The torment of hunger, the pain of severed limbs, the stench of bird droppings, the dizziness of spinning–
Each one was impacting Peter's nerves like a tsunami, even with his tolerable personality, his anger was swelling and uncontrollably in his heart, until a moment-
A dazzling light suddenly flashed in the dim owl shed, Malfoy broke the connection of his wand, instinctively covering his eyes, and Crabbe and Goyle, who were watching the show behind him, had the same reaction. Two seconds later, Malfoy, who was caught off guard by the bright light, put down his hand, and when he saw the where the light appeared, his expression suddenly became stunned.
'That rat turned into a strange man?'
This was a very small person, not much taller than Malfoy himself, with dull and sparse hair, a large bald spot on top of his head, and the man looked wrinkled, like a fat man who had lost a lot of weight in a short time. His skin was dirty, in fact, using the word "dirty" was a bit too mild - his exposed skin was covered in bird droppings.
"That's enough!"
Peter's sharp voice was like nails scraping on a chalkboard, his small green eyes filled with murderous intent, staring angrily at the stunned Malfoy.
"Damn it. You three little bastards, I want you to pay the price!"
In that instant, several questions flashed through Malfoy's mind:
'Where did that rat go? Who is this man? Where did he come from? What the hell did Weasley actually raise?' But before he could find any answers, this ugly man pounced on him, his face twisted with rage and madness. The only word Malfoy shouted was:
"Run!"
Malfoy reacted quickly, almost immediately realizing that this strange man was very dangerous. He felt a cold sweat on his forehead, and a surge of fear in his chest. In the moment he shouted, he had already turned and rushed towards the door. But unfortunately, Crabbe and Goyle were standing behind him, and these two big idiots hadn't figured out what was going on yet. They were wondering why Draco turned a rat into an ugly dwarf, and when did Draco master this neat transformation magic?
They looked at each other, confused and curious, blocking Draco's way out. Draco cursed under his breath, and tried to push them aside, but it was too late. At the critical moment of escape, Malfoy was blocked by his two loyal lackeys, and in the blink of an eye, their hope of escaping alive was completely dashed.
A rough but powerful hand like a pincer clamped his neck from behind, causing Draco to immediately suffocate. He felt a sharp pain in his throat, and a choking sensation in his lungs. His cheeks turned red, and his body was unable to move, while the man behind him unceremoniously took away his wand.
"Help… me."
Draco opened his hand and desperately pleaded for help from Crabbe and Goyle, who were just within reach, but the subsequent violent explosion made him lose his last hope.
The two big guys were blown away by Peter, who had cast a powerful blasting curse at them. They flew across the room, crashing into the walls and cages, and falling to the ground, unconscious and bleeding.
Then Malfoy's body was twisted around. He looked at this ugly man who was about the same height as him, his trembling body filled with fear, and even his voice was trembling.
"Who… who are you?"
He asked, hoping to stall for time, or to find a way to escape, or to appeal to the man's conscience, if he had any.
"Lucius Malfoy's son!"
Peter pointed his wand at Draco's eyes, his large yellow teeth grinding against each other, making a creaking sound.
He recognized the boy's features, the blond hair, the pale skin, the arrogant nose.
"What kind of revenge should I take to make up for the humiliation I suffered!"
Peter hissed, his eyes gleaming with malice and cruelty.
"You can't kill me–"
Draco interrupted, trying to reason with the man, trying to save his own life. Because of fear, tears uncontrollably flowed from Malfoy's eyes. With his quick thinking, he had already figured it out. The man in front of him was an Animagus, a knowledge that Professor McGonagall had just taught them recently.
"Dumbledore. The headmaster and Professor Watson are both in the school. If you kill us, you won't be able to escape."
He said, trying to sound confident and calm, but his voice betrayed his panic and desperation.
"Haha, clever little slickhead, no wonder you're Lucius's son!"
Peter said with a wheezing breath, a moment of hesitation flashed in his small green eyes.
Indeed, this was what he feared. Otherwise, these three annoying little brats would have become cold corpses.
"So, what should I do, young Malfoy?"
After a brief moment of thought, Peter had come up with an idea, but he still had that grinning face facing Malfoy.
"Since you have seen through my true identity, you should know that I can't let you go!"
He said, tightening his grip on Malfoy's neck, making him gasp for air.
At that moment, Draco cursed Ron Weasley's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind, wishing them all kinds of misfortune and suffering.
That stupid, ignorant guy actually kept such a dangerous man as a pet by his side, and he still hadn't noticed anything suspicious. And he himself was just unlucky enough to stumble upon the man's true form, revealing his sinister secret.
Draco didn't know why this man turned into a rat and infiltrated Hogwarts, but he could imagine that he must be plotting some unspeakable conspiracy. In this situation, if Malfoy himself were this man, he would most likely not spare himself, Crabbe, and Goyle, who had witnessed his transformation.
What should he do?
