Chapter 3.04: I Smell a Rat
To say that the rest of the summer passed without incident would be a vast understatement. The trip to Diagon Alley alone (and subsequent tea party with a lich) would have turned heads with ease, but the only real incident worth mentioning wasn't even Megumin's fault. Directly, anyway.
"Mum, have you seen Scabbers?" Ron called, wandering into the kitchen with a blithe expression on his face and an empty rat cage in one hand.
The current state of affairs in the Burrow could best be described as "barely contained madness," as it always was on September 1st. Well, actually, to be fair, it was like that all through the summer holidays, and winter holidays, and basically any time that the ravening horde known as the Weasley Brood was in residence.
His mother looked up from trying to finish cooking breakfast for seven while her home was being turned upside down in the quest for all sorts of lost and misplaced things. All of which should have been packed away days ago but were only now being looked for, and Mrs. Weasley had bloody well had enough.
"No, Ronald, I haven't seen your rat, but if it's here tomorrow I'm feeding him to Errol!"
"Hey mum, have you seen my-" Ginny began, poking her head into the kitchen.
"I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING! I TOLD YOU LOT TO SORT THIS OUT LAST WEEK, TWO DAYS AGO, AND LAST NIGHT, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE AND MORGANA HELP ME I AM NOT THIS FAMILY'S LOST AND FOUND, ASK YOUR FATHER!"
"Sorry," Ron and Ginny muttered. Ron turned to Ginny. "Right, what are you after then?"
"My jumper, not the Christmas one, the nice green one I made Kazuma buy me."
The mention of that jumper made Ron scowl, as he had most assuredly not forgiven Kazuma for what he still considered to be the mis-sorting of his sister, despite the fact that she was the most Slytherin person to be sorted since, well, Kazuma. But not counting him you had to go pretty far back to Yolanda Pivvings in 1975.
"I'll keep an eye out for it if you do the same for Scabbers," Ron begrudgingly offered.
"Ugh, why do you even want to take that ugly old rat? Just leave him, if you're lucky he's probably dead."
"Scabbers is my familiar, and I'm bloody well taking him to school. He's not dead, he's just frightened by the row," Ron snapped.
Just then Arthur walked in, absently holding the paper in his hands, his glasses on his forehead. "Molly, have you see my-"
The scream of pure frustration and rage had father and children both scrambling for the nearest exit. They really should have known better than to bother Molly before she even had a chance to have her morning cuppa, which as was tradition on September the 1st would have a generous shot of brandy in it. Or, as was the case this day, would potentially be skipped for a hot toddy.
"I don't suppose you've seen my rat?" Ron said sheepishly as they stood outside the back door.
"Afraid I haven't," Arthur said with a shake of his head. "Don't ask your mother, she's a bit stressed. Probably because Fred's…or was it George's? Anyway, probably because of the tarantula she found in her sock drawer this morning."
Ron paled but nodded. "We noticed."
"Hmm, yes," Arthur said, already imagining the peace and quiet that he would be enjoying once his children had left. Wonderful things, boarding schools. He blinked owlishly in the sunlight, frowning again. "Have you seen my glasses?"
Ron and Ginny both pointed to their foreheads, and Arthur's hand wandered up, a slow grin spreading on his face. "Right, first place I should have looked. Well, you make sure you're ready to go at 9 o'clock sharp, and I'll see to helping your mother get breakfast ready."
Ron began to wander around the Burrow's grounds, checking the various outbuildings and in the garden for any nests that Scabbers might have found. The rat could usually be counted on to be sunning himself somewhere cozy and comfortable, as all he really did was sleep most days.
This day, however, a pair of beady eyes was watching Ron as he paced back and forth. Currently, Scabbers was hiding in a nest he'd secreted away under an old tree stump. He closed his eyes, and said a silent prayer to the gods he very much hoped were not paying attention that the idiot boy wouldn't remember something as simple as a Point Me charm.
Scrambling back inside the burrow, Scabbers made his way down several levels to the lowest floor, and looked around with pride. He'd been building this place for a decade now and had redoubled his efforts when he'd heard the dreadful news that Sirius Black had come back from wherever he'd been hiding. The burrow was stocked with several easily nibbled open bags of food, some fresh produce Scabbers had dragged inside, and a bit of upholstery the rat had secreted away as a bed.
