The Perfect Disguise
Written for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges and Assignments) Herbology Assignment #3.
Task: Write about something or someone that at first appears innocuous but later presents itself/themselves as a threat.
Extra Prompt: (Location) Ottery St. Catchpole.
Scabbers the rat was lying contentedly on Percy Weasley's pillow as the boy lay fast asleep, snoring loudly. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this plump rat. He was a dull, uninteresting brown colour and liked to laze about and sleep so much that even his rather pompous and studious owner considered him to be the most boring pet in the world. The only thing that caught everyone's attention when they studied him closely was his missing toe. Percy and his brothers often laughed about how this was the one thing that redeemed him. They liked to say that he was fighting another rat when he lost it. Imagine Percy Weasley's horror if he realised that he was currently sharing a bed with an Animagus named Peter Pettigrew.
Since the disastrous end to the First Wizarding War, Peter Pettigrew had picked up the pieces for himself rather well. He may not have been the brains of the Marauders, but he was smart enough to know that the Death Eaters would want revenge on him for the fall of Voldemort. After all, he had been the one to give his master the whereabouts of the Potters that fateful night. Hiding away at the Burrow, a house in a small town called Ottery St. Catchpole, had worked brilliantly for him. 'Scabbers' was well looked after by the Weasley family, and Peter Pettigrew had plenty of opportunity to eavesdrop on conversations between Arthur Weasley and his wife. As a member of the Order of the Phoenix, Arthur was kept up to date on important news.
He had a few reasons for eavesdropping. He had faked his own death and framed his old friend Sirius Black for his murder. Sirius was currently in Azkaban, and that's where Peter needed him to stay, hopefully being driven mad by the dementors. Sirius and the Death Eaters were the only ones who knew that he had betrayed James and Lily Potter, and only Sirius knew that Peter Pettigrew was still alive and living as a rat.
Peter Pettigrew was a weak man who always chose the strongest side, too afraid to fight for what was right alongside his friends. He believed that Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters were the strongest and most powerful side, so he had jumped ship. He still believed that his master would find a way back to his full power, and when he did, Peter would go to him, eager to prove his worth and grovel at The Dark Lord's Feet. This is why he sneaked around and listened in on conversations, even covertly reading Daily Prophet articles left lying around. Lord Voldemort would return and become the biggest bully in the playground once more and snivelling, cowardly Peter Pettigrew would make sure he was by his side. All he had to do was bide his time and plot his escape for when the time came.