The Rune Mage Starting at Hogwarts

However, Banban seems a bit excited today.

"Banban, what are you doing!" Ron, who had just been bitten, quickly reached out his hand.

This mouse seems unusually agitated today, or rather, inexplicably uneasy.

“Spotty has been like this all day. It’s probably because it’s too cold and it’s making it uncomfortable,” Ron said, frowning as he tried to soothe his mouse, even though he had been bitten.

They were on their way to the Great Hall when they saw Professor McGonagall casting a spell around the hall at the entrance.

“That’s strange. Did these professors I met this afternoon seem a bit too serious?” Ron asked Harry.

Chapter 114: Christmas Eve Banquet

Not only did they encounter Professor McGonagall, but they also met Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout in the afternoon. These two professors, who were usually very amiable, looked quite serious.

"Could something unusual have happened at Hogwarts?"

The two discussed it, but couldn't reach any conclusion.

Neither of them dared to ask the serious Professor McGonagall a question; they simply bowed to him and entered the auditorium.

The auditorium was now beautifully decorated.

Hagrid had prepared a Christmas tree that was placed along the wall, while the ceiling seemed to disappear, allowing a clear view of the falling snowflakes.

These snowflakes would only disappear quietly just before they landed on the fish, making the fish realize that it was all a special effect created by magic.

Inside the auditorium, the four long tables originally belonging to different colleges were reduced to one, and even the professors who should have been sitting in the auditorium were now sitting at the dining table.

The most nervous person at this moment was actually Percy Weasley.

Because their parents went to Romania during the Christmas holidays to visit Charlie Weasley, who had just graduated and went abroad to raise dragons, the four Weasley students had to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays.

Not many people stayed at Hogwarts this year, and Harry felt that none of the upperclassmen he had seen in the Great Hall at noon had come to the dinner. Now, only the professors and a few Weasley students were in the Great Hall.

Percy sat among the professors, his prefectural badge gleaming, and looked at Snape with a somewhat uneasy expression.

He was ruthlessly eliminated by Snape in the previous Potions test. Although the other participants did not reveal the details of the test, Percy still felt pressured when facing Snape up close.

He was genuinely worried that Snape, with his sharp tongue, would bring up what he had done back then at the dinner party, causing him to lose face in front of his brother and the other professors.

Fortunately, Snape and the other professors didn't pay any attention to him from the beginning tonight.

Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on Harry and his friends who had just entered the Great Hall in the distance.

To be precise, Snape's gaze kept shifting back and forth between Harry and Ron.

Ron clearly felt the pressure too. He shrank back and muttered to Harry, "Snape is putting even more pressure on people. Something's definitely not right."

Harry responded in a low voice: "Ignore him, he's always like this. At least Headmaster Dumbledore seems normal now, oh... and Hagrid too."

Hagrid was probably the happiest person in the Great Hall right now, and as soon as he saw Harry, he beckoned them to come and sit down.

After the two of them sat down, Professor McGonagall walked over to Dumbledore, whispered a few words to him, and then closed the doors of the Great Hall.

Then, Dumbledore stood up and looked at the dozen or so people present.

He was dressed in a suit tonight, and he seemed more solemn than when school started.

"Everyone, it's a pleasure to spend another Christmas Eve with you all here. Even if you can't be with your families for various reasons, Hogwarts will always be your safest haven."

"Before enjoying these delicious turkeys and puddings, I think we should first pray for Professor Quirrell. He couldn't attend this dinner because this afternoon, while he was having snacks, the elves accidentally drank the sleeping pills that were meant for me, an old man who never sleeps well. He's now fast asleep in the infirmary."

"However, I don't think this is a bad thing. After all, I also think that Professor Quirrell has been too tense this semester and may need a deep sleep that can allow him to completely relax even more than I do."

"Besides, there are a few enthusiastic senior students who are dealing with some unexpected situations that happened in the greenhouse this evening with Professor Sprout. However, they will be here soon and will not miss the dinner. Let's start here."

Harry noticed that when Dumbledore mentioned Quirrell, Snape seemed to give a disdainful smirk, though it was unclear who he was mocking.

Dumbledore continued speaking as he began to walk slowly along the long table.

"Hogwarts is a place full of miracles, and I wouldn't dare say I know all the secrets of this castle even in my wildest dreams."

He walked past the Weasley brothers: “I’m glad that the students today still have a curiosity about the castle and are constantly exploring its secrets. Of course, it would be even better if Mr. Felch could reduce his workload.”

"And recently I discovered a new secret hidden within Hogwarts Castle."

Several students present looked at Dumbledore with curiosity, wanting to know what new secret Dumbledore had discovered.

