chapter two; the rat killed my parents? end of year 3
3rd of May 1993
Lyra knew what was happening.
Of course she did. She watched the muggle news, she knew who had escaped, who he was and who he was after.
She knew.
Everyone was walking on eggshells around her, so it wasn't hard to figure out.
She knew Peter Pettigrew had escaped from Azkaban, the first ever may she add, she knew he was the person who got her parents killed. She knew he was after her. He wanted to finish what he started. He wanted to do what Voldemort couldn't.
Everyone was saying this. Okay well not everyone.
She could hear the whispers of her classmates, the low voices, the nervousness that filled their bodies. She could feel it, she could hear it and she could smell it.
Everyone was scared; they were scared of the person they heard Pettigrew was. They heard he was vicious, cruel.. The adults talked about how the war ruined him; how Pettigrew used to be sweet and kind and how he changed.
Nonetheless, Lyra knew better. She heard stories from Lily and James. She knew Pettigrew was a coward. He didn't scare Lyra, not much did. He just made her angry. He ruined her life.
And he was going to pay.
"Ron!" Lyra heard her best friend Harry say as he ran after Ron.
Context: Ron has a rat named Scabbers and right now he is running away.
"Wait !" She yelled, running up a hill, following Ron and her best friends.
Hermione, Harry and I stop at the top of the hill and Ron ends up a few feet ahead. He sits down peacefully and grabs his rat.
"Scabbers." He says.
"Harry, Lyra, you do realize what tree this is." My other best friend Hermione says. And I do know what tree.
What stood in front of me was the Whomping Willow. A ferocious tree that hurt people who tried to get in. It was there to protect and keep people away from my dad, Remus Lupin on his full moon transformations.
"Ron, run!" Harry screamed, nerves evident in his tone. I was about to scream too, but the words caught on my tongue.
All of a sudden, the rat jumped out of Ron's hands and went towards the root of the tree. The Passage Way, Lyra thought suddenly.
Ron followed, as did the rest of them. The four of them dodged the tree's trunks, jumping over and around them. The rat began to slide down the slide near the roots of the tree, so they followed foot.
They ended up in a dark hallway, dirt and dust in every turn and corner. Cobwebs filling every crevice, broken woods laid foot beside them. It was horrible. Lyra's father had to come down here every month?
They kept walking until they hit a room. It was a medium sized room with a bed, curtains, and had a piano covered in dust in the middle. The room looked destroyed; things were broken, wood planks laid on the side, and light shone only through the small window on the side. The room looked scratched. "Scratched by a werewolf."
"Woah. I can't even imagine transforming here. It's so dirty." Harry said sympathetically. He looked around and saw blood on the floor.
"Lyra look. Is this-" Harry started before Lyra cut him off.
"No. It looks newer, if it was his, then it would be old and darker. It's brighter." Lyra said looking at the red blood that was stuck to the floor.
"Than who's-" Ron finally spoke but was cut off by someone's figure stepping into the room. Lyra recognized their scent. James.
"James?" "Dad?" Harry and Lyra said at the same time.
"What are you doing here Mr.Potter?" Hermione finally said.
"Please call me James, Mr. Potter makes me feel old. And I am here for your rat Ron." James spoke, his grin turning wolfish at the end of that sentence.
"Uh why do you need his rat?" Lyra said.
"Because that rat is not just a rat. It's Pettigrew." James spoke and Lyra felt her anger rush through her body.
Peter Fucking Pettigrew.
The man who betrayed his best friends to Voldemort. The person who got her parents killed. The guy who made her an orphan.
"WHAT! What do you mean that's Pettigrew, James?" Lyra asserted, confusion filling her voice.
"He is an animagus, Lyra. We all were- well except Moony." James said with sadness visible in his voice.
"We became one for your dad in 5th year to help with his transformations. That is why we have these ridiculous nicknames."
"Oh. That actually makes sense. Okay let's-" Lyra started as Pettigrew jumped out of Ron's hands.
"James!" Ron screamed.
James immediately drew his wand, casting the spell at the rat as it moved. Finally, it hit him and the rat turned human. Lyra had only seen Pettigrew in pictures from when they were younger.
He looked gross; He looked as if he was a cross between a rat and man. He was dirty, his blond hair was long and looked almost brown. He had rat teeth and he was weird to look at.
James grabbed him and pushed him hard against the piano, his face filled with rage and betrayal.
"James..? My old friend." He said before attempting to run out. James grabbed him and pushed him back.
He turned around to face Lyra and smiled.
"Lyra, look at you. You look so much like your dad, like Sirius! We were the best of friends you know-" He said, coming closer before being cut off by James pushing him once again.
"How dare you speak to Lyra!" He screamed before as Pettigrew tried to run off yet again.
"How dare you talk about Sirius in front of her!" He exclaimed with his wand towards the rat and Lyra doesn't think she has ever seen James so angry.
"You sold Sirius and Remus to Voldemort didn't you?"
"I didn't mean too! The Dark Lord, you have no idea the weapons he possesses. James, what would you have done?" Pettigrew cried out, crawling under the piano and Lyra rolled her eyes.
"I would've died rather than betray them!" James screamed.
Lyra then ran to the door to stop him. Pettigrew grabbed her shoulders and leaned in to whisper in her ear.
"Lyra, Sirius and Remus wouldn't have wanted me killed. Your dads, your dads would have spared me." He stated before James pulled him back yet again.
"You should've realized Peter. If Voldemort didn't kill ya, I would." James spoke with a voice so deep Lyra shuddered.
"No!" Lyra asserted
"Lyra, this man-"
"I know what he did. I know he got my parents killed. But James, you shouldn't be sent to Azkaban for killing this lame excuse of a man. We'll take him to the castle."
"Bless you, bless you girl." He fell to his knees onto Lyra.
"Get off! I am not doing this for you. I said I would take you to the castle, after that the dementors will have you." Lyra spoke.
James then grabbed Pettigrew and pushed him out the door. We followed foot after them.
We walked in the dark hallway again, making sure to grab Pettigrew hard and make sure he didn't escape. He needed to go back to Azkaban for what he did. He deserved to rot.
Once we made it outside, we noticed the sky. It was a full moon. The noise of a wolf howling was soon heard in the background.
"What the-?" Hermione said, turning around. At that moment the aurors came to us and we gave Pettigrew to them. Hermione, Ron, Harry and I made our way to the castle while James apparated home.
***
The next couple days, Lyra began to feel better. Pettigrew was back in prison where he belonged, nothing bad had happened this year and Lyra felt... happy.
She was walking alone in the hallway, her mind in another place when she felt something hit against her. She felt books fall onto the ground and she looked up to see a girl, who looked around her age. The girl had pale, yellow hair, cadaverous skin, and scars planted throughout her face and body. She looked tired, as if she had been running from something. Her most prominent feature, to Lyra at least, was her eyes. They were only brown; but, they were the most beautiful brown. They had a few different colors swirling around and Lyra could get lost in them. And she did.
"I'm sorry! I should have been paying attention." A quiet voice spoke, which got Lyra out of her daze.
"It's fine! I should've been as well." Lyra responded, picking up her books.
"You're that girl who's parents were murdered right? The murderer just got caught again as well?" She said,
"Uhm yeah." Lyra replied.
"I am sorry, that was insensitive." She responded quickly.
"No you're good. I like how blunt you are. I'm Lyra-Lupin Black." Lyra said, putting her hand out.
"Adalia Shaw." The blonde, she knew as Adalia, responded, shaking her hand.
"I can tell we are going to be friends."
"Me too"
What Lyra didn't know then, was that those brown eyes that she loved, would haunt her for many years to come.