Until The End

Until The End

Chapter 12: Wormtail and Padfoot

"Faith is taking the first step, even when you don't see the whole staircase..."

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

The Kitchens – Thursday, January 6, 1992

Xavier seated himself on one of the comfortable leather couches by the crackling fireplace. No, he wasn't in his Common Room, but instead, he was in the fabulous kitchens of Hogwarts and it was all thanks to the Marauder's Map.

Xavier had tried hard to contain his excitement when he had used the Map and so far, he had figured out where all the secret tunnels were and some of the secret or hidden rooms were, such as the kitchens of Hogwarts.

The kitchens immediately set off a smell of mouth-watering goods, and it was a large room with House-Elves running around the place.

"Would Master Desmond like some tea?" a House-Elf squeaked, and Xavier faced to see a dozen House-Elves all standing around with wide smiles, ready for service.

"Oh, go on then, thank you," Xavier replied politely, and the elves immediately set into action. In a few seconds, four House-Elves came along with a large tray of buttered crumpets, biscuits, and steaming tea. Imagine if Ron knew about this room...

Xavier almost laughed at that thought. Ron would honestly devour everything in sight.

"You guys are absolutely brilliant," Xavier complimented and each one of the Elves bowed deeply with a smile.

"You is too kind," an Elf squeaked, and Xavier just patted the Elf's head. The Elves then retreated back to let Xavier enjoy the food and as Xavier munched on a crumpet, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

Though the Map was way too exciting for Xavier to feel any other way, he was still confused and on alert of who this Peter Pettigrew character was. Why was this person in the boy's dorm? Was he a secret friend of Ron, Theo, and Blaise's that Xavier and the girls didn't know about? If not, did Ron, Theo, or Blaise even realise there was someone else in the Dorm with them?

Xavier was hoping that the Map had made a mistake, however, Peter Pettigrew showed up every time Xavier would activate the Map. How come Fred and George never saw it? Maybe they did…

Well, whatever it was, Xavier had to get to the bottom of it and find out who this Peter Pettigrew. And Xavier had a guess of who could help him. The Sorting Hat. Xavier vaguely remembered the Sorting Hat mentioning that if the students were in need of help or advice, the Hat would come to them and would keep their secrets unless if the student was in danger.

So, Xavier cleared his voice and hesitantly said out loud, "Sorting Hat, I need you,"

For a second there, Xavier thought that he made a mistake, but the Sorting Hat had indeed appeared right in front of him. Thank Merlin…

"Xavier Desmond, what a pleasant surprise," the Hat spoke, and Xavier just shrugged.

"Now, what would you like to talk to me about?" the Hat asked, and Xavier took a deep breath and sighed.

"I… I possess a secret map of Hogwarts that shows me where everyone is at any time," Xavier started, and the Hat hummed.

"Impressive…" the Hat muttered.

"And ever since I've got in possession of this map, I've been seeing a name of a student I don't know pop up in my Dorm," Xavier continued, and the Hat had a thoughtful expression.

"I see… and who might this person be?" the Hat asked.

"Peter Pettigrew," Xavier answered, and the Sorting Hat immediately gasped. What?

"What? What happened?" Xavier inquired quickly.

"Dear boy… it cannot be Peter Pettigrew… that is impossible…" the Hat muttered, and Xavier's brow furrowed.

"What do you mean it's impossible?" Xavier asked with a small frown. Nothing was making sense…

"Let me explain: Peter Pettigrew was a student that attended Hogwarts a few years ago, and in fact, he was in the same year as your mother and father. Peter was sorted into Gryffindor and moved on to join the Order of the Phoenix after his school life had finished. It was around the time where the Great War had begun. And if I'm correct, he was killed by Sirius Black who betrayed Harry Potter's parents for the Dark Lord," The Hat provided, and Xavier felt an oncoming headache. What the actual hell is going on?! Peter was in the same year as my parents? He joined the Order of the Phoenix? And he died to a man who betrayed Harry's parents? This was all too much…

"Wait, so you're telling me that Peter Pettigrew was killed?" Xavier questioned.

"Yes, Xavier, he was killed by Sirius Black. Sirius Black was close friends with Peter, James Potter, who was Harry's father, and another student named Remus Lupin. The four were inseparable and it came as quite of a shock when Sirius had killed Peter. I even heard that Peter put up a good fight, but Sirius got the upper hand. To be honest with you, however, Peter always lacked bravery and courage…" the Hat stated, and Xavier rubbed his forehead.

"And where is Sirius Black?" Xavier asked.

"Azkaban Prison of course," the Hat replied.

"So then why in the name of Merlin is this Peter Pettigrew showing up on the Map? The Map doesn't lie… Clearly, Peter wasn't murdered by this Sirius Black…" Xavier trailed off; he was truly confused now.

There was a pause between Xavier and the Hat, and then the Hat gave a soft gasp of realisation.

"What is it?" Xavier asked.

"Have you ever heard of an Animagus, Xavier?" the Hat asked, and Xavier was slightly caught off guard by such a random question.

"Er… I'm pretty sure it's someone who can transform to an animal at will," Xavier responded.

"Precisely! Peter is an Animagus, Xavier," the Hat said, and Xavier was just floored by the number of revelations he was learning.

"What?! How?" Xavier inquired instantly.

"You see, Sirius and James, along with Peter tagging behind them, had summoned me for my help one afternoon and when I had asked them about what they needed help with, the trio wanted to learn how to become Animagi. You see, they gave a valid reason why and the reason was that they wanted to help out their friend Remus. I obliged and led them in the right direction of becoming Animagi," the Hat informed, and Xavier was awed.

"And I'm guessing you can't tell me why they wanted to help their friend Remus because you would be violating your 'rules' of keeping secrets," Xavier pointed out, and the Hat hummed.

"Glad you remembered. Anyways, the trio ended up succeeding in becoming Animagi by their fifth year. James was a stag, Sirius was a dog and Peter was a rat," the Hat said, and Xavier felt his heart stop. Peter could turn into a rat… Wasn't Ron's pet Scabbers a rat? There was no fucking way…

"My boy, you've gone quiet," the Hat pointed out and Xavier gulped. Was Scabbers really Peter Pettigrew? A man who was thought to be killed was living with the Weasley for around ten years…

Xavier nearly threw up the food that House-Elves had made for him. This was bad… very bad…

"Sorting Hat… Ron has a pet rat called Scabbers who has been in his family for ten years now. Ron told me that his older brother Percy was the one who found Scabbers and took him in. What if… what is Scabbers was this Peter Pettigrew? It makes sense only because Scabbers obviously stays in our Dorm since he is Ron's pet and that can be the only explanation of how the name of Peter Pettigrew shows up every time on the Map," Xavier informed, and the Hat heaved a sigh.

