The War- Part One
October 26, 1981.
The Order sat around the cheap table at Godric’s Hollow. It wasn’t as if James and Lily couldn’t afford a better one. James had a fortune from his parents, and Lily hadn’t exactly grown up in poverty either.
Even if they were broke, Sirius would have loved nothing more than to purchase a hideous solid gold table or a horrendous one that would transform into a dragon if someone sitting around the table has told a white lie. He’d claim that they were doing him a favor, and that he needed a way to get back at the most noble and most ancient house of Black, and an amazing “fuck you” would be funding the purchase of a table to a disgraceful wizarding family and his muggle bride. Not to mention the Sirius would also faint from excitement at the chance to go do “muggle activities” with Remus.
The cheap table was practically destroyed at this point. James had an awful habit of carving his nails into the nearest surface when he was overwhelmed, leaving long, deep scratches, like those of a misbehaving cat. After all those years as Hogwarts, Sirius had also adopted this habit, after years of James screaming at him that he should not be slicing into his hand with his dull thumb nail whenever he was nervous. The table was stained with spills from various concoctions from years of use, leaving variegated splotches around the circle.
It had also appeared to develop some magic of it’s own, and stubbornly leaned away from Peter at all costs. Lily liked to joke that it could sense who was most likely to discolor it again, and was trying to run away from clumsy Peter and his proclivity for spilling things.
The room was tense and silent. With every meeting there were less and less of them, with members being killed or disappearing with every passing day. Dumbledore had specifically called them here today, for an unknown reason, but he wasn’t exactly the explanation type. The weather was a cliche, but fitting rainstorm. The lightning and rain pounded as Dumbledore rose from his chair to speak.
“Thank you all for being here today and for not dying yet.”
At the very least this sentence was bizarre, and alarming, but Remus couldn’t help but find it darkly hilarious. He glanced up, hoping to meet Sirius’s eyes, but his boyfriend was infatuated with restraining the Potter’s horrendous cat on his lap.
“You have all made your respective journey’s here today, because I have told you to do so. And for doing so, you all deserve a reward.”
Lily half expected Dumbledore to throw lemon drops or some other candy at her. Harry cooed excitedly as Dumbledore’s reflective silver robes swung about as he gesticulated wildly.
“The war will be over soon. Voldemort will be vanquished and we may all return to our respective affairs.”
Peter gasped, as if the world was going to end, and he needed to absorb all of the oxygen left. Sirius stood up rapidly and pulled Remus into his chest, reaching up to kiss him, forgetting about the cat, who hit the floor with a concerning thump. James began to sob and LIly put a comforting arm around him, but let out a few hidden tears onto the top of her baby’s head.
“But how, sir? Isn’t you know who the most powerful wizard of all time? Dark wizard-I mean. You are obviously more powerful, sir” Peter chattered nervously, resembling the pudgy boy from first year.
“Funny you ask that Peter. The thing is, my dear boy, is that we had all knew Voldemort- please refer to him by his name next time, Peter, was not alone. It would be impossible for him to be working alone. He simply knew too much. It would not be possible, but you know that, don’t you Peter? You know he couldn’t be working alone.”
James shot a confused glance at Remus who looked even more confused than he did.
“Did you find out who Voldemort’s spy is” questioned Sirius quietly. He didn’t want to look at Remus, he had his suspicions, and every night prayed he was wrong, but was so worried that he was in love with a dark traitor. It would be so fitting. Of course a Black would fall in love with someone evil. Someone who was like him. Bad. Rotten. Black.
“Well no Mr. Black. But by the end of the afternoon, hopefully they will be off to Azkaban. Now, I must apologize for doing such a thing, but it was for your own protection, all of you. I do wish to offer my most sincere apologies, for not thinking of this type of solution a bit sooner, but I was never talented at brewing potions, and this is not the type of thing I could leave up to anyone else, because even those with the best intentions can become a tad misguided. And I do apologize, but I believe I know who the spy is, but at risk of preserving relations if I am wrong, everyone in this room has now consumed an appropriate amount of Veritaserum, yes you too Moody, please finish your tea and we can get on our way.”
