Though Harry hadn't noticed it immediately that day—his mind preoccupied with the unsettling prospect of attending the will reading of a man he could barely recall—Draconica had donned her mourning attire in accordance with pure-blood customs. This outfit, the only permissible alternative to the standard student uniform required during classes and feasts, consisted of a more conservative black skirt, a black shirt in lieu of the usual white, and no house-colored tie. This left the crest on her robes as the sole marker of her Slytherin affiliation.
Despite the somber attire, which seemed to signal her grief over her late fiancé, the blonde witch remained unchanged in every other aspect. She continued to embody the ice queen persona with a passionate heart that Harry dared to believe he loved. Well, at least she had not acted on those passions—at least not yet.
Meanwhile, the school year carried on at its steady pace. The final week of March dragged on without any significant incidents, a relief for Harry, who hoped for a peaceful end to the year, free from the perilous adventures that had plagued the previous springs.
The first few days of April, however, were anything but dull. April Fools' Day at Hogwarts had never been uneventful, but this year the infamous Weasley twins outdid themselves, orchestrating one of the most prank-filled days in the school's history. According to the rumor mill, caretaker Filch would be cleaning up after the twins for weeks—a rumor that seemed too credible to dismiss.
The following day, just after breakfast, Professor Snape approached Draconica and whispered something to her before they both hurried out of the Great Hall. Later, Harry learned from Draconica herself that Snape was escorting her to Gringotts for the will reading of the late Mr. Gamp. It turned out to be an unnecessary venture, as Gamp had left all of his fortune, properties, and titles sealed away, leaving not a knut to anyone. Even Lucius Malfoy and his barristers were stumped, failing to find a loophole to incorporate the assets into the Noble House of Malfoy through Draconica's marriage contract. Understandably, this left Lucius incensed, while the goblins of Gringotts were unhappy for entirely different reasons.
Sunday, April 3rd, marked the will reading of Remus, but as Harry had no intention of attending, the day blended into any other typical weekend for him. This, unfortunately, meant he would face the repercussions of that reading first thing Monday morning.
As predicted, Violet's letter detailing the events of the will reading arrived with the morning post on Monday. Curious about the identity of this Remus and what he might have left him, Harry opened the letter at once.
The late Mr. Lupin, according to Violet's letter, had been a close friend of Harry's father. This revelation made Harry snort—some friend, he thought, who never bothered to check on his late friend's orphaned son. Violet further indicated that Lupin had been quite poor, and as one of the primary inheritors, Harry received merely over three hundred galleons, along with a chest of old prank items and dusty notebooks from a decade ago, which held questionable value to him. Still, since Mr. Lupin was supposedly a good friend of his father's and had willed him these items, Harry felt inclined to accept them, assuming they were free of any dark magic. If nothing else, he could always discard the unnecessary clutter later.
Returning to the present, Harry realized it was almost time for his first lesson. He quickly folded Violet's letter and tucked it into his robe pocket before finishing his breakfast and racing to the Gryffindor common room to gather his books for the day.
~/ *** \~
Two weeks later, Harry was heading back to the Gryffindor common room from the library late in the afternoon when he overheard the Weasley twins passionately debating something in one of the unused classrooms. It seemed they either forgot to cast silencing charms or assumed they wouldn't be eavesdropped upon. Intrigued, Harry stealthily approached the door and listened in:
"...And I'm telling you, the map has never lied: if it shows something, it's there!" one twin insisted, while the other replied just as fervently, "Then care to explain why Peter Pettigrew is in Ron's room? Last I checked, Black killed him twelve years ago!" Unfortunately, in his eagerness, Harry leaned too hard against the door, which swung open, sending him crashing into the classroom.
"Mischief managed," one of the twins quickly said, waving his wand to conceal the notes they had been studying as they turned to face their unexpected guest. For a moment, the three of them froze, wands drawn, before the twins lowered them with relief.
"Harry, mate, you gave us quite a fright," said Fred—or was it George? "You should really knock next time you come barging in. We might accidentally turn you into something." As Harry picked himself up, he felt embarrassment washing over him.
"Sorry, guys... but I couldn't help but overhear you talking about Peter Pettigrew possibly being here at Hogwarts." The twins exchanged a glance, appearing to hold a silent conversation, before composing themselves.
"Well, since you caught us, I guess we can fill you in," Fred began, handing Harry a large, old parchment. "This parchment is really something special..."
George chimed in, "If you'd be kind enough to, brother."