Laying back down, Scabbers reached for the nearest bag, his four fingered paw patting the dry ground. He had enough supplies for years. He just had to last long enough for Black and Lupin to get bored and go away again. Then things could go back to-
Instead of the smooth crinkly surface of plastic, Scabbers felt something warm and furry. He froze, and slowly turned his head.
Please be another rat, please be another rat…
"Hello," a soft voice purred, as amber eyes glowed in the darkness. "Ready for school?"
Squeaking in panic, Scabbers tried frantically to scurry away, only for a paw to clamp down on his tail. He turned about, snarling and baring his fangs, ready to fight. His opponent was small, not much bigger than he, and if he were going to go down, he'd go down swinging!
The fight went out of him when a jet of flames blasted over his head, scorching his ears and causing several of his plastic bags to shrivel and emit a putrid stink that made Scabbers' head hurt.
"Do you truly wish to fight me, mortal? I am more prone to Sloth than Violence, but it is one of my domains," Chomusuke drawled, examining the gleaming claws on her free paw. She turned back to Scabbers and grinned, her mouth showing off more teeth than should have fit in the mouths of several, much larger cats, all of them needle-sharp. "No? Wise of you."
Collapsing to the ground, Scabbers let out a pitiful squeak, tears filling his little black eyes.
"Tsk. Don't cry, don't cry," Chomusuke purred, retracting her claws and gently petting Scabbers on the head. She leaned down close to his ear. "Besides, It will all be over soon."
Still weeping, Scabbers let himself be picked up in the jaws of the little cat and was bodily dragged out of his nest.
A short time later, Ron turned around to see a little demonic cat wagging her tail, her wings folded against her back, a limp rat in her jaws. "Chomusuke!? What are you doing here? Did Megumin forget you last week? And what have you done to Scabbers?!"
Hastily kneeling, Ron prepared himself to have to play tug of war for his rat's dead body, but Chomusuke neatly set the rat in Ron's hands. As soon as she did so, Scabbers was revived, biting at Ron's fingers and desperately trying to make a break for it.
"Ow! You stupid rat, I just saved you!" In disgust, Ron threw Scabbers into his cage, where the little rat actually stood up and shook the metal bars frantically.
"What's gotten into you, boy? Don't you like going to Hogwarts?" Ron asked, sticking his bloody finger into his mouth and sucking on it.
Scabbers just started to gnaw on the bars, only for Chomusuke to come up and sit by the cage entrance, watching the rat, tail swishing back and forth. Scabbers instantly froze, then ran to the opposite side of the cage, pressing himself up against the bars to get as far away from the kitten as possible.
"Here now, leave off," Ron said, and picked up the cage. Then he sighed and scooped up Chomusuke in the other arm. "I'll have to find somewhere to keep you as well, Megumin would be cross if she were missing her familiar."
Chomusuke purred in amusement, and Ron thought he could almost make out words.
Oh yes, she would be terribly disappointed if she did not have you to play with, Ronald Weasley.
"You know, I almost think you're not really a cat at all," Ron muttered as he headed back inside for breakfast. "Oh well, best get ready, we're leaving right at 9."
Of course, nothing ever happened on time in the Burrow, but they did manage to leave by half past ten.
When the Weasley brood arrived at Platform 9 ¾, the all split off into their respective factions: Fred and George went to their friends on the Quidditch Team, Ron fell in with Megumin to return her 'cat' to her sleeping owner, Ginny collected her minions, and Percy went to go show off his Head Boy badge to as many people as possible.
"So that is where you have been, Chomusuke," Megumin said, accepting the cat-demon from Ron. "I was beginning to wonder where she had gotten off to."
"Weren't you worried about her?" Ron asked. "I was worried sick about poor Scabbers. Thought Chomusuke would eat him for sure."
"Unlike rats, cats are wise and mysterious creatures with incredible dark powers," Megumin sniffed. "Besides, she sometimes disappears for days and a time, but she always comes back. Haven't you noticed?"
"Well, I keep track of Scabbers. He's my pet. Your cat can do whatever it wants," Ron huffed. He looked around the busy platform, frowning. "Where's Hermione and Darkness? I thought I was late."
"They are already on the train. I elected to wait for you, in case we had to enact a daring rescue operation to prevent you from being left behind. The Crimson Demon Clan abandons no one!" Megumin declared.
"Right. Any more attacks by Sirus Black?" Ron asked, looking around. "I don't see any smoking craters, so I assume he's been leaving well enough alone."
