The New School Year Begins in a Downpour / Scabbers, Being "Looked After," Doesn't Dare Move an Inch

Harry was quite curious at the time, wondering why the mice in the wizarding world could live so long. Now it seems that it was simply because 'Scabbers' was special.

So, at the end of last term, Scabbers and some other items from Hogwarts suddenly went missing. Then, Rita Skeeter witnessed Peter Pettigrew and Lucius meeting at High Gates. Because she was worried about her mother, she ran back to check on them.

Great! Harry was just lamenting that he didn't have enough Polyjuice Potion left to impersonate Peter Pettigrew and fight the Auror, but he never expected that this guy would actually jump out on his own!

"Arrest him! No... I can't wait any longer!" Sirius roared frantically, "Twelve years... This bastard has finally shown up, I'm going to kill him right now!!"

"Harry, that's why we absolutely have to see you." Lupin sighed helplessly. "If this matter isn't resolved, Padfoot will probably go completely mad... and it might even drive me mad too."

Compared to the impulsive and easily angered Sirius, Lupin was noticeably more mild-mannered and possessed a restrained wisdom, knowing full well that he should not act rashly at this time.

Moreover, Lupin clearly trusted Harry's judgment more than his old friend's. He had been stalling Sirius for the past few days, wanting to wait until he met Harry to discuss the matter together.

"This matter definitely needs careful planning. At the very least, rushing straight to the Weasley family or making a move in Diagon Alley is absolutely unacceptable!"

"Cough cough~"

Upon hearing Harry's words, Sirius coughed awkwardly twice; in fact, that was exactly what he had been thinking...

The impulsive Sirius didn't consider that Scabbers was a pet that had served the Weasley family for over ten years and had long been considered a member of their family... If they attacked him without restraint, it could very well lead to a conflict with the Weasley family.

It's important to know that Arthur Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic, and if this matter is handled carelessly, he could easily be accused of 'harming Ministry of Magic official'.

Sirius will be sent back to Azkaban in no time, and everyone around him will be implicated.

Moreover, if the surprise attack succeeds, all is well; but what if the capture fails and Peter Pettigrew escapes?

After careful consideration, Harry came up with the best location to capture Peter Pettigrew.

Before detailing his plan, he first waved his hand and created a water curtain on the walls of the room, carefully covering the gaps in the doors and windows.

Seeing Harry pull off this feat, both the well-informed Sirius and Lupin were momentarily stunned.

The silent, Wandless Magic, and the fact that it didn't seem to be the ordinary 'Aguamenti' spell, made both of them notice something special about Harry.

"This is Silencing Barrier. I need to make sure that only the four of us can hear our next plan," Harry explained, his expression gradually becoming serious. "To catch Peter Pettigrew without fail, we need to find a place where we won't clash with the Weasley family adults, but at the same time, we can prevent him from Apparition away."

"A place that satisfies both requirements at the same time, then it must be..." Hermione suddenly realized something.

"It's Hogwarts," Lupin answered directly.

That's right, Peter Pettigrew has always been inseparable from Ron, so wanting him to leave Arthur and Molly Weasley is essentially wanting Ron to leave his parents.

The four people present clearly couldn't possibly set up Anti-Apparition Jinx throughout Diagon Alley like the Auror of France, so they had to find a place where Apparition was prohibited.

All things considered, the best place to capture them is undoubtedly Hogwarts!

Harry happens to have many cats at Hogwarts, and now they can finally come in handy to help catch Peter Pettigrew, that mouse.

"In short, let's be patient for two more days. Once Peter Pettigrew gets into Hogwarts, he won't be able to escape!"

After finalizing the plan to capture Peter Pettigrew and, most importantly, calming the agitated Sirius, Harry said goodbye to the two.

However, after he and Hermione left Sirius's room, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of a decoration hanging on the wall of the bar corridor.

"It has a kitten pattern, this plate is quite cute."

"It's nice, but I've never seen it before. It must have been put up here recently by Mr. Tom." Hermione tilted her head and thought for a moment, realizing that when she last came to the Leaky Cauldron, there didn't seem to be anything like this in the corridor.

"Let's go back and pick up Will. I also have something to tell Colin." Harry didn't seem to care much about it and left with Hermione.

However, no one noticed that right after they left, the cat in the dish, which should have been 'still', suddenly blinked.

After leaving the Leaky Cauldron, Harry and Hermione returned to Florean's Ice Cream Parlour and found two junior students chatting.

"Harry, you're back!" Colin greeted him warmly as always. "I was just talking to Will about your plan to start Detective Society school year. It's a shame I've been thinking about it all summer and still can't figure out what to name it."

"I've already decided on the name of the Detective Society while I was traveling in France, and it will be revealed at the opening ceremony." Harry smiled at Colin. "Coincidentally, I have a case that I need your help with."

