Chapter 827: Wormtail
Chapter 827: Wormtail
"I'm sorry, child. It's my fault for dragging you into this... Live well... and don't do anything bad again."
Peter's eyes snapped open as he jolted awake from his sleep. He pushed aside the covers and sat up, his forehead damp with sweat, and his breath coming in rapid gasps.
Every time he closed his eyes, Peter was transported back to that fateful day. The day his mother had sacrificed herself to help him escape from Azkaban Prison.
Since her death, Peter had been tormented by guilt and remorse, his conscience weighing heavily upon him.
"Live well?" A bitter smile tugged at Peter's lips as he asked himself if he could truly give up everything, disappear, and live an honest life.
It was too difficult.
Far too difficult.
To avoid being discovered by those who knew him, Peter had no choice but to distance himself from the wizarding world and hide among Muggles.
But how could a wizard possibly live like an ordinary person?
Peter knew he couldn't, and he was well aware of his inability to assimilate into Muggle society.
Even Arthur Weasley, who was obsessed with Muggle artifacts, couldn't completely blend in.
Thus, most of the time, Peter relied on magic to deal with the problems he encountered, ensuring he could maintain a somewhat respectable life.
However, frequent use of magic in the Muggle world could easily attract unwanted attention, possibly even from the Ministry of Magic. So, Peter rarely stayed in one place for more than a few days. Like a wanderer, he would often pack his suitcase and set off on a new journey.
After leaving Britain, the language barrier made communication difficult, and Peter's life became even more challenging. He found himself relying on magic more frequently to resolve the troubles he faced.
And with each action he took, Peter drifted further away from being a good person. He knew he couldn't change who he was.
He had probably disappointed her yet again.
The sky was still dark, and the streets outside were shrouded in darkness.
Despite being abruptly awakened, Peter felt no desire to return to sleep. He changed into presentable clothes, packed his suitcase, and prepared to leave like any ordinary traveler once the sun rose.
Suddenly, a familiar crackling sound echoed from outside, causing Peter to react like a mouse whose tail had been stepped on. He quickly hid his wand under the bed and transformed into a mouse himself, scurrying beneath the bed.
A few seconds later, the door to his room was flung open without warning.
Three wizards, their wands at the ready, cautiously entered Peter's room. They swiftly scanned the empty room, their gazes landing on the half-packed suitcase on the bed. They exchanged a glance.
"We didn't hear any noise, so it's unlikely to be Disillusionment Charm," one of the wizards said as he quickly inspected the room for possible hiding places, including under the bed.
"It's a man, and he just left," said one of them, glancing at the clothes in the suitcase. "Any idea who it might be?"
"Not sure, but he's definitely cautious. I doubt he's gone far," another wizard replied, waving his wand at the suitcase and levitating it toward himself.
Before leaving, the trio also lifted the memory charm Peter had cast on the innkeeper.
"Damn it," Peter muttered to himself as he stayed hidden under the bed for a long time after they had gone. He didn't rush to change back to his human form but instead carefully observed his surroundings to ensure there were no remaining threats. Only then did he retrieve his wand from its hiding place under the bed and transform back.
This wasn't the first time Peter had found himself in such a situation.
Using magic freely among Muggles was a sure way to attract the attention of the Ministry of Magic, and this time, his luck had run out. He hadn't expected to be tracked down so quickly.
However, the situation wasn't as dire as it could have been. At least he still had his wand. As long as he possessed it, he needn't worry about his livelihood; magic could easily provide him with whatever he needed in the Muggle world.
Before leaving the inn, Peter discreetly borrowed some money from the innkeeper to avoid being stranded without funds. Using magic recklessly now would be unwise, especially in an area with a high concentration of Muggles. He didn't want to draw the Ministry's attention.
So, after borrowing the money, Peter used the Disillusionment Charm to leave unnoticed.
He reappeared in a secluded alley, wrinkling his nose at the unpleasant stench that permeated the air. With a slight frown, he quickened his pace to leave the alley, stopping at a nearby shop to purchase a sandwich with the borrowed money. Then, he began to wander aimlessly through the city.
In truth, Peter had no idea where he was going or what he wanted to do. Ever since he had left Britain on a Muggle ship, he had been drifting through Europe, mostly trying to stay out of the way of other wizards and avoiding detection.
"What a mess I'm in," he muttered to himself as he ate his sandwich. "I wonder if Sirius was as miserable as I am when he was on the run. No, he probably had it even worse, forced to wander as a dog." Peter's thoughts turned to the one responsible for his current predicament.
