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'I like it. I like it very much.'
Ron badly wanted to say that aloud.
But that would mean he had to lose Scabbers, which left him genuinely torn.
"Big D, does it have to be Scabbers?"
Ron spoke in frustration.
He and Scabbers already had a real bond. They had lived together for years. No matter how much Ron liked the Niffler, he could not trade Scabbers away for another pet.
This was a matter of principle.
"Yes."
Dudley answered firmly.
"Scabbers was originally Charlie's pet. Then he was given to Percy. The year before I entered Hogwarts, Percy gave him to me."
"Although he is only an ordinary little rat, in those years when I had no friends, Scabbers was the one who kept me company."
Ron held Scabbers and gently stroked the rat's glossy fur.
The listless Scabbers seemed to sense something. He rubbed his head against Ron's hand and even stretched out his little tongue to lick Ron's finger.
It looked entirely like a deep bond between owner and pet.
"He was my first friend, and at the time, my only friend."
As Ron spoke, he hugged Scabbers in his arms and gently kissed his forehead, his tone growing firmer.
"Big D, if you wanted Scabbers from me for some other reason, I would give him to you without hesitation. But if it is to feed that big cat... sorry. I cannot give my friend to you."
After Ron finished speaking, he closed his eyes, looking as if he would rather face death than surrender.
He absolutely could not betray a friend.
"Not bad. Very good. If you had agreed immediately, I would have thought less of you."
Dudley gently clapped his hands. His expression mixed praise, admiration, and a strong urge not to say anything.
Especially after seeing Ron kiss Scabbers on the forehead.
His expression turned complicated.
Hopefully, Ron would be able to endure what came next.
"Your relationship with Scabbers really is good."
"Of course. We eat together, live together, and sleep together. We are each other's closest companions. This is our bond."
Ron rubbed his cheek against Scabbers again, and Scabbers responded in kind.
"..."
After a strange and brief silence, Dudley spoke again. "Ron, there is something I think I need to tell you."
"As far as I know, your pet rat Scabbers has lived in your family for twelve years. Is that correct?"
"Y-yes."
Ron nodded, not noticing any problem.
Dudley sighed. Hogwarts did not teach biology or basic biological knowledge at all.
"Ron, a rat, especially a fancy rat, only lives for about two to three years."
Scabbers's whiskers trembled slightly, but he still looked half-dead.
"Do you know what that means?"
Dudley's words shifted, and his tone also became serious.
"It means Scabbers is very long-lived?"
Ron answered blankly.
Dudley: "..."
"I mean, a fancy rat cannot possibly live for twelve years. Even if he were very long-lived, he should have died several years ago."
Scabbers's whiskers trembled even more frequently.
"Big D... what do you mean by that? Could it be..."
Just when Dudley thought Ron had grasped the key point...
"Scabbers actually died, and now this is Scabbers's ghost?!"
Dudley: "..."
"Are you still not planning to reveal your true form?"
Dudley simply stopped paying attention to Ron and turned his gaze to Scabbers.
"I think perhaps the Imperius Curse could make you tell the truth."
Did Dudley know the Imperius Curse?
Not at all. No one had taught him.
But that did not prevent him from using it to bluff.
"Big D, what are you talking abou—aaaaaah?!"
Under Ron's shocked gaze, his fat pet rat Scabbers began rapidly swelling and transforming before his eyes.
Before long, he had become human.
It was a man: short, fat, old, and ugly, his face covered in little red bumps. Most notable was the greasy top of his head, shiny enough to reflect light. Even from some distance away, Ron could smell the thick scent of hair oil coming from him.
Peter Pettigrew.
"Scabbers..." Ron was so frightened that he fell back onto the ground, muttering the name.
Had Big D used Transfiguration to turn Scabbers into a person? More importantly, why was he so ugly?
Peter did not know what Ron was thinking. He thought the boy had been frightened senseless, and his first action was to snatch Ron's wand.
Only once the wand was in hand did Peter feel a measure of safety.
Especially when he saw that Dudley did not have a wand in his hand.
"R-respected Mr. Dursley, I... I mean no offense. Please believe me. I have no ill intentions..."
Peter stammered. His words sounded pleasant, but his wand remained pointed at Dudley. If Dudley made the slightest wrong move, Peter would cast a spell. His little eyes kept darting around, especially toward the door, as if he were afraid something might suddenly rush in.
Having stayed beside Ron as Scabbers, Peter knew exactly what kind of person Dudley was.
Remarkable. Perhaps the most remarkable young wizard in recent decades. Even compared with James and Sirius from his own generation, Dudley was superior.
This was someone who had made even that arrogant Lucius suffer in a direct confrontation.
Fortunately, he was only a young wizard, and there was no wand in his hand.
While he, Peter Pettigrew, had a wand in his hand.
He absolutely could not give Dudley any chance.
"Do not do anything... yes, good, just like that."
Seeing that Dudley still made no unusual movement, Peter thought he had frightened him. After relaxing slightly, he also became curious.
"How did you find me?"
Animagus transformation was a perfect form of transformation. Once transformed, one was no different from an ordinary animal. Most wizards could not detect anything unusual at all. For example, he had stayed with the Weasley family for twelve whole years, and no one had discovered him.
Dudley glanced at him calmly and remained seated as if nothing could shake him, showing no intention of answering.
"F-forget it, Mr. Dursley. Let us pretend this never happened."
Peter stopped dwelling on it and raised the wand, planning to cast a Memory Charm on the two of them.
To be honest, even though he had been discovered, he had no intention of killing them.
On one hand, killing anyone at Hogwarts would be difficult to cover up. On the other hand, he did not believe Dudley knew his identity. If Dudley did not know his identity, then there was no danger.
Making the two of them forget the whole thing was the safest choice. That way, he could continue hiding beside Ron.
Outside, there was Sirius. Who knew where Black was hiding, watching hungrily and waiting for Peter to leave?
By comparison, Hogwarts was the safest place.
If this had been any other time, he would have first spun himself a tragic backstory, then used words to talk his way out of it.
He had always been good at pretending to be pitiful.
But the situation was urgent now. There were countless Dementors outside, and Black was watching like a predator. Peter did not have that much time.
"Oblivi—"
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