"If this Scabbers is really Peter Pettigrew then everything changes, my boy. For one, this means that Sirius Black might have been wrongfully placed in Azkaban and witnesses heard Peter scream about Sirius killing Harry Potter's parents before Sirius blasted Peter and a group of by-standing Muggles apart. The only remains of Peter was a finger," the Hat informed, and this time it was Xavier's time to gasp in realisation.

"Scabbers has a missing finger on one of his front paws!" Xavier exclaimed and he felt some pieces were starting to fit together slowly.

"Maybe this Peter Pettigrew had caused a diversion by fake-killing himself and killing some innocent Muggles to make it look like Sirius Black did it. He then made sure to leave a finger behind to show that he would probably dead… but the real question is why would Peter do that?" Xavier asked and the Hat hummed.

"I'm not sure why Peter would do this, but your theory could be a possibility. However, this could also mean that maybe Sirius Black didn't succeed in killing Peter Pettigrew," the Hat countered, and Xavier sighed. The Hat had a point.

"But I believe we should take no chances, my boy. If Peter Pettigrew is truly well and alive in the form of your friend's pet, it could mean that an innocent man is being held in Azkaban right now," the Hat said firmly, and Xavier nodded to that.

"I agree, Hat. What should I do?" Xavier asked.

"Well for one, we must keep Scabbers in one place until further notice," the Hat suggested, and Xavier snapped his fingers when an idea came to his head.

"I can find a vial of the Sleeping Draught Potion from the cupboards in the Potions classroom and use it on Scabbers," Xavier explained.

"Brilliant, my boy! After that, you can contact the Headmaster or the Head of your House, Professor Snape, to come assist you-"

"Assist me?" Xavier cut in. "How? What would I tell them when they ask me about how I figured out Peter Pettigrew was alive and roaming around as Ron's pet?"

"Simple: when you go to ask to explain the situation to Professor Dumbledore or Professor Snape, you can say that you were reading about Animagi and that you found it weird that Ronald's pet rat had been living for ten years. Don't mention anything about Peter Pettigrew," the Hat proposed, and Xavier found himself nodding with that idea. Perfect, this way we can catch this little rat and find out who Scabbers really is…

"In the meantime, don't let Scabbers roam around too much. Keep an eye on him and make sure to be safe," the Hat advised.

"I understand, Sorting Hat. Thank you so much for this and I'll update you when things go down," Xavier promised, and the Hat bid its' farewell before disappearing out of sight.

Xavier took out the Marauder's Map and watched as Ron and his friends were all studying away in the Library all the while Peter/Scabbers was probably snoozing off in the Boy's Dorm.

If Xavier's theory was proven right, then that meant a man had been living secretly in the Weasley household. The man had probably slept in Ron and his sibling's beds, played with them, and ate all the treats the Weasleys fed to him.

And that disgusted Xavier until the point of evilness spreading through his body and his eyes went from their normal black to blood-red, though Xavier had no clue. Xavier was going to make it his mission to catch this little rat and expose the cunt to the whole world and keep him far away from the Weasleys or anyone else.

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

Boy's Dorm– Saturday, January 8, 1992

Ron simply smiled as he stared at his Slytherin friends. It felt great to have them all back with him and Xavier, and currently, Xavier was chatting away with Theo and Tracey, while Ron was helping Blaise, Daphne, Millie, and Pansy with the 'Antidotes to Poisons' essay.

"Ron, what are the ingredients for the Antidote for Common Poisons again?" Daphne asked, but before Ron could answer, Xavier had beat him to it.

"The ingredients include Bezoars, ground Unicorn horns, and mistletoe berries," Xavier answered, and Daphne flashed him a smile of appreciation before writing the answer on her parchment. Xavier sent Ron a grin, while Theo and Blaise chuckled.

"You'll have to be quicker than that, Ron," Tracey teased, and Ron just huffed.

"Maybe I'll just go and hang out with Scabbers instead. Xavier can help you lot instead," Ron insisted, and he got up and retreated back to his bed while ignoring his friend's chuckles. However, Ron did miss Xavier's face pale slightly.

Ron plopped himself on his bed and began to feed some treats to Scabbers who squeaked loudly. Ron stroked Scabbers' fur and that's when he felt his vision fade away. Another bloody Vision?!

Ron found himself out on the grounds of Hogwarts and he looked around to find no students or teachers roaming out and about. Not even Hagrid was in sight.

Ron did turn his body when he heard a set of frantic squeaks and he recognised it to be on Scabbers. Ron turned around and jumped out of the way when a large orange furball rushed past him. WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THAT?!

Obviously, Ron was an oblivious, invisible spectator in these Visions, but he still jumped out of the way when he saw that huge thing streak past him. Ron quickly took a better look and realised it was a cat, and this cat was clearly on the hunt.

Ron followed the cat after a few seconds and once he had caught up to the cat, he then noticed it was chasing Scabbers and though Ron couldn't talk to animals or anything, he was sure that Scabbers was frightened to death right now. Oi! Leave Scabbers alone!

Ron continued to follow the cat and the rat, but he blanched when he saw that the two animals were heading straight for the Whomping Willow. Luckily for Scabbers, he was small enough to dodge the whipping branches of the ferocious tree and Scabbers disappeared from sight once he reached the root of the tree. Phew, he's alright! But I wonder where he went…

Ron then faced the cat and expected it to retreat from the branches, but he was surprised to see the cat not give up and it too dodged the branches with expertise, but instead, the cat's paw pressed on something that made the Whomping Willow freeze. What the bloody hell?! How did it do that?!

Ron was shell-shocked but he had no time to waste and thus, followed the cat to where Ron found an opening in the tree. Ron slid the opening and landed on the wooden ground. Ouch!

Ron got up and narrowed his eyes on the cat. The cat seemed to be going straight forward towards a door, and so Ron followed right over there too which he was met with weak, wooden stairs.

The cat climbed the stairs, and Ron followed while keeping an eye out for where Scabbers could be. After two flights of stairs, the cat suddenly hissed in the direction of a room, and Ron gazed into the room to find Scabbers on the floor, not moving. No!

Ron dashed right to Scabbers and when he inspected his pet rat, he could notice that Scabbers was still breathing, so he was still alive. Thank Merlin!

Ron then heard the cat hiss from behind him, and Ron just turned around and frowned at the ugly cat. Leave Scabbers alone you ugly beast! Ugh, why can't you be more like Millie's cat?

Suddenly, a door from the other end of the room creaked open and when Ron looked to see what had made the noise, he almost yelped in fear.

A skeletal man stood before him, with a tight gaunt face, unwashed teeth, ragged facial hair, and torn clothes. But what made Ron realise how broken the man was by the lifeless eyes of the man… the eyes were grey… soulless… there was not a single trace of life in those eyes… only pain and isolation. Who… who is this man?

The man walked forward, and the cat let out a meow to the man. The man bent over and patted the cat gently.

