"What do you want to do?"
Peter sat up after regaining some strength, his voice trembling.
He was sure he had only met Ethan once, on the Hogwarts Express, but somehow, Ethan seemed to know him. Why was that? Peter was confused.
Even his mother didn't know he was an illegal Animagus. Only Sirius and Lupin knew he was still alive. Could it be them?
He hadn't heard anything about Sirius being released from Azkaban, so it had to be Lupin. But Lupin was a werewolf, and that didn't make sense...
Peter's mind raced with thoughts.
"I'm just asking for a favor," Ethan said with a smile.
Peter Pettigrew, though unimpressive in appearance and lacking courage, was still strong. His Animagus form might not be intimidating, but he had a certain level of skill. Compared to the four Marauders, he wasn't the strongest, but he wasn't weak either.
None of the four Marauders could be considered weak, despite everything. Even though Sirius had been imprisoned for over ten years, Peter had lived as a rat for over ten years, and Lupin had wandered for over ten years, they were still capable when it came down to it. They were all skilled in their respective ways.
But in the end, all four of them died, and it was all connected to Harry. Even Snape, their old enemy, was dead. Who knows if they'd be fighting again wherever they ended up?
"Is this how you ask for help?" Peter panted, eyeing Ethan warily.
He couldn't figure out this young wizard in front of him. Ethan was more skilled with the Cruciatus Curse than Peter himself, and he could cast spells without even using a wand. Until now, Ethan hadn't taken his wand out once. Was this really the same boy who had just started school alongside Ronald?
"Then how do you want me to ask?" Ethan's eyes were cold as he looked at Peter.
"What do you want from me? Whatever it is, I'll do it," Peter said, willing to do anything to save his life.
Even if he had a wand, Peter doubted he could defeat this young wizard who could cast Unforgivable Curses without a wand. And right now, he didn't even have his wand.
Peter had always been a coward. It was his own decision to be placed in Gryffindor because he wanted to be brave. He had joined James and the others in bullying others because he didn't want to be the one bullied. He had joined Voldemort because Voldemort had seemed the most powerful at the time, and Peter wanted to protect himself.
Now, with his life at risk, he was ready to do anything.
"Do you know the Fiendfyre Curse?"
That was one of Ethan's goals today. He had wanted to learn it for a long time, but the three idiots in Knockturn Alley didn't know it.
The Fiendfyre Curse was one of the most powerful dark magics. Once unleashed, it could burn everything in its path, including invisible objects like souls, and could even take the shape of monstrous beasts. It could only be extinguished by the strongest magic, making it incredibly dangerous.
The downside was that it was extremely difficult to control, and if one wasn't careful, it could easily backfire.
But with Ethan's "Fire Affinity" talent, that problem wouldn't be an issue. It was the perfect spell for him to grow stronger.
"Yes," Peter nodded decisively.
When he had secretly joined Voldemort, Peter had collected many dark spells and practiced them in private. The Fiendfyre Curse was one of them. However, he hadn't dared to use it much after nearly burning himself alive the first time he cast it, as it was so hard to control.
"What about the Firestorm?"
Grindelwald's fire magic, which nearly destroyed Paris, was also something Ethan was interested in. It was powerful enough to overwhelm a city's defenses, and even the Aurors were helpless against it.
However, Peter shook his head. "No."
He had heard of the Firestorm but hadn't been able to collect the spell for himself.
"Then write down your knowledge of Transfiguration, your experience with becoming an Animagus, and everything you know about spells, alchemy, and potions," Ethan said.
This was the real reason Ethan had captured Peter. He wanted the knowledge stored in Peter's mind.
There were only seven officially registered Animagi in this era, including Professor McGonagall. The only known illegal Animagi were Rita Skeeter (a beetle), Sirius (a black dog), Peter (a rat), and the deceased James Potter. There were likely others, but not many.
In any case, Animagus transformation was high-level magic. Professor McGonagall wouldn't even teach it until at least the fifth year because of its risks. A failed transformation could be irreversible.
Though Peter might not be as skilled as McGonagall in general Transfiguration, when it came to Animagus transformation, he and the other Marauders likely had a deeper understanding than even she did. All three of the Marauders had succeeded in becoming Animagi, and they had shared everything they knew with each other.
"Everything?" Peter winced. He knew a lot. How long would it take to write all of it down?
"Everything."
Click!
Ethan snapped his fingers, and Peter's eyes went blank.
It was safer to use the Imperius Curse now. It wouldn't interfere with Peter's memory, and it would prevent him from trying to sabotage Ethan while writing down everything he knew.
The desk, paper, and quill were all ready. Under the influence of the Imperius Curse, Peter quickly sat down at the desk and began writing furiously.
Ethan had tested the Imperius Curse during the summer holidays. It could last up to 148 hours, or about seven days. For Peter, Ethan would only need to come back and recast it once every few days.
After he had squeezed all the knowledge out of Peter, Ethan would honor his deal with Ronald and return Scabbers.
After all, besides his powers, knowing the story's plot was one of the biggest advantages Ethan had as a time traveler. Without Peter, who knows when or how Voldemort would choose to resurrect, or how that would change the outcome of events?
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