"Why would he do that?" Richard asked. "I'd understand if Black was doing something like that."
Potter's eyes sparkled merrily behind his glasses.
- Richie, what if Pettigrew was also a Riddle supporter?
- Harry, I don't understand your logic.
Potter's index finger shot up and he said meaningfully:
"That's not logic, that's deduction! Uncle Scott spent the entire summer teaching me all the tricks of the detective trade. I tried to build a diagram using his methods and considered various options. We have the initial data: Peter Pettigrew, who is considered a hero, and Sirius Black, a criminal. However, Black didn't have the tattoo that distinguishes members of Riddle's group. So this law-abiding citizen fakes his own death and secretly lives with a wizarding family as a pet. Why would the victim of an evil wizard (Black) do such a thing? He absolutely wouldn't have to. Therefore, Pettigrew had his reasons. According to one of my theories, Peter was a Death Eater.
Richard was extremely collected and serious.
- Harry, I hope you haven't shared your thoughts with anyone?
"No," Potter shook his head.
"It's not a good idea to voice your assumptions just yet, especially in your dorm and in Percy's company. Harry, if things were even a little different, I'd already be calling Madam Bagnold and summoning the Aurors."
"What's stopping us from doing this right now?" Potter asked, puzzled.
"The Weasleys, Harry. They're my closest allies. If it turns out their pet is actually Peter Pettigrew, it'll be a blow to my reputation. And if it turns out he's a Death Eater... I don't think Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, or even Percy, would be accused of deliberately covering up a criminal. Even the damage to that family's reputation is enough to damage me. In the end, even my connections might not be enough to cleanse me of this mess."
Harry clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white, his expression determined.
- Then we must decide everything ourselves!
A sad groan escaped Richard's chest. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in trouble himself. There were people specially trained for that. But the problem was, almost no one could be trusted to handle such a delicate matter. Involving MI6 in this case was both harmful and futile. The Aurors could be members of the Death Eaters or Dumbledore's spies, so it was unclear how such an arrest would end. Richie was 80% certain that even if the rat was actually an Animagus, the Aurors would let it escape. And most importantly, the Weasleys. Arthur was currently the backbone of his wizarding business, created with the goal of saving humanity. He couldn't put the Weasleys at risk. But Rich himself didn't want to risk it for the sake of the red-haired family.
"Just not just the two of us, Harry. We'll need to tell Ron and the twins everything. We'll get them involved in solving this problem. It directly affects their family."
"And Percy?" Potter asked.
"It's dangerous," Richard shook his head. "Percy could have become too attached to his pet. That could make him too biased. Meaning, Percy wouldn't believe us, and the rat might even find out about the revelation and escape."
"So what should we do?" Potter asked.
"Harry, let's not rush. When you get back to the dorm, call Fred, George, and Ron to meet me. Tell them there's something very important. Tomorrow is everyone's day off, so meet me outside the twins' lab right after breakfast."
- Fine.
Hermione's curious voice came from behind the boys:
- What are you secretly talking about, boys?
"Hermione," Richie turned to the girl, plastering a charming smile on his face. "How was the holiday?"
"Thank you, Richie," Hermione beamed with happiness. "I've never had so many people congratulate me. The cakes were delicious. And a special thank you for the gift. This artifact is incredible! It's like a wrist-mounted holographic computer from a science fiction book about the distant future."
"I'm glad you liked it, Hermione," Richard replied. "When you've copied the entire Hogwarts library and have nothing else to do, come see me. By then, updated firmware should be available that will transform Hologram into a more advanced computer."
"Richie, do you have one like this?" Granger asked.
"Not the same, but it exists. My hologram is designed for different purposes."
"Excuse me, but what are you talking about?" Potter asked.
"A new development from Rich Workshop," Richard replied. "A wrist computer."
"I see," Harry drawled. "So, Richie, you've got an AI?"
"The guys at the workshop managed to create several different AI models," Richard replied. "They're currently being refined and are attempting to use AI for serious projects that require massive computing power. First and foremost, we need a high-performance computing base for techno-magical AI. For this purpose, we're currently developing a quantum computer. Initially, it will only be possible to create one through magic, but I hope technology will soon allow us to produce quantum computers for mass adoption. I think it'll take fifty to seventy years, no more."
Harry shook his head, shaking off the hologram.
- Richie, you could have just said yes!
Richard smirked at Potter, then turned to Granger and asked,