Hogwarts: Legacy of the Necromancer

On the Marauder's Map, the names of Ron Weasley and Peter Pettigrew overlapped, constantly alternating back and forth.

Harry Potter had never felt so betrayed. His own friend had turned out to be the supposedly dead Peter Pettigrew, and the fact that Pettigrew was still alive meant that everything Sirius had said was absolutely true.

He was the one who had betrayed Harry's parents.

"Me? No... Harry, you're crazy!"

Ron had no idea what Harry was seeing, but he knew he was being wrongly accused.

"It's not you. It's your rat,"

Sirius shouted from the side, exposing Peter Pettigrew's disguise. He had wanted to say it earlier but hadn't gotten the chance. Now that it was finally out, Sirius almost jumped up in excitement.

"That's impossible! Scabbers has been with my family for…"

Ron held Scabbers tightly to keep him from escaping, while Harry let out a sigh of relief.

"Twelve years! It's quite strange for a rat to live that long. He's missing a toe, isn't he?"

Sirius walked toward Ron step by step, a menacing expression on his face.

"The Aurors only found one… finger of Peter Pettigrew's back then."

By now, Harry was nearly convinced that Sirius was telling the truth. All the facts he knew were lining up with what Sirius had said—the possibility of Sirius lying was growing increasingly slim.

"That cowardly traitor cut off his own finger so everyone would think he was dead, and then he turned into a rat to hide."

Sirius was now standing right in front of Ron, who looked terrified, nearly in tears.

"Animagus!"

Hermione had already figured it out. Harry had also realized it, though he didn't know the counter-spell to force someone out of their Animagus form.

"Prove it to me!"

Harry then handed them the two wands in his hand.

Professor Lupin took back his own wand, and Sirius took Snape's. Without hesitation, he snatched the rat from Ron's hands.

Sirius gripped the rat—Scabbers—so tightly it squealed loudly, completely ignoring Ron's cries beside him.

But to use the counter-spell for an Animagus, you couldn't be holding the target. Sirius had to place the rat on a piece of furniture in the room. The moment he let go, Scabbers began scurrying around aimlessly.

Harry and Hermione kept their wands raised, cautiously standing behind Lupin and Sirius, who were both entirely focused on capturing the fleeing rat.

Finally, just as Scabbers tried to escape through a hole in the wall, they caught him and successfully cast the counter-spell to force the transformation.

Ron was stunned. He never imagined that the rat who had grown up with him, eaten with him, and slept beside him was actually the man standing before them.

Fat, bald, short-limbed, with a hideous face and prominent buck teeth that gave him a rodent-like appearance.

Regulus Black knew that this was the result of spending twelve years in a rat's form. The Animagus transformation had affected the wizard's mind and body. Perhaps he had once been an ordinary-looking, short student—but after locking himself in the prison of "Scabbers" for twelve years, such a twisted state of body and mind was inevitable.

Dragged out like a dead pig, stuck in the hole he tried to escape through, Peter Pettigrew still wore a look of surprise and delight.

"Remus Lupin, Sirius Black—my old friends!"

Pettigrew feigned an attempt to embrace them, when in reality, he was trying to slip away between them. Naturally, the two pushed him back to the center of the room.

"Harry! Look at you, you look just like your father. James and I were the best of friends."

Pettigrew now turned to Harry, trying to gain sympathy and inching toward him cautiously, spewing lies.

"How dare you speak to Harry like that? How dare you even mention James Potter's name?"

Sirius's wand was almost pressed against Pettigrew's face, making him shrink back into the corner in fear.

"You're the one who betrayed James and Lily to Voldemort."

Lupin knew this was the moment to press him—if they didn't do it now, this cunning man might concoct some lie once he had a moment to think.

"I didn't mean to! You have no idea what kind of power that Dark Lord possesses! If it were you, Sirius—what would you have done?"

At that moment, Peter Pettigrew actually turned the question around and challenged Sirius.

"I would rather die than betray my friends!"

Sirius Black exploded in rage upon hearing that. You? Same as me?

"But you're even dumber than that rat, my dear brother."

From the roof of the Shrieking Shack, Regulus Black couldn't help but sigh.

At least that rat had spent twelve years living as a pampered pet, well-fed and worry-free. And you? You spent twelve years in Azkaban as a prisoner, without even putting up a fight. Who else is to blame for such foolishness but yourself?

"Harry! James wouldn't let me be killed! Your father would have spared me! He would have forgiven me!"

Caught off guard, Peter Pettigrew lunged toward the door, but Harry blocked his path. All he could do was cling to Harry and plead for mercy.

Yet, his voice had a strangely hypnotic effect.

"You should've realized, if Voldemort didn't kill you, I definitely would."

Sirius pulled Peter away from Harry, preparing to strike—even if it meant ending up in Azkaban again for killing this filthy rat, he was willing.

Harry knew that if Sirius killed Peter now, he would be sent back to Azkaban.

"Stop! We can't kill him."

Sirius's hand trembled. Lupin knew that only Harry—his godson—could stop him.

"Bless you, child, bless you!"

Having just brushed past the gates of death, Peter Pettigrew dropped to his knees and thanked Harry profusely. He believed his feeble attempt at hypnosis had worked and was secretly thrilled with his quick thinking.

But if Peter could think on his feet, so could Harry Potter.

"We'll bring him back to the school and hand him over to the Dementors."

When someone is determined to kill, they'll always find a way. Peter, terrified, began gnawing on his fingers.

The truth was now clear, and Peter Pettigrew had been captured. This operation had been a complete success.

Thus, the group began their triumphant return. Sirius and Harry supported the injured Ron, Lupin used his wand to keep Peter Pettigrew in check, and Hermione followed behind.

Professor Snape was still unconscious. The two older men declared they didn't have the manpower to carry him, so it was best to let him sleep it off in the Shrieking Shack.

The kids didn't object to this obvious attempt to abandon Snape.

Hermione fiddled with the brooch on her collar—the one Regulus Black had pinned there before they parted. Clearly, everything that happened today had been under his watchful eye. The brooch must have a significant purpose. Hermione felt proud that she could do something so important for the one she loved—it meant she truly mattered to Regulus Black.

As for why Regulus had asked her to be the last one to leave, though she didn't understand the reason, she would still obey.

The real reason Regulus wanted her to leave last was just a bit of scheming on his part. In the original film, Ron had tried to act pitiful and flirt with Hermione after they exited the passage. Now that Hermione was his, Regulus thought it best not to give Ron any chance to act foolish. After all, a future chess grandmaster shouldn't be in conflict with his sponsor over such things.

Inside the passage, Sirius kept bickering with Ron—after all, his large black dog form had bitten Ron's leg. That bite wasn't gentle, especially since he had to drag a child weighing nearly a hundred pounds. How else could he have pulled him along without a firm grip?

As Ron put it, some parts had even been bitten to the bone.

When Ron complained to Hermione, he was genuinely worried they might have to amputate his leg!

At the mouth of the passage, Sirius set Ron down and walked toward Hogwarts Castle.

The castle stood quiet and mysterious in the night, just as it had on the first day of school—showcasing its wonder and magic to all who approached.

Meanwhile, Sirius was pondering something else—did Regulus Black know everything that happened tonight? Or had he orchestrated it all? Had his younger brother been watching the whole time?

From the moment Regulus told him to go to the Whomping Willow and remove the collar...

Sirius touched his neck, thoughts swirling. In the end, he realized—he had become a player in Regulus Black's carefully crafted script.

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