Chapter Summary: Alex/Harry starts his summer holidays, and discovers something really shocking.
Alex sighed as he worked on the Transfiguration essay that Professor McGonagall had assigned as part of his summer homework. He wished that Hogwarts didn't assign any homework for the holidays, but there was nothing he could do about it. Even if he didn't have homework to do, his parents would still give him lessons, though theirs consisted mostly of learning wandless magic and some other things that was primarily used by the Roma. Still, he didn't like being forced to spend two hours each day, except for weekends, on his homework, until it was completed.
Beth looked up from the History of Magic essay she was writing. "Alex, there's no point in sighing over your homework. You still have to do it, and there's not much you could be doing in its place."
Alex knew his sister was right. His parents were proud of the two of them going to stop Voldemort from getting the Philosopher's Stone, and as a reward, had told them that they could have whatever dessert they wanted for a week. However, what they had done had also been dangerous and had scared their parents half to death, so they were also being punished. Beth and Alex had literally been grounded for two weeks, and so couldn't go flying. They also had to wash the dishes after breakfast and lunch and had not been allowed to spend any time with their friends for the first five days of the holidays. Fortunately, it was the fifth day, so he'd be able to see his friends tomorrow, except for Neville, as his grandmother had grounded him for the entire week, though she was proud of the fact that he'd gone with his friends to stop Voldemort.
When the two hours were up, he had finished his essay and Remus looked it over. "It's good, Alex," he said a few minutes later. "You can put your books away and go do something else."
Alex did as told, reflecting that it was a good thing that his parents hadn't also forbidden him from reading for pleasure as punishment, or he'd go crazy. He had no desire to spend more time on his homework, even though that would mean it would all be done within a week. While he had a journal, he rarely wrote in it, and anyway, what was the point of writing when there was little to write about? As for brewing potions, summertime was rather busy for the apothecary, so neither his mother nor Granny Ilsa could spare much time in supervising him, As for Remus, he was not qualified to supervise, as he was rather awful when it came to the practical part of Potions.
Alex went up to the tree house in the back yard, which thanks to magic was bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. There was a table with seven chairs around it (originally there was six, but now that Hermione was his and Beth's friend, a chair had been added for her), a sofa, a small bookcase, and two cabinets. He settled on the sofa and began reading The Hobbit, which his cousin Vera had lent him.
The next day, Alex and Beth went over to visit Ron and Ginny. Luna dropped by, a dreamy smile on her face as she greeted her friends and asked them if they thought that perhaps Wrackspurts had muddled Quirrell's thoughts so that he was willing to let You-Know-Who possess him.
Ron hastily turned a laugh into a cough to avoid hurting Luna's feelings. Alex and Beth exchanged a look, and Ginny said after a moment's pause, "Well, that explanation is as good as any, Luna."
"But how did he get into Hogwarts?" asked David, who was also visiting. "I thought there were supposed to all sorts of spells and wards to protect the school."
Alex glanced over at his cousin. "I guess whatever wards that are on Hogwarts doesn't apply to the teachers, and since Voldemort was in a teacher, he wasn't affected."
"Then the wards should be changed to at least tell Professor Dumbledore when someone evil is at Hogwarts," said David with a frown. "The wards on the apothecary tell Granny Ilsa if someone with evil intentions enters. And she said that back when Voldemort was in power, she had wards that prevented anyone with an evil heart from entering."
"Actually, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape suspected that Quirrell was after the Stone and were keeping an eye on him," said Beth. "They didn't know that Voldemort was possessing him, of course, but they figured out his intentions. They kept him at Hogwarts rather than sacking him based on the saying, 'Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.'"
"Oh," said David in understanding. "So-" He broke off at a scrabbling noise and looked around. "Ron, is something wrong with your rat? Why is he running around in his cage?"
Ron shrugged. "Scabbers has been acting like that ever since I returned home. He bit me and ran off the minute I was home, but Mum caught him. I've had to keep him shut up in his cage ever since or he'd try to run away again. He doesn't sleep all day like he used to, and I think he's been getting peaky."
"You should have Scabbers looked at," siggested Alex. "Granny Ilsa could do it and prescribe a tonic for him. She supplies Magical Menagerie with all their animal potions and tonics. She'll be happy to give you a tonic for Scabbers, and do it for free, Ron. Or if you feel that you must pay, she'll just charge you a Sickle. If you went to Magical Menagerie for it, you'd have to pay at least three Sickles."
"Good idea," said Ron. "I'll go ask Mum if I can Floo over to the apothecary now and have Scabbers looked over."
Mrs. Weasley gave her permission, but before Ron was about to leave, Beth exclaimed, "Wait! One of the wards on the apothecary keeps out all animals except for my grandparents' owl and cat. Alex and I had better go first and ask Granny Ilsa to alter the wards temporarily so that Scabbers is allowed in."
Beth and Alex Flooed over to the apothecary, tumbling out of the fireplace and into the workroom. Their mother was brewing a potion, while Granny Ilsa was preparing ingredients. Professor Snape was also there, having arrived a few minutes ago to leave some potions he had made and then stayed to help.
