As a member of the Marauders, Remus was naturally very familiar with Peter's Animagus form. He could recognize at a glance that the pet rat named Scabbers was actually Peter himself.
"What's wrong?" Ron's voice cracked as he looked around the room, his freckled face turning pale with growing unease.
Dumbledore and Remus wore grave expressions, Adrian showed no particular emotion, and Harry, like himself, looked completely baffled.
Meanwhile, Scabbers was struggling even more violently.
At this moment, Dumbledore made his move. He said nothing, merely drew out the Elder Wand silently and waved it gently.
A spell shot out from the Elder Wand.
Silver light enveloped Scabbers, and the rat's body began to twist and transform violently.
Ron stared in horror, his eyes widening as he watched his pet of over ten years gradually stretch and swell under the spell's influence, finally transforming into a balding, sharp-nosed, short fat man who tumbled to the floor.
"Merlin's beard!" Ron let out a cry of shock, stumbling backward several steps until he hit Harry's bedpost. "This... this is..."
Peter curled up on the ground, his small rat-like eyes darting about as if he still thought he was in rat form.
When he realized he had returned to human form, his face turned ashen as he struggled to his feet.
"You..." Peter's voice was thin and narrow, cracking with disuse and terror. "Hello, everyone." His gaze flicked around the room like a trapped animal's, never settling on any one person for more than a heartbeat.
When his eyes fell upon Remus, his entire body seemed to shrink inward, as if he were trying to disappear.
Harry stood frozen, his mind struggling to process what he had just witnessed. Though he didn't recognize the figure in front of him, the reality was this man had been Ron's pet for years.
"Peter?" Remus's voice was thick with disbelief and a complex mixture of emotions. His scarred face had gone ashen, and his hands trembled slightly as he stepped closer. "You're supposed to be dead. We... we mourned you. There was a funeral..."
Peter forced an ugly smile to hide the terror in his eyes. "So wonderful to see you again, Remus, old friend," He stammered. "As you can clearly see, reports of my death have been... greatly exaggerated."
Remus's expression was indescribably complex. Joy at seeing his old friend alive wrestled with confusion, hurt, and a growing sense of betrayal. How could Peter have let them believe he was dead? How could he have hidden among them for so long?
His internal struggle was written plainly across his face as he grappled with questions that had no easy answers. He truly didn't know what expression to wear when facing this old friend he hadn't seen in over ten years.
Adrian watched the reunion with calculating eyes. He alone in the room understood the true scope of Peter's deception—that this sniveling man was not the hero the wizarding world believed him to be, but rather the planner of the Potter family's destruction.
The irony was bitter: they were celebrating the return of a dead hero when they should have been detaining a living traitor.
"Explanations are in order," Dumbledore said finally. He stepped forward, his piercing blue gaze fixed upon Peter with intensity. "Peter, I require you to explain why you chose to spend the last decade disguised as a rat in the Weasley household."
Peter's eyes became even more evasive. He hunched further into himself, wrapping his arms around his body as if he were cold.
Adrian knew he was about to begin his performance. After all, Peter's current identity was that of a hero. He had framed Black for betraying the Potter family, pretending to be killed by Black during the pursuit, and had even received an Order of Merlin, First Class for it.
Dumbledore and Remus probably trusted him now.
"I... I was hiding," Peter began softly. "From Death Eaters, you know. Especially from Black." His voice took on a tone of terror at the mention of Sirius's name. "You all know how much he must hate me. After what happened... after James and Lily... I was forced into hiding. It was the only way to stay alive."
Peter's shoulders shook with what appeared to be suppressed sobs. "I wanted to come forward, truly I did. But I was so afraid. The Death Eaters were still out there, still hunting me. I couldn't risk exposing myself."
Dumbledore nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. From a certain perspective, Peter's explanation was not entirely unreasonable. He was always like this even from his student days.
Adrian looked at Peter's appearance and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. He couldn't reveal the truth now—after all, this wasn't something he should know.
If he told Dumbledore and Remus that Peter was the real betrayer, he wouldn't know how to explain his knowledge.
