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Harry Potter - 2.3

"Hello, Peter." Harriet smiled with an eerie grin.

The rat stiffened.

"Run and I will kill you." She told him in a hiss. "Loki, come out, darling."

Her giant constrictor slithered out from underneath her bed and quietly curled around the petrified rat.

"Oh, yes, Peter." She grinned. "I'm a parselmouth... now why so you think that is?"

Peter shuddered.

"The Dark Lord and I have so many similarities." She continued on smoothly. "Halfblooded geniuses with more power than any of our peers..."

Her face twisted into a crazed expression.

"Shall I lead you to the Chamber of Secrets?" She pondered. "I'd love for you to meet the basilisk..."

Peter squeaked in terror as she suddenly grabbed him—-squeezing tightly.

He couldn't escape.

"Crucio."

Peter screamed.

Have you ever heard a rat scream like so?

It's truly horrifying.

Harriet halted and felt the rat twitch in her hand.

"Now then... McGonagall or the Basilisk?" She mused. "You're too small as a rat for the basilisk to enjoy... I ought to change you back. What do you think, Loki?"

"Take him to the cat-lady. Free your Godfather."

Harriet hissed softly in agreement.

"Squeak once for McGonagall. Twice for the basilisk."

He squeaked once.

"Stupefy."

Peter slumped unconscious.

"Obliviate." Harriet smiled. "I never used any unforgivable curses and I never spoke parseltongue. I merely happened to walk in on you untransformed and stunned you in panic."

She shouldn't have lost her temper.

But she felt satisfied knowing Peter felt a fraction of her pain.

"Come, Loki." Harriet said and extended her arm so Loki could climb onto her shoulders. Loki made for such a stylish scarf. "Ron and McGonagall are waiting for us."

She turned around and left the Gryffindor Common Room.

::

"Professor." She greeted. "Ron."

"Miss Potter."

"I found the man who betrayed my parents." She said. "An illegal animagus—-the Secret Keeper of my family."

McGonagall's eyes widened.

"What are talking about?"

"Look at this rat." Harriet said. "Count his fingers. What did Peter Pettigrew leave behind?"

She saw the Deputy Headmistress pale.

"No!" She breathed in disbelief.

"Yes." Harriet smiled. "Moony, Lupin. Padfoot, Black. Prongs, Potter. And...Wormtail, Pettigrew. My father was an illegal stag animagus just like this rat."

"But—-!" Ron protested. "That's Scabbers!"

"No, Mr Weasley." Said McGonagall as she whipped out her wand. "That may very well be a criminal in disguise."