Chapter 204: Ron Turns into a Rat
"I'm not feeling well. I don't know if I caught a cold last night or what, but I need to go to the bathroom now. I'll go find a toilet in Hogsmeade first. You guys carry on."
After handing over Scabbers, a pained expression flashed across Ron's face. He clutched his stomach and spoke to Sirius and the others.
"Go ahead!"
Sirius waved his hand indifferently. Now his eyes were only on the rat in his hand, and he had no time to bother with Ron.
Anyway, Ron's purpose was just to deliver the rat. Now that he was no longer useful, it didn't matter whether he left or stayed.
"Harry, I'll wait for you at Honeydukes later, and you're still paying."
After saying that, Ron prepared to open the door and leave.
"Mm!"
Harry didn't pay much attention to Ron either. Like Sirius, his gaze was now fixed on Scabbers.
"Wait, if your stomach hurts, I'll conjure a toilet for you."
Ethan pointed his wand, and the door Ron had opened immediately closed. Moreover, the material of the entire Shrieking Shack also changed.
It was even more outrageous than what Sirius had faced last time. This was all half-meter thick granite, sealing off the entire Shrieking Shack, and the secret passage and everything else were also blocked by Ethan.
But from the outside, there was no change at all; it was still that dilapidated house. This was also to avoid attracting too much attention from Snape.
"Ethan, let me out! I'm not used to it in here, hurry up!"
Ron's face changed drastically, and he shouted impatiently at Ethan.
"This is for your own good. Look, this is a toilet, and there's a basin inside. You can take care of it in there. If you wait any longer, you'll soil your pants."
Ethan pointed to a cubicle he had conjured and said to Ron.
Ethan had felt something was off about Ron for a long time. Now, if he was hurrying away without a reason, that would be truly strange.
Why didn't he say his stomach hurt at first? Now, at this crucial moment, he says his stomach hurts and wants to run. How could he get his way?
"Harry, say something. I need to get out now."
Seeing that Ethan was unyielding, Ron looked at Harry, hoping he could help him.
"Ethan, Ron, he..."
"Ron, either you soil your pants, or you go in there and take care of it. No one can leave now."
Ethan laid his cards on the table and said unceremoniously.
If he was wrong, he could just give him a hundred Galleons. It was no big deal.
But if it was as he thought, and he let him run, his loss would be significant.
"Adrian is right. No one can leave now, Ron. You just take care of it in there first."
Lupin also sided with Ethan.
He hadn't thought of it just now, but after seeing Ethan's approach, he understood the reason.
What if this Scabbers was fake?
It wasn't impossible; the appearance was Peter's Animagus form, but it might not actually be him.
Transfiguration could achieve this: transforming another rat or creature into Peter's Animagus form while Peterhimself remained hidden. This was entirely possible.
When they were at Hogwarts, Ethan had confirmed that Peter was with Ron, but who said he could only bring one rat?
Now that Ron wanted to leave, Ethan's caution was correct.
This was their only chance; if he escaped, where else could they find him?
"Ron, why don't you just sort it out in here?"
Seeing that both Ethan and Lupin insisted, Harry could only try to persuade Ron.
Perhaps they had thought of something he hadn't, which was why they were doing this.
"I, I, I'll go then."
Ron looked around; no one was speaking up for him, clearly everyone wanted to keep him there.
No matter how much he disagreed, he couldn't resist now.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Ron walked into the small compartment Ethan had conjured.
"Peter, aren't you going to revert from your Animagusform?"
Sirius hadn't paid attention to Ron the entire time; the rat in his hand was already making bones creak.
Just then, Scabbers, squealing from being squeezed, suddenly bit hard into Sirius's thumb.
It could tell that he truly wanted to kill it.
But even so, Sirius showed no intention of letting go.
With his current momentum, he would either crush Scabbers to death or it would revert from its Animagusform back into a human.
"Sirius, stop, you'll kill him."
"Remember what I told you!"
"If you want to get rid of your wanted status, you must hand Peter over to the Ministry of Magic for disposal; otherwise, you'll never clear your name and will forever be a wanted man hiding in the Wizarding World."
Lupin grabbed Sirius's hand, which was tightening even more.
Blood had already stained Sirius's right hand and Scabbers red, and a string of blood drops fell to the ground, showing how hard Scabbers had bitten.
Last night, after Lupin brought Sirius to Hogwarts, they talked about many things.
Among them was the matter of handing Peter over to the Ministry of Magic. Sirius naturally refused; he wanted to deal with Peter himself.
But under Lupin's persuasion, he still agreed with Lupin's suggestion.
Being a wanted man didn't matter to him, as long as he could get revenge.
But he was the godfather James had chosen for Harry, and with Harry's parents gone, he had to take good care of him.
To be with Harry in the sunlight, and even to let the Wizarding World know that Harry still had him behind him, that he wasn't alone, he needed to shed his wanted status.
Furthermore, Peter had escaped by faking his death and even received a First Class Merlin Order, so if it were revealed that he was alive and was the one who betrayed James and killed thirteen Muggles, it would be a huge slap to the Ministry of Magic's face.
After all, the Ministry of Magic had awarded a criminal, a Death Eater who betrayed a hero, a Merlin Order badge; this was an indelible stain.
Just for this, the Ministry of Magic could not possibly forgive him and would certainly sentence him to death, a penalty that hadn't been carried out in over a hundred years.
After all, this concerned the Ministry of Magic's reputation; it was all to maintain their authority.
Hearing Lupin's voice, Sirius's bloodshot eyes finally regained a hint of clarity, and the strength in his hand also lessened significantly.
But Scabbers still bit Sirius's thumb, unwilling to let go.
"First, throw him on the ground, and I'll turn him back."
Seeing Sirius listen to reason, Lupin also breathed a sigh of relief.
If Sirius insisted on killing Peter now, it would be troublesome.
He only had this one good friend left, and if he were to be a wanted man by the Ministry of Magic for life, that would also be a very painful thing.
Moreover, Lupin didn't want Peter to die at Sirius's hands; after all, they were once the closest companions. Handing him over to the Ministry of Magic, letting them judge as they saw fit, was the most suitable course of action.
Sirius gasped, exerted force with his right hand, and suddenly threw Scabbers to the ground.
When it landed, Scabbers let out a muffled thud, and then rolled more than ten times on the ground before stopping.
Clearly, Scabbers was badly hurt by the fall.
And after this fall, Scabbers lay motionless on the ground.
"Revelio!"
A white light flew from the tip of Lupin's wand, striking Scabbers, who was now completely unresponsive.
The Revealing Charm, Lupin also knew this magic, and it worked on Animagus, human Transfiguration, Polyjuice Potion, and the like.
Under the effect of the Revealing Charm, Scabbers began to return to its original form, the entire rat expanding and growing larger.
