But by the afternoon, the smug look on Ron's face, filled with pride at showing off his grades and looking forward to the holiday, completely vanished.
It all started with Percy's earnest attempt to deceive people.
Percy pushed up his stiff glasses, adopting the serious demeanor typical of Prefect, and stopped Ron, who was about to put his name tag on his luggage.
" Ron, the Hospital Wing just issued a notice that all campus pets, whether staying on campus or not, must undergo testing for magical parasites and Dark Magic contamination to prevent them from bringing dangerous creatures home."
"Hasn't your Scabbers been shedding a lot and looking tired all school year? You have to come with me, it'll only take a few minutes."
Ron had no suspicions whatsoever; his mind was filled with the joy of going home to eat cake and not having to do homework.
So he picked up Scabbers, who was huddled in the cage and trembling, and followed Percy, grumbling all the while.
He even muttered to himself on the way, "It's just a rat, why do I have to test it... What a hassle."
But as soon as Ron pushed open the door to the Hospital Wing, his steps froze on the spot.
There was no smell of disinfectant, no sign of the school doctor, only a suffocating silence.
But as soon as Ron pushed open the door to the Hospital Wing, his steps froze on the spot.
There was no smell of disinfectant, no sign of the school doctor, only a suffocating silence.
Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick were all present, but no one spoke; all eyes were fixed on the gray mouse in his arms.
Before Ron could react, a violent struggle suddenly came from his palm.
As if it had instantly sensed a deadly danger, Scabbers's tiny body writhed wildly, squeaking and screaming shrilly.
Four claws frantically scratched at Ron's palms, desperately trying to burrow into his sleeves and hide.
"Professor... it... it seems very scared..." Ron's palms were sweating with panic.
The next second, Scabbers suddenly struggled, its small body bursting with astonishing speed, and it actually jumped out from between Ron's fingers. The moment it landed, it darted towards the door like a madman.
It wanted to escape, even if there was only a sliver of a chance, it wanted to escape back to the dark corner where it had eked out a living for thirteen years.
Professor McGonagall's eyes narrowed, giving it no chance whatsoever.
" Incarcerous!"
A beam of red light shot out silently, precisely binding Peter Pettigrew's body and pinning him to the spot, unable to move even a single whisker.
In its rat-like form, it writhed desperately, emitting mournful squeaks. The last vestige of hope in its eyes shattered completely, leaving only raw fear.
Snape sneered, "You've been on the run for thirteen years, and only now do you realize you're afraid?"
Professor McGonagall stepped forward, her wand pointed steadily at the immobilized clump of gray fur:
" Peter Pettigrew, you don't need to pretend anymore. We have all the evidence against you."
Dumbledore sighed softly, "You can hide for a while, but not forever. Today, you have nowhere left to hide!"
Ron stood frozen in place, his face ashen.
He watched helplessly as his pet " Scabbers " trembled under the wand, its extreme fear finally forcing him to admit it.
This is no ordinary pet.
Percy sighed to Ron, silently took a step back, and whispered, "I'm sorry, Ron, I have to do this."
Dumbledore slowly stepped forward to comfort Ron: "Child, forgive us for bringing you here in this way. What we're looking for has never been a sick mouse."
Professor McGonagall helped explain:
" Ron, the one you're holding isn't just any ordinary Scabbers. It's Peter Pettigrew, the traitor who betrayed Lily and James Potter, the one who sold out Harry's parents' hiding place to Voldemort."
Ron was completely stunned, his mind went blank, and he stared intently at the gray, trembling mouse in his palm, his fingers shaking uncontrollably.
"No... impossible! It's Scabbers! It's been in our house since I was a child! It's just an ordinary mouse!"
Just then, the door to the Hospital Wing was suddenly pushed open.
Mr. Weasley burst in, breathless, his hair a mess of straw, his face contorted with anxiety.
Mrs. Weasley followed closely behind, her eyes red-rimmed. As soon as she saw Ron, she rushed over and hugged him tightly.
" Ron! My child! Professor Dumbledore urgently summoned us here, saying your pet... your pet has a serious problem!"
They were summoned by Dumbledore directly using the Floo Network, and their hearts were in their throats the whole way.
Dumbledore gently raised his hand, and a layer of pale golden protective magic floated in the air, sealing off the entire room to prevent Peter Pettigrew from escaping again.
"We've verified his Transfiguration marks, magical remnants, and evidence of his crimes from back then. There's no doubt, Ron, he is Peter Pettigrew!"
Ron stood there, his hands and feet ice-cold, his whole body stiff.
The joy he felt that morning, showing off his report card to Draco, had vanished completely.
He simply couldn't accept it.
The pet that Harry kept by his bedside even while he slept turned out to be a traitor with blood on his hands who killed Harry's parents.
He opened his mouth, but his throat felt blocked, and he could only watch helplessly as the rat was trapped in mid-air, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Mrs. Weasley patted his back quickly, her eyes red-rimmed, but she didn't know how to comfort him.
Peter Pettigrew was enveloped in red light, his squeaking cries filled with pleading as he made his final struggle.
Its rat-like eyes kept glancing at Ron, as if it still hoped to use their kindness to plead for its life.
Snape felt nauseous at the sight, tightened his grip on his wand, and said coldly, "Don't play the innocent card. Thirteen years ago, you were far more ruthless when you betrayed the Potters."
Professor McGonagall frowned, her wand never relaxing. " Peter Pettigrew, dispel your Animagus form. We need to take you back to the Ministry of Magic for trial."
The mouse trembled violently, but refused to change back, still clinging to a last sliver of hope that as long as it remained Scabbers, it could escape its fate.
Dumbledore gently raised his wand, and a soft yet irresistible golden light fell upon the rat.
With a painful scream, the gray-haired rat rapidly swelled and Transfiguration in the light, its fur shed and its limbs elongated.
Just seconds later, a short, thin man with sparse hair, a fawning face, and lewd eyes fell to the ground. It was Peter Pettigrew, who had disappeared for thirteen years.
As soon as he landed, he fell to his knees with a thud, gripping the ground with his hands and kowtowing repeatedly to Dumbledore:
"Professor! Professor, spare me! I didn't mean it! Voldemort forced me! If I didn't betray him, he would kill me! I was just afraid of dying!"
"So, being afraid of death is enough to betray the friend who saved you?" Professor McGonagall's voice trembled with anger.
" James and Lily were completely devoted to you, yet you drove them to their deaths and framed Sirius, sending him to Azkaban for thirteen years!"
Peter Pettigrew deathly pale, kowtowing repeatedly until his forehead bled. His eyes darted frantically toward Ron, as if grasping at a last straw.
" Ron! The Weasley family boy! I've never hurt you! Please speak up for me! I beg you!"