Events after the match from another perspective.

RON VIII

"Wait, you're serious?" Ron asked, having everyone in their circle, from his parents to the whole Gryffindor team, in addition to Hermione, staring at him after his outcry. "Peter Pettigrew was there?"

"According to my mother, yes," Harry replied.

He had just explained them what happened when the game was about to begin. Ron couldn't believe that Pettigrew managed to get within the limits of Hogwarts today, when a Quidditch match was about to be played and when safety measures were higher than usual, by simply hiding inside a bag that was carried by one of the parents who came to watch the game.

"How could they let him in?" Ron asked.

"At least, no one was injured," his father said. His parents had come to see Fred and George play. "Everyone is fine, and that is the most important."

"Too bad we had to cancel the Quidditch game," Angelina said.

"Yes, we were ready," Oliver said. "Now… I just hope they're not going to cancel the season like last year."

From the sound of his voice, it would be a catastrophe of it was to happen. Truth be told, Ron shared some of Wood's worries on this. It would be unfair to yet again be deprived of the Quidditch Cup when Harry just got a Firebolt. Ron was certain that Harry himself wouldn't want the season to end even if he had a contract on his head.

The Great Hall was full. Everyone who wasn't a teacher was brought there after the attack. Or the accident. Ron wasn't really sure how to call that. The match was about to begin, and Ron was just eager to see Harry's Firebolt perform in a real game. The two captains had shaken hands when Ron was blinded all of a sudden by a bright, powerful, white light. When he recovered his sight, he saw Harry flying away at high speed, and Chang following him not long behind. Ron was about to encourage Harry, and some on the benches were also about to do so, but the voice of Professor McGonagall, resonating through the stadium, announced at this moment that the game was cancelled, and that everyone was to head to the Great Hall immediately. That was how they all ended up here. Harry had arrived not long after, and he told them what he knew, which wasn't much, but what caught the most attention was the fact that Peter Pettigrew had been there. He succeeded to get through the limits of Hogwarts, past the Dementors, and apparently he escaped before they could catch him.

"You really think that Pettigrew is gone? He's no longer here?" Katie Bell asked Harry.

"I think so. Professor Lupin said he was gone. And… they can know whether he is inside Hogwarts or not."

Harry cast a glance towards Ron. He knew what Harry was talking about. He in turn looked at his brothers Fred and George, who seemed to understand very well what Harry meant all of a sudden, and who tried to behave innocently. Ron looked at his mother, who luckily enough didn't look suspicious for once.

"Well, let's leave to the Dementors and the people of the Ministry to catch him. I'm sure it will not be long before they get him," she said.

"Mom, we're talking about the rat we kept for twelve years," Fred reminded her.

"And who managed to get inside the Hogwarts Express and to leave it without leaving a trace," George added.

"Except a new scar on Harry's ankle," Fred pointed out.

"And who escaped Azkaban," Ron added. Just like his brothers, he didn't trust the Ministry to arrest his former rat.

"Let's calm down," Hermione said all of a sudden. "Okay, Pettigrew might have managed to get inside, but he couldn't approach us. That means the safety measures are working. No one is dead or was injured today."

"Speak for yourself," Alicia said. "With what happened today, they might well kill our Quidditch season."

"Don't say that!" Wood snapped.

"What? It's true. They're not going to let us play if we have to worry about the Dementors and a serial killer at all times."

"No, they can't cancel Quidditch. Not again," Fred declared.

"If it is for your own safety, then yes, they can," their mother told them. This resulted in a heated discussion between parents and players, each and everyone of them having their own opinion on the matter. Ron was glad that at least a few parents didn't want to hear about the Quidditch season being cancelled.

Harry, however, remained silent. He was sitting aside with Hermione next to him. Ron moved to join them.

"Let's hope they won't cancel Quidditch again," Ron simply said.

"Ron, there are more important things than Quidditch!" Hermione countered. "Harry could have been hurt or worse."

"Or someone else," Harry said. "He didn't hesitate to kill a dozen people to escape twelve years ago. Our parents could have died today."

"Well, they didn't," Ron pointed out. "But I wish the Dementors could at least do their job. What's the use to have them if Pettigrew can walk in and out of Hogwarts as if it was his own home?"

"Dumbledore… The professors…" Hermione began. "They'll surely reinforce the castle's defences. Still, it is odd, how he managed to get inside. Hiding inside the bag of one of the parents?! I mean, what if he hid in your mother's stuff, Ron?"

The thought terrorized Ron. "Me, I say they should just kill him the next time he shows up."

"Ron!" Hermione shouted, scandalized.

"What? He's a murderer. How many people did he kill, before and after You-Know-Who died?"

"Voldemort is not dead," Harry reminded them.