Until it became a Wizard in pajamas, with its head buried in the ground, its face was still unclear.
But Sirius recognized it at a glance; this wasn't Peter.
"Who exactly are you?"
Saying that, Sirius directly went over and pulled him up, pushing aside the hair that hadn't been trimmed in a long time.
"Ron?"
Harry screamed in disbelief.
What on earth was going on?
Scabbers had turned into Ron. Was this due to the spell Lupin cast, or had Ron been turned into a rat a long time ago?
Ethan watched this scene, not particularly surprised; he could confirm that Ron had issues anyway.
But he hadn't expected Peter to turn Ron into a rat to disguise himself.
It seemed his Transfiguration skills were quite good!
It's just, how did Peter disguise himself as Ron?
He had no wand, no Galleons; how did he get Polyjuice Potion?
"Leave him to me!"
Lupin bent down and began to check Ron's condition, sighing in relief only after confirming he was merely unconscious.
Then he used a healing charm to start treating Ron. These were all external injuries caused by Sirius just now, and complete recovery would still require Madam Pomfrey's Potion.
But he could alleviate a lot of his injuries himself.
As for Ron in the compartment, there was no need to rush now; he couldn't escape anyway.
"What on earth is going on?"
Sirius also looked at this scene with a grim expression, then suddenly turned his head to look at the small compartment Ethan had temporarily conjured.
He hadn't thought much of it just now, but now he knew he was terribly wrong.
If it weren't for Ethan and Lupin being cautious, Petermight really have escaped.
Now, Peter was probably disguised as Ron?
Or what was going on.
But it definitely had something to do with the Ron who was currently in the toilet; this was the only clue.
At this moment, Harry also knelt down anxiously, looking at Ron, wanting to understand what was going on, but not knowing what to say.
As Lupin treated him, Ron also woke up. When he saw Lupin and Sirius not far away, he couldn't help but shrink back, his face filled with terror and fear.
Just now, it was Sirius who wanted to kill him.
"Stop, stop, Ron, what's going on? Why did you turn into Scabbers?"
Harry supported Ron, constantly comforting him, trying to get him to calm down.
Seeing Harry, and then feeling himself change back into human form, Ron finally calmed down a bit.
"Two weeks before Halloween, I was turned into a rat. Back then, I'd bite you every night, trying to get you to notice me, but you didn't notice anything at all."
"The original Scabbers was a Wizard. As for whether he's the Peter you're looking for, I don't know; he's the one who turned me into this."
Saying that, Ron looked at Harry with a wronged expression. He had tried his best to warn Harry, but Harryhadn't noticed anything.
Every day, he was right under his nose, playing happily with the guy who was impersonating him.
Harry felt a bit awkward hearing Ron say this, because during that time, Scabbers kept biting his toes at night, making it hard for him to rest.
Besides classes, he also had Quidditch practice, which led to some sleep deprivation.
This made Harry at one point want to get some rat poison to kill Scabbers, but because of Ron's attachment to Scabbers, and later when Scabbers stopped biting him, he gave up on the idea.
It was fortunate he didn't go through with it, otherwise Ron would have been poisoned by him.
[Thanks to Boss Fengxiang for the monthly ticket, thanks Boss! Delete].
Chapter 205: Peter's Resistance
"Thunderbolt Explosion!"
Just as Sirius pulled open the compartment door, a blast of orange-red flames roared out, and continuous explosions came from within the flames.
Having had the experience with Ron, Sirius was now fully prepared.
Noticing something was wrong, he immediately transformed into a black dog and retreated backward.
Ethan stepped forward, pointed his wand in the air, and a blue barrier rose in front of him.
No matter how fierce the explosions, they could not break through the barrier in the slightest, at most causing a ripple.
Sirius also rushed to Ethan's side.
At the same time, he confirmed that the Ron inside was Peter; he had witnessed this scene over ten years ago.
It's just that back then, he had a wand and could protect himself in the explosion, but now without a wand, he could only hide behind Ethan for protection.
Lupin on the other side also reacted immediately, coming in front of Harry and Ron, and also cast a Shield Charm.
He also moved Harry and Ron towards Ethan. If he hadn't been there, Harry would surely have died.
At the same time, Lupin was even more disappointed with Peter.
After betraying James, he was now using such a large-scale destructive spell and involving Harry in it.
This was the only junior among the four of them back then.
After reaching Ethan's side, Lupin canceled the Shield Charm and then added two more defensive spells.
"Protego Totalum!"
"Salvio Hexia!"
Lupin was quite clear about the power of Thunderbolt Explosion; among commonly used offensive spells, it was definitely one of the top ones.
The most crucial thing was that Thunderbolt Explosionwas also a continuous spell.
Now that he had added two layers of defense, even if Ethan's Shield Charm were broken, they would have enough time to react and defend again.
At this moment, the orange-red 303 flames had already covered the entire front hall of the Shrieking Shack, and Ethan also used a Shield Charm to envelop everyone.
If the Shrieking Shack hadn't been Transfigured by Ethan, and also reinforced with half a meter of thick granite with magical flow, which could effectively resist spells, it would have probably been blown to bits by this Thunderbolt Explosion.
But even so, the blue barrier that Ethan had enveloped them in remained unmoved amidst the explosions.
But Snape, who was outside, was not so calm. Hearing the roaring sounds coming from inside the Shrieking Shack, and the entire house and the surrounding ground shaking.
It would be a miracle if he couldn't guess what was happening inside.
But he just couldn't figure out why!
The three people who went in were Ethan, Harry, and Ron; he knew that.
Logically speaking, Ethan shouldn't have attacked Harryand Ron, and even if he did, it wouldn't have caused such a commotion.
After all, Harry's strength was incomparable to Ethan's; although Ethan hadn't shown much over the years, the level he sometimes displayed was even beyond his own capabilities.
If he were targeting Harry, he would probably have taken him down in one move; there would be no need to create such a huge disturbance.
A battle definitely took place inside, and the situation on the scene was quite intense.
If we exclude the possibility of Ethan attacking Harry and Ron, then it could only be Ethan attacking someone else.
Harry simply wasn't worthy of such treatment.
Suddenly, Snape thought of a possibility: he had been tricked by Sirius into coming here before and almost bitten to death by Lupin.
At the same time, this place also gained the reputation of a haunted house, and generally, no one would approach it, except for those brainless Gryffindors who came to explore.
Could Sirius have been hiding here ever since he arrived near Hogwarts?
Then, when Ethan, Harry, and Ron went in to experience the haunted house, they encountered Sirius.
Now, it was Sirius and Ethan fighting inside; if that were the case, everything could be explained clearly.
