Chapter 228 Peter Pettigrew

Professor McGonagall seemed speechless for a moment. Lupine reached out and stopped the running wheel, looking at Banban, the muscles on his face twitched slightly.

"Can I let him out?" he asked calmly. "There are still some things I can't figure out."

Anthony glanced at his closed window and door, and closed the door to the bedroom with his backhand.

He pointed his wand at the running wheel and said, "Open sesame."

With a click, the small metal door swung open slightly. Scabbers screamed in fear, kicking and biting Lupine's fingers. Anthony nodded to his little mouse, and the resentful mouse squeaked and climbed back to the pile of books.

"Don't hurt it," Anthony demanded, motioning for Lupine to step aside. "In case it's not the one you're looking for... Mr. Weasley is still worried about it."

He reached into the cage and pulled out the big rat. Banban twisted and scratched in his hands. Anthony rubbed the top of its head with his index finger and comforted: "If you were not an Animagus, I would give you the running wheel." He thought for a while and added, "Buy a bigger one for you. This one is a bit small.”

Lupine pulled out his wand and pointed it at Scabbers.

"Minerva," said Anthony, "please promise me that Mr. Lupin will not harm Scabbers."

Professor McGonagall asked: "Remus?"

Lupine still held his wand steady. He nodded.

"At least not now," he whispered quietly, "not before I figure everything out." The tip of his wand lit up with a blue light, reflected in his small dark eyes. Blue Light, screaming in horror.

"If it's not an Animagus, this won't hurt it." Lupine and Anthony explained. He paused, and a pale, bitter smile suddenly crossed his lips. "But I doubt there is any other answer. "

A blue light exploded in the room. Anthony felt that the mouse in his hand froze suddenly, and then struggled even more violently. He could hardly hold it anymore. The next moment, as if an invisible hand reached over, Anthony suddenly felt that the spot became lighter, and then it rose upwards - Professor McGonagall did not speak from the beginning to the end, just watching worriedly from the side, at this time Letting out a small exclamation ("Really!") - Anthony let go and watched Scabbers writhing in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, Banban fell to the ground with a thud, twitching. The light shone around it, making every remaining short gray hair shine blue.

The mouse struggled, its body twisted, and its head suddenly swelled up like an inflated balloon - getting bigger and bigger, getting bigger and bigger - the beard shrank back, the fur fell away, the face changed - the limbs also swelled. It stood up - the man's head appeared, and then the limbs. After a while, a short man appeared in Anthony's office, with tears in his eyes and his hands twirling.

"Good afternoon, Peter." Lupine smiled, "Long time no see."

"Remus," Peter piped up, "Professor McGonagall, Minerva—"

Professor McGonagall looked shocked and confused.

"Peter Pettigrew!" she said, sounding breathless. "Really! How..."

Peter's eyes filled with tears.

"Remus, Remus, my friend..." he said, "I-I am scared every day. You don't know what kind of life I live..."

"Oh, really," Lupine said, looking at Peter's fat body. "I tell you, you look like you're doing pretty well."

Anthony noticed that Peter glanced at the office door and windows. He walked over and stood behind the desk, blocking the way to the window. Peter looked away in fear and trembled.

"Remus, what's going on?" said Professor McGonagall, darting between them. "I thought you were killed by Black, Peter!"

"Yes, Peter, I thought you were dead too." Lupine said, "You can probably imagine how surprised I was when I saw you today."

Peter looked pale and said, "You don't understand, Remus..."

"I really don't understand." Lupine said, "Please tell me, Peter, why does everyone think you died? What happened that day?"

"You know... you all know..." Peter said sweatingly, his little eyes looking between Lupine and Professor McGonagall in fear, "Black betrayed James and Lily and wanted to kill them. I……"

"So, why are you hiding now?" Lupine asked, taking a small step forward, "Black is already in Azkaban, and Voldemort has fallen. What are you afraid of? Who are you hiding from?"

