The sudden question made Peter Pettigrew's heart lurch.
"You mean Scabbers?" Ron, who was in the middle of a pie, hesitated. "I'm not really sure. He used to be Percy's pet, but I don't know his exact age."
"Percy kept him for five years. He just showed up at the house back then," George recalled. "This year Percy gave him to Ron. That makes him pretty old, doesn't it?"
Harry tilted his head, curious, but he had no real concept of a rat's lifespan.
"Very old indeed. Normal rats only live one to three years. One that survives five years is rare." Louis's tone carried a subtle weight.
"Living long is good—it proves my rat is special. Right, Scabbers?" Ron said cheerfully, lowering his head and feeding his pet a piece of pie.
Peter Pettigrew chewed stiffly, daring a sideways glance at the Slytherin beside him—only to meet Louis's eyes.
Cold. Merciless. And glinting with icy disgust.
That look… it was more terrifying than the Dark Lord's gaze back then!
Pettigrew shuddered violently and, panicked, dove into Ron's clothes. His sharp claws tore at Ron's robes, leaving scratches on his skin.
"Scabbers! What are you doing?!" Ron shrieked, leaping up as though hot coals had been shoved down his shirt. He shook himself desperately, but the rat clung tightly, refusing to come out.
The Great Hall erupted in laughter. Everyone enjoyed the spectacle of Ron flailing like he'd been electrocuted—including his two shameless older brothers, who laughed louder than anyone else.
In the end, it was Percy Weasley, the Gryffindor Prefect, who came forward to seize the rat and drag Ron to the infirmary for treatment.
Harry followed, face worried, wondering if Ron would even make it back in time for supper.
"That was hilarious," George grinned.
"Yeah. Ron's expression was priceless. Shame we couldn't take a picture," Fred said regretfully.
With brothers like these, Ron really must have been cursed in a past life.
Louis only shook his head.
"By the way," he said casually, "since you two haven't found this Peter Pettigrew, why not look into the name itself? It might give you inspiration."
"That makes sense." Fred and George's eyes lit up. "Louis, that's a brilliant idea."
"No need to thank me. Just make sure you track Pettigrew down—and don't forget to return the Marauder's Map while you're at it." Louis waved them off and left.
He wanted to give the twins some busywork anyway. He had a feeling he'd be monopolizing the Room of Requirement for quite a while—not just for making props, but for delving into Dark Qi magic.
That Tara Mask had been sitting unused long enough. It was time to study it.
Instead of returning to the Slytherin table, Louis turned toward Ravenclaw's. The Slytherins probably wouldn't welcome him back anyway. And honestly, they were boring.
Hermione was more interesting.
So he slipped smoothly onto the Ravenclaw bench, right beside her.
Hermione, however, didn't look eager to talk. Padma, seated nearby, had a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.
It seemed Hermione was still upset that Louis had refused to go watch the Quidditch match with her.
But little girls were easy to coax. With someone like Hermione, curiosity alone was enough.
Louis casually shooed away the student sitting next to her, took the seat himself, then "plucked" a bright tulip right from above her head.
"Here, for you," he said with a smile, offering the flower.
Sure enough, Hermione's attention was instantly hooked. She looked at him curiously. "This is another trick, isn't it?"
"Sort of. But definitely not magic," Louis chuckled.
It was already late autumn—forget tulips, even most autumn blooms had withered. Where could such a flower possibly come from?
Her curiosity won. Hermione accepted the tulip, not noticing Padma's exasperated look of honestly, how could you fall for this?
The flower was flawless, its texture and freshness perfect. It looked utterly real.
But magic—or sleight of hand—should still require something to work from, shouldn't it?
Hermione pressed him for answers, but Louis had no intention of revealing the truth.
The tulip came from his Reality Marble—Avalon, a paradise where spring reigned eternal and seas of flowers bloomed without end. Plucking one bloom was nothing.
A single flower and a few words were enough to smooth over Hermione's mood. Louis filled his stomach while he was at it, then prepared to leave—only to see Snape striding toward him.
"Mr. Wilson." Snape's eyes flicked to the flower in Hermione's hand, surprise flashing across his face. But he asked no questions. "The Headmaster wishes to see you."
"Professor Dumbledore?" Louis blinked. I haven't done anything lately… what could he want with me?
Startled, he blurted out, "Don't tell me someone reported me?"
The words had barely left his lips before the Slytherin table fell silent. That silence spread like wildfire, and soon the entire Great Hall quieted.
Students from the other three Houses looked around in confusion, not knowing what had happened. Only the Slytherins reacted differently.
The boys exchanged anxious glances, searching each other's faces for guilt. Finding none, they all bowed their heads in unison, pretending to be diligent little Hufflepuffs, eating in silence.
Snape's face twitched violently.
"No one reported you, Mr. Wilson. The Headmaster simply wishes to discuss something with you."
Ever since Louis had arrived, his House had lost its edge. Slytherin students were no longer aggressive—they were skittish, like quail.
"Oh, I see." Louis adjusted his top hat. "You're sure no one reported me?" His eyes swept the Slytherin table, cold glints flashing as though he were searching for a scapegoat.
"No, Mr. Wilson. Unless you've done something worth reporting?" Snape very nearly rolled his eyes.
"Of course not. I'm a perfectly harmonious, kind-hearted person. Why would anyone report me? I just worry someone might lose their way." Louis said it with mock seriousness.
Beside him, Hermione burst into laughter.
Girl, you don't have to expose me like that, Louis thought helplessly, glancing at her.
---
RedX43's Note:
➤ Want More? Get up to +50 Extra Chapters on Patreon!
➤ [email protected]/RedX43
➤ Thanks for Reading! 🙌