The Wind and the Wings of Hogwarts

His face was dirty, and his clothes were filthy, almost as dirty as his mottled fur.

His pointed nose and watery little eyes even had the characteristics of a mouse.

He looked up at Dumbledore.

"Oh...I..."

He seemed to have been a mouse for too long and had forgotten how to speak, stammering when he did.

"Peter!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed, "It's Peter! I can't believe you're still alive!"

"Good evening... Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore," Peter stammered as he greeted the two professors.

Just then, Ron screamed in the office, "It...it, he's not a mouse?"

"Oh, Merlin's stinky socks!"

"He is a hidden Animagus!"

"He actually stayed in my house for 12 years, as a mouse!"

"Fortunately, we're not interested in rats."

"Otherwise, they would end up sleeping in the same bed as Percy and Ron."

Fred and George echoed each other with expressions of disgust.

"vomit……"

Percy and Ron both gagged.

Especially Ron.

"Ugh... Waaah..."

He plopped down on the ground, gagging and crying as he covered his mouth, his face contorted in pain.

That was incredibly miserable.

At this moment, Dumbledore spoke.

“Peter, I didn’t expect you to still be alive, right under our noses.”

He said it with an exclamation.

"Of course, we never knew you were an Animagus, and we never paid attention to the students' pets."

"Since you're still alive, why are you hiding?" Professor McGonagall asked sternly. "Don't you know how heartbroken your mother was when news of your death came?"

"me……"

Peter continued rubbing his hands, blinked his small eyes, and tears streamed down his face.

“I’m sorry, Professor, I had no choice. I was terrified… I can’t implicate my mother.”

He said, his voice trembling.

“The supporters of the Mystic will not let me go... because... because... I sent one of their most evil men to Azkaban... that traitor, Sirius Black!”

Chapter 233 Peter Pettigrew's Lies

“Oh Peter, don’t mention that name.”

Professor McGonagall said sadly.

"Who could have imagined that something like that would happen back then... I will always remember you guys, the most troublesome students in Gryffindor's history..."

She was rambling on and on, but then stopped when she got to the key point.

Scott overheard the Weasley twins whispering to each other.

They were quite surprised that they didn't win the title of "Gryffindor's most troublesome student in history".

“Poor Peter,” Professor McGonagall couldn’t help but wipe her eyes. “You’re so old, yet you’re still so cowardly…”

As she spoke, she looked at Peter with some dissatisfaction.

"No matter what, you should trust us, or at least trust Dumbledore; he can protect you."

Peter glanced at Dumbledore with his small eyes.

“Yes…yes,” he said somewhat ingratiatingly. “Professor Dumbledore is the greatest wizard.”

Professor McGonagall let out a soft sob. “Peter, it’s very strange that you turned into a rat and hid in the Weasleys’ house for 12 years. We can’t just let it go like this.”

“I…I didn’t think that much. I was just terrified. The mysterious man’s henchmen weren’t all wiped out, were they? No…that’s not right, is it?” Peter stammered.

He was hunched over, looking like a timid, hunchbacked old man.

“As you know, Professor, those who claimed to be under the Imperius Curse cunningly escaped punishment, but their families suffered great losses… They hate me…”

He habitually rubbed his hands together, his pointed nose twitching.

"I...I'm afraid they'll come after me, so I'll just let them think I'm dead. That's the safest way, I..."

He turned to look at the four Weasley brothers.

“I’m sorry, Ron, and Percy… I was hiding at the Weasley’s house because… I wanted to hear news from the wizarding world.”

He blinked his round little eyes pitifully, which made Percy and Ron gag even louder.

Even Fred and George looked away with some disgust.

Peter gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure I was safe."

He's becoming more and more fluent in his speech.

Scott watched Peter's performance quietly.

I have to say, this mouse is quite the storyteller.

In the haste of being captured by Professor McGonagall, he had already come up with a response.

wrong……

This may also be the "standard answer" that it has preset countless times over the past 12 years.

Scott looked at Dumbledore.

The old principal hadn't said a word until now.

Behind his crescent-shaped glasses, his deep blue eyes watched Peter's performance intently.

“Peter.”

He finally spoke, his voice light and airy.

"Professor Dumbledore."

Peter, his somewhat obese body huddled up, responded shakily.

It is worth noting that he kept his head down humbly throughout, avoiding eye contact with Dumbledore.

“You’ve had a tough time, Peter,” Dumbledore said with a sigh. “But you are a hero in people’s hearts, and you shouldn’t be hiding like a rat. Twelve years is too long…”

"Professor Dumbledore."

Peter lowered his head, his dirty, fat hands constantly wiping away tears.

“I’m sorry, Professor, I… I’m just an insignificant nobody, I was… I was terrified, I lost all my courage in that explosion…”

He began to sob.

“Oh Merlin… I can’t believe it… He… He used to be my best friend, ever since we were in school. I’m such a terrible Gryffindor…”

Peter's self-pitying words had an effect; at least Professor McGonagall's gaze softened considerably when she looked at him.

But Dumbledore's expression remained somewhat intriguing, and Scott noticed that his eyes had become even brighter.

Scott blinked silently.

In his view, Dumbledore already had some doubts about Peter.

Unlike Professor McGonagall, this astute old headmaster did not prejudge Peter's words.

Scott could sense that Dumbledore had just used Legilimency slightly.

Unfortunately, judging from his expression, he didn't seem to have gained anything.

Peter Pettigrew either hides his secret deep in his mind, or he has already mastered Occlumency, a technique on par with Snape's.

As he said, Peter is a hero in people's hearts.

Even Dumbledore cannot use illegal means against him simply because of a little suspicion.

For example, truth serums.

Scott was constantly sensing Peter's magic; he didn't know if Dumbledore could sense it too, but...

In his perception, Peter's magical fluctuations were quite peculiar.

Perhaps for more than a decade, Peter has been practicing what he said today, and when he lies, the magical fluctuations are calm.

But this is precisely his weakness.

Most of the time, Peter's magical fluctuations were like a parabola, rising and falling unpredictably.

Because he's like a real, easily startled mouse.

But when he tells those carefully prepared lies, even though he outwardly controls his tone and performs them with great emotion, his magical aura remains calm.

Perhaps he had practiced it too many times and had become numb to it.

Scott lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before looking up at Dumbledore again.

The old principal remained outwardly calm, only subtly tapping his fingers on the table, suggesting that he might also find the matter somewhat troublesome.

Professor McGonagall gazed at her former student, her voice trembling slightly, and said, "How can I say anything to you, Peter? Your mother received your body with only one finger; she was devastated. But you..."

She clearly felt a sense of disappointment and frustration.

"Only you know you're still alive, but you've turned into a mouse and hidden away. You didn't even show up when your mother died!"

Peter trembled, letting out a series of sobs.

"Alright, Minerva."