After a brief moment of thought, Snape jogged all the way to the entrance of the Shrieking Shack. He wasn't worried about Ethan's safety; after all, if it was just Siriusalone, he couldn't even handle himself, let alone Ethan.
But such a level of confrontation might kill Harry with just a little bit of the aftermath.
"Alohomora!"
A simple Alohomora was cast, but the lock on the door remained unresponsive.
Looking at the thin, dilapidated door, Snape decided to use physical means. After all, no one knew who was behind the door. What if Harry was hiding by the door and couldn't get out, and forcibly blasting it open with a spell would also blast the people behind it?
Moreover, this thin, flimsy wooden door probably only needed one kick to open.
Bang!
"Ah!"
The result of the powerful kick was Snape squatting on the ground, his entire leg trembling, his face flushed red, looking as if he was enduring extreme pain.
Was a Sticking Charm applied?
Snape, squatting painfully on the ground, could only come up with this conclusion.
It seemed that Sirius waiting for Harry inside was very likely premeditated, just waiting for Harry to take the bait. Otherwise, how would he have time to use a Sticking Charm on the house during a battle?
"Sectumsempra!"
Snape, struggling to stand up, waved his wand, and an invisible blade sliced diagonally upwards.
If the door couldn't be entered, then he wouldn't use the door; he would just rip off the roof. He didn't believe that Sticking Charm could defend against Sectumsempra.
But reality was even more absurd. Snape only cut through the rotten wood on the outside of the Shrieking Shack. Looking through the cut, it was extremely thick rock.
Even when his Sectumsempra passed through, there was only a scratch of more than ten centimeters.
The repeated failures made Snape somewhat frustrated, and he was in a state of extreme anger.
But for a moment, he had no solution and could only anxiously wait at the door.
Inside the Shrieking Shack, Thunderbolt Explosion had already ended; maintaining such high-intensity output was also a very tiring task.
Peter immediately stopped his output after seeing that Thunderbolt Explosion was useless.
But just as an Avada Kedavra was cast, it was hit by a red light, and the entire person was directly pushed by the powerful magic onto the granite behind him, his wandalso falling to the side.
"Peter!"
The moment Peter was subdued, Sirius rushed over, grabbed his sleeve, and lifted him directly off the ground.
Then, a powerful right hook landed directly on his face.
Only Ron, standing by, watched awkwardly and felt a little pain in his own face.
Even at this moment, Peter still maintained Ron's appearance, but everyone present knew he was Peter Pettigrew.
And Peter was completely silent at this moment, not saying a word, not daring to look at Sirius and Lupin, his eyes fixed on the ground.
"Speak, why did you betray James back then, huh!"
Sirius looked at Peter like this, and the anger in his heart couldn't be stopped. He threw several more punches at his cheek.
"Revelio!"
Ethan walked over and cast a white light that hit the Ronbeing held by Sirius.
The next moment, he transformed directly into a short, obese, and somewhat bald middle-aged man with small eyes, some graying hair, and a pointed nose, looking quite ugly.
It was Peter Pettigrew himself; Ethan had seen him years ago, but after the incident, Ethan had used Winged Serpent venom on him to erase that memory.
"Sirius, the oath has been fulfilled on my end."
Hearing Ethan say this, Lupin looked at Sirius curiously.
This oath, could it be an Unbreakable Vow?
Ethan helped capture Peter; it could be said that without Ethan, it would have been almost impossible for them to capture Peter. Who would have thought he would use Ron's identity, while Ron was transformed into his Animagus form?
If they had acted themselves, the best outcome would have been to only get Ron.
Now that Ethan had fulfilled the oath, what did Siriusneed to pay?
"Don't worry, when Hogwarts goes on summer break, I will hand everything over to you."
Sirius still held Peter, his face full of a ferocious smile, but he still remembered his deal with Ethan.
"Peter, lift your head, look at this face, do you have anything you want to say?"
After hitting Peter's face until it was somewhat disfigured, Sirius then dragged Peter in front of Harry.
He forced Peter to lift his head and look at Harry's face.
Harry and James, in terms of appearance, had an eighty percent resemblance.
The first time Sirius saw Harry, he thought he had seen a young James. If it weren't for his emerald green eyes, which were like Lily's, Sirius would have been so excited he would have hugged him.
Under Sirius's compulsion, Peter looked at this face, and the emotions in his eyes were extremely complex: nostalgia, fear, resentment...
He truly had not intended to harm Harry. If he had such an idea, he would have acted on it long ago. His time spent with Harry in Ron's identity had been quite pleasant, and he deeply hated himself every night.
But as for regret, it seemed there wasn't much. Peterknew his own character; even if he had another chance, he would still make the same choice.
There was no other way; he was born a timid and cowardly person. He entered Gryffindor to train his courage and bravery, but he still couldn't get rid of his fear of death.
A normal person wouldn't disguise themselves as a rat and live for more than ten years just to survive, even planning to live as a rat forever.
"Harry, you can express your dissatisfaction to your heart's content."
Sirius, throwing Peter to the ground and making him grovel before Harry, suggested to Harry.
Looking at Peter prostrate on the ground, Harry remained silent for a long time before finally saying:
"Forget it, let the Ministry of Magic handle it!"
Harry ultimately made this decision. At first, Harry indeed had the idea of taking revenge with his own hands, but looking at this enemy who had spent several months with him in Ron's identity, Harry truly didn't know what to do.
When Peter heard Harry say to hand him over to the Ministry of Magic, his guilt was instantly overcome by fear.
He knew what he would face if he went to the Ministry of Magic.
He immediately began to think of ways to escape.
[Thanks to the big shot for the monthly ticket, thank you big shot!]
Chapter 206: Snape VS Lupin
"Incarcerous!"
A magical rope, following Lupin's wand, tied Peter's arms behind his back.
"Sirius, you transform back into your Animagus form now, and Harry, you and I will go together. We'll find Dumbledore."
"This matter needs to be handled by him."
Lupin had wandered the Wizarding World for more than ten years and was very familiar with the Ministry of Magic's way of doing things.
If they handed Peter over, Fudge, for his own sake and the Ministry of Magic's reputation, would definitely secretly execute Peter and then deny the matter, as there would be no evidence.
By then, Sirius's wanted status would certainly not be canceled.
After that, they would not find any other way to help Sirius cancel his wanted status; it would follow him for his entire life, until death or capture.
But handing him over to Dumbledore for negotiation was different; Fudge and the Ministry of Magic would not dare to easily fool him.
"Hmm!"
After kicking Peter again, Sirius obediently transformed into the image of a large black dog.
"Wait, take this."
"It can block the flow of magic, just like the restraints worn by serious criminals undergoing magical trials."
Saying that, Ethan directly threw a collar to Lupin. This was also to prevent Peter from finding an opportunity to escape.
Peter could do anything to survive; as long as he had a slight chance, he would escape.