“The secret isn’t in those staircases that change according to some strange pattern, nor behind those suits of armor that like to sing in the dead of night,” Dumbledore slowed his pace, “but in a man who died as a hero in our eyes, and now reappears before us in an extremely humble form. This is probably the most heartbreaking thing I’ve heard in the last decade.”

He had already walked behind Harry and Ron when he said this.

Ron felt inexplicably nervous, and at the same time, he could feel that the spotted creature in his pocket seemed to be more restless than before, and even made a series of panicked squeaking sounds.

"Quiet down, Banban, I'll get you some food later," he said awkwardly, patting his pocket to try and quiet her down.

“Your pet seems a little anxious, Mr. Weasley,” Dumbledore’s voice rang out behind Ron.

Ron pressed his hand to his pocket and said apologetically, "It might be that it has some health problems. I'll go find it some medicine after the dinner party."

"Can I see it? Maybe I can calm it down."

Ron looked at Dumbledore in disbelief. The greatest wizard of this century was actually going to examine Scabbers' body on Christmas Eve.

"Of course, no problem at all. It would be an honor for Banban!"

Ignoring the possibility of being bitten by Banban again, he quickly took Banban out of his pocket.

To his surprise, Banban, who had been quite agitated, was now completely unresisting.

Ron couldn't help but marvel at the magical power of Dumbledore's words; just a few words were enough to calm Scabbers down.

Dumbledore looked down at the mouse: "Your pet mouse seems to be missing a toe."

“...It used to be Percy’s pet, at least it was like this when Percy gave it to me,” Ron explained honestly.

Percy, who was standing nearby, felt the blood and sweat accumulating on him, and he quickly stood up to explain.

"Banban has been with our family for ten years. My parents bought it because it was missing a toe and was cheaper than other pet mice. My parents can vouch for that."

Dumbledore nodded slightly, reassuring Percy not to be nervous.

“Ten years…” Dumbledore nodded slightly, reassuring Percy, and remarked with a sigh, “That is indeed a long life for an ordinary mouse.”

Then he turned to Harry: "Harry, you've already heard from Hagrid about how your parents were betrayed ten years ago, haven't you?"

Chapter 115: Peter Pettigrew

Harry was taken aback, not expecting Dumbledore to suddenly ask him this question that evening.

His throat was a little dry, and he sniffed: "Yes, Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid told me that Sirius Black betrayed my parents and then blew up a street, killing many people, including another friend of my parents."

Dumbledore continued, "Yes, Peter Pettigrew, that shy boy who always followed your father to school, was considered a hero by everyone. After that, he bravely faced Sirius Black, who killed your parents, but because he was not strong enough, he was ultimately brutally killed by Sirius."

He returned his gaze to the spotted creature in Ron's hand, which was missing a toe, and continued slowly, "In the end, people only found one thing that belonged to him in those ruins: a broken finger."

Although Harry had heard about these things from Hagrid before, he was still furious when he heard Dumbledore describe what happened back then, and Ron's face turned pale again because of the cruel description.

They didn't connect the two things.

Only Percy and George Fred, who were in the upperclassmen, seemed to realize something and made perfect sense of what Dumbledore had said that night.

Percy's expression turned somewhat fearful, while George and Fred's gazes also became serious, their eyes fixed on the rat in Ron's hand that had lived with them for ten years.

At the same time, Ron felt Scabbers in his hand become restless again, and then Dumbledore's hand was firmly placed on his wrist.

“Don’t panic, Mr. Weasley. Sometimes, the truth is hidden in these small imperfections,” Dumbledore’s voice became authoritative. “Soon everything will come to light.”

A beam of blue light shot out from Dumbledore's wand.

In an instant, Banban's body stopped in mid-air, and its gray body began to twist rapidly.

Then, accompanied by a somewhat dazzling flash of light, the ordinary mouse began to dart rapidly through the stinking, foul-smelling soil.

First came the head, then the limbs.

Finally, what appeared before Harry and Ron, who were completely stunned, was a short, adult man.

He had a large bald patch on his head, his whole body was wrinkled, his skin looked dirty, and his pointed nose and beady eyes gave him a rat-like appearance.

Looking at the man, Ron felt an indescribable sense of nausea.

Percy, who was standing next to him, felt like his heart was about to stop.

After all, they were the owners of this mouse, and in the Weasleys' house, the two of them spent more time with Scabbers.

Now they're told that the rat was actually created by a man. How could they possibly accept that?

In contrast to the students' fear, the atmosphere on the professor's side was much more somber.

Professor McGonagall had stood up, her wand pointed at the man on the ground, her lips trembling violently.

Snape made no move, but the chill emanating from him was enough to make one aware of his current state of mind.

If everything weren't under Dumbledore's control, he would have already cast a curse on this guy that would haunt him for life.

Dumbledore, on the other hand, still looked at Peter with a calm and relaxed gaze.