Ron's body shivered at the mention of this name. It might be easy for Harry, but Ron would never get used to hearing it, and even less saying the name. Harry could say what he wanted about his father's death at the hand of You-Know-Who, but Ron also lost family. Two of his uncles, his mother's brothers, died during the last war, although his mother never talked about them.

"Well, while we wait for him to die for good, I don't think it will do much harm if his followers are gone in the meantime," Ron commented.

His gaze wandered to the Slytherin table, where he spotted Draco Malfoy. Here was another one Ron wouldn't mind if he died.

"But who would be stupid enough to let Pettigrew inside his bag?" Ron asked.

"Ron, that's not…" Hermione replied quickly. "Look, it's not so difficult to imagine. I mean, Pettigrew hid within your family for twelve by posing for a rat."

"Yes, but… We didn't even know that he could morph into an animal. We didn't even know he was an Animagus."

"Yes, but that doesn't change that he can hide in places we simply wouldn't think about or suspect."

"Okay, but… Inside a bag! Come on. You really have to be dumb to not notice that a rat just settled into your stuff."

"Well, anyway, he's gone," Harry intervened. "They missed him again."

Ron could hear a point of anger in Harry's voice. He knew that Harry despised Pettigrew with all his heart, and with very good reasons.

"It's a good thing," Hermione said. "He's far away. He cannot harm you now," she added for Harry.

"Perhaps, but how much time before he tries again? And what if he kills someone next time? My mother was right next to him… and your parents too Ron. And many other people as well."

"Yes, but they're all fine," Hermione said, trying to sound reassuring.

"And next time, we hope that the only one to not be fine will be Pettigrew himself," Ron said as an appropriate conclusion.

The three of them didn't say much afterwards. Ron guessed they were all lost in their thoughts. He was nervous as well considering what just happened. He wondered how Pettigrew would conduct his next attempt against Harry. Because Ron didn't doubt that there would be another attempt.

"Harry." The voice of a girl came from behind, and Ron saw when he turned that it was the girl who played at the Seeker position on the Ravenclaw team. She didn't look at him though, and only seemed to notice Harry who had turned towards her as well and seemed quite taken by surprise. "Excuse me, but can I talk to you a moment? Alone?"

"Er… O… Okay," Harry stammered. He followed her away, leaving Ron and Hermione behind.

"What do you think she want of him?" Ron asked as they walked away.

"No idea. Maybe she wants to know what happened back on the pitch," Hermione suggested. "Her parents were close when it happened, after all."

"Probably," Ron conceded, shrugging it off.

He guessed that Harry could talk to her about this. Ron didn't particularly like Cho Chang. She defeated Gryffindor two years ago when Harry was in the infirmary, and Ron wasn't about to forgive her anymore than he would forgive Cedric Diggory for catching the Snitch in November. But well, he could understand that she was worried about her parents. He noticed her and Harry talking in an animated way.

"I wonder why she looks so worried," Ron said. "I mean, okay, Pettigrew was there, but no one was injured." He looked at his parents who were in perfect shape.

"She's probably afraid that her parents might be in trouble," Hermione said.

"Why?"

"Because… Harry told me that Pettigrew might have been hidden in a bag her mother was carrying."

Ron's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"He's not sure. His mother said something about that when he rushed to her, but… It's not clear. But I saw Professor Flitwick escort her parents out of the Great Hall a few minutes ago."

Ron looked towards Harry, who was still speaking with this girl. Ron then remembered something.

"Hey! Harry told me… You remember when Pettigrew tried to harm him on the Hogwarts Express? Well, this girl, she was the last person he talked to before this rat attacked him. She was in the washroom where it happened just before it took place."

Hermione looked at Cho, a curious expression on her face. "Oh yes? Really?" She looked thoughtful for some time. "That's strange."

"What if she has something to do with it?"

Hermione didn't reply right away, but Ron looked back to Harry who was still discussing with Cho Chang. He was of the mind to stand up and grab his friend back to them.

"I… I don't think so, Ron. I mean… It can just be a coincidence."

"A coincidence? She's around both times Pettigrew tries to do something to Harry…"

"Yes, but she probably just happened to be there by chance… And all the students were present on the pitch for the game… Peter Pettigrew was very far from her. He didn't even reach the pitch if we have to believe what Harry's mother said."

"But her parents were carrying Pettigrew," Ron pointed out. He was nervous, but he kept his voice low so that the others would not overhear them. "Harry is assaulted twice, and both times, this girl or her parents are involved."

"Ron, I doubt that they are. Pettigrew may have hidden for hours on the train while looking for Harry. And for today… We don't know yet what happened. Furthermore, I don't picture this girl being in league with a mass murderer. Whenever I hear about Cho, she is said to be a popular student, an excellent Quidditch player, and good at school in general. And I never heard anything about a Chang family who had ties with the dark forces."

