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Chapter 430: Scabbers, the True Rat
Chapter 430: Scabbers, the True Rat
Beneath the Whomping Willow was a narrow passage that stretched forward endlessly. Kyle walked for a long while but still didn't catch up to Harry and the others ahead of him.
"How did they get so far ahead?" Kyle couldn't help but quicken his pace further.
After walking for about ten more minutes, the tunnel began to slope upward. Soon, Kyle spotted a faint glimmer of light.
He knew that he must be nearing the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade, as the secret passage led to that very location.
The room that emerged into view was messy and dim, with sealed windows and only a few murky oil lamps lighting the walls.
The light that Kyle had seen earlier originated from these lamps, and while it was rather dim, it was sufficient to illuminate the small room.
As Kyle entered, the atmosphere was tense and fraught with tension.
Kyle stood aside, concealed by a Disillusionment Charm, and the flickering oil lamps cast his shadow on the wall. However, none of the present individuals noticed this, including Professor Lupin and Sirius Black.
The two were currently engaged in a heated argument by a table in the corner of the room.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood on the opposite side, and it seemed like they were finally grasping the gravity of their situation, as fear began to creep into their eyes.
Ron's expression was complex, as he wanted to step forward and reclaim his rat but dared not.
"I should've realized it when Scabbers bit me," he said helplessly. "Scabbers ran off, but Lupin trapped it with a single curse... Does the professor plan to come after us with his wand? Even Snape wouldn't do that! He must have ill intentions. Damn, why didn't I think of this sooner..."
"But why would they want your rat?" Harry asked, his eyes shifting warily between Lupin and Black.
"I don't know," Ron replied. "Maybe they just enjoy killing other people's pet rats."
However, Harry and Hermione didn't think so. A regular pet rat wasn't worth risking so much for.
As the argument escalated, Harry caught a familiar name being mentioned.
"I didn't betray James!" Black shouted, revealing something he had always wanted to tell everyone. "Peter was the real Secret-Keeper... We switched, thinking it would fool Voldemort. As long as he kept chasing me, James and Lily would be safe."
Black's voice trembled, and he looked as if he wanted to cry, but after being tortured by Dementors for twelve years, crying had become a luxury.
His eyes red and wild, he clutched Scabbers tightly and shook him vigorously.
"But I never imagined that this damn, cowardly traitor would reveal the information to Voldemort the day after becoming the Secret-Keeper."
"You must have been delighted then..." Black raised his hand and looked at the struggling rat with a vicious smile. "What reward did your master give you?"
"Enough, you're both mad!" Ron suddenly shouted. "He's not Peter, he's Scabbers, my pet rat!"
Mustering his courage, he took a step forward. "I've heard enough. Give Scabbers back to me now!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave until the truth is revealed," Professor Lupin said, taking the nearly strangled rat from Black's hand.
"This is the truth!" Black became even more agitated.
"I told you before we met that as long as you found the Marauder's Map, you'd see Peter's name on it right away... It's in Filch's office!"
"Do you think I didn't look?" Lupin said expressionlessly. "I went to Filch's office after your second break-in at the castle, but the map was gone!"
At that moment, Harry's head was spinning.
He knew about the dwarf, Peter Pettigrew, as Minister Fudge had mentioned him before at the Three Broomsticks Inn.
But wasn't he already dead? Killed by Black, no less!
A Minister of Magic couldn't possibly lie, could he?
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Harry blurted out, "You can say anything you want now because Pettigrew is already dead, and there were witnesses all over the street!"
"What they saw isn't what they think it is," Black said harshly. "He deceived everyone with despicable means!"
"But Scabbers can't be Peter," Ron persisted in his denial. "He's been living with us for...
"Twelve years!"
Black interjected, "Do you think an ordinary rat can live that long?"
"That's because Kyle has been brewing a special longevity potion for him," Ron argued.
"A very clever kid," Lupin explained, "and remarkably knowledgeable."
"So it was just a coincidence that some kid who hasn't even graduated yet happened to figure it out?" Black said dismissively, having just seen how Ron behaved, he thought Ron was some sort of master of magical creatures.
"It was a coincidence that he happened upon an Animagus, and he arrogantly attributed it to the effects of his own potion!"
Kyle, who had been standing by the side, raised an eyebrow.
While what was said was true, hearing it from Black's mouth made it sound so grating.
Since when did he become so arrogant?
Also, those potions were all carefully concocted by him.
At this time, Black continued patiently to Ron, "Does he also happen to be missing a finger?"
"So what if he is," Ron said.
"They only found the fingers..." Harry subconsciously thought of Fudge's previous words.
"That's right, that coward cut off his finger and blew up the street with a hidden wand the moment before he transformed," Black said, "I blocked him off, but he shouted loud enough for the whole street to hear that I had betrayed Lily and James, and before I could cast a spell, he blew up the street and scurried off into the sewers with the other rats..."
"Madman!" Ron exclaimed, as if listening to an incredibly absurd story.
Hermione also spoke up, her voice trembling as she feigned calm, "But Professor Lupin, Scabbers can't be Pettigrew, you must know that."
"Why do you think it's impossible?" Lupin asked calmly.
"Because if Pettigrew was an Animagus, people would know... the Ministry has records... there are only seven Animagi in this century, and Pettigrew's name is not among them."
"You're right, Hermione," Lupin said, "but the Ministry doesn't know that there were three unregistered Animagi at Hogwarts."
"How can you prove it!" Harry felt his head spinning, "Prove that Scabbers is Pettigrew!"
"It's simple, and it's what I'm about to do." Lupin looked deeply at Black, "I hope you're not lying to me, otherwise..."
His tone turned cold, and he suddenly threw Scabbers to the ground, pointing his wand at the rat's head, and a blue light enveloped it...
Black smiled, and the sunken eyes lit up strangely...
Harry, Ron, and Hermione also watched the rat on the ground intently.
However, nothing happened...
Scabbers remained unchanged, scurrying frantically on the ground until Ron caught him.
The smile on Black's face froze, while Ron looked triumphant.
"See, I told you they're all mad, how could Scabbers be Pettigrew?"
Harry looked silently at Lupin.
Lupin's face was gloomy, and he turned his wand on Black, "What else do you have to say for yourself? It's laughable that I ever chose to believe a traitor like you!"
"No, that's not it..." Black said blankly, "There must be something wrong with your spell... he is Pettigrew... he is... I can't be wrong about this..."
"Save those words for the Dementors," Lupin said without any emotion.
Watching this unfold, Scabbers, held in Ron's hand, stopped struggling, his tiny eyes filled with the surprise of having survived this ordeal.
"No... Remus, it's not like that..." Black fell to his knees, "You must have made a mistake, please, give me your wand... let me try..."
"Don't even think about it!" Lupin pointed his wand at Black, "Don't come any closer..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, Black lunged forward, knocking Lupin to the ground and grabbing his wand.
Another bolt of blue light shot out, but to no avail.
"Impossible... this can't be..." Black went crazy.
Reacting quickly, Harry raised his wand, ready to cast a spell.
But before he could, a familiar voice rang out from the corner of the room, "Expelliarmus."
Kyle, having dropped his Disillusionment Charm, walked forward and caught the flying wand.
...
(End of Chapter)
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