Chapter 14 – Follow that Rat!
The first three weeks back to Hogwarts had been much the same has previous years, a pick-up in schoolwork, dorm-work, and practice for the Gryffindor quidditch team for their impending game versus Hufflepuff and would be Harry playing against Cedric for the first time since his first year. As for Daphne returning to the school marked returning to the nightmares that plagued her before Christmas, the oppressive feelings of things left unsaid and the whispers that she'll be rejected. Even though in her rational mind she knew these whispers and fears we're false she had felt Harry's urging during their under the Mistletoe kiss of wanting to deepen it. She thought back on it now and wished she done exactly that. She was determined next time he wanted to initiate a snog she oblige him with gusto. This seemed to set off the false whispers in a frenzy bombarding her with endless images of rejection and loneliness, after three weeks of nightmares her mind wasn't idle enough to realize how strange that felt.
On other notes Harry earn thank you greetings from everyone he signed on to play for the Cannons. The Gryffindor chasers all gave him pecks on the cheeks, Fred and George gave him vicious nuggies to the head telling him they wanted a business to sell joke products not play Quidditch professionally. He explained with the money they earned playing they get more than enough capital to buy a store, hire people to test their products, and then when they retire sell their joke items living well and comfortable, this of course earned more nuggies from the twins saying how brilliant he was. Lisa Turpin also gave him a kiss to the cheek, while Terry Boot gave Harry a manly hug and a back slap. Oliver was not so restrained he grabbed Harry up in a bear hug during the team's first practice and wept openly at his opportunity to play professionally. Marcus Flint had been the most subdued of the players, but the older boy gave Harry a handshake and thanked him. The only one he hadn't seen mainly because he had been busy was Cedric which was rectified at the start of the Hufflepuff match, "Thanks for the opportunity Harry, but just because you're my boss now doesn't mean I'm going to show you mercy up here," the Hufflepuff pretty boy smirked.
"Better hope not, I didn't hire you to sit on your arse and look pretty," Harry smirked back. "Consider this your job interview, if you don't play to your best I'll sack you and try Cho."
"Well if I lose to her it won't be so bad, she's pretty good on a broom, now if you said you'd hire Malfoy then I'd be offended, the git don't know his way round broom if it sat still."
Harry chuckled, "Too true, is McCormack happy?"
"Bugger why you sign him up, I had to listen him brag all Christmas really made my holiday," Cedric stated dryly shaking head glancing at his team mate.
"He's better than Crabbe and Goyle, at least he would listen to a coach, those two only separate from Malfoy's arse to beat someone to the ground," Harry stated earning a chuckle from the older boy.
The Hufflepuff vs. Gryffindor match lasted two hours with Gryffindor edging out the victory by Harry catching the snitch after a mad chase; it was only the fact that Harry had a vastly superior broom that won him the victory. "So how'd I do?"
"Consider yourself a Cannon, Cedric that was brilliant flying," Harry leaned in. "Imagine what you'll do on a Firebolt."
Cedric snickered, "Yeah can't wait for that first match next year."
XXX
Daphne walked from the stands to wait for Harry to finish getting out of his quidditch uniform. A few minutes later she saw him emerge holding the Marauder's Map which he had taken to reading every once in a while mainly to check the grounds, she noted he had a frown on his face as he walked up talking her around the shoulder and giving her a kiss to the cheek. She blushed like she had before Christmas, she mentally growled at herself for this reaction not understanding the reason why. "What are you looking at?"
"My dorm, I see Neville up but I also see someone else," he showed her. The name not far from where Neville was sitting was P. Pettigrew hovering strangely over Ron's bed. "I know Neville when he's focused on something doesn't notice things around him, but to not seeing a grown man not ten feet from where you are is odd."
"Maybe Pettigrew is using a Notice Me Not charm or wearing an invisibility cloak," Daphne suggested looking at it oddly knowing this rationalization was didn't make sense. "No, Neville would still notice Ron's bed is dented in the middle."
Harry's frown deepened handing the map to Daphne, "Here I want you to keep this, when you want to read it say, 'I solemnly swear I'm up to no good', if you want to hide it say, 'Mischief Managed'."
Daphne nodded, "Going to dinner or are you going up there?"
"Dinner then I'm going to talk to Professor Moto, then both of us are going up there, the map isn't wrong somehow Pettigrew is in the school and has been since at least October," he stated.
"October, Harry if that's true then he might have been the one to get the Dementors agitated enough to storm the quidditch pitch last November," Daphne stated looking worried.
"Explains a lot doesn't it, but something about Pettigrew being here doesn't add up, certainly someone would have seen him by now," Harry scratched his chin in thought a few moments racking his brain as he and Daphne walked up the castle, a few seconds later he felt Daphne on his arm. All thoughts of Pettigrew ceased at that moment, he looked at her and smiled, "feeling neglected?"
