Chapter 247
Chapter 247
“Mr Bones, what exactly has Professor Dumbledore planned?”
Professor McGonagall was already waiting when Suer reached Gryffindor Tower with Crookshanks in his arms. Her brows were tightly furrowed.
“You claim Peter Pettigrew is inside the Gryffindor common room. How can that be possible? Sirius blew him to pieces all those years ago.”
“I asked you here to prevent an accident, Professor. I know this is difficult to believe, but what truly happened may be entirely different from what you were told,” Suer answered respectfully.
“However I explain it, seeing the evidence for yourself will be more convincing.”
“My principal concern is that, if something goes wrong, Peter Pettigrew may repeat what he did years ago and cause an explosion while escaping.”
“So I would like you to enter Harry’s dormitory with Crookshanks and bring out his rat.”
As Suer spoke, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared at the end of the corridor.
“Professor McGonagall.” Remus Lupin greeted her, then looked at Suer. “What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing at all, Professor. Leave the rat-catching to the cat.” Suer raised Crookshanks in his arms with a smile.
“You and Professor McGonagall need only ensure that no one notices him.”
“Him?” Professor Lupin looked doubtfully at the cat. “Can he manage it?”
Apparently sensing Lupin’s doubt, Crookshanks gave a soft meow and extended his claws one by one.
“Crookshanks knows Scabbers. He can bring him out,” Hermione said.
While they were still in the Room of Requirement, Suer had explained that Scabbers was actually an Animagus.
“There is no time to waste.” Suer placed the large cat on the floor. “Professor McGonagall, if you please.”
Professor McGonagall nodded, drew her wand and tapped herself. Her figure rapidly vanished.
Curfew had not yet begun, and the pupils were still at their liveliest. If a professor and Head of House suddenly appeared in the common room, it would cause needless trouble.
Professor Lupin followed her example and cast the Disillusionment Charm.
Once both professors were hidden, Suer nodded to Hermione. Taking Crookshanks and the two invisible adults with her, she passed successfully through the portrait.
The Fat Lady had not yet returned. Gryffindor Tower was currently guarded by a knight mounted upon a small, fat pony.
Suer recognised him as Sir Cadogan, an exceptionally talkative soldier.
As a Hufflepuff, Suer was not permitted to visit another house’s common room, so he remained outside and struck up a conversation with Gryffindor’s new guardian.
Most of the conversation consisted of Sir Cadogan boasting about his heroic exploits. A history of Hogwarts actually recorded that he was merely an unfortunate fellow killed by a stray arrow.
Before long, Sir Cadogan closed his mouth and moved aside.
Hermione emerged with perfect composure, carrying Crookshanks. When she saw Suer waiting, she inclined her chin.
Everything had plainly gone smoothly.
Suer nodded without revealing any emotion, turned and walked down the corridor with her.
Once they entered an empty passage, Hermione grimaced and removed a rat from her pocket. Scabbers was fast asleep and considerably fatter than before.
Suer took him and casually slipped him into his own pocket.
Behind them, Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall revealed themselves.
“Unless I am mistaken, that rat belongs to Mr Weasley,” Professor McGonagall said immediately.
Professor Lupin, whose expression had remained grim throughout, now spoke as well.
Any lingering doubt disappeared when he saw Scabbers. After seven years at school together, he knew his former best friend too well.
“Peter Pettigrew’s Animagus form was indeed a rat.”
“And… I checked him just now. He is missing one digit.”
Lupin looked at Suer. “Unless someone later tampered with the Marauder’s Map, there may be far more to everything we know than we imagined.”
“Wait. Peter Pettigrew was an Animagus?” Professor McGonagall asked. “Why did I know nothing about it?”
“I think Pettigrew himself should answer that question shortly,” Suer said quietly. “Professor Dumbledore should already be waiting in his office.”
A short while later, the blue-grey gargoyle outside the Headmaster’s office glanced at their party and silently moved aside.
“Sirius?” Professor Lupin cried when he saw the figure speaking with Headmaster Dumbledore.
Black turned towards them, emotion flickering in his eyes.
“It is me. How have you been, Remus?”
“Was Suer telling the truth? All those years ago, did you truly not…” For once, Professor Lupin’s usually calm face showed open agitation.
Although he was already almost certain that Suer’s account was true, the words would not come.
“Remus,” Dumbledore said, “I believe the events of that year will be clearest if one of those involved tells us.”
“I too am curious to know precisely what happened.”
Dumbledore looked at Suer.
Understanding, Suer took the rat Hermione had given him from his pocket and placed it on the floor. Then he silently retreated several steps to stand beside her.
The instant Black saw Scabbers, fury blazed in his eyes, and he strode forwards.
“Remain calm, Sirius,” Dumbledore said. “I believe we should hear Mr Pettigrew’s story now, don’t you?”
Peter Pettigrew lay upon the carpet with his eyes tightly closed. Even now, the rat had not awakened.
“While we were in Harry’s dormitory, Professor Lupin secretly used a Stunning Spell on him,” Hermione whispered to Suer.
No wonder a cat had caught a rat without making the slightest noise. A professor had done the real work.
“Rennervate.”
Professor Lupin drew his wand and lightly touched the rat on the carpet.
Its body twitched when the spell struck, then immediately became still again, as lifeless as a dead rat.
From Suer’s angle, however, he clearly saw Pettigrew’s eyes move. One lid lifted for the briefest instant.
There was nothing wrong with Professor Lupin’s spell. It had been a perfectly standard Reviving Spell, yet Peter Pettigrew showed no proper response.
There was only one explanation.
He was pretending to be unconscious.