"You've done me a great favour here my friend," the man croaked to the cat, and Ron flinched at how cracked the man's voice sounded.

The man then stood up and took out his wand from a pocket of his ripped-up pants. He pointed it to Scabbers and cast Aguamenti, effectively causing Scabbers to wake up when the water washed over him. Scabbers began immediately squeaking and Ron cursed the fact that he couldn't help his poor pet in any way right now. But in all honesty, Ron was more intrigued to know why his pet was here in this situation, and who this man and this cat were.

The man suddenly snarled, and he pointed his want right at Scabbers, and a blue light burst out of his wand. Ron then watched in horror as his childhood pet suddenly grew limbs and expanded in size.

In a matter of seconds, Scabbers was no longer a rat, but instead, a balding fat man that was cowering heavily. W-what?

Ron felt lightheaded and he just pinched himself. There was no way in the bloody universe that his pet Scabbers had just transformed into a whole man.

"Well, well, we meet again, Peter," the man croaked with a sadistic smile that put both Ron and this Peter off. Wait, why the fuck did he just call Scabbers Peter? Am I… Have I mistaken Scabbers for some other rat? Fuck, this is all so confusing!

"Ah… S-Sirius… I've m-missed you," Peter stuttered with a wheezy voice, but he was met with a hard punch from the gaunt man. Merlin! He said Sirius as in the Sirius Black… Fuck…

"Shut the fuck up you little rat. I can't even believe you have the balls to address me like I was your friend… not after you led that monster right to James and Lily," the gaunt man snarled. These two… were friends? And what monster? And who are James and Lily?

When Peter/Scabbers said nothing, Sirius Black just spat on the floor and growled. He then turned to Peter/Scabbers with a maniacal broken expression and grabbed the balding man by the collar.

"Why, Peter? Why did you do this? You were my friend… our friend… You betrayed Remus, James, and I… WHY?!" Sirius Black suddenly shouted, and Peter began crying. Ugh, what the actual fuck is going on? Why did my pet rat betray this man and his friends? Wait, why is this bald man even my pet rat in the first place?!

"Nothing could have been done, Sirius," Peter sobbed. "He… he was taking over everywhere, and he tortured me… I had to-"

"AND BECAUSE OF YOU, JAMES AND LILY ARE DEAD! AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEIR SON HARRY BECAME AN ORPHAN! AND YOU BLAMED IT ALL ON ME! I SPENT TWELVE YEARS IN FUCKING AZKABAN BECAUSE OF MY 'FRIEND'!" Sirius screamed, and Ron couldn't feel help but feel hateful towards Peter. Why the fuck did he betray his own friend?

A thing that shook Ron was that Sirius had mentioned the name of Harry. Was it possible that he was talking about Harry Potter? Because that made everything more fucked…

"Sirius I…" Peter started, but Sirius landed another punch to Peter's stomach. The fat man fell to the ground with a groan, and blood splattered over the wooden floor when Sirius kicked Peter in the mouth.

All Ron could do was watch. Literally. Once again, these Visions were taking a toll on Ron. How was any of this possible? His pet Scabbers was actually a man who had betrayed Harry and his parents… and because of this, somehow Sirius Black was wrongfully placed in Azkaban…

"Sirius… s-stop please…" Peter groaned, and he winced when Sirius simply just kicked him in the gut.

"You will forever be known as a filthy coward who was the reason why James and Lily Potter died and why Harry Potter was orphaned…" Sirius whispered, and he had a devilish grin planted on his face. He then pointed his wand at Peter and gripped it tightly.

"Goodbye, Peter…" Sirius said, and all of a sudden, Peter's whimpering demeanour changed into one of disgust.

"I have no remorse for James and Lily… The Dark Lord will rule the world," Peter spat out, and Ron's was shocked beyond words. Peter really was some fucking rat and disloyal cunt beneath his whimpering attitude.

Enraged, Sirius sent the killing curse right at Peter, and Peter was no more.

"Ron… Ron!" Tracey exclaimed, and Ron slowly faced Tracey. He must have had an utterly horrified expression because all his friends looked bewildered and a little scared. Sirius Black killed him…

"Ron… what happened?" Millie asked, but Ron didn't answer. He rubbed his forehead and then slowly glanced at Scabbers. That's not Scabbers… That's a fully grown man, Ron…

Ron then shot out of his bed and ran to the bathroom and threw up all of the content from breakfast into the toilet. He winced when he felt a pair of hands gently stroke his back. Fuck… Your pet is a man who was the reason your friend Harry had no parents…

Ron felt a spark of righteous anger flare up inside of him and all of a sudden, the feeling of nausea was gone. Instead, it was replaced with one of determination. Ron needed to get this rat out of this place while he could. He was effectively putting himself, his friends and so many others in danger.

"Guys… I need to do something…" Ron muttered as he walked out of the bathroom, and he pocketed the sleeping Scabbers. Ron felt disgusted by that, but he had to and that was that.

Ron then got up and darted out of his Dorm, heading straight for the Headmaster's office. Ron exited the Slytherin Common Room and rushed down the hallways of the dungeon.

"Ron!" came the voice of Xavier, and Ron turned around.

"Where do you think you're going?" Xavier asked as he caught up to Ron. Fuck… what do I tell him…

"Do you… do you suspect your pet rat is not really your pet rat?" Xavier asked softly, and Ron was left jarred. What the fuck… Is Xavier a mind reader? Does he know about my Visions?!

"How… How did you know?" Ron asked weakly, and Xavier leaned in so that no one could possibly hear.

"I mean I saw you stare at Scabbers intensely. Also, I've been suspecting it for a long time, mate. Ever since you told me that you have had Scabbers in your family for ten years, it bewildered me and when I reading about Animagi in the Library, I couldn't help but wonder…" Xavier trailed off, but Ron understood, and he was floored. Was Xavier really that perceptive?

"Xavier… I have a feeling that Scabbers is not a rat…" Ron mumbled, and Xavier nodded firmly. Thank Merlin he didn't ask me how I knew that Scabbers wasn't a normal rat…

"Well, I'm going to help you, so let's take this to Professor Snape, shall we? I'll do the talking," Xavier suggested, but Ron shook his head.

"I was going to go to Dumbledore instead, mate," Ron told Xavier, and Xavier thought deeply.

"Fine, you go to the Headmaster and alert him. Give me Scabbers and I'll go to Professor Snape. We could have a serious problem on our hands if Scabbers is really a human…" Xavier said, and Ron shuddered.

"Alright, let's do this," Ron agreed, and he then carefully handed the sleeping Scabbers to Xavier and began to depart to Dumbledore's office, while Xavier headed off to Snape's office.

Ron exited the Dungeons and raced through the hallways near the Courtyard, and as Ron turned a corner, he came straight into Dumbledore.