As for whether or not he needed Peter to resurrect Lord Voldemort, Ethan no longer cared.
If he resurrected, it would be according to the original plan. If he didn't resurrect, Ethan could also have the little Tom who had absorbed enough residual souls from the Horcruxes cosplay at a critical moment.
They were both Tom Riddle, wasn't it the same no matter who appeared?
"Thank you!"
Lupin, taking the collar, immediately put it on Peter.
It looked like it was made of leather, with some complex magical patterns on it. After securely locking the buckle, Lupin felt much more at ease.
Now that Peter had been caught, he was just afraid of any unexpected situations that might arise.
And Peter felt a surge of despair deep inside. If he didn't have this collar, when they got outside, there wouldn't be no chance to transform into an Animagus and escape, but now he truly couldn't muster any magic.
"Then I will now revoke these spells."
"Alright!"
Peter had been caught, and now he had no ability to escape, so it was time to leave.
Seeing this, Ethan lightly tapped the granite wall with his wand, and the half-meter thick granite disappeared without a trace, like popped bubbles.
Snape, waiting anxiously outside, also heard the movement at this moment and immediately cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself.
There had been no movement inside for a long time, and he didn't know what had happened. After all, with half a meter of thick granite, the sound of talking certainly couldn't get out, and only loud spells like Thunderbolt Explosion could alarm people outside.
If Ethan won, he would pretend he hadn't been there, hadn't seen them.
But if Sirius won, he could hide nearby and then act.
Creak!
The dilapidated wooden door was opened from the inside. Ethan walked in front, followed by Harry and Ron, then Lupin escorting Peter, and a dog walking beside them.
Snape, hidden by the Disillusionment Charm, watched Harry walk out safely and breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Ron was injured.
But what did that have to do with him?
If Harry were injured, he could pretend to have accidentally passed by and then, out of his duty as a Professor, provide a few healing Potions.
But if it was Ron, it would be good if he didn't step on him a few times. Snape still remembered the cross-dressing incident from the first week of school.
And he still deducted Gryffindor house points every class.
"You go to the Principal's office, and I'll go to Hogsmeade."
At the crossroads, Ethan prepared to part ways with them. After all, the rest was not within his scope of transaction; he only needed to hand Peter over to Sirius.
It wasn't his task to deliver him to Dumbledore.
Moreover, Peter was already like this: he had swollen up, his hands were tied behind his back, and he wore an anti-magic collar around his neck. There was basically no possibility of escape. Why should he follow them?
Cassandra and Penelope were also waiting in Hogsmeade.
"Alright, you go!"
Lupin nodded and did not refuse. Just as Ethan thought, if something could still go wrong with such a simple matter, he might as well die; what kind of Hogwarts Professorwould he be then?
"Ethan, what I said earlier is still valid. Next time we go to Hogsmeade, the expenses are on me."
Though it was just talk at the time and shouldn't be taken seriously, Harry still wanted to thank Ethan.
If Ethan hadn't intervened, the enemy who killed his parents would likely never have been caught, and Ronwould have had to endure his rat life for who knows how much longer.
Besides some Galleons, he didn't know what else he could give Ethan as thanks.
"Alright."
Ethan smiled and nodded, then headed down another path towards Hogsmeade.
Snape watched Ethan leave, his mind still reeling.
What exactly did they do inside the Shrieking Shack?
After coming out, one went to Hogsmeade, while the others returned to Hogwarts.
It was as if their entire purpose for coming out was just to visit the Shrieking Shack.
And when did Lupin get in? He had been outside the whole time, how did he not know?
What role did he play inside?
Did he participate in the battle just now?
Snape's mind was in a state of considerable confusion.
He had originally planned to leave after seeing that Harrywas alright.
But anything involving Lupin reignited Snape's focus.
In Snape's heart, he had never trusted Lupin, always harboring extreme malice and suspicion towards him.
If Sirius could betray James and Lily, then Lupin, who was with them, might not be any different.
And who was the tied-up person? Snape couldn't recognize him at all.
Could it be that Ethan and Lupin together caught this fellow during the battle? But who was he?
And Harry was involved too, what was his relationship with Harry?
Sirius?
As soon as the thought emerged, Snape dismissed it himself.
How could Lupin possibly catch Sirius?
Besides, Sirius was taller than him and not fat; furthermore, a fat person would thin down in Azkaban.
As for the large black dog, Snape completely ignored the animal.
To figure out the reason, Snape kept approaching Harryand his group.
He just wanted to know who the person tied up by Lupinwas.
And what was his relationship with Harry?
But before Snape could get close, the large black dog, who had been following Lupin, immediately raised its head and looked at Snape's direction with alert.
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As an Animagus animal, it certainly possessed animalistic traits, and at this moment, Sirius's sense of smell was incredibly keen.
Someone was approaching him, and this person's scent was very strong.
So strong that he couldn't help but notice.
"Woof!"
A bark attracted everyone's attention.
As Sirius's long-time friend, Lupin immediately pointed his wand in that direction.
At this moment, who could be a good person sneaking over using a Disillusionment Charm?
Seeing this, Snape also canceled his Disillusionment Charm and revealed himself.
He didn't want to fight Lupin here.
If possible, he naturally wanted to dismember Lupin.
But currently, both sides were Hogwarts Professors, and Harry was also present, the conditions simply didn't allow him to act.
"Snape, what do you want, following us sneakily?"
Although Lupin no longer pointed his wand at Snape, he still held it tightly in his hand.
Just as Snape didn't trust Lupin, Lupin didn't trust Snapemuch either.
After all, the two sides had a deep-seated grudge since their school days, and later it was clearly known that Snape had joined the Death Eaters, held a significant position among them, and participated in many actions harming other Wizards.
Although he knew Snape's feelings for Lily were genuine, Lupin couldn't guarantee what Snape thought of Harry.
And, by extension, Snape and Peter were in the same group.
"I'd like to ask you, what are you doing bringing Harry to this place, and who is this tied-up person?"
Snape scrutinized him for a moment and realized he didn't recognize him.
He didn't recall knowing any short, stout, balding middle-aged man.
Furthermore, his face was somewhat disfigured from being beaten, which made identification even harder.
If Peter were intact, Snape might have recognized him.
Although among the Marauders, Peter had the lowest presence.
But Snape hated the Marauders to his core, and even after so many years and significant changes in appearance, Snape could still recognize him.
Peter, who was being held down nearby, saw Snape's appearance and immediately felt as if he had seen a ray of hope.
"Snape, I am Peter Pettigrew!
I was captured trying to protect Harry!
This large black dog is Sirius!
He and Lupin conspired to capture me and deceive Harry!
You can't let him succeed!"