He withdrew his hand from Ron's wrist and looked down at the man who was utterly ashamed.

“It’s been a long time, Peter,” Dumbledore’s voice was gentle, as if he were really greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in years. “To be honest, I’m really happy to see you alive.”

"After all, for the past ten years, the entire wizarding world has believed that you sacrificed yourself for justice. I personally handed your Order of Merlin, First Class, to your mother back then, and your mother has been proud of you all these years."

Hearing Dumbledore's gentle voice, Pettigrew, who had reverted to his original form, seemed to still harbor a sliver of hope. He knelt on the ground and pleaded with Dumbledore in anguish.

“I…I had no choice, Professor!” Peter screamed. “Sirius is a madman. James and he were so close, yet he still betrayed James. Even now, he must still be casting some kind of curse on me in Azkaban. If I don’t hide, he’ll kill me the way he killed James and Lily!”

Dumbledore calmly interrupted him: "So, that's why you chose to be the Weasleys' pet for ten years?"

"As far as I know, no one has ever escaped from Azkaban in the past few hundred years, so what are you afraid of?"

Peter shook his head vigorously, somewhat incoherently: "He...he has dark magic, and he's become a Death Eater. The Dark Lord must have given him unimaginable power. He'll find a way to escape!"

At that moment, Snape let out a cold snort: "The Dark Lord... I don't remember you calling him that before. Only true Death Eaters would call him that."

Peter's face turned deathly pale instantly. He still didn't understand why Severus, who was clearly a Death Eater back then, could still be believed by Dumbledore. But the words of this former Death Eater undoubtedly exposed his lie.

He frantically explained, "No, Severus, I was just too scared. Don't you remember what happened to the Longbottoms? I don't have your strength. After betraying the Mystics, I couldn't withstand the revenge of the other Death Eaters. Apart from being able to turn into a rat, I have no real power. If they find out, I will definitely suffer even more cruel treatment from them!"

Seeing Harry's stunned expression after hearing Peter's explanation, Snape's face immediately turned ashen.

He pulled out his wand and pointed it at Peter Pettigrew, who was kneeling on the ground: "I can no longer tolerate this disgustingly low-class lie. I'm afraid the only way to get you to confess what you've done is to force you to drink a bottle of truth serum."

Dumbledore stopped Snape from doing so: "Severus, calm down. I think we all know that using Veritaserum in private is against the Ministry of Magic's laws, not to mention that Peter is now a recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class."

As Peter Pettigrew secretly breathed a sigh of relief, Dumbledore's words plunged his heart into despair once again.

"However, before that, I had already informed Kingsley, and he is leading the Auror Office's elite forces here."

"I believe those professional Aurors will patiently help us figure out the real reason why Peter disappeared for ten years."

Chapter 116: The Unbelievable Fudge

Before Harry and his friends had had to wait long, Kingsley Shackles, accompanied by two Aurors, pushed open the doors of the Great Hall at Hogwarts.

“Albus, we came here as soon as we received your urgent message. I also notified Minister Fudge before I set off, and I think he should be trying to contact you now.”

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the short man being controlled by Dumbledore, with a scrutinizing air: "Is this Peter, the war hero who sacrificed himself ten years ago?"

“I think so, Kingsley,” Dumbledore nodded slightly, “but his mental state may be a little unstable right now. Perhaps his long period of being deformed has made him forget how to think as a human being. So please help him figure out what he has been through all these years. Of course, Hogwarts will provide all the necessary assistance.”

Kingsley gestured for his men to go up.

Several Aurors stepped forward, their actions polite, but they gave Peter Pettigrew no chance to break free.

Peter let out a series of high-pitched pleas, his beady eyes darting around in terror, even instinctively trying to shrink towards Ron, only to be met with Ron's involuntary retching.

Dumbledore gently reassured Peter Pettigrew, "Don't worry, Peter, I'll be watching the whole time. They won't do anything to you."

Dumbledore turned to look at McGonagall, who nodded to indicate that she would maintain order.

Then, Peter Pettigrew, surrounded by Kingsley, Dumbledore, and Snape, was led away from the Great Hall by several Aurors.

Harry also stood up. After his initial confusion and bewilderment, he finally realized that there seemed to be another unknown story behind the betrayal of his parents.

He also realized why the dinner party had been a bit strange from the start.

Overly serious professors.

And when the Christmas Eve dinner began, only the professors, himself, and a few Wesleys were present in the auditorium.

This is clearly a case of the professors deliberately sending those irrelevant students away temporarily under various pretexts.

From the very beginning, Dumbledore was after Scabbers... no, I should say that man named Peter Pettigrew.

Thinking of the truth from ten years ago, he gritted his teeth, wanting to follow up and find out what had happened.