"Dear boy, what is the rush?" Dumbledore asked with a chuckle, but he stopped when he saw the serious expression on Ron's face. Thank Merlin I found him…

"Headmaster, I've had another Vision and I need your help," Ron stated, and the old man nodded firmly and led Ron back into the courtyard.

Albus Dumbledore's P.O.V:

Location: Hogwarts Courtyard

"Alright Ronald, please tell me everything," Albus requested, and the red-haired boy nodded.

"I... I had a Vision when I was feeding my pet Scabbers… and professor… I don't think Scabbers is a normal rat… I think he is an Animagus that goes by the name of Peter Pettigrew," Ronald started, and Albus felt his whole body stiffen. What did he just say?

"In the Vision, Scabbers was getting chased by some cat and they somehow escaped the Whomping Willow's branches and slipped through some opening. I followed and when I got to a room where Scabbers was unconscious, and some man was behind me. And… the man was Sirius Black…" Ronald explained, and Albus felt the shock increase tenfold. Sirius Black… how? Does he escape Azkaban?

"Go on, my boy," Albus requested softly, though he could feel dread forming in his stomach.

"Sirius Black then shot some spell at Scabbers a-and… Scabbers transformed… into a man… and that man was Peter Pettigrew…" Ronald stammered, and Albus put a comforting hand on Ronald's shoulder. This must have been too much for the boy… his own pet rat was a man…

Albus then realised that this could have meant Sirius was wrongfully imprisoned. How? How was Peter still alive? Unless…

A sudden dawn of horror descended upon Albus, and unknowingly, he leaned against a wall for support, while he missed Ronald's concerned looks.

What if Sirius had switched Secret Keepers with Peter last minute? Would this have mean… no…

"Ronald, where is your pet Scabbers at this very moment?" Albus asked with a serious tone, which caught Ronald off guard.

"Um… he is with Xavier right now. Xavier has been having suspicions about Scabbers too you see, but he doesn't know that Scabbers is Peter. He believes that Scabbers is an Animagus, and he has taken Scabbers to Professor Snape," Ronald replied, and Albus was slightly awed by how smart and perceptive the two boys were together.

"Perfect, let us go to Professor Snape's office, Ronald," Albus suggested, and the old man and the red-haired boy began to head off to Severus' office.

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

Location: Snape's office

Xavier unhesitatingly knocked on the door to Snape's office and the door opened, revealing the tall, dark-robbed Potions professor.

"And what pleasure do I owe to see you this fine Saturday, Mr. Desmond?" Professor Snape drawled, and Xavier cleared his voice.

"I'm sorry to bother you, professor, but I wouldn't if I was sure of what I was doing," Xavier said sincerely, and Snape just nodded curtly, before letting the dark-skinned wizard into the office.

Once Snape shut the door behind him, Xavier sat down and faced Snape who looked bored already.

"Well, what help, or advice do you require, Mr. Desmond?" Snape asked, and Xavier stared him dead in the eye.

"I'm going to blunt professor, but I believe that Ron's pet rat Scabbers is actually an Animagus," Xavier replied, and Snape was left bewildered.

"Explain," Snape ordered after morphing his expression into one of coldness.

"Well, sir, I was reading up on Animagi for the third-year work, you know? And while I was studying it, I couldn't help but think that Ron's pet has been in his family for ten years. Scabbers is meant to be a common garden rat, so that means the lifespan should be around one or two years," Xavier explained, and while Snape found it refreshing to see the boy studying things for much later, Snape just stared at the boy with a furrowed brow.

"Ten years… that is quite strange," Snape muttered, and he then faced Xavier.

"Do you have Mr. Weasley's pet with you at this moment?" Snape questioned, and Xavier nodded firmly. Xavier then carefully took out Scabbers from his pockets and laid the rat on the stone-cold ground.

"Alright, stay right there and keep an eye on it," Snape ordered, and he then turned around and disappeared into his cupboards. Snape then returned after a few seconds with a vial and administrated it right into Scabbers' mouth.

"Did you give Scabbers a Sleeping Draught, professor?" Xavier asked, and Snape nodded. Good, now this cunt will be sleeping heavily…

"Now stand behind me, Mr. Desmond. Let's see if your theory is correct," Snape suggested, and Xavier stood behind the Potions Master. A slow grin was forming on Xavier's face; he wanted to see this scumbag get exposed…

Snape then shot a spell that emanated blue light at Scabbers and before they knew it, Scabbers began transforming into a fat man who was balding and covered in an immense amount of dust.

Unknowingly, Xavier let out a cold chuckle. The cunt had turned himself to a rat and thought he could hide away forever in the Weasley family… but now, he was exposed, and Xavier could feel the rage of justice grip his soul.

Severus Snape's P.O.V:

Location: Snape's office

Severus had been enjoying his Saturday as he didn't have to be teaching any Gryffindor dunderheads or witnessing pathetic failures in his Potions class. Yes, he had been enjoying it very much indeed until one of his students had come to him urgently.

Severus knew from day one that Xavier Desmond would be quite an extraordinary student. How couldn't he be? Especially with Caesar and Athena Desmond as his parents.

And Severus was right; Xavier Desmond along with Ronald Weasley had proven themselves to be much more unique than the rest of the first years and possibly many students from the year levels above.

And yet, Xavier Desmond had come to Severus with a rather interesting theory that Ronald Weasley's pet rat was an Animagus. And Mr. Desmond had proven good points enough to make Severus curious, not that he was already.

And there, lying right in front of him, was no longer Ronald's rat. It was Peter Pettigrew.

Severus felt his jaw drop to the floor and his eyes widen to the size of Quaffles. How could it be?! Peter Pettigrew was meant to be dead!

Severus was shocked beyond words, and he felt the need to control his stance in case he wouldn't fall over by how shell-shocked he was right now.

"It seems that your assumption was correct, Mr. Desmond," Severus said quietly, but he got no response from the boy. When he turned around to look, he was jarred by the evil grin fixated on the boy's face. It almost looked demonic, and Severus didn't know that a child could be capable of acquiring such expression.

"Mr. Desmond," Severus called, and the boy snapped out his expression. He turned to Severus with a confused expression and then shook his head.

"Sorry professor, I must have gone daydreaming… professor… who is that man?" Xavier inquired. I must call Albus, he needs to see this-

As if the Gods has been hearing Severus, his office door burst open and Albus along with Ronald both stepped in. Normally, Snape would immediately frown at the person who would just barge into his office like that, but it wasn't the time for that stuff.

"Severus," Albus said as he closed the door behind him, and Ronald walked over to Xavier. Ronald had an unreadable expression on his face as he stood next to Xavier and both boys were staring intensely at Peter Pettigrew.

"Albus… look," Severus pointed over to where Pettigrew was and Albus instantly stepped forward.