“But Sir!” Lily chattered “How do we know that no one has taken the antidote, or is resisting the Veritaserum by closing their throat. It isn’t exactly reliable you know, there are hundreds of stories of guilty wizards who were proclaimed innocent because they just didn’t drink the potion”
Sirius had another thought, a darker one, that he hadn’t intending on sharing, but the Veritaserum had apparently worked quickly with him “We don’t know if Veritaserum is effective upon werewolves. It is assumed that dark creatures could resist any sort of thing, so it may not be reliable if the spy is a werewolf”
Remus whipped his head around, hurt, and also under the influence of truth serum, “Are you fucking kidding me Sirius. How do I know that you’re not just returning to true Black instinct and going back to what you have inside. It wouldn’t surprise me. I knew you were dark from the moment you used me as a weapon, and dark people don’t change.” Remus clasped his hands around his mouth in an desperate attempt to keep the words in.
Dumbledore seemed unphased by their fight, and turned back to Peter with an angry stoicism.
“Peter, are you the servant of Voldemort? Are you the traitor to the Order?” Dumbledore asked calmly, as if he was asking a group of four third year boys if they had really charmed the Great Hall’s floor to become ice.
Peter squirmed, desperately trying to keep his mouth closed. The room fell silent as Peter twitched furiously, as if he was seizing. A moment of clarity reached him, and in seconds Pettigrew had turned into his rodent form, and was desperately fleeing to the door.
Everyone was frozen as they realized what was happening.
Peter. Their Peter. Sweet innocent Peter. The boy who had been through it all with them. Who had given up so much and was always a constant. He had never stopped to complain, and never asked for anything in return. The boy who sat with Sirius the first nights of Hogwarts when he had knew his life would be destroyed for being in Gryffindor, when he couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to cry in front of new people. Peter had brought him a snack and listened as he cried, just so he wasn’t alone. He was there through the pranks and the secrets and the drama. He was there every time James asked out Lily, and was there every time he got shot down, and pretended it didn’t hurt. He was the first person who Remus and Sirius came out to, each on separate occasions and was supportive and helpful and didn’t make them feel ashamed of any such thing. He was there every single morning after the full moon, and every night after he became an animagus. He would compile the notes taken by James, Sirius, and himself into something usable, and take them to Remus, and sit with him until he felt like a person again. He was kind and dependable and an amazing friend.
Dumbledore didn’t look surprised. He calmly lifted his wand and snatched Peter, bringing him back to human form. He cast thick ties around his arms and legs, attaching him to the chair and seizing his wand.
“I have yet to hear an answer, Pettigrew.” Dumbledore said quietly.
An evil grin crept across Peter’s face, so menacing and confident it was hard to believe that Peter had produced it.
“Yes I am. I am the servant to the noble Lord Voldemort. He has given me power, and he will control all. Kill me, send me away, it’s too late. You cannot stop such a wizard.” Peter grinned manically.
The entire order was stunned. No one moved, no one knew what to do.
James heaved himself onto Sirius who stood pale with rage. All joy had left his eyes, as he stared at the man who had destroyed so much. Remus was stunned. Out of everyone he would have never suspected Peter, it was hard to believe that Peter was even capable of it, and it surprised Remus that Voldemort had a use for him.
Dumbledore cast a patronus and in seconds a fleet of aurors had arrived. Wordlessly they took Pettigrew away, who was now manically laughing. Everyone else had assumed a seat. Some people were crying, but most were silently staring at nothing in particular, unsure of what to do. What now? What’s left? How do you move on?
Remus wordlessly sat next to Sirius. He grabbed his hand and gently rubbed his thumb against his palm, reassuring and apologizing and trying to fix everything. Sirius gave him a gentle smile. There were a lack of formal apologies during the war. There was too much to say, and so much pain. Some things were easier left unsaid.
After an unknown amount of time, it may have been five minutes, but there was an equal chance that is was three hours, Lily asked, “Albus, what do we do? Voldemort is still out there. We aren’t safe. He no longer has a spy, but what do we do? Is Harry safe? We can’t know how much Voldemort knows?”
James pulled her into his chest as she collapsed into tears. In moments they were both sobbing, the exhaustion and pain of the war finally hitting them. The goddamned war had taken almost everything they, and all the others in the room had. It was too much. Too much. Too much.
“You are all safe for now. The war is not over, but will soon be. Get some rest. Live to fight another day. There won’t be too many more days. Goodness will be restored.” Dumbledore said with a twinge of sadness to his voice. “The hard part is over. Take comfort in your safety. Take refuge in your life. You existed another day, and that is a win in and of itself. We will win, even if we do it one day at a time.”
BLESS YOUR HEART FOR READING. YOU ARE ASTOUNDING AND I LOVE YOU. I AM SO UNBELIEVABLY SORRY FOR UMMMM NOT WRITING AT ALL, BUT WE BE BACK Y’ALL