Professor McGonagall also said: "Yes, Peter, why?"

"Because—because of Black!" cried Peter, "I'm afraid Black will come after me—"

Lupine laughed: "Why is he chasing you?"

"Because he wanted to kill me!" Peter said. "Have you ever thought about what happened that day, Remus? I was scared... He killed so many people..."

"I've thought about it many times," Lupine said calmly. "I've often wondered if things would be different if James didn't choose Black as the secret keeper, but you and me."

He took another step forward, pointing his wand directly at Peter. Peter took a step back.

"I sometimes wonder if I could have gone with you to chase Black and stopped him, whether you would not have died, or whether I could have died with you. I sometimes wonder if you had not stopped Black at that time, you survived, and Black escaped, how he would hide in the world, waiting for the wrath of his master...

"He betrayed James and Lily, so we hate him, but the Death Eaters will think that his information led to Voldemort's departure, and they will hate him very much. He must hide incognito for many, many years. I always thought that no one could hide for so long." Lupin said, "But I just suddenly had a very interesting idea. He might become a big black dog and become someone's pet. What do you think, Peter?"

Peter laughed short and shudderingly, sounding almost like sobbing.

"I-I don't know what that madman will do, Remus." He said, "I'm scared."

"You are scared." Lupin repeated.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. "Anthony interrupted, closing the drawer of his desk, "Does anyone want to explain to me what happened?"

"Eleven years ago, James and Lily would have been...unable to be found by You-Know-Who," said Professor McGonagall, her voice a little hoarse. "We received the news and protected their house with the Fidelius Charm in advance. You know how this spell works, Henry. As long as the Secret-Keeper doesn't reveal the secret, the address of their house will always be safe..."

Anthony nodded. The Fidelius Charm is also a typical magic involving the soul: "But the Secret-Keeper didn't keep the secret."

"That's right." Professor McGonagall said, "James insisted that Black be the Secret-Keeper...After James and Lily were killed, Peter went after Black..." She lowered her voice and looked at the cowering, mostly intact man in the middle of the room, "and was blown to pieces by Black, leaving only a small section of his right index finger..."

"That's right, Minerva, that's right." Peter squeaked, "Except that he didn't really kill me. I turned into a rat and escaped..."

"And hid for eleven years. "Lupin continued.

Peter's body shuddered, and his watery eyes widened: "Remus..."

"Black... Sirius is probably not the real secret keeper, Minerva." Lupin said, "I can't think of any other explanation. Without telling anyone, they changed the secret keeper to Peter."

Anthony asked: "Why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because Sirius wants to fight, maybe it's because he doesn't even trust himself. Maybe they want Peter to feel valued." Lupin said, "Maybe they just think it's funnier, because no one would have thought that the secret keeper would be Peter... James and Sirius like this joke."

Professor McGonagall laughed weakly: "Oh, yes, they like it."

"This is nonsense... I never..." Peter shouted, "You won't believe it, right, Minerva? You won't believe it... How could I? James was so determined to let Black be the secret keeper, and even rejected Dumbledore..."

"Albus has always suspected that one of us is secretly leaking secrets..." Professor McGonagall said slowly.

"I guess I am one of the suspects." Lupin said calmly.

Professor McGonagall nodded.

Peter shouted as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw: "You said I was a traitor, Remus, why not you? What about changing the secret keeper... I have never thought of such a thing... Minerva, didn't he hide for eleven years?"

"I'll tell you why it's not me." Lupin said, "Because Sirius is chasing you instead of me. If the secret keeper is changed, he must know who is the real one. He didn't even think of me, Peter."

Peter's eyes scanned the room frantically, muttering "crazy" and "absurd".

Professor McGonagall's breathing became rapid. From her expression, she already believed what Lupin said.

"Peter Pettigrew," she said, "Do you deny it? "

Peter said desperately: "No, Minerva... You won't believe it..."