"I'm guessing you've administered a Sleeping Draught?" Albus asked, and his voice was hard and serious. The boys were both caught off guard by Albus's voice; this was their first time seeing Dumbledore this serious… they were seeing the Dumbledore…

"Yes, I have, Albus. But Albus… what does all this mean? Why is this man alive?" Severus asked, and Albus stared at Severus. He wants to talk about this after since the boys are standing right behind us…

Snape just nodded in understanding and Albus turned back to Pettigrew. Albus then snapped his fingers right in front of Pettigrew, and the man began to stir. Pettigrew's eyes slowly opened, and they then widened in fright.

"What the… what the hell is going?" Pettigrew shouted, and Albus stood up straight, towering over the cowering man.

"Peter Pettigrew… what a pleasant surprise to see you here," Albus greeted, but it was cold and unwelcoming. Peter noticed this and he flinched slightly.

"Why are you alive?" Severus growled.

"I'm- I… Yes! Sirius didn't kill me! H-he missed, and I escaped you see-"

"Do not lie, you pathetic rat!" Severus snarled viciously, and Peter whimpered.

"Severus, go bring me a vial of Veritaserum," Albus requested, and Severus nodded.

Ronald Weasley's P.O.V:

Ron just stared at the cowering Peter with bubbling rage. Why was this man hiding in his family this whole time? Ron and his siblings had played with him, fed him, and let him sleep in some of their beds…

Ron felt disgust bubble up in his stomach, and he felt the comforting contact from Xavier's hand grip his shoulder. Xavier too had a cold and unforgiving expression on his face, though Ron wasn't too sure why.

"Ronald… speak to me," came the selfish, cowardly voice from Peter. "I am your faithful pet, your friend…"

Ron faced him and Peter was caught off guard by the cold look on Ron's face.

"You're no friend of mine you filthy rat," Ron spat out and Peter fell onto his stomach with shock.

"Disgusting maggot," Xavier added in with a ruthless sneer aimed right at Peter. Not only Peter was caught off guard, but Dumbledore too, though Ron and Xavier missed his bewildered look.

Snape then reappeared from his storage cupboard with a vial with a clear, colourless liquid and he walked over to where Peter was on his knees.

"Go ahead and administer it, Severus," Dumbledore allowed, and much to Ron and Xavier's delight, Snape did it rather harshly. The Potions Master grabbed Peter by the throat and squeezed it, effectively making Peter's mouth to open and Snape then poured the contents of the liquid into Peter's mouth.

Immediately, Peter's eyes became unfocused, and they then widened as if he had encountered something so magnificent that he was fixated on it. His posture became rigid and then relaxed a bit.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked and from the tone of his voice, both Ron and Xavier knew that he was pissed. They could literally feel the magic crackling from Dumbledore, and it showed no comfort to it whatsoever. This was the Dumbledore all the tales depicted himself to be as…

"Peter Calvin Pettigrew," Peter answered calmly.

"Are you a Death-Eater?" Snape jumped in with a question.

"Yes, I am," Peter replied, and Ron felt his world turn upside down. This man was also a bloody Death-Eater… Ron and his family had a fucking Death-Eater in their house for so long…

Xavier, on the other hand, was fully glaring hatefully at Peter with ill contentions. The man was a Death-Eater, and yet he was a sniveling coward that didn't deserve to live. He should have at least acted like how everyone described a Death-Eater to be, not this weak rat…

"Prove it," Snape ordered harshly, his face tightening in anger.

Peter then rolled up the dusty old sleeve of the torn robes he was wearing and on his left arm, there was a tattoo of a snake coming out of the mouth of a skull. What is that blemish?

Both Ron and Xavier exchanged confused looks, but Snape and Dumbledore didn't. Except Snape snarled when he saw the tattoo, while Dumbledore's eyes hardened on Peter.

"Did you spill information about the Order to the Dark Lord?" Dumbledore questioned.

"Yes, I fed information about the whereabouts of many of the members, though the Dark Lord was mainly interested in knowing where James and Lily stayed," Peter answered, and Snape made a sharp noise when Peter mentioned Lily.

"Did Sirius Black betray the Potters?" Dumbledore continued to ask, and Peter shook his head.

"Was Sirius Black the Secret keeper for the Potters?" Dumbledore inquired.

"No, I was. Sirius switched with me last minute so that it would be a surprise when the Dark Lord and his followers found out that Sirius wasn't the actual Secret Keeper," Peter responded, and Ron rubbed his forehead. What have I gotten myself into…

Both Ron and Xavier caught Snape's expression go dark and infuriated.

"Did you frame Sirius for killing all the Muggles?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes… I fired a blasting curse at the Muggles and quickly cut off my finger and ran for the sewers in my rat form," Peter answered, and Ron felt truly sick to his stomach. Xavier's eyes widened as if he had discovered something important, Snape was utterly disgusted, and Dumbledore was fuming internally.

"Severus," Dumbledore turned to Snape. "Please go and contact the Ministry at once of what has happened. Take Peter with you and hand him straight over to Amelia Bones. Contact me once you've done so,"

Snape nodded firmly and he then pointed his wand directly at Peter and fire a red coloured spell non-verbally. The spell seemed to knock out Peter and make him unconscious. I think that was 'Stupefy'…

"Boys," Dumbledore turned to them. "I'll let you rest for a bit before I call you back to my office. I'm sure this revelation has shocked you and conjured questions of your own and they will be answered in time… for now, go and enjoy your Saturday,"

"Yes, professor," Ron and Xavier both replied quietly, and the two departed from Snape's office. They walked in absolute silence until Xavier stopped.

"I've got a better place to go than the Common Room right now, Ron… I… We need to collect our thoughts… follow me," Xavier said, and Ron simply nodded.

Ten years… the bloody years and some fucking Death- Eater had been hiding as a rat in his home…

Ron didn't even realise his own legs had been carrying him through a door that led him downstairs to a broad corridor with dimmed torches. He only clocked it when he looked up.

"Um, Xavier, where the hell are we going?" Ron asked, but Xavier just gestured him to follow.

The duo walked down the corridor, and then Ron stopped when Xavier stopped and stared at the food-themed paintings. Xavier then tickled a pear in one of the paintings, and a wide doorway made from stone appeared.

"Welcome to the kitchens of Hogwarts," Xavier said with a small grin, and he then led Ron through the entrance into a big room. A crackling fireplace with comfy couches were at the end of the room, while four long tables lay in front.

"Merlin… Xavier, how did you find this place?" Ron asked in wonder, and Xavier just shrugged.

"Ah, Master Desmond, it's so good to see you again!" came a squeaky voice of a House-Elf, and Ron watched in awe as a dozen House-Elves all gathered around Xavier.

"Thank you, Daisey. I've brought my friend Ron here," Xavier pointed over to Ron, and immediately, the House-Elves all bowed, and Ron blushed slightly. Merlin, I've always wanted a House-Elf…

"We will bring Master Desmond and Master Weasley some tea," another House-Elf announced happily, and Xavier chuckled.