Peter, yes, this build is very much like Peter Pettigrew, it's just that he's been dead for over ten years, plus his face was swollen and unrecognizable, which is why he wasn't recognized.
Wait, this large black dog is Sirius?
"Powdered Bone!"
A spell emitting brilliant white light instantly shot out from Snape's wand, directly blasting towards the large black dog nearby.
This was a completely instinctive reaction.
Snape had long made up his mind to kill Sirius.
Now, hearing Peter's words, how could he possibly restrain himself?
Sirius was a significant factor in Lily's death.
Thank heavens for giving him such an opportunity.
"Stop!"
A red flash was cast by Lupin, successfully intercepting Snape's spell in mid-air.
Lupin had been constantly on guard against Snape, which is why he could act immediately.
If that spell had hit, it would have absolutely blown Siriusinto dog meat chunks.
[Thanks to the big boss Sashimi Tuna for the urging ticket, thank you big boss! Zero].
Chapter 207: Ron's Unexpected Choice
"Snape, don't listen to Peter! He's the one who sided with Lord Voldemort and betrayed James!"
After successfully intercepting Snape's spell, Lupinimmediately shouted.
Although he didn't trust Snape much, Lupin absolutely didn't want to confront him at this moment.
Firstly, the priority now was to send Peter to Dumbledore, so he could face trial by the Ministry of Magic and clear Sirius's name.
Secondly, Lupin wasn't confident he could defeat Snape.
Back in the Shrieking Shack, he had to use the advantage of his Werewolf form to nearly kill Snape.
Now they were both adult Wizards, and the Werewolfform no longer had such a great deterrent, instead, it was a hindrance.
Based on raw strength, among the Marauders, only Jamesand Sirius were on par with Snape.
He and Peter wouldn't fare well against Snape alone.
Harry and Ron couldn't help much, and Sirius was currently in his black dog form, without a wand.
Given Snape's desire to kill him, he'd likely be dead if he pounced.
Furthermore, he had been wandering for over ten years, and his strength hadn't improved much.
If Ethan were here now, it would be great.
"Professor Snape, Peter is the enemy who betrayed my parents."
Looking at the confronting Lupin and Snape, Harry also stepped forward to explain.
"Shut up, get back to the side.
This is not your place to speak."
"Do you know who Lupin is? How dare you trust him!"
Snape immediately reprimanded Harry.
Snape didn't believe Peter's words.
He also didn't believe Lupin's words.
Instead, he could now confirm that this large black dog was Sirius.
So this was how he escaped Azkaban's imprisonment and eluded the Ministry of Magic's pursuit.
An illegal Animagus.
He had told Dumbledore that Lupin was untrustworthy, and now it was proven, wasn't it?
After all, Lupin concealed the fact that Sirius was an illegal Animagus, and as for whether he provided any assistance to Sirius, Snape believed he did.
Now, by sheer luck, the three surviving members of the Marauders were all here.
If he missed this heaven-sent opportunity, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
As for the truth, once he captured all of them.
There were ways to make them speak the truth.
"Professor Snape, don't be misled by..."
"Get back!"
Snape narrowed his eyes, then with a wave of his wand, he directly blasted Harry and Ron away.
He didn't want to hear Harry babbling here, and he certainly couldn't tolerate him interfering with his actions.
"Harry, you watch Peter, I'll handle this here."
Lupin said to Harry, while remaining wary of Snape.
"Okay!"
Harry stood up, holding his waist.
He had been blasted two or three meters away, but it was just a knock-back jinx, so he wasn't seriously injured; only his butt and waist hurt a bit when he landed.
"Dust and Gravel!"
A series of blue flames shot out from Snape's wand at an extremely fast speed, arriving in front of Lupin in the blink of an eye.
Snape also wanted to finish the fight quickly.
What if Ethan came later, who knew whose side he would be on?
If he allied with Lupin, Snape might actually fail.
Facing Snape's sudden attack, Lupin also had a countermeasure.
A blue barrier instantly rose, completely blocking the incoming flames, making them only able to emit a series of explosions outside.
As early as the confrontation, Lupin had prepared a protective charm, precisely to prevent Snape from launching an unchivalrous sneak attack.
"Sectumsempra!"
Failing in one strike, Snape immediately launched a furious offense, with one invisible blade after another slicing towards Lupin.
If his current identity wasn't inappropriate, Snape would have used the Unforgivable Curses.
After all, Lupin and Sirius were together now, and if he killed him, he would have a reason.
This completely conformed to the Ministry of Magic's regulations.
So, he was using Dark Arts without any psychological pressure.
And Peter, with his hands bound and watched over by a large black dog, felt that his chance had come.
The most troublesome Lupin was now tied up by Snape, Sirius had no wand, and Ron and Harry were even less of a threat.
This was an opportunity given by heaven; he had to escape before their fight ended.
Otherwise, no matter who won, he would have no chance.
But, what should he do now?
This damned collar had suppressed his magic.
Sirius, at this moment, was watching Lupin's and Snape's fight while also keeping an eye on Peter, his black dog face filled with anxiety.
Lupin was clearly at a disadvantage now, constantly taking hits passively.
His left arm and cheek already had two large gashes, and blood was flowing out uncontrollably.
This was Snape's signature spell, Sectumsempra, and Sirius knew its intricacies very well, having faced it before.
It was a very tricky Dark Arts spell.
Harry, lend me your wand."
After a series of distortions, Sirius returned to his original form.
He decided to go help, otherwise Lupin might really get into trouble; this was his only brother.
As for Peter, he had long been classified as an enemy.
"My wand, can you use it?"
Harry looked at Sirius in confusion, then glanced at his own wand.
His wand had never been used by anyone else, and he had never used anyone else's wand either.
"No problem!"
Sirius nodded affirmatively; the compatibility was uncertain, but it could definitely be used.
He had used James's and Lupin's wands back then, and there was no problem.
Just now, Peter was using Ron's wand in the Shrieking Shack, wasn't he using it freely?
"Alright!"
Seeing that Sirius had said so, Harry immediately stepped forward a few paces and personally handed the wand to Sirius.
He also saw that Lupin's condition was not good at the moment, on the verge of being defeated at any time.
"You two keep an eye on Peter, don't let him run away."
After a brief instruction, Sirius directly rushed forward with Harry's wand.
He wished he had gotten a wand earlier; it wasn't difficult at all.
"Diffindo!"
After forcing Snape back with a spell, Sirius immediately went to Lupin's side.
"You came too, is Peter alright?"
Lupin, panting heavily, said to Sirius.
Everything he had done was for Peter; nothing could go wrong.
"Harry and Ron are watching him; with his magic bound, he has no ability to resist."
Sirius quickly explained, then focused his attention on Snape.
Even facing Snape, they couldn't be careless. If he had been well-rested and recovered for a while, and Lupinhadn't been injured, they would definitely have been able to overpower him. But now, Sirius wasn't entirely confident.
