Warnings: Some language (not really), most likely some spelling and grammar errors (please don't lynch me), and a small, non-descriptive fight scene.
Chapter 29- The Genet, the Rat, and the Lion
Up in the Griffindor dorms, in the room just for the Second Year boys, a certain rat lay wide awake. He knew his days were numbered, now with Sirius out of Azkaban and the public knowledge that the Black Lord did not kill thirteen Muggles that night. No, it had been the rat- or rather, the man who could turn into a rat- that had set the trap for the distraught Sirius and faked his own death.
Yet Peter Pettigrew was not one to plan ahead, that had always been Remus' specialty. He did not think that faking his own death would result in him being stuck in his Animagus form for the unseeable future, lest he be recognized. His face had been plastered all over the Prophet for his 'heroic death' and Peter had only set foot in the Muggle world once on a dare, nor did he tell his plans to anyone so he could have a place to hide. Peter was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and so he fled, avoiding feet, cats, snakes, and other animals who had no qualms in eating his small rat body.
He had been skin and bones before an unlikely savior came to his rescue- a Weasley no less. Peter had been in acquaintance with the Weasleys, but not enough to really know them. Still, Percy Weasley had undoubtedly saved him from the Garden Gnomes who were about to skewer him, and convinced his parents to keep the rat- or now dubbed as Scabbers- as a family pet.
Peter had enjoyed getting very fat during his stay at the Weasleys. Even though he had been technically Percy's pet, he found himself more often in the hands of the youngest Weasley son, Ron, to which Peter ate more than his body weight in scraps that missed Ron's large mouth. He had also been taken care of by the youngest Weasley son when Percy left for Hogwarts only two weeks later, and then officially labeled as Ron's pet when Percy received an owl as a present for becoming Prefect the following year which had taken every chance it could in trying to eat Peter.
It had been a good life so far, but Peter knew that with Sirius free and the public out for his blood, now equipped with the knowledge of his Animagus form, it was time for him to leave. He didn't know where he was going to go, but he knew he just had to leave before he overstayed his welcome, so to speak. And so with the clouds covering the stars from view and the students tucked into their beds, Peter made his move.
The rat wriggled himself out of the folds of the blankets, sliding down covers and onto the stone floor. He looked about, nose quivering as he sniffed for potential threats. There was only one cat in the boy's dormitories, and it was usually kept locked in the Seventh Year's rooms, so he didn't have to worry about that. No, it was usually the girls' cats he had to worry about.
With no threat in sight, the rat was quick to scurry across the floor and through a small hole in the stone that lead into the walls. He hopped off the ledge, landing on the pipes that criss-crossed every which-way from the bathrooms in every dorm. Following an all-too familiar route, the rat made his way down the maze of dripping pipes before taking a beam to the left, and up across a blocked off window ledge that he pushed his small body through the crack present there and onto the First Floor.
Once there he paused once more, checking for any threats. The corridors were silent, as it would be for a little past midnight. The rat was silent in his break for the outdoors, finding a window left adjar to slip through.
The snow had mostly melted, leaving small piles of slush on the muddy ground. Peter wanted to whine- he didn't like getting wet!- but he didn't want to draw attention to himself by an owl or something. He crossed the dead grass and sticks that had fallen during the winter, quick, but careful not to make too much noise or movement without a good place to hide. He knew all the roots, holes, and divets all around the grounds that he could duck into if necessary. However, luck was on Peter's side, and he made it past Hagrid's hut and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest without being bothered.
He decided that he was going to stay within the forest for a few days, making his way as far from the castle as possible to avoid being smelled out by Sirius or Remus or anyone who happen to have very good sense of smell and follow him, before he would risk changing back into his human form and Aparating out. If he did that in this forest, at least no one would be able to track him that way. He didn't pay much attention to that lesson, but he did know that there was some way one would be able to follow an Aparation trail as it was called if it was caught within a few days since the quick travel via magic. Where was he going, though? Perhaps to Ireland- then perhaps hop onto one of those shipping boats that he heard a Muggleborn talking about and go to America or wherever it stopped next.
...He'd figure it out when he got there.
Once the cover of trees was within sight, Peter made a break for it. He scurried and slipped over wet leaves, darting into the darkness of the forest. Only one thing was now in his mind- get as far away as possible.
Peter slipped on a partially wet leaf, causing him to slide a bit to the right. That little accident was enough, however, as something large came flying at where he once stood. Peter squeaked loudly, pulling back from the large gray thing, but gleaming eyes focused straight at him at the noise and lunged again. Peter recognized the thing as that creature that hung around the Potter boy when it was around- a genet, he thought it was called.
Still he had better things to worry about than what the ferret-cat thing was, like trying to stay alive and not being eaten.
There was a scuffle between the two animals; Peter trying to escape while the genet tried catching it. It had caught him between its paws, and they rolled and tossled around amongst the leaves as Peter bit and scratched at the threat while the genet resisted to use claws and teeth and more of the soft pads of its paws. If Peter took the time to think about it, it was more like the creature was trying to capture him alive rather than kill and eat him, but of course he could never do two things at once, especially fighting and thinking at the same time. He managed to put an impressive long gash across the monster's nose and several scratches around its muzzle before managing (accidentally) smacking his tail right into one of its eyes. It flinched back, giving him a time time to make a break for freedom- only to be struck by a sudden red light.
