Ron and Ginny had met Harry and Draco at the Leaky Cauldron.
Their impression of Harry was quite good, while their feelings towards Draco were rather average, which was largely due to Lucius's influence.
As for Severus...
They hadn't attended Hogwarts yet, so they couldn't directly relate to the feelings Percy and Charlie had described. During their first meeting at the Leaky Cauldron, Ron and Ginny had formed a good impression of Severus because he bought them juice and soda.
"Mr. M-Mr. Snape, good afternoon. And Mr. Lupin. Oh! My! You have a dog!"
Ron stood up, both awkward and excited, to greet them, noticing Sirius beside them.
Ginny had already run off, calling for 'Mum!' to tell Molly that the guests had arrived.
Having just arrived at The Burrow, Harry was curious about everything. He had seen quite a few wizarding homes with Severus, but clearly, each one was vastly different.
Draco, however, looked around at the cramped, messy surroundings and curled his lip in disdain. But he had learned a thing or two during his time with Severus and didn't outright disparage anything.
As for Severus, the moment he arrived at The Burrow, he began looking around. Not spotting a certain figure, he directly asked Ron,
"How is your family pet's mental state these days?"
Hearing this question, Ron couldn't help but pull a long face.
"Scabbers hasn't been looking too good lately. Dad's been giving him the potion you sent every day. Now he sleeps almost the entire day, and even when he's awake, he just finds a corner in the attic to lie down and stare blankly."
Severus's expression relaxed, and he smiled.
"Don't worry, my visit this time should cure him completely."
"He's very old now. George and Fred didn't dare take him to Hogwarts, saying he might not even make it past Christmas this year."
"Where is he now?" Severus asked.
"Probably still sleeping in the attic."
"Go bring him down. I'll take a look at his condition in a moment."
Ron agreed immediately. It was clear that even though the rat wasn't officially his pet yet, he still cared about it very much.
After just saying a quick hello to Harry, he scampered off towards the attic.
Meanwhile, Molly and Arthur, who had been setting up the garden outside, came back into the house, with Ginny hiding shyly behind them.
The moment he entered, Arthur's voice boomed.
"Welcome! Welcome to The Burrow!"
He smiled, his messy red hair standing out, his shabby robes stained with what looked like engine oil, his hands covered in black grime.
But this didn't dampen his enthusiasm in the slightest. He welcomed Severus and his group, opening his arms instinctively as if to give Severus a hug.
However, Arthur quickly caught himself. He gave an embarrassed laugh, performed a Scouring Charm on himself, and finally shook Severus's hand.
"I've heard about all the amazing things you've been doing abroad, even here in Britain! You rescued Nicolas Flamel, right? Made those French folks lose face."
"That was mostly just good luck on our part."
"With all you've accomplished these past two years, it can't all be just good luck."
Just as Arthur began conversing with Severus, a tremendous noise sounded from outside the house!
The noise startled everyone. Molly, who had been looking for a cloth to help Harry and Draco wipe off the soot from the fireplace, turned towards Arthur with a furious expression.
"Is this what you managed after cleaning all afternoon!"
Arthur's face paled. He gave an awkward laugh, rubbing his hands together nervously.
"I should go check. Must be the engine. But that shouldn't be... it shouldn't..."
Severus waved at Lupin and the others.
"I'll go take a look too. Might be able to help if there's any trouble."
As Severus and Arthur left, Molly, after finishing cleaning the soot off Harry and Draco, returned to the kitchen to continue preparing dinner.
Passing by Sirius, she exclaimed in surprise, never having seen such a large black dog before.
Lupin followed Molly into the kitchen to help her.
With the adults gone, the previously shy and reserved Ginny finally started talking to Harry and the others, wanting to hear about their travels with the adults.
Draco, in his element, immediately puffed out his chest and began boasting about his highlights from their adventures.
While the two boys were regaling the young girl with tales of their exciting experiences outside, Ron, who had been searching the attic for a while, finally came down the stairs carrying the listless, still-sleeping rat, Scabbers.
"Where's Mr. Snape?"
"Mr. Weasley's workshop had an explosion. The Professor and Mr. Weasley went to check it out. They should be back soon."
Harry saw the rat in Ron's arms. He felt he should compliment the Weasley Family's pet, but facing this somewhat balding rat, he couldn't think of any good adjectives.
"This rat... um... has a very unique appearance."
"He used to belong to Percy. Percy took him to Hogwarts almost every year. Even though he's missing a toe, old, and sheds a lot, as a pet, he's alright."
Sirius, who had been lazily dozing by the sofa, pricked up his drooping ears upon hearing Ron's words. He lifted his eyelids and looked at the rat, Scabbers, in the boy's arms.
In that instant, Sirius felt as if he'd been electrocuted! All the fur on his body stood on end!
"If this rat were in a pet shop, I'd only consider taking it for at least 5 Galleons," Draco said with a sneer.
Ron didn't quite understand.
"You'd actually pay 5 Galleons for him?"
"No, the pet shop would have to pay me 5 Galleons."
This remark made Ron glare at him. Just as he was about to say something, a large, dark figure suddenly launched itself from the floor and pounced on him!
Ron's frame couldn't withstand Sirius's pounce!
He was knocked to the ground instantly. The next second, amidst Ron's terrified screams, Sirius opened his massive jaws.