"Sirius, it's been a long time, hasn't it!"
Looking at that familiar face, a sinister smile appeared on Snape's face...
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Sirius had no intention of wasting words with Snape and launched an attack first; he was still a wanted man.
If the battle here were discovered by others, it would be a disaster for both him and Lupin.
So, they had to finish it quickly.
Peter saw that Sirius had also left, and only Ron and Harry were left guarding him.
Immediately, his mind started working. Harry was definitely out; he wouldn't let him go.
But Ron, there was a possibility.
"Ron, do you remember that night?"
Upon hearing Peter's words, Ron's face instantly flushed.
At first, he didn't remember, only feeling that something had happened to him, but later, the memory was deeply etched!
Although it was very embarrassing, that process was quite comfortable, even making Ron somewhat nostalgic.
"Ron, if you remember, quickly let me go. If I'm sent to the Ministry of Magic, only death awaits me."
"You've faced Dementors. When I get there, a Dementor's Kiss will be waiting for me, my soul sucked out in extreme fear and despair."
Peter tried to get Ron to help him, after all, that… affection was quite deep.
He had lived in Ron's house for over ten years and shared a bed with Ron for several years. He couldn't possibly just watch himself be executed, could he?
Although he had turned him into a rat, which was a bit unfair to him, it was out of necessity, and he believed Roncould understand.
"Ron, don't listen to him. He's Lord Voldemort's man."
Harry pulled Ron aside, his face serious and earnest.
"Mm, I know!"
Ron nodded, but would Peter really be executed?
Ron genuinely didn't know; he only knew that the Wizarding World didn't have the death penalty. Many prisoners who committed serious crimes were only imprisoned in Azkaban.
"Harry, will he really be executed?"
Ron still asked; he was genuinely worried about this.
At first, he found Peter quite disgusting, but later his appearance became more agreeable, and coupled with having raised him for a few years, he really didn't want to see him die!
"Perhaps!"
Harry believed the possibility of the death penalty was still very high, as his crimes were indeed unforgivable.
"Ron, save me!"
Seeing Ron remain indifferent, Peter directly knelt on the ground, begging Ron.
"I know I was wrong, and I'll never do it again. Please forgive me."
"Harry, our friendship during this time wasn't fake, and Ron too, we spent so many happy years together. If you send me to the Ministry of Magic this time, today will be the last time we see each other…"
Peter looked at Harry and then at Ron, pleading with both of them.
"Harry, Ron, don't believe Peter's lies. Keep a close eye on him."
Sirius also diverted some attention to Peter's situation behind them, and upon seeing this scene, he roared in fury.
Ron's face was also conflicted at this moment; he didn't want to see Peter die, even if Peter had done many wrong things, and even turned him into a rat for several months.
But he didn't have many friends to begin with, and Peterwas a particularly special one among them.
"Ron!"
Hearing Peter's cry, Ron's body suddenly trembled, and then he made up his mind.
"Finite Incantatem!"
"Alohomora!"
[Thanks to Big Shot Furious King for the monthly ticket, thank you Big Shot!]
Chapter 208: Sirius's Killing Intent
As soon as the magical ropes binding his hands and the anti-magic collar around his neck loosened, Peterimmediately tore off the necklace and threw it to the ground.
At this moment, he was finally free from the anti-magic collar's restriction.
All his magic also began to circulate again.
Then his entire body twisted and deformed, using Animagus to transform into a rat, and the moment he landed, he scurried on his four small feet towards Hogsmeade.
Just now, Peter wasn't sure if Ron would really save him; he was just testing him.
He didn't expect Ron to actually act, directly releasing his restraints and allowing him to escape.
He also had to thank that so-called rat tonic.
The first time he took it, he couldn't stand it and could only vent on Ron. Peter didn't realize what the problem was then.
By the second time, Peter was basically certain, after all, there weren't that many coincidences; it happened twice in a row after taking this tonic.
But at that time, his identity was a rat, and he couldn't avoid Ron feeding him the medicine. Moreover, after taking this medicine, he did feel much more relaxed, although there were some side effects, they weren't unacceptable.
Later, when the medicine ran out, he used Polyjuice Potion to turn into Ron's appearance, and then turned Ron into his Animagus form.
But sometimes in the dead of night, he would still turn Ron back to his original form and have a go.
After all, having suppressed it for so many years, once it started, there was no stopping it.
At the same time, during this process, he didn't erase Ron's memories. He didn't expect that today, this relationship would help him so much.
"Ron, what are you doing?"
Harry looked at Peter, who had turned into a rat and was fleeing, and looked at Ron in disbelief.
This was truly his best friend. Peter was the culprit who betrayed his parents, leading to their deaths, and Ron just let him go like that?
Did Ron ever consider my feelings?
Hearing this, Ron also lowered his head, not daring to look at Harry. He knew that what he had done was difficult for Harry to understand.
But he really couldn't just watch Peter die like that.
Seeing Ron like this, Harry knew it was too late to say anything, so he immediately gave chase.
The commotion here also attracted the attention of Siriusand Lupin. After forcing Snape back, they quickly ran over.
At this point, Snape also noticed something was wrong. If Peter really had no problems, and Sirius and Lupin were trying to frame him, why was he running away now, when he himself had the upper hand?
As long as he took down Sirius and Lupin, and then confirmed that Peter was truly innocent, he would be safe.
This made Peter even more suspicious.
As he passed Ron, Sirius's eyes looked as if he wanted to kill Ron.
Both of them cast several acceleration spells on themselves and quickly caught up with Harry.
But Harry was currently stopped in front of a small grove, standing there blankly, as if his entire being had lost its color.
"Harry, where's Peter!"
Sirius asked anxiously.
"He burrowed into this grove and disappeared instantly."
Peter's rat form was also quite agile; Harry couldn't catch up at all, and he specifically sought out difficult paths, finally diving into this small grove. In just a few breaths, he was out of sight.
If it were snowy weather now, he could definitely be found, but unfortunately, it wasn't.
Upon hearing this, Sirius fell silent. He knew Peter's escape route, but catching him was basically impossible.
Beyond this small grove was Hogsmeade, and Hogsmeade had many sewer pipes. Once he burrowed in, how could they find him?
"Avada Kedavra!"
Sirius, his eyes bloodshot, turned and cast a killing curse at Snape, who was following behind them.
The eerie green light illuminated Snape's deathly pale face.
But Snape was also wary of Sirius and Lupin and had long been prepared for an attack.
"Accio Tree Trunk!"
A broken, dead tree trunk immediately flew up from beside Snape, intercepting in front of him.
Looking at the rotten wood exploding into several pieces in the green light, Snape hadn't expected him to use the Killing Curse.