He crumpled the sandwich wrapper and tossed it into a nearby trash can before sitting down on a bench in the park, lost in thought.
How had things come to this?
It wasn't the first time Peter had asked himself this question.
If it weren't for Voldemort, perhaps he wouldn't have ended up like this. But Peter dared not hate Voldemort, nor did he have the courage to do so.
So, Peter hated Potter, hated Black, and hated Lupin. He hated how they had dragged him into the Order of the Phoenix, bringing misfortune upon himself.
In fact, Peter had never intended to join the Order in the first place, but because of Potter, Black, and Lupin, he eventually followed them and joined.
And then, the nightmare began! After being threatened by Voldemort and forced to choose between his family and friends, he embarked on a path of no return.
Peter chose his family and betrayed his friends, if they could even be called that.
The betrayal was not just because of the Dark Lord's threat, but also out of revenge against the friends who had brought him misfortune and disaster.
No, they had never considered him a friend.
"Not from the beginning," Peter muttered.
Indeed! He had no way back!
Peter didn't want to live like he was, like a stray dog, always worried and scared, worried that Black would come back to kill him, worried that Death Eaters would come after him.
"Albania."
Peter whispered the name of the place, rumored to be where the Dark Lord was hiding in the forests. If he could help the Dark Lord rise again, those Death Eaters who wanted him dead would have no choice but to accept him back, and the Ministry of Magic, which had taken away his property, would also be punished.
And, Black, Lupin, and the others...
Peter also hated Albert, who had sent him to Azkaban Prison. When he escaped from prison, he had considered taking revenge on Albert.
But Peter eventually gave up. It had been hard enough to escape, and he didn't want to take the risk. Moreover, Peter was actually afraid to seek revenge on Albert. The last time had been too disastrous, to the point that Peter had developed a psychological shadow regarding Albert.
That guy was tough to deal with, insidious, cunning, and with incredibly formidable abilities. He was touted as the young Dumbledore.
Peter suspected that even without a wand, he could still use magic skillfully.
If his sneak attack failed, it would truly be the end, and the most embarrassing part was that Peter didn't know where Albert lived. He might be able to find his location with enough time, but Peter didn't dare to take the risk. He didn't want to die, and if it became known that he was still alive, everyone would surely not let him off the hook. Leaving the UK was the best option.
Perhaps only when the Dark Lord rose again would things be different.
He wouldn't have to live as miserably as he did now.
At that moment, Peter seemed to have made a certain resolve and embarked on a journey to Albania without hesitation.
The journey to Albania was not smooth.
During this time, Peter mostly used Muggle tools, and sometimes he even had to use the Imperius Curse to control Muggles, making them carry him, in his rat form, and his wand out of the country to avoid attracting the attention of witches and wizards.
It took Peter a full week to board a ship in an Italian port and arrive in Albania.
Albania was a chaotic and impoverished country, where the Muggles were poor and the population was pitifully small. There was no Ministry of Magic, and many dark creatures and Death Eaters liked to settle in the Albanian forests.
However, this was a bit overwhelming for Peter.
The Albanian forest wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either, and finding the hidden Dark Lord in such a place wasn't easy. No one knew exactly where the Dark Lord was hiding, so Peter had to search through the forests one by one.
Finding someone was never easy, especially when that someone was the Dark Lord. Trying to locate him was even more difficult.
However, Peter had a rather unique way of searching.
Perhaps due to being an Animagus himself, Peter was closer to other animals, especially rats, with whom he seemed to share a strange affinity.
Whenever Peter transformed into a rat, he could communicate with the forest rats and gather information about the forest, greatly increasing his efficiency in searching for the Dark Lord. After all, no one knew the forest better than its residents.
Peter spent a lot of time searching, but while he didn't find the Dark Lord, he did come across a bunch of dark creatures, especially vampires, hags, and trolls, and even some wizards who had settled there. Yet, he found no trace of the Dark Lord, and although this made him somewhat disappointed, he also knew it was normal. If it were easy, someone would have found the Dark Lord by now, and it wouldn't be a mere "legend that the Dark Lord was hiding here."
Peter didn't give up easily. He was systematically going through the forests in Albania, and he had to admit that the forest area in this country was indeed quite extensive, with at least over thirty percent of the land covered in forests.