"Perhaps… but Pettigrew was a friend of Harry's father. He was in Gryffindor, and yet he betrayed them. What's to tell that a Ravenclaw couldn't be a bad person?"

"I'm not saying the opposite Ron. It's just… I don't picture this girl trying to kill Harry. Or participating to an attempt of murder against him. It… It just doesn't make any sense."

"It's not because a girl is pretty and popular, and good at school too, that she can't be evil," he told her.

"That has nothing to with that, Ron. It just… seems like a lot of unlucky coincidences. That's all."

Ron wasn't convinced. And since Hermione didn't want to believe him, he went to see Fred and George. Perhaps they would listen to him. Once he told them about his suspicions, they both looked at the girl. She and Harry were still discussing.

"I don't see her trying to harm Harry," Fred said.

"Yes. She looks a little inoffensive," George added. "Though she can be quite formidable on a broom."

"Okay, it's true. She is small," Ron conceded, "but…"

"You have a problem with small girls?" Ron jumped at Ginny's words behind him.

"What? No. Not at all. No, we were discussing…"

"Our brother, right here, believes that…" Fred began.

"… A pretty little Seeker is trying to kill Harry," George completed.

Ginny looked confused for a moment. Then she looked around, probably to search for Harry.

"Okay, look. Perhaps she's not trying to kill him," Ron admitted. "But still… Twice Pettigrew gets close to Harry. The first time she talked with him a few minutes before he was attacked. And the second time, her parents bring him inside of Hogwarts."

His brothers looked at each other. "Maybe we could keep an eye on her. But anyway, we won't be able to stop her from approaching Harry. At least not during our next match," George said.

"And this time, if they cancel Quidditch, I drop out of school," Fred threatened.

"Me too," George approved.

"Me too," Ron said.

"Here's something you should never say in Mom' presence," one of his brothers commented.

"Could you think about something else than Quidditch?" Ginny asked. "We had Pettigrew nearby only half-an-hour ago."

"All the more reasons to think about Quidditch," Fred said.

"We need to think about something else than a mass murderer we welcomed into our home for over ten years," George explained.

Ginny pursed her lips, in a gesture that strangely reminded Ron of their mother. "Okay. What is your plan then to defeat Ravenclaw?"

"Ah, that's a secret, little sister," Fred countered. "We don't talk strategy with non-players. Wood would kill us."

"So, you want to talk about Quidditch, but not with me?"

"Exactly, little sister!" Fred replied, with a little too much enthusiasm. Ron was just telling himself that they were teasing Ginny when George added something.

"And that goes for you too, little brother!" George added.

"What?" Ron asked, bewildered.

"No discussion of our plans with non-players. And you're not a player."

Ron was fuming, and Ginny's amused expression to his reaction didn't make him feel better.

For a very long time, nothing happened. Ron just kept talking to everybody. The rumor about Pettigrew's presence spread during this time and became the main subject of discussion in the Great Hall. Harry remained aside, talking with Cho Chang all this time. Ron stopped watching her after a moment. She wouldn't be hiding Pettigrew now. After all, the professors had this map they could use to know where Pettigrew was.

Reactions were quite varied. Many were very worried, even panicking. Parvati was certain that Trelawney predicted something like that in their last lesson. Neville was looking over his shoulder all the time. Hannah Abbott came to tell them that she thought Pettigrew could turn into a plant and hid in the greenhouses. And her theory was not the stupidest of all those he heard.

After a moment, the people of the Ministry, along with Dumbledore, came back to the Great Hall and asked to question a few people. Harry was taken away by a woman with a missing eye, while Cho Chang was likely interrogated by his mother. Ron's parents were questioned as well, but Ron didn't get the same treatment.

A few hours later, they were all back into Gryffindor's common room. Dumbledore directed all students to return there, and he assured them that Peter Pettigrew was no longer on the grounds of Hogwarts. And again, Harry was reporting, but only to Ron and Hermione this time, what his mother told him right before she left the castle.

"She believes that Pettigrew somehow sneaked into a bag that belonged to Cho's mother, and he hid within it to get inside Hogwarts. When my mother tried to catch him and that he understood he was spotted, he threw a spell to escape."

"We're lucky. We're very lucky that no one is dead, then," Hermione said. "Perhaps he couldn't use more powerful spells inside the limits of the castle. I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore threw additional protection spells to prevent some curses to be used on the terrain."

"Good thing then," Ron said. "But… What were you talking about with this girl during all this time?" Ron asked Harry.

"Oh… Well, she wanted to know what was going on. She… she didn't really understand what was going on. But I didn't know much me neither. I told her what I knew. She just… wanted to know what was going on."

Ron shook his head. Harry kept repeating himself. "Well, if you want my advice, stay away from this girl."

"What? Why?" Had Harry become dumb all of a sudden?

