Chapter 225: Handing Over the Mouse
Chapter 225: Handing Over the Mouse
"How is that possible?" "It can’t be!" Percy and Hermione said simultaneously.
"Didn’t Peter Pettigrew die at the hands of Sirius Black?" Hermione asked.
"That’s why he had to transform into a mouse to hide. According to the theory, he was already dead. Moreover, after Sirius Black broke into the school, I reviewed the old newspapers about the incident. They reported that Sirius Black was thrown into prison without a trial, which means the exact events of that night weren’t fully confirmed."
"This is just..." Hermione looked angry. "Even the most heinous criminals must be tried before being sentenced. How can the Wizarding World do this?"
"There’s another reason", Percy said, somewhat awkwardly. "The Dark Lord had just been defeated, and everyone needed an outlet for their emotions. Sometimes, procedures weren’t as strict. Plus, my father mentioned that Sirius Black didn’t request a trial after his arrest, so he was sent straight to prison."
"I don’t even know what to say", Hermione muttered, crossing her arms and leaning back on the sofa.
Percy then turned to Liam. "Just these two points aren’t enough to confirm that Scabbers is Peter. Do you have any other evidence?"
"Of course. Scabbers is missing a toe. The largest piece of Peter’s remains found after his supposed death was his finger."
Percy seemed somewhat convinced. Seeing this, Liam pressed on, "Also, didn’t you notice that Scabbers started acting anxious around the time Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban?"
"That’s true", Percy recalled. "What should we do now? Should we report this to a professor immediately?" Percy looked flustered.
"I suggest you send an owl to your father and ask him to come to the school. Since your father works at the Ministry of Magic, having a suspicious person living in your home for a long time could be detrimental if it’s confirmed. It’s best to discuss this with him."
"You’re right", Percy agreed, gripping Liam’s hand tightly. "I shouldn’t have overlooked this. I’ll write to my father right away."
Once Percy had walked away, Hermione asked curiously, "Since we’ve determined the mouse is suspicious, why don’t we just take it to a professor directly? Why involve Percy?"
"On one hand, the Weasleys are good people. If we hand over the mouse, it could cause them trouble, as harboring a suspect isn’t a good thing. On the other hand, this case involved many people back then. The Weasleys are one of the 28 Pureblood Families. They should be able to handle the situation, but if we were to do it, it might not go so smoothly."
"You make a good point", Hermione nodded slightly. "Not to mention, this way we can do Percy a favor. We need as much support as possible for our dreams, and someone like Percy, who is destined to enter the Ministry of Magic, could be a valuable ally."
Hermione glanced at Liam. "Do you think I’m being too pragmatic?"
"No, you’re just growing up", Liam shook his head.
"Oh, here we go with the fatherly tone again", Hermione playfully patted Liam’s back.
After a bit of joking, they returned to their studies. The rest of the day, Liam carried on as usual, but before bed, he added three Soothing Talismans to the cage to prevent Peter from escaping during the night.
The next morning, as Liam was getting ready for breakfast, Percy approached him quietly and said, "Liam, everyone is waiting for you in the Headmaster’s Office."
Liam nodded and went upstairs to fetch the cage. At this point, he no longer needed to hide anything. Taking advantage of Peter still being under the influence of the Calming Charm, he directly poked the wand into the cage and cast a Stunning Spell on Peter.
After tidying up his things in the cage, Liam went downstairs and headed to the Headmaster's Office with Percy. On the way, Liam said to Percy, "By the way, once we go in, you should say that most of the suspicious points were discovered by you. Try to mention me as little as possible."
"Why? This was clearly your discovery", Percy said, a bit puzzled.
"On one hand, I get along well with your twin brothers, and I can feel that your family is good people. I don't want your father to get implicated in this. If you take the credit, your father won't have to bear too much responsibility." Liam smiled at Percy and, seeing his uneasy expression, added, "Also, if Scabbers really is Peter, it might implicate a lot of Ministry of Magic officials involved in Sirius Black's trial. You know, I'm a Muggle-born wizard; I can't afford to offend so many people at once."
Percy stopped and looked at Liam very seriously. "Thank you! You'll be my best friend from now on."
After that, the two walked silently through the corridor without any portraits and arrived at the door of the Headmaster's Office.
"Cockroach Cluster." After uttering the password, the stone staircase began to rotate upward. Liam found himself once again in Professor Dumbledore's office.
However, this time it was different from when he brought the notebook. The office was filled with people. Besides Professor Dumbledore and the Weasley parents, Professor Lupin, Professor Snape, and Professor Mcgonagall were also present. There was also an unfamiliar, broad-shouldered witch with a square jaw, short gray hair, and a monocle.
"My father said he would invite a Ministry of Magic official as a witness. I didn't expect him to bring the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement", Percy whispered.
Amelia Bones. Hearing Percy's introduction, Liam finally understood who the unfamiliar person was. It made sense that she was here, considering Amelia Bones' brother, Edgar Bones, was one of the founders of the Order of the Phoenix, and her entire family was killed by Voldemort. Given this connection, it wasn't too difficult to involve her in a case related to Voldemort's past.
"Very well, young men. Could you explain why you believe this mouse is Peter Pettigrew, who was presumed dead?" Dumbledore asked, sitting behind his desk with a serious expression.
"When Ron gave me this mouse to treat, I asked how old it was. Ron wasn't sure but said he got it from Percy. When I asked Percy yesterday, he told me the mouse had been with his family for twelve years. I mentioned that these mice typically only live for about three years, and Percy seemed surprised. I don't know much more than that, until this morning when he asked me to bring the cage here", Liam said, reciting the agreed-upon story.
Percy then recounted all the questions he had raised the previous day. After listening to Percy, Headmaster Dumbledore gestured for Professor Lupin and Professor Mcgonagall to come forward and examine Scabbers in the cage.
(End of Chapter)
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