"Harry, you tell us!" Colin instinctively puffed out his chest when he heard that Harry was going to assign a task.

"On the first day of school, I need you to find a way to sit next to Ron Weasley on the bus and try to strike up a conversation with him. Your goal is to make sure he brings his pet mouse, Scabbers, to the commencement ceremony."

"Why do you want him to bring the rats?" Colin asked, puzzled.

"This is a crucial clue to the case; you'll find out on the day of the opening ceremony," Harry encouraged with a smile. "Anyway, do your best to prevent that rat from being sent into the Gryffindor Common Room with the luggage."

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I'll definitely do it!" Colin shouted with great enthusiasm.

"Then I wish you success in advance!"

After arranging the surveillance on the train, Harry said goodbye to Colin and left with Hermione and Will.

With that, his preliminary preparations were basically complete.

After Harry gets home, he'll write another letter to the school, asking Dumbledore and Filch to prepare in advance so that Hogwarts will become a complete trap.

All that's left is for Peter Pettigrew to crawl inside himself!

Chapter 273 The new school year begins amidst a torrential downpour.

September 1, 1993, was the first day of the new school year at Hogwarts, a day many people eagerly awaited.

Um... by the way, this day, like last year, isn't Monday, but Wednesday.

That morning, Ha and Will arrived at King's Cross Station early. Because Dobby was at home helping with chores, they crossed Platform 9 3/4 without any trouble, unlike last year when they bumped into a wall.

Will was clearly fascinated by this time-traveling experience, and his amazement deepened when he saw the Hogwarts Express parked at the platform.

"A Hall-class steam locomotive, that must be over a hundred years old, right?"

Trains were originally invented by the Britain, and Will, who loved reading from a young age, naturally had a lot to learn about them. The Hogwarts Express used steam locomotives from the Great Western Railway, an old Britain company, which was 150 years old.

"This vehicle only has the appearance of a steam locomotive, but it is actually powered by magic. All the young wizards in Britain and Ireland go to Hogwarts to study, so having a unified means of transportation is always more convenient."

As Harry briefed Will on the train. "Later on, there will be witches selling sweets and snacks. The prices aren't too high, and you can try some if you're interested. However, I personally don't recommend buying Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans."

"Why?" Will asked, puzzled. "Is it because it tastes bad?"

"It's because there are just so many flavors, you never know what you're going to get next," Hermione replied casually, sitting by the window. "The usual flavors are fine, but if you accidentally eat a booger or something similar, you'll have a psychological trauma for the rest of your life."

"Uh... never mind then, I think Aunt Granger's lunch is fine enough." Will withdrew his gaze from the corridor, still shaken.

Hmph, that's because you haven't tried Harry's hotpot yet... The academically gifted girl, whose stomach had completely "Harry-ified," thought to herself.

The clattering of the train tracks continued, and as the train traveled northward, the scenery outside the window became increasingly distant and expansive.

Shortly after the train departed, someone knocked on the door of the compartment where Harry, his friend, and his companion were.

"You really are here. Looks like I didn't go wrong." After opening the door, the blonde girl walked in with a nonchalant expression, as if she was very certain that Harry should be in this box.

"Is this a new friend?" Luna Lovegood naturally handed the luggage to Harry and put it away, then turned to look at Will.

"He's a friend I knew before I started school, Will," Harry introduced the two.

"I see. I hope he's a smart man." Luna Lovegood nodded casually, then plopped down next to Harry.

"Well, it's nice to see you... I guess so."

Will looked at the huge 'sandwich' sitting across from him with an embarrassed expression, and felt a strange tightness in his chest.

If I had known this would happen, I should have volunteered to help Colin with that "watching the mouse" task earlier. It would have been better than standing here like a third wheel.

"I just saw Creevey," Luna Lovegood said, her eyes wide as she looked at Harry. "You were the one who told him to go find the Weasley?"

"Yes, there's something important that I need his help with," Harry whispered to Luna Lovegood, explaining his plan.

"It seems he did a good job," Luna Lovegood nodded in agreement. "When I passed by, he was holding that mouse and feeding it a mouse tonic."

"That's wonderful." Hearing Luna Lovegood say that, Harry felt relieved.

Colin was clearly very dedicated to the task he was given. After they parted ways in Diagon Alley that day, he probably went to the pet store again and bought a whole bunch of rat stuff, specifically to try and get closer to Ron.

Compared to adults, children obviously wouldn't arouse Peter Pettigrew's suspicion too much. Now that Colin is keeping Ron occupied, the mouse should be able to be brought into the Hogwarts Great Hall smoothly.

Boom!

Suddenly, a muffled clap of thunder boomed outside the window. Hermione turned her head and saw that dark clouds had gathered ahead of the train.

