Ottery St Catchpole, The Burrow.
The Weasleys were all together, a rare sight. Mrs. Weasley had prepared a huge table full of delicious food. Bill and Charlie were loudly discussing spell-breaking and Dragons, Percy sat quietly by the dining table, Fred and George were entertaining Ginny with magic tricks, Ron, for once not getting a double beating, was happily devouring his food, and even Arthur had a few extra drinks.
It was already late, but the Weasleys showed no signs of dispersing; laughter and joy filled the room.
Just at this happy moment, the flames in The Burrow's fireplace suddenly turned green and shot high up. The Weasleys stopped their chatter and stared intently at the fireplace.
"Dumbledore!"
Arthur cried out in surprise as he watched Dumbledore, the four Deans, Harry, and Tom emerge one by one from the flames.
He had intended to exchange a few pleasantries, but seeing the lineup of visitors and their serious expressions, Arthur immediately understood that something big had happened.
So he lowered his voice and asked, "What happened?"
Dumbledore did not answer Arthur, but waved his wand, completely sealing The Burrow.
After ensuring that not even a rat could escape the house, Dumbledore finally spoke to Arthur: "Peter isn't dead; he's here."
Before the Weasleys could react, Snape impatiently asked Tom, "Speak, where is Peter exactly?"
Tom pointed at Ron: "You'll have to ask him then."
Seeing everyone's gaze turn to him, Ron frantically waved his hands in denial: "I... I don't know. I don't know any Peter."
Mrs. Weasley clearly didn't understand the situation: "What Peter? Didn't he die long ago? And how would Ron be involved with Peter?"
Dumbledore also didn't know the specifics and could only look at Tom.
Tom immediately stepped forward and explained to Mrs. Weasley: "Scabbers, that's Peter. He's an illegal Animagus. He betrayed the Potters and framed Sirius back then, faking his death to escape."
Tom's explanation made the Weasleys gasp. Ron, enduring his disgust, confirmed with Tom again: "Are you saying Scabbers is a man named Peter?"
Tom nodded affirmatively: "Yes, Scabbers is Peter. Where is he now?"
Ron ignored Tom's words, falling into a dazed state. Seeing his silly younger brother like this, Percy reacted and quickly pointed the way for everyone: "Scabbers should be in Ron's room. I'll take you there."
When the group crowded into Ron's room, Scabbers was sprawled on the bed, sleeping.
The commotion in the room woke him from his sleep. He looked around with his small eyes, only to discover with horror that he was surrounded by Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout, with the Weasleys also staring intently from a slight distance.
Alarm bells blared in his mind, and an immense sense of fear made him instinctively want to flee.
Unfortunately, he was facing Dumbledore and the four Deans. Just as he was about to make a move, Scabbers found himself already restrained, and his Animagus transformation was fading.
To everyone's eyes, the rat that was Scabbers began to stretch and change, finally revealing a short, bald man before them.
Ron, witnessing all of this, was the first to succumb, running out of the room to retch.
And Snape, who held the deepest hatred for him, shouted with a towering rage no one had ever seen from him: "Peter Pettigrew!"
Seeing Snape looking as if he wanted to devour him alive, Peter's small body trembled. He looked at everyone with teary eyes, crying and defending himself:
"No, it wasn't me. It was Sirius, it was him, he betrayed James and Lily, he blew up a street. It was him, it was all him."
However, his Oscar-worthy performance failed to move anyone; his resurrection itself was the biggest problem. Snape could no longer tolerate it and rushed forward, intending to force Veritaserum down his throat.
"Wait!"
Just as Snape pulled out the Veritaserum, Tom urgently called for him to stop.
Seeing Snape's displeased expression, Tom unhurriedly pulled out a handheld camera: "Lord Voldemort brand handheld camera, Muggle-made, cheap, easy to use, and quality guaranteed. The evidence must be sufficient for him to be convicted. Alright, Professor, you may continue."
Snape glared fiercely at Tom, then pinched Peter's cheek and poured the small bottle of Veritaserum directly into his mouth.
As Peter's eyes became unfocused, Dumbledore's interrogation began: "What was the truth of that year?"
Peter's voice drifted, as if lost in memory: "The Secret Keeper for James and Lily back then wasn't Sirius, it was me."
As soon as the words left his mouth, many in the room covered their mouths, their faces filled with disbelief.
"So you were the one who betrayed James and Lily back then?" Dumbledore asked in a deep voice.
"That's right, it was me. Sirius foolishly thought that someone like me wouldn't be suspected as the Secret Keeper, so he convinced James and Lily to temporarily change the Secret Keeper. Unfortunately, they didn't know that I had already pledged allegiance to the Dark Lord by then."
"Why would you do that? Wasn't James your best friend?" Professor McGonagall interjected, questioning the former Gryffindor student with anguish.
"What else could I do if I didn't pledge allegiance to the Dark Lord? The Dark Lord's methods are far beyond your imagination. Yes, James and Sirius were very powerful, they were popular figures since school, but compared to the Dark Lord, they were nothing. I was afraid, the Dark Lord forced me, threatened me, if I refused him, he would kill me."
Peter's voice trembled, revealing his cowardice.
"Heh heh, brave Gryffindor." Tom, holding the camera, couldn't help but sneer, causing the Gryffindors in the room to glare at him.
Dumbledore had no time to bother with Tom and continued his interrogation: "What about Sirius?"
Peter's demeanor changed from his earlier cowardice, and his tone unconsciously became vicious: "As a direct participant, Sirius naturally knew exactly who truly betrayed James and Lily. He hunted me down, wanting to kill me. But I really didn't want to die, so I blew up a street, left a severed finger to fake my death, and escaped. Sirius, left at the scene, naturally became the scapegoat and was sent to Azkaban."
As he said this, Peter began to regain consciousness, realizing what he had just confessed. He slumped to the ground like a pile of mud.
Harry could no longer suppress his rage. He pushed past Flitwick and Sprout, who were blocking him, and punched Peter hard in the face.
Tom finished enjoying the spectacle, put away his camera, and said with a grin to Peter: "'Brave' Peter Pettigrew, the evidence is now complete. Mr. Weasley has already gone to notify the Ministry of Magic. I wonder if you'll be able to ignite your Gryffindor courage once you're in Azkaban."