Exposed

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Ultimately, the three worked together to grab Scabbers from Ron's chest.

"This is Peter Pettigrew?" Ron asked suspiciously, pinching Scabbers' slender tail.

Scabbers were still squeaking and struggling, trying to escape Ron's grasp.

"Of course! Hurry up and give him to me!" Sirius couldn't wait to grab Scabbers from Ron's hand.

Sirius held Scabbers tightly, even though the rat bit his hand twice, drawing blood. He didn't relax his grip at all.

"Peter, we finally meet again," he murmured, holding Scabbers tightly and trying to restrain the urge to crush the rat.

"Let's do it together, Black," Lupin told Sirius.

"Yes! Together!" he agreed.

Sirius held Scabbers in his left hand and put his wand on the rat with his right. Lupin also drew out his wand and pointed it directly at Scabbers.

Soon, a blue-white light lit up at the tips of both their wands, and the two spells hit Scabbers precisely.

The rat's body changed in an instant. Suspended in mid-air with its limbs twisting frantically, it suddenly swelled up as if filled with air.

Scabbers fell heavily to the ground, his body continuing to twist and swell. Like a fast-growing plant, the rat's head became a human head, and its short four legs transformed into human limbs.

A strange man lay on the ground. He was short and bald, with the remaining thin pale hair disheveled. His skin was dirty and loose, as if he had suddenly lost weight. His facial features retained some rodent characteristics, and he was twitching his nose cautiously to observe the people around him.

Ron looked at the man in shock, feeling nauseated at the thought that he had been inseparable from such a man for so long, even sleeping and bathing together.

"Peter! It's been a while since we saw each other!" Lupin said to Peter Pettigrew as if greeting an old friend.

"Black and Lupin! My old friends!" Peter Pettigrew said sharply, his eyes darting around for an escape route.

"Are you Peter Pettigrew?" Harry stood up and looked at Peter.

"What happened the day my parents had an accident?"

Pettigrew's face quickly turned pale, and cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"They're lying! I'm innocent!"

Peter Pettigrew pointed at Sirius Black with his stubby fingers.

"He's going to kill me again! Please help me!" he screamed, fleeing towards the blown-up door.

"You liar! Pig! Beast! You're still lying!"

Sirius, who had been silent, shouted hoarsely and rushed towards Peter Pettigrew.

No one stopped him this time, and Sirius caught Peter Pettigrew and dragged him back into the office.

"How could you do such a thing! They were your friends! They trusted you the most!" Sirius yelled at Peter Pettigrew.

After hearing Sirius's words, a brief moment of complex emotions flashed in Peter Pettigrew's eyes—remorse, shame, guilt, and self-blame. But soon, he skillfully hid these emotions, and the panic he was deliberately performing reappeared on his face.

"Come and help me!" Peter Pettigrew screamed.

"Black is crazy again! He's going to kill me!"

Sirius was now engulfed in a great rage that swallowed his sanity.

"That's right! I'm going to kill you!" Sirius shouted, putting his hands around Peter Pettigrew's neck.

"You heard what he said!" Peter shouted to the others, struggling to defend himself.

"He admitted it!"

"I'm going to kill you to avenge James and Lily!" Sirius yelled, trying to strangle Peter Pettigrew.

"Enough!" Lupin, afraid that Sirius might strangle Pettigrew, stepped forward and tried to pull them apart.

The struggle between the two was too intense for Lupin to manage alone, so he signaled Ethan for help.

Ethan sighed and stepped forward with Lupin to forcibly separate them.

Once freed from Sirius Black's grasp, Peter Pettigrew attempted to bolt for the door, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood firmly in his way, wands raised and ready.

"Harry! What are you doing?" Peter Pettigrew continued to plead innocently.

"Get out of the way; this lunatic is going to kill me again!"

Harry's face remained cold as he pointed his wand unwaveringly at Pettigrew.

Realizing Harry wouldn't budge, Pettigrew turned to Ron.

"Master Ron! Let me go! I've always been a good pet, haven't I?"

Mentioning this only made Ron's face pale as he recalled sharing his life with a man disguised as a rat.

"Go away!" Ron yelled.

"You pervert!"

Seeing no help from Ron, Peter Pettigrew's expression grew desperate. He turned his pleading eyes to Hermione.

"Good, Miss! Smart Miss! They're going to kill me! Let me go!" Peter Pettigrew even knelt on the ground, begging Hermione.

"Don't come near me!" cried Hermione, pale and terrified.

"Peter, I just need to confirm one thing," Harry said suddenly, his wand still aimed at Pettigrew.

"I will deal with you individually according to your answer."

"What's the problem?" Peter Pettigrew asked eagerly as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Why didn't you show up after Voldemort disappeared all these years? Why did you stay hidden as a rat?" Harry asked.

Peter Pettigrew's eyes darted around as he tried to concoct a reasonable explanation.

"I was so scared! I knew Black was after me! I was afraid he would find me! So I hid!" he explained.

"You're lying!" Sirius yelled angrily.

"Quiet!" Harry shouted suddenly. The office fell silent as no one spoke.

Harry's gaze remained fixed on Pettigrew.

"You betrayed my parents. You let Voldemort find them. You caused their deaths," he said, his voice steady but filled with anger.

"You were their Secret Keeper, and you gave them up."

Peter Pettigrew's face contorted with fear.

"No, Harry! You don't understand! Voldemort forced me! He would have killed me if I didn't tell him!"

Harry's grip tightened on his wand.

"You still chose to betray them."

"I had no choice!" Pettigrew whimpered.

"Please, Harry, you must believe me! I was trying to survive!"

Harry's face hardened.

"You survived by letting my parents die. You survived by letting countless others suffer. You don't deserve mercy."

Tears welled up in Pettigrew's eyes. "Please, Harry, I beg you!"

"Enough," Harry said coldly. He turned to Sirius and Lupin.

"What do we do with him now?"

"We take him to the Ministry," Lupin said firmly.

"He will face justice for his crimes."

Sirius Black nodded, though his face still burned with anger.

"He'll pay for what he's done."

With Pettigrew securely bound and under guard, the group prepared to leave. As they left the office, Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of closure. His parents' true betrayer had finally been unmasked, and justice was within reach.