"It's going to rain heavily, Uncle Blake and Uncle Lupin, I hope they'll be alright?" Looking at the thunder and lightning outside the window, the studious girl couldn't help but feel worried.

To avoid Peter Pettigrew finding out in advance, Sirius and Lupin did not take the Hogwarts Express, but chose another way to get to school. Hermione was worried that they would encounter heavy rain on the way.

"If my godfather hadn't been so stylish, they definitely wouldn't have gotten hit by the rain." Harry pouted helplessly. "After all, with just an Apparition, they could easily get to the Hogwarts gates, but..."

But just as Harry guessed, a guy like Sirius couldn't possibly resist showing off, so he and Lupin ended up getting soaked halfway through their journey.

The scene shifts back to the train. Aside from the torrential rain, nothing unusual happened along the way, and the train didn't stop anywhere, maintaining a very smooth ride.

"Will, the freshmen will have to take a boat across Black Lake after disembarking, while we upperclassmen will need to take a carriage, so we'll have to separate for now."

Before getting out of the car, while Will was changing his robes, Harry earnestly instructed him, "This opening ceremony is a bit special, but don't worry. Just remember one thing... no matter which house you're sorted into, never leave your house table!"

"I will," Will nodded solemnly.

To Will, Harry was like an older brother who had led him into the magical world, so he would absolutely obey Harry's every word.

For the remainder of the journey, they didn't say anything more. When the train finally stopped at Hogsmeade Station, Harry, Meghan, and Hermione had their wands ready, and Hermione hugged Crookshanks tightly.

"First graders, come here!"

A familiar voice came from the other side of the train. Hagrid's burly figure stood out in the crowd of students, and he also spotted Harry and his two companions, waving excitedly at them.

"Hey, you three, how are you doing?!"

Because he had to guide the new students, Hagrid didn't have time to say more to Harry and his friends, and hurriedly left with the other students, including Will.

However, before leaving, he carried the snowy owl that had been perched on his arm a distance away to Harry's side.

"Gurgle~"

After being separated from her owner for several days, Hedwig let out a melodious cry, flapped her wings, and flew over the crowded people, finally landing steadily on Harry's shoulder.

Now all of Harry's expert mousers are here!

"Let's go."

After nodding goodbye to Will, Harry led the two girls onto the muddy path on the other side.

There, more than a hundred carriages stood silently in the wind and rain, quietly awaiting their arrival.

Chapter 274 The 'taken care of' Scabbers dared not move an inch.

Arriving at Hogwarts Castle by carriage is how students in their second year and above return to school. However, since Harry and Hermione flew in directly last year, this is their first time experiencing it, just like Luna Lovegood.

At that moment, Hermione and Luna Lovegood were both astonished as they looked at the tall, dark creatures in front of the carriage.

They were a group of strangely shaped winged horses. They had heads like Dragon, and their bodies were so thin that they seemed to be nothing but skin and bones. A pair of huge, jet-black bat wings grew from their backs, making them look eerie and ferocious.

In the torrential rain that fell like a curtain, these eerie creatures stood silently in front of the car, seemingly blending completely into the pitch-black night.

When Harry stopped in front of a carriage, the tall horse pulling it suddenly lowered its head and affectionately nuzzled Harry's cheek.

"Are these Thestral?" Hermione looked at the creatures before her uncertainly. "I've only ever seen pictures of them in Mr. Scamander's books before."

"It's Thestral," Luna Lovegood said calmly. "Being able to see them means you're as clear-headed as I am."

"My mind is always perfectly clear, I don't need to be like yours~" Hermione retorted lightly without any politeness.

"Come on, can you two get in the car already?" Harry looked helplessly at his two aunts who were bickering. "Besides, Thestral are creatures that only wizards who have witnessed death can see. It has absolutely nothing to do with whether you two are thinking straight or not..."

"Hmph~" *2

Before he could finish speaking, the two women simultaneously let out a melodious snort, which made Harry roll his eyes.

What did I do to deserve this?

"But this is the first time I've heard that Hogwarts has Thestral. They're said to be quite difficult creatures to tame."

After Harry helped her into the carriage, Hermione was quite surprised to see that the Thestral actually obeyed her commands.

"It's all thanks to Hagrid," Harry, sitting on the outermost seat of the carriage, explained with a smile. "These Thestral are usually kept in the Forbidden Forest; Hagrid carefully trained them to serve Hogwarts. Also, the one pulling our carriage Wuwu; it was the first newborn in the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's favorite Thestral."

In the wet carriage, Harry explained some information about the Forbidden Forest Thestral to the two women, while Wuwu, who was pulling the carriage, led the three of them towards the castle with light steps.

Because of the rain, the carriage ride was very bumpy. The two women sitting on the inside had to carefully hold onto their seats, while Harry on the outside had to do the same.

In short, this car is quite vibration-prone...