Professor McGonagall insisted: "Think about James and Lily. They invited us to their home for tea a few weeks before they died and played Thunderbolt Explosion cards with you... Do you deny it?"

Peter wrung his hands, looked at the faces of the three people next to him with wet eyes, and trembled all over.

"You complained that you had less time to spend with your family. James also said that after Voldemort fell, we could go to Greece for vacation together and let you bring your parents." Lupin said, "He called you a loyal old friend..."

"How dare you!" Professor McGonagall shouted, "How dare you betray them!"

Peter suddenly collapsed, threw himself to the ground and cried bitterly.

"You don't understand, you don't understand, the man whose name cannot be said found me! I have never been as brave as you, Remus... Not like James and Sirius, didn't you always know..."

"They trust you more than they trust me! "Lupin said loudly. Peter trembled as if he was whipped, and his crying became louder.

"They trusted you." Lupin said softly, "They never thought you were not brave. James and Lily put their lives in your hands. They suspected that I was a spy, but they never suspected you. "

...

"What should we do with him?" asked Professor McGonagall, looking at Peter.

Lupine said politely: "If no one has any objections, I want to kill him."

Peter shook his head: "Please, Remus..."

"No!" said Professor McGonagall, "We need his testimony to clear Sirius's name."

"Minerva, what's the use of innocence?" Lupine asked bitterly, "James and Lily are dead. Sirius spent eleven years in Azkaban, which is probably the same as death. Let Pettigrew What’s the benefit of living except adding one more dirty soul to the world?”

"Increase the binding force of the law?" Anthony said, "Although I am a little skeptical about the procedural justice of the Ministry of Magic, we'd better say hello to them. More importantly, I don't like seeing dead people."

"This is Henry's office, this is Hogwarts." Professor McGonagall said sternly, "You can't kill people here, Remus."

Lupine looked down at Peter, and took the wand back for a while.

"Thank you, Professor Anthony!" Peter exclaimed with relief, "Minerva, thank you, thank you!"

Professor McGonagall looked at him with disgust.

"But I don't object to you beating him up, as long as he can be cured and brought back." She said to Lupine, "You have graduated, and I can no longer deduct points from Gryffindor."

"Minerva," Anthony said amusedly.

Lupine smiled at Peter and took out his wand. Peter dropped to his knees suddenly.

"When the dementors drain you of all your happy memories," Lupine said, rolling up his sleeves, "you might still remember our little dueling training, old friend."

Professor McGonagall said, "No, Remus, the verdict will be a Dementor's Kiss."

Lupine nodded: "I will make sure he can't escape."

The last trace of color drained from Peter's face. He glanced at the door and window a few more times, and met Anthony's gaze.

"You won't let them do this, will you, Professor Anthony?" Peter said tremblingly, "Ron is still waiting for me... Ron will be very sad..."

"I'm more worried that he might not be particularly happy to hear that you are actually a person." Anthony told him, "Besides, Jiuxike's black mouse can still jump around."

Peter looked dejected and turned to Professor McGonagall again.

"Minerva, Minerva!" Peter slowly walked towards her knees, "Since I entered school at the age of eleven, you have watched me grow up... Didn't you also arrange a seat for me? You won't bear it. …”

Professor McGonagall frowned and ducked away, pulled out her wand and pointed it at his head, saying hatefully: "I really hope you're not in Gryffindor!"

Peter froze and turned to Lupin. Lupine was closing in on him, wand pointed firmly at Peter.

Peter's body was trembling, his hands were raised high, reaching for each other.

"You have always been the best to me... Remus..."

Lupine stopped abruptly. Peter seemed to see hope, his eyes lit up with incredible light, and he pleaded tremblingly: "I always remember, Remus... you have been very kind to me since you entered school..."

When Lupine spoke again, there was a chilling chill in his voice.

"You remember wrong." He said calmly, "The one who is best to you is James. It has always been James."