https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-404-Do-You-Want-to-Hear-Another-Story-/13441676/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-406-This-Must-Be-from-Dumbledore-/13441678/
Chapter 405: Coach... No, Captain, I Don't Play Anymore!
Chapter 405: Coach... No, Captain, I Don’t Play Anymore!
Because Ivan was well aware of this, he was being extremely cautious. He did not want the only witness, Peter Pettigrew, to become another Barty Crouch Jr.
After listening to Ivan’s words, Lupin paced back and forth in the small office, his brows furrowed tightly. After a while, he stopped and sighed.
"Alright, as you say, we do need to be careful. However, even so, we should still capture Peter first. Keeping him around Harry is far too dangerous!"
Upon learning that Peter was currently in the form of a rat, living as a pet with Ron, Lupin was very worried.
That was the Gryffindor dormitory, filled with young wizards who were not much older than children. If Peter were to lose his temper, the consequences would be unimaginable—the street that was destroyed in the past is proof enough!
"I used the Obliviate spell on Peter, making him forget things he shouldn’t remember. Plus, Peter has been a rat for over ten years. Unless he is forced or in mortal danger, he is unlikely to suddenly lash out."
Ivan shook his head, explaining. As long as Peter wanted to stay alive, he wouldn’t expose himself.
Ivan continued, "Regarding Peter’s confinement until Professor Dumbledore returns, I already have a plan. I am making a special cage to hold Peter, it just needs a few more days to be completed!"
Ivan was well aware of how cunning and patient Peter was. Once Peter became wary, it would be difficult to keep him under control.
The only way to be safe would be to cast the Stupefy spell on Peter several times a day, but Ivan was concerned that Peter might starve to death that way.
Therefore, he preferred a method similar to how Barty Crouch Jr. had confined Mad-Eye Moody in the original timeline—creating a specialized cage for Peter and having someone watch over him, or carrying the cage around at all times!
Ivan had already instructed Dobby to purchase the necessary materials, and the cage would be ready in a few days.
According to Ivan’s estimate, it should be ready just in time for Harry and Sirius Black’s meeting. At that point, he could simply lock Peter in the cage and hand him over to Sirius for safekeeping.
Ivan explained his follow-up plan to Lupin, who, after considering it for a moment, said, "Hals, since you have a plan, let’s go with that. If you need any help, just let me know!"
Ivan’s plan was already well thought out, and Lupin couldn’t think of a better way to handle the situation. Changing it at the last minute could lead to mistakes.
However, watching the confident thirteen-year-old young wizard, Lupin was deeply impressed. Ivan was far more capable than he had initially expected.
To discover Peter, who had been hiding for years, using the Marauder's Map, and to boldly contact Sirius Black to uncover the truth was impressive enough.
Moreover, Ivan had even considered the Ministry of Magic’s next moves and had a corresponding plan. Such wisdom and action were hard for Lupin to imagine in an underage young wizard.
After discussing some details, Ivan bid farewell and left.
Convincing Lupin so smoothly left Ivan feeling refreshed. It wasn’t easy to finally be able to confide in someone about a secret he had kept for so long.
As he made his way from the professor’s office back to the Gryffindor common room, Ivan was startled by the scene inside when he opened the door.
Wood, George, and the others were dressed in their gold and red Quidditch robes, and Harry was among them.
They all held brooms, ready for a match. When they saw Ivan walk in, George and Fred immediately came up to him, patting his shoulder.
"Hals! We've been waiting for you for so long, you're finally back!"
"Yeah, Professor Lupin suddenly needed me for something, so I came back a bit late", Ivan explained. Then, seeing their neatly dressed uniforms, he couldn't help but tease them.
"What's going on? Planning to play Quidditch in the common room?"
"No, we just feel it's more ceremonial this way!" George shook his head and said seriously.
"Right! I think this can help you recall the feeling of fighting alongside everyone last year!" Fred tried to look serious.
The expressions of Harry and the others in their team uniforms were quite awkward. They regretted agreeing to George and Fred's clearly ridiculous suggestion, but it was too late to back out now.
So they had to tough it out, facing the curious gazes of the young wizards in the common room, and said to Ivan.
"Hals, come and play with us! Only you can save this match!"
"Right, you wouldn't want to see us lose the Quidditch Cup this year, would you?"
The Gryffindor players all chimed in, trying to persuade him. Ivan's expression was quite strange. He wanted to comment, but seeing their serious faces, he swallowed his words.
"Ivan, after all this, don't you feel that surge of excitement, like your body is on fire?" George, seeing Ivan's hesitation, said with a pained look.
He and Fred had thought long and hard to come up with this "emotional" persuasion method and had spent a lot of time convincing everyone to go along with it, but it seemed their efforts hadn't quite paid off.
At this moment, Captain Wood pulled George and the others aside, walked straight up to Ivan, and placed his hands on Ivan's shoulders, speaking with excitement.
"Hals! This is the most critical moment, Gryffindor needs you!
You can ask for anything! I'll even give you the captain's position if we win the Quidditch Cup this year!"
Wood's tone was very sincere. This was his last year at Hogwarts, and he didn't want to leave with any regrets.
"Sorry, Captain! You should know that I've already made up my mind not to play anymore!" Ivan sighed, feeling quite helpless. He was currently focused on how to deal with Peter Pettigrew and had no interest in playing Quidditch.
Besides, Ivan knew very well that in the original timeline, Gryffindor had won the Quidditch Cup this year, with or without him!
However, after being turned down by Ivan, Wood didn't give up. He continued to persuade Ivan persistently, like a stubborn piece of bubblegum.
George and the others also joined in, exaggerating the severity of the situation as if the wizarding world would face a major crisis if Ivan didn't participate in the match.
For a moment, Ivan almost felt like he was being called to save the world, rather than just playing a Quidditch match.
(End of Chapter)
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