Both Harry and Draco were stunned by the scene. Ginny screamed in fear.
"Black! What are you doing!!"
"No! Don't bite me!!"
Harry, reacting first, rushed over and wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist, trying to pull him off Ron!
Seeing Sirius's open mouth, Ron cried out and covered his face with his hands.
But the expected pain of being bitten never came. Peeking through his fingers, Ron saw the ferocious dog had clamped its jaws around Scabbers the rat!
A sudden surge of strength seemed to fill Ron, making him forget his fear.
"No! You bad dog! Drop him! Drop Scabbers!!"
Harry also saw what Sirius had caught. He desperately pulled at Sirius's waist, trying to drag him back.
"Stop this madness! Black! Quiet! You can't cause any trouble now! Do you hear me!!"
Scabbers, who had been sleepy and lethargic, was jolted awake by the situation!
Seeing clearly what had caught him, he put up an astonishing struggle.
His piercing 'Squeak! Squeak!' sounded as if Sirius were already tearing him to pieces!
"You were hiding here! You didn't die! Damned traitor! Damned!! Damned rat!!!"
A frantic, high-pitched male voice erupted from Sirius's collar.
Such intense commotion naturally alerted Lupin and Molly, who had just entered the kitchen. They rushed out to see the chaotic scene.
"Merlin's beard!!" Molly shrieked.
Lupin, seeing Sirius pinning Ron down, initially reached for his wand to control the seemingly crazed dog. But when he saw the creature in Sirius's mouth, his expression shifted to one of shock.
"Calm down! Sirius! Calm down! I know who you've found! Give him to me! To me, trust me, I won't let him escape! And you, get off that child right now, you're scaring them!"
Lupin spoke soothingly to Sirius while reaching out to take the utterly terrified Scabbers from his mouth.
Finally, Sirius, his eyes bloodshot with rage, was panting heavily as Harry managed to pull him away from the panicked Ron.
"Your dog is mad! He tried to catch the rat! He tried to kill Scabbers!!"
Molly was also terrified. She quickly cast a series of diagnostic spells over Ron, and after confirming he wasn't harmed, she glared at Sirius with a displeased expression before turning to Lupin.
"What is the meaning of this! What did you call him just now? Sirius?"
She was certainly familiar with that name. Both past events and the recent prison break had made every witch and wizard in Britain sensitive to it.
Lupin held the rat tightly, which was struggling fiercely in his hand, its claws even scratching him.
"Yes, Sirius Black. The one you're thinking of."
Upon hearing Lupin's confirmation, Molly's face turned extremely grim. Ron and Ginny, already frightened, grew even paler.
Even children like them had heard the notorious reputation of this murderous, heartless criminal lately!
"Does Severus Snape know about this! Does Albus Dumbledore know about this! You're harboring him! You're harboring a murderer, a prison escapee who betrayed his friends!"
"No, you need to listen to me first, Mrs. Weasley. There's more to the story!"
"He just tried to bite my son!"
"No, no, he was only trying to catch this rat, to stop him from escaping."
Sirius had no patience for their arguing and explanations. He roared, "Force him to change back! Force him to change back! Remus!!"
Lupin snapped to attention. Rather than explaining the long, complicated story from the beginning, it would be better to present the most direct evidence.
"I still remember the spell..."
He murmured, pointing his wand at the rat, which was now squealing and struggling even more violently.
Ron, thinking Lupin meant to harm Scabbers, cried out, trying to stop him. But it was too late. Lupin's spell took effect on the rat!
The balding rat spun rapidly in mid-air. The next second, a short, plump, balding, and ugly wizard suddenly appeared before everyone!
The living room of The Burrow fell completely silent.
Ron, Ginny, Harry, Draco, and Molly all stared in shock at the wizard who had transformed from the rat!
"He... he... he is..." Molly raised a trembling hand, pointing at the short wizard, unable to form words.
"Peter Pettigrew!!"
The male announcer's voice rang out loudly.
Sirius's eyes held nothing but hatred as he coldly stared at Pettigrew, now back in his human form.
Pettigrew was terrified.
He never expected that while he was dozing, the nightmare figure would find him and catch him red-handed!
"I thought you said you killed him back then?" Lupin looked at Sirius.
The fury in Sirius's eyes seemed capable of devouring someone.
"He only left a severed finger behind! I thought he was dead! I never imagined he could have escaped a curse like that!!"
Lupin looked at Pettigrew's hand, missing a finger.
"It seems he fooled everyone back then!"
Molly could no longer tolerate them talking amongst themselves.
"What is going on here! Why is our family rat a wizard who was supposed to be dead! And how do you know him!"
Before explaining, Lupin first cast a Binding Spell on Pettigrew, tying him up where he stood.
"It's quite clear, Mrs. Weasley. Sirius was framed. The one who truly betrayed James and Lily wasn't him, but this man hiding in your house, the one everyone thought was dead!"
Molly's eyes widened. Anyone hearing this news would have the same reaction.
Even Ginny and Ron were dumbfounded.
Even if they didn't fully understand, they knew this involved some major secret!
Pettigrew put on a pitiful, begging act, sobbing and pleading with Lupin.
"No, no, I didn't want to... Let me go... I was forced..."