Author's Note: I am so short of time lately, so this chapter is going to be painfully short. I still hope you enjoy it though!

From the Past, Chapter Seven

So this was it, Peter thought as he listened so closely to Remus' story. This was why the older Lupin was so amazed to see him, and wasn't talking to him much. Sirius murdered me…and James for that matter. Peter listened to the story, and watched as Remus showed him the newspaper clipping, which provided proof to the tale. All of it was true.

"And that's all I know," Remus finished sadly, trying to see Peter's reaction. Peter stayed silent for a moment. Then he lifted his head and looked straight at Remus.

"Well, you know what we have to do then, don't you?" he asked.

"What do you think we should do?" Remus replied simply. The answer came so quickly to Peter, it was entirely without question. He stood up, making a point of not letting Remus see the candies he had stolen earlier.

"We'll have to kill him first."

"What?"

"Before he gets us I mean," Peter elaborated. They would have to kill Sirius before he could kill them, it was that simple. Then everything would be fine, and the world would have one less murderer to worry about. Peter sat back down quickly, trying to continue his plan in his mind before saying it out loud. Remus was listening so intently to him - this was new. None of the Marauders had ever paid much attention to Peter, and now Remus looked at him as though he was the most important thing in the world. It felt nice.

"Do you actually think he did it? Maybe he was framed…" Remus tried to reason. He assumed that was also what Peter would think, but Peter's view only made Remus surer of his first impression.

"He's probably been planning this for years!" Peter said quietly, yet as dramatically as he could. "That's why he made friends with us - we'll all probably be working for some important group when we're older, and he probably already knows about it!"

"He was he person who gave us the time traveling device…" Remus whispered to himself. "You don't think-?"

"-He wants to do it soon. God…he's probably been planning this forever, probably with Voldemort! They all obviously know!"

"Wouldn't they stop him though, Peter? I would, I know that I would!"

"Why would they? How would they even know?"

"Well…it's already happened before," Remus replied.

"No! You said it yourself - James and Lily were killed at home, after their son was born. James and Lily aren't married yet, and I'm pretty sure that they don't have any children."

"Then…what's going on?"

"Well, Sirius was sent to Azkaban, right?"

"Yeah, but I don't know what - oh!" Remus cried, surprisingly loudly.

"Exactly. He doesn't want to be sent to Azkaban this time, so he's changed everything. It must be a new plan…and it probably has something to do with Voldemort, too!"

"That's another problem. Who's Voldemort?"

"I don't know," Peter replied. "But he doesn't sound very good."

"Do you think that…even with the new plan…it would still have to do with Voldemort?" Remus asked.

"Yes, I do. How far do your newspaper clipping go?"

"Just until Sirius escapes the Dementors from Hogwarts."

"Of course!" Peter shrieked loudly, not caring whether anybody else would hear their conversation. He felt so important. There was silence, while both waited for each other to say something. They simply started at each other.

"Of course what, Peter?"

"That's why he escaped…he must have helped that Voldemort guy!"

"But…these say that Voldemort is supposed to be dead!"

"Then what about this Harry Potter figure? He seems to think that Voldemort is still around."

"Oh, no."

"What is it?"

"What if he wants to kill Harry Potter also?" Remus asked, shifting uncomfortably as a piece of his skin bubbled.

"Of course he does. You weren't there, but Sirius did look at him really strangely when we all met."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"That Dumbledore guy seems to think he's around, also. It says he's the Headmaster of Hogwarts. I wonder what he did to get that job."

"Do you think he's in on it?" Remus questioned.

"You mean…helping Sirius?"

"Yeah."

"Probably not. Otherwise he would have killed Harry Potter by now."

There was more silence. Peter stood up once again and paced around the room. He had seen this done in Muggle plays and films, when the detective character would just keep walking around, trying to figure out a way so solve whatever problems there may be and save somebody. Peter felt almost like a movie star, and was enjoying it far too much.

"It's just…" Remus began.

"What?"

"Why wouldn't Professor Riddle figure it out?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you'd think that he would be able to time travel also, wouldn't you?"

"I don't think he knows, Remus. He would have helped."

"But he always knows what's going on! He knows everything, even before it happens. Don't you think he'd see this coming?"

"I'm not sure. I do know one thing though."

"And what's that?"

There was a knock on the door, and the older Lupin peeked his head inside. Thankfully, all of the clippings had been put away. He walked further into the room.

"Finish up…I think everybody should get some sleep."

"I'll be right out," Peter told him. Lupin nodded and left.

"What were you saying, Peter?"

"Professor Riddle is going to be less one student when we all get back to Hogwarts," he replied as he left. When he was out the door he made sure that it was closed tightly, and then slowly pulled one of the candies from his pocket, placing it into his mouth. He thought to himself:

Yeah, Professor Tom Riddle will sure be less one student when we get back there.