few remaining members of the Order in a grim, dimly lit room, the tension thick in the air. The betrayal had cut deep. For years, Wormtail had been their friend, their brother. He had shared in their secrets, their laughter, their victories—and yet, he had sold them out to Voldemort.

"Wormtail," Padfoot muttered bitterly, his fists clenched as they stood outside the meeting room. The name was now laced with venom, a name that once meant something different—a symbol of friendship, loyalty, and mischief. "He's the one who betrayed Prongs and Lily. He's the one who got them killed."

The blood drained from Moony's face as the words hit him. The shock was overwhelming, and it felt like the ground had shifted beneath him. "Peter..." he whispered, his voice shaking. "How could he? After everything? After all these years?"

Padfoot's jaw was set, his fury barely contained. "He found a loophole in the blood magic protection. He sold them out to Voldemort. Lily, Prongs... Harry's life was hanging by a thread because of him."

There was a hollow ache in Moony's chest, a searing pain that spread through him as the betrayal sank in. "We trusted him. Prongs and Lily trusted him with their lives," Moony said, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and grief. "He was one of us."

"He was," Padfoot said, his voice sharp. "But not anymore. He'll pay for what he's done."

The realization that Wormtail had been working for Voldemort, had betrayed their dearest friends, turned their world upside down. Prongs and Lily had died because of Wormtail's betrayal, and it left a wound that could never fully heal.

"He was supposed to be our friend," Padfoot continued, his voice cracking with the weight of betrayal. "Prongs—he trusted him more than anyone. And now, because of him, Harry's been left without a family."

Moony put a hand on Padfoot's shoulder, his own heart heavy with the same anguish. "We can't let this break us. We can't let his betrayal take away what we have left. For Prongs, for Lily—we have to keep fighting."

Padfoot nodded, though his eyes were filled with pain. "For them," he said quietly. "We'll finish this—for them."