I'm back once again with another update, at this rate it'll be years before I finish this. But have no fear I will persevere until the end. Also just realized that I've labelled two chapters as chapter Seven...oops! Chapter eight is labelled as chapter seven, just to confirm that chapter eight is actually chapter eight, not seven.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter Nine:

By Rosa241

Percy POV:

"And bring Ronald with you, we can solve the problem." How the hell am I supposed to do that!? I mean seriously...how am I supposed to convince Ron that we have to bring Scabbers to Professor McGonagall. Well actually scratch that, the real question is how am I supposed to make it seem believable, the last thing I need right now is someone getting suspicious. Of course that doesn't include Oliver, he's already suspicious. He's convinced that I'm hiding something, which of course I am.

"Honestly Ron, why do you insist on bringing that thing with you? Honestly, that filthy old thing to breakfast it's completely and totally unhygienic." Hermione complains as Ron places Scabbers onto the table.

"He had a bath yesterday actually, and he's not that old!" Ron moans back at her, placing one hand on Scabbers' back and stroking him, almost as if he thinks he can hear us, which of course he can.

"Well he's like what? Seven, eight years old?" Fred says, curiosity laced in his voice.

"Must be by now." George chips in, barely looking up from the paper he and Lee are staring at intently.

"Rats don't usually live longer than three years, four at the most." Hermione pipes up once again.

"Well...he's been well looked after, I mean...Percy looked after him well and now I am too." I open my mouth to put a stop to this, it's obvious Ron's getting upset, when an idea forms in my mind.

"Even being well looked after, normal rats don't usually live this long." Ron scowls at Hermione, preparing some sort of comeback when I finally open my mouth.

"Well maybe Scabbers isn't a normal rat." With that statement I'm greeted with a table full of confused looks. "Well think about, you said it yourself Hermione rats don't usually live that long and we've had Scabbers for nearly...well it must be almost eight years now. Not to mention we don't know how old he was when I first found him, I mean he could be ten, fifteen years old by now. Maybe there's a reason why he's lived so long, I mean besides being well looked after I mean."

That seems to give Ron food for thought as he stops and thinks for a moment. Maybe I'm getting better at this.

"What, you mean like being magical?" He finally says, lifting Scabbers to get a closer look at him. I simply shrug my shoulders and turn my attention back to my charms book. "Well...how would we find out, Perce?"

"Hm...guess we could always go and see Professor McGonagall, she'd be able to tell whether he was an ordinary rat or not." Ron merely smiles at me and turns his eyes back to Scabbers, inspecting him inch by inch.

I might just pull this off...

Harry's POV:

"Ah, I thought there was something bothering you." Hagrid mentioned as he poured me another cup of tea.

"It's been on my mind all day." I moan. It really had. Ever since I got up this morning it's all I can think about, all day! "I can't stop thinking about it, I got into trouble in potions this morning and herbology this afternoon because my mind kept wandering. What if I'm no good?"

"Harry, you're going to be fine. Like I told you, quidditch is in your blood." Hermione says, trying to cheer me up.

"Yeah but the first match is this Saturday, how am I supposed to be any good by then? Not that long ago I didn't even know what quidditch was, let along know how to play it!" Hermione sighs, turning her attention to Ron, clearly expecting him to say something supportive. Unfortunately just like me, Ron's had something on his mind all day. Ever since this morning when Percy mentioned that Scabbers might not be ordinary Ron's not stopped talking about it. Every time there's been a stop in the conversation – and sometimes when there hasn't been – he's mentioned it. Honestly I think Hermione might explode soon.

"Oh Ron, will you put that stupid rat away! He's just an ordinary rat, he doesn't have magic!" She finally yells.

"You don't know that, he could be." Ron argues, sending Hermione a hate filled glare.

"Scabbers? Magic?" Hagrid grunts out. Ron quickly sets about explaining what happened this morning. Hagrid seems to take Ron seriously, actually saying at one that Percy may have a point. Ron takes this as a win over Hermione and sticks his tongue out at her.

"Speaking of that, shouldn't you be meeting Percy and going to see Professor McGonagall right now?" I mention. Realising that I'm right Ron quickly speeds off, stopping momentarily he turns to me.

"Don't worry about the match; you wouldn't be on the team if you weren't any good." He smiles at me before shooting off.

I sigh once again, putting my head in my hands. Why do I have to get nervous?

Oliver's POV:

As Percy finally heads off to find Ron I can't help my mind falling back to my worrying. Ever since I found that note I've been thinking more and more about what it means. He's been acting so strangely ever since he came back this year, I mean Percy has never been the most normal of people – in all truth neither of us are – but now...he just seems to be ever stranger. He's never hid anything from me before; we tell each other everything, so why's he keeping secrets now? Why won't he tell me what's bothering him?

My mind flips back to the piece of paper. Why would he have that on him? Why would he write something like that? I've got this horrible feeling, this awful feeling that he's gotten himself involved in something. I've just got this feeling that he's involved in something, that someone's making him do something bad. But what the heck am I supposed to do about it? I've asked Percy what's wrong but he just shrugs off my concern. Maybe I could go to Professor McGonagall; maybe she would know what to do.

Ron's POV:

"Ron, where on earth have you been?" Percy shouts down the corridor. "Honestly, we should have been there by now."

"Lost track of time." I say, trying to keep up with him. Man he seems almost as eager as I am. I really hope McGonagall can find something out. It'd be weird if he was magical but then again like Hermione said, ordinary rats don't live this long.

"Ah, Mr Weasley. I had wondered if you were coming." I shift my eyes to the floor as Percy apologises, oops. "Now if you'll hand me Scabbers."

"Will it hurt?" I say as I hand him over. I was all for this before but now I'm not so sure. What if he isn't magical? What if he is ordinary and he doesn't have long left to live? What if whatever she's going to do kills him?

"Not to worry Mr Weasley, if he is simply and ordinary rat then there will be no effects, if he is indeed magical of any sort then we shall soon find out." Percys hand finds it way to my shoulder, clearly he can sense my worry. Sometimes Percy really surprises me, sometimes he can be kind of cold and distant, but then other times he like this perfect older brother. It's really weird.

Professor McGonagall placed Scabbers on the table, before lifting her wand and muttering some spell that I don't quite catch. Within an instant the room is filled with a bright light, honestly I think I'm never going to be able to see again. As the light finally returns to normal – and my eyes along with it – there's something not right about the room. Percy's still at me side, his hand still on my shoulder, Professor McGonagall is still standing at the front of the room, her wand raised high. The thing that's not right, the weird thing, where Scabbers was previously sat a man is now in his place.

What the hell just happened!?

And we'll stop right there! Until next time, bye bye!