It moved so fast, Peter was unsure that it had even been magic. Yet before he fell into the throes of unconsciousness, he swore he saw someone tumble out of the bushes with something metallic glinting in hand and something dark covering his face, but not concealing the stark of orange hair that sprouted from the top of the dark mask.
Peter Pettigrew Caught!
Early this morning, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Inforcement, Madam Amelia Bones made a short statement that the criminal Peter Pettigrew had been found and taken directly to the DMLE in the Ministry by an unidentified person. When asked who caught the traitor, Madam Bones said that they wished to remain anonymous and left it at that.
Peter Pettigrew is known for the murders of-
"They finally did something about the bastard, huh?" Hermione smacked George in the shoulder, scolding him for his langauge. Harry smiled as he folded the Prophet, not wishing to read the entire thing.
Breakfast was loud that morning, when the owls came with the news, many asking where Pettigrew had finally be found and captured at. Yet Harry and the twins knew that the rat had been hiding under their very noses all along. They had noticed his name on the Map, and Harry, being the responsible one, sent a letter to Gereon asking what they should do about it- but not after convincing the twins that going straight for the rat was dangerous and the potential to lose the Animagus in this big of a school was too great of a risk. Asking anyone in the school would also cause an uproar, and the rat would quickly take note and run away. Gereon had agreed, and said that he would notify someone who could take care of the little problem effectively without drawing any attention.
Of course that had been awhile back, and they had started to suspect that nothing was going to be done, but then suddenly, Ron was screeching about how Scabbers was missing and the Prophet came out with Pettigrew's capture.
Harry let the others chat about him as he let his eyes wander about the Great Hall before he felt someone sit down beside him. "Hello Harry," Percy greeted him. He looked tired, Harry noted. Exams were coming up, so he supposed the Prefect had been studying again. The older Weasley always seemed to be studying- the twins had joked that he was actually a Ravenclaw but was colorblind and got stuck into Griffindor by accident, but he at least kept the twins from getting too carried away when Harry wasn't around and made sure Ron wasn't a total prat. He and Harry didn't speak much to each other, but they were, or Harry felt, on friendlier terms than they were last year, where Harry thought of him as a sightly less annoying, but more rule-abiding male version of Hermione. But Harry had been under the influence of Ron then, so that didn't count.
Harry then noticed that Percy had Umbra, the genet curled about his shoulders like a scarf. Its face was covered in small scratches, most of them healed apart from the strips of missing fur. "What happened to Umbra?" he asked, reaching up to stroke the creature.
"Picked a fight with someone else's pet," Percy said, letting the genet uncurl itself and slide down his shoulder, to which Harry was there to intercept and place the creature on his lap. "Woke me up in the middle of the night and had to break it up."
Harry nodded in understanding. So that was why Percy looked tired. He scratched Umbra's fur, the genet poking its nose over the table from his lap, giving Neville who sat across from them a puppy-eyed look. The other boy gave in and handed the genet a slice of bacon.
"Do you mind if I borrow your quill for a minute?"
Harry blinked then nodded, giving the older Weasley one of his quills. He didn't ask why Percy would go without being prepared- he was like Hermione in that sense- nor did he ask why Percy only wrote two words on the parchment before rolling it up and giving the quill back. Yet when Percy got up without eating breakfast and left for the Owlery, Harry could help but wonder- what did 'it worked' supposed to mean?
Notes:
Pettigrew is finally captured! Umbra and an unidentified red-head team up and save the day, and Percy is being surprisingly secretive. What's going on? We'll see.
In honest truth, I actually liked Percy in the books until he became a total asshat. I actually liked most of the Weasleys except for Ginny and Ron- Ginny because I felt her character could've been better (she had so much potential!) and Ron because he was a total bigot. He was kind of like Draco in that sense, only that it was opposite in the fact he didn't like stuck up Purebloods instead of hating Muggles, and where Draco was sort of cultured Ron was kind of a disgusting slob. Also he did abandon Harry in the fourth book and then magically appeared again and oh-hey!- they were friends again. What the actual fuck?
Anyway, I'm rambling, I'll stop now.
I would like to thank all the reviews I've received since last chapter! I like the support you're giving me, even though I am a procrastinating dork, so I'll continue to do my weekly ritual until I finally complete this thing. But it seems no matter what I do, I end up thinking of even more things to plot about like in this chapter. Don't worry though! I have actually came up with a solution and what has occurred in this chapter will in fact wrap up a few others that have been mentioned previously. I'll try to keep nothing hanging.
And adding to the fact that my brain keeps plotting... I have another story plot in my head. Why? Because my brain hates me. I don't even know if I'll ever get around to even writing all this plots. How do I hold onto all these things?! *cries miserably*
*coughs* Anyway, thanks for the follows, faves, reviews, stalking, whatever! Keep up the good work!
(This chapter was posted on July 26, 2014)
Next Chapter: Aiding and Abetting
