The Pacifist Necromancer of Hogwarts

In a quiet corner of the library, Harry's friend and Scabbers' master, Ron Weasley, was finishing a Potions paper under the supervision of Hermione, biting his quill in confusion.

Harry looked at him helplessly, reading excerpts from his Defense Against the Dark Arts essay on Walking with Ghouls. This is a very easy assignment. They can earn an E simply by reading an excerpt from Lockhart's writings to the Auto-Recording Quill. But Hermione insisted that it was a very irresponsible act of cheating, requiring Harry and Ron to write their papers by hand (We'll learn nothing if we don't think and complete the papers ourselves).

After adding the porcupine quills, stir clockwise twice, Ron. Hermione frowned and whispered, then looked at Harry's paper, Harry, no, I realized that it was a chronic disease. Poison', but 'Professor Lockhart realized it was a chronic poison'... I think he meant a mixture of mandrake leaf sap and the powdered horn of a viper, and possibly an adder. teeth.

If I were you, Hermione, I wouldn't want to find any real knowledge in novels. Ron said unceremoniously, flicking his quill irritably, Damn it, why Slytherin? No need to write this damn paper!”

Because the Quidditch season is about to start, Harry said, skipping an entire page of the poor man struggling to plead with Lockhart, Well...' Almost instantly, I Understand what you should do'...

He began to copy this paragraph repeatedly.

If you just treat textbooks as novels, you'll never learn anything! Hermione's voice became shrill.

Mrs. Pince's dangerous gaze could only make her lower her voice and continue to speak fiercely: If you read carefully, you will find that Professor Lockhart hinted at what the poison was in many places... He gave the clues Leave it to people who are serious about learning, while not spreading really dangerous things around.”

Harry raised his head and looked around, praying that he could find something to stop the quarrel that was about to break out. Ron had always disliked Lockhart, and he was apparently unaware of Hermione's continued admiration for the author of seven textbooks. At this time, Harry saw Professor Anthony walking between the rows of bookshelves, as if he was looking for them.

Professor Anthony! he said with relief, nudging Ron's elbow happily, Ron, Professor Anthony is back.

What? Oh, great! A smile finally appeared on Ron's face. He turned his head and looked at Anthony's pocket expectantly, Professor Anthony, where is Scabbers?

Professor Anthony did not speak immediately. Harry looked up and noticed something odd about his expression.

Harry's heart sank suddenly. Impossible, Ron was just too worried about Scabbers. The mouse didn't look like he was seriously ill... This morning, Scabbers took a few mouthfuls of oatmeal beside Ron's bowl...

Professor? Hermione asked worriedly, Is Scabbers okay?

Well, I can't tell if he's okay, Professor Anthony said, but I'm afraid you're going to have to go find him in your dean's office.

…

Anthony led Harry, Ron and Hermione towards Professor McGonagall's office.

Professor Anthony, what happened to Scabbers? Ron asked anxiously.

I'm not sure it's appropriate for me to tell you. Anthony said softly, We have contacted Arthur and Molly. Arthur is still at work, but Molly will be here soon.

Ron looked even more worried and silently quickened his pace. Harry and Hermione followed Ron, exchanging glances, clearly thinking that Scabbers was about to die soon. In a way, Anthony thinks they're right.

Is it because I gave Scabbers too much? Ron asked softly.

Huh? No, it's not. Anthony lowered his head and smiled at him, No matter what, Mr. Weasley, remember this is not your fault.

He opened the door to Professor McGonagall's office and motioned for the three people to enter. The atmosphere in the office is very strange. Professor McGonagall was writing a letter and nodded for them to come in. Fox landed on the coat rack and tilted his head to look at the people who walked in. Opposite Fawkes, Peter was standing up straight with the help of the petrification spell, his little eyes looking around in horror.

Ron looked at Professor McGonagall carefully, then at the short man trapped by the petrification spell in the corner, swallowed, and said nothing.

Anthony closed the door.

Henry? Professor McGonagall raised her head and nodded to Ron solemnly, Come here, Weasley. I have something to tell you. She saw Harry and Hermione, And you, Potter, this has something to do with you too.

Oh, my God, it's all over. Hermione whispered anxiously, I told you a long time ago that you shouldn't secretly feed Scabbers in class... This is against school rules...

Shh, said Ron, What's the matter, Professor McGonagall?

I think you need to know this, Weasley, said Professor McGonagall, pointing her wand at Peter, That's your Scabbers.

Ron turned his head in confusion, looked at Peter for a while - Peter's eyes were filled with tears, and if it weren't for the influence of the Petrification Curse, Anthony was pretty sure he would have knelt down and turned into Ron's rat - then turned his head again :what does that mean?

I know this may be difficult to accept at the moment, but he once turned into a mouse and lived as your family pet for many years. Professor McGonagall rarely said gently, and then turned to Harry, who frowned and looked at Peter, Beyond that, Potter, we thought you might want to know that he was once a very close friend of your father...

Harry was stunned for a moment, still looking at Peter who was standing upright in confusion, but his brows widened.

Very close friends... he repeated quietly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and surprise.

This also made Professor McGonagall pause for a moment before saying softly: But his betrayal led to the death of your parents... James and Lily.

It seemed to take Harry a while to understand what this meant. Like a breeze blowing by, the expectant lights that looked towards Peter swayed a few times and slowly extinguished.

Oh, he said.

…

Professor McGonagall briefly explained to Harry the meaning of the Fidelity Charm and the Secret Keeper in a very calm tone.

