Chapter 11: Catching the Rat
It didn't take long until news of Rita Skeeter registering herself as an Animagus became known through the whole Wizarding England. Two wizards she wrote about in the past met to discuss this development. "Do you believe in coincidences?"
"No. Why do you ask?"
"Because Rita Skeeter registered her Animagus form right after news of Sirius Black's status as an unregistered Animagus made people ward their homes against Animagi."
"True that but wizards and witches who become Animagi have a deadline to register their forms. Without knowing when she became one, how can we tell if Skeeter missed hers or not?"
"Have you ever wondered how she learned those facts about you she twisted for that story she wrote before she could become an Animagus and still wait until now to register within the deadline?"
"I see what you mean. Do you have a Pensieve?"
Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall was entering the Gryffindor common room. "What may I do for you, Professor McGonagall?" Gryffindor Prefect Percy Weasley eagerly asked.
"Bring your brother Ronald and his pet rat here, Mr. Weasley." She demanded. "It's an order!"
Percy quickly did as ordered. "What did we do, Professor?" Ron asked in confusion.
"Mr. Weasley, given the recent commotion regarding your pet rat, the Headmaster and I decided he should be sent to Madam Pomfrey for a rigid examination." Professor McGonagall explained while hoping Scabbers, assuming he's really Peter Pettigrew, wouldn't read between the lines.
Fearing what the "rigid examination" would consist of, tried to flee but Professor McGonagall quickly pointed her wand at the rat and immobilized him. "What did you do?" Ron exclaimed in horror.
"Your rat is just immobilized, Mr. Weasley." She calmly explained. "He'll be returned to you after examination unless there's something wrong with him." She then took Scabbers with him to Headmaster Dumbledore's office, where they forced the rat back into his human form as Peter Pettgirew. "Headmaster! Professor McGonagall!" He exclaimed with a quick smile.
"Peter, I'm surprised to see you here." Albus Dumbledore casually commented. "Especially because it was believed Sirius Black killed you almost ten years ago."
"I had to let him think he killed me or he'd done it for real." Peter meekly explained.
"Sirius Black was in Azkaban until recently, Mr. Pettigrew." Minerva stated. "Do you really expect me to believe you knew all this time he'd eventually escape?"
"He's from a Dark Family and who knows what else the Da… You-Know-Who taught him." Pettigrew desperately said.
"Minerva, I believe we should call Amelia Bones and let the Department of Magical Law Enforcement handle this case." Headmaster Dumbledore calmly suggested. "I'm certain that, unlike her predecessor, she'll be reasonable enough to allow the use of Veritaserum."
Pettigrew gulped. He knew when he lost.
Later, when Amelia Bones received an owl informing her about a Death Eater Animagus at Hogwarts, she wasn't certain if it was Sirius Black or Peter Pettigrew. Most of the Aurors she chose to go with her were certain it was Sirius. They had the shock of their lives. "Peter?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked. "It can't be! He's dead! There's only one finger left to be found!"
"Now we know what happened to the rest of him, Auror Shacklebolt." Amelia commented. "Peter Pettigrew, you're under arrest for accessory to the deaths of James and Lily Potter; accessory to the attempted murder of Harry James Potter; the murder of twelve muggles; faking your own death; deliberately framing an innocent for the previously mentioned crimes; and being an unregistered Animagus."
"James and Sirius forced me!" Peter exclaimed.
"James Potter forced you to betray you?" Amelia asked in astonishment.
"I meant the Animagus part." Peter clarified. "They wanted all of us to become Animagi so we'd be able to spend the full moons with Remus Lupin without the risk of being bitten."
Upon hearing this, some people there were under the impression Professor McGonagall muttered 'those two idiots'.
"You'll be retained in a Ministry cell until we set a date for your trial, Mr. Pettigrew." Amelia formally stated.
"Will it be really necessary, Amelia?" Cornelius Fudge asked as he entered. "What will people think once they find out the Ministry kept an innocent in Azkaban for all those years?"
"They'll know we righted a wrong caused by our predecessors, Minister." She explained, dashing Pettigrew's newfound hope.
"Well thought, Amelia!" Fudge commented. "Let's call the Prophet!"
That afternoon, practically everyone at Hogwarts read a special issue about how Peter Pettigrew was alive and was now the main suspect of everything else Sirius Black was in Azkaban for. It also explained that Peter Pettigrew was a Rat Animagus and took advantage of this to stay hidden during the last years.
"Look at that." Draco Malfoy happily told his "friends". "The Weasleys claim to be light but harbored the Potters' betrayer all this time. Then again, I shouldn't fault them for being duped. Their hovel probably has so many rats nobody would realize there was one more."