So, Adrian didn't act rashly. Lies were lies, and they would be exposed eventually.
As the saying goes, one lie requires countless lies to cover it up. Adrian didn't think Peter could hide under Dumbledore's nose for very long. He would slip up eventually.
And even if his lies were seamless, once they caught Black and questioned him a little, this matter could be resolved easily.
As for how to catch Black—that wasn't a concern. He would deliver himself to their door.
"The circumstances are clearly complex," Dumbledore said finally. "Peter, you must have a great deal to tell us about your experiences. I suggest we continue this conversation in my office, where we can speak more freely."
Adrian noticed the flash of relief that crossed Peter's features at Dumbledore's words. The man clearly believed he had successfully crossed the most dangerous part of his deception.
As Dumbledore prepared to escort Peter and Remus from the dormitory, Adrian remained behind. Because there was someone here who needed more guidance and comfort.
Ron sat dazed on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the spot where Peter had stood. Clearly, he couldn't accept this reality for the time being.
The silence stretched between them, heavy with horror.
Harry had moved to sit beside his friend, one hand resting awkwardly on Ron's shoulder in a gesture of comfort that felt inadequate given the circumstances.
"I... I slept with him every night..." Ron's voice was barely audible, each word forced out as if it caused him physical pain. "And let him sleep next to my pillow. He was there when I had nightmares, when I told him my secrets..."
Harry didn't know how to comfort his good friend in the face of such violation. Indeed, if Hedwig suddenly turned into a strange old man, he might react even worse than Ron.
Adrian sighed deeply, understanding the trauma Ron was experiencing. He pulled a Chocolate Frog from his pocket and gave it to Ron with gentle compassion.
"Eating something sweet will help," Adrian said softly, his voice carrying genuine warmth and understanding. "This isn't your fault, Ron. No one could have known."
Ron mechanically accepted the constantly jumping Chocolate Frog, his movements robotic and disconnected. He still muttered under his breath: "I fed him food... he watched me change clothes... he knew everything about us..."
Seeing that Ron needed time to process this trauma privately, Adrian tugged gently at Harry's arm and whispered, "Let Ron be alone for a while. He needs to process this quietly, without an audience."
The two quietly made their way to the Gryffindor common room. The warm, golden light should have been comforting, but the events of the evening had cast a shroud over even this familiar space. Harry and Adrian leaned against the stone wall, both lost in their own thoughts about the evening's events.
"Professor, you knew who Scabbers turned into, didn't you?" Harry asked curiously, his green eyes bright with questions behind his glasses.
Adrian shook his head slightly, choosing his words carefully.
"I don't know him personally, no. But..." He paused, considering how much to reveal. "The Daily Prophet reported his deeds over ten years ago, hailing him as a hero who died valiantly while pursuing Sirius Black. He received an Order of Merlin, First Class posthumously for his supposed sacrifice."
Harry frowned. "But he's clearly still alive. So, either the reports were wrong, or..."
"Or he's been hiding in the Weasley household for many years as an Animagus," Adrian confirmed with a slight shrug. "Poor Ron indeed. Imagine discovering that your beloved pet was actually a middle-aged man who had been deceiving your entire family for over a decade."
Harry nodded, feeling a complex mixture of emotions toward the ugly man. "What exactly is this Animagus magic you mentioned? It sounds incredibly advanced."
Adrian crumpled the Chocolate Frog wrapper in his hand and explained, "Animagus transformation is an extremely advanced form of Transfiguration that allows a person to transform into a specific animal form at will. The magic is so sophisticated that basically no one can recognize them while transformed—they become indistinguishable from ordinary animals. Moreover, once this magic is learned, it must be registered with the Ministry of Magic due to its potential for misuse. As far as I know, only seven wizards are officially registered with the Ministry in all of Britain."
Harry's eyes widened slightly with fascination d. "Do you know this magic, Professor?"
Adrian's lips curved into a mysterious smile, his eyes twinkling with mischief that reminded Harry fleetingly of Dumbledore. "Guess."
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