Although Wormtail, Peter Pettigrew, was completely petrified and unable to move, his little eyes were still darting around, looking for an opportunity to escape.
"Is he... is he really a person?"
Ron couldn't believe it.
Seeing Peter Pettigrew's skin, gray and mousy like a rat's fur, made him feel like he was going to vomit.
He had feelings for Scabbers, but for the bald wizard who turned into Scabbers, he had none. Just thinking about how he slept in the same bed with Scabbers every night gave Ron the creeps.
Harry had been watching from the side as an observer, but he suddenly noticed Wormtail's gaze sweeping over him a few times, as if he wanted to say something, which felt strange to him.
Those eyes were filled with pleading and hope, as if Harry was the one who could save him.
"Do you know Peter Pettigrew?" Hermione asked Percy, "Who exactly is he? Why did he turn into a rat to hide in your house?"
Harry noticed Percy looked at him first, then shifted his gaze away and said, "I heard his name when I was little..."
"How come we didn't know?" Fred and George asked in unison.
Percy rolled his eyes, "You were only three or four years old at the time, what could you possibly know?"
"Who exactly is he?" Ron asked, looking at Peter Pettigrew with disgust.
"He is..."
Percy didn't finish his sentence because Vid interrupted.
"If you're going to tell a story, please wait for a moment."
Vid poured a light green potion into Peter Pettigrew's mouth, saying, "I need to take this person away for a while."
"Where are you taking him?" Hermione asked, "What did you give him to drink?"
"Sedative and sleep potion," Vid said, "It'll make him drowsy and weak-limbed so he won't accidentally escape again."
Vid knew they were able to capture Peter Pettigrew because they had the advantage of knowing the enemy while keeping themselves hidden.
Peter Pettigrew didn't know his identity was exposed. As long as he held any hope of hiding himself, he would never revert back to human form under Dumbledore's nose.
He could only act as a rat and could only use a rat's strength, so a few young wizards were able to capture him.
Just like in the plot, Ron had caught him by the tail, and no matter how much he struggled, he couldn't escape.
But once his identity was exposed, if he got hold of a wand, none of the Weasleys would be a match for him. Even Vid wasn't sure he could definitely keep him steady.
"Wait, Gray," Percy stopped and said, "We should hand him over to Dumbledore. This person... this person is a well-known... sacrificial hero..."
"Hero?" Ron frowned, "What do you mean?"
"I know," Vid looked into Percy's eyes and said, "Mr. Weasley, I know who he is. I will hand him over to Dumbledore, but in an hour."
Percy was stunned, "Why?"
"If you don't understand anything, stop giving so many opinions," Fred impatiently pushed his brother aside and said to Vid, "Do whatever you need to do... I trust you!"
"Me too," George raised his hand, "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have found him! I trust there's a reason for what you're doing."
Vid nodded with a smile.
Although Percy still seemed unconvinced, Vid didn't really care about their opinions.
As long as the Weasley twins could assist with his plan.
Ideally, they could take Peter Pettigrew out of the Gryffindor Common Room without drawing any attention.
But if there was a commotion or unexpected people involved, as long as they weren't professors, it would just add a bit of trouble.
If Percy and Ron continued to obstruct, he didn't mind incapacitating the two.
Vid used a Levioso spell to take Peter Pettigrew to the side where they usually practiced magic spells. With a wave of his wand, a huge curtain unfolded, dividing the Umbrella House into two halves, cutting off sight and sound.
"Zoe."
Vid whispered.
With a "pop," Zoe appeared with the Disappearing Cabinet.
"Mr. Vid Gray, Zoe is ready."
"Thank you for your help."
Vid dragged Peter Pettigrew into the cabinet, smiling at the house-elf and whispering, "See you in an hour, Zoe."
With a "bang," everything went black, then light came in.
Lupin opened the cabinet door.
"Vid, it's not class time yet, why are you suddenly..."
Lupin's voice suddenly stopped.
He stared intently at Peter Pettigrew, his face quickly becoming expressionless and pale.
"...Peter?"
He spoke in a voice so soft it could hardly be heard.
—Seeing a friend thought to be dead suddenly appear, is it a relief or anger?
In the span of just one or two seconds, Lupin's expression changed in ways words can't describe.
Vid watched his pupils contract violently and the way his nostrils flared, knowing Lupin had already figured out what had happened in the past.
In an instant, he bared his teeth with a wolf-like expression, as if he wanted to bite through Peter Pettigrew's neck.
But then Lupin saw Vid and forced himself to calm down.
"This person... where did you find him? How did you capture him?" Lupin asked in a trembling voice.
"Come with me, I don't want to explain a second time." Vid took Peter Pettigrew out of the cabinet and asked, "Has Mr. Machioni arrived?"
Lupin's eyes stayed glued to Peter for a good while before answering, "Yes. He's in the living room with the people he brought..."
"Great," Vid said, "I promised the others I'd take him back in an hour."
From his pocket, he took out a crystal bottle, saying, "Veritaserum, I think you know how to use it."
Lupin looked at the Veritaserum, then at Vid, "When did you find out about all this?"
"After I saw Peter Pettigrew's name, I looked up some information," Vid said vaguely.
Hmm, from a book titled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."
"Name?"
"Do you know the Marauder's Map?"
Lupin nodded, understanding Vid's implication.
As the creator of the Marauder's Map, he certainly knew that the map showed the names of everyone within the Hogwarts grounds.
Vid had likely gotten a hold of the map, seen Peter Pettigrew's name by chance, realized it wasn't his classmate, and then delved into the records to deduce the truth from back then.
Just like the thoughts that were surging in his mind at this moment.
Lupin poured three drops of Veritaserum into Peter Pettigrew's mouth, then took his once friend and headed toward the living room.
"You should stay here, Vid," Lupin said calmly, "This sort of thing isn't something you should be involved in."
In the living room, the sounds of Mr. Machioni laughing and talking with someone faintly emanated, the light peeking through the door crack looked warm and bright.
But Lupin seemed to be shrouded in shadows. He turned back to Vid and said, "Stay here, wait for me to come back."
In his eyes, a light of hatred gleamed.