The morning light awakens, and the pale purple dawn pierces the clouds on the horizon, streaming through the glass into the silent Gryffindor Tower.
The common room is crowded.
But no one dares to speak again as Professor McGonagall sits at the entrance of the room with a stern face, still wearing the checkered nightgown, evidently not having left all night.
The students haven't returned to their dormitories; everyone obediently sits on the sofas. Some have already fallen asleep, but obviously many more are unable to sleep at all.
"It's over, it's over, it's over, it's over, it's over..."
Neville continues to mutter softly in despair, ever since he realized he was the culprit who allowed Sirius Black to break into the dormitory.
"..."
Harry and Hermione are too exhausted to console him anymore; they only exchange a helpless glance before bowing their heads again.
Ron sits silently on the side, having just been reprimanded by Professor McGonagall for spending almost the entire night vividly describing to others the scene he saw upon waking up—
But clearly, Professor McGonagall has heard enough, which is why these usually boisterous little lions are now behaving like a flock of timid quails.
When the old lion roars, they dare not cause trouble.
Finally, as the light from the horizon shines fully into the room, the Fat Lady steps aside from her portrait, allowing Lupin and William to enter the common room.
"Buzz——"
It's as if eight hundred bees were released into the room, disrupting the silence of the place with a burst of hurried discussions. Even Professor McGonagall doesn't have the time to maintain order and quickly gets up to greet them.
"Situation..."
"Caught."
William quickly supports Professor McGonagall's body, stiffened from sitting so long and worrying, while Lupin exchanges nods with Professor McGonagall before eagerly moving past the crowd, continuing deeper into the room.
Everyone's gaze unhesitatingly followed Lupin, moving along with him.
Finally, Lupin stops. He looks at the boy in front of him who's visibly at a loss, and, with his usually gentle voice now sounding somewhat icy—
Ron hears Lupin speak, "Mr. Weasley, your pet rat, where is it now?"
...
Inside the boys' dormitory.
Looking at the emptiness... no, actually there's a drawer with a blood-stained hole, Lupin is silent.
"Did it really run away?"
William peeks out from behind the man, looking at the hole in the drawer that seems to have been gnawed by a rodent, blinking his eyes involuntarily.
Although he had a premonition upon arriving here that things wouldn't be solved so simply, surely someone foolish is orchestrating all this, yet seeing this scene makes him sigh involuntarily...
Oh, isn't this familiar plot?
Last year's diary vanished just when it was needed.
Surely there's some kind of charm over Hogwarts Castle.
Yet this development seems quite logical if that rat is indeed the legendary third-level Merlin Medal recipient, Peter Pettigrew—
Lupin has already confessed. Besides him, the other three Marauders all have Animagus forms, all illegal: a deer, a dog, and a gray rat.
As for Sirius's "intrusion" this time... truly indescribable, but if he and Ron haven't lied, then Peter Pettigrew must've stayed in this drawer. Upon hearing the news, fleeing is highly plausible.
Even...
Lupin reaches into the drawer, and his palm comes out holding a piece of broken incisor.
Well, it seems we've determined what caused the hole now.
"...Where's my Scabbers?!"
But while Lupin holds the tooth speechlessly with William, Ron stares at the drawer in horror. Instinctively, he opens the lower cabinet, pulling out all his clothes stored inside, yet doesn't even see a strand of rat fur.
The boy raises his head in confusion, meeting Lupin's grim gaze.
Hiss...
Ron quickly looks away, his panic lessened ever so slightly—for a simple reason, Lupin looks as though he could kill, and it's widely known this professor reputed for being gentle and giving little homework has never shown such an expression.
Harry notices this too, having rushed in with the Gryffindors.
Even though he doesn't know why Professor Lupin is looking for Ron's rat, the little wizards who've waited all night are now extremely curious, and even if Professor McGonagall wants to stop them, she likely couldn't now, not to mention Professor Meow is actually more anxious than they are.
"Pro... Senior, did you catch Blake?"
George Weasley squeezes in from who knows where, looking at William, about to blurt out, then recalls William isn't actually a professor—hiss, not only has he confronted Snape head-on, he hangs out with Professor Lupin daily, causing many students except sixth-years to forget this detail.
"No."
William shakes his head with a smile, lying effortlessly.
Considering all that Sirius has said remains unproven, Dumbledore and William share the same thought—to keep it quiet, since Sirius is still a wanted man—