"I can't believe this is happening." Ron said between tears.
"Blame Crouch and Bagnold for this." Harry replied. "All of this mess is their fault for denying Sirius Black a trial."
"Harry Potter, your presence has been required at the Headmaster's office." Professor McGonagall stated and then returned to the teachers' table.
"What does Headmaster Dumbledore want?" Dean asked Harry.
"It's probably about Sirius Black being innocent." Harry explained. "He's my original Godfather and his imprisonment is the only reason he couldn't take me in."
Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Magic, a furious citizen was storming his way inside. He's Severus Tobias Snape and the Longbottoms were with him. Given their prestige in the Wizarding World, they were easily allowed to visit the Minister. "Potioneer Snape. Longbottoms. What can I do for you?" Fudge eagerly asked.
Severus dropped his issue of the Daily Prophet at the Minister's table. "You can explain this!" He answered with a frown. "What's the meaning of this farce?"
"It's no farce." Fudge nervously explained. "It seems my predecessor and Bartemius Crouch sent Sirius Black to Azkaban for the murder of a wizard that wasn't really dead."
"Minister, you don't honestly expect us to believe this nonsense about Black being innocent and Pettigrew still being alive." Frank Longbottom commented. "Do you?"
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Amelia and the Aurors who went with her to Hogwarts to arrest Pettigrew." Fudge pleaded. "They'll confirm it. Even Dumbledore and McGonagall can confirm it if necessary."
Back at Hogwarts, Harry entered Dumbledore's office. "Did you want to see me, Headmaster?" He asked.
"Oh, yes, Harry." Dumbledore jovially replied. "Lemon drop?"
"No, thank you, Sir." Harry politely refused. "I assume you've called me because of the news about Pettigrew and Black."
"Yes, Harry, that's indeed my reason to have called you." Dumbledore stated. "I don't know if Severus trusted you with this fact or not, but Sirius Black is your initial Godfather."
"Yes, I know about this." Harry explained.
"Harry, with Pettigrew's capture, Sirius Black has been proven innocent." Dumbledore said. "Once all the bureaucracy regarding his case is dealt with, he'll be willing to take you in."
"But I don't want to!" Harry exclaimed. "I want to live with Uncle Severus!"
Dumbledore was surprised. "Harry, I don't know what Severus told you but your parents would rather have you living with Sirius than with him. Especially your father."
"They probably didn't expect him to be sent to prison without a trial." Harry retorted. "Why was the law broken in this case?"
"James and Lily told me Sirius was the Secret-Keeper, Harry." Dumbledore explained. "How was I supposed to know they'd lie to me?"
"Don't you dare shift blame to them." Harry was no longer willing to respect the Headmaster. "Of course, they lied to you but it doesn't justify denying Sirius Black a trial. To make matters worse, Barty Crouch Junior and the Lestranges were given a trial after getting caught doing something unforgivable by what the Longbottoms say."
"Barty Senior headed the Department of Magical Law Enforcement back then, Harry." Dumbledore explained. "He was playing favorites."
"Crouch Junior was granted nothing more than his legal right and you call it favoritism?" Harry was shocked.
"There's no point dwelling in the past, Harry." Dumbledore stated. "What really matters is where you'll live now that Sirius is basically free."
"With Uncle Severus, of course." Harry replied. "Why would I want to leave him?"
"Harry, your father would never approve of a Slytherin to raise you." Dumbledore pleaded.
"What about my mother?" Harry asked upon having noticed Dumbledore didn't mention her.
"Well, she might have forgiven him after that incident but she'd still prefer Sirius over Severus." Dumbledore conceded.
"That was before Azkaban." Harry argued. "Innocent or not, having spent all those years with Dementors couldn't have done any good for his sanity."
While Harry and Dumbledore were arguing about Sirius, Severus and the Lestranges were having the shock of their lives upon seeing Peter Pettigrew alive. "Frank, Alice, my old friends." Pettigrew said. "I see Snape did cure you from the Cruciatus."
"How could you do it, Pettigrew?" Frank angrily asked while pointing his wand at the scared rat. "James, Lily and Sirius were your friends."
"I had no choice." Pettigrew pleaded.
"The Wizengamot will decide it." Amelia said while directing the visitors to leave.
"Wait!" Pettigrew asked. "Severus, you know how scary You-Know-Who used to be like. I couldn't create enough protective barriers like you did."
"Potter and Black would have gladly kept you safely hidden under barriers of their own, Wormy." Severus replied upon remembering their nickname for the traitor.
"They'd find it too much of cowardice." Pettigrew pleaded and Amelia reminded the visitors to leave.
End chapter.