Speaking of which, this was the first time he had seen Sirius use an Unforgivable Curse.
"Crucio!"
Sirius, whose first attack failed, continued his assault. He wanted Snape to pay the price.
If it weren't for Snape, Peter wouldn't have found an opportunity to escape.
And Ron too, if it weren't for him, Peter wouldn't have been able to break free from the binding spell and the anti-magic collar.
"Sirius, are you mad!"
Lupin immediately stepped forward and hugged Sirius, who was still furiously attacking Snape with Unforgivable Curses.
"Let go of me, Lupin, let go of me!"
"If it weren't for Snape, Peter wouldn't have run!"
Ah!"
After being restrained by Lupin, Sirius also let out a frenzied roar, his bloodshot eyes still fixed on Snape.
He had paid so much to catch Peter, only for his efforts to be in vain now.
It would likely be difficult to get another chance later; he would absolutely not let Snape off the hook.
"Calm down. Even if you kill Snape now, it won't solve the problem."
Lupin dared not let go, and he also had Harry retrieve his wand.
Although he also hated Snape to the bone, he still retained a bit of sanity.
Not to mention whether the two of them could defeat Snape, if Sirius used an Unforgivable Curse, he would end up in Azkaban.
If Snape seized on this point and reported it to the Ministry of Magic, Sirius would have another charge against him.
He could even have Sirius arrested immediately.
Now that Peter had escaped, the priority was to find Dumbledore.
Although they couldn't revoke Sirius's wanted poster, at least they could let Dumbledore know the truth and be prepared.
After several minutes, Sirius finally calmed down.
During this time, Snape stood silently to the side, realizing he had indeed made a mistake just now.
"Harry, what exactly happened?"
Thinking of this, Snape's dead-like eyes stared intently at Harry.
He wanted to hear his side of the story.
"It's just as I said, Peter is the one who betrayed my parents. He just framed Sirius for everything and then faked his death to escape."
"Ron's pet rat, Scabbers, is Peter. Before Halloween, he used Polyjuice Potion to turn into Ron and then transformed Ron into a rat."
"Ethan helped us catch him. Now, because of you and Ron, Peter has escaped."
Harry was full of resentment. He had clearly explained it from the beginning, but they hadn't believed him.
Now Peter had run off, what was the point of asking again?
"Impossible. Sirius is the one who betrayed Lily. He was the Secret-Keeper of the Fidelius Charm. If it weren't for him, Lord Voldemort would never have found Lily."
Snape instinctively refused to believe it.
Mainly, he couldn't believe that he would let go of one of the murderers who caused Lily's death. If it were true, he would hate himself even more.
"James and Lily's Secret-Keeper was not Sirius, but Peter, because…"
Lupin told Snape what he had learned from Sirius.
Sirius had only told him this after he saw him last year.
When the Secret-Keeper was originally set up, Lupinhimself was directly excluded.
Although James and Sirius always said they trusted him, they actually still had some reservations.
Lupin bore no resentment for this.
The situation at the time was like that; Wizards from both sides were dying in battle every moment, and both sides had spies hidden among their opponents.
And as a Werewolf, he was inherently disliked by other Wizards.
What's more, some Werewolves had already chosen to serve Lord Voldemort at that time. In such a situation, if it were him, he would also be wary of Werewolves.
"You said Adrian helped you catch Peter. Why would he help you?"
"How did he know Peter's identity?"
Snape was starting to accept Lupin's explanation. Based on the circumstances at the time, it wasn't impossible.
But why would Ethan get involved?
How could he discover Peter's identity, and after discovering it, why didn't he report it to the Professor, but instead allied with Lupin and the others?
"I paid half of the House of Black's inheritance. Is that enough?"
Sirius sneered, looking at Snape.
According to the Unbreakable Vow, Ethan had completed his part, which was to deliver Peter into his hands.
Now, he needed to fulfill his vow, otherwise, he would die in six months.
Hearing Sirius say this, Snape was momentarily speechless.
The price was truly steep, and that brat Ethan's heart was truly dark.
No wonder he didn't report it to the Professor; it turned out he was looking to make a big score.
"Now we need to go see Professor Dumbledore. Are you coming?"
Seeing that Snape had no intention of attacking, Lupindidn't want to stay there long, though he still remained wary.
"Yes, and call Adrian."
How could Snape be absent at a time like this?
Although he still gnashed his teeth in hatred towards Lupin and Sirius, he would definitely teach them a lesson if he had the chance.
But Peter, one of the Marauders, was now on his kill list. He couldn't miss any clue about him.
"I'll go!"
Harry glanced at the three.
Sirius was clearly not suitable to go, and it was a pipe dream to send Snape given his personality.
Lupin was also unsuitable; if he left and Snape and Siriusstarted fighting again, Harry couldn't stop them.
As for Ron, he hadn't seen him yet. Perhaps he was still in the same spot, or perhaps he had left. Who knew!
[Thank you, great lord Xia Shi Wang Hou, for the reward and monthly votes! Thank you, great lord!].
Chapter 209: Snape's Stolen Potion
"You said Peter ran away?"
Ethan, who had just come out of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, was shocked by Harry's news.
Four Wizards, two adults and two children, guarding a Peter whose magic was restricted. How could he run?
Did they really think everyone was Grindelwald?
"Yes, everyone is on the path outside the Shrieking Shackleading to Hogwarts, preparing to go to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Snape hopes you can come along."
Harry, supporting his legs, said breathlessly.
He had asked many classmates before he found out Ethan's location. Ethan had indeed run very fast.
"Then I'll go first. You all continue."
There was no other way; Ethan could only part ways with Cassandra and the others now.
Although he didn't provide any after-sales service, he still had to go and understand the situation when a problem arose.
"Harry, what exactly happened?"
Walking along the road, Ethan asked curiously.
Was it related to Snape? When he came out, Ethan had also sensed Snape.
But wasn't he hiding nearby using a Disillusionment Charm, observing?
How did he pop out?
Snape didn't know the true identity of that large black dog, and Harry hadn't encountered any danger. It didn't seem likely he would show his face.
"Snape…"
Harry walked quickly, recounting what had just happened.
Ethan fell silent after listening. What was Snape thinking, popping out like that? And what was going on with Ron?
In the original story, Ron hadn't pulled such a stunt.
Was this another butterfly effect caused by him?
Before long, the two arrived at the location Harrymentioned. Lupin, Sirius, and Snape were all there. Ronwas also watching from not far away, not knowing what he was thinking. The atmosphere was exceptionally silent.
Especially Sirius and Snape; their gazes towards each other indicated they wished to kill the other.
"Let's go to Dumbledore's place!"
Lupin saw Ethan arrive and broke the silent atmosphere.