"Ron believes that she might be involved in the attempts Pettigrew made against you," Hermione summarized, on a tone Ron recognized very well as one saying she didn't believe it.

"What? Cho? What, do you believe she's working for Pettigrew or what?" Harry asked, clearly unbelieving.

"Come on, Harry. You talked to her right before Pettigrew was on you in the train. And now her parents bring him at Hogwarts during a match when you're playing," Ron stated the obvious.

"Ron… I talked to her maybe… one or two minutes before Pettigrew attacked me back in December. And my mother… She doesn't seem to believe her parents brought him on purpose. He likely just sneaked into a bag without being noticed when he realized those people were going to Hogwarts, and that's how he got inside."

"Still, it's strange that the Dementors didn't stop them. They should have detected Pettigrew," Hermione said.

"The Dementors? Come on, Hermione. He escaped the prison of Azkaban!" Ron said. "He already managed to get onto the Hogwarts Express, and not long before he managed to get inside the school limits. Passing by the Dementors is easy for this guy. They're useless."

"I know, but… How does he? Dementors are supposed to feel our emotions, our feelings, our thoughts. You heard Dumbledore at the beginning of the year. Even an Invisibility Cloak cannot trick them. How can Pettigrew get past them?"

"Who knows? He must be using dark magic."

"Probably," Hermione whispered.

They all remained silent for a moment. "Well, do we know when the match is going to replay?" Ron asked to break the silence.

"Can you think about something else than Quidditch for once?" Hermione complained.

"I don't know, Ron. You heard Dumbledore. It is postponed indefinitely," Harry said.

"No. He said it was postponed until further notice. They must be assessing whether or not it's worth continuing the season after what happened today."

"If they do, I drop out of school," Ron declared, like he did in front of Fred and George a few hours ago.

"Ron, don't be stupid! That's only a sport."

"What?" Ron realized he and Harry said it at the same time.

Later this evening, Ron was discussing with Seamus, Neville and Dean in their dormitory. Harry had not come up yet. He remained behind in the common room with Hermione. Ron was telling their friends everything Harry told him, and they were drinking his words.

"So… Cho Chang…" Seamus summarized. "The girl who plays for Ravenclaw… Her parents brought Pettigrew in?"

"Most likely," Ron answered. The boys seemed more disposed to believe in his theory than Harry or Hermione. "Harry doesn't seem to believe they have something to do with all that, but… It's strange that this girl and her family are involved both times that Pettigrew gets near Harry."

"When I think that we had him next to us for two years," Dean said, shaking his head.

Ron bit his lips. He wasn't proud of that. In fact, he was disgusted that he let Scabbers sleep in his bed, especially with Harry nearby.

"How did he get inside? The Dementors…" Dean started.

"The Dementors? He has already slipped past them before. No wonder he did it again," Seamus pointed out.

"And it might be better if they remain away. Remember what happened the last time they showed up? We lost the match against Hufflepuff," Ron reminded them.

"Yes, I hope they don't show up again," Seamus agreed, and the two other boys in the room seemed to be of the same mind.

"By the way, how is Harry doing?" Dean asked. "How does he feel about all this?"

"He's fine," Ron replied. "I just wish he stayed away from that Chang girl. They must have spent an entire hour speaking together in the Great Hall."

"Oh yes, I noticed. I found it strange too. I didn't know that Harry knew her that well," Seamus said.

"He doesn't. The only times they spoke was today and on the train in December, before Pettigrew attacked him."

Dean shrugged. "Maybe it's just bad luck. A coincidence. This girl… She's very popular. But she's not at all like Pansy Parkinson and her gang who spend time harassing people. And unlike Parkinson, she's got a lot of boys after her," he added with a smirk.

"Whatever. It's better to keep Harry away from her, if you want my opinion."

"It's going to be hard," Dean replied. "When the match will be rescheduled, they're going to play against each other."

"Do you think they are going to reschedule it?" Neville asked. "Some say that the season will be cancelled again."

"Out of the question!" Seamus declared right away.

"Not when Harry just got a Firebolt. We didn't even get the chance to see it in action," Dean added.

"We already lost the last season because of the Chamber of Secrets. Out of question that we lose this one because of a… rat," Ron spit.

"They'll surely just delay the match," Seamus assured, a positive note in his voice. "I mean, no one was Petrified this time. No one was injured. Even today, except if someone turned blind without telling us, no harm was done."

"They're not going to cancel the season," Dean said, looking a little less positive than his friend. "I mean, it would be as stupid as cancelling the season for West Ham United."

Ron rolled his eyes. Again, Dean brought his football team back on the table. Despite this, they ended up discussing Quidditch for the rest of the evening before they went to bed, arguing over their chances against Ravenclaw, but also against Slytherin and for the Quidditch Cup. Their mood was far better than this afternoon when they got to bed.

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Next chapter: Hermione