Daphne shook her head, "No just content," she smiled looking up at him he reached up and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. Her cheek tingled at the touch making her shiver in a good way and also making another crack in the magical emotional block. The two entered the great hall to have dinner; Harry lost himself in conversation detailing what he was going to do for Valentine's Day in two weeks. He easily knew what he wanted to do; he was going to confess to Daphne he felt that would be loads better than any chocolate or any card hopefully getting a heartfelt reply in return maybe a good snog afterward. He planned it by having a picnic near the lake, and surrounding the picnic site with warming charms, he actually hoped it would snow a bit that day to make the setting perfect. Maybe I can get Hermione to transfigure a fireplace and a bearskin rug for me if I asked politely. Harry chuckled to himself at the sappy cliché he had pictured in his mind.
"What's so funny?" Ron asked.
"Joke George and Fred told me once keeps the spirit up," Harry lied.
"We do that a lot don't we Forge?" George smirked.
"That we do, Gred," Fred responded in kind earning a snort from Hermione.
"Aw, young Miss Granger wounds us," George stated sounding a bit like Gollum.
"Hermione we brings you cheer don't we?" Fred replied sounding a bit like Dobby and batting his eyelashes at the bushy haired girl, earning chuckles from everyone, Hermione rolled her eyes trying to avoid looking at the twins, while biting her lip to keep from laughing at their increasingly pathetic faces until finally she couldn't take it anymore, she started giggling.
"You're both terrible and who let you read Lord of the Rings, George?" Hermione asked.
"Lee actually said there were some right good pranks in the first few chapters Gandalf pulled on the Hobbits, bloody bonkers I'd say nothing about pranks at all, still great read though," George shrugged then went onto explain the plot with help from Hermione and Harry.
"Wicked, say George do you still have the book?" Ron asked.
"What does ickle Ronniekins want to read it?" Fred asked.
Ron nodded ignoring his brother jab, "Yeah sounds like fun," he then felt a smooth soft hand on his forehead he turned slightly looking at his bushy haired friend, "what Hermione?"
Hermione giggled, "I think I need to take you to Madam Pomphrey seeing as you're clearly not well, I mean the Ron I know never willingly reads a book."
Ron's ears turned red for a second, "Not a school book is it."
"No but maybe I should ask Professor McGonagall to make it required reading then maybe you'd get an O in something besides DADA or Care of Magical Creatures," Hermione smirked.
"Please don't do that you'd take all the fun out of it," Ron stated looking panicked.
Harry couldn't take it anymore he burst out laughing watching his two best friends banter at each other. A few seconds later the others gathered round followed suit, more at Harry's laughter than anything. It was a rarity to see the boy who lived smiling and carefree, even more so to see him laugh it actually warmed his friends hearts, it also made a certain female Slytherin happy to see her betrothed happy, which caused a spider web of cracks to appear on her magic emotion block, so many were now present that one good strong push would destroy it.
XXX
With dinner over Harry walked up to the staff table to see Yugi and Narcissa talking rather animatedly. He could see the spark of attraction between the two, which had been steadyingly developing over the course of the year, the same could be said for the blonde haired aide that Yugi had but he doubted much would come from that, the warmth didn't seem to touch the eyes yet. "Professor?" Harry whispered.
Yugi turned smiling for a moment until he saw Harry's face, "Mr. Potter is something wrong?"
"Yes, Professor though I'm not sure but I have a map that show's all of Hogwarts and everyone in it," Harry rung his hands nervously. "And well it's been showing me that Pettigrew has been in my dorm periodically hovering over Ron's bed or wandering around the castle, I've been wondering if you could accompany me to my dorm and look it over?"
Yugi knew what Pettigrew was fully planned to act on it however if Harry notice using the Marauder's Map then things may escalate before the end of the year, just like the prophecy before the holidays stated. "While I don't understand how you got a map of the school, I will do as you ask if anything to at least put your mind at ease Harry."
With that the defense against the dark arts teacher followed Harry up to his dorm room and scanned the area first visually before casting a magical detection charm, which centered around Ron's bed, "Something magical has been here recently, was anyone here during the Quidditch match?"
Neville raised his hand, "I-I was Professor wanted to finish my Herbology homework, sir. I didn't see anyone in here I did see Scabbers on Ron's bed though while I was working."
Harry's eyes widen thinking about his parents and Sirius's wills his stomach dropping as he put things together rapidly, "I completely forgot, this last summer during my parent's will reading it mention Pettigrew was their secret keeper."
"Yes, it led your Godfather to be pardon posthumously," Yugi stated. "Go on."
"During my Godfather's will reading he mentioned that Pettigrew was an illegal rat Animagus, and that he pointed out that anyone should look for a rat with an unusually long lifespan," Harry stated.
Yugi turned to Ron, "How long has your family had Scabbers?"
