The Rat Appears

"I'm not playing anymore! I'm not playing anymore! I'm the only one getting bombed!"

"Hey! Quickly grab Seamus, don't let him escape."

"Wood, if we don't start recruiting and training until next year, it will be very difficult for us to beat Slytherin," Harry said earnestly.

Ron nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, and I also suggested that the change of captain be brought forward to this year."

Wood: "..."

The laughter in the Common Room was still deafening, and the bright candlelight flickered gently, illuminating the spacious room as always.

Unnoticed by anyone, in a corner far from the fireplace, Loren and Hermione crouched behind the sofa, a large square of parchment spread out in front of them.

"Can the Marauder's Map see through the Animagus's disguise?" Hermione asked. "If it could, George and Fred would have discovered Wormtail Peter long ago."

"Aside from sneaking out at night to avoid Filch, they rarely use the Marauder's Map. They probably haven't used it this semester..." Loren didn't give a definite answer. He remembered that the Marauder's Map in the movie marked Wormtail Peter, but after all, Voldemort sent him back, so maybe he used some kind of magic to hide his name. "Anyway, let's try it first."

Loren drew his wand and tapped it lightly on the tattered parchment. "I solemnly swear that I do no good."

In an instant, fine black ink lines spread like a spider web across the old, yellowed parchment, connecting with each other and extending to every corner of the parchment.

Large, green, cursive-style characters appeared at the top of the paper:

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs

Gentlemen who are dedicated to helping those who create magical pranks

Introduced with great fanfare

Marauder's Map

Upon seeing the name Wormtail, Hermione's pupils contracted sharply, and she asked in surprise, "Wormtail? I remember Voldemort calling Wormtail Peter that in Harry's dream."

"Yes, Wormtail is Wormtail Peter, Padfoot is Sirius Black Black, Prongs is Harry's father James, Moony is Professor Lupin."

Loren simply told her everything in one go, as there was nothing to hide from Hermione. "They were good friends when they were in school. After they graduated, Voldemort launched the Wizarding Wars. Black persuaded James and Lily to replace the Secret Keeper with Wormtail Peter, but was ultimately betrayed. You should know what happened after that."

"Moony ..." Hermione inexplicably thought of the Boggart, which had once transformed into a silver-white disc in front of Professor Lupin. "How did you know that?"

"Headmaster Dumbledore told me..." Loren casually used the headmaster as an excuse; he couldn't very well say he had seen the movie.

On the tattered parchment, the details of Hogwarts Castle and its grounds are depicted with fine ink lines, many small black dots moving across the drawing, and names marked above the dots in tiny font.

The little black dot representing Headmaster Dumbledore is going downstairs toward the Kitchen;

Professor McGonagall remained motionless in her office, presumably grading assignments;

Professor Lupin paced back and forth in his office;

The caretaker, Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, is patrolling the Seventh Floor, with Crookshanks seemingly following beside her.

The Common Room of several houses were packed with countless tiny black dots, and the young wizards were so huddled together that their names were almost impossible to make out.

Loren squinted, carefully searching for the names on the map. "The Chamber of Secrets and the Room of Requirement aren't on the map. I don't know if they simply didn't include them when they made the map, or if these two places are simply indescribable—"

He paused, his gaze fixed on a spot on the map. On the Seventh Floor corridor of the Castle, a small black dot was moving rapidly.

"Wormtail Peter ..." Hermione murmured the name.

Knock knock!

Knock knock!

The sound of their hearts pounding in their chests was deep yet loud; the two of them were so close that they could hear it very clearly.

The sound of her heartbeat drowned out the noisy laughter that filled the lounge, making Hermione's heart tremble. She wanted to persuade Loren not to do anything impulsive, to tell him to report Wormtail to Dumbledore, to follow the legal procedures... but she couldn't say anything when the grand principles were on the tip of her tongue.

Looking up at Loren, his eyes were complex, showing surprise, anger, and perhaps even joy, but mostly a cold indifference like a frozen Black Lake in winter.

"Loren ..." Hermione suddenly felt that the Wormtail was no longer important. Whether he should be executed, sent back to Azkaban, or even kissed by the Dementor outside, it didn't matter.

She just wanted Loren to be alright and not feel the cold of the coming winter.

Finally, Hermione firmly took his hand. "Come on, let's catch this murderer!"

Loren was silent for a while, then squeezed the girl's hand and said softly, "Hermione, wait for me in the lounge. If you're too sleepy, go back to sleep first."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears. "Are you going to abandon me?"

"Of course not, I just feel at ease having someone waiting for me in the lounge." Loren wiped away the girl's eyes, removing the tears that hadn't yet formed into beads.

"Then remember to come back before you turn off the lights."

In the corridor on the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle, a mouse scurried toward Silly Barnaby's tapestry.

Perhaps because he was missing an index finger, he didn't walk very fast. His gray fur wasn't bright, and was even a bit sparse, making him look somewhat ugly.

The mouse, Scabbers, would glance back every now and then, afraid that the two foolish cats would catch up. Occasionally, it would wonder how it had ended up in this situation.

In front of the tapestry where Silly Barnaby and the trolls were sleeping side by side, Scabbers the rat recalled the scene from two weeks ago in the Ilvermorny Stone House.

"Great master, please, don't send me back, don't send me to my death," the slightly balding, overweight middle-aged man pleaded, kneeling on the ground.

A cold, shrill voice suddenly rang out from the baby carriage, completely shrouded in black cloth. "My most loyal servant, how could I let you die... As long as you do as I say, find the Diadem on the armor in that mysterious room, and wear it... you will gain unparalleled Magic Power, Magic Power comparable to mine..."

"No, no need," the middle-aged man stammered, but a greedy glint flashed in his watery eyes. "Wormtail only wants to stay by its master's side, only wants to serve its master well..."

In the dark shadows, a mocking glint flashed in the crimson snake eyes. "Think about it, Wormtail. From childhood, you've always been someone else's foil. Don't you really want to be the center of attention? Besides, I need a powerful servant now..."

"Power...focus..." The greed in Wormtail's eyes intensified, and he lowered his head even further, respectfully. "If this is your command, Master, I happen to know a Secret Passages into the Castle ..."