Hermione and the other Gryffindor girls had departed to some unknown location, while Harry and Ron were heading back to the Gryffindor common room for a game of Wizard's Chess, some sweets, and casual conversation.
Sean followed them from a safe distance. As they neared Gryffindor Tower, he gently shook his left hand. Kulkan instantly vanished, slipping out from Sean's left sleeve and swiftly following along. Simultaneously, Sean raised his wand in his right hand and cast a spell directly at the swollen, slightly throbbing area of Ron's chest where the rat was hidden.
Sean whispered the incantation under his breath.
He unleashed the Shadow of Boggart, a spell he had acquired from defeating the Boggart itself.
Because Sean controlled the specific target of the spell, Harry and Ron remained completely unaffected. Instead, Peter Pettigrew, hidden in Ron's pocket, bore the full brunt of the silent, unnoticed illusion.
At that moment, a familiar, hoarse, and murderous voice suddenly echoed in Peter Pettigrew's ears.
"Peter, I have finally found you! Pay for your betrayal, for the deaths of James and Lily! Avada Kedavra!"
The illusion was so convincingly real that Pettigrew was caught completely off guard and, of course, was unable to escape its spell. Hearing Sirius Black cast the Killing Curse in his vision, Pettigrew immediately began to struggle frantically, completely ignoring the fact that he was still in Ron's arms. He used both claws and teeth viciously. Amid Ron's cries of pain from being scratched and bitten, Pettigrew tore through Ron's clothes and burst free from his grip.
At that moment, before Pettigrew's terror-filled vision, a massive black dog appeared before him. Its maw was slick with saliva and lined with sharp, sickle-like teeth. The jaws clenched open wide, and it lunged to bite down on Pettigrew.
Sirius was here!
Sirius was actually here!
He actually dared to attack on Christmas Day, with Dumbledore and all the others present in the castle! He has gone mad, completely mad!
Peter Pettigrew screamed frantically in his heart. Bewitched by the magical illusion, he no longer cared about rationality or logic. He completely ignored the obvious contradiction of why Sirius, who could use the Killing Curse to attack him one second, would suddenly transform into his Animagus form the next.
Moreover, the Animagus form of Sirius that appeared before him was far too big and too ferocious, far surpassing the real Sirius in size and menace. He could not comprehend that everything he saw at this moment—including Sirius's Killing Curse and Sirius's terrifying Animagus form that went beyond common sense—was actually nothing more than the manifestation of the terror lurking in Peter Pettigrew's own heart. Sean's magic was merely a trigger. What really drove Peter Pettigrew to the edge of madness was actually the fear and nightmare that had been festering within his own mind.
"Scabbers! Scabbers! Where are you going? Come back, I said come back, Scabbers!"
Ron's desperate cries were completely lost on Pettigrew. The rat form of Pettigrew, driven into a frantic escape, tried to hide in a dark corner and wait for Sirius to retreat. However, wherever he fled, Sirius appeared before him again, wielding increasingly larger claws and scythe-like fangs, lunging at him with murderous intent.
Pettigrew was forced to flee continuously, dodging here and there in blind panic. Under Sean's covert guidance through the illusion, Pettigrew gradually escaped from Hogwarts Castle and headed directly for the Forbidden Forest.
Upon entering the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, Pettigrew suddenly saw Remus Lupin, who had appeared near the edge of the forest. Although he felt guilty about facing Lupin, the growing panting and growling sounds behind him told Pettigrew that he desperately needed Lupin's help to repel Sirius.
It just so happened that in Lupin's mind, Sirius was the murderer who had killed James and Lily Potter. Even if Lupin discovered that it was actually Pettigrew who had betrayed them, he only needed some quick persuasion and Lupin would immediately attack Sirius instead.
Thinking of this plan, Peter Pettigrew quickly rushed towards Lupin's direction.
But at that precise moment, Peter Pettigrew suddenly noticed that Lupin, who had been standing calmly in the Forbidden Forest, had suddenly turned and looked directly at him. Lupin's face was filled with deep, burning hatred, and he shouted with fury, "Peter! I knew it all along—Sirius would never betray James and Lily. It must have been you all along. I will kill you myself and avenge them!"
As Lupin finished speaking those damning words, countless black bristles suddenly grew across his face, and his teeth transformed into sharp wolf fangs. Lupin violently tore off his clothes, and his body expanded rapidly into a monstrous form far larger than any normal werewolf. With scarlet eyes blazing and a bone-chilling roar, the werewolf pounced directly on Peter Pettigrew.
Lupin's horrifying transformation shocked Pettigrew to his core, and at that same moment, Sirius in the form of a huge black dog also caught up from behind. The massive werewolf and the black dog both pounced on Peter Pettigrew simultaneously, forcing him to flee even deeper into the forest.
But immediately following that attack, James and Lily Potter reappeared before Pettigrew—James as a rotting Inferius and Lily as a vengeful ghost. Then came Harry Potter, wand raised in his hand, attempting to kill him with murder in his eyes. Dumbledore appeared next, looking at him with grave disappointment and condemnation. One by one, people he once knew, people he had never met, people he once liked, people he once hated, people he once feared, people he once loved—all of them materialized to condemn him.
However, perhaps because he had maintained his rat form for far too long, Peter Pettigrew in his human form still possessed many of his rat-like features and instincts. He curled up into a tight ball, trembling violently, muttering desperately, "It is not me," "It is all him," over and over again. He continued this way until the Shadow of the Boggart slowly wore off its effects, until Peter Pettigrew finally regained some measure of his composure, until Sean—with the white snake Kulkan wrapped protectively around him—appeared directly before him.
At this moment, Pettigrew finally realized the complete irrationality of everything he had just witnessed. Whether it was the terrifying black dog form of Sirius, the horrifying werewolf form of Lupin, or James transformed into an Inferius and Lily manifesting as a ghost—their very presence and actions were utterly illogical and impossible.
He finally understood exactly who was behind this elaborate trap.
"Sean Bulstrode... is that you?" Pettigrew's voice shook with equal parts fear and rage.
"You seem to have seen some quite interesting images, Peter. Did you enjoy them?" Sean asked calmly.
"Sean... Bulstrode... you are courting death!" Pettigrew snarled.
Fear instantly transformed into pure rage. Pettigrew was consumed by fury, his rage completely clouding any remaining reason, and he lunged directly at Sean with his wand raised.
Seeing Peter Pettigrew rushing towards him with clear hostile intent, Sean smiled with satisfaction. This was exactly what he wanted—for Peter Pettigrew to attack him first. Only then would his system panel confirm that a proper duel had taken place, and only then could he extract an ability from the traitorous Animagus.
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