Ron abruptly took a step back, hiding behind Mrs. Weasley, his eyes filled with disgust, fear, and a hint of anger at being deceived.
He gritted his teeth and said, "You lied to my whole family... You killed Harry's mom and dad... I never want to see you again."
These words shattered Peter Pettigrew's last hope.
Dumbledore shook his head, delivering his final verdict. "The sins you have committed cannot be erased by a few pleas for mercy. The Ministry of Magic's judgment will give everyone justice!"
He nodded slightly toward the door, and two Auror who had been waiting outside pushed the door open, took out handcuffs, and lifted Peter Pettigrew, who was slumped on the ground.
The man cried out in despair, but no one paid any attention, and he was forcibly dragged out of the Hospital Wing.
Only after the piercing crying stopped did the room return to deathly silence.
Ron lowered his head, his shoulders trembling. The shock and disgust over his trust in the rat made him unable to even stand.
Mr. Weasley patted his shoulder gently and sighed, "Son, it's not your fault. You've just been deceived."
Professor McGonagall's tone softened, and she said to Ron with concern, "Go back and pack your things. Go home and rest for a while. Everything will be alright."
Snape snorted and, without saying another word, turned and left the Hospital Wing first.
Dumbledore walked up to Ron, smiled gently, and said, "When the bad things are over, the good things will come. Ron, you did nothing wrong; you were just kind."
Ron nodded, but he still looked listless and dejected, a stark contrast to his smug demeanor that morning.
The Mr. and Mrs. Weasley helped him slowly out of the Hospital Wing. The sunlight shone on him, but he felt a chill all over his body.
He finally understood why Harry's eyes would look a little strange whenever he mentioned Scabbers.
And I finally understand that, from beginning to end, Rat Scabbers was just a fugitive trying to survive.
The truth that happened before the holiday is about to become the thing he will find hardest to let go of this summer.
After Peter Pettigrew was taken away by the Auror, Mrs. Weasley hugged Ron tightly, tears streaming down her face.
Mr. Weasley also came up behind Ron, patting him on the back and whispering words of comfort.
Ron was just pale and silent, as if all his strength had been drained away.
Dumbledore looked at him and spoke softly:
" Mr. Weasley, you don't need to take him away immediately. It will be more reassuring for him to stay at school with his friends than to go home. He can take the train home with his classmates tomorrow."
Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement:
"Yes, suddenly leaving his familiar environment will only make him more uneasy. With Harry and his friends around, he'll feel much better."
The Mr. and Mrs. Weasley exchanged a glance and ultimately agreed.
They knew their youngest son all too well.
Ron may seem carefree, but he values his friends the most. He prefers to be with his companions rather than be carefully protected by his parents.
Mrs. Weasley knelt down, cupped Ron's face in her hands, and told him with red eyes:
"Mommy and Daddy will go home and wait for you. See you on the train tomorrow, okay? No matter what happens, we'll be there for you."
She paused, then said softly, "It's not your fault, Ron, not at all."
"... Hmm." Ron nodded stiffly, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
Mr. Weasley gave him a tight hug, said a few final words of advice, and then hurriedly left with Mrs. Weasley.
They also needed to rush back to the Ministry of Magic to cooperate with the statements and explanations regarding Peter Pettigrew.
The Hospital Wing fell silent again.
Ron stood there alone.
Not long after, Draco and the others arrived in a hurry.
Upon hearing that Ron had been taken to the Hospital Wing and that the truth about Scabbers had been revealed, Harry immediately dropped what he was doing and ran over.
" Ron..." Harry's tone was full of complex emotions.
He didn't know how to comfort them, after all, it was his parents who had been betrayed, but his best friend was the one who was hurt the most.
Lavender's eyes were slightly red as she gently took Ron's arm. "We know, we'll go back with you."
Draco stood to the side, saying nothing, but coldly glanced at the curious students around him, driving away all the prying eyes with his gaze.
Ron didn't struggle; Lavender led him step by step back to the Gryffindor Common Room.
Along the way, students cast surprised, sympathetic, and curious glances at them, but no one dared to approach and speak to them.
Back in the lounge, the fireplace was still warm.
Parvati, Olivia, and Neville all waited there quietly. No one made a fuss or asked any questions; they simply made way for him in the most comfortable spot on the sofa.
Ron sat down, buried his head in his knees, and said in a muffled voice, "We raised him for twelve years... and I never even noticed."
Lavender said, "That's not your fault. He's a professional Animagus; even the Ministry of Magic was fooled for thirteen years."
Draco leaned back on the sofa armrest. "You're just kind, not stupid."
Harry sat down beside him and patted him hard on the shoulder. "No matter what, we're here for you."
After Peter Pettigrew was taken away by the Auror, Dumbledore immediately made a decision: the news would not be publicly announced to the entire school, but it would not be deliberately kept completely secret either.
He did not make a formal announcement in the Great Hall, on the bulletin board, or in the Owl Post, to avoid causing panic among the students, a media frenzy, and to protect Harry and Ron from excessive disturbance.
However, he did not issue a "silence order".
Because when Peter Pettigrew was being led out of the Hospital Wing, several older students happened to be passing by in the corridor and witnessed the short, thin man being led away by the Auror.
Adding to the fact that Ron was pale and being helped away by his parents, it was clear he was quite a sight.
Within half an hour, rumors were spreading throughout Hogwarts.
" Ron's rat is a fugitive."
The Weasley family for thirteen years was a dark wizard.
The news spread quietly like wildfire.
The Slytherin whispered and mocked, their voices tinged with lingering fear; the Ravenclaw analyzed the situation rationally, speculating on the truth of what happened back then; the Hufflepuff mostly sympathized with Ron, feeling sorry for him.
But it was known to almost everyone in Gryffindor.
Official stance: Neither acknowledge nor deny, and not disseminate.
Dumbledore simply instructed the professors, "Do not offer explanations or prevent discussion; simply protect the students' emotions."
The sky outside the window gradually darkened.
Ron wasn't taken away by his parents or forcibly sent home; instead, he stayed in the place he knew best and felt most at ease in.
Be with friends.
The Gryffindor Common Room was unusually quiet that night.
No one mentions the House Cup anymore, no one talks about grades, and no one jokes.
Everyone just quietly stayed with him, accompanying this boy who had fallen from the peak of happiness.
Tomorrow, they will board the Hogwarts Express together and return to the Muggle world.
This time, however, Ron will no longer have that little mouse named Scabbers in his pocket.