16 Chapter 15

"Mister Richards, I thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will make sure to deal with it though I must ask, how do you know about Peter Pettigrew?" The headmaster asked me and I told him my prepared answer.

"I read it in one of the history books during the history class sir." I said and technically, I did. I had to have a proper excuse to know about it after all and there was a book that talked about the last civil war, with information about Pettigrew in it.

"Shouldn't you be listening to the class instead?"

"He always talks about the same goblin wars and he can't even teach them correct." I said and Dumbledore blinked at me, guess even he didn't expect that.

"What do you mean he doesn't teach correctly?"

"In all the goblin rebellions, he says that we won."

"And we did." Dumbledore said slowly with a nod, as if he was talking to a moron.

"Then why do they have all of our gold?" And at that moment, I could see Dumbledore exe stopped working.

"Umm… twenty points to Ravenclaw for asking very good questions. Also, a hundred points for informing me about this map." And he was changing the subject, I guess I could allow him that mercy.

"Now I believe it's about time for your next class to start. And I don't believe that professor Sprout would appreciate you being late." He said with a smile and I understood that he wanted me gone from his office. I had no problems with that.

I would see how he handles this shitstorm I just left in his lap in a few days anyway.

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"Tell Minerva to come to my office, quickly!" Dumbledore said to the ethereal Phoenix that just came out of his wand and sent it towards the transfiguration classroom.

This was bad. This was very very and VERY bad!

Peter Pettigrew, he was supposed to be dead! He had been killed by Sirius after confronting him about betraying Lily and James! That's how it was!

…or maybe it wasn't. How could he be in Hogwarts though? He might be getting old but even he would notice one of his old students in the castle during one of his many walks throughout the corridors.

So how?

Before he could ponder about it anymore, Minerva walked into his office with a less than pleased expression.

"This better be important Albus. I still need to grade many papers and do the paperwork you pushed on to me."

"Look." Dumbledore said with a serious tone as he showed her the map and pointed at the name that was giving him such a headache.

Minerva looked at the map with her expression changing from irritation to confusion and finally to a face of near panic.

"Albus… what does this mean?"

"It means that we need to go to the Gryffindor dorms, now!" The headmaster of Hogwarts said as he walked out of his office with swift steps, followed by his Deputy Headmistress.

In a minute or two, they were before the painting that guarded the Gryffindor dormitory.

"Oh, Albus. What a nice surprise."

"My apologies my lady but please open the door, this is an emergency." Dumbledore said to the Fat Lady's painting who nodded and the painting swung open, showing the common room with the students gathered around the fireplace.

Normally he would have taken a moment or two to feel nostalgic and remember his own days in this common room, but this was not the moment for that.

"Please calm down. This is merely a surprise inspection." Dumbledore gave the student a little white lie so that they wouldn't interrupt his search.

He walked towards the dot for Pettigrew with Minerva beside him and they reached right next to the point that Pettigrew was supposed to be. But no signs of the man.

"It seems like the map was faulty Albus. Just a false alarm." Minerva said with a relieved look but Dumbledore didn't share her feelings. Something was telling him that the map wasn't wrong. But the only one here beside them was mister Weasley the youngest who was holding… his… rat. A rat with one toe missing.

Only thing found of Pettigrew was a finger…

"Mister Weasley."

"Uhm, yes sir?" The young redhead said with a confused look as he put down his sandwich. Quite a glutton this kid was, but Albus speculated that he would have been one as well if he spent all of his younger days eating food as delicious as that of Molly Weasley's.

"Oh there is no need to be afraid mister Weasley. I just would like to borrow your little friend there."

"Scabbers?"

"Oh yes. It's just a check up you see, I will bring him back before tomorrow."

"Well, okay sir." Young Ronald handed the rag over with an uneasy look. Guess he didn't really want to hand him over but the man before him was Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, children didn't really say no to him.

"Thank you mister Weasley." He said as he kept a strong grip on the rat, not allowing it to escape.

"Albus?"

"Not now Minerva." Dumbledore said as he walked swiftly back to his office, his heart pounding with fear. Fear of what he might have allowed.

"Albus, please!" Minerva said as they finally went back to his office but Dumbledore wasn't listening to her anymore. He threw the rat in his hand in air and casted the animagus reversal spell.

Right before their eyes, the rat started to grow in an unprecedented rate and it's limbs started to elongate, becoming more and more human like along with the rest of its body. In the end, instead of a rat, a man fell to the floor. A man that both Dumbledore and Minerva knew very well. Or at least a man they thought that they knew well.

"Peter." Minerva said with her hands on her mouth.

"O, Oh. Professors, thank you. It's been so long." The man started to say, likely trying to find some sort of excuse for his existence as a rat inside the castle. But Dumbledore wasn't listening. He only stared at Peter with horror as all the pieces started to connect within his mind.

James and Lily's absolute confidence that no one would be able to learn their location under the fidelius. The way they had looked like they had a joke between them and Sirius. Sirius' betrayal to his best friend who had even opened his home to when his family had rejected him. Peter faking his death. Everything had connected.

"It was you…" Dumbledore muttered before something that hadn't happened since the days of Grindelwald happened…

"Professor?" The Rat turned man said fearfully before a hand clamped on his throat.

"TRAITOR!"

…Dumbledore lost control.