Ron was shaking with rage,
Could the world get any better? Why did everyone target his rats?!
Scabbers was miserable enough, being pranked by George and Fred at home, being targeted by Hermione's damned cat this term, and now being blamed for betraying Harry's parents…
Did anyone care how Scabbers felt?
No! It was just an ordinary pet rat…
"Rats generally have a very short lifespan of one to three years. Do you remember how long Scabbers was in your house?" Ivan asked, breaking Ron's reverie.
Ron was momentarily stunned; his rat Scabbers had been inherited from Percy for many years, certainly more than the lifespan of an ordinary mouse…
Even so, Ron was stubborn and refused to believe it.
"He's different, maybe he's a magical rat… He should go back to his master now, give him back! I can't lose him!" Ron said in a strangled voice.
Ron simply could not accept the fact that his rat was Peter Pettigrew, that Scabbers was not only his pet, but also his companion in life…
Growing up, he had always been looked down upon, with most of his possessions being unwanted by his brothers, including his wizarding robes, wands, and pets.
Whenever others speak of him, they see him as Harry the Savior's minion, a close friend of the rising star of the wizarding world, Ivan Hals…
Two wonderful friends who always manage to make a name for themselves on any occasion, and he is relegated to the background, humbled as a mouse!
He could not speak of these emotions to anyone but his pet rat, as it was an absolute secret and would not divulge or contradict him…
Not to mention the fact that Scabbers was almost a reflection of him, equally small, underwhelmed, and unattractive…
Ron couldn't even imagine Scabbers's miserable life away from him, with only him as his master to offer him sanctuary.
As such, Ron flew at Ivan in an attempt to free Scabbers, but he crashed head-on into the Shield Charm and was bounced off again.
Yvonne could not understand why Ron was more excited than Harry about a pet mouse.
In order to prevent Ron from losing control again, Ivan waved her wand, and the wooden chair beside her transformed into a long rope that quietly tied Ron up.
"You need to calm down! I can show you the evidence right now!" Ivan said, shaking his head at Ron, who was still struggling on the floor. He then pointed his wand at Scabbers and channeled his magic into him.
The rat in Ivan's grip let out the most blood-curdling shriek it had ever uttered in its life. It flailed its limbs wildly and attempted to sink its teeth into Ivan's wand, but to no avail.
The magic penetrated its body and soon touched the brain's protective mechanisms. The grayish-black rat began to transform in front of everyone.
Its limbs stretch and thicken, its head grows larger, its tail retracts…
Ivan couldn't lift it, so he threw it into a corner. Peter rolled on the ground in pain, his transformation continuing. In a moment, a short, fat, bald, middle-aged man appeared in front of everyone.
Ron stared blankly at the dirty and bald old man in front of him, and his mind went blank.
He thought about eating with Scabbers, washing up, and talking about his memories, all of which made him feel sick…
"He's… he's Peter Pettigrew? Why can he transform into a rat?" Harry, who had been watching the entire transformation, stammered.
He saw this rat almost every day at school. Who would have thought that Scabbers was actually a transformed wizard and possibly the culprit behind his parents' betrayal?
"It's an Animagus!" Hermione exclaimed.
"What?" Harry and Ron looked at her suspiciously.
"Anima Gus Transfiguration! It is an extremely powerful transfiguration spell with almost no flaws, and the effect is to transform a wizard into a specific animal!
Professor McGonagall mentioned it once when we were in Transfiguration class, or have you forgotten?" Hermione said quickly.
'Did I? Why can't I remember?'
Harry looked blank, but if Hermione said so, then there must be…
"But I remember that the Ministry of Magic kept records of all wizards and witches who could transform into animals, and there was a register of what animals they could transform into, and markings and such…" Hermione looked at Sirius and Peter with a puzzled expression, as it was clear that they were both Animagus.
"Well said! But you're missing the fact that not everyone is bound by Ministry regulations!" Sirius explained, looking at Hermione appreciatively.
"It's pretty clear now, isn't it? I don't think I need to explain any further, do you?" Yvonne asked, pointing at Peter Pettigrew, who was curled up on the floor, shivering.
Harry nodded and was about to respond when Peter Pettigrew, lying on the ground, screamed.
"No, it's not that! You've all been fooled, by Black!
He's a murderer, a Dark Wizard through and through! You wouldn't take the word of a murderer, would you? I can tell you that the whole Black family is extremely pure-blood, without exception!"
"His younger brother Regulus Black is a Death Eater, and his cousin Bellatrix Black is the most loyal slave of You-Know-Who… The entire House of Black is supporters of You-Know-Who!"
Peter looked at Sirius with a ferocious expression and questioned him.
'Dare you deny it?'
Everyone except Ivan looked at Sirius in surprise, waiting for his response.
'Of course I don't deny it! My brothers and sisters are nothing but scraps…' Sirius admitted, seeing the suspicious looks in the others' eyes.
"But as I was a maverick and always loathed their pure-blood beliefs, I was long removed from the family tree by my mother."
"Who's to say you didn't deliberately lurk around, gain James's trust, and become a traitor!" Pettigrew retorted hastily.
He looked at Harry and the others with pity in his eyes, then turned to Ivan, understanding that the key to his escape was to convince Ivan to trust him.
After all, Black had lost his wand, and Ivan was the strongest person here!