Chapter 125
At the Present Time
Hermione finished recounting her story to Ron and Harry.
Ron, visibly surprised, exclaimed, "Wait that's what happened to you? What on earth happened after that?!"
Hermione replied, "After that, I found myself lying in the same place where I had fallen. But then I saw Albert coming out of that door, sweating and shaken, as if he had seen or heard something truly terrifying. When I asked him what had happened inside, he refused to tell me anything. All he said was that it wasn't important for me to know."
Harry and Ron fell silent, both of them absorbing the weight of Hermione's words.
It was Harry who eventually broke the silence, speaking with a puzzled look. "Hermione, you mentioned that Albert said he saw the name Gellert Grindelwald on the wall. Is this person… important to Dumbledore?"
Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but Ron cut in quickly. "I heard Dad talking about him months ago when he was chatting with Fred and George. He said Grindelwald was some sort of dark sorcerer—a man who threatened the entire world! If it hadn't been for Professor Dumbledore defeating him in battle and locking him away in Azkaban, the world might have ended up under his control!"
Hermione was taken aback. She hadn't known any of this herself, so Ron's words left her just as surprised as Harry.
At that moment, a small rat scurried out from Ron's pocket, trying to snatch some of the food on the table.
Ron chuckled at his pet's antics and didn't scold him.
But Crookshanks—Hermione's beloved cat—was already on the table, and the moment her eyes landed on Ron's rat, she tensed to pounce.
Crookshanks darted forward, ready to attack the rat, but Ron had expected this and quickly shoved his pet back into his pocket before harm could be done.
Frustrated, Ron snapped, "Hermione! This isn't the first or even the second time your cat's tried to eat my rat! What if she actually ate him one day? My mum would kill me if she ever found out!"
Hermione retorted, "That's not my problem! Crookshanks just sees him as her favorite meal!"
Muttering angrily, Ron tucked the rat deep inside his pocket, making sure it wouldn't poke its head out again in front of Hermione's cat.
Crookshanks, however, wasn't an ordinary cat. She was far cleverer than most felines, with a rare gift: the ability to sense enemies, to see through lies and recognize truths hidden within living beings.
That was why Crookshanks had been persistently trying to eliminate Ron's rat. For she knew the truth—this was no ordinary rat.
He was a man, an Animagus in disguise.
He was Peter Pettigrew, the former friend of James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin.
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Two Months Ago
Four months had passed since Sirius Black left the forest where he had last met his son, Albert.
He had been trying to keep on the move, seeking to buy a new home far away from his old one.
During his wandering, Sirius stumbled upon a popular tourist site filled with visitors snapping photos. It was summer, after all, and the place was crowded with travelers eager to admire the ancient ruins and beautiful relics.
But Sirius froze when his eyes fell upon a particular family—a husband, a wife, and a young girl holding a white cat in her arms.
That cat… it looked strangely familiar.
Sirius narrowed his eyes, staring hard at the animal, until the realization struck him.
Sirius whispered in shock, "Crookshanks? What are you doing here?!"
The cat, too, seemed to recognize him. The moment the family loosened their grip, Crookshanks leapt from the girl's arms and raced straight toward Sirius with unmistakable eagerness.
When she reached him, something extraordinary happened.
"...It's been a long time, Black!" Crookshanks spoke—her voice clear and human.
Sirius wasn't surprised. He knew. He had always known this cat wasn't ordinary.
"Yes," Sirius answered gravely. "It has been far too long. What happened to you, Crookshanks?"
Holding her carefully in his arms, he listened as she replied.
"A great deal has happened. Back when I lived in the Potters' home with James and Lily, Voldemort attacked us because of that wretched traitor. I was struck by one of Voldemort's spells. Since then, I haven't been able to use magic… but I still retained my natural gifts. That's why I ended up living as this girl's pet. She's a student at Hogwarts now."
Sirius's eyes softened with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Crookshanks. I wasn't there that night. I should have been."
"It's not your fault," she reassured him. "I understand… especially after everything that's happened to you and your family."
For a moment Sirius said nothing, then asked quietly, "Since you've been at Hogwarts… tell me. Is my son Albert doing well? Does he have good friends?"
Crookshanks's feline face seemed to brighten with a smile. "Your son is wonderful, Sirius. You don't need to worry about him. He reminds me of you more than you realize."
Sirius let out a small laugh, though tinged with sadness. "I wasn't asking about his strength. Of course, I've trained him myself to reach the level he's at. But… sometimes I feel like I've failed him as a father."
"Don't say that," Crookshanks chided gently. "Let's put that aside for now. We don't have much time before that family starts looking for me. There's something very important I need to tell you."
Her voice grew sharper, more serious. Sirius instinctively tensed.
"Your greatest enemy—the one who betrayed our friends—Peter Pettigrew. He's inside Hogwarts right now… disguised."
Sirius clenched his jaw. He wasn't entirely surprised, yet the thought of Pettigrew infiltrating Hogwarts so easily made his blood boil.
Crookshanks tilted her head. "Wait… did you already know Pettigrew was alive?"
"Yes," Sirius admitted darkly. "About a year ago in Azkaban, Cornelius Fudge came by on one of his visits. He dropped a newspaper outside my cell without realizing it. The issue had a photo of the Weasley family on a trip to Egypt. And there he was—in their youngest son's arms. That filthy rat. That's when I knew Pettigrew was still alive. My son had been telling me the same thing for years, but I never believed him until I saw it with my own eyes."
His eyes blazed with determination as he turned back to Crookshanks.
"You're already inside Hogwarts, and no one suspects you. I want you to do it. Kill Peter Pettigrew. As a cat, no one will question it. Do we have a deal?"
Crookshanks's tail flicked, her golden eyes gleaming with hatred.
"Very well. My grudge against that traitor has never faded. I'll do
it, Black. I'll finish him."
To be continued…