Chapter 148 Evan's Nerves
"No," Peter Pettigrew shouted, horrified. He watched Evan throw the Marauder's Map into the fire.
Instinctively, he lunged and reached for the map.
That map was the key to capturing Sirius Black; he couldn't let it burn.
So, he seized the parchment. In the firelight, the expression on his face contorted; greed, shock, baseness, joy, and other emotions twisted together, appearing repulsive.
While Pettigrew was engrossed in the map, Evan waved his wand and shouted, "Stupefy!" A red light surged from the tip of his wand and struck Peter Pettigrew.
He staggered up from the ground, collided with the wall, then slid to the floor. He lost consciousness, lying there motionless as the wand in his hand rolled aside.
Evan gasped, moving closer to retrieve the Marauder's Map.
The room fell back into silence, and the Grindylow emerged from the undergrowth, gazing at them in astonishment. Evan pointed his wand at Pettigrew, and from its tip, a snakelike tether emerged, coiling tightly around Peter's neck, wrists, and ankles.
A few minutes later, Pettigrew awoke.
"What does this mean, dear boy?" Peter said, trembling. He was startled as he looked at his bindings in horror, his breath almost stopping.
"Obviously, we both understand what this means," Evan pointed his wand at him. "You were going to attack me, I struck first."
"I don't understand what you're talking about!" Peter looked at Evan as if pleading. Sweat ran down his cheeks. "There must be some misunderstanding. Just now, I was helping you retrieve the map..."
"Don't you understand? The Marauder's Map was just a decoy! I deliberately threw it into the fireplace. And as expected, you took the bait," Evan looked at Peter disdainfully, "Otherwise, I wasn't sure I could overpower you with the Stunning Spell."
"Seeing you do that, of course, I intervened. I can't stand to see you destroy this map!" Pettigrew shouted, "Dear Evan, you may not know that I made it!"
"I wasn't as ignorant as you thought, Mr. Peter," Evan waved the Marauder's Map in his hand and continued, "You are just one of the creators of the Map. Besides you, there were three other people: Moony, Wormtail, and Prongs."
"The three are my friends, and we made it together," Peter said unconvincingly; he avoided Evan's gaze, his face sweaty.
"Friends?" Evan's wand emitted a few sparks. Unprecedented anger surged from the depths of his heart. "Do you truly see them as friends? Or merely as accessories for your gain, ready to be sold?"
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Peter said in a panic, his eyes nervously on Evan's wand.
Things had unfolded in a way that completely exceeded his expectations. He felt truly uneasy.
He felt that the boy in front of him surely knew the truth about what happened that year. No matter what he said, it wouldn't go well for him.
"It seems I need to clarify," Evan looked at the cowardly Pettigrew. "You are Wormtail. Moony is Professor Lupin, Prongs is Harry's father, James Potter, and Padfoot is Sirius Black!"
"Sirius Black!" Peter Pettigrew was like a drowning man, clinging to his last straw. He shouted in a high-pitched, trembling voice, "I just told you, Evan! Black sold James to that man. He also tried to kill me, we both know that. He wanted to kill Harry first, for that man…."
"It's Voldemort!"
Upon hearing this name, Peter Pettigrew trembled and seemed on the verge of fainting at any moment.
"What, are you afraid to hear the name of your former master?" Evan laughed. "Surrender, Pettigrew! Since I was the first to find the map, your conspiracy tonight is doomed to fail."
Peter was silent, his gaze shifting between the wand in Evan's hand and his wand on the floor.
"For me, the Marauder's Map is just a charming magical accessory, yet it is crucial for apprehending Sirius Black tonight," Evan continued. "Without this map, how could you inform Snape that Black is within the castle? Snape is not Lucius Malfoy. Given his nature, it is unlikely he would trust someone lurking in the shadows. He wouldn't believe you. Oh, and if he learns of any events from that year, he could end you with his own hands!"
"That indeed was my original plan, Evan! Black is a formidable dark wizard, and rushing towards him could be perilous. So, I intended to leverage Snape for an advantage," Peter said excitedly. "If you disapprove, we can alter our approach. We don't need Snape. The two of us can combine our strengths, vanquish Black together, and share all the glory. Perhaps, like me, you might receive the Order of Merlin."
"Like you?!" Evan scoffed, "Live like a rat for over 12 years?!"
"No!" Pettigrew shouted, "Now the situation is entirely different. We need not fear Black's retaliation. I read 'The Daily Prophet' a few days ago. When we capture him, the Dementors will handle every issue and administer their Kiss on Black. He will then be an empty shell, soulless, a lifeless body, not...!"
"Say no more, you disgust me," Evan said with disdain, his wand tip emitting sparks. "I'll tell you the truth, I've met Black before. He confessed everything about that year to Harry, Hermione, and me. There's no need to keep pretending. This charade is over."
"Listen to me, Evan!" Peter trembled and gasped, "I don't know what Black might have told you, but what occurred that year wasn't as you think."
"I'm not a fool. I can discern who speaks the truth."
"We need to discuss this, Evan," Peter Pettigrew said, panting and shouting. "What if we do this? Capture Black. And all the accolades will be yours. I ask for nothing. And you need not worry about Harry and Hermione; I can use Memory Charms or Confundus Charms on them. No one will know..."
"Shut up!" Evan kicked Peter Pettigrew so forcefully that he couldn't believe himself, "Don't seek me out, or I will end you with my own hands! And let me reiterate. What you deem honors means nothing to me."