Chapter - 10 : Secrets and Surprises

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"I don't know why he never got a trial, but I really want to help him," Harry said, trying his best to sound innocent and earnest. "Mum always said he didn't betray the Potters and now that she's dead he's all I've got."

"Well, Mr Aubrey," the Auror said firmly. "Your father is entitled to a trial and once Madame Bones hears about this I'm sure she'll arrange one. And as for your story about Pettigrew being alive and hiding as a rat… well, I promise I'll look into that personally."

"Really?" Harry asked, not having to feign the note of surprise and hope in his voice.

Auror Williamson nodded. "Really. I'll go and investigate immediately. If that's all right with you, Arthur?"

"Yes, of course," Mr Weasely said.

"Well then, Mr Aubrey, I'll let you know as soon as I have any news for you," Williamson said, effectively dismissing him.

Harry knew there was no way that any of the adults would let him tag along and capture Wormtail himself, so he resigned himself to leaving it up to the Aurors. It was probably a good thing, Harry admitted to himself. If he confronted his parent's betrayer he would have a hard time not killing the bastard. He certainly wouldn't be able to maintain his pretence of being a harmless ten-year-old boy.

"All right," he said reluctantly. "Thanks for all your help, Auror Williamson. And thank you, Mr Weasley, for listening to me. I really appreciate it."

"Not at all, Orion," Mr Weasley said kindly, placing a warm hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'm sure everything will turn out well. Williamson will have it all sorted out in no time, just you wait and see. But tell me, where have you been staying? If your mother has passed away…"

"I ended up in an orphanage when my mum died," Harry said quickly.

Mr Weasley looked deeply sceptical. "Really? They just let you wander around by yourself, do they?"

"Um…" Harry said.

"Lad, have you been by yourself all this time?" Mr Weasley asked with concern.

Right, of course Mr Weasley would be one of the few wizards sensible enough to question Harry's threadbare orphanage story. Harry heaved a sigh and resigned himself to giving up his prized independence.

The Burrow was just as cosy but far less chaotic than Harry had ever experienced it back in his old world. He wondered at the change, but the lack of explosions and raised voices was soon explained by the fact that the twins were away at Hogwarts.

"You'll be starting Hogwarts in September, won't you Orion dear? Four of mine are there at the moment," Mrs Weasley said as she bustled around the kitchen where Harry, Ron, and Ginny sat at the table. "And then Bill is all the way in Egypt! I do wish he'd settled closer to home. At least dear Ronniekins and Ginny are still at home."

"Mum!" Ron turned red and sank down into his seat.

Ginny giggled. "What's the matter, Ronniekins?"

Harry tried not to stare. He had barely said a word the whole time he had been at the Burrow, too busy trying to use his meagre Occlumency skills to stop himself from having a panic attack. These people in front of him were complete strangers, yet he felt as if they were his closest friends.

"Here you go, dear, eat up!" Mrs Weasley piled a mountain of sausages and eggs onto his plate. "You're much too thin. When I think of you all by yourself, you poor dear…"

Mrs Weasley had reacted exactly as Harry had expected her to when her husband told her of the practically orphaned boy with nowhere to go. She had insisted that Harry stay at the Burrow until the whole matter of Sirius Black was cleared up and nobody at the Ministry had bothered to disagree. But no matter how much she looked and acted like the woman Harry had known, he constantly reminded himself that she was a different person.

"Not the same, not the same," Harry whispered under breath.

"What's that, Orion dear?" Mrs Weasley asked.

"Nothing, Mrs Weasley. Thank you for the food," Harry said quickly.

Mrs Weasley beamed and patted him on the check. "So polite," she said.

Ron rolled his eyes and scowled at Harry. The two had not hit it off. Harry was scared of saying something that would reveal his secret and so said hardly anything at all. Ron had not reacted well when introduced to the son of Voldemort's so-called right-hand man and only glared at him from a distance.

Ginny one the other hand giggled non-stop and acted like the nine year old girl she was. Harry tried not to look at her if he could help it since, when mixed with the memories he had of his ex-girlfriend, it made him feel distinctly queasy.

Occlumency really felt like the only thing that stopped him from having a nervous breakdown. Yet even with his use of mind magic, Harry was nervous and distracted the whole time he was at the Burrow, unable to concentrate on anything for more than a few minutes and biting his nails down to the quick. On top of having to deal with the Weasleys, he kept imagining all the ways things could go wrong, like Wormtail escaping or some corrupt politician managing to get everything swept under the rug. After three long days of waiting, however, Mr Weasley arrived home from work to assure him that everything had gone according to plan.

Williamson had gone to Hogwarts and had caught the rat, confirming to his utter surprise that it was indeed an animagus. He had immediately taken it back to the DMLE holding cells, forced the rat back into human form, and performed the ensuing interrogation under veritaserum. It seemed Wormtail had no defences against the truth serum, as the questioning had not only established that the animagus was in fact Peter Pettigrew, but also that he'd been the one responsible for the deaths of the Muggles, the betrayal of the Potters, and the framing of Sirius Black. Madam Bones herself had gone to Azkaban to retrieve Sirius, who was currently resting in the secure ward of St. Mungo's while awaiting his hearing that would be held the very next day.

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