Peter Pettigrew was the secret keeper of James and Lily's addresses, said Professor McGonagall, but he betrayed us and revealed their addresses to You-Know-Who. After You-Know-Who... failed, Harry reached out and touched Touching the scar on her forehead, Professor McGonagall nodded, Yes, after the mysterious man failed, Pettigrew decided to run away, so he turned into a mouse and hid here and there... Her tone of voice revealed unconsciously. A hint of disgust, Finally found a family willing to take him in. She glanced at Ron.

Ron listened blankly, then suddenly closed his mouth.

B-but, Professor McGonagall, he said with effort, how can a human become a mouse?

Hermione kicked Ron's heels from behind, but his words were already out. Professor McGonagall's expression became stern.

If you don't remember your first Transfiguration class, Weasley, she said, I hope you at least remember writing your thesis on the principles of Animagus Transfiguration.

Ron looked embarrassed, and Hermione even more ashamed. A hint of guilt flashed across Harry's face. For a time, the shock of Banban's true identity and the weight of the past were diluted by the Transfiguration coursework.

At this time, Professor McGonagall's door was knocked again. Mrs. Weasley opened the door, furious.

Minerva, I can't imagine it - I've never heard of it - she said, turning her head to see Harry and hugging him immediately, Oh, Harry, dear, are you okay?

Mom! Ron shouted, My mouse has turned into a human!

Anthony hesitated and did not correct him that people turned into my mice.

He didn't do anything to you, did he, Harry? I was really frightened. Mrs. Weasley looked Harry up and down for a while before turning to Ron, I'm so worried, Ron -

The mice turned into humans! said Ron.

This mean guy - Mrs. Weasley glared at Peter, has lived in our house for so many years! We've had him for so long! Percy bathed him and Ron read him bedtime stories! Hers His chest heaved violently, as if he wanted to slap Peter.

Ron's face turned green. He didn't seem to have thought of this before.

I let him sleep next to my pillow... he said, looking at Peter's thin messy light hair, bald head and fat body, looking a little sick.

Molly, we want to know the specific time when Pettigrew came to your home. Professor McGonagall said seriously, Besides, if you are willing to help us testify in court, we would be very grateful.

Mrs. Weasley said without hesitation: Of course! She glanced at Peter angrily, He should have gone to Azkaban a long time ago. Poor Sirius... Mrs. Weasley looked in the direction of Harry. He glanced and immediately changed the subject, Seriously, no problem, Minerva, I will definitely go.

Sirius? Hermione asked keenly.

Nothing, dear, said Mrs. Weasley.

Harry asked: What is Sirius? He looked at several adults and tentatively reorganized his question, Who is it, Mrs. Weasley? Professor McGonagall? He looked at Anthony again, Professor Anthony?

Antony said, He has a right to know, Minerva.

Sirius Black. Professor McGonagall hesitated a little and explained to the three second-year students, He was wrongly accused of betraying the Potters and has spent eleven years in Azkaban...

Ron said in surprise: Azkaban! Eleven years! He finally recovered from his disgust with Peter, He must have gone crazy.

That's why I don't want to tell you, Mrs. Weasley said with a straight face, This is not something you should be exposed to.

Where is Azkaban? Harry asked.

Wizard Prison. Ron explained. A prison that cannot be escaped. It is the most terrifying place in the world. Everyone who comes back alive from there will tremble with cold.

Shivering from the cold?

Because the jailers there are dementors. Ron described in detail. They feed on happiness and make people very uncomfortable. People can only feel endless sorrow when they are near them, lose their energy, and lose their energy. All the happy memories…”

Sounds like Dursley, Harry muttered.

I heard they would wear tattered black robes and have rotten hands...

Mrs. Weasley said, Ron!

It doesn't look like that, said Harry. Okay, but I still don't understand.

What don't you understand? Anthony asked.

Harry frowned: How could he be misunderstood as the person who betrayed my parents? I mean, there is only one secret keeper, right? Since Voldemort... He paused, Kill my parents, people I must know who leaked the secret.

Yes, why was Sirius wronged? Hermione also asked.

Because... Professor McGonagall hesitated.

Because he was also a very close friend of your dad's, Anthony said. A very, very close friend, one of the best friends. He was the original chosen keeper.

But that Sirius betrayed the secret to him? Harry asked, pointing at Peter, Sirius also betrayed my father?

Oh, no. I think he is very loyal. Professor McGonagall said in a difficult voice, In fact, what James and Sirius did wrong was that they mistakenly trusted Peter Pettigrew. They changed the Secret Keeper in the end. Became Pettigrew and didn’t tell anyone.”

Harry still looked a little confused: But if that's the case, how did you find out...

Another friend of your father's, Remus Lupin, discovered something strange about Scabbers. Anthony told him, It was him who realized that it was actually an Animagus, Peter Pettigrew.

And to do so, he and Anthony violated the Statute of Secrecy. Anthony hoped he wouldn't be the final straw that sent all of James Potter's closest friends to Azkaban.

My dad has a friend?

Professor McGonagall said: James has more than just these friends...but yes, the four of them were the closest friends. Remus is undergoing a physical examination in the school hospital, and I think you may see him later.

Harry seemed speechless for a moment. Ron bumped his shoulder reassuringly, and Hermione took his arm.

There was a snap.

Fox raised his head and watched Peter fall stiffly in front of him, spreading his wings, grabbing his few hairs with his claws, and lifting the ugly statue up.

There was a pool of water stains on the ground, as if the tears in Peter's eyes had finally been shed.