Despair filled Draco's heart like a cold and heavy stone. Was he really going to die here today, in this filthy place, at the hands of this monstrous and ruthless man?
At this critical moment, Draco's brain was spinning faster than ever before, like a frantic hamster on a wheel. He desperately thought of a way to save his life, grasping at any straw that could help him. Suddenly, a bit of information in the words of this unnamed dangerous man gave Draco a glimmer of hope, like a faint star in the dark night sky.
"You know who my father is, sir–"
His throat was choked by the man's palm, and Draco struggled to breathe, feeling his lungs burn and his vision blur. But he didn't dare to resist too much because the man was pointing his own wand at him, ready to unleash a fatal curse at any moment!
Peter was momentarily stunned by his words. He tilted his head and looked at Draco, his small eyes filled with ill intentions, like a snake eyeing its prey.
"I do know your father. But so what? Are you planning to use your father's name to order me to spare you?"
"I think you might be a friend of my father, sir–"
Struggling to breathe, Draco's eyes were filled with hope and pleading as he stared at the ugly man, who had a rat-like face and a missing finger. He blurted out each word, hoping to persuade him.
"I think you might be a friend of my father. I boldly guess that you-you staying by Weasley's side must be to teach that idiot a lesson."
Draco's thoughts became clearer as he spoke, trying to appeal to the man's hatred.
"That blood-traitor family must have done something to anger you, right? If you want to deal with them, I can offer you some insignificant help, sir. My father has always despised that kind of low-class family. If you… if you are willing to join forces with my father, I bet even with Dumbledore protecting the Weasleys, we can drive this group of embarrassing people out of the Magical Britain!"
To be honest, Draco's performance surprised Peter.
Since Ron entered Hogwarts, he had been staying by Ron's side, pretending to be his faithful pet. In less than three years, he had witnessed countless times Draco Malfoy causing trouble for the Golden trio, mocking, insulting, them. Privately, he had also heard Ron curse Draco Malfoy, calling him a slimy git, a ferret, and a coward.
He understood this boy, a typical Slytherin from a pure blood family, a proud and arrogant yet sensitive and fragile person, who cared about his status and reputation more than anything.
But the words Draco Malfoy just said made Peter realize that this little boy indeed had some cleverness, and some courage.
"Um–"
Peter hesitated for a moment, and the strength in his hand slowly dissipated, loosening his grip on Malfoy's neck.
"Smart kid, I do have some grudges with the Weasley family. But they are staunch supporters of Dumbledore, so even though I have had countless opportunities to take their lives over the years, I am worried–"
Upon hearing this, Draco broke out in a cold sweat on his back, and his understanding of the danger this man posed deepened, making his heart sink even lower!
He thought the man just wanted to teach the Weasley family a lesson, maybe scare them a bit, or hurt them a little. But he didn't expect that he actually planned to kill the entire Weasley family. His father had never planned to exterminate the Weasley family.
Because no matter what, the Weasley family was still one of the twenty-eight pure-blood families with a long history, and they had intricate connections with many prominent families and influential politicians in the wizarding world. Killing them would undoubtedly directly offend half of the British wizarding world, and even the Malfoy family couldn't bear the backlash at that level.
"My father can help you–"
Malfoy's face turned ugly, even though he cursed Peter as a madman in his mind, he still maintained a respectful and humble demeanor, hoping to appease him.
"You probably know that my father is capable of dealing with Dumbledore. Earlier last year, he briefly drove Dumbledore out of Hogwarts. I can convince my father to help, as long as Dumbledore loses his power."
Draco's words made Peter hesitate even more. His face showed obvious difficulty, as if he was struggling with a dilemma in his mind whether or not to spare Draco.
Seeing this, Draco worked even harder to praise his father's abilities, as if Lucius could send Dumbledore to Azkaban at any time, if he wished. He exaggerated his father's influence and power, hoping to impress Peter and make him think that he was worth keeping alive.
"Alright, kid, you've convinced me–"
Malfoy's mouth was almost trembling and his neck was sore, as he had used up all his eloquence and cunning to persuade Peter. Draco felt a surge of relief and gratitude when Peter finally reluctantly nodded.
Peter stared at Malfoy, who had a look of ecstatic joy, and said in a sinister tone,
"You must keep my identity a secret, understand, kid? Otherwise, even if you're Lucius's son, I won't spare you."
With a snap, Peter let go of his hand, and Draco fell to the ground, gasping for air.
At the same time, Crabbe and Goyle, who were lying on the ground, slowly opened their eyes. They sat on the ground, dazed, staring at the sweaty Draco and the unfamiliar man holding Draco's wand, not knowing how to react. They had no idea what had happened, or why Draco was talking to this man so respectfully.
Suddenly, Malfoy, like a monkey, jumped up from the ground. He took a few cautious steps back, trembling, and asked,
"Sir, I will go back to the dormitory and write a letter to my father, asking him to start planning to deal with Dumbledore–"
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