Time was slowly testing Peter's patience, but for someone who didn't know what else to do, this tedious task was undoubtedly a good way to pass the time. Moreover, communicating with the rats wasn't that boring, as he always gained a lot of information about the forest under his feet, all for the price of some food.
And, staying in Albania, he wouldn't have to worry about wizards; at least, very few wizards would appear here.
He had decided that if he couldn't find the Dark Lord, he would settle here, away from all the troubles. At the very least, this land was more suitable for him to live in compared to the UK or even Europe.
Indeed, quite a few outlaws had already made their home here.
"There aren't many forests left; could it really just be a legend?" Peter muttered to himself as he looked at the map he had obtained from the Muggles. The map marked several forests with large crosses.
Most legends had at least some basis in truth.
Peter once again arrived at the edge of a forest, and as the sky darkened, the eerie forest loomed before him, but it couldn't deter him. He usually entered the forest under the cover of night.
However, Peter wasn't in a hurry to venture in just yet, as his stomach growled in hunger. He planned to get something to eat at a nearby Muggle hotel and also buy some gifts for his rat friends.
As Peter entered the hotel carrying a suitcase and pretending to be a Muggle, he suddenly heard someone calling his name.
"Peter Pettigrew, you're still alive?"
Peter was startled, his heart pounding as countless thoughts raced through his mind.
He turned and saw a strange woman.
Peter recognized Bertha Jorkins, who worked at the Ministry of Magic and wasn't the brightest witch.
"Yeah, I'm still alive. A lot has happened," Peter mumbled, lowering his gaze. He knew he had to eliminate this potential threat. If Bertha Jorkins returned to the Ministry with the news that he was alive, who knew what would happen?
Perhaps, someone might think that Bertha Jorkins was being foolish, but Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and the other Death Eaters would surely guess that he was still alive and come after him. This was something Peter couldn't tolerate, and he had to erase Bertha Jorkins' memory of encountering him or even kill her.
"I heard that you..."
"Some things are not suitable to be discussed here," Peter interrupted, raising his hand. "Let's go outside and chat. A lot has happened recently."
Bertha Jorkins hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and followed Peter out of the hotel.
The two walked at a brisk pace in the night as Peter began to recount some of the things that had happened to him.
He told her how he had escaped from Azkaban Prison, why he had betrayed the Potters, and why he had turned into a rat and gone into hiding.
"If you were in my shoes, what would you have chosen? To watch your family be killed or to compromise?" Peter said with a bitter smile.
"So, you betrayed the Potters?" Bertha Jorkins asked.
"No, I didn't. I actually secretly hinted to the Potters to flee, to make the mysterious man's plan fail. Unfortunately, they didn't escape in time and were blocked. That's why they died," Peter said, his face filled with irrepressible bitterness and guilt as he tried to portray himself as someone who wasn't that dangerous. "Later, my mother knew I was still alive and felt guilty all the time, thinking that what happened back then was because of her. She felt that her time was running out, so she took a compound potion and died in Azkaban Prison in my place. She hoped that I could live well, so I came here to start a new life."
"Then why didn't you come out to prove that Black was innocent?" Bertha Jorkins asked further.
"I wanted to, but Sirius Black wanted to kill me, and the Death Eaters wanted to do the same. If I had shown up, I would have been finished," Peter countered. "If it were you, would you have done it?"
"After the Potters died, Sirius Black once tried to kill me. I tried to explain everything to him, but Sirius Black refused to believe me and thought that I had harmed the Potters. He used a very powerful spell to try to kill me. Later, our spells collided and blew up an entire street. Injured, I finally turned into a rat and fled through the sewers," Peter explained.
"As for Black's matter, it was purely the Ministry of Magic looking for a scapegoat, after all, quite a few Muggles had died, and they had to give an explanation. Plus, Black was laughing hysterically at the time, so the Ministry arrested him and threw him into Azkaban without a trial," Peter said with a self-deprecating laugh. "Honestly, I never thought it would turn out like this."
"You probably don't know that my mother donated most of the Pettigrew family's wealth to the Ministry of Magic so that she could visit me in prison."
"Really?"
"Of course, it's true," Peter stopped walking and sneered. "Otherwise, how do you think Minister Fudge agreed to let her visit me in Azkaban?"
"How could..." Bertha Jorkins' words trailed off as she saw Peter pointing his wand at her. The next moment, a red light illuminated the night, and Bertha Jorkins fell to the ground, knocked out by Peter's Stunning Spell, paying the price for her foolishness.
(End of Chapter)
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