"What do you want to do?"
Peter sat up slowly, his body trembling as he regained some strength.
His mind raced. He was certain he had only met David once, on the Hogwarts Express. Yet, somehow, David seemed to know him well. Why?
Peter couldn't understand it.
Even his own mother didn't know that he was an illegal Animagus. Only Sirius and Lupin knew that he was still alive. Could one of them have betrayed his secret?
No.
He hadn't heard of Sirius being released from Azkaban. That meant it had to be Lupin.
But he's a werewolf... This doesn't make sense.
Peter's thoughts spiraled into paranoia, his mind scrambling for answers.
"I'm just asking for a favor."
David smiled, his tone eerily calm.
Peter Pettigrew—despite his unimpressive appearance, cowardice, and unremarkable Animagus form—was far from weak. He wasn't on the same level as the four legendary Hogwarts headmasters, but among the general wizarding community, he was formidable.
The truth was, none of the four Marauders were weak.
Even though Sirius had been locked away for over a decade, Peter had spent just as long living as a rat, and Lupin had spent years wandering aimlessly. But if a fight broke out, all three of them could hold their own.
Each was an elite in their respective faction.
And yet, all four of them had met their end in the end.
Each of their deaths was somehow tied to Harry. Even Snape, their longtime rival, had died as well. Would they end up continuing their fight in the afterlife?
Peter shook the thought away and focused on the present danger before him.
"Is this how you ask for help?"
Panting, Peter glared at David with growing unease.
He couldn't make sense of the young wizard standing before him. David's mastery of the Cruciatus Curse was beyond his own. More terrifyingly, he had cast it without a wand. Even now, he hadn't drawn his wand—not even once.
Merlin's beard… This was a student who had entered Hogwarts at the same time as Ronald!
Peter swallowed hard.
"Then how do you want me to ask you?"
David's voice was cold, his gaze piercing.
Peter hesitated, then lowered his head in defeat.
"What do you want me to do? Just say it, and I'll do it."
At this moment, survival was all that mattered.
Even if he had his wand, Peter doubted he could win against this young wizard who could wield Unforgivable Curses effortlessly. And without a wand? He stood no chance.
Fear consumed him.
It had always been this way.
He had asked to be placed in Gryffindor, hoping to learn bravery. He had followed James and the others in their bullying because he didn't want to be the one being bullied.
He had joined Voldemort because Voldemort was powerful—because, at the time, it seemed like the safer choice.
And now, with his life in jeopardy once more, he would switch sides again if it meant survival.
"Do you know the Fiendfyre Curse?"
David's voice broke through his thoughts.
Peter's breath hitched.
The Fiendfyre Curse—one of the most destructive Dark Arts spells in existence.
Once unleashed, Fiendfyre burned relentlessly, consuming everything in its path, even invisible entities like souls. It could take the form of monstrous creatures, moving with a life of its own.
It was nearly impossible to extinguish, except through the use of incredibly advanced counter-curses.
The biggest problem?
It was dangerous to control. One mistake and the caster could be burned alive.
But David wasn't worried.
He possessed a rare talent—Fire Affinity. Controlling Fiendfyre wouldn't be an issue for him.
If he wanted to grow stronger, mastering this spell was the next logical step.
Peter shuddered.
"Y-Yes," he stammered, nodding.
Back when he had secretly joined Voldemort, he had collected numerous Dark spells. Fiendfyre had been one of them.
However, after one attempt nearly killed him, he had never dared to use it again.
"What about the Firestorm Spell?"
David's expression remained unreadable.
Peter's face twisted in confusion. Firestorm?
Then he remembered.
Grindelwald's legendary magic—the spell that had nearly destroyed Paris.
When unleashed, it was devastating, an inferno that even Nicolas Flamel had struggled to contain.
In the movies, it had been shown as blue, but in reality, it was black—darker than night itself.
"No!" Peter blurted out.
He had heard of it, but he had never studied it.
He didn't dare to lie to David.
David's gaze sharpened.
"Then write down everything you know about Transfiguration, your experience with Animagus transformations, and all the spells, alchemy, and potions you've learned."
Peter stiffened. So that was it.
This wasn't about Fiendfyre or Firestorm.
David wanted knowledge.
And Peter had it.
Becoming an Animagus was a highly advanced skill. In this era, only seven were publicly known—Professor McGonagall included.
As for illegal Animagi?
There were Rita Skeeter (beetle), Sirius Black (black dog), Peter Pettigrew (rat), and James Potter (stag, deceased). There had to be others, but their numbers were small.
It was forbidden magic.
McGonagall wouldn't teach it to younger students. Maybe after their fifth year, if they showed immense talent. But even then, it was too dangerous.
One mistake, and the transformation became irreversible.
Yet, somehow, Peter and his friends had done it while still in school.
That meant they had found a way to simplify the process.
David wanted that knowledge.
Peter groaned.
"Everything?!"
David's expression didn't change.
"Everything."
A snap of fingers.
Bang!
Peter's eyes glazed over.
The Imperius Curse had been cast.
Under its influence, Peter couldn't resist. His body moved on its own, obeying David's will.
A desk appeared, along with parchment and a quill.
Under David's command, Peter sat down and began to write furiously.
The Imperius Curse would last for approximately 148 hours—just over six days.
That was plenty of time.
David could renew the spell as needed.
Once he had squeezed every bit of knowledge from Peter, he would return him to Ronald.
After all, knowing the future was one of the greatest weapons of a time traveler.
And Peter?
He was still useful for Voldemort's resurrection.
Without him, there was no telling when or how Voldemort would return.
And David needed to control that outcome.
For now, Peter Pettigrew would remain his pawn.
But once he outlived his usefulness…
David had other plans.
-------------------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
patreon.com/Johnwick007