"Um, eleven years Percy found him in the barn at our home when he became Prefect he got an owl and he gave me Scabbers," Ron explained.
Yugi winced slapping his forehead, "For once the Ministry was actually doing something right, this last September they came to search the train to look at familiars, and I drove them off," shaking his head. "If they had left the Dementors at Azkaban, and just brought Aurors I would have let them check the train its standard procedure, however that bigot Umbridge had to let her lackey Dawlish bring those foul things, let your safety cloud my judgment."
"We're thankful though Professor, those things are right foul," Dean stated.
Yugi smiled and nodded, "Well he's not here now I'll inform the Dementors, prefects, and teachers. To keep an eye out for the rat, better get to bed." With a reluctant nod and an increasingly pale face from Ron the five boys went to bed.
XXX
The next two weeks passed by swiftly with a lot of teachers and prefects scanning the ground looking for a rat with a missing toe; so far none could be found. With the quickly approaching Valentine's Day, Harry's priorities shifted from looking for the traitorous rat to making his plans for his big confession to Daphne. Having gotten Hermione and surprisingly Tracey to agree to set up the perfect picnic area cheesy cliché set up and all. That evening before Valentine's Day Harry was walking from the library before curfew and saw a particular rat heading out of the castle, "Pettigrew!" he shouted the rat froze a second before turning and looking at Harry with wide frightened eyes turning to run. Regardless of forethought Harry ran after the Animagus. "Comeback here you traitor!"
XXX
In the dungeon's Daphne was currently doing her latest potions essay trying to ignore Tracey's teasing every now and then looked at the map to see what Harry was doing, for a good hour he was in the library with Ron, Blaise, and Neville no doubt studying for their own potions essays. She spun at Tracey, "Bugger off," she screeched at the dark haired girl face red at the sexual innuendo that. "And how do you know something like that?"
"Mother is a muggle, Daph. Wouldn't believe the magazines she reads when father isn't around," Tracey stated giggling. "If the moans and screams are any indication she puts what she reads to good use, want a copy?" the girl asked innocently.
Daphne face turned a darker red, "That's it your no longer allowed to see Tori or the Twins they've corrupted you."
Tracey tossed her pillow at the blonde haired girl, "You're not my mum, Daph. I can be corrupted by anyone I want," the dark haired giggled. "Really want Neville to corrupt me, and I know you want Harry to corrupt you," she said in a soft sultry voice. Daphne could swear her face wanted to combust at that moment and what was worse was her mind was showing her the images of what that corruption could imply. She took a deep breath secretly thrilled that she could get a reaction like that with all the nightmares she been having. Turning back to her essay looking at her notes but her train of thought had been shattered. Looking at the map she watched Harry was leaving the library first before the other three, then in morbid fascination she saw P. Pettigrew moving toward the main doors leading out of the castle, while H. Potter moved toward the stairs that would lead him toward him dormitory only to come to an abrupt stop, Don't do it Harry, please. She whimpered slightly seeing P. Pettigrew moving from the hall at an increased speed and H. Potter speeding after him. She stood grabbing her wand, "Tracey get this map to Professor Moto; tell him to come find us?"
"What's going on?" Tracey asked holding the map looking confused.
Daphne through on her school robes sighing, "Going after Harry, he's chasing Pettigrew," she stated running out of the dorm rooms, through the common rooms and out the entrance.
XXX
Harry lost Pettigrew as soon as he entered the Forbidden Forest, looking around searching in every nook and cranny in front of him not daring to use Lumos encase it tip the rat off. Having been in the forest three times before he become use to the fact that it held both a lot of dangers and a lot of wonders of course all three times he had been in the forest he seen nothing but the dangers. Expect a vampire or a werewolf to jump out at me this time, bloody hell am I thick. He shuddered slightly but moving forward he comes to a clearing overlooking a large pond.
"Morsmordre!" Harry spun hearing the sound behind him looking up he saw a huge green skull with a serpent moving out of its jaws before circling and doing it again. He looked at the short squat figure holding a pale white wand that looked like a fang. "Stupefy!" before Harry could doge he was knocked to the ground the squat looking figure walked toward him an evil smirk on his face. He raised his wand before he could utter another spell most likely the killing curse he heard rustling. Peter immediately turned back into his rat form and scampered off into the undergrowth. The stunning spell slowly dissipated and Harry stood groaning a second later the temperature began to drop.
Harry looked up and saw the full compliment of Dementors swarming around him, "Bugger all," he muttered lifting his wand as the first Dementor began to descend.
Author's Note: Very close oh so very close to bringing this to a conclusion two more chapters at least, three at the very most. The next chapter is what sparked me to rewrite this fanfiction I simply had to fill out what I needed before and after. Read and review thank you if anyone has ideas for future Harry Potter stories let me know.