Lethal sleep

Snape stared in disbelief at the short, fat man who appeared before him and snored loudly. After hearing Soisen's explanation, he cast the forced reversal spell himself and froze as he recognized Peter.

-How?" Snape looked at Soisen with an expression that was hard to describe.

He had only shown him the letter a few days ago and the young wizard stood before him with a "dead man" who shouldn't exist, sedated and helpless.

-Last year I noticed something peculiar during my first Transformations class, a cat on Professor McGonagall's desk. I had a strange feeling when I saw it and only a few moments later I understood that it was an animagus form. The funny thing is that I felt something similar when I saw Ron Weasley's rat, but at the time I simply thought it was a magical rat, I didn't know the animagus concept," Soisen lied, "After reading the letter you showed me, I reviewed the incident and discovered that they only found one of Peter's fingers. But the finger shown in the clipping photo was strange, because the wound appeared to have been caused by a cut and not torn off by an explosion. And then I connected dots. "Scabbers" is missing the same toe on one of the paws, something I noticed odd, but initially attributed to a fight with a cat or something. But then I asked around and found out that the very moment Peter "died" coincided with the adoption of the Weasley family's more than long-lived pet.

Snape was truly speechless. The line of thought is clear, the irrefutable evidence and details were in front of him, it was unquestionable.

-And why didn't you take him to the Headmaster, but to me? -he asked suddenly. He was not worried about someone breaking into his office, he raised the defenses and Soisen also made active some functions of the castle.

Not even Dumbledore could know that Peter was here.

-And get Sirius Black out of Azkaban? No, Professor. Not after reading the letter," Soisen shook his head determinedly, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick up a rat I ordered by owl and cut off a finger. I don't want my own owl to find out the contents of the package and eat it," Soisen turned away and before closing the door, "Oh, and Professor. See to it that you "clean up" after I finish whatever it is you do. After all, as I said, I am a second year student and it is not right for me to see what will happen next.

Snape looked at him out of the corner of his eye and nodded.

-Two hundred points to Galegold for... helping to catch a plague in the school," he muttered, but Soisen heard him and shrugged before closing the door. The points were irrelevant really, but it would be interesting to see everyone's reaction when their House hourglass changed so much in a single day.

Snape's gaze refocused on Peter and his eyes gradually became bloodshot before he advanced towards him, falling on the unconscious wizard like Batman on the Joker.

Soisen never saw Peter again after that.

After ascertaining that the rat he obtained was identical to Peter's animagus form, he cut off the same finger as quickly and painlessly as possible and asked the same student to return "Scabbers" to his place for another galleon along with his silence. Then he went on with his life.

Later, during lunch he overheard Ron complain that Scabbers behaved as if he didn't recognize him and was an ungrateful rat. Ironic, considering that with so many years with the Weasleys, Ron was unable to notice the change.

Simultaneously, everyone was pleasantly surprised when Dumbledore announced that for one week Potions lessons would be theory only, as Professor Snape had to leave Hogwarts due to a family emergency. The Headmaster himself seemed puzzled at the strange behavior of his confidant.

Family emergency?

He really could have thought of something better to have alone time with his old friend Peter. But as long as he left no trace, it was all good.

As for why he substituted the rat, well, imagine the same thing happening in third year but instead of the big reveal, Sirius accuses a rat who really was a rat of being Peter.

It would prove he was completely insane beyond redemption and he'd be sentenced to the Dementor's kiss! He didn't even have to act, the Ministry would step forward eager to act.

As for the Dementors, due to his move to the forbidden section of the library, he already learned the Patronus Charm and how it worked. He just needed to practice it and be able to employ it skillfully before taking the express in his third year.

-Professor Flitwick, may I speak with you for a moment? -After lunch, Soisen approached the Charms teacher.

-Oh! How can I help you, Mr. Galegold? -Flitwick asked as he remembered that Minerva was looking for him later to discuss a matter related to this very student in front of him.

-I understand that you are responsible for the Toad Choir.

-Indeed I am. Would you be interested in joining? I didn't know you liked to sing.

-Actually, I was hoping you could give me some advice about music and solve some doubts I have about some ideas I have in mind related to Sonorus. I'm working on a project that I think you might find very interesting.

-Well, you have managed to arouse my curiosity and interest," Flitwick looked at him animatedly, "Let's go to my office and talk while we drink some tea, it will help with digestion.

He followed the professor and as he left the Great Dining Hall, he heard someone congratulate Potter on becoming a seeker for the Gryffindor team.

It seems that the scene of the Dementors invading the Quidditch stadium will occur unchanged next year, including Potter's fainting spell.

-I would offer you one of my famous cupcakes to go with your tea, but I saw that you already had a good slice of cheesecake and it's not good to overindulge in sweets," explained Flitwick when they were settled in his office, "All right, shoot. What doubts torment your privileged mind?

Soisen took out the parchment with the formulas he had prepared in Transformations class and handed it to Flitwick, who took it and examined it with increasing interest as he understood what Soisen's goal was.

-Amazing," he muttered, for he could find no mistakes anywhere and the only thing that prevented what was in his hands from being finished were the blanks that had a critical function in its activation.

-Do you think you could help me with the missing part?

Flitwick looked away from the parchment and looked at Soisen seriously.

-I'm sorry to tell you that while I know what you are missing, I cannot provide you with the proper explanation you need because it requires a deep understanding and is not my field of expertise," he replied with a sigh before his eyes lit up, "But I have something in mind! Give me a few days and I think I can think of a way for you to continue working on it.

Soisen would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed, but seeing that the professor seemed to have an alternative idea, he decided to nod and wait for news. He stayed a few more minutes in the office and then took his leave with the intention of visiting Hagrid, to see what progress the project had made since he proposed it last year.

-What a monster! -Flitwick commented as he wiped the sweat from his brow, "No wonder Minerva has such urgency to conduct a meeting, I'll need to write to a friend of mine.