"Thank you, Mandy. And please, call us Xavier and Ron," Xavier reassured, and he then gestured Ron to follow him to the couches. Ron took a seat and smiled at the crackling fireplace. A few House-Elves then trotted towards the duo and lay a large tray of biscuits, croissants, and other savoury items.

"Dig in," Xavier said, and Ron did as he was told. He hadn't even realised how hungry he was until the food was set right in front of him and he found himself thanking Xavier once again.

"I might live here," Ron joked as he munched on a pastry and Xavier laughed.

There was a small pause between the two, and slowly, their laughter and happiness faded away as they were reminded of what happened not so long ago.

"How're you feeling, mate?" Xavier asked, and Ron sighed.

"Xavier… there was some fucking Death-Eater in my home… this whole time… We all played with him and treated him like he was family… What happened if something happened to mum or dad or Ginny because of that fucking Death-Eater?" Ron ranted, and he felt himself shudder. He would have killed that rat with his own bare two hands if Peter laid a finger on Ginny…

"I know bro… I know… I was fucking disgusted. I hope that cunt gets a real punishment…" Xavier snarled, and Ron nodded in agreement.

"I just… I can't believe you suspected him, and you were right…" Ron admitted in shock, and Xavier just shrugged.

"You can never be sure of anything," Xavier replied. Xavier then looked at Ron with a curious expression and cleared his voice.

"But, er… how… how did you know?" Xavier questioned, and Ron gulped slightly. I can't tell him about my Visions… maybe not yet anyway…

"You'll keep a secret, right?" Ron asked slowly, starting to think of a lie.

"And have I ever betrayed your trust?" Xavier asked back in return and Ron shook his head.

"Ok… this happened a few nights after Percy had first found 'Scabbers'… I remembered I needed a glass of water and so, I went downstairs… and I heard some noise," Ron started, and Xavier could already feel how the story was going to go judging by Xavier's incredulous look.

"And… I swear to Merlin… I saw some man in the kitchen and I freaked out… I quickly ran back to my room and I just tried to fall asleep…" Ron told, and he found himself shuddering at imagining such a memory. Obviously, it was a lie, but Ron couldn't risk anything.

"Merlin…" Xavier muttered, and his eyes were frozen on the floor.

"And the next morning, I went to find food in the pantry, but half of the bread was missing, some cheese and crackers were gone… Those were some of the things we fed Scabbers as well," Ron provided, and Xavier just slowly shook his head.

"And I don't know why… but I've been getting a weird feeling about Scabbers… I can't explain it… but here we are… both of us knew there was something wrong with Scabbers… all this time…" Ron trailed off, and Xavier just sighed.

The two Slytherin prodigies said nothing for the next few minutes, and instead, they just went back to eating the food that the generous House-Elves had provided them with. Ron decided to change the topic, knowing the fact Xavier was very good at telling if someone was lying or not.

"Xavier… do you… do you think some of the Slytherins will hate us for this?" Ron asked slowly, and Xavier shot him a look of deep thought.

"I honestly can't be sure, Ron. I mean, it would be very stupid if they openly supported some cunt of a rat Death-Eater, but I don't think anyone will really turn on us. Those who have tried to attack us have already faced a taste of the retaliation we gave back," Xavier answered truthfully, and Ron nodded in relief.

Xavier had a good point about how stupid it would look for anyone that would be on Peter Pettigrew's side…

Albus Dumbledore's P.O.V:

Location: Headmaster's Office

Albus patiently waited for his Minerva and Ronald's parents to arrive to his office and all the while doing so, a series of thoughts all ran through his mind. They had all gotten it wrong. Sirius Black was innocent, and it was Peter Pettigrew that led to the downfall of James and Lily Potter. And the thoughts spiralling in Albus's mind was nothing compared to the emotions he was feeling at the moment.

Albus felt guilt strike him every time he thought of the poor Sirius Black. An innocent man who had lost ten years of his life all because of Peter Pettigrew. And Albus blamed himself for it too. Albus still remembered the absolute infuriation he felt when hearing the news of James and Lily's fate and without any second thought, he, along with the whole Wizengamot, had sentenced Sirius to life in Azkaban and the Pureblood wizard had been taken away like some insane animal.

And that was another feeling that coursed through Albus's soul; infuriation. At himself, at Peter, at the coward who hid in the innocent family of the Weasleys, how Ronald and Xavier were the first ones to even notice this at all when it should have been Albus. The two boys already had enough going in on their lives, they didn't need this extra pile of concern on their backs. And not only that, but Harry Potter would also soon learn about the traitor who didn't turn a hair when Harry's parents were killed that tragic night.

There came a knock at the door which tore Albus out of his thoughts and he sat up straighter in his chair.

"Come in," Albus said, and the door opened, revealing Minerva. Minerva shut the door and swiftly seated herself on a chair in front of Albus's desk.

"Albus, I heard this was important," Minerva stated, and Albus nodded.

"Yes, but we must wait for Arthur and Molly Weasley," Albus informed, and Minerva shot him a confused look.

Around five minutes later, the fireplace blazed green and the two Weasleys stepped through.

"Albus, we got your letter," Arthur confirmed.

"What's happened? Did something happen to Ron?" Molly asked quickly, concern flashing on her face.

"No, not really, Molly. If you two may join Minera and I, I shall explain the reasoning of calling all three of you," Albus replied, and the two Weasleys took their seats next to Minerva.

Albus then regaled the events of Peter Pettigrew, and by the end, Minerva was staring in shock, Molly was in utter disbelief and Arthur looked more furious than Albus had ever seen him.

"So, you're telling me that a Death-Eater has been hiding in my family this whole time?" Arthur inquired, but his tone held venom and rage. Molly rested her hand on top of Arthur's and squeezed it.

"Albus… are you being serious?" Minerva asked with her jaw to the ground, and Albus nodded firmly.

"But… how?" Molly asked weakly.

"Peter had been feeding information to the Dark Lord and when Sirius tracked him down, Peter blasted the Muggles around to cause a distraction and he cut off a finger to remain as the only evidence of himself, though he had already transformed into his rat form by then," Albus explained, and he once again felt a storm of emotions flow through his body.

"And Ronnie and Xavier guessed this all by themselves?" Molly questioned, and Albus nodded, a sense of proudness fill him. The two boys were something else…

"Would you like to see them?" Albus asked, and she nodded.

"Zinny," Albus called out and a House-Elf appeared in front of him.

"Master Dumbledore, what may I do for you?" Zinny asked respectfully as he bowed deeply.

"May you please fetch Ronald Weasley and Xavier Desmond, thank you," Dumbledore instructed, and the House-Elf disapparated.

After five minutes later, the two boys had shown up and as they entered Albus's office, Molly immediately darted from her seat and pulled the two boys into a hug.

"Hey, mum," Ron's muffled voice said.