"Sure. I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good." With a flourish, as his wand touched the parchment, thin lines spread like a web across its surface. Moments later, in ornate green letters, the parchment revealed itself as:
**Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present
THE MARAUDER'S MAP**
As they explained, this enchanted map displayed the entire castle and its grounds, including the location of every individual within. Harry could see himself, along with Fred and George, mapped out in one of the seventh-floor classrooms, while Dumbledore was seated in his office.
"So this is how you pull off your pranks without getting caught?" Harry asked, piecing together their method. The twins exchanged grins and nodded.
"Exactly, but we need you to keep this map a secret," George emphasized.
"Of course," Harry replied, eager to avoid the wrath of the twins—their pranks could become quite infamous if directed at him.
"You better not spill," George warned, while Fred began to pace with newfound excitement. "Now, back to the topic: we noticed something odd lately."
"Yeah, Peter Pettigrew is currently showing up on our map," Fred interjected. "That's kind of confusing, given he should be dead."
Harry frowned, processing the implications. He recalled mentions of Pettigrew from Voldemort's memories—he knew the Dark Lord had referred to him as "Wormtail." It was all beginning to piece together, but he still felt a nagging uncertainty.
"I don't know... it could be a malfunction," Harry murmured. "But maybe you should ask Ron about it? I'm not exactly on the best terms with him right now." The twins nodded thoughtfully, contemplating their next move.
"Right, we'll approach Ron ourselves," Fred decided. "Thanks for your help; we'll need all the eyes we can get."
Harry turned to leave but sensed they weren't quite ready to let him depart just yet.
"You will keep our secret, right?" George insisted firmly.
"Do I need to swear an oath? I won't reveal anything," Harry replied, exasperated by their insistence.
"We won't put you under an oath, but just know the consequences if you do," George warned ominously. Harry nodded, assuring them he would remain silent.
Finally freed from their grasp, Harry made his way back to the Gryffindor common room, his mind racing with thoughts about the latest revelations from the map. The implications of Pettigrew's supposed existence stirred in his mind, particularly why he would remain hidden all these years. It seemed plausible he had been the true betrayer, but despite having skimmed through Voldemort's memories, he found little concrete information about Pettigrew. He shook his head, deciding to set the thoughts aside for the moment; this introspection was threatening to become a headache.
~/ *** \~
In the meantime, Peter Pettigrew was in a precarious situation. He realized the map he had once created with James, Remus, and Sirius was indeed lost in a way, as someone had gotten their hands on it. There was no fooling the map, evidenced by the fact that it had picked up on his animagus form. With an alarming sense of dread, he considered the implications. Silencing anyone who might have caught wind of his presence was one option, but certainly not a wise one. Not only was he unsure he could escape a full common room, such drastic measures would surely announce his existence to the wizarding world.
Dumbledore, too, had put out rumors about Voldemort's survival, currently lurking in the forests of Albania. But perhaps, Peter mused, if he managed to reestablish contact with the Dark Lord, he could secure a place at his right hand for his loyalty. With that thought fueling him, he resolved to flee Hogwarts and seek out Voldemort, all while evading Sirius Black, who surely awaited to settle old scores.
It was a clear night on April 22nd when Peter attempted his escape. Just after the two who possessed the map came too close to revealing him, he scampered out of the castle and navigated through the grounds, barely avoiding the watchful eyes of Mrs. Norris during his escape.
Once outside, Peter felt a fleeting sense of safety before he could activate his apparition. Yet just as he relaxed into the dark, a menacing black dog emerged from the shadows of the Forbidden Forest, its eyes locked onto him.
In the blink of an eye, the situation changed, and Peter found himself cornered, unable to elude the snare of the grim-like canine. Panic surged through him as the dog lunged forward...
~/ *** \~
The next day dawned with Harry enduring Ron's incessant lamenting over the disappearance of his rat. The saga had grown tiresome, but deep down, leaning aside from annoyance, it confirmed his suspicion that Scabbers the rat was indeed the Death Eater known as 'Wormtail.' The rat's flight from Hogwarts indicated a clear disquiet.
Amidst the lunchtime chaos, Harry decided to seek some solace by stepping outside. As he walked towards the Black Lake, he caught sight of a large dog—or perhaps a wolf—on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, watching him intently. As he turned away, the creature seemed to vanish, replaced by a shadowy figure whose details remained obscured.
Before he could react, a flash of red light darted forward, and darkness enveloped him. The spell had struck true...