Manipulation and Bacon

What the Rat Wrote

What the Rat Wrote...

-.-.-.-

It was three weeks after Sirius Black escaped that Peter Pettigrew walked into the Ministry of Magic and asked for protection. Three hours later, his identity finally confirmed, Pettigrew told his story to the astounded officials and aurors.

It had been a fit of righteous fury that had driven him to hunt down his once friend, despite being so heavily outmatched. He'd thought to distract him maybe, just until the aurors arrived, but the aurors had arrived too late. Peter had recognised the spell that Sirius Black had used to kill the muggles and had apparated away just before the lethal explosion hit him.

Unfortunately, in his desperation, Peter had splinched his finger off and landed in the middle of a busy road. Luckily the muggle whose car hit him thought Peter had just walked out without looking and quickly drove an unconscious Peter to the hospital. After a brief explanation that doctors were muggle healers, Pettigrew told of how he'd woken up unable to even remember his own name. The doctors had tried to help him regain his memory, but there was only so much they could do without magic.

He'd spent the last twelve years living as a muggle, not even remembering his own mother. Peter was understandably distraught to discover she had died mere months after his presumed death.

Then, nearly a fortnight ago, it was like a dam had burst in his skull and he found himself remembering everything. What had been the trigger of this sudden recollection? The warnings on the muggle news about Sirius Black's escape. The auror who'd suggested that tactic looked unbelievably smug.

Peter had been amazed at how much he had forgotten, then he had realised how much danger he was in.

-.-.-.-

"Here's your tea," a young auror trainee said, holding it out carefully so as not to spill a single drop. Nothing was too good for this returned hero.

"Thank you," Peter said, taking the steaming mug gratefully. He took a sip and closed his eyes with a sigh of contentment. The woman watched with barely concealed eagerness as her hair changed to black and her eyes flashed grey. This was the famous Peter Pettigrew!

"Mr Pettigrew," Amelia Bones said, coming back into the room, "We're going to need you to write down exactly what happened from 31st October 1971 to present day. It's just a formality I assure you. Rookie, the quill?"

The trainee who was so enamoured with Peter fumbled pulling a self-inking quill out of her robes and promptly dropped it as soon as it was free. An older auror muffled his laugh as she handed it, pink-faced, to the Director.

"Thank you, rookie," Amelia said, managing not to wince at her best – and unfortunately clumsiest – recruit, "You are dismissed." The girl scurried from the Interrogation room, her cheeks red and her shoulders trembling.

-.-.-.-

It had been two weeks after Sirius Black's escape when a very worn, very scruffy looking dog appeared on a healer's doorstep. He was skittish, didn't stay long and never came too close, but the healer's husband was a patient man and slowly managed to nurse the dog back to a point where it didn't look like its ribs were going to pop out its fur. The couple, not young in years but not old either, quickly became accustom to their new furry neighbour appearing in the evenings and scarfing down the nutrient rich food they left out.

Their daughter, a vivacious young woman who lived for her work, had fallen in love with the dog on her rare visits. It made the healer happy to hear her daughter squeal about how she wanted to take the mutt home with her (after a good bath, of course).

The healer had laughed and reminded her there were pesky things like her full-time job and tiny apartment which made it impossible.

The day before the dog disappeared, a letter appeared on the doormat of the healer's house. Her first instinct upon seeing it was to call the aurors but something stayed her hand. She re-read it with mounting dread and slumped against the kitchen countertop. Despair and anger raged in her chest.