Striking a pose, Megumin grinned, brandishing Chunchumaru like a sword. "Ha! Indeed, for if the fool ventures too close, I shall smite him most thoroughly!"
"Maybe he's just waiting for you to leave your house," Ron mused, rubbing his chin. "You reckon we should build any traps like that? We could get Yunyun to help, or ask your uncle."
"Absolutely not. My job is going to be hard enough as it is," a man in a trenchcoat nearby said, shooting Ron a glare. "I thought she was the bloody menace coming up with the insane plans. I expect better out of you, Ronald."
Despite the strange appearance, Ron recognized the voice, and leaned forward, his brow furrowing as he studied the apparent stranger. "Tonks?"
"Wotcher," she agreed. "It's my job to keep Black from killing you idiots, though honestly I think the hard part will be keeping Megumin from doing herself in."
"Ha! I am far too experienced to ever fall victim to my own spells, and Black should fear my Explosion Magic!"
"Peoplewhonearlycollapsedtheschoolonourheadsaywhat," Ron said with a sweet and innocent smile.
"What? Speak clearly, Ron! If you wish for your enemies to fear you, you have to enunciate! Come, let us locate our companions, that we might plot our defense!"
"Sure," Ron agreed. He leaned in close to Tonks as they headed for the train. "I'll try to keep her from killing herself, and an eye out for Black."
"You do that," Tonks agreed. "I've got my best agent on the case right now."
Ron beamed, but Tonks frowned at him. "Not you! Blackie, here!"
There was a happy bark, and Sirius Black, I mean, Blackie the Dog, scrambled up onto the platform where he'd been searching the undercarriage for himself and generally enjoying the hilarity of the prank.
"Any signs of Death Eaters, boy?" Tonks inquired of the dog.
In response, Blackie thumped his tail on the ground and barked happily, then scratched himself with his hind paw.
"Not that I can see," Lupin said, clambering up onto the platform. "Blackie doesn't smell anything, but there's a lot of smells here and strange people. This isn't exactly ideal circumstances for a rescue dog to pick up one individual scent."
"Scabbers? Scabbers, what's wrong?" Ron said, as the rat was squeaking wildly and running about his cage in a panic. "Bloody hell, he's been in a fit since Chomusuke found him and was playing with him."
"Oh?" Lupin said, his expression suddenly cold. "Well, why don't you let me have a look at him. I know some veterinary charms."
"Thanks sir, I'll be in the compartment with Megumin," Ron said, handing Scabber's cage to Lupin and hurrying off.
"I'd best go check on the sprogs," Tonks said. She frowned, looking around the platform. "Damn, there's too many people here. Merlin only knows where Black could be hiding."
"He could be anywhere," Lupin said, utterly deadpan as he gave the rat cage to Blackie for the dog to hold in his teeth. "Even right in front of you."
"That's what worries me," Tonks sighed. She gave Lupin a smile. "I do have a private compartment at the rear of the train for us to share, though…"
"I'll meet you there. Give me a few minutes with the rat, and I'll send Black with him back to Megumin," Lupin told her.
"Great! I'll do a sweep and meet you there in a few minutes," Tonks said. She paused, then frowned and turned back to Lupin. "Oh, and maybe call the dog Padfoot? Blackie's too close to Black, someone might mix them up."
Lupin nodded, and Tonks headed off. As soon as she was gone, Lupin headed right for their compartment, Black and the now nearly comatose Scabbers following behind him. Once they were inside, Lupin locked the compartment, cast several charms on it to muffle his words, and turned around.
Sirius had already transformed, and had set the cage on the seat across from himself. Lupin took his seat next to his friend, his expression grim. He leaned forward, and gave the panting rat a cold grin.
"Hello, Wormtail. I'm sure you're wondering just what's going on here."
"I could kill him right now," Sirius growled, his hands clenched into fists. "End it all. He's stuck like that still, right? I could just grab him, and three shakes, bam. No one would even care. Dogs kill rats all the time."
"That wasn't what we promised." Lupin leaned forward, a shadow fell over his face as he loomed over Scabbers, his cold grin still in place. "It's like this, you see…"
"How's about we play a little game?" Sirius asked, an equally eerie smile on his face.
As the two friends talked over the next few minutes, Scabbers would have wet himself, if his bowls had not already been thoroughly voided. At least he had a chance. And one way or another, that damn cat had been right.
After ten years of fear and torment, it would all be over soon. One way, or another.