Inside Hagrid's Hut, Scabbers, whose scruff was pinched by Charlie, frantically twisted its body, aiming its sharp incisors at Charlie's fingers.
Charlie exerted a little force with his fingers.
"Squeak—"
Scabbers let out a mournful shriek, and the entire rat instantly went limp, its limbs dangling weakly, with only a faint rise and fall remaining in its chest.
"Charlie, you..." Hagrid watched the scene, a look of distress on his face.
"Even though it stole my food, you don't need to treat it so cruelly, do you? Why don't you let it go?"
Charlie glanced at Hagrid:
"This rat carries germs, and normal rats don't grow this big. I need to take it back for special disposal, or all the food in your Hut will have to be thrown away."
"Germs?" Hagrid's face changed, and he instinctively took half a step back.
"That's terrible! I even ate cake that it nibbled on a few days ago!"
"So, have you felt unwell recently?" Charlie asked casually.
Hagrid paused, thinking carefully: "My throat does feel a bit itchy, actually."
That's because you ate too many rock cakes and got thirsty... But Charlie didn't say it aloud.
"That settles it." Charlie lifted the rat and turned to walk out.
"I will deal with it cleanly. Pay close attention to your physical condition these next few days, and if you have any problems, go find Madam Pomfrey."
"Alright, alright, alright!" Hagrid nodded repeatedly, his gaze towards Scabbers now tinged with alertness.
"Thank you, Charlie. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have known this rat was so dangerous."
Charlie pushed open the door, and Buckbeak immediately raised its head, looking warily at the rat in his hand.
"Don't move." Charlie said calmly.
Buckbeak obediently lay back down on the ground.
Charlie did not head toward the Castle; instead, he walked straight toward the Whomping Willow... Snape was just about to go to the Whomping Willow to get some willow branches, which were needed for a new Potion recipe.
Before he got close, a figure that looked inherently sneaky (Snape's unique filter) entered his line of sight.
Charlie White?
What was he doing going to the Whomping Willow?
Snape stopped, his gloomy gaze locked onto Charlie in the distance.
He watched as Charlie caused the Whomping Willow to go limp, and then entered the hole beneath the Whomping Willow.
A dusty memory, mixed with humiliation and fear, instantly flooded his mind.
It was Sirius Black who had tricked him into going to the Shrieking Shack back then, where he was almost killed by Lupin, who had transformed into a Werewolf.
Although James arrived and saved him, if they hadn't maliciously pranked him, he wouldn't have nearly been bitten to death by Lupin.
Snape's breathing suddenly grew heavier, and his chest tightened.
It was happening again! Another arrogant fool who ignored school rules!
He determined that Charlie intended to use that secret passage to sneak into Hogsmeade Village.
Snape smiled grimly.
Charlie White, now I've caught you red-handed. Let's see how I punish you.
Snape cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself; his figure immediately merged with the surroundings, and he silently followed, preparing to catch him in the act...
Charlie passed through the damp tunnel and stepped into the Shrieking Shack.
A large Black dog suddenly turned its head, watching the doorway warily.
Seeing that the person was Charlie, the Black dog's tense body relaxed, and its tail wagged slightly twice.
Its gaze fell upon the grey rat in Charlie's hand, and it instantly froze.
The next second, the Black dog let out a low growl, thrusting its limbs, and its form twisted and changed in mid-air. Bones cracked, Black fur retracted into the skin, and its limbs stretched into a human shape.
Sirius Black landed barefoot, his gaunt body swaying before he finally stood firm.
But his eyes now burst forth with astonishing light, fixed intently on the rat in Charlie's hand.
"Peter..." Black's voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat.
"Peter!"
Scabbers, who had been playing dead, suddenly began to struggle wildly, kicking his limbs and letting out sharp wails.
He desperately twisted his body, trying to break free from Charlie's grasp.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak—"
Black only had eyes for the rat; he lunged forward, reaching out to grab him.
Charlie took a step back.
The smell emanating from Black was overwhelmingly pungent, like mixing stinky socks, spoiled food, and moldy straw, left to ferment in a dark corner for three days.
"Give him to me!" Black was so desperate his voice cracked.
"Quickly, give him to me!"
He lunged forward again, his fingers trembling slightly from exertion.
Charlie glanced at him and loosened his grip.
Scabbers flew toward Black in an arc.
Black reached out to catch him, but perhaps due to being weak for too long, he failed to hold on, and Scabbers fell to the ground with a thud.
The moment Scabbers landed, he bolted toward the door.
"No—" Black stumbled, trying to chase him, tripping over his feet and nearly falling down.
Charlie raised his hand and waved it.
A thick hemp rope appeared out of thin air, accurately wrapping around Scabbers and binding him tightly in place.
The rat struggled frantically, but the rope tightened further, leaving him only able to emit faint squeaks.
Black was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Charlie.
"Thank you." His voice was raspy when he said this, and his eyes were slightly red-rimmed.
Just as Black was about to lunge toward Peter again, the door behind him was suddenly pushed open.
"Mr. White." Snape's voice came from the doorway, cold as if freshly retrieved from a dungeon.
"Leaving school grounds without permission and consorting with a wanted criminal. It seems Azkaban is your only destination."
He stood in the doorway, his Black robes dusted with traces of dirt, clearly having followed them all the way here.
His Black eyes stared at Charlie, cold as a winter lake, but a hint of imperceptible disappointment flashed in their depths.
Snape had originally thought Charlie just wanted to sneak into Hogsmeade, which would only merit detention and give him some satisfaction.
But now, Charlie was standing with Black.
Did that mean he also had ties to the Dark Lord?
Before Charlie could speak, Black exclaimed in surprise:
"Snape? What are you doing here?"
Snape sneered.
"Compared to me, you're the one who shouldn't be here. I am the Potion Class Professor!"
"You actually managed to become a Professor at Hogwarts? It truly makes one worry about what your students are learning."
"That is no longer your concern." Snape drew his wand, his voice laced with long-suppressed hatred.
"The Dementor's Kiss awaits you. I have long awaited this day, to take revenge upon you, you scoundrel."
His fingers gripped his wand tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
Charlie stood aside, feeling puzzled.
What exactly did Sirius do to Snape? The hatred was practically spilling out.
Black frowned, the muscles in his face twitching slightly due to excitement.
"Snape, you don't understand what happened at all." His voice was hoarse, yet it carried stubborn insistence.
"Just kill that rat on the floor first, and you can dispose of me however you like."
Snape sneered.
"Don't change the subject."
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