Snape still had some questions he wanted to ask Ethan, but he didn't know how to start, as Ethan was not an ordinary young Wizard and wasn't so easy to manipulate. He decided to leave it to Dumbledore.
Along the way, no one spoke a word. They went directly to where Thestral carriages were parked.
Although it wasn't time to return to Hogwarts yet, they could still take a ride back, especially Professors, who had that privilege.
In the original plan, Sirius and the others were going to take a Thestral carriage back to Hogwarts.
One carriage was spacious enough for four people, and it could easily fit all of them, preventing any unforeseen incidents that might allow Peter to escape midway.
Unfortunately, that incident happened before they even reached the carriages.
But now, they had to split into two carriages. Ethan chose to ride with Sirius and Lupin, while Snape rode with Harry and Ron.
However, throughout the journey, Snape's gaze was not on Harry, but fixed intently on Ron. Judging by his expression, he had probably already sliced Ron into pieces with Sectumsempra in his mind.
Although Peter's escape was largely due to him, he had no intention of letting Peter go. Instead, he planned to capture all three, clarify the situation, and then hand them over to Dumbledore to resolve. At most, he would take a small revenge in the interim.
But Ron had simply and decisively let Peter escape, which was a fundamental difference.
Saying Ron was aiding the enemy now would truly be accurate.
Under Snape's gaze, Ron felt completely uncomfortable.
At the same time, he also noticed that Harry was sitting a bit far from him, and hadn't spoken a word to him since the incident occurred.
Was Harry going to end their friendship? Thinking of this possibility, Ron felt utterly miserable.
No, it couldn't be like this. Without Harry, he wouldn't have anyone to talk to at Hogwarts.
Ron knew what he had done was quite underhanded, but Harry wouldn't go to such extremes, would he?
In this silent atmosphere, the Thestral pulled the carriage to the grounds outside Hogwarts.
Filch saw a carriage returning so early and was about to go check it out.
But after seeing Snape and the others get out, he immediately returned inside.
He just assumed that these few young Wizards had somehow fallen into Snape's hands again. As for Lupin, he simply ignored him.
Given what Lupin and his group had done at Hogwartsback then, he had no good impression of Lupin.
Snape led the way, arriving at the Principal's office door on the eighth floor.
"Lemon Drop!"
Ethan remembered this password Snape uttered. He seemed to have used it before.
So, did this dessert password come full circle?
As the stone gargoyle parted, revealing a spiral staircase, Snape still walked in front.
Lupin and the large black dog followed behind him. Ethan and Harry also walked in without hesitation.
Only Ron stood hesitantly, but finally gritted his teeth and followed.
Bang!
Just like in class, Snape violently pushed open the Principal's office door; knocking was simply out of the question.
Comparing himself, Ethan realized he was truly too polite.
"Severus, what is this?"
Putting down The Daily Prophet in his hand, Dumbledorelooked at the group of uninvited guests who had burst into his office and asked, somewhat bewildered.
Although he had many schemes, he truly had no idea what was happening at this moment.
Snape and Lupin, or Snape, Harry, and Ron together, that might lead to some speculation, but now everyone is together, and Ethan is here too.
Oh, and there's a big Black dog on the ground.
This looks a bit like an Animagus; a little thought reveals who this big Black dog is.
The House of Black's crest features two dogs, and Sirius's Patronus form was also a dog, so his identity is self-evident.
"Regarding Sirius and Peter's issue, it's best for Lupin to explain the specifics."
Snape didn't want to explain and directly pushed it to Lupin.
The big Black dog also transformed into human form at this time, pressing a hand on Lupin's shoulder.
"I'll tell it!"
Seeing this, Lupin nodded, stepped back, and it was indeed more appropriate for Sirius to speak.
Dumbledore also adopted a posture of listening attentively, with no intention of taking action.
He had been somewhat suspicious that Sirius had some hidden circumstances in that matter, but he was unwilling to speak, so it was impossible to understand.
At the same time, Ethan also saw the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black move, which was probably due to his excitement at seeing his great-great-grandson.
Of their lineage, only Sirius remains as the sole heir; if this sole heir were truly imprisoned in Azkaban until his death, the thousand-year-old Black Family would be broken.
When he heard of Sirius's escape from Azkaban, he was quite happy, but also worried about any accidents that might befall him.
"When James first cast the Fidelius Charm, the Secret-Keeper initially chosen was indeed me, but because I..."
Facing Dumbledore, Sirius dared not conceal anything and began to recount from the very beginning of the incident, all the way to his transaction with Ethan, and the entire process of Peter's escape just now.
During this time, everyone listened intently; only when the transaction between Ethan and Sirius was mentioned did Dumbledore cast an unexpected glance at Ethan.
"Ethan, may I see your marauder's map?"
After hearing everything, Dumbledore was quite interested in the marauder's map.
He wondered if he could also create a similar Alchemywork; relying solely on portraits and ghosts to monitor Hogwarts was too outdated and inefficient, and many areas remained unmonitored.
Ethan also guessed some of Dumbledore's thoughts; he probably wanted one for himself, but Ethan saw no need to refuse.
While inside Hogwarts Castle, he was still very well-behaved, occasionally visiting the Room of Requirement, wandering the Forbidden Forest, and only rarely leaving school, which Dumbledore was also aware of.
Dumbledore took the parchment, cast a spell to test it, and then returned it to Ethan.
"Peter disguised himself as Ron. Ethan, have you seen him interact with anyone on the marauder's map?"
"It's unlikely he obtained Polyjuice Potion himself; he probably reconnected with that Death Eater."
At this point, Dumbledore began to ask about the real matter.
Dumbledore still took the hidden Lord Voldemort faction within his school somewhat seriously.
To succeed in his calculations, sufficient intelligence support was required.
"I haven't found anything. In fact, I rarely use the marauder's map, and I don't pay much attention to him."
Ethan was speaking the truth; he used it more in his first year, but after that, the marauder's map basically gathered dust.
"I think I know about this. About two weeks into this school year, a large portion of the ingredients in my Potion classroom went missing, some of which were for making Polyjuice Potion; all of these were taken away."
When Snape discovered this, he was furious.
He hadn't expected that someone within Hogwartswould target him.
Later, Snape also placed many magic spells in the place where he stored Potion ingredients, but after that, there was no activity whatsoever.
That person only committed this one act and then stopped, leaving Snape completely clueless at the time.
Snape, unable to catch the thief, also did not speak of the matter, as it was truly not very honorable.
So, until today, no one knew he had lost Potions, except for Peter, the thief.
"The timing matches. It seems Peter stole the Potioningredients and brewed it himself."
Dumbledore could now rule out the idea that Peter had an inside accomplice at Hogwarts; only Ron's actions made him very worried.
This Weasley kid has caused quite a bit of trouble for himself.