November
The night grew dark. Harry crept from his bed. He hated that he was about to spend the next... who knew who long, lying to his best friend. But somethings were more important. He'd have to hope that he could pull off his goal and that when he did Ron would understand.
Harry mentally reviewed his sketches, tucked away in the shrunken PGP folder. He was going to use his history lessons to his advantage.
Disguise things as other than what they are.
Harry carefully opened his trunk. He pulled out the package of "owl" treats. In reality, he had paid an extra 3 galleons to have the pet store empty the container, fill it with rat food and to shrink a rat cage and hide it deep in the container.
A sleeping enemy is easier to trap.
Harry cast a sleeping spell on the dozing rat, to ensure he remained asleep.
Don't barricade yourself in so thoroughly that there is no escape...
Or in this case, do barricade your enemy in so thoroughly that they can't escape.
Harry cast an unbreakable charm on the cage. He carefully lifted Pettigrew and placed him inside the cage. Once the cage was locked he cast locking and sealing spells on the door that would not open with an alohamora. Harry thought of the Cerberus, Fluffy, hidden behind a poorly locked door.
Ward your valuables.
The rat didn't hold value in galleons. No, he was much, much more valuable than money. Harry cast a series of warding spells on the cage.
Invisibility spells can be used to solve some problems.
Harry cast disillusionment spells on the cage and everything in it.
Conceal your actions.
The invisibility cloak fluttered over Harry, concealing him from sight. He clutched the cage and stole out of the dormitory, through the common room, out the portrait hole and up to the owlery. Beneath a bench, in the furthest corner he placed the cage. And there the rat would sit until he was needed in the plan.
Use sound and fear as weapons.
Wings flapped and fluttered. The captive shivered and shrunk back into the corner of his cell. A rat trapped in an owlery is akin to a man in Azkaban.
Lesson from the: I Know Nothing About Families essay: Normal people do not starve their children, or in this case, their captives.
Ron worried over Scabbers disappearance. He peeked under beds and over curtain rods. Behind books and in piles of clothes. But Scabbers was nowhere to be seen.
The twins tried to reassure, chiming in, in chorus:
"He was boring."
"Usless."
"Not a loss worth worrying about."
His sister patted his shoulder and comforted him, "He was an old rat Ron. He probably just wandered off to die in peace."
Harry looked on guilty and consoled, "You were a great owner Ron, always holding him and caring for him. I don't pay nearly enough attention to Hedwig. I think I'lll start making it a habit." With his excuse in place, he had a valid reason to increase his visits to the owlery. He was willing to capture and conceal his parents pseudo killer, but he would never starve a creature, horrid or not. That would just make him horrid and he refused to be like the Dursleys.
Another History Lesson: The combatants will continue to battle until the general tells them the fight is done.
Dear Dogfather,
Do NOT come back for the rat. He has been dealt with. Keep hidden.
Yours,
General H.J.
Thanks for for reading and I hope you are enjoying the tale.