"Hey Mrs. Weasley," Xavier added in and Molly let go of them too.

"How are you boys doing? Are you alright? Are you two eating well?" Molly fussed, and both boys nodded tiredly. Albus felt sympathy for them; it must have been disturbing to see a Death-Eater disguised as a pet rat this whole time…

"Please, take a seat, Ronald and Xavier," Dumbledore gestured towards two empty chairs next to Minerva. The boys did so and once everyone was back in their seats, Albus faced the two boys.

"Would one of you like to explain everything in detail?" Albus asked. Though he knew about the fact that Ronald had a Vision and Xavier had suspected 'Scabbers' from reading up about Animagi, Albus was still intrigued to hear everything.

Xavier and Ronald exchanged glances before Xavier cleared his voice.

"Well, I was reading up on Animagi and-" Xavier was briefly cut off by Minerva.

"Animagi? You were studying for later on?" Minerva asked, an impressed look on her face. Xavier nodded, and she smiled fully.

"It had always fascinated me since you went from a cat to your human form back in the first class of Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall. Anyways, while I was reading up on it, I had remembered about how Ron had told me about Scabbers and how the rat had been in his family for ten years. I always found that weird, since garden rats are meant to only live for about one or two years," Xavier stated, and Albus, Minerva, Molly, and Arthur all gestured him to go on.

"And so, while I had my suspicions, Ron had been having some of his own as well, and we decided to take up it to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Snape," Xavier concluded, and when Ronald nodded in confirmation, Minerva, Molly, and Arthur just stared at the boys with shell-shocked expressions. How was it that two first years had been the two discover a fault in Peter Pettigrew's quiet rein?

"Well, you've helped save another life and for this, I award fifty points to each of you," Albus announced with a proud smile; these two definitely earned their prodigy title…

"Thank you, Headmaster," Ronald said with a smile.

"Sir, what will happen to Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black?" Xavier asked, looking intrigued and Albus sighed.

"Professor Snape has already taken Peter to the Ministry, and after they've done their examination on Peter, there will probably be a trial held for Peter. If so, you two will have to take the stand to account your stories," Albus informed, and the boys nodded.

"We'll be there," Ronald reassured, and his parents shot him proud looks.

Ron Weasley's P.O.V:

Ministry of Magic: Courtroom 10 – Saturday, January 15, 1992

The last week had gone slow, yet as Ron, Xavier, and Ron's parents all stood outside of the courtroom in the Ministry of Magic, Ron couldn't help but feel like the week had gone by fast at the same time.

The Headmaster had informed the two Slytherin Prodigies that the trial would be set on the 15th of January, and once the Daily Prophet got hold of the whole Peter Pettigrew situation, the newspapers had rolled out and by Monday morning, every student knew what had happened.

Xavier had been right; none of the Slytherins gave them hate or any looks of disgust of catching a Death-Eater. And while Ron and Xavier both slipped into a period of distance and isolation from themselves and everyone else, all of their Slytherin friends had been there for the duo, especially for Ron as Ron was more affected than Xavier was.

Every night since the revelation of Peter Pettigrew, Ron would wake up sweating profusely and feeling nauseous. It was the same nightmare of Peter somehow finding Ron and his family again and taking his revenge on them. He just couldn't get over the fact that there was some Death-Eater running around his home for the last ten years.

Once Ron's siblings had found out about Peter, they had all been shaken and overly surprised too. But Percy had downright broken down and he continuously blamed himself as he was the one who found 'Scabbers' in the first place, though Ron and everyone else didn't blame Percy one bit. Thus, Ron, the twins, and Xavier had been there to comfort Percy as they knew he needed it very much.

It also came as a shocking moment when it was revealed that Sirius Black was Harry's Godfather. Not only had Ron and Xavier saved an innocent man, but a man who could now be Harry's father figure. When Harry found out about this, he had rushed to find the Slytherin duo and when he did, he grabbed them both into a tight hug and even shed a few tears as he thanked them repeatedly.

"Boys, it's time to go inside," Mr. Weasley announced as he clapped Ron and Xavier on the backs, tearing Ron from his thoughts. Ron turned to Xavier and they both nodded at each other.

A witch in her twenties then opened the doors and the Slytherin duo stepped through. There were met with an immense room with members of the Wizengamot all seated in formal, plum-coloured robes that had a 'W' imprinted in the top left corners of the robes, and Dumbledore was in the middle of the members. In front of Ron and Xavier was Peter Pettigrew who was tied up and Sirius Black who was in a cage. Sirius was glaring with ill intentions at Peter who was whimpering and sniveling.

"Step forward," Dumbledore's voice spoke, and the duo did so, and the Wizengamot got a good look at the two Slytherin students.

"Please state both of your names," Dumbledore requested sagely.

"Ronald Weasley," Ron stated, and some of the Wizengamot members sent strong nods towards Ron.

"Xavier Desmond," Xavier stated, and almost every member of the Wizengamot let out a small gasp or a look of pure shock.

"Well, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Desmond, you two are here as eye-witnesses in the capture of Peter Pettigrew, and eye-witnesses of Peter's confessions under Veritaserum that was administered by the Potions Master of Hogwarts, Severus Snape. Please account your stories," Dumbledore requested, and both boys nodded firmly.

And so, Xavier explained his side of the story, going through his suspicions which were made from reading up on Animagi, and Ron stated his story which ended up with the events that occurred in Snape's office. Throughout telling his story, his confidence built up and by the time the duo had given their explanations, Dumbledore was smiling and the Wizengamot members were nodding firmly or shooting impressed looks at how perceptive and brave the duo was.

"The evidence and explanations are thorough and staggering," Dumbledore said, and he then gazed piercingly at the sniveling Peter Pettigrew. "Does the accuse deny or have anything to say in their defense?"

The Headmaster then undid the silencing charm on Peter and the little rat took a huge breath before looking around frantically.

"That's not true! I… I was under the Imperius… Yes, the Dark Lord forced me and… and when I denied him, he used the Imperius curse on me!" Peter begged desperately, and Ron just clenched his teeth, while Xavier balled his fists. Why did this cunt still bother trying to deny everything? Fucking pathetic…

"DO NOT LIE YOU TRAITOR! YOU KILLED LILY AND JAMES!" Sirius bellowed, trying to grab Peter and Peter flinched hard, while cowering away from Sirius's arms.

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore's voice boomed, and both Ron and Xavier jumped out how loud Dumbledore's voice was, especially with the amplified-voice spell on his voice.

"You confessed many details of your crimes, including that you were James and Lily's Secret Keeper, in front of Ronald Weasley, Xavier Desmond, Severus Snape, and I. Severus Snape also took you to the Ministry where many Aurors and authoritative figures used Legilimency to view through your memories," Dumbledore stated with his eyes hardening on Peter, and Dumbledore then looked towards a woman with a square jaw and a monocle.

