It was Peter Pettigrew.
"Buzz—"
Lupin's mind went blank, and the blood throughout his body seemed to freeze in an instant.
That name, like a poisonous thorn buried deep in his soul for twelve years, was suddenly pulled out, bringing with it dripping blood and rotten pus.
He stood up abruptly, the chair being knocked to the floor with immense force, letting out a sharp, loud crash.
He grabbed his magic wand, and without time to think, rushed out of the office like a madman, sprinting towards Hagrid's hut. He had to stop a potential tragedy that might be irreversible!
The office door was slammed shut by a great force.
It let out a loud "Bang!"
Lia closed the door behind her.
Hermione's magic wand followed immediately, a Powerful Locking Charm causing the lock to make a dead metallic clicking sound.
"Hermione! What are you doing!" Ron's scream pierced the dimness.
"Hand over what's in your pocket." Hermione's voice carried no emotion.
"You're all crazy!" Ron pulled out his magic wand, completely exploding, "Just for a cat?!"
"For the truth!" Harry also pulled out his magic wand, standing in front of Hermione.
At this tense moment, "Scabbers" in Ron's pocket seemed to sense its doom. It suddenly opened its mouth and used its last bit of strength to bite hard on the back of Ron's hand that was protecting it!
"Ah!" Ron let go in pain.
A gray bolt of lightning darted out from his arms, frantically searching for an exit in the small hut.
"Catch it!" Hermione shouted sharply.
But this mouse's speed was unimaginably fast, jumping up and down in the narrow space; Harry and Ron's spells all hit empty air.
However, a white afterimage was even faster!
It was Lia!
Her cat ears stood straight up, her pupils narrowed into cold vertical lines, and her whole body crouched low, four limbs on the ground, exploding with a terrifying speed that was completely inconsistent with her petite figure.
Lia flew close to the ground, every kick leaving shallow claw marks on the wooden floor.
White and gray lightning played out an ultimate chase in the small hut.
Just as Lia's fingertips were about to touch that rat tail, Scabbers suddenly changed direction and rushed towards a hole in the window!
It was trying to escape!
Just then!
"Alohomora!"
A clear incantation. The lock that had been reinforced by Hermione clicked open, and the door was pushed wide.
Professor Lupin stood at the door panting, his face pale, but his gaze sharp as an eagle's. He saw the chaotic scene in the room at a glance.
"Everyone, stop!" he shouted, waving his magic wand, and an invisible barrier separated Harry and Ron.
His appearance stunned everyone.
In this brief pause, the escaping mouse finally found an opportunity; it was like a gray bullet, shooting towards the door opened by Lupin!
But as fast as it was, something else was faster!
A huge black shadow, like a vengeful meteorite, pounced in from outside the door! It was exactly that black dog that had been lurking for a long time!
It ignored Lupin, ignored everyone, with only one target—the mouse that was escaping toward freedom!
"Ah—!"
The black dog bit the mouse's hindquarters in one mouthful, but seemed to try its best to control its strength, merely using its fangs to pin it firmly to the ground, as it let out painful "squeaks."
"Sirius!" Lupin let out a painful roar, his magic wand pointing at the black dog.
The black dog looked up, its crazed eyes staring fixedly at Lupin, and it slowly and painfully transformed, turning back into that haggard, ragged man—Sirius Black.
"Remus," he said hoarsely, pointing at the mouse pinned under his claw, unable to move, "it's him! Peter!"
"I know." Lupin's voice was trembling; he stared fixedly at Sirius, then looked at the shocked Harry, "But I can't let you kill him here! Harry is watching!"
The two former best friends now stood in a standoff with their magic wands, the tension in the air almost solidifying.
"I think all the actors in this play have arrived."
An old and gentle voice, yet carrying an aged authority, overwhelmed all the noise.
Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall walked slowly into the hut.
The old Principal just stood there, and his invisible aura caused the tense atmosphere between Lupin and Sirius to instantly collapse.
Dumbledore's gaze swept over everyone, and finally, fell upon the desperate mouse under Sirius's claw.
There was no surprise on his face, as if everything was under control.
"Minerva," he turned calmly to Professor McGonagall, his voice carrying clearly through the hut, "please go to the Dungeon and ask Severus to come. Tell him to bring his potent Veritaserum. Say that there is a very special'small animal' here that he needs to handle personally."
Professor McGonagall took a deep look at Sirius, then at the mouse on the floor, and immediately understood Dumbledore's intention. She nodded and turned to leave quickly.
A deathly silence fell over the small room.
Ron sat on the floor in a daze, Harry looked at Sirius, Lupin, and Dumbledore in confusion, while Hermione held Lia tightly behind her.
Every second of the wait felt as long as a century.
Finally, a cold, oily voice filled with deep-seated loathing came from the doorway.
Severus Snape appeared at the door silently, like a black bat. His gaze swept over Lupin like a venomous snake, finally pinning onto Sirius like a nail, a twisted smile mixing ecstasy and hatred appearing on his face.
"Principal, you have truly brought me a great gift. A Werewolf, a murderer... the Dementors of Azkaban will thank you for your generosity."
"Severus," Dumbledore said gently, pointing to the mouse on the floor, "did you bring the Potion? The protagonist can't wait."
Snape's expression shifted several times. He gave Sirius a spiteful look but eventually pulled the small bottle of transparent liquid from his robes.
Sirius released his claw, and an invisible spell lifted the mouse into the air, suspending it in mid-air.
Snape stepped forward, a cruel pleasure on his face, roughly prying open the mouse's mouth and pouring the entire bottle of Potion down.
"Squeak—!!!"
After an ear-piercing scream mixed with pain and fear, a horrifying scene occurred.
The mouse's body expanded and twisted violently in the air, the "crack-crack" of dislocating bones clearly audible. A short, fat man with thinning hair appeared in mid-air, then fell heavily to the ground.
Peter Pettigrew.
The whole world went quiet.
Ron looked at the man, as if his faith had collapsed in an instant, a feeling of nausea surging in his chest and stomach.
Harry was trembling all over, tears of hatred bursting from his eyes.
"Twelve years, Peter!" Sirius let out a beast-like roar and rushed forward, grabbing Peter by the collar, "You've been hiding quite comfortably, haven't you!"
"No! It wasn't me! Sirius! Harry!" Peter was covered in tears and snot, scared out of his wits; he suddenly remembered his last life-saving straw and screamed with all his might, "It was the Dark Lord! He forced me! He's not dead! He'll come back! He's right here in this Castle! Right on that girl—!"
His finger, trembling, pointed past everyone toward the sky-blue eyes that were watching him coldly from behind Hermione.
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