When the two explained matters, Granny Ilsa agreed to look over Scabbers and prescribe a potion for him, and then asked Professor Snape to help her modify the wards so that the rat could enter. When they were done, Alex went back to the fireplace and Fire-called Ron, saying that he could bring Scabbers over.
Seconds later, Ron came out of the fireplace, cage in one hand. Scabbers appeared to be freaking out in it. "Why is your rat behaving in such a manner, Ron?" asked Granny Ilsa. "Is-" She broke off as the pendant she wore suddenly flared silver.
"Someone who is evil just entered," said Ana, looking up from the potion and picking up her wand that had been lying next to the cauldron.
Professor Snape drew out his wand as well, while Granny Ilsa went out front to check up on things. She returned a moment later to say, "Remus said that nobody else has entered the shop within the past two minutes. That must mean that somehow Ron or his rat set off the alarm. As I do not for one second believe that you are evil, Ron, it must therefore be your rat."
"But why would Scabbers be evil?" asked Ron, looking bewildered. "Sure, he's been acting funny lately, but that doesn't mean anything."
"There is one explanation for this," said Ana. "And that is that Scabbers is not really a rat."
"Not really a rat?" asked Alex. "Mum, what are- oh! You mean that he's an Animagus? But the only rat Animagus we know of is Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black killed him!"
Professor Snape almost dropped his wand in shock. "Pettigrew was an Animagus?" he demanded.
Alex nodded. "James Potter, Pettigrew, and Black became Animagi so they could keep Remus company during the full moon. Remus told us."
"I see." said Professor Snape, face unreadable. He strode out of the room. Granny Ilsa Stunned Scabbers and then fetched a bottle of Veritserum. At that point, Snape returned with Remus, who gasped when he saw the rat.
"He does look like Wormtail," Remus whispered, face pale. A closer look caused him to collapse into the nearest chair. "He's missing a toe. And they said that the largest part of Peter that was found was a finger. If Scabbers is really Peter, then that would mean that we have been wrong about Sirius Black."
A look of fury briefly flickered in Snape's face. He had no love for Black, and in fact hated him, but he also didn't want an innocent man in Azkaban. Well, Black wasn't exactly innocent, but he still didn't deserve to be locked up in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, while the real person responsible was at large, masquerading as a pet rat.
Ana opened the cage and dumped Scabbers out on the floor. She then pointed her wand at the Stunned rat and silently did a spell. A second later, the rat was turned into the body of a man. Alex stared at the man, who was presumably Peter Pettigrew, noting that he looked rather rat-like. No wonder his Animagus form was a rat then, Alex though.
"It's Pettigrew," said Snape harshly, while Remus got to his feet, looking angry now.
Granny Ilsa bound Wormtail in ropes with a flick of her wand, while Ana contacted the Ministry. Ten minutes later, Uncle Tobias and Aunt Maria appeared, with two of their fellow Aurors, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, a trainee Auror that had a heart-shaped face and pink hair, and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones. The trainee Auror was introduced as Nymphadora Tonks, who preferred to go by her surname. Alex and Beth could see why, with a first name like that.
Kingsley Shacklebolt revived Wormtail and then Madam Bones administered a few drops of Veritserum. Moody took over the questioning, while Aunt Maria and Madam Bones took notes. It quickly became clear that Wormtail had betrayed Lily and James Potter to Voldemort, as Sirius Black had thought that he would be too obvious as Secret-Keeper. Wormtail was also the one that had blasted the street and killed twelve Muggles when Sirius had confronted him. He had cut off a finger during the explosion and then fled the scene in his rat form, leaving Sirius to take the blame.
When the questioning was over, Wormtail was placed under arrest, and Madam Bones promised that she would do everything she could to see that Sirius's name was cleared and have him released from Azkaban. With four Aurors, a trainee, and a Head of an important Ministry Department as witnesses, Minister Fudge would have to do something about this. The group then left with Wormtail in custody.
Ron, who had looked rather sick when Scabbers had been revealed as Peter Pettigrew, now looked furious. "How could anyone go and betray their friend like that? I would rather die than join You-Know-Who and betray my friends. It's a good thing that he wasn't around when you revealed who you were, Alex."
"Yeah," said Alex. "Well, at least he's caught now, and soon Sirius Black will be free. Mum, since my biological parents named him my godfather, does that mean he can be let in on my secret?"
"We'll have to see how much Azkaban affected him," said Ana. "But I think it should be safe. However, he will have to apologize and make amends for his treatment to Severus like Remus did." Seeing Professor Snape's expression, she added, "I'm not expecting you to be his friend, Severus. But the two of you can at least be civil to one another, like you are with Remus."
Professor Snape nodded. "All right then. May I leave now? I expect that Professor Dumbledore would like to be informed of everything that just happened."
"Of course," said Granny Ilsa. Once Snape had left, she turned to the three preteens. "You may inform your family as to what happened, Ron. Alex and Beth, you can tell your cousins. Oh, and Luna, Neville. and Hermione, can be told too, but the latter two only through your mirrors and not in a letter. I don't want to risk a letter being intercepted and have everything found out before it goes out to the general public. And I suppose I had better set a new ward on the apothecary that will notify me of any Animagi in their animal form that appear."
Alex, Beth, and Ron Flooed back to the Weasley home to tell their families and friends about everything that had just occured.