"Amelia Bones, please account the memories of the accused," Dumbledore requested, and the woman stood up.

"The accused fed vital information to the Dark Lord, blasted twelve Muggles with a blasting curse, and then severed his own finger before escaping away in Animagus form," Amelia Bones recounted, and she sat back down. Fuck, just send this motherfucker to Azkaban already!

"PLEASE! MERCY! I won't do this again, please!" Peter urged, but he suddenly fell back with a startled scream as if someone had slapped him and a sizzling noise could be heard as a boiling mark was left on Peter's face. What the fuck?!

Members of the Wizengamot all shot of their seats to get a better look, while Dumbledore had his eyes searching for the cause. Ron glanced at Sirius Black and he saw the gaunt man staring incredulously at Xavier. Ron turned to Xavier and he was jarred by the terrifying look on Xavier's look. Ron realised that Peter's fall and slap had been caused by Xavier losing control of his magic.

"You dare beg for mercy you pathetic rat?!" Xavier snarled viciously, and Dumbledore shot him a warning look to calm down. Ron shuddered as he felt the burning magic from Xavier. His friend was fuming at Peter, and Ron couldn't blame him.

Peter looked at Xavier with horror and then shrieked, "HE HURT ME! WHY ISN'T ANYONE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT?!"

"Silence!" members of Wizengamot hissed, while Ron, Xavier, and Sirius glared hatefully at Pettigrew.

Once everyone had gotten back in their seats, and Xavier had calmed down, Dumbledore presumed the court hearing.

"As the accused has no strong evidence of defense in his story and there are no other plausible explanations, I, the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, hereby sentence Peter Pettigrew to the Dementor's kiss. Sirius Black will be released immediately and shall be compensated for his wrongful imprisonment. I and the rest of the Wizengamot apologise deeply for the wrongful imprisonment of Sirius Black. All in favour?" Dumbledore inquired, and every one of the Wizengamot shot their hands up with no hesitation. Peter wailed loudly while massaging the burnt scar on his face and Sirius looked as if he was in heaven.

"Guards! Take Mr. Pettigrew to the Dementors," Dumbledore ordered, and as two middle-aged wizards came by and roughly grabbed the sobbing Peter by the arms and dragged him across the courtroom, Peter looked back at Ron and the Slytherin red-head smirked evilly at the rat. Fuck you for everything, you scoundrel! Hope the Dementors kiss you good!

"Motherfucker…" Xavier muttered, and Ron saw Peter's eyes widen in fear when Xavier gave him a death glare.

"Sirius Black, you are hereby free to go on with your life," Dumbledore announced, and he flicked his wand, making the cage disappear. Sirius fell to his knees and cried in joy, while many of the Wizengamot members, including Dumbledore, all stared at the man with sympathetic, sombre expressions.

Ron and Xavier both gazed at the man and they couldn't help but think the same thing; ten bloody years… I'm so sorry…

As if Sirius had heard their thoughts, he looked up at them with eyes filled with unshed tears and he crawled over to his two saviours.

"Thank you so much…" Sirius whispered, and Ron just placed his hand on one of Sirius's bony shoulders, while Xavier did the same with the other shoulder. The trio stayed this way, ignoring all the cameras that flashed away furiously at them.

Xavier Desmond's P.O.V:

"I'm so proud of you boys!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she pinched both Xavier and Ron's cheeks.

"Mum, stop that," Ron frowned, and his father and the Headmaster chuckled.

"She is right. Every one of us are proud of you both and you should be too," Dumbledore added solemnly and both boys just smiled.

"Sir, what will happen to Sirius Black now?" Xavier suddenly asked, and Dumbledore sighed gravely.

"A close friend of his, Remus Lupin, had come by to pick him up and Sirius will live with Remus while he gets better and healthier. Azkaban is truly a place where no one can fully recover from," Dumbledore replied, and Xavier felt Ron shudder beside him.

"And… what about Pettigrew?" Ron asked hesitantly, and Ron's parents both put their hands firmly on Ron's shoulders.

"Once the Dementors will perform the kiss on Peter, I expect that Peter will live on a soulless being, probably in St. Mungo's for the rest of his life," Dumbledore replied, and both boys nodded firmly.

"Good, that's what he deserves," Ron stated with a firm, final tone.

"He framed Sirius Black, killed innocent Muggles, fed information to the Dark Lord, and hid away like a coward in Ron's family… truly disgusting," Xavier spat out, and everyone looked slightly alarmed at the duo's angry nature at Peter. These two were eleven-year-olds after all.

"I now understand why you felt an immense amount of anger towards Pettigrew," Dumbledore suddenly said, and everyone looked at him.

"You feel especially angered as you feel maybe someone else had done the same to your parents and had fed information about them," Dumbledore assumed, and Xavier just stared at the floor. He felt Ron's hand rest on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry for losing control of my magic back in the courtroom, Headmaster," Xavier apologised, but the Headmaster chuckled while Ron's parents stared fondly at Xavier.

"No apologies needed, Xavier. I can understand where you came from and quite frankly, I might have lost control of my emotions too," Dumbledore admitted,

"Same here," Ron added in and the three adults all chuckled.

"Well boys, go ahead and enjoy your weekend. And remember, I'm proud of you both," Dumbledore finished, his eye twinkling brightly. Both boys beamed at the Headmaster and left the office after saying their goodbyes to Ron's parents.

"Xavier," Ron said as they had walked a few meters from Dumbledore's office.

"What's up, Ron?" Xavier asked, and he was met with Ron's nervous grin.

"I just… I just wanted to thank you for being there with me… you know… with this whole Pettigrew thing… I definitely couldn't have done it or gone through it without you, mate," Ron muttered, but Xavier caught every word and he just patted Ron's back.

"I've got your back no matter what, bro," Xavier promised, and Ron smiled widely.

"Ron! Xavier! You're back," Tracey exclaimed as the duo entered the Slytherin Common Room.

"Indeed, Davis," Xavier replied in a tone that mocked Snape. Ron, Theo, and Blaise just burst out laughing.

"How did the trial go?" Daphne asked with a faint smile as Xavier sat between her and Blaise.

"Pettigrew was sentenced to the Dementor's kiss, and Sirius was freed immediately," Ron responded as he sat between Pansy and Millie.

"Serves Pettigrew right! Damn coward," Millie growled, and both Xavier and Ron grinned in agreement.

"Poor Sirius Black, though… he spent ten years in Azkaban for nothing," Pansy sympathised, and the group all shared her sentiment.

"Merlin, I don't want to even imagine being near to any of those Dementors," Tracey said with a shudder.

"Agreed," Blaise said and, there was an uncomfortable silence on the mere thought of Dementors.

"So… who wants to go see if Millie's cat is secretly an Animagus too?' Theo randomly asked, and he instantly ducked Millie's smack, while the others all spiralled into uncontrollable sniggers and laughter.